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Sep. 27, 2008
Using Mystery of History with Tapestry of Grace
I've had people ask me how I use Mystery of History (MOH) with Tapestry of Grace (TOG). Since MOH is more of a course than a curriculum, it's easy to implement if you choose to use it as more of a reader (and part-time activity guide) than another curriculum to implement.
Will this work for me?
This method would not be best for everyone, but since this is our first year of school, going "light" works for us. For this first year, we are using just three references with TOG: Mystery of History, Usborne's Ancient World (which is on the TOG reading list), and DK's Family Bible. I am also using DK Student Atlas and Children Just Like Me when needed but not with every lesson.
Setting up the Week with TOG and MOH
What I do, is use TOG for the basis for my direction for the week. I have a print-out of which MOH lessons go with which TOG weeks (another fellow TOG/MOH-er was kind enough to share this with me). For example, I began TOG with weeks 4-6 (to be strictly chronological) and used MOH lessons 1-4, and 6.
I have a basic (self-made) lesson planner that I use in Word, and using my teacher binder which contains page-protected current TOG weeks and MOH lessons, I mark ahead what I plan to do for the week (Sharpie's work great on PP's, and wipe off great when rubbed firmly with a coth). Flipping through the TOG pages (threads, overview, reading assignments, SAP's, etc.), I type out everything that needs to be done for the week. I do the same with the MOH lessons. Finally, I arrange all the TOG stuff (projects, things to read, etc.) underneath the MOH lessons ("Creation," "Adam and Eve," "Jubal and Tubal-Cain," "Dinosaurs," "Noah and the Flood," etc.), then arrange these lessons in specific days in our week.
I print this out and put on my clip board. I find the lesson planner is more useful on a clip board where it's always out, rather than in my binder. Saves me from flipping back and forth. I seem to do alot of that anyways.
Usborne's Ancient World and DK's Family Bible
Fortunately, Usborne's Ancient World is a book that TOG recommends, so the pages numbers for the week are done for me. But I do have to correlate DK's Family Bible. Once I've done this, I add the pages numbers under the applicable lessons. I also note any applicable pages to read from the Student Atlas or Children Just Like Me.
Activities
Both TOG and MOH offer lots of activities and hands-on suggestions. Sometimes they offer the same ideas, such as a Creation Booklet for Week 1. I happened to like the idea MOH gave for putting it together, so we went with that one. It's nice to pick and choose. MOH offers hands-on activities in three levels (younger, middle, and older) which remind me of the G/D/R TOG levels.
Timeline
They both suggest timelines, but in different ways. TOG doesn't recommend timeline for the Grammar level, only the D/R levels. MOH recommends it for all ages, and goes into detail on how to create one. What I'm doing is using the TOG timeline CD for the figures, but this year we're only doing the basic ones that MOH suggests. For example, we'll be doing Abraham and Sarah, but not Hagar and Ishmael. We'll save them for our second time around.
What MOH has that TOG doesn't
Although there is definitely much more to TOG than MOH (as TOG is a curriculum, and not a course), I like that MOH implements the use of Memory Cards. These cards help immensely in retaining of pertinent facts. They are easy to pick up and go when you only have a few minutes, they are great for the car, and the fun part is when Ariana gets to quiz me!
I also have our first week's lesson plan here, so you can see it in action. I will be sharing Week 2 this weekend.
Lea |
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Jul. 22, 2008
Tapestry of Grace does not have to be overwhelming!
Many people get overwhelmed with the preparation of Tapestry of Grace. I started to feel that way myself, until I realized that I was overwhelmed just thinking I was going to be overwhelmed! Silly!
Remember what they say - Tapestry is a buffet, and you must pick and choose what you're going to do. Tapestry offers many wonderful ideas and suggestions. Just remember, unless your children are already high school age, you are going to be teaching Year 1 (or 2, 3, 4) over again at least once more, so don't sweat it! For me, Ariana's at the age where we're going to get three full rotations in. I can mark right on the (page protected!) lesson plan what we have done for Year 1, so when I pull it out again in four more years, I can focus more on the items we didn't get around to. I refuse to feel the need to do it all. That's one more thing I love about the 4-year rotation: I have more than one shot at it!
Lea |
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