Parent Information
US History, 6th-8th
Part 1, 2024-2025
US History, 6th-8th
Part 1, 2024-2025
Here is What We Did On the First Day of Class
The Friday class met 9/6 for the first time. There was an electrical problem in the building outside of our control. I apologize for the inconvenience. The students in attendance did a very good job of making the best of the situation.
The Monday class will meet for the first time on 9/9.
On Friday we covered the isolation that had existed for thousands of years between the Old World (Africa, Europe, Asia) and the New World (North and South America) and some of the differences between these two continent groups in terms of technologies such as writing and metallurgy, capabilities of animals to support humans (e.g. there were no horses or oxen in the Americas), plants, diseases, etc.
We discussed that linking the Old World and New World, ending thousands of years of isolation from each other, is one of the 4 most significant events in human history. We'll talk more about that next week.
The Monday class will meet for the first time on 9/9.
On Friday we covered the isolation that had existed for thousands of years between the Old World (Africa, Europe, Asia) and the New World (North and South America) and some of the differences between these two continent groups in terms of technologies such as writing and metallurgy, capabilities of animals to support humans (e.g. there were no horses or oxen in the Americas), plants, diseases, etc.
We discussed that linking the Old World and New World, ending thousands of years of isolation from each other, is one of the 4 most significant events in human history. We'll talk more about that next week.
We used colored dominoes on a map to show the view from the perspective of Europeans on the eve of Columbus' voyages.
The visible map section shows what part of the world Europeans were reasonably familiar with.
The purple dominoes cover the parts they had heard of but only vaguely and few had visited.
The blue dominoes cover the land that Europeans had no idea existed. They thought there was just water in that direction.
The yellow dominoes cover the Spice Islands which was the object of European desire. They wished to circumvent the land routes to the luxury markets of the East and instead find a maritime route. That way, they could acquire luxury goods and spices at reduced costs by cutting out the middlemen.
The visible map section shows what part of the world Europeans were reasonably familiar with.
The purple dominoes cover the parts they had heard of but only vaguely and few had visited.
The blue dominoes cover the land that Europeans had no idea existed. They thought there was just water in that direction.
The yellow dominoes cover the Spice Islands which was the object of European desire. They wished to circumvent the land routes to the luxury markets of the East and instead find a maritime route. That way, they could acquire luxury goods and spices at reduced costs by cutting out the middlemen.
This is the map covered with dominoes to show the European perspective on the world prior to Columbus' voyage.
Class Notes
During class, students will take one simple page of pre-prepared notes covering one important topic we discussed in class. I will explain this information to them as they write.
In Friday's class, we weren't able to get to this but we did discuss it and I uploaded the planned notes so students have the information and can see the standard format we will use.
The format is Cornell notes which is a popular and highly regarded structure for note-taking. I am not teaching the students how to create these notes on their own, but rather I am modeling it for them and they will become familiar with the format from copying my notes structured in this way.
During class, students will take one simple page of pre-prepared notes covering one important topic we discussed in class. I will explain this information to them as they write.
In Friday's class, we weren't able to get to this but we did discuss it and I uploaded the planned notes so students have the information and can see the standard format we will use.
The format is Cornell notes which is a popular and highly regarded structure for note-taking. I am not teaching the students how to create these notes on their own, but rather I am modeling it for them and they will become familiar with the format from copying my notes structured in this way.
This is the set of notes for our first class. This is the same format we will use each week. I create these notes in advance for students to copy in class.
First Week's Homework:
Students need to set up an account on Google Classroom for this class.
For the Friday class, this is the link.
For the Monday class, this is the link.
It is essential to join the Google Classroom right away in order to access class information about homework and to be able to submit the homework.
Part 1 is reading and answering questions on Queen Isabella and Columbus (from Carson Delossa publishing).
For the Friday class, this is the link.
For the Monday class, this is the link.
It is essential to join the Google Classroom right away in order to access class information about homework and to be able to submit the homework.
Part 1 is reading and answering questions on Queen Isabella and Columbus (from Carson Delossa publishing).
This is the landing page for this class on Google Classroom
Part 2 is reading an assigned two-page topic from our class text which is accessible online through Archive.org (they need to set up an account on this free website in order to borrow this book (and the other books in this series that we will use this year.
Students receive individually assigned topics (sometimes two students share the same topic). They read the topic and write down 6 sentences of things that are interesting or important that they learned about the topics.
They are not creating a summary or writing a paragraph. They are simply writing down interesting things they learned in individual sentences. They will share their sentences the following week in class. Since students have read different topics, students learn from listening to their classmates' sentences.
Students receive individually assigned topics (sometimes two students share the same topic). They read the topic and write down 6 sentences of things that are interesting or important that they learned about the topics.
They are not creating a summary or writing a paragraph. They are simply writing down interesting things they learned in individual sentences. They will share their sentences the following week in class. Since students have read different topics, students learn from listening to their classmates' sentences.
This is an example of one of the assigned topics for the week.
Office Hours via Zoom
For the first week or two of class, I will be on Zoom during certain times to help out any parent or student who has questions about any class.
Here is a link to the page with Office Hours Days/Times & Zoom Links.
Here is a link to the page with Office Hours Days/Times & Zoom Links.
The rest of this webpage is information that was sent to parents prior to the first day of class. Nothing below has changed. The information is still accurate.
Welcome, Parents. I look forward to teaching your student the history of our remarkable country!
This is the place for up-to-date details about this class.
This is the place for up-to-date details about this class.
- Where & When?This full-year class is offered in two Homeschool Campus locations:
Fridays at 10:00 at Capo Beach:- Address: 25975 Domingo Avenue, Capistrano Beach, Prayer Room.
- Dates: Fridays from Sept 6, 2024-Jan 17, 2025 for Part 1 (semester 1).
- No Class On: Nov 29, Dec 20, Dec 27, Jan 3
Mondays at 9:00 at Fountain Valley:- Address: 10350 Ellis Avenue, Fountain Valley, Room C-203.
- Dates: Mondays from Sept 9, 2024-Jan 13, 2025 for Part 1 (semester 1).
- No Class On: Nov 11, Dec 23, Dec 30
- What is the Google Classroom link?Homework assignments, links to additional materials, videos, etc are found on Google Classroom, and it is where students submit their homework and see their grades.
Students access the Google Classroom by clicking on the correct link below for their class: ***Please note that Google requires that students use a Gmail email address to access Google Classroom. ***
Friday class at Capo Beach Google Classroom Link: Or use the Class Code = cakfndo
Monday class at Fountain Valley Google Classroom Link Or use the Class Code = h2qamct - What book and/or materials are required?Parents & students may choose from two different homework options for Part 1 (semester 1):
Option 1: No book is needed. This is the option I'd recommend for most students. Students will use weekly reading assignments with questions that I upload to Google Classroom. Here is an Option 1 Homework Sample. There will also be some map work or vocabulary that is also posted to Google Classroom.
Option 2: Students use the text "Story of the World, Volume 3," 2007 edition or 2020 edition. This option is intended for families who already own the text and would like to make use of it for this class. I wouldn't recommend buying the book for this class because, while it's a great book for world history, it has limited information about US history. For students who choose Option 2, I will add supplementary material in some cases.- In this option, the main homework will come from the Story of the World vol 3 "Tests and Answer Key" book, but students do not need to purchase the "Tests and Answer Key" book. I will buy a license to use it for the students.
- Additionally, there will be some occasional assignments that are not from SOTW, including map work or vocabulary that is posted to Google Classroom.
Students should bring a 3-Ring Binder with lined filler paper OR a composition book. Students will copy one concise, Cornell style set of notes each class into their notebook. Here is an example. - What is homework like?There is homework every week which consists of reading and responding to the reading through short summaries, objective questions, short answers, analysis using graphic organizers, mapwork and/or vocabulary. *See Option 1 in the previous section for a link to Sample Homework.* Students will also be asked once per semester to briefly introduce the topic to the class from material that I provide to them in advance.
There are no tests; rather, there are two projects over the course of the year--students create a presentation/model on a US history person or topic in Part 1 and a book report presentation in Part 2. - What Book is Taught in Class?The set of books that I'm primarily using in class is a series written in 1998 called "America in the Time of..." I chose these books after much searching and am very pleased with it. It is concise and easy to read with lots of nice visuals. It's laid out with a single topic on each two-page spread so the structure is easy to follow. It is not politically charged as many recent texts are. It is also free to read online. The books are used in class (not for homework) in Part 1 and 2. Check them out!
America in the Time of Columbus
America in the Time of Pocahontas
America in the Time of George Washington
America in the Time of Lewis and Clark
America in the Time of Abraham Lincoln
America in the Time of Sitting Bull
America in the Time of Susan B. Anthony (not available free online; I will post pages)
America in the Time of Franklin Delano Roosevelt
America in the Time of Martin Luther King Jr - Where can I see my student's grades and homework?Parents can check their student's grades or find homework / work samples anytime by visiting their student's Google Classroom.
The first assignment for the year is for students to send their parents an email with the Google classroom link and their student user id and password so that parents can, at any time, check their student's homework and grades or find a work sample. - How can I waive assignments for my student?While I assign homework to all students who are on my class roster and registered in Google Classroom, ultimately it is the parents who are the decision-makers in determining which assignments they expect their student to complete.
Parents may choose to waive assignments for a period of time, an occasional assignment, all homework, or waive a part of the week's homework. Just let me know by sending an email to me at HistoryDragon4Ever@gmail.com. The note must come from the parent rather than the student. - Tuition Payments / Purchase OrdersPlease follow this link to the course listing on the Homeschool Campus website. See the sections marked "Payment Terms" and "Policy."
- Recommendations for Additional ReadingOptional reading: The Landmark History of the American People, Volume 1. I really like this book and will use it sometimes in class; I would have used it as the main text except there is no homework material written for this book and it leaves out some important topics. But it is highly readable. The version of this book that I linked to above is highly recommended over the previous versions because this one was revised with very nice images that contribute a lot to understanding and engagement. It also includes a timeline that runs along the bottom of the page for context.
Optional reading: Another optional source is the 2003 Smithsonian Children's Encyclopedia of American History. Much of this book is useful and well-illustrated, however in some places the text is difficult to see because it is overlayed onto an image. There were several paragraphs on Bill Clinton's personal relationship scandals which were not suited to a children's book, in my opinion. I chose the 2003 edition instead of more recent editions because I thought the material added for recent times was partisan or controversial (see 2023 edition, pages from 270 -283). FYI: it is the only children's encyclopedia of US history that I could find. - More Optional Reading by Accessing OC Library's Digital Kid's CollectionFree Digital books including illustrated books are available through Orange County public library. The app is called Libby; this link is directly to Libby by Overdrive: Kids Collection. You just need your library card number and your library card password to set up an account. You can read the books on your computer (I don't remember the specifics but you answer that you want to read on a Kindle or with the online Kindle app) or you can download an Apple app or Google play app to use it on a tablet or phone. There are lots of good kids books including history and historical fiction, and they are very visually engaging. One series on Libby is Nathan Hale's Hazardous Tales which are graphic novels / animated historical fiction about US History. I haven't read them but know they are popular.
© All Right Reserved. Denise Forsythe
This text last updated May 23, 2024
