Combining Years

I have not combined two guides for one year, but I think it is definitely doable.  We did one SCM guide each year for the past 3 years (we are almost finished with Rome).

I have ordered the next 3 guides (Middle Ages-Modern) and plan to do some combining or just skip the Middle Ages for now, because my children’s interests lean towards United States history.

I have done Rome, and I think you can do it in one semester, so here is what I would do.

Pre-read or read other’s recommendations and cut what you can cut, especially if your children will revisit this subject in later years.  If you really want your children to read something, it can be a free read or read during the summer.

Matthew-Acts and Ancient Rome has:

66 Bible lessons (+6 catch up, project or exam days)…we love this Bible study.  Don’t skip or cut the best living book!

36 Geography lessons using Visits to Europe (all but three are combined with history readings I think).

99 History Lessons (+6 catch up, project or exam days)

In other words, 66 Bible Lessons, 33 Geography and History Lessons, 3 Geography Lessons and 66 History Lessons.  These would fit into one semester, especially if you cut some of the geography and history lessons.  For geography, you could skip the Make Your Own Map (5 lessons) or just tell them to trace the country and circle the capital.  You could do the Meet the Families (10 Lessons) pages orally as a family to save time.  That leaves 11 Map the Countries Lessons…you could easily do 1 per week for a semester.

I would also cut a few of the History Lessons.  For example, reading David Macaulay’s City is 3 History Lessons.  You could cut that and just put it in a book basket for them to read if interested.  The Mystery of the Roman Ransom and Detectives in Togas could be assigned as silent reading.

We really liked Katje the Windmill Cat, Children of the Northlights and My Tour of Europe: By Teddy Roosevelt.  The other Geography reads were good, but could be cut.  Really, you could just make a Geography book basket…I don’t think your children must only these books when they are assigned.  They will make the necessary connections on their own.

I am thinking of a plan for the younger years, so this may not be of much help…

I would love to hear someone else’s plan for doing the Middle Ages in 1 semester.