The World in Ancient Times

[Novafan]

Does anyone have and use this set of books when teaching Ancient History?

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0195222423/ref=ord_cart_shr?ie=UTF8&m=ATVPDKIKX0DER

 

We will be studying Ancient History in our home this coming school year. I will be doing this with a 1st grader, 3rd grader and 5th grader (who is studying the Ancients for the 2nd time). These books look perfect for my 5th grader and my 3rd grader may even be able to handle the reading level and information in them. Any reviews?

Edited June 24, 2010 by Novafan

[Corraleno]

I'm using them as a spine with a 6th grader (DS) and a 2nd grader (DD); DS reads some chapters on his own and I do others as a read-aloud with both kids. I love this series — the writing is really interesting and engaging and they are beautifully illustrated. The Primary Sources volume is great, and is linked to the text. I also own the Medieval series, which I'll be using next year.

 

I think there are half a dozen or so people here who have either used them in the past or are currently using them, so I hope more folks will chime in.

 

Jackie

[Matryoshka]

We're using these. I use K12 Human Odyssey as my spine, which I read aloud to all 3 kids (6th and 4th graders), but I also have the 6th graders read these to themselves. I really like them.

[Luckymama]

Can you give me more information about the primary sources/reference volume?

 

I've ordered K12 Human Odyssey text and teacher's guide and am gathering other books to use, but have nothing primary source-ish yet.

[Saille]

I recently bought a set of these, and am reading through them now, but I won't use them until 2011-2012. I bought them specifically because of the emphasis on primary sources, and so far I like them very much. I think they'll be right up my son's alley. Come to think, they already covered themselves in glory in his eyes last week, when he found a photo of the Narmer Palette in the Egypt volume. (We're reading The Red Pyramid. Serpopards.)

[Capt_Uhura]

Where's the green with envy icon for anyone owning the entire set? I've read the first in the series and really liked it for my kids.

[Capt_Uhura]

Has anyone used any of the teaching guides?

[Rene Austen]

My son used it this year. I second the pp who mentioned the engaging writing and great photos. My son is not at all a voracious reader, but really loved these books, and specifically requested the medieval set for next year. We didn't use the teacher guides, so can't comment on that.

[Luckymama]

Holy cow, our library system has these!!!!!!!! Of course, today's the day our branch is closed :lol:

[Capt_Uhura]

yes my library has them also but the Primary Source vol is at a different library and they don't send it out for loan. :glare:

[Matryoshka]

yes my library has them also but the Primary Source vol is at a different library and they don't send it out for loan. :glare:

 

I got my library system to buy two(!) sets of these, but I still bought the Primary Source volumes, as I figured I'd need to use them over a couple of years in bits here and there - and I guessed even my very generous library would get cranky if I had them out that long. :tongue_smilie:

[hmschooln]

For anyone looking for the whole set I really recommend sigining up at oup.com for the email list. In the spring they had a discount to get the set for $104 before shipping. Don't know if it will still work but you can try type in 28514 in the promo code box before putting the set in your cart. Hope it helps someone.:001_smile:

[Capt_Uhura]

I signed up! Thanks! I put in the promo code and it brought up sale items but The World in Ancient Times was not among them. Darn.

[hmschooln]

Sorry I should mention too that when I did it I had to put the item in my cart for the sale price to show.:001_smile:

[Capt_Uhura]

I tried that but it didn't work either. I'll keep my fingers crossed for another sale!

[hmschooln]

Sorry.:confused: Hope a new sale starts soon for you!:001_smile:

[Novafan]

Thank you all for your replies. It looks like everyone who has picked this set up loves it. I'm going to bite the bullet and get it for my 10 year old. I figure he can use it all through logic stage and I have 2 younger ones that will use it as well. I'm sure DH and I will end up reading them as well.

 

Between this set of books and the rest of my amazon.com cart contents, today is turning out to be an expensive day. Ouch! But I am excited!

[Luckymama]

yes my library has them also but the Primary Source vol is at a different library and they don't send it out for loan. :glare:

 

Well now that stinks :001_huh: The library in our town has (apparently) two copies of each book. The county library system has a total of 15 copies of each book!

 

I have never appreciated this library during the past 17 years as I have in the past few months!

[swimmermom3]

I am green with envy here for another reason. I may well possibly have the only child that did not like these books. When I bought the set, I thought for sure my son would be as enthralled with them as I was. By the third book, he informed me he did not want to read about "one more old pot," no matter how good the pictures were. For whatever reason, he felt that the books made the various regions seem too similar. His final choice for a spine even over the very good K12 Human Odyssey is the Suzanne Strauss Art books.

 

I did use some of the teaching and student guides and thought they were well done for being classroom support. If I were to do it again, I would stick with the teaching guides as there is more than enough to do in them.

[Amira]

We went through the ancient set this year and will be starting on the medieval set in the fall. I love the books and my children learned a lot from them, although they weren't begging to read them.

 

These books often go on sale at Amazon in December. I bought the medieval and early modern set last December for about $100, and the ancient set was as deeply discounted. I did buy the ancient set for more than $200, and even though we have a very tight homeschooling budget (that was, by far, the most I'd ever spent on one subject), I don't regret the purchase at all.

 

I've also known people who just get the primary sources book as a supplement for whatever they're using for history. Even though the primary resources book is tied to the rest of the set, it can easily be used with something else.

 

One possible drawback is that the entire set isn't chronological as a whole. That's not a problem for some people, but since I like to teach history chronologically, we'd spend a week in one book and then switch to another book to keep moving through all the different areas at about the same rate.

[kangato3]

Thanks to these boards, we found these books just at the right time. Our public school district homeschool program originally provided us a Glencoe textbook for Ancient History. DS was not retaining well and found the book and related workbook to be very tedious.

 

We switched to World in Ancient Times (my library had them) and they were so much more interesting for ds. I, too, found them interesting and read them all, cover to cover. I also purchased teacher/student guides to use with them.

 

Fortunately my homeschool program allows me to use my own curriculum as long as it meets CA standards. This series is even on the CA approved curriculum list, although I doubt many schools use it - not as cost effective as a single textbook and teacher manual.

[Novafan]

I love all of these positive reviews! Thanks everyone.

[Luckymama]

I'm going to the library today after swim lessons (last day! her backstroke is straight! she can butterfly!). Our K12 Human Odyssey books aren't here yet for me to start matching up books with chapters/sections. I think I'll check out the primary sources volume and perhaps early human and ancient Egyptian volumes. I'm excited, thank you to everyone for sharing!

[swimmermom3]

Thanks to these boards, we found these books just at the right time. Our public school district homeschool program originally provided us a Glencoe textbook for Ancient History. DS was not retaining well and found the book and related workbook to be very tedious.

 

We switched to World in Ancient Times (my library had them) and they were so much more interesting for ds. I, too, found them interesting and read them all, cover to cover. I also purchased teacher/student guides to use with them.

 

Fortunately my homeschool program allows me to use my own curriculum as long as it meets CA standards. This series is even on the CA approved curriculum list, although I doubt many schools use it - not as cost effective as a single textbook and teacher manual.

 

I think you will enjoy using using the guides. Some of the across-discipline connections are quite good. Also, the work that utilizes skills like discerning fact and opinion, comparing and contrasting, and using graphic organizers will help fill in some gaps that we as homeschoolers often have a hard time scheduling in. Have fun! They are great books.

[JadeOrchidSong]

This looks great and I will check my library for this set. We are studying ancient now and I read more than my kids.

I just did and reserved several in the set to have a look. I even reserved the resource book. I am so excited!

J

Edited June 25, 2010 by aomom

[keptwoman]

How long do those of you using this spend per book? It seems to me that it would be hard to do the lot in a year.

I'm sooooo tempted, and DH is remarkably OK about such an expensive purchase.

[redsquirrel]

I only use a few. We read the one on prehistory and early man in august, then we read Egypt. I am now moving to Greece and we will finish the year with Rome.

 

I do not use them as our spine, but as additional reading. That way, my son can spend more time on the cultures he loves. We spend about 10 weeks with each one. I have him do narration and outlining as needed for the week.