Posted on 12/15/2009 8:00:55 PM PST by Chickensoup
Tijeras_Slim
I have been using an interesting combination of curiculumn this past semester and they seem to really mix well. Thought I would share it. First time I have used both together.
We are reading the Little Britches series by Ralph Moody. I have seen it for years but finally bought it to use with my seventh and ninth grader. A series about independence, initiatve, hard work and success. We are concurrently reading the Whatever Happened to... series by Richard Maybury. We have finished Penny Candy and Justice as well as the intro book. Both series compliment each other. I recommend them both highly.
My high school reading list includes a dystopian series read during the first two years of high school:
The Lord of the Flies Animal Farm 1984 Brave New World The Earth Abides The Long Walk The True Story of a Trek to Freedom by Slavomir Rawicz
Homeschool Ping
>> I have been using an interesting combination of curiculumn
That’s an interesting combination of letters you used to spell “curriculum”. And I know it’s not a typo, because you did it twice.
I’m all in favor of homeschooling but I sure hope you’re outsourcing your spelling lessons. :-)
where’d you get the Little Britches series from? I got the complete set of Maybury’s books and my kids are reading them.
I’m with you ... the “Whatever happened to” series is great, especially the one on natural law (justice) and inflation (penny candy).
Thought you might be interested in our other readings.
One of my troublsome words. Most of my children are natural spellers. Me, not so much...
I think CBD. Timberdoodle used to sell them and they are available through Amazon. It took me a while to figure out the chronological order of the books. I have it written down if you have interest in it. The books actually have no clue on which one to read next.
troublesome is another problem word for me obviously
>> One of my troublsome words.
Along with “troublesome”, eh?
I’m just teasing you I hope you know. I have a lot of respect for homeschoolers. It takes perseverence and dedication and no small amount of hard work, and I applaud you.
And I hope I spelled all THOSE words right or I’m in big trouble! :-)
FRegards
We have read all the Little Britches stories, and we also use Economics in One Lesson, Whatever Happened to Penny Candy, and the Clipper Ship Strategy for Economics.
Great minds think alike!
Little Britches is priceless.
LOL!
I was really amazed how they went well together. Little Britches is Natural Law in action
The Ingenious Yankees by Joseph Gies
I've become a big fan of Gies and his histories (many are written with his wife)
This particular history covers the period in America from 1776 to 1876 when we became a world power through innovation, technical application and growth. He does a great job of showing the tension between innovation/invention, patent law and determination.
The chapters cover one major invention and its inventors. It is very objective and forthright in its approach and you'll discover great men you've never or rarely heard of. I highly recommend it for homeschoolers.
Check out all their other histories as well.
I will look them up. Thank you
For all of you who have requested Little Britches in order:
LITTLE BRITCHES
MAN OF THE FAMILY
THE HOME RANCH
MARY EMMA AND COMPANY
FIELDS OF HOME
SHAKING THE NICKLE BUSH
THE DRY DIVIDE
HORSE OF A DIFFERENT COLOR
Although the Home Ranch is out of chronological order in this list, it makes sense to have it here, and not between Little Britches and Man of the Family.
Enjoy!
ping
Thank you for the ping. Your dystopian list is good, I’ve re-read 1984 just about every year since 1977 - and it scares me more each time.
Another good line of reading is about “how things get done/made” in America prior to litigation and environmental impact statements, such as McCullough’s “The Great Bridge” about the Brooklyn Bridge or Rhicard Rhode’s “The Making of the Atomic Bomb”.
I liked the “Whatever Happened...” books when I was in middle school.
Are the “Little Britches” stories as awful as some of the other self-reliant/whatever books I ran into at homeschool fairs? The “Elsie Dinsmore” series was particularly dire.
Try throwing in a couple of Robert Heinlein’s science fiction novels for juveniles (if you don’t know which are for juveniles check since some of his other stuff wasn’t) for flavor, they don’t get much more self-reliant than “Have Spacesuit Will Travel” or “The Rolling Stones”.
I read one or two of the Elsie Dinsmore series, and was increasingly appalled at it, and quite frankly, reappraised the woman who recommended it. I found it to be in support of accepting severe emotional abuse as a way of showing lovingkindness. Certainly not my style.
Little Britches is cut of a different mold. More a higher level and more complex version of Little House on the Prarie. Lots of examples of opportunities taken and creative thinking in difficult situaions. Dovetailed beautifully with Penny Candy and Justice.
I will have to look up some of the heinlin books, some have not aged well in my opinion.
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