SOTW activity book or History Odyssey?

[suppleasthewind]

I have been using History Odyssey Early Modern History by Panida Press. I have been wondering if I should've just used SOTW activity book volume 3 instead. I think the activity book might have more pictures to color and the maps might be a little better but I am not sure. I have been trying to look at sample pages on line. What do others think?

[RootAnn]

We use SOTW 1-3 + AG for the grammar years because it is SO good & I schedule everything myself. I'm looking at HO Level 2 for my logic-stage kid for next year when we start over with Ancients.

 

We love the AG for the booklists & activities. My #2 & #3 are looking forward to the coloring pages (second time through for #2) next year.

[abbeyej]

For grammar stage, I far prefer SOTW + AG to the HO level 1 approach.

[redsquirrel]

SOTW and AG. There is no contest.

[jengjohnson]

I'm using SOTW and AG for my grammar kids. My logic kid uses HO level 2 and is enjoying it.

[TheApprentice]

I enjoy using the AG, but I think I'll switch to HO, level 2, for my middle son next year for the logic stage.

[NittanyJen]

Lone voice in the wilderness here, but I found an AG in the bookstore, and kind of went . . . bleh. Loving History Odyssey though.

 

I just wasn't inspired by the activities in the AG.

 

We love the book recommendations in HO, both levels 1 and 2 Ancients. I often do come up with my own activities and sometimes head "off track" and do a combined sit down discussion with both boys on a particular culture (we just had a great time with ancient Africa; I think I learned as much as the kids did!)-- here's a Bibliography of resources we used; much, though perhaps not all, was inspired and led by HO, but the way I blended it all together across the age groups and ability levels I was dealing with (I had another child in residence for the week, so the below was for 3 boys, ages 8, 10, and 11) was my own:

 

Adams, Simon. The Kingfisher Atlas of World History: A Pictorial Guide to the World’s People, and Events, 10,000BC—Present. Kingfisher, 2010. ISBN: 978-0-7534-3688-8 (open review of material covered so far, discussion & viewing of maps).

 

 

Altman, Susan, and Susan Lechner. Modern Rhymes About Ancient Times. Scholastic, 2001. ISBN 0-516-21151-X (Read fun rhymes together about what we had learned about Ancient Egypt, to summarize the lesson).

 

 

Arkhurst, Joyce Cooper (retold by). The Adventures of Spider: West African Folktales. Little, Brown, and Company, 1992. ISBN: 0-316-05107-1 (Did stories as dramatic read-aloud, discussed role of oral traditions in African history and culture, role of family and community, role of story-telling as an art and craft in African society).

 

 

Boyd, Bentley. Chester Comix: Ancient Africa: Comix with Content. The Daily Press, 2004. ISBN 1-933122-03-X. (Fun but mostly factual take on ancient Africa in comic book format).

 

 

Bingham, Jane, et al. The Usborne Encyclopedia of World History, Internet Linked. Usborne. ??. ISBN 978-0-79452688-7. (Background discussion, internet links).

 

 

Broida, Marian. Ancient Egyptians and Their Neighbors: An Activity Guide. Chicago Review Press, 1999. ISBN: 978-1-55652-360-1 (Activity: writing names in Merotic hieroglyphics and cursive, background discussion information).

 

 

Burrell, Roy. Oxford First Ancient History. Oxford University Press, 1991. ISBN 0-19-521058-1. (Background discussion information, photos to look at).

 

 

Friedman, Mel. Africa: A True Book. Scholastic, 2009. ISBN 978-0-531-21825-9. (Discussion and artwork to view, relating Africa's past to its present.)

 

 

Hart-Davis, Adam (ed). DK History: The Definitive Visual Guide. DK Publishing, 2007. ISBN 978-0-7566-3119-2. (Background discussion & pictures).

 

 

Holland, Julian, and Norman Brooke, ed. The Kingfisher History Encyclopedia. Kingfisher, 2004. ISBN 978-0-7534-5784-9. (Background information, artwork and maps to view).

 

 

Knight, Judson, et al. Ancient Civilizations Almanac, Vol 2. UXL, 2000. ISBN 0-78763984-2. (Background discussions).

 

 

MapTrek : Map of Ancient Africa: Printed Map. (1 boy used to locate areas we had discussed and placed on a blank outline map of his own, labeling major points of interest; other two boys used their HO maps as directed in HO program).

 

 

Globe: Comparing locations of Ancient African nations to today, and looking at trade routes of important resources with Ancient Africa with other ancient people (India, China, Mesopotamia-- discussion of why spices were so important in the heat of Africa . . . ).

 

 

Timeline—placing major African developments in context with the rest of World history studied so far.

 

 

Blank paper: Drawing world maps from memory, discussion of significance of Africa's location (latitude markers, relationship to other continents).

 

 

 

 

--I wish we'd had more time; there was much more we could have done!