sportsmom Posted August 3, 2015 Share Posted August 3, 2015 Has anyone completed SOTW and then moved on the SWB's other history books written for older students/adults? We have used SOTW books as our "second" history book for the past 2 years, after we had completed another curriculum. We have used both the test book and the activity book. This year I'm thinking about completing the SOTW series and then moving up to SWB's History of the Ancient World for more depth. I'm just having a hard time finding people who have used the History of the World series. FWIW, history is DS's favorite subject. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EKS Posted August 3, 2015 Share Posted August 3, 2015 I would not go directly from SOTW to the History of the Ancient World with a kid in the middle grades. The History of the Ancient World is written for adults as you noted. I'd take a look at using the Human Odyssey series first. My son also loves history and he loved HO. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kate989 Posted August 3, 2015 Share Posted August 3, 2015 My middle-grade humanities-wonk kid actually LOVED the adult SWB history books. He read one each semester and we used them as a spine to guide choices for literature and supplemental history reading. He was so bummed when I broke the news that he has now read all the volumes she's published so far. For 7th grade we're mostly going to rely on narrative history books and Dad's fancy college history degree. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Crimson Wife Posted August 3, 2015 Share Posted August 3, 2015 I would not go directly from SOTW to the History of the Ancient World with a kid in the middle grades. The History of the Ancient World is written for adults as you noted. I'd take a look at using the Human Odyssey series first. My son also loves history and he loved HO. I agree with this. I have SWB's medieval history book and while it is interesting, BOY is it dense! I read part and then put it aside to read a library hold that came in. Embarrassingly enough I never motivated myself enough to pick it back up. It and the rest of her series are on my self-education reading list when I'm finished with my 2nd BA and (hopefully) grad school because I somehow managed to graduate high school and college without ever having taken a world history course (only 2 years U.S. history and world geography in H.S. and no history whatsoever in college since I had A.P. U.S. History credit). 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SilverMoon Posted August 3, 2015 Share Posted August 3, 2015 The K12 published History Odyssey books are a popular option for between SOTW and HOAW. The Genevieve Foster books and Oxford University Press books are also good options. While I really like HOAW, I would not use it with a middle grade kid unless there was a very high interest going on. That book is great, but even I have to be motivated to get it finished. Thankfully there are gobs more choices for good middle grade history books than elementary. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bibiche Posted August 3, 2015 Share Posted August 3, 2015 Have you looked at Oxford University Press's The World in Ancient Times series? It is excellent. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EKS Posted August 3, 2015 Share Posted August 3, 2015 While I really like HOAW, I would not use it with a middle grade kid unless there was a very high interest going on. This, and frankly, I'd be afraid of destroying a love of history by using HOAW too soon. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Crimson Wife Posted August 3, 2015 Share Posted August 3, 2015 We like K12 Human Odyssey and the DK/Smithsonian Timelines of History. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sportsmom Posted August 4, 2015 Author Share Posted August 4, 2015 Thanks everyone for the input. I'll look into those other options as well. I think that I might order the book for myself since I'm a history nerd. Once I get into it some, I might have him give it a shot outside of "school" time. If it's too much then he can stop and we can try again when he is older, or he can read it at his leisure. If he really likes it, then we can incorporate it into the curriculum. Really, really appreciate everyone's personal experiences. My thought had been that it might be a little too much for him immediately after SOTW, but while he *loves* the SOTW books, he's still craving more. I'd like to have him have a well rounded world history knowledge since my focus has always been more US history from the Revolutionary War through the Civil War. Even looking at curriculum, I kept immediately gravitating towards US history and civics books. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dmmetler Posted August 4, 2015 Share Posted August 4, 2015 We're going to try Galore Park for history this year, between SoTW/History of U.S. and high school history, but DD isn't a big history lover. i bought all three of the Key Stage 3 books, and I think that they'll be about right for one year as an overview of British history. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sportsmom Posted August 4, 2015 Author Share Posted August 4, 2015 Galore Park is another one I need to look into. I have the feeling history this year is going to be a bit scattered and broad. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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