Saturday, June 2, 2012

Canadianized AO Year 2


UPDATED HERE

Well, as you have probably heard, we are trying AmblesideOnline again - which means we need to Canadianize it.   There are some ideas on doing this on the AO site here, but for Years 1-3, we just didn't have access to any of the Canadian History books recommended.  I am still not totally satisfied with the history books we have found - but will make use of what is available.

My general plans for all the years, are available here, (there are some changes) - but this post will give much more detailed information for Year 2, including fitting it in the AO Year 2 schedule.  Note that we haven't done Year 2 yet - so there may be changes in the future.

Most of the year will be based on AO's Year 2

Booklist Change Summary:

  • Remove - This Country of Ours.  (Used the D'Aulaire biographies where there is an option.  TCOO is not used at all)
  • Add - The Story of Canada  - Janet Lunn (Note that you could also use My First History of Canada / Great Canadian Lives option - I haven't planned out the weeks for that option)
  • Add - Canadian Minutes from Historica (these are the "Canadian Minute" ads from TV - we watch them online)
  • Add - The Fishing Summer (authors last name is Jam)
  • Add - The Fabulous Song (authors last name is Gillmor)
  • Add - Owls in the Family (Fawley Mowatt)
  • Optional in Free Reads - Abraham Lincoln & Brighty of the Grand Canyon 
  • Note - we also don't do Trial and Triumph
Note - I generally tried not to add something without removing something, so as not to overburden the year. For History, that was generally easy, as we were not doing Trial and Triumph, and also removed the US History.   For Literature, I made 2 books optional in the Free Reads - and 2 of the Canadian additions are fairly "light"   I also looked at the number of readings each week, as well as chronology of the history, to determine where to add in the Canadian content.


Weekly Changes 
(I haven't noted the readings by week that you don't read from the AO schedule for the books that were removed.)

Week 1

  • Watch the Vikings  Canadian moment on Historica
  • Story of Canada - Strangers on the Coast - 1st Section, and "Where was Vinland"
Week 5
  • The Fishing Summer (entire book)
Week 10
  • The Fabulous Song (entire book)
Week 13
  • Owls in the Family Chapter 1
Week 14
  • Owls in the Family Chapter 2
Week 15
  • Owls in the Family Chapter 3
Week 16
  • Owls in the Family Chapter 4
Week 17
  • Owls in the Family Chapter 5
Week 18
  • Owls in the Family Chapter 6
Week 19
  • Owls in the Family Chapter 7
Week 21  (yes, no reading in week 20)
  • Owls in the Family Chapter 8
Week 22
  • Owls in the Family Chapter 9
Week 23
  • Owls in the Family Chapter 10
Week 24
  • Owls in the Family Chapter 11
Week 33
  • Story of Canada - Strangers on the Coast - Explorers Section
Week 34
  • Story of Canada - Strangers on the Coast - St Stadacona Section
Week 35
  • Story of Canada - Strangers on the Coast - Fur Traders and Northern Seas Section
Week 36
  • Story of Canada - Strangers on the Coast - Rats, Weeds, and Viruses Section

4 comments:

  1. Welcome back to AO! I've made similar changes in that I'm not doing TCOO or Trial & Triumph. I've loved mostly everything else about AO so we'll be doing it again next year. Although, we're also making a major change - we're moving from the East Coast to Utah!! My oldest will be going to school part-time to attend the Chinese Immersion program - all of her math, science and social studies will be taught only in Chinese by a native speaker from China or Taiwan. We couldn't pass up on an opportunity like that!

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  2. This looks good. I'll have to check our library for some of the books you have listed to see what we have available.

    I just wanted to mention a fun book we just read. "Full Steam to Canada" is about a family's journey from Britain to Canada and then across to Saskatoon on the train, in 1902. It's based on the memories of a girl who made the trip and then ended up settling near Lloydminster. It would make a good free read or bedtime read aloud when you are doing that time period.

    Joanne

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