Story of the World
The Story of the World, Volume 1: Ancient Times
We have enjoyed using The Story of the World (Volume 1) this year, our third year of homeschooling. I love having the time to read and narrate with my oldest who is 7 years old. My 5-year-old middle child loves learning about history, too (even though I rarely ask her for a narration).
Materials
- The Story of the World: History for the Classical Child Volume 1: Ancient Times (From the Earliest Nomads to the Last Roman Emperor) by Susan Wise Bauer, Revised Edition
- The Story of the World Activity Book One: Ancient Times Edited by Susan Wise Bauer
I did also buy the test and answer key and blackline masters. In hindsight, I would not have bought these items, BUT I could see us using them when we repeat this cycle in a few years.
Rotation
We have worked each of the following exercises into our 3-day morning time rotation. Our weekly rhythm goes something like this:
(I have found that there are usually two stories within any given chapter.)
Day 1: read the first story in the chapter and orally narrate
Day 2: read the next story in the chapter and orally narrate
Day 3: complete map work and color the coloring page together at the table
I file all their completed maps and coloring pages behind the divider in their morning time notebooks entitled “Ancient Times”.
Below, I have included some photos from the year. Every four weeks or so, we review the timeline cards that correlate with each chapter. Using the timeline in the back of the Volume 1 text, I have them find a date for each timeline card and we enter that into our “Book of Centuries” we started last year. A couple of these entries are included below to give you a frame of reference (see photos).
We do not do any of the other chapter activities mentioned in the activity book, like the art, writing or science projects. However, we have pulled from the recommended literature suggestions found in each chapter for further exploration. Like I said before, we will be using these other project ideas perhaps in the future, when the kids are more self-sufficient.
Do you know that a great resource to pair with The Story of the World is Simply Charlotte Mason’s The Stuff They Left Behind from the Days of Ancient Egypt? These portfolios include large, full-color photos of ancient artifacts or sites, background information, and discussion questions. We were taken on an adventure to King Tut’s tomb, Cheop’s Pyramids, and studied hieroglyphs on the Rosetta Stone. The study also includes a few photos from Knossos, Stonehenge, and China.
Back to The Story of the World – I love this history curriculum! We will be continuing to use it over the summer. I feel like I am learning alongside my children.