help me troubleshoot this 3rd grade egypt history list? (Great Books Academy)

[serendipitous journey]

I'm thinking of incorporating more Great Books/Angelicum resources next year. The Great Books history list for 3rd is:

 

Ancient Egypt: History Pockets (it looks like they use this version, 4-6)

Ancient Egypt: Moments in History

Tales of Ancient Egypt by Roger Lancelyn Green

Pharaohs of Ancient Egypt (Landmark history book by Elizabeth Payne)

Spend the Day in Ancient Egypt activity book

Pyramid by David Macauley

 

... any thoughts RE this (with some sort of guide, CM narrations and some writing assignments) as 3rd grade history?

[Esse Quam Videri]

Although it is recommended on every Egypt booklist, Pharaohs of Ancient Egypt was a total bust for us. You might want to also consider: Science in Ancient Egypt, Cleopatra, & Lift the Lid on Mummies. Not sure if they would work for you but my kids also really enjoyed God King, Joseph, and Exodus.

[Kfamily]

I'm thinking of incorporating more Great Books/Angelicum resources next year. The Great Books history list for 3rd is:

 

Ancient Egypt: History Pockets (it looks like they use this version, 4-6)

Ancient Egypt: Moments in History

Tales of Ancient Egypt by Roger Lancelyn Green

Pharaohs of Ancient Egypt (Landmark history book by Elizabeth Payne)

Spend the Day in Ancient Egypt activity book

Pyramid by David Macauley

 

... any thoughts RE this (with some sort of guide, CM narrations and some writing assignments) as 3rd grade history?

 

We have the history pockets for Ancient Civilizations and while I think doing a couple might be fun, I do think that the vocabulary and pockets might become a bit repetitive after awhile. But, this is just our experience with it. :)

 

I haven't seen the second book. The 3rd and 4th are on our list. I've briefly seen the 5th book at the library and it looked as if it had some good activities. Pyramid would probably be interesting. We have Cathedral but not Pyramid.

 

Here is what I have for this time period and this age:

 

Mummies, Pyramids and Pharaohs: A Book about Ancient Egypt by Gail Gibbons

Seeker of Knowledge: The Man Who Deciphered Egyptian Hieroglyphs by James Rumford

Peeps at Many Lands: Ancient Egypt by James Baikie

 

Both of my girls had a lot of fun with this hieroglypic stamp kit:

 

Fun with Hieroglyphics by Catherine Roehrig (stamp kit)

 

These I had listed as optional:

 

Pharaoh's Boat by David Weitzman (Note: While this is a picture book, it should be noted that the text is very detailed with a strong vocabulary and the length of the text is longer than a typical picture book.)

Also, the same books mentioned by the previous poster by Brian Wildsmith

 

I have a link for some free Ancient Egypt coloring pages, if you'd like.

[SarahW]

Huh, I never inspected the curriculum schedule for GBA before. Ancient Egypt is the entirety of History for the year?

 

I take it GBA is opposed to picture books? I ask because most of the books in that list are generally listed as gr. 5-8 level. If your 3rd grader is an advanced reader they may be able to handle reading about completely foreign things without the aid of pictures, but as a Historian myself I see nothing wrong with the DK books and the like. I myself quite enjoy them - and they're much cheaper than museum publications, which adds to my enjoyment.

 

Instead of Green's book I would suggest Gods and Pharaoh's by Harris. It has a good selection of stories, and some good illustrations. I did not launch a full inquiry into accuracy, but as someone who has read critical texts of some ancient Egyptian literature, I got an authentic feeling from them ("authentic feeling" sounds nebulous, I know, but it just means that I can still see the original text well enough that I think it would be possible to work backwards and reconstruct the original with some degree of accuracy).

 

Personally, I would expand the study of Egypt, especially if you are spending a whole year on it, to include Kush and the "African Pharaoh's." The best book I've seen for this is for children is Egypt, Kush, Aksum by Mann. It also has pictures (very nice ones) and a meaty text (because, ahem, the two are not mutually exclusive). Most "regular" texts of ancient Egypt skip over the Nubian period, which is unfortunate. National Geographic has a nice article here about the Nubian period and why the Nubian kingdoms in modern-day Sudan were integral to Egyptian dominance in West Asia.

[coralloyd]

I personally would not use those books with a 3rd grader. I think it might bore them quite frankly, when there are so many great book on Ancient Egypt for kids. That is just me though. You obviously know your child better and the ones I list might be too babyish.

 

I have used and will use again:

 

Mummies Made in Egypt http://www.amazon.co...s made in egypt

 

The Great Pyramid http://www.amazon.co...ywords=pyramids

 

Tut's Mummy: Lost and Found http://www.amazon.co... Lost and Found

 

Boy of the Pyramids http://simplycharlot...f-the-pyramids/

 

The Egyptology Handbook http://www.amazon.co...tology Handbook

 

Growing up in Ancient Egypt http://www.amazon.co...s=ancient egypt

 

Cleopatra

 

Seeker of Knowledge

[pitterpatter]

We did first-round Ancients this year, but I think most of the books, DVDs and other resources we used would still work for third grade. Most were above level.

 

Here are some links to my blog.

 

http://bluehouseschool.blogspot.com/2012/11/ancient-history-week-7.html

http://bluehouseschool.blogspot.com/2012/12/ancient-history-week-9.html

http://bluehouseschool.blogspot.com/2012/12/ancient-history-week-10.html

http://bluehouseschool.blogspot.com/2013/02/ancient-history-week-16.html

http://bluehouseschool.blogspot.com/2013/03/ancient-history-week-17.html

 

I think I got them all.

[SilverMoon]

On 4/11/2013 at 7:30 PM, serendipitous journey said:

 

 

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Edited July 12, 2022 by SilverMoon

[serendipitous journey]

Although it is recommended on every Egypt booklist, Pharaohs of Ancient Egypt was a total bust for us. You might want to also consider: Science in Ancient Egypt, Cleopatra, & Lift the Lid on Mummies. Not sure if they would work for you but my kids also really enjoyed God King, Joseph, and Exodus.

 

 

Thanks for the heads-up, and for your list of books: those look excellent. A. does not love history, but does like science, so the Science in Ancient Egypt might be a very good place to get him hooked .

 

We have the history pockets for Ancient Civilizations and while I think doing a couple might be fun, I do think that the vocabulary and pockets might become a bit repetitive after awhile. But, this is just our experience with it. :)

 

I haven't seen the second book. The 3rd and 4th are on our list. I've briefly seen the 5th book at the library and it looked as if it had some good activities. Pyramid would probably be interesting. We have Cathedral but not Pyramid.

 

Here is what I have for this time period and this age:

 

Mummies, Pyramids and Pharaohs: A Book about Ancient Egypt by Gail Gibbons

Seeker of Knowledge: The Man Who Deciphered Egyptian Hieroglyphs by James Rumford

Peeps at Many Lands: Ancient Egypt by James Baikie

 

Both of my girls had a lot of fun with this hieroglypic stamp kit:

 

Fun with Hieroglyphics by Catherine Roehrig (stamp kit)

 

These I had listed as optional:

 

Pharaoh's Boat by David Weitzman (Note: While this is a picture book, it should be noted that the text is very detailed with a strong vocabulary and the length of the text is longer than a typical picture book.)

Also, the same books mentioned by the previous poster by Brian Wildsmith

 

I have a link for some free Ancient Egypt coloring pages, if you'd like.

 

 

What a great set of books to add to my list! A. does not color, so the coloring pages would be wasted on us, unfortunately.

[serendipitous journey]

Huh, I never inspected the curriculum schedule for GBA before. Ancient Egypt is the entirety of History for the year?

 

I take it GBA is opposed to picture books? I ask because most of the books in that list are generally listed as gr. 5-8 level. If your 3rd grader is an advanced reader they may be able to handle reading about completely foreign things without the aid of pictures, but as a Historian myself I see nothing wrong with the DK books and the like. I myself quite enjoy them - and they're much cheaper than museum publications, which adds to my enjoyment.

 

Instead of Green's book I would suggest...

... National Geographic has a nice article here about the Nubian period and why the Nubian kingdoms in modern-day Sudan were integral to Egyptian dominance in West Asia.

 

 

Sarah, first: I am so glad to have the Nubian period resources. Thank you so very much for including them! These are the kinds of resources, expanding the Latin-West-centered materials at the core of classical education history and emphasizing common brotherhood and the nuanced & rich legacy of other cultures, that my own plans are short on.

 

Ancient Egypt is the entirety of History for the third grade year. There is the year of Egypt in 3rd, the year of Greece in 4th, and then the history plans for Angelicum and Great Books Academies (Great Books being a secularized version of Angelicum's curriculum) diverge. 5th grade sees GBA in Ancient Rome, and Angelicum moving to a Catholic history text -- I presume because this era includes the birth of Christ and the development of the early Church, which is when Catholic history begins to have a fundamentally different focus to standard academic history. GBA has middle ages in 6th, modern times in 7th, and American History in 8th working from source documents and a history of the presidents. In ninth Angelicum and GBA reconverge, as high school works through history and literature via Great Books.

 

One major drawback of this approach, as you may have noticed, is the Dead White Man focus. ;) I don't see much in the way of other cultures, or critique of the selection bias of these traditional lists & methods, or anything along these lines. So if we use these materials they will need to be heavily enriched and expanded; we'd probably parallel with a different, text-based program or have a second history focus each year.

 

RE picture books: the GBA includes them a bit in preschool, but not really for the older children. Their books guide for second guide (I believe) had a section dissing Dr. Seuss books as unrealistic and catering to the media-spoiled tastes of the modern child; GBA favors illustrations of older eras. !!! that little bit was hilarious and demoralizing all at the same time. But one eventually gets used to the surreal bits of ideology dropped here and there throughout various curricula. I hope.

[serendipitous journey]

Coralloyd, I will hunt those books down and investigate. I don't think they'd be too babyish at all -- and the Egyptology Handbook would probably be a big hit: thank you for the recommendations and links!

 

pitterpatter, thank you so much for hunting down your relevant blog pages: I will look them over and pull resources & ideas.

 

SilverMoon: that's a great list; thanks for highlighting the non-secular books. Are you doing a full Ancient Egypt year? are you using VP materials heavily? I know they have a full Egypt year in early elementary, but haven't looked at their materials recently.

[SarahW]

 

Sarah, first: I am so glad to have the Nubian period resources. Thank you so very much for including them! These are the kinds of resources, expanding the Latin-West-centered materials at the core of classical education history and emphasizing common brotherhood and the nuanced & rich legacy of other cultures, that my own plans are short on.

 

 

You're welcome!

 

Ancient Egypt is the entirety of History for the third grade year. There is the year of Egypt in 3rd, the year of Greece in 4th, and then the history plans for Angelicum and Great Books Academies (Great Books being a secularized version of Angelicum's curriculum) diverge. 5th grade sees GBA in Ancient Rome, and Angelicum moving to a Catholic history text -- I presume because this era includes the birth of Christ and the development of the early Church, which is when Catholic history begins to have a fundamentally different focus to standard academic history. GBA has middle ages in 6th, modern times in 7th, and American History in 8th working from source documents and a history of the presidents. In ninth Angelicum and GBA reconverge, as high school works through history and literature via Great Books.

 

 

I can understand going deeper - but just how deep do you need to go in elementary? I dare say that kids at the age don't remember much more than bare-bone facts and generalizations.

 

One major drawback of this approach, as you may have noticed, is the Dead White Man focus. ;) I don't see much in the way of other cultures, or critique of the selection bias of these traditional lists & methods, or anything along these lines. So if we use these materials they will need to be heavily enriched and expanded; we'd probably parallel with a different, text-based program or have a second history focus each year.

 

 

Yes, I looked at their Great Books list and my first impression was how DWM it was. Maybe in this day and age it wouldn't hurt to read just a tad of Taoism?

 

RE picture books: the GBA includes them a bit in preschool, but not really for the older children. Their books guide for second guide (I believe) had a section dissing Dr. Seuss books as unrealistic and catering to the media-spoiled tastes of the modern child; GBA favors illustrations of older eras. !!! that little bit was hilarious and demoralizing all at the same time. But one eventually gets used to the surreal bits of ideology dropped here and there throughout various curricula. I hope.

 

 

Older illustrations, ohhhh..... You mean like this one?

 

 

Sorry about the nudity folks, but it's a classic.

 

:w00t:

[serendipitous journey]

Older illustrations, ohhhh..... You mean like this one?

 

no, not like that one :lol:

 

I believe they were thinking more of Beatrix Potter's charming, personable and mostly-clothed wildlife, less of luscious nekkid ladies ...

[SarahW]

no, not like that one :lol:

 

I believe they were thinking more of Beatrix Potter's charming, personable and mostly-clothed wildlife, less of luscious nekkid ladies ...

 

 

Oh. How disappointing. :p

 

Ok, I think I found it on their website

Book illustration reached its perfection in the nineteenth century in the work of Randolph Caldecott, Kate Greenaway, Walter Crane, Gustav Dore, George Cruikshank, “Phiz,†Gordon Browne, Beatrix Potter, Sir John Tenniel, Arthur Rackham, Howard Pyle, N. C. Wyeth, and many others. The rule of thumb is to find a nineteenth-century edition or one of the facsimiles which (though not as sharp in printing) are currently available at moderate prices.

http://www.greatbook...-books-program/

 

Okay, some of those are good. But I'm not sure about "perfection." Dore is too modern for me. I love Rakham, but many find his gothic style too dark and depressing.

 

And if you throw out everyone modern you throw out Alan Lee. That is completely unacceptable.

 

But...all of that still doesn't exclude the DK books for history. There are hardly any illustrations in those, just pictures of real artifacts in full color. They couldn't publish books like that in the 19th c., but now we can. Hooray!

 

ETA: I just remembered that Rakham illustrated quite a number of luscious nekkid ladies. So they're not completely excluded.

[serendipitous journey]

..

 

But...all of that still doesn't exclude the DK books for history. There are hardly any illustrations in those, just pictures of real artifacts in full color. They couldn't publish books like that in the 19th c., but now we can. Hooray!

 

...

 

Well, the DK isn't a deal-breaker here b/c A. doesn't like them. :) Maybe my littler one will ...

[Holly]

We are using SCM's Module 1 this year. It covers Ancient Egypt along with Genesis through Deut. http://simplycharlot...story-module-1/

Pharaoh's in Ancient Egypt hasn't been a big hit here...I wondered if it was because there is so long between readings, but maybe it's just the book. They are really enjoying Letters From Egypt...although it is a difficult book. We haven't started Boy of the Pyramids or Cat of Bubastes yet, but I'm hoping they go over well. I'm looking forward to the children's commentary as well...it looks great, but I'm not sure how Catholic-friendly it is. We just started in January and are only 1/3 of the way through, so we have a ways to go!

 

My DC especially enjoyed:

True Story of Noah's Ark

Letters from Egypt

Ancient Egypt and her Neighbors

Pyramid

Pharaoh's Boat

*Mummies made in Egypt

*Science in Ancient Egypt

 

*extra books we added

[SilverMoon]

SilverMoon: that's a great list; thanks for highlighting the non-secular books. Are you doing a full Ancient Egypt year? are you using VP materials heavily? I know they have a full Egypt year in early elementary, but haven't looked at their materials recently.

 

I was camping with scouts all weekend. My fifth and third graders will be doing nearly the whole year on ancient Egypt with VP's Old Testament and Ancient Egypt materials. It will also cover some events in neighboring Babylon and Assyria, Code of Hammurabi, and such. It ends with Egypt falling to Rome. The next one backs up to the beginning of Greece (Crete) and goes forward from there to the fall of Rome.

 

FWIW, all VP history sets are made for grades 2-6. Their history book lists will represent that spectrum: some easy readers, some more challenging, and some in the middle.

[8filltheheart]

How strong of a reader is this child? I don't remember if this child is very academically advanced?

 

One book that we have learned a lot from is The Man who Found Ninevah. It is not strictly about Egyptian history, but covers Assyrian history and how the surrounding cultures (including Egypt) interacted (like records of gift offerings being received.) http://www.majipoor.com/work.php?id=721

 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nineveh

 

My one caveat is that the book is completely and totally NOT PC. It is written from the perspective of a British male traveling in the Middle East in 1847. He is definitely an arrogant white male with a view that he is superior. It is also shocking to read how he excavated what he did and just how many things he destroyed in his inexpert process. (this also lead to a rabbit trail on modern archeological practices.)

 

It is a book that I do with my kids as a read aloud b/c there is just so much to discuss and connections to make and items to look up and research as you go along. Many of the pieces are viewable from the British Museum's website. (The last time I read it, one dd was in 3rd and the other in 6th.)

[Bocky]

If you'd like to add in activities, this kit http://handsnhearts.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=1&products_id=1 from Hands and Hearts had fun projects enjoyed by my 5th and 3rd graders this year. Like some other posters, we were less thrilled with the Ancient Egypt History Pockets - it really was all cut and paste. Of course our favorite Egypt activity of all time is mummifying the chicken, from the Story of the World 1 Activity Guide.

 

Tales of Ancient Egypt by Green was the girls favorite Egypt book. We did it as a read aloud.