Thoughts on using series for history

[swimmermom3]

We realized a sad truth in our home school in the last few weeks: we don't much care for using book series for history. Swimmer Dude walks past the book case, places his hand on The World in Ancient Times series and says, "Look Mom, a beautiful set just waiting for a new home. You really should sell them, NOW!" He sounds like a bad used car salesman. They sit next to our books from the People of the Ancient World series which sit next to Science of the Past books which sit next to our Art in History books.

 

We have mixed TOG, HO, The World in Ancient Times, SOTW, and Suzanne Strauss Art and have covered Prehistory, the Near East, Egypt, ancient Africa, and now, South Asia. We made it half way through The Ancient South Asian World when ds begged off. "They are so boring." (It was our third one.) I offered him Ancient India (used in TOG-our third one as well). "Mom, they all look the same and cover the same things. It's hard to keep the cultures straight." When it came time to talk about art, he asked to use my large Art History volume instead of the Art in History books.

 

I have to agree with him. Everything looks the same, reads the same, and resembles the Usborne and Kingfisher encyclopedia. Ds doesn't mind Suzanne Strauss Art's books; however, if Daniel Boorstin had a Landmark World History book, ds would be all over it.

 

I need some perspective here. Does this mean we are a textbook family? Has anyone else had a similar reaction and been unhappy with the level of writing as well? Or are we just weird?:D

Edited January 29, 2010 by swimmermom3
Spelling

[Sahamamama]

:lurk5:

[Kareni]

I don't think you're weird!

 

Given your son's fondness for Daniel Boorstin's writing, here are a few other books of his to be on the lookout for your son to dip into when he hits high school age --

 

The Discoverers: A History of Man's Search to Know His World and Himself

 

The Creators: A History of Heroes of the Imagination

 

The Seekers: The Story of Man's Continuing Quest to Understand His World

 

Regards,

Kareni

[Nicole M]

I don't think you're weird!

 

Given your son's fondness for Daniel Boorstin's writing, here are a few other books of his to be on the lookout for your son to dip into when he hits high school age --

 

The Discoverers: A History of Man's Search to Know His World and Himself

 

The Creators: A History of Heroes of the Imagination

 

The Seekers: The Story of Man's Continuing Quest to Understand His World

 

Regards,

Kareni

 

Ohmygosh! I just previewed The Creators.

 

:willy_nilly:

 

I'm hyperventilating, I'm so excited.

 

But don't mind me. You may return to your regularly scheduled program now.

[swimmermom3]

Kareni,

 

Ds is sending you a huge "thank you." The "big, blue book" which he used in 4th grade is an all-time favorite resource. Thanks for understanding too.

[swimmermom3]

Ohmygosh! I just previewed The Creators.

 

:willy_nilly:

 

I'm hyperventilating, I'm so excited.

 

But don't mind me. You may return to your regularly scheduled program now.

 

Swimmer Dude has requested all three. Why deny your child? (Can't wait to read them!)

 

Nicole, could this be the answer to an earlier discussion about history sources?

[Tohru]

I feel clueless... who is Daniel Boorstin?

[Melissa B]

I don't think you're weird!

 

Given your son's fondness for Daniel Boorstin's writing, here are a few other books of his to be on the lookout for your son to dip into when he hits high school age --

 

The Discoverers: A History of Man's Search to Know His World and Himself

 

The Creators: A History of Heroes of the Imagination

 

The Seekers: The Story of Man's Continuing Quest to Understand His World

 

Regards,

Kareni

 

 

He has a series on American history good for high school age as well. (I think it is four books, but I would have to check). I plan to have my dd read them in a couple years, as we are Boorstin fans too.

[Kareni]

I feel clueless... who is Daniel Boorstin?

 

Here is the wikipedia entry on Daniel Boorstin. In homeschooling circles, he is probably best known for his children's books on American History: The Landmark History of the American People: From Plymouth to Appomattox and The Landmark History of the American People: From Appomattox to the Moon which Sonlight uses in one of its cores.

 

Regards,

Kareni

[Carol in Cal.]

There is nothing more like a series than a textbook.

 

I think that probably you are living books people. Probably you'd benefit from a variety of types of books--some biographies, some histories, some cultural studies, some arts, some historical fiction, written by a variety of authors so that they don't all sound the same. You'd probably like museum trips and living history sites a lot as well. All that stuff helps you remember the material better, and with more of a 'sense' of it instead of a dry as dust textbook.

 

Textbooks are just spines. They hold things up and hold them together, but they are dry and not lively.

Or, like so many things, helpful but not sufficient.

[swimmermom3]

There is nothing more like a series than a textbook.

 

I think that probably you are living books people. Probably you'd benefit from a variety of types of books--some biographies, some histories, some cultural studies, some arts, some historical fiction, written by a variety of authors so that they don't all sound the same. You'd probably like museum trips and living history sites a lot as well. All that stuff helps you remember the material better, and with more of a 'sense' of it instead of a dry as dust textbook.

 

Textbooks are just spines. They hold things up and hold them together, but they are dry and not lively.

Or, like so many things, helpful but not sufficient.

 

Carol, you are probably right. I had numerous resources for Egypt so we did not use any of the series. We read Tales from Ancient Egypt, The Pharaohs of Ancient Egypt, The Golden Goblet, and several additional myths. We made Plaster of Paris pyramids and tomb drawings showing perspective. We played a version of Senet, watched movies and wrapped everything up with some science experiments. Whew! My son loved it, but it was a lot of work. I think part of what makes things tough is that 6th grade is a cross-over year. We need to focus on learning research skills and increasing output, yet my cynical, goal-oriented ds is still just a boy who gets carried away playing with water during science experiments.

[Nicole M]

 

Textbooks are just spines. They hold things up and hold them together, but they are dry and not lively.

Or, like so many things, helpful but not sufficient.

 

You know, the K12 history books are a breath of fresh air. Maybe not for the ancients, but the second volume is, in fact, lively. It is an excellent springboard for further study -- they take a biography sort of approach. In fact, I found the chapter about Michelangelo more interesting and engaging than anything I'd previously read about him, and far better written than the biographical materials at the Seattle Art Museum, where we saw a small Michelangelo exhibit this week.

 

So I guess I would say there are better and worse textbooks. H.O. is a far, far superior spine than something fragmented like the Kingfisher Encyclopedia or a series.

 

But, back to the first question -- Lisa, I was thinking last night about this series problem. I wonder if part of the issue isn't that most of what we know about the ancients (other than Rome, Greece) comes mostly from archeology, and that we have fewer written sources, fewer actual stories. I was thinking about this because I realized that what I like so much about the H.O. is exactly that they focus on people, and how their lives impact and are impacted by their culture / world. It's harder to do that with ancient peoples.

 

I like what Kathleen Norris wrote in one of her books, "that human beings are essentially story telling bipeds." My bias is that the study of history should all point to our being able to see ourselves as part of a grand story, and that we should take delight in making and telling of our story. So if the little man hates the series, chuck it. Do what works.

[Terabith]

I had dinner with Daniel Boorstein once....

[elegantlion]

I don't think you're weird!

 

Given your son's fondness for Daniel Boorstin's writing, here are a few other books of his to be on the lookout for your son to dip into when he hits high school age --

 

The Discoverers: A History of Man's Search to Know His World and Himself

 

The Creators: A History of Heroes of the Imagination

 

The Seekers: The Story of Man's Continuing Quest to Understand His World

 

Regards,

Kareni

 

This forum is getting to be expensive. Those look wonderful and I just added them to my amazon cart. Sadly my library does not carry these.

[swimmermom3]

You know, the K12 history books are a breath of fresh air. Maybe not for the ancients, but the second volume is, in fact, lively. It is an excellent springboard for further study -- they take a biography sort of approach. In fact, I found the chapter about Michelangelo more interesting and engaging than anything I'd previously read about him, and far better written than the biographical materials at the Seattle Art Museum, where we saw a small Michelangelo exhibit this week.

 

So I guess I would say there are better and worse textbooks. H.O. is a far, far superior spine than something fragmented like the Kingfisher Encyclopedia or a series.

 

But, back to the first question -- Lisa, I was thinking last night about this series problem. I wonder if part of the issue isn't that most of what we know about the ancients (other than Rome, Greece) comes mostly from archeology, and that we have fewer written sources, fewer actual stories. I was thinking about this because I realized that what I like so much about the H.O. is exactly that they focus on people, and how their lives impact and are impacted by their culture / world. It's harder to do that with ancient peoples.

 

I like what Kathleen Norris wrote in one of her books, "that human beings are essentially story telling bipeds." My bias is that the study of history should all point to our being able to see ourselves as part of a grand story, and that we should take delight in making and telling of our story. So if the little man hates the series, chuck it. Do what works.

 

One of Swimmer Dude's comments was, "Enough about the pottery." His older brother would gladly have read every volume in the The World in Ancient Times series, but he is very interested in archaeology. S.D. would prefer his archaeology be kept to a 2-4 page spread in an archaeology book.

 

I believe you are right about the human element, the story-telling element. If we could read the writing that is left to us from Mohenjo-Daro or ancient Kush, we would have vibrant stories about real people. Until we do so, I think those histories will appear 2 dimensional to us.

[swimmermom3]

I had dinner with Daniel Boorstein once....

 

You are one lucky woman. My son read The Landmark History of the American People, Vol. 1 & 2 in 4th grade. He fondly refers to it as "the big, blue book" and wouldn't let me sell it when I sold the rest of the core. We love how Boorstin picks unusual topics like the change in how homes were constructed and then shows a deeper connection to historical events and trends.