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Still planning for 5th grade over here. :willy_nilly:

 

Apparently my notes aren't as much help as I hoped.:tongue_smilie:

I'm trying to decide which core text to buy and wondering if the Fully Revised and Updated Kingfisher History Encyclopedia (red) that I already have won't work.

These are what I have listed for a core text for history (5th grade - Ancient):

The Usborne Internet-Linked Encyclopedia of World History

The Dorling Kindersley History of the World

National Geographic Almanac of World History

History: The Definitive Guide (Dorling Kindersley)

 

What do you recommend? And why?

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I think that what you want out of the book will help you know which text will work.

 

For example, Sonlight tends to use both SOTW and a history encyclopedia (I think ours is one of the Usborne Encyclopedias of World History). So my kids get a narrative account from one book and then more of a terse overview from the other.

 

If you're planning on doing outlines, then you might not want a book that has very short entries on a lot of different topics (I'm thinking of some of the older Usborne books or the DK Eyewitness books, which strike me as hard to outline).

 

Where is your child's reading level?

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She reads very well. Right now she is 9.5 and has read all of the Percy Jackson, 39 Clues, Harry Potter and Fairy Realm books. She read Anne of Green Gables last for literature and is reading Caddie Woodlawn now.

We want to follow the WTM ideas for logic stage history and need a core text to outline from mostly (she will also I'm sure listen to SOTW vol 1 as her younger brother and sister will be listening to that). The 4 books I listed are the ones recommended in the latest WTM (which I checked out from the library, since I have an older version). I know nothing about any of these books, but I do have the red Kingfisher book I mentioned.

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Did you read my thread from a few weeks ago about outlining?

 

I still stand by outlining SOTW 1 is better then the red Kingfisher ;)

But there are other good ideas in the thread- http://www.welltrainedmind.com/forums/showthread.php?t=232828

 

I think the kingfisher is okay for the fact taking and timeline parts of logic stage history. But the oulining part takes something different and many of the history encyclopedias aren't great (the cultural atlas's mentioned in that thread are at my library and they look better).

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We have the DK Definitive Guide and although it is a great book, it's very hefty reading. My 13yo ds had a hard time grasping a lot of the information when he was 12, so we've shelved it for a few years.

 

The National Geographic one is gorgeous, but I have not actually read it.

 

Personally, for 5th grade, I'd stick with the Usborne since it is written specifically for that level (9-12yo) and leaves out the things children should not be burdened with. Or like Kai suggested, K12 Human Odyssey, which has great pictures and good writing flow.

 

Or, if you're just doing Ancients, Usborne has the Ancient World Encyclopedia, which I think is really through and the layout is great.

Edited by jadedone80
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I recommend K12's Human Odyssey series (3 volumes). It's coherent and interesting. I think those encyclopedia things are absolutely horrific.

 

What is this? Do you know the title?

I am requesting as many of these books from my library as I can so my dh ans I can look at them and see what to buy.

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Yeah, I don't think I'll be going this route ($171 used for volume 1 :ack2:) and it doesn't look like I can actually find a copy to look at, but thanks for the suggestion.

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LOL you can buy it brand new from K12 for $100.

 

I bought all three of mine new back a few years ago. I remember they were expensive, but I don't remember them being that expensive. I have to say, they've been worth every penny though.

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EKS - yes, I got mine just as the hoopla started. I think I got one used for $45 and it was brand new. The other 2 I had to buy from K12 for $70 each. Now they are $100 from K12 and you have to sign up for the course for $125, then cancel w/in 30days and get $25 refunded. The prices at Amazon are very high for used copies.

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EKS - yes, I got mine just as the hoopla started. I think I got one used for $45 and it was brand new. The other 2 I had to buy from K12 for $70 each. Now they are $100 from K12 and you have to sign up for the course for $125, then cancel w/in 30days and get $25 refunded. The prices at Amazon are very high for used copies.

 

I just went to the K12 website, and saw the $99 price tag, but I was able to put just the book in my shopping cart without signing up for a course and they're still advertised as being sold separately. I wonder what's going on with that.

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Yeah, I don't think I'll be going this route ($171 used for volume 1 :ack2:) and it doesn't look like I can actually find a copy to look at, but thanks for the suggestion.

 

I just got it from Amazon for $15. Try this link for Vol 1.

 

If you click to view the other formats for it, you will see Vol 2, listed as Jan 2004.

 

Oh, I see what I thought was Vol 2, is the same as Capt_Uhura's link for Vol 3. I guess I'm confused. I thought this was Vol 3.

Edited by bonniebeth4
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