TRISMS

TRISMS

TRISMS (Time Related Integrated Studies for Mastering Skills) differs from most unit study programs since it targets junior high through high school.

In the title, “Time related” refers to the chronological approach of the study, which covers the history of the world from early civilizations to the present. I appreciate the chronological approach for upper levels, since some children (especially if they have been working in non-chronological unit studies up to this point) still need to get the overview of how events and ideas influence each other in time.

“Integrated” refers to the integration of language arts, history, science, geography, and culture-studies. Junior and senior high students should earn full course credits for history/social studies and language arts. Science studies might be adequate for junior high students if they complete all assignments at more than a superficial level. High school students might receive a credit for either a survey or general science course in all but the Rise of Nations and Age of Revolution volumes, but they will need to complete separate lab courses for other science credits.

Language arts assignments incorporate lessons and activities from Institute for Excellence Writing’s Teaching with Style and Structure video seminar, which are not included in TRISMS. Although lessons can be completed without using TWSS, some assignments will not make sense without understanding TWSS’s terminology.

Students might also earn partial or full credits for electives such as bible history, music or art history, critical thinking, philosophy, government, economics, or historical architecture. Any of the last four volumes might be supplemented to develop a credit for Economics, but the last three volumes would likely be best for this purpose. (Suggestions for expanding study of economics are included in each volume.) Philosophy credit (most likely a partial credit for each course) might be earned through any of the last three volumes. TRISMS provides detailed information on appropriate subject credits that might be given for each course.

TRISMS is a research-based curriculum. For each time period or region studied, students are given questionnaire forms, each with a standard list of questions (same questions for each time period). Students use reference works, biographies, historical fiction, and nonfiction books as primary sources of learning rather than textbooks. Similar questionnaires are used for scientists, inventions, and explorers in History Makers and for art history, music history, and architecture in the other volumes. While the questionnaires focus on specific content, other student assignments require interviews, book reports, map work, drawing, research, and lengthy compositions. On top of these assignments, students will tackle one or more in-depth projects each year.

An overview of each unit is shown in chart form as a “Unit Plan.” Charts show events in chronological order, then correlate (in other columns) topics or events in art, music, architecture, science, and literature. A Rhetoric column is added to Expansion of Civilization and Age of Revolution, and the Science column is dropped from Rise of Nations and Age of Revolution. Vocabulary words, map details, “Compare Questions” for writing assignments, and other related topics for possible study for each unit are included in the unit plan charts. Expanded explanations of assignments follow under different subject area headings. While there might be space to write a date or other brief notation next to each assignment, there really is not enough room on these charts to use them as your complete teacher record of assignments.

TRISMS does not specify daily assignments, so some students might also benefit from a separate student assignment book that spells out what to do for each day. It should take about two weeks to complete each unit since there are 18 units per volume.

Student work “output” is to be put into one or more “coursebook” binders. The student package pages that come with the course might be divided into their unit sections with in the binder(s) to get set up. Other work such as drawings or compositions should also be inserted into the binder(s). Students will also be creating a timeline. You can make your own, purchase one from another publisher or purchase TRISMS’ version, It’s About Time, a spiral-bound 28-page book of lined pages to be used for recording timeline information. Each page is sectioned into seven different areas with double lines. This is useful for written information, but the lines really preclude using it for illustrations.

The five TRISMS volumes are ultimately similar in the way they work, but they are packaged differently. One consistent item for all volumes is a large packet of student worksheet/activity pages, quizzes, and tests. (Permission is given to reproduce these for family members but not for a co-op or other group class.) Extra packets are sold separately.

The other components for each level vary a little bit. History Makers has a softbound teacher’s manual plus answer keys on a CD-ROM. History Makers is being updated, and the new edition will be available in 2008. It will match the high school volumes by having three parts: teacher’s manual and answer key, student assignment book, and student pack/test packet. IEW assignments have been added to History Makers. Discovering the Ancient World has softbound teacher’s manual and a softbound answer key book. Expansion of Civilization and Rise of Nations both have two coil-bound books: one is the teacher manual and answer keys, while the other is a students assignment book that includes extensive literature selections for assignments such as Beowulf and Sir Gawain and the Green Knight. Age of Revolution has four volumes: two teacher manuals/answer keys, two student books, and two student packs.

History Makers might be used for students as young as fifth grade level, but it should then be used as a two-year course. Its target audience is grades 7 and 8. It covers the beginning of recorded history through the year A.D. 2000. Discovering the Ancient World is a one-year course for grade 8 or 9. It goes back to the beginning, covering creation through 500 B.C. Expansion of Civilization and Rise of Nations are each one-year courses for high school level. The first covers 500 B.C. through A.D. 1500, while the second slightly overlaps, beginning at A.D. 1440 and continuing through 1860. Age of Revolution might be used as either a one- or two-year high school course. It covers 1850 through 2005. Those concerned about coverage of U.S. History will be pleased to note that Age of Revolution focuses primarily on the United States.

Age of Revolution is about double the size of the other courses, including about twice as many work/activity sheets per unit. Each unit is more extensive than in the other volumes. Some of this is because of the inclusion of more (and lengthier) literary works. Some space is taken up by studies of movies--at least one each of an historical movie and a "literature" movie per unit. Students also work on a 12 to 15 page research paper, producing it as a series of three research essays that they work on throughout the year. The papers theme will be drawn from on of seven different types of "revolutions" that are studied: revolutions in economics, the arts, science, society, race, politics, and faith. This volume, even more than the others, raises lots of philosophical/belief questions for students to consider, but it avoids promoting particular viewpoints.

Each TRISMS volume except for Age of Revolution includes instructions for adaptation for a wider span of grade levels, including using the high school volumes with students as young as sixth grade level. Age of Revolution definitely targets a high school audience with a heavy emphasis on the humanities, rhetoric, and higher level thinking skills, so it would be more difficult than the others to adapt.

Biblical history plays a major role in the Discovering the Ancient World, but biblical/religious history is also incorporated throughout the other volumes. (Those who prefer a more secular approach can easily use all except Discovering the Ancient World.) However, in most volumes Bible/religion coverage is not enough for a full credit course. Math is not included in any of the volumes, although some references are made to mathematical discoveries and accomplishments in history.

Language encompasses most language arts skills, but most especially, composition, vocabulary, and literature. Grammar receives some attention in the first volume, but not in the others. You might use another resource if a student needs additional work on grammar.

TRISMS presents an interesting combination of both structured and discovery--especially through research--learning. The questionnaires at first glance seem highly structured, but these are really recording and accountability devices for study that might be accomplished in a number of ways. TRISMS recommends resources, but doesn’t even restrict users to those resources. Students need not do every assignment in TRISMS, but parents can select more or fewer structured learning activities depending upon the learning style and needs of each student.

There is definitely a gradual shift in TRISMS as students move up through the levels reflecting a classical approach to education. The first level leans more toward “informational” learning while other volumes shift toward more challenging thinking and philosophical ideas as is appropriate for older students.

Students at all levels read and respond to literature, especially as they develop composition skills through activities centered around the literature. Literature readings draw from writings of the civilizations or time periods studied. Many actual readings—especially poetry and excerpts from classical literature—are included in the curriculum, although you still need to borrow or buy other resource books.

In addition to the TRISMS components for each course there are a number of other essential resources: an atlas, globe, world map, encyclopedia, thesaurus, dictionary, library and/or internet access, one or more three-ring notebooks, colored pencils, and coil-bound index cards (for vocabulary words).

Catholic families might want to supplement any volume of TRISMS with An Overview of Catholic History by Katie Torrey, another TRISMS publication. This specialized guide adds questions, topics, timeline, and recommended resources for an expanded study of Catholic history. (Click here to read the complete review.)

Another TRISMS publication, Reading through the Ages, serves as a supplement alongside all the TRISMS volumes or can be used on its own. It contains lists of briefly annotated recommended books for children to read which are arranged chronologically. A key is used to indicate reading level, page count, and whether the book is historical fiction or biography.

Parents do need to put some effort into planning and oversight of student work, but TRISMS offers a stimulating alternative to traditional curriculum, especially for less-than-enthusiastic students. (Bear in mind that students with poor writing skills might have trouble with the many written assignments in the program.) TRISMS might be a comfortable form of unit study for parents shifting from traditional textbook/workbook type curricula to unit studies since it has built-in structure and accountability tools that are lacking in many other unit studies. It might also appeal to parents who like unit studies but worry about accountability for high school students. College prep students should be well prepared with skills necessary for college level work, and they should have excellent documentation of their work in TRISMS. In addition, the curriculum is fully accredited by the North Atlantic Regional High School diploma program (www.nars.org).

You can subscribe to a TRISMS discussion group for additional support by signing up on the TRISMS website.