| Author | |
Terri P
Forum Newbie
Joined: July 08 2009
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 8
|
| Posted: Sept 28 2009 at 8:49pm | IP Logged
|
 |
|
Does anyone have any experience with the TRISMS curriculum? It looks like a great program, but the testimonals are always wonderful for anything someone is trying to sell.
Thanks for any information at all.
|
| Back to Top |
|
| |
sewcrazy
Forum All-Star
Joined: Aug 17 2006
Location: Illinois
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 735
|
| Posted: Sept 28 2009 at 9:38pm | IP Logged
|
|
|
We are in our 2nd year and thoroughly enjoying the program! I have recommended to several friends and now our kids are doing it together.
What would you like to know?
__________________
LeeAnn
Wife of David, mom to Ben, Dennis, Alex, Laura, Philip and our little souls in heaven we have yet to meet
|
| Back to Top |
|
| |
Terri P
Forum Newbie
Joined: July 08 2009
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 8
|
| Posted: Sept 29 2009 at 8:26pm | IP Logged
|
|
|
LeeAnn,
I would like to know how user friendly the program is to start someone at the high school level. What age range are your children that are using TRISMS? My son is 15 and has some issues with time management. I was considering Seton because the lesson plans are so very specific, but the sample questions in their literature sample left me feeling like I was back in high school and reading for details for a test instead of reading to get the whole experience of the book.
Thanks for your help.
Terri
|
| Back to Top |
|
| |
Terri P
Forum Newbie
Joined: July 08 2009
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 8
|
| Posted: Sept 30 2009 at 6:37am | IP Logged
|
|
|
LeeAnn,
I was also wondering if this curriculum is overtly anti-Catholic. I am assuming since we are discussing it in this particular forum that it is not, but just needed to check.
Thanks,
Terri
|
| Back to Top |
|
| |
sewcrazy
Forum All-Star
Joined: Aug 17 2006
Location: Illinois
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 735
|
| Posted: Sept 30 2009 at 12:43pm | IP Logged
|
|
|
My son is also 15 with HUGE time management issues  It is very very user friendly. The only thing you need in addition to the curriculum is access to the a library and to the internet. We enjoy how it teaches kids to learn about a topic. And as the parent you set the bar on how much detail you are demanding.
It is a Catholic friendly program. In fact they sell a Catholic supplement to go with the program and if you join the Yahoo group, there are Catholic specific questioniares available to download to add to each unit.
I would suggest skipping the first book. Even the authors of the program don't like the first book. It is very very very ancient civs and research is hard, and it just doesn't feel very revelant. We started highschool with EOC and then, per the author's suggestion, we will take 2 years to do the last book in the series.
__________________
LeeAnn
Wife of David, mom to Ben, Dennis, Alex, Laura, Philip and our little souls in heaven we have yet to meet
|
| Back to Top |
|
| |
Terri P
Forum Newbie
Joined: July 08 2009
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 8
|
| Posted: Sept 30 2009 at 9:03pm | IP Logged
|
|
|
LeeAnn,
Thanks for the information. I ordered the History Makers today for my 12 year old and, unfortunately, the Ancient Civilizations for the 15 year old. I was on the fence about which one to order so I will change to the next book upon your suggestion. I also ordered the resource packages--do you think that they are necessary or would our World Book encyclopedias and the internet, as well as the library, be enough resources?
Terri
|
| Back to Top |
|
| |
sewcrazy
Forum All-Star
Joined: Aug 17 2006
Location: Illinois
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 735
|
| Posted: Oct 01 2009 at 9:10am | IP Logged
|
|
|
I do not think the resource packs are necessary. Many were variations of stuff we already had on our shelves, and the rest were readily available. As long as you have internet and a decent library, that's all you really need.
We enjoyed History Makers alot. We did it over 2 years. Both of us learned so much. If you have other, younger children, on the Yahoo group's files there are syllabi for younger kids tying HM to Story of the World and History Pockets so they can be in the same time period. It worked well for us.
My 10 year old is looking foward to doing History Makers when she is in 7th grade. I hope your family enjoys the program. Please feel free to ask me anything else. I will do my best to answer.
__________________
LeeAnn
Wife of David, mom to Ben, Dennis, Alex, Laura, Philip and our little souls in heaven we have yet to meet
|
| Back to Top |
|
| |
teachingmyown
Forum All-Star
Joined: Feb 20 2005
Location: Virginia
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 5128
|
| Posted: Oct 01 2009 at 11:15am | IP Logged
|
|
|
LeeAnn,
Maybe you can help me with a problem I found with TRISMS. When I was looking at TRISMS this summer and was very impressed, I came upon one of the units, Age of Revolutions, in which the "literature" selections include the rapper Eminem. I have had the unfortunate experience of having to preview some of his lyrics and they are beyond anything I could have imagined. So, I am shocked to see him listed as "literature".
The odd thing, as well, is how he is listed. I went back just now to double check and couldn't find his name at first. Then I realized it is on the same line as Agatha Christie. No other names are listed like that. It almost looks like the don't really want you to notice.
Have you done this unit? Am I wrong or overreacting? I am not one to throw the baby out with the bath water. However, Eminem would make some filthy bath water!
For what it's worth, I wouldn't be all that thrilled with my teen studying Bob Dylan, Malcolm X or Maya Angelou, either. Not as literature, anyway.
__________________
In Christ,
Molly
wife to Court & mom to ds '91, dd '96, ds '97, dds '99, '01, '03, '06, and dss '07 and 01/20/11
Remembering Today
|
| Back to Top |
|
| |
sewcrazy
Forum All-Star
Joined: Aug 17 2006
Location: Illinois
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 735
|
| Posted: Oct 01 2009 at 12:26pm | IP Logged
|
|
|
I have not done Age of Revolutions yet, but am quite shocked. I have never heard this mentioned on any of the boards, and some very conservative people I know use this program. Hmmm I will have to go look at it now. Is it on the website?
If I did come across it, I simply wouldn't include it in our lesson. This is a leap on my part, and I am not agreeing or condoning the inclusion of Eminem, but I know the authors worked very hard to appeal to the largest market they could. There are items included that a Catholic might not like, that a Protestant wouldn't like, that an atheist wouldn't like, that a "new ager" wouldn't like, and so on. Their intent was that you use the selections that support your world view and basically ignore the rest, or use them as teaching topics about how your family's belief systems differ than what is being shown in this segment. There are far more literature suggestions than anyone could use, you are meant to pick and chose. Again, NOT agreeing with the inclusion of filth.
__________________
LeeAnn
Wife of David, mom to Ben, Dennis, Alex, Laura, Philip and our little souls in heaven we have yet to meet
|
| Back to Top |
|
| |
teachingmyown
Forum All-Star
Joined: Feb 20 2005
Location: Virginia
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 5128
|
| Posted: Oct 01 2009 at 2:29pm | IP Logged
|
|
|
It is on the website, under the literature selections under the Age of Revolutions.
The other selections are certainly varied, including, as I said, Bob Dylan, Malcolm X, Maya Angelou, Black Eyed Peas (not real familiar with their music)and Adolph Hitler. Then you have Louisa May Alcott, Charles Dickens, Willa Cather, Chesterton, Mark Twain and Martin Luther King Jr., etc.
I *guess* I understand the idea of giving a broad worldview, although I would want a program that agreed presented things from at least a similar viewpoint. Perhaps it would help to see how it is all presented. I think I will email the creator and she what she says.
I remember a teacher in my Catholic high school who held up Bruce Springsteen as a great poet. I always thought that was rather strange and not particularly appropriate for impressionable high schoolers.
Like I said, the other programs look great and I was leaning towards it this summer, but got scared off by the thought that the author would even think to hold up Eminem as a sample of our modern culture. I would hate for kids to be exposed to that.
__________________
In Christ,
Molly
wife to Court & mom to ds '91, dd '96, ds '97, dds '99, '01, '03, '06, and dss '07 and 01/20/11
Remembering Today
|
| Back to Top |
|
| |
sewcrazy
Forum All-Star
Joined: Aug 17 2006
Location: Illinois
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 735
|
| Posted: Oct 01 2009 at 6:31pm | IP Logged
|
|
|
I just sent the author an email asking about some of the choices in AOR. I have never seen the second book in AOR in person. I will let you know how she replies.
__________________
LeeAnn
Wife of David, mom to Ben, Dennis, Alex, Laura, Philip and our little souls in heaven we have yet to meet
|
| Back to Top |
|
| |
sewcrazy
Forum All-Star
Joined: Aug 17 2006
Location: Illinois
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 735
|
| Posted: Oct 01 2009 at 9:40pm | IP Logged
|
|
|
Here is the response I received and I included the lyrics to the Eminem song. Also, I was told these three songs are a 2 day assignment in "modern prose" and so could easily be skipped. Intellectually I understand the purpose of the unit, not sure these are the songs I would pick.
Personally, Trisms is the curriculum that works for my family. Its not perfect, but it is the best fit for us I have found. Everything requires some "tweaking"
Hello,
The pieces in AOR 2 from these groups are examples of understanding a culture by
what it produces. Each one of the songs chosen reflect a different, yet more or
less prominent world view or idea being propagated in the 1990's. If you want
to look ahead at the pieces chosen, they are:
"Where is the Love" by Black Eyed Peas
"Mockingbird" by Eminem (this one is so sad - he wrote it for his little girl
Haille)
"#1 Fan" by KJ-52
Since the lyrics are a form of prose, and you don't have to listen to the songs
(lyrics are printed as all other pieces in TRISMS), they are in the literature section
"Mockingbird"
Yeah
I know sometimes things may not always make sense to you right now
But hey, what daddy always tell you?
Straighten up little soldier
Stiffen up that upper lip
What you crying about?
You got me
Hailie I know you miss your mom and I know you miss your dad
Well I'm gone but I'm trying to give you the life that I never had
I can see you're sad, even when you smile, even when you laugh
I can see it in your eyes, deep inside you want to cry
Cause you're scared, I ain't there?
Daddy's with you in your prayers
No more crying, wipe them tears
Daddy's here, no more nightmares
We gon' pull together through it, we gon' do it
Laney uncles crazy, ain't he?
Yeah but he loves you girl and you better know it
We're all we got in this world
When it spins, when it swirls
When it whirls, when it twirls
Two little beautiful girls
Lookin' puzzled, in a daze
I know it's confusing you
Daddy's always on the move, mamma's always on the news
I try to keep you sheltered from it but somehow it seems
The harder that I try to do that, the more it backfires on me
All the things growing up his daddy that he had to see
Daddy don't want you to see but you see just as much as he did
We did not plan it to be this way, your mother and me
But things have gotten so bad between us
I don't see us ever being together ever again
Like we used to be when we was teenagers
But then of course everything always happens for a reason
I guess it was never meant to be
But it's just something we have no control over and that's what destiny is
But no more worries, rest your head and go to sleep
Maybe one day we'll wake up and this will all just be a dream
[Chorus]
Now hush little baby, don't you cry
Everything's gonna be alright
Stiffen that upper lip up little lady, I told ya
Daddy's here to hold ya through the night
I know mommy's not here right now and we don't know why
We feel how we feel inside
It may seem a little crazy, pretty baby
But I promise momma's gon' be alright
It's funny
I remember back one year when daddy had no money
Mommy wrapped the Christmas presents up
And stuck 'em under the tree and said some of 'em were from me
Cause daddy couldn't buy 'em
I'll never forget that Christmas I sat up the whole night crying
Cause daddy felt like a bum, see daddy had a job
But his job was to keep the food on the table for you and mom
And at the time every house that we lived in
Either kept getting broken into and robbed
Or shot up on the block and your mom was saving money for you in a jar
Tryna start a piggy bank for you so you could go to college
Almost had a thousand dollars till someone broke in and stole it
And I know it hurt so bad it broke your momma's heart
And it seemed like everything was just startin' to fall apart
Mom and dad was arguin' a lot so momma moved back
On the Chalmers in the flat one bedroom apartment
And dad moved back to the other side of 8 Mile on Novara
And that's when daddy went to California with his CD and met Dr. Dre
And flew you and momma out to see me
But daddy had to work, you and momma had to leave me
Then you started seeing daddy on the T.V. and momma didn't like it
And you and Laney were to young to understand it
Papa was a rollin' stone, momma developed a habit
And it all happened too fast for either one of us to grab it
I'm just sorry you were there and had to witness it first hand
Cause all I ever wanted to do was just make you proud
Now I'm sitting in this empty house, just reminiscing
Lookin' at your baby pictures, it just trips me out
To see how much you both have grown, it's almost like you're sisters now
Wow, guess you pretty much are and daddy's still here
Laney I'm talkin' to you too, daddy's still here
I like the sound of that, yeah
It's got a ring to it don't it?
Shh, momma's only gone for the moment
__________________
LeeAnn
Wife of David, mom to Ben, Dennis, Alex, Laura, Philip and our little souls in heaven we have yet to meet
|
| Back to Top |
|
| |
|
|
4Real Forums : High School Years and Beyond
Topic: TRISMS curriculum
