General ideas for Creation to the Greeks

[Julie in MN]

OK...for the last few months I've gone to the CTG Ideas board, and there's...NOTHING! And there's not a whole lot of extra history going on since we've been focusing on Saul/David/Solomon.We are on Week #25.

I'm not very creative, busy is my only adjective right now. We've only thrown in a few VeggieTales and coloring pages lately. Just wondering what all you creative moms are adding in?

Well, if you're already *busy* then why not enjoy your shorter days for a while?!

But if you really *like* extras, I think we touched on a few things at that time in CTG:

(1) Priestly garments -- looking more closely at the significance of each. Here is a page to look at, or you may be able to find a coloring page if your child likes that.
http://www.bible-history.com/tabernacle ... rments.htm

(2) Sometimes I'd add to a specific Bible character I like such as Rahab You can usually find things online at Calvary Chapel or DLTK's Bible Activities, or I may find something around our home to read/do.

(3) We also did a chart of the kings of Judah & Israel, which should be coming up for you. Ds colored one color for bad (most of them!) and another for good, and a few he decided to color both.

(4) My son did a big project of making a King Tut mask somewhere in the latter half of CTG. We considered it review, I guess?!

(5) And then just general extras - ds learned a hymn or two on the piano, we visited the Orchestra & afterwards studied the works we saw, I inquired about spring Feasts that we might visit in the area, review all you've learned this year, take nature walks, field trips...

[momrandles]

I just realized that E-sword has several memory verse tools to test your memorization, like fill in the blank, first letters of the word, or word placement. My boys and I were just "playing" with this feature, and they loved it! This is going to be so helpful for us. We are in week 21 of CTG, just starting Psalm 1. I'm going to plug in all the others from the year for a good review.

I just wanted to pass it along in case anyone else might find it useful.
Blessings!

http://www.e-sword.net/index.html

[my3boys]

I did get an Eyewitness book called 'Bible Lands' that is really good.

[Julie in MN]

Would anyone who has completed this year care to share how you did your timeline? Just curious for some ideas that people have found work well when making a timeline that you add to throughout the year. Thanks!

Our CTG timeline is photographed here: viewtopic.php?t=1976#p28382
We just used the spacing method of "put the next thing up next." I considered it just a general introduction to history in order, and the timelines will get more complex in 1850MOD & high school.

You might find more CTG timeline samples here:
viewtopic.php?t=1217
viewtopic.php?f=13&t=1903

Have fun with it!
Julie

[Ariasarias]

Just wanted to pass along a good find at the library:

Jewish Holiday Songs for Children by Rachel Buchman
(with dances and games for all seasons)

My children have really enjoyed this CD. It has cute little songs about the Jewish holidays throughout the year.
Some are in English and Hebrew. With the help of this CD, they have already learned lots about some of the holidays we will be celebrating this year.

Enjoy!!
Nicole

[hsmomof5]

I know this site has been around but for those who don't know, I use some of the movie titles here to support our history study.
http://www.redshift.com/~bonajo/movies.htm
We watched the Ten Commandments while we studied about the Ten Commandments. Netflix has many of these titles and you can view some of them instantly on your PC if you havea membership. We pay $8/month for this and it's been well worth it for our homeschool.

[buckhome]

I don't know if this was previously mentioned anywhere else, but I have Firefox for my web browser and I found this add on for Glubble. It has so many games in their collection for Egypt. I couldn't believe it. If you are at all interested in this, here is the website: https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/5881

Glubble is designed so you can manage what your kids are allowed to view online. They have collections of 1000's of different educational games and websites, but by clicking on the Kids World collections you can see one titled "Ancient Egypt". If you scroll down, there are many websites to choose from. I noticed they had a Senet Game, write your name in Heiroglyphs, learn about King Tut's tomb and more. I haven't checked all the websites out, but this is a great resource. Wish I would have seen it sooner!

[cbollin]

CTG 7th/8th additional reports

Part of the recommendations for older students in CTG is to do short reports (oral or written) on some of the topics you cover this year.

You can find topic ideas at the beginning of each chapter of Streams of Civilization.

I thought I’d like to share some scheduling ideas to help you with that process to have a report for the chapters in Streams used this year.

Of course, if you have a self motivated student who wants to do different reports, go for it. This is just a suggestion. They don't have to go too deep this year in CTG as they'll get it again in 9th grade, and they have other courses too.


During week 1 and 2, have your student consider preparing for Project #1, from chapter 1. That’s the “comparing creation stories across cultures”. They will have ideas in book basket for that, and in week 2, Thursday notes, there will be an advanced assignment for them. Have student give oral report on the stories on Friday of week. 2.

In about weeks 8-11, prepare a report or project from chapter 2 of Streams. can finish in weeks 12, 13, 14 if needed.

Between weeks 17-20 seems like a nice time to grab a few of the chapter 3 projects if they do more on King Tut. I’d try to not do Trojan War project listed on chapter 3 before week 20 when it gets good coverage in CTG.

Weeks 20-29 will be a natural time to do several smaller projects from chapter 4 as they will be extensions of material already in CTG.

Weeks 30-31: chapter 5 has a few extension projects for what is covered.

Weeks 32-34: something from chapter 6. Note that there is a suggestion for project with Hippocractic oath. Please see week 33 notes in CTG for more on that.


That’s just to beef up the history for middle schoolers. They will be doing their own language arts, math, jr. high science, foreign language.

(and if you're wondering about any gap from week 2-8 --- that might be a time to do a Progeny Press guide easily and concentrate on that)

(Math and science have their own MFW lesson plans. Language arts... 2 progeny press guides a year and WS and grammar book. They can focus on trying to learn how to schedule their time on that subject to help.)

-crystal

[cbollin]

Tomorrow I'll be purchasing CTG Deluxe as well as various other items but thought I'd ask for any suggestions of "extras", either just for fun or because it was very helpful during the CTG year. Now, I know that MFW really is complete and nothing extra is "needed" but hey, I'm at CHAP, it's just fun to look:)

ctg extras:
look for fun stuff that the kids might like -- do they like to dress up? egypt stuff for that. costumes? greek.

I enjoyed using Draw and Write Through History book 1 as a way to have something specific to draw in our scheduled notebooking. It was an extra (not needed, just extra). My kids liked the step by step drawing instructions. It was nice to use -- we'd do a notebook page as scheduled in CTG and want something to draw and there we were. work on their own. Then, sometimes they'd do an extra picture while I did something with someone or whatever it is I do.

I might go to MFW booth first, look at book basket list for some titles mentioned prior to week 1 as resources for all year to use. Maybe something there would be helpful for art, Bible maps, stuff like that.

hhmmm.... what would be good to go along with science?
easy to build pyramid thingy? ctg uses sugar cubes and other ideas...

gigggle... why am I singing steve martin's King Tut?
a few "bangle" earrings and you can walk like..... never mind...

-crystal

[s_duguid]

I concur with Draw and Write through History -- check that one out at convention.

Depending on the ages of your children and if you desire an additional read aloud or possible advanced reader, take a look at the following books I picked up at convention last year:

Adara
Hittite Warrior
Tirzah
God King
Victory on the Walls

These "living books" helped us tie together history and Bible this year. We loved, loved them!! You might also consider Golden Goblet, although that doesn't weave a Biblical account. (We borrowed this one from the library.) Most of these titles were also suggested in Book Basket.

You might like to check out supporting creation books and dvds.

If you have How Great Thou ART booth, I recommend purchasing the PURE PIGMENT acrylic paints. When I needed them for God & the History of Art, I could only find 2 out of 4 colors in pure pigment. Purchased them last month at convention for next year.

[Julie in MN]

Have you glanced through the CTG ideas board?

I'm thinking maybe some book basket books? Just general good books, since there isn't a lot of ancient literature. Or possibly something about Greece (which is my favorite). If the Trivium Pursuit booth is there, they have some children's books on Hebrew & Psalms & such, illustrated beautifully by one of their girls.

I got the paints for God & the History of Art at the Barry Stebbing booth.

I got the inexpensive coloring book for Psalm 23 at the Rod & Staff booth. Or anything to do with psalms and shepherds would be good.

Bible map or map book?

Some kind of Jewish music CD? Or how about a shofar I saw one at a Christian bookstore lately and really wanted to buy it for AHL next year, but it was like $50... plus the stand... I guess we'll stick with our Coke bottle

[TriciaMR]

Well, things you could use for CTG:

Frogs
Gnats
Flies
Boils
Manna



Seriously, though, any Egyptian dress-up costumes would be good. Shepherd costume. Pyramid Models. Costume for Esther. 3 pointed hat for Haman. Shofar, candles (for feasts), etc. Animal stuffed animals (or those little play animals) for when the animals get the plagues.

Those would be good.

-Trish

[Kelly1730]

LOL! Well, the frogs we have( they have taken up residence on our pool cover, they are getting evicted on Saturday Thanks for all the great suggestions, I better get to bed so I'm well rested, much walking will take place tomorrow.

[my3boys]

I agree about the paints - I just ended up buying some off their website because i couldn't find anything in the stores that was the right thing for a decent price. Also if you enjoy the notebooking then anything to put into that is helpful and fun (like the draw and write through history books already mentioned). We bought the Winterpromise timeline notebook.

Also if you are going to do the music part of CtG buy the CDs - I did not buy them all because I thought I could just find that music at the library, but it has been such a hassle and harder than I thought.

[tammyo9]

I have made online flashcards for all of the Greek roots studied this year (Creation to the Greeks)
I wanted to share, there are two different sets, one drills by giving the definition, the other gives the answer and the child chooses the correct root. The website is free and easy to use.
This has been a fun and different way to drill the words my son has especially enjoyed it.
Enjoy!
Tammy

http://quizlet.com/2169326/english-from ... ash-cards/

http://quizlet.com/2169690/english-from ... ash-cards/

[705emily]

I'm excited too to begin CtG--but also a little nervous I guess! My mom was born an Austrian Jew. She was an only child to Jewish parents in Vienna. Her parents (my grandparents) did not survive the holocaust. (Her mom died in the Jewish ghetto, and her dad--while making it through the concentration camps--died before he could be reconnected with my mom.) My mom was one of 10,000 children who made it out of German occupied countries on the "Kindertransport" (This was an extraordinary effort to save children of European Jewish families from what would eventually happen.) At the time each child had to have a family outside of the "Reich" that would sponsor them--along with $1,000 per child. My mom was taken in by a community in England called the "Bruderhof." She was 6 years old and never saw her parents again. She was not raised with the Jewish faith and tradition. Anyway--in addition to learning about the feasts, and how they tie the OT so wonderfully to the NT this year will definitely be a look into my family's roots with our tie to the Jewish people. Did I say I was a little nervous (and teary over all this! Since my mom now lives a good distance from us--too far to celebrate our feast days--I'd love to connect with a Jewish family and learn from them!

Not part of this discussion--but for anyone interested--there is a documentary that chronicles the events surrounding how these 10,000 children made it out--and what happened to them. It's called "Into the Arms of Strangers." It is well worth seeing.

I found this DVD available in my area through interlibrary loan. It's PG. What ages do you think this would be appropriate for? I'll have to make a note of this movie to remember when we get either to CTC or 1850MOD. It sounds like a great part of history that needs to be shared.

The DVD is probably appropriate for grades 5/6 and up. There is only a brief scene of violence--occurring on Krystallnacht but the content and the chronicling of all of the events--surrounding parents giving up their children and what happened to them is definitely not for little ones. That certainly was a very dark time!

Blessings!

[cbollin]

In book basket in 1850MOD, week 25, Marie already made the note for you when to use it. Not sure on age appropriate ages. But given that it's in 1850MOD, I'd wait until then.


But. oh.oh oh oh oh........ a book basket book that wasn't on the CTG list that I found....it's called Celebrating Passover, by Diane Hoyt Goldsmith. really nice and great to read out loud. Lots of great photos of a family in Cincinnati who are celebrating Passover together. I liked this one. one of the center most photos is a 2 page spread of the Seder plate with the egg, parsley, etc.

then again, I'm the one who did the seder on the fly and forgot about it and used coffee beans for the bitter herb.\

-crystal

[RachelT]

I just wanted to say that I am excited about doing a Beth Moore study on Esther this summer and how that will all tie in with Purim and CtG!

[kellyc4]

This is our first year with CtG and it looks like a ton of fun. We did ECC last year and K too. I used a file folder system for ECC and loved having it all organized ahead of time. How do you all use the file folders with CtG? Help!! I am getting things ready and this is on the list! Thanks so much!!

Hmmm, I never used file folders. But I imagine if I had started homeschooling with K, I would have kept up that pattern? But when I used CTG, I just penciled things into my manual if I wanted to remember to use something I had, etc. In general, when I organize, I usually just start grouping in two groups, and then when I realize I have too much stuff on one topic, then I add another group, until I have it all sorted in a manageable way.

So, imagining what I might have done with file folders, how about these?
Fall Feasts
Creation
Bible - Adam & Eve thru Moses
Ancient Egypt
10 plagues
10 commandments
Tabernacle
Bible - Joshua thru kings & prophets
Aesop
Ancient Greece
Other ancient cultures
Spring Feasts
Esther & Purim

I'm thinking these might be the major topics as far as finding things to put in folders? I just used the CTG sample table of contents & the CTG ideas board topics to choose them. I might also peek through the topics on the book basket list & add a folder here & there if you know you'll have things on that topic. And depending on how you use these files, you might want science folders for each day of creation, plus pyramids and Archimedes?

Another method would be to just have a folder for "week 1-2" and so on? Hoping this helps you think through what works at your house,
Julie

Hi Julie, thanks so much for your response. I was thining along those lines. I guess I just need to decide if I want to file folder by week or topic. When we did ECC we just did it by country. Thanks! Anyone else... other suggestions to help decide?

Wondering about this myself. I loved using file folders.

I ended up doing it by week. There is not one for every single week, just followed the pages I have from the students sheets. I chose this cause I thought it would be easier to divide by week rather than try and figure it out by feasts, etc. So far so good.

[Julie in MN]

Getting ready to start Egypt in C to G and wondering which movies have been your favorites? I have Netflix, and there are quite a few that I can stream, but I am sure that some are more appropriate than others, ie: less religion, or paced in a way that the younger set can get through...Thanks for your input!

We really like the one on Abraham. He goes to Egypt We watched it again in AHL and I remember ds saying it really adds to the picture of the decisions Abraham made along the way. I think if you have younger ones watching, it would be worth at least watching for a while, and then evaluating whether you want to pick it up again each day until you get to the end (it's kinda long).

Julie

[tabby]

We enjoyed "Building the Great Pyramid", a BBC video (It has Jonathan Stamp as the director, I think?). It really shows the effort, science and resources it took to construct the huge structures. I don't remember any heavy religious themes but I did watch it a year ago. You may want to preview it first just to be safe.

[LSH in MS]

The Search for the Real Mt Sinai and Exodus Revealed are great!

[*leah]

Hi, I just had to share a book title that my kids love and have asked for me to read over and over.
Around the World in One Shabbat by Durga Yael Bernhard

I haven't read this one but I hope our library has it.
The Kids Fun Book of Jewish Time by Emily Sper.

I hope you are all having a fun start to the new year.

[Caryn]

Just looking through the feasts for the next year and I discovered that if you use Google Calendars (through Gmail) you can add a "Jewish Calendar" and it has all the current dates for the feasts for the next year.

[MelissaB]

Hi, all -

Highly recommnend using the Usborne Internet Link that comes with the ANCIENT WORLD book.

http://www.usborne-quicklinks.com

We are 3/4 way through the C2G curriculum, and just started using it - and it's great! I wish we would have started using it earlier.

Enjoy your C2G journey. We've had a great year!

Melissa B.