To use or not use the Guerber student guide

[Kristi B]

My seventh grade daughter is doing the core, including 14 colonies. I have both the Guerber student guide and the 200 questions one. The teacher guide says that the Guerber guide is usually not used, only 200 questions, but it is listed in the lesson plans. What is the recommendation? I was thinking of having her only do the mapping activities, and maybe discussing the questions with me. I don’t want to burn her out but I want her to get the most she can out of the course and material.

[tanya]

Hi, Kristi.

At HLS, we don't use the study guide because we don't have time for it. Our teachers have the teacher guide, and they use it for a reference for discussion, but students are only required to master the 200 Questions. We did the study guide for schools and homeschoolers who want to spend more time in American history than we have time for. So it is truly an option. If you do decide to use both, my only caution is to only give one set of tests. Choose what you want to test your students on; don't make them take both!

Tanya

[Kristi B]

Tanya, the lesson plans for grade seven include both guides, with Guerber in day 2. If I don’t use those questions, should the student just review on those days?

[GeorgiaMom]

I used the Guerber guide for discussion and essay options. I felt like the 200 questions wasn't quite enough in terms of talking through American history, and I wanted us to have some longer discussions about different topics. I did not, however, have my boys write answers to the questions in the books. They simply had to read through the questions for the corresponding chapters before they did the readings, this way they knew what to be prepared to discuss. It was incredibly valuable, and if you have time for it, I think it rounds out the history course nicely. The only tests I gave were the 200 questions.

[momgineer]

I had mine write in the 200 questions books and memorize those and take those tests. On the Guerber guide days, we did those questions orally as a means of starting a discussion.

[KikaMarie]

Hello,
We're just starting to look at Guerber / 200 Questions and I see the option of two sets of tests. However in my Guerber Teacher Guide there are only 4 tests offered, taking the student to the end of chapter 32. Is this because the 200 Questions end at this point of U.S. history?

tanya Also, Tanya, I am half joking when I say this (but only half!) could you please put the development of Canadian geography and history resources on your to-do list? I am so incredibly impressed with your U.S. resources. On the pro-side, we are a younger nation, only on our 23rd Prime Minister and we have a much smaller population and a much less exciting road to autonomy. And the con-side, well, you are Tanya, and everything else is already on your plate!

Monica
Nova Scotia, Canada

[tanya]

Monica,

After we finish Guerber, we read the American history portions of Story of the World, Vol. 4 to get 20th century history. So there are no tests for that, unless you want to switch over to the 200 Questions tests. We have chosen at HLS to give the 200 Questions tests rather than the Guerber tests because we want students to retain those drill facts. It's fine to use either set of tests, but we haven't created separate tests for the 20th century.

Tanya

[tanya]

Ha! Canadian geography and history would be fascinating, and I will put it on my list, but I can't promise it anytime soon. You never know though! It could happen.

Tanya