Story of the World ???'s

[bttrflyvld]

I'm new to homeschooling and wanted to know what SOTW was all about? I've heard a lot of positive about it. Can someone tell me about it and how you use it?

[lindblomnest]

I am using SOTW vol. 1 with my 6 year old this year.

We work on history 3 times a week. First we read a section or two, then we answer the review questions from the activity guide. He narrates the sections we read and I write his narration down for him in his history notebook. We complete map work and coloring pages from the activity guide and do history projects once or twice a week.

We're enjoying history so far this year. I definitely recommend it!

Hope this helps!

[Monica_in_Switzerland]

SOTW is a more engaging way of learning history than a textbook, as the chapters usually contain a story as opposed to dry facts and dates. You can buy the Activity Guide to go along with the book- this contains coloring pages, historical maps to fill out/color for each chapter, and instructions for crafts and projects related to each chapter. There are also additional books listed for doing a more in depth study of each chapter. Our week looks like this:

 

day 1- listen to the chapter (we got the book on audio CD) while coloring the coloring page. Get out the globe, find the region in question, check the map for a closer look, then finally fill out the included map according to the instructions in the activity guide (i.e. Color the Nile in blue. Color the land around it green, color the land further form it brown)

day 2- Read the corresponding page from our Encyclopedia of World History (page numbers given the the activity guide), possibly start a project

day 3- possibly read from another source, possibly start or finish related project.

 

We are only a little way into it, but my son really, really likes it, and normally asks to listen to the chapter several times throughout the week.

[Mama Anna]

We're on the 4th level of SOTW now.

 

Story of the World is a world history program that works in chronological order. Level 1 begins with the Ancients (Sumer, etc.) and Level 4 ends with the 20th century. Level 1 is (I believe) written to be used with 1st-5th graders, Level 2 is written for 2nd-6th graders, etc. The idea is that you can include multiple children in the same history program to make your life easier as a teacher/parent.

 

Each level has at least: Text, Activity Guide, and Audio CDs (of text). It is also possible to buy paper or PDF copies of the Student pages (which are included in the Activity Guide). They're available separately for the convenience of not having to make copies from a bound book. (As the owner of the Activity Guide, you are given permission to make copies of the Student pages for children in your own family.)

 

Each chapter in the text is divided into sections that are usually related. There are 1 to 3 sections per chapter and we've often moved at the pace of about one chapter/week. (This year we're moving at a blazing speed because we're also doing State History and American Political Geography.) Each chapter in the Activicty Guide tends to have review questions, a sample narration, cross-references for specific history encyclopedias, map work, a coloring page, a couple lists of recommended books on the subject, and then some activities (cultural food, easy-to-make costumes, clay or paper models of things; the most famous is probably the set of instructions for mummifying a chicken in one of the chapters on Ancient Egypt. :tongue_smilie:)

 

Generally, you want to start with Level 1, although that isn't absolutely necessary. You may want to pick and choose which chapters you'll do in order to spend more time on each one.

 

Note: While American history is included in SOTW, the program is not so ethnocentric as what some of us are used to - not as much time is spent on it as what I remember in PS as I was growing up. For instance, Level 4 has one chapter on the whole of the American Civil War. Two Sections. Period. And one of them is about Lincoln's assassination, not specifically the war. However, I don't find that a bad thing at the ages of my children.

 

You say you've heard lots of good things about it, so I won't list all my reasons for liking it. I will say, however, that I love the fact that my children have an idea about Ancient China and Japan as well as the Raj in India - stuff that I never even heard of by the end of high school. I personally love history, so I thoroughly enjoy this program.

 

Mama Anna

[ErinE]

SOTW treats history as a series of stories. I especially love SOTW3 because it is so well written.

 

I've seen a few criticisms, particularly about SOTW1, that complain about inaccuracies, but I didn't find them persuasive.

[skeeterbug]

Note: While American history is included in SOTW, the program is not so ethnocentric as what some of us are used to - not as much time is spent on it as what I remember in PS as I was growing up. For instance, Level 4 has one chapter on the whole of the American Civil War. Two Sections. Period. And one of them is about Lincoln's assassination, not specifically the war. However, I don't find that a bad thing at the ages of my children.

 

This makes it easier for people who don't want to cover a ton of US history. I plan to do all of SOTW, then spend a year covering US history and Australian history.

 

We love the activities and supplemental booklists in the Activity Guide, at my kids' ages I wouldn't do it without the AG.