Question about how to structure American History Canadians.

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  • May 20, 2014 at 2:34 pm
    Linabean
    Participant

    I am currently planning out a long range plan for our schooling and right now I am focusing on how to plan out our highschool level history. I think that I will switch my kids to more independent history lessons starting in grade 9. I am thinking of using TruthQuest for these years.

    This is my question: we are Canadians. We have been and will continue to study Canadian history, geography, culture, government, etc. alongside our world history studies. I believe it is important for us to have a good grasp of American history but I don’t know how much. If my HS kids are going through a TruthQuest world history guide will there be enough American History in them (considering that they are written by Americans) to give my kids a good overview and cover the important events/people? Will it be WAY to much to be able to cover a full year of TQ plus a full year of Canadian Studies at the same time? I don’t want to burden them with history! I guess I am having a problem with knowing what the balance is here. I think that TQ is what I want as far as style and content for my high schoolers but maybe it is not a good fit because by then their Canadian studies will have been “amped up” quite a bit as well?

    Am I over thinking this?! :0.

    I will greatly appreciate any help or feedback from fellow Canadians, TruthQuest users or veteran HS moms out there!

    -Miranda

    May 20, 2014 at 4:47 pm
    Carla
    Participant

    I’m a Canadian and I’ve got 2 high schoolers and a Gr. 8 student.  I don’t use Truth Quest, but I usually condense the American history and add more Canadian history.  I feel like they still get plenty of American, especially in areas where it directly impacts Canadian history (western expansion, fur trade, Confederation, war of 1812, loyalists (American Revolution)….).

    May 20, 2014 at 5:32 pm
    Linabean
    Participant

    Thanks for your feedback, Carla. How much do you condense? How do you know what to NOT cover when you come to something in a guide?

    May 20, 2014 at 8:24 pm
    Carla
    Participant

    I tend to write a lot of my own teaching materials and use great living books that I’ve discovered on my own and through book lists and materials done by homeschoolers before I started teaching, so I’m not going to be a huge help in adapting a teacher’s manual.

     I did pick up the SCM history, geography and Bible at the last conference because I appreciate the format, so looking at that, I’d say that I would pick some of the living books that are in the American history course that I also feel are do not miss from a literary point of view–Sign of the Beaver, Carry on Mr. Bowditch, for example and add a few more that I like (Genevieve Foster’s books are great for combining American and global events) and then I look at the timeline of the time period we are studying and see if there are any “holes” I’m missing after I add Canadian history in.  A lot of American history is easily added when you look at the global events.  Colonial America, for example, is fascinating and examining the British-colonial relationships can only add to Canadian history studies.  The Acadian expulsion from Canada lends itself well to studying Louisiana and it’s changing “ownership”.  When I do pioneer era of Canada then I also add basic American pioneering, too (because Lewis and Clark are important to study, IMO, and I’m a Laura Ingalls Wilder fan since childhood and I couldn’t help including her any more than I could stop using living books 🙂 

    Also, the borders were very fluid for a long time–Duluth, MN was briefly “Canadian” (pre-confederation) and the whole great lakes area fluxuated quite a bit, so some American history is legitimately Canadian, albeit for a brief time. 

    May 21, 2014 at 2:51 pm
    Linabean
    Participant

    Hi Carla, thank you for explaining your process. It’s always good to know how others have been able to make things work for their families!

    I have been going through the TQ website a lot and it still feels like it is what I am wanting for my high schoolers. It seems as though it can easily be adjusted to fit many scenarios because it lets you choose which living books to use for each section/topic.

    However, I am still not sure how to know which topics to just skim and which ones are a “do not miss” in order to get a good overall view of American history. If I could be relatively certain that it would not be overwhelming to have them doing a full Canadian Studies course as well as a full TQ guide, I think I would just plan on having them do both, fully.

    May 21, 2014 at 11:10 pm
    Carla
    Participant

    I understand about finding what you think will fit and wanting to stick with it.  Maybe you should ask here in another thread if people can list their top 5 “do not miss” American history moments and see what they say.  That might give you a good indication.

    May 22, 2014 at 1:21 pm
    Linabean
    Participant

    Thanks Carla, I will try to reword my question in a different post. Thank you for your input! : )

    -Miranda

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