Making history personal is the goal of the myWorld Social Studies course for elementary and middle school from Savvas.
Consumable softcover worktexts provide more than enough content for your year of study. The online resources make it easy to add independent student work, with a wealth of supplemental information. Using level 5B as my reference, there is an entire unit on Geography/Map Skills in the front, a Writing Workshop, lists of people to know (biography potential), loads of graphs and charts, and primary sources, where students can read the documents themselves – not someone’s version of it. There is a multi-sensory element to this program that will appeal to a variety of learners. I also found it to be thoughtfully inclusive in the images and viewpoints shared. Sold as a Homeschool Bundle that includes a softcover, consumable student worktext and one year access to the Savvasrealize.com digital platform.
The Student Worktext provides the lesson readings, comprehension checks and other fill-in-the-blank activities. As the student works through the lessons, they are prompted to use resources online. Icons for video content, interactivity (online assignment), audio, games, assessments, and the student e-text are clearly noted. For example, chapter 9 starts with a video about the Civil War, a group activity, and an audio rap about fighting for freedom with several highlighted vocabulary words. Then you get into the meat of the lesson with an illustrated timeline to preview the content, creating a sentimental song after researching music of the era, reading several pages about causes of the war, and answering questions to show understanding. Lessons are lively and suitable to a variety of learners. You could also treat this as a more traditional text if you like (skip the songs). I found many group activities which a homeschooler may have to adapt or skip. The writing assignments ask higher order questions. For example: What are the options? What are the consequences of each option?
In 5th grade you choose either 5A or 5B, then transition to Middle School options. Middle School Bundles (6-8) include a hardcover student text, the consumable Active Journal, and the online access. Online resources include the previously mentioned student resources, assessments, and e-Texts in Spanish. Teacher resources are only available on the digital platform and include a wealth of helpful resources including a full teacher guide with lesson plan summaries; editable student worksheets and chapter tests; hands-on activities; leveled readers with lesson plans; and other general resources such as graphic organizers, maps, and correlations to national standards. Answers are found in the Teacher Edition e-Text or more conveniently under each chapter or topic section. Students do not have access to answers.