Homeschoolers please help :)

[tjmw2727]

I won't go into gory details but for safety reasons my dd is out of school early. We have a little over 4 weeks left until her sister joins her and we start our "traditional" summer vacation.

Meanwhile, she has been keeping busy with clarinet and some finish work for school but she is starting to get bored. I am waiting on her summer reading list and project ideas from her new school for the fall but in the meantime I would love to find something for her to work on.

She LOVES history and just finished a unit on Rome that she loved. She is just finishing 6th grade and is an avid reader with an AR level of 10.5.

Any ideas or resources where I could find her a good indepth study guide or project on Rome? Or any other history ideas or projects for a 6th grader or a website I can turn to?

Having read through lots of the HS threads when it looked like I was going to take on my dd's education I know you guys can help me - I admire all of you.

Thanks
TJ

 

[chb]

How about a History Pocket book? She may be at the older end of the recommended age range, but then it would be something she would be able to do more independantly.

http://www.rainbowresource.com/prodlist.php?sid=1179890002-675983&subject=14&category=264

 

[meandtheguys2]

Could you interest her in a Civil War study? Then it could culminate in a trip to one of the sites?

Or study a country's history, and learn some of the language? France, Spain or Italy, maybe?

These can be done with the local library info. Heck, I'd loan yo my french or spanish!

Another fun study is Egypt.

 

[LegoMom3]

If you just want to fill in the rest of the year without purchasing a big, full curriculum, this is a good site for all sorts of studies:

www.homeschoolestore.com

Everything is in download format so is very inexpensive. You can search within there by subject and/or age.

 

[tjmw2727]

Could you interest her in a Civil War study? Then it could culminate in a trip to one of the sites?

Or study a country's history, and learn some of the language? France, Spain or Italy, maybe?

These can be done with the local library info. Heck, I'd loan yo my french or spanish!

Another fun study is Egypt.

Great ideas - we have a trip to Colonial Williamsburg in June and we spend the summer in NH with many trips to Boston. I think we will start something on the Revolutionary war that my 10y can particpate in as well.

I had also forgotten that she already planned on starting a computer learning program this summer on Chinese or Japanse. I was going to try the Rosetta Stone - anyone know if this is appropriate or a good start for a stb 7th grader?

Last night I couldn't think of a thing to do - today is a new day

Thanks and keep them coming.

Tj

 

[Ellester]

Rosetta Stone is for kids through adults, there are no separate programs based on age. So, I think you'd be all set there.

I'd look at www.sonlight.com and see what books they are using for 6/7/8th grade. Even if you don't use their Instructor Guides, the book lists are great. Have fun planning!

 

[mabenoab]

With trips coming up for Colonial Williamsburg & Boston, you are really lucky to be able to immerse yourselves in some history.

Check out the Colonial Williamsburg teaching website:http://www.history.org/history/teaching/index.cfm

Some of the classroom lesson plans can be modified for homeschoolers...my kids loved the "A Day in the Life" Series.

You could also check out:
http://www.eclectichomeschool.org/articles/article.asp?articleid=106&resourceid=52&unitid=

They have lots of resources.

We broke our days into segments, with reading time (historical fiction was fun!), art time (a history themed art project: dioramas of historical events that the student researched, we did a cool wall mural based on our fictional reading of My Brother Sam is Dead); research time. My son wrote debates defending both sides of the arguments, then wrote a separate paper on his own opinion of the matter. That was really interesting! We made a soldiers camp in our back yard after researching how the soldiers lived. Our daughter learned some needlepoint, too. We also learned to make homemade candles, and the bread that the soldiers ate. We also sought out speakers and exhibits in our local museums, and local colleges. We used the Oak Meadow curriculum and loved it.

Have a blast!

Beth

 

[meandtheguys2]

My boys (13, 10 and 8) are using the Rosetta Stone. They are enjoying it. We have The Learnables Chinese, but haven't cracked the book yet!

You've some great trips ahead! You could have her study someone relevant to those eras. I think biographies or autobiographies are a great way to personalize history!

 

[tjmw2727]

Ok - so she picked out a few pleasure books and Jonny Tremain at the library. Then we hit the learning express and just by chance I found the companion activity guide for J Tremain. She also picket out a 6th grade math review book with some twisters. We are going to the mall on Fri so I will pick up the Rosetta Stone.

If you just want to fill in the rest of the year without purchasing a big, full curriculum, this is a good site for all sorts of studies:

www.homeschoolestore.com

Everything is in download format so is very inexpensive. You can search within there by subject and/or age.

Thanks for this link - I know I will use it. I am going to buy the activity guide for Memorial Day to do with both my dd's.

TJ

 

[GreatLakes5]

Rosetta Stone is great - especially for learning conversational foreign language!

If she really loves learning and has loved Rome, perhaps learning Latin would fascinate her? (Also a good study for a strong reader as it's great for vocabularies!)

Johnny Tremain is great - of course you can throw in the Disney movie as well.

Susan Wise Bauer does a history program which can be purchased as audio CDs....may be an interesting way to further a Rome study. We used her book, etc. when we studied Rome last year. Also DuLaire's book of Greek Myth is kind of in keeping with the time period just before Rome.

Enjoy your summer!

 

[disneymom3]

Usbornne has tons and tons of awesome books on Rome.