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History Textbook after SOTW


busymomof3
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We are finishing the 4th volume of Story of the World this year.  My boys are going to be in 7th grade next year, and I want to decide on what we are going to use for History next year.  I would like to start over with the Ancients again, and I am hoping to get some recommendations on what to use.  

 

The History of the Ancient World is recommended for 9th grade, so do you think that would make it inappropriate for 7th grade students?

 

I'm considering going through the 4 volumes of Story of the World again, and doing more supplementary work this time. 

 

Are there other history books out there that I should consider?  

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K12 Human Odyssey. The book is a great and easy step up from SoTW. My kids love the series. You can get copies very cheaply used on Amazon. Right now, the first volume is $14.00. 

 

I'd wait on SWB's History of the Ancient World as I think it's more intended as a high school history course. It's very dense and detailed. 

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Poke around in the logic stage section, maybe do a site search on logic stage history. There have been a LOT of threads on this topic.

 

I have used the K12 Human Odyssey books 1-3, and stretched them out over 4 years with no problem.  I have found them used on Amazon for not an unreasonable price.

 

http://smile.amazon.com/gp/product/1931728534?keywords=Human%20odyssey%20klee&qid=1456416763&ref_=sr_1_2&sr=8-2

 

http://smile.amazon.com/Human-Odyssey-Vol-Holdren-Cribb/dp/1931728569/ref=pd_sim_14_1?ie=UTF8&dpID=41zBHjoaUSL&dpSrc=sims&preST=_AC_UL160_SR160%2C160_&refRID=1BMBTGQ0R9FJKV5JWP2K

 

http://smile.amazon.com/Human-Odyssey-Vol-Cribb-Holdren/dp/1601530188/ref=pd_sim_14_1?ie=UTF8&dpID=51SYLq4I7KL&dpSrc=sims&preST=_AC_UL160_SR133%2C160_&refRID=0N9WVZWGA2RGTZZWZGC5

 

The Oxford University Press series of books are great for years 1-2 and maybe going into year 3.

 

http://smile.amazon.com/World-Ancient-Times-Set/dp/0195222423/ref=sr_1_2?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1456416889&sr=1-2&keywords=Oxford+university+press+world+in+ancient+times

 

The link is for The World in Ancient Times series. There is another series that covers the Medieval world and also a bit of the explorers, but I can't remember what it is called.

 

These are a series of books and are often found in your local library.  I have bought a couple individual books used off Amazon. They are very good.

 

 

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We do the updated Famous Men of Greece/Rome/Middle Ages/Renaissance/Reformation by Greenleaf Press: http://www.greenleafpress.com/catalog/index.php?main_page=index&cPath=50&zenid=d3cc5e239c292323ce1971779f23c1aa.

 

There are study guides that go along with them so it's all planned out. 

 

When you get to high school and start the adult SWB history books Greenleaf Press has Ancient and Medieval Literature study guides too that dovetail nicely. http://www.greenleafpress.com/catalog/index.php?main_page=index&cPath=29&zenid=d3cc5e239c292323ce1971779f23c1aa

Edited by Homeschool Mom in AZ
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Will you tell me a little about how you are handling the second round?  How does it compare to your first round?

 

I have six kids--7 to 17--so i'm stretched between all levels.  

 

With the youngest children, we use the book as a storybook and as a springboard for narrations. I print out coloring pages from the activity book and check out recommendations from the activity book lists for supplementary read alouds.

 

For the good readers (2-5th or 6th), we use SOTW as both a history text and for reading instruction. Because we read it aloud together,  I find it is a great way to work on fluency and vocabulary.  I ask questions for reading comprehension; we do the mapwork together and I have them use the SOTW tests as a reading comprehension check.  I also appreciate the written question at the end of each "test."  It's all open-book, not a test.  We supplement always with books from the recommended reading list and also add in informational reading from an encyclopedia on many of the chapters.  I also like to play the audio book in the car, even if we have read the chapter.  Hearing Jim Trelease pronounce the names and places correctly is helpful.

 

For my middle school children, I have used the book as a text, they did outlines from it or from an encyclopedia like SWB recommended in the WTM, the encyclopedia pages were always assigned; on the second pass through I made sure that my 5th grader was doing the tests.  At this age I also had the student keep a detailed time line.  We would also be reading Great Books from the time period.  My two oldest kids are very strong readers so I graduated them up to HAW or HMW when I thought they were ready, but the two kids just under them in age  have not been as qualified and I felt that SOTW was  a great choice for them.

 

I've done Ancients three times now and I haven't gotten tired of SOTW.  If anything, reusing SOTW and the activity book and WTM (with their really wonderful recommended-reading lists) has made me a better teacher of the subject.  I didn't find that reteaching the history spine once every 4 years was dull.  I found rather that our continued reading of Great Books better informed my understanding and I enjoyed the history more each time we went through it.

 

Occasionally, I have felt slightly embarrassed that I could "forget" so much in between cycles.  Rah, Rah for the harder books, but to be totally honest, sometimes it is just that much more information to forget to remember.  KWIM??  

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  • 3 weeks later...

Another vote for K12 Human Odyssey, which I read with my boys (and some additional commentary/movies from the time period).  We have LOVED it.  Just packed with pictures and great information.  Not completely unbiased (calls Hitler "evil" multiple times), but I think they do a pretty good job.

 

 

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I still struggle with good spines for the logic stage.  I would not use SOTW 1 with 7th graders without HEAVY supplementation.  

 

Perhaps instead of an all-inclusive spine, a selection of encyclopedias and literature booklist would be better suited to your needs.  Look at something like Bookshark for some good resources or even some of the religious literature based programs for ideas.  Not sure if you want something religious or not, but not all titles are religious.  Sonlight, Biblioplan, TOG, BF books all have titles.  An example would be Genevieve Foster's Caesar's World for Ancient Rome or The Ancient Greek World.

 

The Classical Historian also has an Ancient History study.

 

Guerber's books could make a good spine as well (with religious content).

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I grabbed K12 Human Odyssey because it was so recommended and was surprised to find that both my kids and I all prefer that book over the other reading we've been doing (mostly in the encyclopedia).  It's very readable (although a bit repetitive at times - they like to drill concepts into your head).  My kids are in 4th/5th now, but I'm reading it to them.  I'd think that a 7th grader could happily get through it on their own, if you prefer.  We're using it in conjunction with Pandia Press' History Odyssey Ancients (Level 2/Logic).  I prefer the K12 book, but I'm happy to use them together since the program is laid out for me.

Edited by HilJoy14
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