Hunter Posted September 26, 2014 Share Posted September 26, 2014 Maize just linked me to this curriculum in the thread about dumb questions, so maybe I don't need to ask, but what is out there for FREE Indian textbooks that could be used to finish off an otherwise all public domain history curriculum? If you are familiar with the free Indian textbooks, what do you think about their post colonialism thoughts? In general? And particularly when used after pro British colonial texts? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Farrar Posted September 26, 2014 Share Posted September 26, 2014 I had thought at one point that we might end up using parts so I read some bits of the middle school ones. They're very, very India-centric - even the "world" history ones - looking ahead the high school ones seem to have titles that imply they're similarly India-centric, though I haven't read those. That's sort of cool, but it limits their usefulness for a Western audience as a central text. I had hoped they might be more like a traditional world history, just with a different perspective and the focus of the detail shifted (sort of like the way most Western Civ texts in English focus on England with examples all in English kings and so forth, but A Little History of the World by Gombrich focuses on Germany, with all German examples), but they were more like an Indian history with bits of world history thrown in. I didn't have any issue with their perspective from what I read (though there was a level of detail about Indian history that went beyond my knowledge). I'm not sure if they'll fit the bill for your curricula, though you might use a chapter or two as an added "for another perspective" type reading. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Farrar Posted September 26, 2014 Share Posted September 26, 2014 Not a text so I'm not sure if it really meets your needs (I think some streaming may be required) but have you seen The Big History Project? How about World History for Us All? The texts for WHFUA are something you buy, but there's a huge amount of free text about each "big era" on their site and the teaching units are all free. ETA: Thinking more... while both don't follow the WTM cycle, obviously, I think some of the materials from WHFUA could be useful since it's all in chronological order. We struggled to find a great single modern history text, so I wish you luck, Hunter. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hunter Posted September 27, 2014 Author Share Posted September 27, 2014 I was hoping maybe someone had recently really read through the Indian texts. They are different, and at first I was about to click off and then I saw bits that were very focused on British colonialism and I thought, "Hmmm…that is what some people are so worried will have lasting negative effect on children." Maybe without the mom/teacher instructing, the right texts could just take care of it themselves. I guess I have some reading to do. I want to keep things ultra simple, but year 4 is going to have to be a bit of a hodgepodge to keep it free. Most people won't start with year 4, so will have time to prepare, and take extra time to download things. I also saw some chapters about how cities are becoming more common and old ways of life disappearing. This looks a good capstone to older geography resources. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Deee Posted September 27, 2014 Share Posted September 27, 2014 I have nothing sensible to add, but THANK you! I could kiss both of you, Hunter and Maize, for this resource. I've been faffing about trying work out how to cover 1700-1900 in the 10 weeks left of this year. You just gave me back my sanity and the last week of my holidays!!!!!! D Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Deee Posted September 27, 2014 Share Posted September 27, 2014 And some kisses for Farrer, too! Thanks, ladies. Fabulous as ever D Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hunter Posted September 27, 2014 Author Share Posted September 27, 2014 Maize wins this months award for best free textbook, I think. :thumbup: Class Xl, History, Themes in World History http://www.ncert.nic.in/NCERTS/textbook/textbook.htm I skimmed this 11th grade Indian text and it might have some useful parts. What do secular people think of the prehistory? With the most cursory skim, I know most Christians will be horrified, so I don't think we need a Christian review. I'd love any reviews from secular people, as to whether this might be an acceptable unit for secular families. If anyone wants to read the 1900's-present and give a review, I'd most appreciate it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
susankhan Posted September 27, 2014 Share Posted September 27, 2014 Are you going to use any of the ck12.org books? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hunter Posted September 27, 2014 Author Share Posted September 27, 2014 Are you going to use any of the ck12.org books? I need to look at them again. In the past, they were a bit–I'm not sure what word to use. They seemed to be being edited a lot and just….not the same as a published hardcopy book that was finished before it was published. The texts seemed more works in progress. Kind of like webpages compiled into an ebook. Thank you for reminding me that I need to go back and take a look. Maybe there is something more solid and lasting there, now. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Farrar Posted September 27, 2014 Share Posted September 27, 2014 Maize wins this months award for best free textbook, I think. :thumbup: Class Xl, History, Themes in World History http://www.ncert.nic.in/NCERTS/textbook/textbook.htm I skimmed this 11th grade Indian text and it might have some useful parts. What do secular people think of the prehistory? With the most cursory skim, I know most Christians will be horrified, so I don't think we need a Christian review. I'd love any reviews from secular people, as to whether this might be an acceptable unit for secular families. If anyone wants to read the 1900's-present and give a review, I'd most appreciate it. Oh good. I'm glad the high school ones may work! I haven't read those, but as a secular type, I really liked the framing of the prehistory in the middle school series. It was one of the reasons that I had hoped they would turn out to be a good resource, but, as I said, they turned out to be a little too narrowly focused for us. If the high school book has the same outlook, I'm sure it's basically fine. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hunter Posted September 28, 2014 Author Share Posted September 28, 2014 My reading list is SO long. I have out the Synge books and TWTM. I was trusting the work of someone else that had supposedly broken up the Synge books into the TWTM rotation. I'm having to redo all the work I did, because it's not right. I'm just glad I caught that early and realize I need to triple check everything that others have already done. I'm going to have to read more Synge, before I know what will best come after Synge. I like the Synge books though. Nothing, nothing, nothing will be perfect or work for everyone, but I think Synge is good for what I want to do. Is NCERT the only Indian HIstory texts, or is there another publisher, too? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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