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MarilynW
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| Posted: Jan 11 2014 at 7:28pm | IP Logged
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I am planning a Middle Ages year for my kids age 5 to 10 next year. I have a lot of living books, but no idea of what to use for a spine. Last time round I did this we used Story of the World, and used a lot of Catholic cds from Saint Joseph communications for the Crusades, Inquisition and Reformation.
I would like a different spine - I am not as fond of the Story of the World books as I used to be.
I also have not spent a whole year on the Middle Ages before. I would love to hear from anyone about resources they have enjoyed for this period.
I may use CCM for memorization. We will notebook using Notebooking Pages, and we have timeline figures from Homeschool in the Woods.
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Marilyn
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Mackfam
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| Posted: Jan 11 2014 at 8:42pm | IP Logged
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For the ages you mentioned, Marilyn, I really recommend Sr. Mary Celeste's The Old World's Gifts to the New. It's not as engaging to me as SOTW (though I don't have this period in SOTW, I just have experience with the Ancient History book), but does provide a good bird's eye view of the period written from a solid Catholic perspective.
It makes a good read aloud and works well for narrations following. That age group could probably give great group narrations, which is really my FAVORITE way to ask for and hear narrations. It will probably be a bit meaty for your 5 yo. It's a perfect fit for ages 8ish - 12, really. If I read aloud in small bits, my 5 yo could probably get some great stuff out of it, so I think it could be fine.
Specifically, Units 5 and 6 cover the period you're studying:
Unit 5: How the People Lived in the Middle Ages
Unit 6: What the Church Did for the People in the Middle Ages
Unfortunately, this book is expensive everywhere I look. Originally printed in 1932, Neumann Press reprinted it in 1999 and it appears all copies are now oop. Maybe you already have it on your shelf, or could borrow it??
I found the first 6 pages in pdf form so you could get a feel for the book and also see the TOC.
If you're interested, Sonya Romens (RC History) has kindly made an answer key available that covers Units 1, 5, 6.
Also wanted to mention that one of my absolute FAVORITE core pieces has always been 2000 Years of Christianity. I love that I can cover one entire century at a time - it's a great way to introduce a century and gives great visual ideas for the BOC. The pictures are so detailed and inviting for little ones to look at, and the summaries are great for reading aloud to older students.
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MarilynW
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| Posted: Jan 13 2014 at 6:53am | IP Logged
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Thanks Jen. Unfortunately I do not have the Sr. Mary Celest book, but will check to see if anyone is selling in my local homeschooling group. Thanks for the tip on 2000 years of Christianity - I will definitely look at that. I am happy to have a lot of living books - just need something to place everything in time and space.
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SallyT
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| Posted: Jan 14 2014 at 8:23am | IP Logged
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Marilyn, you might consider The World's Story, by Elizabeth O'Neill, a new edition of which is just out from Hillside Education. It's not just the Middle Ages -- in Mater Amabilis, it's slated to replace Van Loon's Story of Mankind for Level 3 -- but it is very readable and, if not actually Catholic, very Catholic-friendly, which is why it was chosen for MA.
I was one of the proofreaders for the new edition and just got my copy in the mail -- I proofed the first three chapters on Early Man-Rome, so I'm not as familiar with her chapters on the era you want. Glancing over them, though, they seem very substantial, with many chapters covering the long era from the fall of the Roman Empire to the beginnings of the New World and the modern era, and the treatment of the Reformation appears very balanced and sympathetic to the Catholic side of the story. There is also a big chapter devoted to the Counter-Reformation.
You could easily pull a year's course out of these chapters, I think, with a lot of historical fiction to flesh things out. It would work as a read-aloud for a fairly wide age spread, too. And, obviously, you would get a lot of use out of it, since it retells history from the beginning to just before WWI!
Here is a link to the page at Hillside. And no, I don't get anything out of recommending it -- I just got a free copy for doing the proofing, so I have it to preview! But it looks really, really good, and I'm excited to have my now-5th-grader use it next year.
Sally
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MarilynW
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| Posted: Jan 14 2014 at 10:32am | IP Logged
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Thanks Sally - I am taking a look at this.
I am returning to notebooking - and loving it.
It seems I did much more "fun" stuff with my kids when all were 12 and under. I am trying to return to this with the younger ones.
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Marilyn
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MarilynW
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| Posted: March 24 2014 at 9:42pm | IP Logged
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I am still trying to find a spine. I am actually thinking of just using Story of the World 2 and avoiding the problematic chapters. I could also use Famous Men of the Middle Ages in addition.
I would love to hear about the following texts from anyone who has used them (in particular if they would be too old as a read aloud for K-5th)
1. Dorothy Mills - The Book of the Middle Ages (Memoria Press)
2. Light to the the Nations
Thanks so much!
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Natalia
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| Posted: March 25 2014 at 2:27pm | IP Logged
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Hello Marilyn!
I just happened to see this post. A while ago I found online a curriculum from a Catholic School St Jerome Classical School
it has a great list of books. For history they used Trevor Cairn's Cambridge Introduction to World History. It is a series of about 8-10 books. They are out of print but I have been able to find them used quite cheaply. I really like them as spine. They are short and easily supplemented with other material. It has a British emphasis but it is written to the student and he really makes the student think and make connections between different times periods, consequences, etc. You might be able to find it your local library and see if you like them.
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| Posted: March 25 2014 at 3:14pm | IP Logged
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MarilynW wrote:
I am still trying to find a spine. I am actually thinking of just using Story of the World 2 and avoiding the problematic chapters. I could also use Famous Men of the Middle Ages in addition.
I would love to hear about the following texts from anyone who has used them (in particular if they would be too old as a read aloud for K-5th)
1. Dorothy Mills - The Book of the Middle Ages (Memoria Press)
2. Light to the the Nations
Thanks so much!
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I have the Dorothy Mills book and it was a dud for us this year. It was too much for my oldest, but he is not a history loving person. I think you dc are too young. It wasn't a great read aloud either. I would let my youngest read it independently if he was 7-8th grade.
I don't have the Light to the Nation book, but I viewed a friend's copy last week. I think it would work less for you. It is pretty much a high school text. I think at your dc ages they would be overwhelmed with details.
We did this age period this year and I couldn't find a perfect spine and I don't think there is one. The previously mentioned book that Hillside published was my best find. You may look some of the text that Seton uses. I was looking at the one they use for 8th grade and it actually reads really nice. I haven't seen any of their other books though.
My boys don't care for history, so my review of the above books may not be accurate for your dc. 
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MarilynW
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| Posted: March 25 2014 at 8:54pm | IP Logged
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Natalia wrote:
Hello Marilyn!
I just happened to see this post. A while ago I found online a curriculum from a Catholic School St Jerome Classical School
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Hi Natalia - so nice to "see" you. Just last week, we were talking about when you visited (6 years ago!!)
Thanks for reminding me about Saint Jerome's - I used the curriculum for reference when I started homeschooling and it is interesting looking at it again. I have the Tappan books (on the twin's kindle - part of the YC bundle)
I know they use the Father Furlong text too - I really do not want to buy this. I tried to like Our Pioneers and Patriots but could not - and I assume this one is similar.
I will check out the Cambridge books if I can find them.
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MarilynW
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| Posted: March 25 2014 at 8:56pm | IP Logged
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Thank you for your feedback Cassie. I had reached the same conclusions - I think the Mills is for older children and so is Light to the Nations. My boys read a lot and love the living books - I just am looking for something to give our year a framework. I have the Seton Grade 8 history book (US history) and it is fine - though still textbooky. I will check out the earlier one.
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Marilyn
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MarilynW
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| Posted: March 25 2014 at 9:15pm | IP Logged
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Sally - I am just checking out the book that you mentioned. It looks interesting - I had never heard of it.
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Marilyn
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4Real Forums : Across Time and Place
Topic: Middle Ages/Medieval spine
