What skills are coordinated with the history in Missions to Modern Marvels?
I have always wanted to homeschool my son, but this was the first year I could. My husband and I were on the same page about not liking the direction our local school was taking. So, we made the switch to Heart of Dakota (HOD). My son loved Revival to Revolution! So, we are full speed ahead with Missions to Modern Marvels (MTMM) next. In Revival to Revolution, we loved all of the ways my son dug into history. He especially loved the history projects. The Signers’ research was another favorite. He even liked the mapping for geography and the drawing for Draw and Write Through History. I loved hearing his oral narrations. He did very little writing previously, but his written narrations are so good now! He found his voice. So, what skills are coordinated with the history in HOD’s MTMM?
Sincerely,
“Ms. Please Tell Me What Skills Are Coordinated with MTMM’s History”
Dear “Ms. Please Tell Me What Skills Are Coordinated with the History in MTMM,”
I’ll give you a glimpse into the skills we focus on in coordination with MTMM’s history. Each week the students will rotate through the following skill areas. Many of these skills are matched directly to the daily history reading.
Charlotte Mason History Coordinated Skills
Oral narration – Students narrate weekly. We include a list of up to 5 vocabulary type words, names, or places from the reading. The student then naturally tries to work these words into his/her narration. This is definitely a higher-level skill, as we don’t want the list of words to drive the narration. Rather, we want these keys words to just become a natural part of the narration. On alternating weeks, the parent types or writes the student’s oral narration as he/she gives it. The student can then file the oral narration in his/her student notebook as a record of this skill.
Written narration – Students write a written narration weekly. Narrations have a target of 12-15 sentences and should include paragraphing.
How Historical Memorabilia Is Used As a Coordinated Skill
Memorabilia Connections – Each week an image of period memorabilia is included in the Student Notebook. This corresponds with the history reading. Students use the notes in the guide to make connections between the memorabilia and the historical event to which it is connected.
How Historical Snapshots in Time Are Used As Coordinated Skills
“Snapshot in Time” – Weekly, in the Student Notebook, students are provided with one or more historical snapshots (i.e. photographs or sketches). They connect these snapshots with the day’s history reading. Throughout the year, students must display a variety of skills as they connect the “snapshot” to their reading. These coordinated skills include writing their own captions and listing bulleted factual notes. Students also write entries reflective of a person in the snapshot. They then include a quote from the text or from the person in the snapshot. They also share their interpretation of the quote. Students give a a brief outline of a part of the text that corresponds to the snapshot. You get the idea of how snapshots in time are coordinated to the history in a variety of ways!
How Timeline Entries Are Used As a Coordinated Skill
Timeline Entries – Students draw three pictures weekly to add to the timeline in their Student Notebook. Entries are reflective of the week’s readings. They are mainly chronological, and they include events and people from around the world. These entries are the final entries in the history cycle begun in Creation to Christ. So, for those families who have done the guides from Creation to Christ through Missions to Modern Marvels, their students will have a beautiful notebook of time that can be compiled in 4 parts to make a complete timeline from creation to the present! Your son’s notebook will also be beautiful with his work from the last two guides in this series!
How Geography Is Used As a Coordinated Skill
Geography – At least once each week, students complete a historical map that helps clarify the geography of the world at the time of the history reading. Since maps are keyed to directly match the day’s history reading, they greatly enhance the study of history and make the study of geography a necessity in understanding the world in which we live! A special Map Trek CD contains only maps needed for Missions to Modern Marvels. Students also refer to the maps in the United States’ History Atlas as they read about the history.
How Economic Principles Are Used As a Coordinated Skill
Economic Principles – Once weekly students read a chapter from either Whatever Happened to Penny Candy? or Common Sense Business for Kids. After the reading, students record in their Student Notebook one main economic principle that they have gleaned from their reading for that day. By the end of the year, students have a list of economic principles that summarize what they have learned about economics.
How Socratic Discussion Is Used As a Coordinated Skill
Socratic Discussion – Once each week, students have a meeting time with the parent during which they participate in a Socratic discussion about a speech from Great American Speeches. Prior to the meeting time, students have read the speech and ponder questions that are provided in the guide as a framework for the discussion. When the student meets with the parent, the parent reads the speech aloud as the student listens, and then discuss the provided questions. Since the speeches contained in Great American Speeches show a variety of viewpoints and reactions to historical events, they provide a wonderful springboard for Socratic discussion.
How Speeches Are Used As a Coordinated Skill
Speeches (Primary Source Documents) – In addition to the speech focused on through Socratic discussion for the week, the students also read other speeches that correspond with the history reading for the week. For these speeches, the students need to copy in their Student Books an important part of the speech they feel reflects the tone and the theme of the speech.
How History Projects Are Used As a Coordinated Skill
Hands-on History Projects – Three days each week, the students work on a hands-on history projects that help bring the historical time period to life. Projects use common materials you have in your home already and are usually able to be completed independently by the student (with some oversight needed once in awhile). Projects range from baking to constructing, to sketching to painting, to mapping to game-making, and everything in between!
Other Coordinated Skills
What in the World… Vol. III and Draw and Write Through History provide audio and artistic coordinated skills. Plus, you won’t want to forget about the President Study, which has its own special notebook along with two resources to use for the research that go along with the President Study. This is scheduled 3 times weekly. And… families also have the option of doing a study of their own individual state during this guide, which is highly recommended (if you live in the U.S.) as time is allotted for it once each week.
Living books are all coordinated together to bring the modern times to life!
Last, don’t forget that we have also selected terrific living books that help bring the modern times to life! There is a Basic Package of books for 7th-8th graders and an added Extension Package for 9th-10th graders. I cannot tell you how many titles I previewed and read (and so many titles that I lost count of how many were discarded) in the quest to find just the right mix in this area! We pray you will be blessed by the selections, each of which is intended to coordinate with the rest of the readings in Missions to Modern Marvels and the rest of our plans to create a fuller picture of history.
We pray you have a wonderful year in MTMM!
Whew! Your child will certainly be learning a lot of coordinated skills through the “Learning Through History” part of this guide! However, I want to encourage you that since each of the skills occur only once or twice a week, it will not feel overwhelming. Yet, it also will not feel sporadic, as work to systematically develop these skills each week all year long! We are so excited for your son to use MTMM, and we pray that it will be used to glorify our Lord and Savior!
Blessings,
Carrie
