Is there a history book/curriculum like this?

[oceanbaby]

I am looking for something that provides an overview without getting bogged down in details like specific dates, names of rivers, etc. Something kind of like Story of the World, but more of a summary rather than being so specific. I am realizing that my son likes to hear about the general idea and then ask his own questions, but when presented with too many details right off the bat when he's trying to just understand the basic idea, he gets confused and bored.

Is there anything like this that you can think of?

[Citymomx3]

Try using a Charlotte Mason approach to history. The basis is "living books" that are more like a story than a textbook approach. Dates, names, and important events can be written down in a book of centuries or a wall timeline, but not for study, just as a reference. It's a very gentle approach that allows for kids to make their own connections. We follow that approach and it's wonderful.

[oceanbaby]

Which specific books do you think? Story of the World is listed under Charlotte Mason books. Are there specific ones that you can recommend?

What I'd really love is a much more concise version of Story of the World.

[Momma Aimee]

have you tried looking up the story of thw world on Amazon.com and then follwed the MORE link .. to see if it pops anything up? that would be a good place to start

[chfriend]

100 American Tales is a great place to start on American history.

The suggested books on the page are pretty good too.

http://www.amazon.com/American-Story...9723762&sr=8-1

[LilyGrace]

Take a look at the book How To Teach What Really Happened. It's not a curriculum. It's an approach philosophy that keeps history focused more on the people who lived through it and how to look at different perspectives of the same story. It's asking questions and guiding children through developing a social awareness and investigating the facts.

You might also like Sonlight's reading lists. They have a lot of good books that give the story without being overwhelming on the rote memorization facts.


ETA: you didn't say how old your son was, but he might like the book series "You Wouldn't Want To Be...." They're cartoonish history overviews of specific times and people.

[chfriend]

Another good resource we like is: You are the Explorer. It presents the problems faced by world explorers, with 4 possible solutions. You choose one, then read what the actual explorer did. You also read the consequences (good and bad) of the decision made.

They also have
You Are the General
You Are the Senator
You Are the President
You Are the Corporate Executive

It's called the Great Decisions series.

http://www.amazon.com/Explorer-Great...9772476&sr=8-1

[Momma Aimee]

Originally Posted by chfriend

Another good resource we like is: You are the Explorer. It presents the problems faced by world explorers, with 4 possible solutions. You choose one, then read what the actual explorer did. You also read the consequences (good and bad) of the decision made.

They also have
You Are the General
You Are the Senator
You Are the President
You Are the Corporate Executive

It's called the Great Decisions series.

http://www.amazon.com/Explorer-Great...9772476&sr=8-1

wow

uhhhhh can i jsut teach the boys history??? there are so many fun resources out there

[PGTlatte]

I am kind of a history minimalist.....

I have purchased The Complete Book of World History and The Complete Book of US History, by American Education Publishing. They are very affordable at Amazon, and they keep it simple.

[oceanbaby]

Originally Posted by llp34

I am kind of a history minimalist.....

I have purchased The Complete Book of World History and The Complete Book of US History, by American Education Publishing. They are very affordable at Amazon, and they keep it simple.

Hmm, that looks promising. I'm going to check it out.

[PGTlatte]

I was able to review them both by borrowing them from our library system first...maybe that will work for you too.....

There are also books on maps/geography and presidents/states. I've been waiting for a turn with those books frpm the library system for a couple of months...if I like them, I will buy them too.

Originally Posted by oceanbaby

Hmm, that looks promising. I'm going to check it out.

[zebra15]

Originally Posted by chfriend

Another good resource we like is: You are the Explorer. It presents the problems faced by world explorers, with 4 possible solutions. You choose one, then read what the actual explorer did. You also read the consequences (good and bad) of the decision made.

They also have
You Are the General
You Are the Senator
You Are the President
You Are the Corporate Executive

It's called the Great Decisions series.

http://www.amazon.com/Explorer-Great...9772476&sr=8-1

These are great my 9yr old ds loves them I found them used for $2 each, such a steal...

[Momma Aimee]

Originally Posted by llp34

I was able to review them both by borrowing them from our library system first...maybe that will work for you too.....

There are also books on maps/geography and presidents/states. I've been waiting for a turn with those books frpm the library system for a couple of months...if I like them, I will buy them too.

I have reviewed almost every via the Lib. We have a samll local lib -- so i request it all ILL. I go thugh book after book .. and buy the ones i know i like.

your gotta have a great realtionship with your Lib director ....

[AngelBee]

So many resources, so little time!

[chfriend]

Another fun idea is to put up a time line or create a timeline book and use free or Dover clip art to put up on the time line as you read about various historic periods.

I keep meaning to do this.

Maybe I'll make a Christmas present to myself.