Have fun with SCM.  I used SL many moons ago, when my oldest boys, ages 11 and 9 now, were little.  Now we're very much enjoying our start to SCM Module 1.

Nice to have you here,

Jen

My opinion is to do US history this year, just as Jo said.

the modules rotate
start wherever you are...and you will rotate through them
younger ones just start with the older.

so us history module...this year with all students...is that Mod 5, then next year mod 6, then start over, everyone rotates through...if starting 1st grade, each module gets done twice at deepening levels.

clear as muh, eh?
hth
jo
p.s. I think my daughter will first do american history in 5th...so yeah the next door neighbors seem to know more about that right this minute...but then again...my daughter can pick out egypt on an unmarked world map. so i don't stress...they are just learning different things at different times. to each his own...the mods are designed to start where you are and then go in order and rotate!

Ok, I'm switching from Sonlight to SCM History this year and am looking for advise on where to pick up. I've got a 3rd grader, 1st, and K. My 3rd gr. has had a fair amount of World History with Sonlight and doesn't know much about US history so I'd like to start that ASAP. however that part of History I believe is vovered in the 5 book of the SCM curriculum. Should I start there, and being my younger two up and start there with them all. Or go back to thefirst book and do more world hist w/ 3rd grader (in consideration of the younger two), but then I'm further delaying her US hist and a 4th grader not knowing these core US things seems off.

Would love any input. Holding to order SOON.

"No matter how long it may take us to overcome this premeditated invasion, the American people in their righteous might will win through to absolute victory."

Franklin D. Roosevelt

December 8, 1941  in response to the Pearl Harbor attack on December 7, 1941

http://www.americanrhetoric.com/speeches/fdrpearlharbor.htm

I wish I had the mega maps for Africa last year.  I was trying to have my children put small pieces of paper on a map because they were too young to print every word.  If the map was able to print and then put together as a large map that would have been easier.

Thanks for the site hauserfamily.

Kim.

We all have fun playing on the freerice.com website. They have geography drills, grammar, etc and even artists/paintings. It's just an extra thing we do.

Wow! That map site is fantastic. It will come in very handy. Thanks for telling us about it, thehauserfamily!

I forgot I had this website saved away for using with geography. It has plain outlines and detailed. Best of all it is FREE!!!

http://www.yourchildlearns.com/megamaps.htm

We are doing US history this year too.  We are doing geography (learning states) like listed above by quietwaters.  We have added the The Scrambled United States GAME to our weekly to do list.  The whole family (children 19 yrs, 9, and 5) all love it including us, as parents.  You can get it at your local Barnes and Noble with your teacher discount for about $12.  It's our favorite game to play right now.

Ahh one more thing to add to our school day. Perhaps I can wait until after the first of the year to add this.  I love that you all share this info. It really keeps me on my toes!!

For young kids learning the states, I recommend The Scrambled United States. I know it looks like twaddle (I thought so at first and ignored it when we received it....and while I ignored it my kids learned the states with it!). In a very rare occurance, I think the DVD is better than the book.

Simply posting a map in your home where it gets lots of attention will work wonders.

Now that my kids are older (not beginners), when we study a place, we draw our own maps and label them as we learn facts and stories about the place. This is been so much fun, and you really learn a lot when drawing - it's impossible to draw a map without REALLY looking at it and noticing details. I do this project with the kids....and it can be frustrating, so be patient if first maps turn out looking like blobs. Skills will improve.

Christie (and anyone else), which would you suggest working on first, current political locations or maps linked to the history module....or what combination of both?  This is our first year doing map drills (1st year with CM method), and I have a 7th grader, a 5th grader, and a 4th grader.

To simplify things, I am using history module 5 with all of them.  For geography, we are following the SCM curriculum guide's recommendation to focus on South America and Australia.  Last week, we did our first map drill on the countries of South America.  My oldest dd got every country correct (she remembered some map work she did with last year's curriculum), and the other two got 4-6 countries correct.  They seem to enjoy map drills.

Sue

Just a clarification...

• The Knowledge Quest Map Trek Maps (or the Homeschool in the Woods historical maps) are historical in nature and useful for helping to understand what we're studying in history. The expansion of the Roman Empire, Battle Locations, etc.

• The Uncle Josh's Blank Outline Maps are for drilling and learning the current political locations of countries.

Globes, puzzles, games are all great additions, too.

Christie

My son is 7 1/2 and really enjoys maps/globes/etc. I'm leaning towards the Uncle Josh's Map because they are very straight forward. I know alot of ladies are using Map Trek but they seem very detailed. I may hold off for later years on those. 

thank you -)

toni