Hi all I am trying to decide what to do for history for next year. I wanted to go with a more in depth book but I do not think sd can handle it so I am back looking at standard curriculums. Any one have experience with either the BJU or Abeka texts or any other suggestions. I will be supplementing with videos and many of our literature assignments will go along with the periods of history. I am having a hard time with this since I was a history major I keep finding problems with all the curriculums. Any suggestions?? Maureen
Notgrass was pretty good and I'd use it again - even if I didn't have it already - Very easy to understand and tailor to your needs. It's one of the few curriculums that I've been really impressed with. http://www.notgrass.com/homeschool-curriculum-history.php
we did Notgrass world history this year, it is really detailed and easy to read yes, it is really a good course. I am wanting to do something else this year though cause it was a LOT of reading doing world history! Two huge books plus the literature side books AND the middle book with exerpts. Dd is on 7 hundred and something in her second book , we have a few weeks left of school and she will probably finish it on time.... I think? It is really good! BUT___ US HIstory I have so many side books, LIberty for one, and you can rent the dvds from Net Flix... its PBS documentary type thing so lots of info! so we have book for that one, then we also are looking at BJU as well because ds has used that in his US history at school this year and so we are viewing it first hand. I like it, Dd looked at it and said "cool". She would rather just do SOS for everything, but I want a couple things she has to work on paper not just computer... though with sos she is more apt to stay on schedule and get assignments in , Cause I can check it at a clance anda click ! so can dh! Once he learns how , he could be her teacher using SOS and I could be just there to help... So Check out SOS, and NotGrass, thats my area of looking! That and the ones you mentioned BJU and Abeka.. if I do BJU I am NOT doing the whole what four books ordering, Just student text! IT has questions in it and all you have to do is study along with them and you will have the answers, who need the teacher book???
Okay I am now looking at Drive through History, it comes with worksheets and text plus the dvds, I think I may do that! dd said it sounds good, I have viewed one of their episodes at sometime, I forget what one, but it was very informative.... cbd has it too!
This is so one of the areas that my teaching background hurts me. I like drive thru history but could not base a whole course on it. I plan on using it as a supplemental. I checked out Notgrass but noticed that some of the literature are things that she has already read. It looks like you have to do it with the literature, is that right? I like the Bob Jones because it does have the extra workbook and the tests seem better than Abeka but still not up to my standards. I think all history tests need to have an identification section. This way you can make sure they know the material. Also the essays are a little wimpy. ARGH this is killing me. We go to our convention on Thurs. and are planning on ordering the rest of what we need then but I still am wavering on this history.
I was thinking about that one as well - sounds really interesting. Oh and we never did the literature with the Notgrass (or the Bible).
We did for the most part, and are actually finding it a lot to do, I did not have her write up as much as I should have though so she got out of practice so I am looking for more than just a read and go one, thats why I am thinking Drive thru works for us. it seems like a History form of MUS! hehe
Oh, And we will supplement whatever we use , at least with drive through I have some basis for a back ground and progress. With my ds this year I tried to keep track but dropped the ball about at the constitution and then since we studied the Oregon trail befor when we traveled it and have studied it a lot as my family came by that and had a dairy for it, we have done some bouncing, when he gets to JR high level US history we will do more and then again as High School level.... I am trying to keep some stuff new to the kids as they go hehe. My 11th grader is ready for more study but has also studied US history twice already at some level.
I think I have decided on BJU. I think Notgrass maybe where I go when dd is ready for US History but I do not think it will work for sd. I think the activity book is more in keeping with how sd learns. I am going to look at some of the books they use for lit. I was planning on using some of them already but there were a few on there I did not think of. ARgh I will never be fully happy with my decision though. Oh well off tonight to spend my rebate check on curriculum.
Isn't that annoying?? I've got few subjects like that....still deciding. I'm off to spend $$ on curriculum this evening too. A friend and I are headed to the used hs store about 40 mins away. They have one late night open per month so we're off as soon as our hubby's get home from work. Hope BJU works out for you!! Even if you have to tweak it to death!:lol:
I think I am actually going to be pretty happy with it. I went through it a few times while at the conference and got a really good feeling about it. I think God was saying this will work.
BJU is a nice History book set. Did you or are you gettting, The full set? with Teacher book, text and activities? I have seen BJU in its US History level and it looks good. We will probably end up with SOS for everything but math here... dh wants to go with what we know this year, and I am worn out and ready to say what ever hehe.
We ordered the full set. I do not really think I need the teacher's edition but it is nice to have incase dh needs to go over something with her. It was really difficult when I was sick for him to go over questions since he was not familar where we were in history. The price killed me though. I wish I had been able to find it at the used sales. The prices on sites like veg source were not much different than the new price so dh decided we should just order it at the convention. Also most of the sets I saw used did not have the activity book and I think sd will find that more valuable than then end of section quesitons. We did save shipping buying at convention, I guess that is something.
I grabbed my curric Catalogs so I can look at it ... so you got the teacher editions, student texts and test and answer keys? Plus the student activities? In My catalogue the Drive through History America is A dvd and student wookbook, then the teacher edition is seperate..... thats for a curric package... I need to re-read this post and see if anyone has actually used this as a highschool curric....IT claims it is best for intermediate, junor and senior high students.. thats kind of vague isn't it?
I got the whole set for BJU. The drive thru I got from joining HSLDA(did I do that right I keep mixing up the letters). It came with the dvd and the student guide which will work great. I can not see it as a whole course maybe 1/2 a year. The set I got does not have the teachers edition which would have the assements. Since I am just going to use it to supplement I am not bothering to order them right now. I may get them later so that I could use this for dd when she is in middle school. I will decide once I am using it.
k. Wow that is a lot of money, but it really does look good the BJU? I have seen the student text that is all, and it had reading stuff and some questions? What else does it have? Is there a seperate student work book too? I forget.
BJU has a seperate student activity book. It has map activities, who am I questions, Bible relations and critical thinking. I will not use all of them but pick and choose. It would be too much to try and do them all. The text has the standard reading and review questions. I usually pick and choose which ones I want her to do. I might not have her do any of those and just the activity book. I will have to see once I start planing the year (when the books get here that is) I also picked up a book of DBQs that I plan on using through out the year. I know it was expensive. I dropped almost $300 between US and Latin at the BJU table. I know they have good resale value if I do not decide to use them for dd. Can you guess where our stimulus check went? I probably would have shopped used a little harder but dh just wanted us to get everything taken care of so we ordered it new.
sounds like it has everythign and then some eh? I wonder if I could do that one.. it would be fun having a Regular type of school subject... SOS History is not one I want her to get to, she hated the life paks in history, but she did ask for everything but math in SOS, so I guess she is prepared eh?
My oldest did BJU curriculum with dvd's for 10th grade. It was GOOD! He enjoyed it, though it really made him work hard! My ds14 wouldn't be able to do that rigorous of a curriculum, but it fit ds17's learning style very well! They're not cheap, but they seem very well put together! The DVD's for the classes were good, plus we had Lesson Plans of a sort, and some of the classes kind of had a schedule of when to do what. That helped a lot!
I have heard good things about the dvd's. I do not think sd would do well with those. She likes to be able to ask questions and sometimes has a hard time making connections. Luckily I was a history major (well sometimes not so lucky since I love the subject and she hates it). Previously I have not had alot of exposure to BJU but I am impressed with what I have seen so far. There is a part of me that gets twinges of guilt buying from them though. I grew up Catholic and my Mom and some of my sisters are still Catholic. I know BJU's previous stance on Catholicism and I get a little leary. I know that both BJU and Abeka have pretty much a negative slant on Catholicism so when going over that I use it as a lesson on bias and slant in textbook writing and history in general. We then talk about both the positives and negatives. Oh well you just have to adapt sometimes.
