History Compass: A Guide to Historical Thinking, Research, and Writing

History Compass: A Guide to Historical Thinking, Research, and Writing

Grade level: 9th- 12th

Pages: 185

Course type: eBook (PDF). Includes a free Teacher Guidance PDF  

Author: Samantha Cook

What is History Compass?

History Compass is a semester-long history course that instructs ninth to twelfth grade students to methodically yet creatively think, research, and write like historians. Coursework is designed to help students locate and appropriately examine sources, then use the evidence they find to make their own well-supported claims about people and events of the past.

History Compass was written to accompany the History Odyssey series and serves as a prerequisite to any of the History Odyssey curriculum for high school students. It frontloads—or teaches ahead of time—the skills required for assignments and projects in History Odyssey, preparing students so they can focus on and savor the content of the history course itself.

History Compass is a secular homeschool curriculum, meaning it does not present religious beliefs or texts as historically factual accounts. Rather, it references them as additional sources or perspectives to be considered.

What Resources and Materials Do I Need?

In addition to this study guide, you will need:

• A notebook, binder with paper, or a computer with a file dedicated to this course.
  
• Dividers, sticky tabs, or separate digital folders for different kinds of assignments.
  
• Access to research resources such as the internet and/or a library.
  
• Materials for projects (depending on which optional or student-designed projects you choose).
  

Who Can Use History Compass?

High school students learning at home, in co-ops, learning pods, micro-schools, or charter schools can use History Compass.

The study guide is written directly to students in concise, easy-to-understand language so they can independently work through the course.

History Compass serves as a foundational course for high school history. The critical thinking and writing skills students develop will enable them to navigate any high school history course with greater confidence and finesse.

Because the course focuses on developing skills rather than memorizing content, it can also function as a standalone course. The skills learned are transferable to academic work in science, language arts, and the humanities.

Included with your purchase of the History Compass eBook is a Teacher Guidance file. Teacher Guidance offers additional structure for instructors, including advice on assessing student work and pacing the course.

Prerequisites

Students should be comfortable writing short paragraphs in response to comprehension questions before starting History Compass. Material is generally written at a 9th-grade level. Younger students may need some support with the reading material but will still be able to complete assignments meaningfully.

Flexible Scheduling

The course consists of 32 lessons organized into three units. All three units can be completed in one semester at a pace of roughly two lessons per week. The schedule is flexible and can ebb and flow as needed.

Additional bonus assignments are provided for students who wish to qualify the course as honors level.

What Skills Will Students Learn in This Course?

• Historical Thinking
  
• Research
  
• Historical Writing
  

Important Copyright Information

You are purchasing a license to use the PDF for your own children. You may make copies for your own children, but you may not share (email, download, print and distribute, resell, etc.) this eBook or any portion of it with others.

Licensing is available for group, school, and co-op use. Please contact Pandia Press for details on group licensing: info@pandiapressbooks.com