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Bookswithtea
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| Posted: Jan 11 2007 at 10:33pm | IP Logged
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Has anyone used this who might be willing to review it for me? I'm working on choices for 9th grade (this Fall). I'm debating between using the MODG American History Syllabus and adding in extra literature from Sonlight's Core 100, or picking up a core 100 syllabus, cutting out some of the literature, and adding in bits and pieces of Christ and the Americas (basically, tweaking it beyond recognition  ). Sonlight relies on Hakim's History of US along with tons of literature, not all of it high school level. I like some of the Catholic perspective in Christ and the Americas, particularly when it comes to modern history, and have heard mixed reviews of Hakim. I'm familiar with SL's IG's, but have never seen or used a high school level syllabus from MODG. Can anyone help me?
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mothering ds'93 dd'97 dd'99 dd'02 ds'05 ds'07 and  due 9/10
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ALmom
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| Posted: Jan 12 2007 at 2:50pm | IP Logged
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I was never signed up for MODG but did purchase the American History syllabus. It did not work real well with us butI do want to place a couple of caveats on my review. I have a tendency to need more structure with detail that I can skip rather than the more open ended. Also this is a very old version and much may have changed since I used it. I'm trying to dig it up so I can look at it again and give more specific examples and also a copyright date to help give you a better idea. I'll post again later when I find it unless someone else with more recent experience has posted.
MODG was more open-ended and did not seem to follow any real detailed history points nor did it seem very sequential to me - and seemed lacking in a lot of the secular details of history. They relied heavily on either historical literature and a few first person accounts (diaries, etc.) I found it hard to sort through what was history and what was fabricated from the author's imagination. I did not feel like it was a good history program. It was more like a source of additional literature to fill in or flesh out a more sequential text. The paper topics were so open ended that I didn't know quite what to do with them. We totally floundered and dropped our 9th grade history.
Have you looked at RC history? We have used their Ancient History and like it. It is still more loose than textbookish but manages to get across some of the more important historical points and has plenty of room for adding in other literature though it recommends some too and is from a Catholic but balanced perspective. Do you need a high school text or textbook? I think I'd use From Sea to Shining Sea and flesh it out with other reading (more advanced reading than the text itself recommends for a 9th grader) before using the Ann Carrol text. I don't know quite as much about the American History text - my children really grew to dislike Ann Carrol's style and her lack of evidence to prove her points so by the time we got to American history we relied on other sources and used this Ann Carrol book as more of an additional source for reference from time to time. My dd comment about her American History text is that she entirely skips things like the railroad, and anyone of color or not Catholic (like the American Indians) are not given fair treatment. Our experience is mostly with her World History and it seems to be the worst of the two. Both of my girls hated her texts, though we do have them around and they will look something up from time to time and then look elsewhere too.
Janet
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Bookswithtea
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| Posted: Jan 12 2007 at 3:08pm | IP Logged
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I should say that history is my favorite subject and the one I feel I need the least hand holding with (science is another story, altogether  ). I haven't read Christ the King Lord of History, but I've heard its positively trimphalist. I have read Christ and the Americas cover to cover (last summer). There are definitely things left out, but I thought her perspective on the Reconstruction period was very helpful and interesting because it wasn't entirely from a pro northern/southerners are all bad position.
Maybe using certain chapters of C and A's in conjunction with SL's History of US would be a better plan since those books do cover all the other stuff (transcontinental railroad, panama canal, women's vote, etc).
Thanks Janet.
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mothering ds'93 dd'97 dd'99 dd'02 ds'05 ds'07 and due 9/10
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gracie4309
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| Posted: Jan 15 2007 at 4:34pm | IP Logged
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I agree with Janet that the MODG AM history topics are very open-ended, too much so for us, too. My 16 yr old is enrolled in MODG this year, and
taking the American history course. I also would read the assignments for Christ and the Americas, and discuss anything that is questionable. I've heard quite a few complaints, and experienced myself that the book is not very objective. While we want a Catholic perspective, it's a little extreme. My son and I talked about this, and I suggested reading from other perspectives to get a more balanced view.
Grace
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sewcrazy
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| Posted: Jan 15 2007 at 4:55pm | IP Logged
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We have the syllabus and didn't use it at all. I didn't find it helpful.
I use Christ and the Americas as a spine, but we add in a lot of other reading, source material, and extra research. We had planned to cover US history in 2 years, but it appears he is headed for school next year 
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Bookswithtea
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| Posted: Jan 16 2007 at 8:03am | IP Logged
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Well I guess that settles it then. Parts of C and A along with History of US will probably be more than enough of both sides of the story, along with lots of literature, of course. 
Thank you!
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mothering ds'93 dd'97 dd'99 dd'02 ds'05 ds'07 and due 9/10
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4Real Forums : High School Years and Beyond
Topic: MODG American High School History?
