TRISMS History Makers
Authors: Linda Thornhill and Sally Barnard
Publisher: TRISMS, Inc.
For more information or to order: www.trisms.com or www.homeschoolingfromtheheart.com
(We're happy to announce that we have added History Makers to our catalog!)

TRISMS History Makers is a researched-based, student-directed program, integrating subjects through the unit study method.  Authors Linda Thornhill and Sally Barnard have done an excellent job putting together a solid program for middle school students.  Everything you need (except a library card and a math program) is provided in one handy manual.  This is definitely not a "fill-in-the-blank" program - TRISMS does not want to spoon feed children, but rather to help them become independent learners and thinkers.    History Makers is based on the history of science, inventions and explorers.  It provides an overview of world history beginning with recorded time.  Although the course can be completed in one year, many families find that they prefer to use the program over two years - taking a bit more time for the wonderful books available for each time period.  What excites me most about TRISMS is how seamlessly all of the subjects are integrated and the idea of encouraging more independent research skills, which middle school students will need as they move on to more challenging High School course work.

History Makers contains 37 lessons, each designed to take one week (two if you are spreading the course over two years).  Students create their own notebook and timeline.  The authors have provided an easy to understand weekly guide with lessons/assignments as needed.  Most of the assignments are in Language Arts - history, geography, science and art are covered through the use of questionnaires and maps.  TRISMS provides a Student Master Pack, which includes reproducible forms, worksheets, maps and questionnaires for you to copy, as needed.  To ensure mastery of the material covered, the authors have also included quizzes and tests.  The interesting language arts lessons cover poetry, oral book reports, letter writing, newspaper skills, written reports, note-taking skills, literary devices, grammar and more.  

The backbone of History Makers is the questionnaires.  Each time a person or invention is encountered, the student researches the topic using library books, encyclopedias and/or the Internet, then completes a form.  The questionnaires contain a few blanks asking for specific facts, then move on to more challenging questions such as "What was the motivation for this discovery/invention?", "How was this discovery helpful or harmful to society?", etc.  These questions require the student to think through the material they've read and come to their own conclusions.  Along with the research reading, students also choose one historical fiction or biography for each lesson from the list provided in the book.  After reading this book, students write a "mini-book report".  There are other books suggested for help with research, background information, culture study, etc.  In fact, the authors have put together a fairly exhaustive list of titles which saves time when visiting the library.  Throughout the course, students use the information gathered through these sources to add to their timeline.  All of the background and research reading really help the child to understand the "big picture" of the time period.  Rather than filling their heads with dates to memorize, this method of internalizing information, choosing what is most important and then putting it into their own words lays a strong foundation in thinking and reasoning skills they will need for the rest of their lives.

As with any program that encompasses so much material, History Makers requires a certain amount of orientation for both the teacher and the student.  Once again, the authors have done an outstanding job of explaining how the manual is set up and everything you need to be successful using the program.  They also provide extensive help via their website and there is a busy email discussion loop available, where experienced users share their experiences with TRISMS.  History Makers is an academically challenging curriculum and can be a bit overwhelming at first.  Although it is designed to help teens become independent learners, most students will require help from mom (especially as the get used to the program), with some able to work more independently than others.  Students used to textbook learning may struggle with having to answer questions that move away from facts and require more abstract reasoning.  However, once they get more comfortable with the coursework and expectations, I believe they will enjoy the freedom they have to direct their own research and study. 

At first glance the price may seem a bit steep, but it is important to remember that History Makers covers every subject area except for math for one to two years.  Because History Makers uses lots of literature and often has suggestions for digging deeper, it can easily be used with multiple-children.  The whole family can enjoy the time period and/or person being studied and assignments can easily be geared down to younger students.  There are no science experiments included, as the study of science is more conceptual.  However, it is easy to add appropriate hands-on activities and the books you find at the library will often have plenty of suggestions.

TRISMS History Makers provides a thorough course of study for the middle school years - fostering independence, while encouraging and allowing direction from mom.  The interesting assignments and the freedom to choose reading/study materials allow students with different learning styles and abilities to flourish, while preparing them for more in-depth high school level material.  

Highly recommended!

Making the grade: A+
Cost: $150
Value for your homeschool dollar: 10
Reviewed by Cindy Prechtel, Editor