Story of the World Volume 1: Ancient Times
Story of the World is a complete history program for young children. The whole series is designed for grades 1-4 (and slightly older or younger) and covers Ancients through Modern times. I’ll often refer to The Story of the World as SOTW. Volume 1 covers Ancient Times and is what will be covered on this page.
If you want to follow this program, below is a listing of what you’ll need, as well as suggested secondary spines. Wherever possible, I’ve linked to the most inexpensive version, which is usually Amazon.
SOTW Main Text – Required
The Story of the World: History for the Classical Child: Volume 1: Ancient Times: From the Earliest Nomads to the Last Roman Emperor by Susan Wise Bauer – Hardcover, Paperback, Kindle, Audiobook (7-CD set), PDF
I have the paperback version as well as the audiobook CD set. I can present the lessons and then use the CDs as review in the car as needed.
SOTW Activity Guide – required
The Story of the World Activity Book 1: Ancient Times by Susan Wise Bauer- Paperback, PDF, Student Pages only PDF
A student PDF file is very handy, as you can print out multiple copies of the activity pages as needed. I enjoy having the Paperback version on hand to quickly view the suggested reading lists, review questions, and activity descriptions.
Additional Spines
The following are possible additional history spines to supplement SOTW. They are all suitable for K-6 ages. Other history programs such as History Odyssey or Myths, Maps, and Marvels may use these books in addition to SOTW. I’m simply being thorough here, it would be overkill to use them all! We are using just SOTW and UILE ourselves, and read the others as a review after we cover the topics. I have some of these on Kindle, so I can read from them anytime the opportunity arises.
LHW and CHOW are similar formats to the main SOTW text, read-aloud stories with minimal pictures.
- A Little History of the World [LHW] by E.H. Gombrich – Hardcover, Paperback, Kindle, Unabridged Audio CD
I highly suggest getting one of the following children history encyclopedias. They have photos and images that can be helpful to visualize the past. If you have to choose one, I suggest the UILE version, it is more suitable for younger children and has great Internet related links! The KHE is more suited for older children.
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Usborne Internet-Linked Encyclopedia of World History [UILE] by Jane Bingham
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Kingfisher History Encyclopedia [KHE] by Charlotte Evans
Timelines
I like to try everything, so we have quite a few timelines on hand. My favorites are:
- Classical Education Laminated Timeline Set – This is preprinted, but it looks nice on the wall. They were supposed to be coming out with a new version this year, but think they sold out right away. They restock quickly, if I recall from last year. See them up here: http://satorismiles.com/homeschool-room-photos/history-hangout/
- Blank Timeline Set – I got a whole set of prehistory though modern, blank timeline set, with stickers, but I cannot find the link right now. I think they’re re-making this one as well. See a sample we have here: http://satorismiles.com/2010/01/30/making-your-own-timeline-figures-with-dymo-label/
- Add-A-Century Timeline – Awesome huge binder with a timeline as flexible as a paper one can get! Also comes out so you can hang on the wall.
- Easy Timeline Creator software – Just got this, this is so easy to use, I find myself really getting my money’s worth out of this software program. I can print out the timelines as needed.
- TimelineMaker – Trying this trial version out, and it is even better than Easy Timeline Creator! More features, flexibility, and more! Student download version is $49.95.
I just started using the timeline software, and am finding myself using these all the time! So much fun. I do plan to post a detailed comparison of these timelines one day.
Adults may like:
Since I am also educating myself, I’ll list the books I am loving! Here are the “spines” I am using. For each lesson, I will also list any books or videos I’ve been enjoying.
- History: The Definitive Visual Guide (From the Dawn of Civilization To The Present Day) by Adam Hart-Davis
- The New History of the World by J.M. Roberts (I actually have this huge book from its 1991 version, but I have the New version on audiobook.)
- Cartoon History of the Universe Vol 1-7 – From the Big Bang to Alexander the Great by Larry Gonick – LOVE this series! I have almost all his books now up through Modern Times as well as his other subjects.
- Concise Atlas of World History by Patrick O’Brien
SOTW Lessons
Here are all the SOTW lessons in book 1, Ancient Times – 1 through 42. For each lesson I’ll list the main topics covered, suggested spine readings, relevant read-along books, DVDs, activities and Internet links we plan to use. As we get to each lesson, I’ll also link to blog posts that cover the activities we did. The lesson link will be bolded after we finish the lesson. For each lesson, any book, movie, or activity we did is also bolded.
I’ll also break each lesson out to its own category so you can go directory to all related blog posts on the lesson. To see what we’ve done so far, head up top and click “Story of the World History”, then “SOTW 1: Ancient Times” and the particular lesson.
- 0 – Introduction – What is History
- 1 – Earliest People
- 2 – Egyptians Lived on the Nile River
- 3 – The First Writing
- 4 – The Old Kingdom of Egypt
- 5 – The First Sumerian Dictator
- 6 – The Jewish People
- 7 – Hammurabi and the Babylonians
- 8 – The Assyrians
- 9 – The First Cities of India
- 10 – The Far East: Ancient China
- 11- Ancient Africa
- 12 – Middle Kingdom of Egypt
- 13 – New Kingdom of Egypt
- 14 – The Israelites Leave Egypt
- 15 – The Phoenicians
- 16 – The Return of Assyria
- 17 – Babylon Takes Over Again!
- 18 – Life in Early Crete
- 19 – The Early Greeks
- 20 – Greece Gets Civilized Again
- 21 – The Medes and the Persians
- 22 – Sparta and Athens
- 23 – The Greek Gods
- 24 – The Wars of the Greeks
- 25 – Alexander the Great
- 26 – The People of the Americas
- 27 – The Rise of Rome
- 28 – The Roman Empire
- 29 – Rome’s War with Carthage
- 30 – The Aryans of India
- 31 – The Mauryan Empire of India
- 32 – China: Writing and the Qin
- 33 – Confucius
- 34 – The Rise of Julius Caesar
- 35 – Caesar the Hero
- 36 – The First Roman Prince
- 37 – The Beginning of Christianity
- 38 – The End of the Ancient Jewish Nation
- 39 – Rome and the Christians
- 40 – Rome Begins to Weaken
- 41 – The Attacking Barbarians
- 42 – The End of Rome
0 – Introduction: How Do We Know What Happened?
Topics: history, historian, archaeology, archaeologist, timeline
Spine Readings
- SOTW: 1-6 (INTRO How Do We Know What Happened? – What is History? | What is Archaeology?)
- UILE: 104-105 (Looking at the Ancient World)
- KHE: viii-ix (What is History?)
- CHOW: 3-10 (CH 2: How Things Started – Prehistory)
- LHW: 1 (CH 1 Once Upon a Time)
Additional Books
- Archaeologists Dig for Clues by Kate Duke
- The Magic School Bus Shows and Tells: A Book About Archaeology by Joanna Cole (not in print, check your library or buy used)
- Me and My Family Tree by Joan Sweeney
- Archaeology for Kids: Uncovering the Mysteries of Our Past, 25 Activities, by Richard Panchyk – (Activity Book targeted for 9-12 age range)
DVD/Videos
- Magic School Bus “Shows and Tells” episode
- Secrets of Archaeology – Netflix or Amazon – 6-Disc series
SOTW Activities
We personally did a lot with timelines and archaeology when we studied prehistory so we didn’t do all these activities. Check out our prehistory activities.
- Writing/Craft: Make a History of My Family Book
- Writing/Craft: Make a “This is My Life” Timeline
- Activity: A Dirty Dig! - simulate an archaeological dig
Other Activities
- History Pockets: Ancient Civilizations – What is History
- Dig-It Games Roman Town – Archaeology Video Game for kids, Download or on CD
- Broken Pottery Activity – Carefully break a few old dishes and bury them in the yard for your child to find and attempt to assemble again. Be sure to leave out a few pieces, to simulate an actual ancient pottery found. We did this, but I forgot to take pictures.
- Dig! And Discover: Archaeology USA – Excavate, discover and restore your 12 artifact finds
Internet
1 – Earliest People
Topics: nomads, tribe, Fertile Crescent, farming, shaduf, Jericho
We really studied prehistory and early humans before we started SOTW. Here’s just a sampling of what we’ve done.
Readings
- SOTW: 7-13 (CH1 The Earliest People – The First Nomads | The First Nomads Become Farmers)
- UILE: 108-109 (The First Farmers | The First Towns)
- KHE: 8 (The First Farmers)
- CHOW: 11-16 (CH2 People Who Lived in Caves); 17-21 (CH3 Fire)
- LHW: 5 (CH2 – The Greatest Inventors of All Time)
Additional Books
- The First Dog by Jan Brett – Cave boy Kip is followed by a dog who wants his Wooly Rhino bones. We love this book!
- Stick and Stone Age by Jacqui Bailey. A great series starting from the birth of the earth, beginning of life, through the dinosaurs.
- The Best Book of Early People by Margaret Hynes – Great for my daughter who is interested in anthropology
- The Boy of the Painted Cave by Justen Denzel – cave boy aspires to be a cave painter. This was a fun read-aloud we did one week.
- You Wouldn’t Want to Be a Mammoth Hunter by John Malam
- One Small Blue Bead by Byrd Baylor
- Mik’s Mammoth by Roy Gerrard (out of print, we found at our library while checking out another book by Gerrard)
- Little Grunt and the Big Egg: A Prehistoric Fairy Tale by Tomie dePaola – We know that a human could never find a freshly hatched dinosaur, but it’s a cute story.
- My Little Round House by Helen Mixter – follow a Mongolian child and his nomadic family
- Ancient Agriculture: From Foraging to Farming by Michael Woods
- It’s Disgusting and We Ate It! True Food Facts from Around the World and Throughout History by James Solheim
- History News: The Stone Age News by Fiona MacDonald
DVD/Video
- Just the Facts: Prehistoric Man – Human Evolution – 3 dvds to this series, we watched the first one
- Walking with Prehistoric Beasts
- Walking With Cavemen (I highly recommend just purchasing the entire Walking With collection!)
- Before We Ruled the Earth: Mastering the Beasts (2003)
- Before We Ruled the Earth: Hunt or Be Hunted (2003)
- Journey of Man (2002)
- Prehistoric America: A Journey Through the Ice Age and Beyond (2003) 2-Disc
Internet
SOTW Activities
- Art: Make a Cave Painting
- Craft: Make a Prehistoric Hunter’s Game Bag
- Activity: Build Your Own Hut
- Map: Fertile Crescent, SP4
- Coloring: Farmer Using a Shaduf, SP5
2 – Egyptians Lived on the Nile River
Topics: Nile, delta, Upper and Lower Egypt, Double Crown, King Narmer/Menes, pharaoh, Egyptian gods, Osiris, Isis
Readings
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SOTW: 14-20 (CH2 Egyptians Lived on the Nile River – Two Kingdoms Become One | Gods of Ancient Egypt)
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UILE: 114-115 (Farmers on the Nile Valley)
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KHE: 10-11 (Ancient Egypt)
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LHW: 10 (CH3 The Land By The Nile part 1)
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CHOW: 22-26 (CH2 From an Airplane)
Read-Alongs
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Bill and Pete Go Down the Nile by Tomie de Paola – A crocodile and his toothbrush friend take a tour down the Nile
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Croco’nile by Roy Gerrard - A talented Egyptian brother and sister befriend a crocodile. Not in print, find at your library or buy used.
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Egyptian myths by Jacqueline Morley – Not in print and is very similar to the book below, but has colorful illustrations
- Tales of Ancient Egypt by Roger Lancelyn Green – we did this as a read-aloud for the month
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Egyptian gods and goddesses by Henry Barker
- The Egyptian Cinderella by Shirley Climo
- History News: The Egyptian News by Scott Steedman
- The Nile River by Allan Fowler
- Egyptian Treasures: Mummies and Myths by Jim Weiss – audio CD
Egypt Books for Adults or Older Readers
- Temples, Tombs and Hieroglyphs: A Popular History of Ancient Egypt by Barbara Mertz – I have the Kindle version and am loving this book!
DVD/Video
- Discovering Egypt (2001)
- IMAX: Mysteries of Egypt (1999)
- IMAX: Mystery of the Nile (2005)
- Egypt Uncovered (2004) – Disc 1 covers “Chaos and Kings”, Disc 4 covers “Deities and Demons”
Egyptian Coloring Books (yes, we went overboard, but my daughter loves to color!)
- A Coloring Book of Ancient Egypt – Bellerophon Books
- Life in Ancient Egypt by John Green
- Ancient Egyptian Designs by Ed Sibbett Jr.
- Designs for Coloring by Ruth Heller
- Gods of Ancient Egypt - Dover
SOTW Activities
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Craft: Make a Model of the Nile – watch your grass grow when the Nile floods – very cool!
- Craft: Make the White Crown of Upper Egypt (see photo below)
- Craft: Make the Shepherd’s Crook of the Pharaohs – meh…
- Map: Egypt, SP 6
- Coloring: Osiris and Set, SP 7
Other Activities
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Pocket: Life Along the Nile
- Ancient Egypt Toob - 12 figures, including 4 Egyptian gods – Isis, Thoth, Anubis and Bastet
- Make a Scarab and Ankh amulet – easy clay crafts!
Internet Links
- Egyptian Gods and Goddesses – Click “Story” to view a brief summary story of the most well-known Egyptian gods and goddesses. Click “Explore” to learn about them individually. Finally, click “Challenge” to play a short game.
- Play a Game of Senet – Learn the rules, then play an interactive game of senet
3 – The First Writing
Topics: hieroglyphs, Sumer, Mesopotamia, cuneiform, papyrus
Readings
- SOTW: 21-24 (CH3 Hieroglpyhs and Cuneiform)
- UILE: 110-111 (The First Civilization)
- KHE: 9 (Sumer and Akkad)
- CHOW: 34-40 (CH6 – Puzzle Writers in Egypt)
Read-alongs
- Seeker of Knowledge: The Man Who Deciphered Egyptian Hieroglyphs by James Rumford
- The Mystery of the Hieroglyphs by Carol Donoughue (not in print, check your library or buy used)
DVD/Video
SOTW Activities
- Project: Make Cuneiform Tablets
- Craft: Make Hieroglyphic Scroll
- Activity: Why do Clay Tablets Last Longer Than Paper?
- Map: Egypt/Nile/Sumer, SP 8
- Coloring: Carving Hieroglyphs, SP 9
Other Activities
- Hieroglyphics Treasure Chest by Richard Platt – check out our blog post
- Egyptian Symbols – A Hieroglyphic Stamp Kit by Jennifer Larson – Nice rubber stamp kit to make hieroglyphs – check out our blog post
- Hieroglyphs by Joyce Milton – Colorful book on hieroglyphs with a cool hieroglyph stencil included
- Make a Royal Cartouche – nice looking craft
- Make the Rosetta Stone
Internet Links
- The Never Ending Puzzle – join together broken pieces of cuneiform tablets
4 – The Old Kingdom of Egypt
Topics: Old Kingdom, mummies, Cheops/Khufu, BC/BCE and AD/CE, sarcophagus; pyramids
Readings
- SOTW: 25-31 (CH4 The Old Kingdom of Egypt – Making Mummies | Egyptian Pyramids)
- UILE: 116-117 (Mummies and Pyramids)
- KHE: 10-11 (Ancient Egypt)
- CHOW: CH5 – (Real History Begins); 41-47 (CH7 – Tomb Builders)
- LHW: CH3 The Land By The Nile part 2
Additional Readings
- Mummies Made in Egypt by Aliki
- I Am the Mummy Heb-Nefert by Eve Bunting
- You Wouldn’t Want to Be an Egyptian Mummy! by David Salariya
- You Wouldn’t Want to Be a Pyramid Builder! by Jacqueline Morley and David Salariya
- Who Built the Pyramid? by Meredith Hooper
- Who Built the Pyramids? by Jane Chisholm (different from the book above)
- Cat Mummies by Kelly Trumble – a longer read aloud book
- Temple Cat by Andrew Clements – a royal Egyptian cat is bored with his temple life
- Magic Tree House: Mummies in the Morning, by Mary Pope Osborne
- The 5,000-Year-Old Puzzle: Solving a Mystery of Ancient Egypt by Claudia Logan – fun book!
DVD/Video
There are sooo many videos on Egypt, here’s a few that we watched.
- IMAX Mummies: Secrets of the Pharoahs (2007)
- Egypt Uncovered (2004) Disc 2 covers pyramids and Disc 5 covers Mummies
- National Geographic: Egypt: Quest for Eternity (1982)
- Building the Great Pyramid (2002)
- Egyptian Secrets of the Afterlife (2009)
- Egypt: Engineering an Empire (2006)
- Mummies and the Wonders of Ancient Egypt (1996)
SOTW Activities
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Project: Make a Chicken an Apple Mummy – we passed on the six weeks with a dead chicken project, and did this 1 week apple mummy instead
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Craft: Scented Oil (see our photo below) - meh, not worth doing for us
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Craft: Canopic Jars – passed, our Lift the Lid on Mummies activity covered this
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Art Project: Sand-Cube Step Pyramid – we used sugarcubes, they’re easier!
- Map: Old Kingdom of Egypt, SP 11
- Coloring: Pyramids of Egypt, SP 12
Other Activities
- National Geographic Classic Science Archaeology Pyramid Kit – decipher hieroglyphs, break into the pyramid, and excavate a mummy and canopic jars!
- Lift the Lid on Mummies Kit – Prepare a mummy for its afterlife just like the Ancient Egyptians!
Internet Links
5 – The First Sumerian Dictator
Topics: Sargon, Akkadia, military, dictatorship
Readings
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SOTW: 32-34 (CH5 The First Sumerian Dictator – Sargon and the Akkadians)
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UILE: 113 (Kings and War)
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KHE: 9 (Sumer and Akkad)
Additional Readings
- You Wouldn’t Want to Be a Sumerian Slave! by Jacqueline Morley
- Ancient Mesopotamia: The Sumerians, Babylonians, and Assyrians by Virginia Schomp ( probably not for a 5-7 year old, I’ll get this in a few more years)
- Life in Ancient Mesopotamia by Shilpa Mehta-Jones (same as above)
- Step Into: Mesopotamia by Lorna Oakes
- The Pocket Timeline of Ancient Mesopotamia by Katharine Wiltshire – got this new at 82% off, comes with a 12-page fold-out timeline
DVD/Videos
- Lost Civilizations (1995) – Disc 1 covers “Mesopotamia: Return to Eden” as well as Egypt and Aegean
SOTW Activities
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Map: Sumer, SP 13
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Coloring: Sargon, SP 14
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Word Search Puzzle: SP 15
Internet Links
6 – The Jewish People
Topics: Ur, Abram/Abraham, Canaan, Israel, Jewish people, Joseph, coat of many colors
Readings
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SOTW: 35 (CH6 – The Jewish People – God Speaks to Abraham; Joseph Goes to Egypt)
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UILE: 142-143 (The Hebrew Kingdoms)
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KHE: 24-25 (The Hebrews)
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CHOW: 56-63 (CH9 – The Jews Search For a Home)
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LHW: 24 (CH5 The One and Only God)
Additional Reading
- God’s People: Stories from the Old Testament by Geraldine McCaughrean
- The Coat of Many Colors by Jenny Koralek
- Joseph by Brian Wildsmith
- Ancient Israelites and Their Neighbors: An Activity Guide by Marian Broida
- Old Testament Days: An Activity Guide by Nancy Sanders
- Dance, Sing, Remember: A Celebration of Jewish Holidays by Leslie Kimmelman
DVD/Videos
- Joseph: King of Dreams (2000)
- The Bible Collection: Abraham (1994)
- The Bible Collection: Joseph (1995)
- Story of Jacob and Joseph (1974)
- Ancient Evidence: Mysteries of the Old Testament (2003)
Activities
- Map: Babylon, SP 16
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Activity Puzzle: Jewish People Word Search, SP 17
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Activity Project: Color Comic Book, SP 19-22
7 – Hammurabi and the Babylonians
Topics: Hammurabi, Code of Hammurabi, Babylonians
Readings
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SOTW: 46-50 (CH7 Hammurabi and the Babylonians – Hammurabi’s Code)
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UILE: 132 (Empire of Hammurabi)
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KHE: 21 (Babylon 1900-700 BC)
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CHOW: 48-55 (CH8 – A Rich Land Where There Was No Money)
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LHW: 17 (CH4 Sunday, Monday)
Additional Readings
- The Life & Times of Hammurabi by Tamera Bryant
- Hammurabi: Babylonian Ruler: World Cultures Through Time by Christine Mayfield
- The Babylonians: Life in Ancient Babylon by Martha E.H. Rustad
- Ancient Mesopotamia (How’d They Do That?) by Elizabeth Scholl
- Ten Kings: And the Worlds They Rule by Milton Meltzer – starts with Hammurabi
SOTW Activities
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Craft: Make a Ziggurat Temple
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Map: Babylon, SP 23
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Coloring: Ziggurat of Ur, SP 24
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Activity Crossword Puzzle: Name That Place, SP 25
Other Activities
- Ancient Near East (Coloring Book) – Bellerophon Books
8 – The Assyrians
Topics: Shamshi-Adad, Assyria, Gilgamesh
Readings
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SOTW – 51-58 (CH8 The Assyrians – Shamshi-Adad, King of the Whole World | The Story of Gilgamesh)
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UILE: 146-149 (Assyrians at War | Assyrians at Home)
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KHE: 22-23 (The Assyrians 1900-612 BC)
Additional Reading
- Gilgamesh the King by Ludmila Zeman (first of a 3-part series)
- The Revenge of Ishtar by Ludmila Zeman
- The Last Quest of Gilgamesh by Ludmila Zeman
- Gilgamesh the Hero by Gerladine McCaughrean
- You Wouldn’t Want to Be an Assyrian Soldier! by Rupert Matthews
- Ancient Mesopotamia: The Sumerians, Babylonians, and Assyrians by Virginia Schomp
SOTW Activities
- Art: Draw a Picture of Enkidu
- Writing: Compose Your Own Fairy Tale
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Map: Assyrians, SP 26
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Coloring: Gilgamesh and the Lion, SP 27
Other Activities
- Ancient Near East (Coloring Book) – Bellerophon Books – has a few pictures of Gilgamesh
9 – The First Cities of India
Topics: Arabian Sea, Harappan civilization, Mohenjo-daro
Readings
- SOTW: 59-65 (CH9 The First Cities of India – The River-Road | The Mystery of Mohenjo-Daro
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UILE: 118-119 (Cities of the Indus Valley)
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KHE: 14-15 (The Indus Valley 4000-1800 BC)
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CHOW: 122-125 (Ch20 The Other Side of the World: India)
Additional Reading
- One Grain of Rice by Demi
- The Little Brown Jay: A Tale from India by Elizabeth Claire
- Once a Mouse… by Marcia Brown
- Stories from India by Anna Milbourne – 16 traditional Indian tales
- The Road to Mumbai by Ruth Jeyaveeran – little girl Shoba’s travels introduce India’s culture and geography
- Finders Keepers? by Robert A. Arnett
- The Drum: A Folktale from India by Rob Cleveland
DVD
- Lost Treasures of the Ancient World: Ancient India (2000)
- The Story of India – Disc 1 (covers “Beginnings”, “The Power of Ideas” and “Spice Routes & Silk Roads”) (2007)
SOTW Activities
- Science: What Does it Take to Make a Brick?
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Map: India AB 28
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Coloring: Ceremonial Mask: AB 29;
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Statue from Mohenjo-Daro AB 30
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Writing: What Happened at Mohenjo-Daro?
Other Activities
- A Coloring Book of Ancient India by Bellerophon Books
10 – The Far East: Ancient China
Topics: China, Far East, Yellow River/Yangtze River, Huang Di, silk, dynasty, pictogram
Readings
- SOTW: 66-75 (CH10 The Far East: Ancient China – Lei Zu and the Silkworm | Pictograms | Farming)
- UILE: 164-165 (The People of Early China)
- KHE: 18-19 (Shang Dynasty 1766-1122 BC)
- CHOW: 126-129 (CH21 All the Way Around the World in China)
Additional Readings
- Stranger on the Silk Road: A Story of Ancient China by Gunderson
- The Jade Dragon: A Story of Ancient China by Gunderson
- The Emperor’s Painting: A Story of Ancient China by Gunderson
- D is for Doufu: An Alphabet Book of Chinese Culture by Maywan Shen Krach
- Adventures in Ancient China by Linda Bailey
- Ms. Frizzle’s Adventures: Imperial China by Joanna Cole
- The Story About Ping by Marjorie Flack
- The Five Chinese Brothers by Claire Huchet Bishop
DVD
- Lost Treasures of the Ancient World: Ancient China (2000)
- Lost Civilizations (1995) – Disc 2 covers Ancient China, as well as Greece and Rome
SOTW Activities
- Map: Ancient China, AB 31
- Coloring: Chin and his Father, AB 32
- Art Project: Ming Bowl
- Writing Project: Make Your Own Pictograms
Other Activities
- A Coloring Book of Ancient China
- Great Ancient China Projects You Can Build Yourself by Lance Kramer
Internet Links
11- Ancient Africa
Topics: Sahara Desert, climate change, Anansi
Readings
- SOTW: 76-87 (CH11 Ancient Africa – Ancient Peoples of West Africa | Anansi)
- UILE: 172-173 (Life in Ancient Africa)
- KHE: 30-31 (Africa 6000-200 BC)
Additional Readings
- Ancient West African Kingdoms by Jane Shuter
- Anansi the Spider: A Tale from the Ashanti by Gerald McDermott
- Zomo the Rabbit: A Trickster Tale from West Africa by Gerald McDermott
- Rhinos for Lunch and Elephants for Supper by Tololwa M. Mollel
DVD
- Lost Civilizations (1995) – Disc 4 covers Ancient Africa and Tibet
SOTW Activities
- Map: Ancient Africa SP33
- Coloring: Anansi and Turtle, AB 34
- Craft: Paper Bead Necklace
- Craft: Anansi the Spider
- Art Project: Painted Hands
- Cooking Project: African Feast
- Music Project: African concert
Other Activities
- Ancient Africa Coloring Book by Bellerophon
12 – Middle Kingdom of Egypt
Topics: Amenemhet, Nubia, Kush, Middle Kingdom of Egypt, Hyksos
Readings
- SOTW – 88-92 (Ch12 Middle Kingdom of Egypt – Egypt Invades Nubia | The Hyksos Invade Egypt)
- UILE: 114-117
- KHE: 10-11
SOTW Activities
- Map: AB 35 “The Middle Kingdom of Egypt”
- Coloring: AB 36 “Hyksos Jewelry”
- Craft: Monkey Doll
- Craft: Golden Bracelet
- Activity: Burn Incense
- Activity: Make an Egyptian Chariot and Horse
13 – New Kingdom of Egypt
Topics: New Kingdom of Egypt, Thutmose I, Hatshepsut; Amenhotep IV, polytheism/monotheism, King Tut, Valley of the Kings, Howard Carter
Readings
- SOTW: 93-102 (CH13 New Kingdom of Egypt – The General and the Woman Pharaoh | Amenhotep and King Tut)
- UILE: 134-137 (Egyptian Empire | Temples and Gods)
- KHE: 26-27 (Egypt, The New Kingdom 1550-1070 BC)
Additional Books
- History News: The Egyptian News by Scott Steedman
- Tutankhamen’s Gift by Robert Sabuda
- Mara, Daughter of the Nile by Eloise McGraw
- Tales of Ancient Egypt by Roger Lancelyn Green
- The Pharaohs of Ancient Egypt by Elizabeth Payne
- His Majesty, Queen Hatshepsut by Dorothy Sharp Carter
SOTW Activities
- Map: AB 37 “The New Kingdom of Egypt”
- Coloring: AB 38 “The Mask of King Tut”
- Craft: Hatshepsut’s False Beard
- Craft: Hatshepsut Monument
- Craft: Egyptian Death Mask
- Craft: Be an Archaeologist
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Life in Ancient Egypt Treasure Chest
14 – The Israelites Leave Egypt
Topics: Moses, Exodus, Red Sea
Readings
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SOTW: 103-109 (CH14 Israelites Leave Egypt – Baby Moses | Exodus From Egypt)
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UILE: 142 (The Hebrew Kingdoms)
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KHE: 24 (The Hebrews)
DVD/Videos
- The Prince of Egypt (1998)
SOTW Activities
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Map: Egypt/Canaan AB 39
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Coloring: Moses Parting Red Sea, AB 40
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Craft: Make Baby Moses’ Basket
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Craft: Red Sea Diorama
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Activity: Moses and the 10 Plagues Stickerbook
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Activity: Famine Experiment
15 – The Phoenicians
Topics: Glassblowing, purple dye, colonies, Tyre, Carthage
Readings
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SOTW: 110-114 (CH15 Phoenicians – Phoenician Traders | Founding of Carthage)
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UILE: 144-145 (Traders from Phoenicia)
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KHE: 28-29 (Phoenicians 1500-500 BC)
- CHOW: 84-89 (CH 13 – The People Who Made Our A B C’s)
SOTW Activities
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Craft: Pretend Colored Glass
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Craft: Make Purple Dye
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Craft: Use Phoenician Dye to Make a Colored Pasta Necklace
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Cooking: Make Phoenician Bread (Pita Bread)
16 – The Return of Assyria
Topics: Ashubanipal, basket shields/siege tower, Nineveh, library
Readings
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SOTW: 115-121 (CH16 Return of Assyria – Ashurbanipal’s Attack | Library of Ninevah)
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UILE: 146-149 (Assyrians at War | Assyrians at Home)
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KHE: 22-23 (Assyrians 1900-612 BC)
- CHOW: 106-110 (CH17 – Kings with Corkscrew Curls)
Activities
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Map: Assyria AB 47
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Coloring: Bas Relief From Ancient Assyria, AB 48
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Project: Assyrian Siege Tower
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Writing: Book for Ashurbanipal’s Library
17 – Babylon Takes Over Again!
Topics: Nebuchadnezzar, Ishtar Gate, Persia, Hanging Gardens of Babylon
Readings
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SOTW: 122-127 (CH17 Babylon Takes Over Again – Nebuchadnezzar’s Madness | Hanging Gardens of Babylon)
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UILE: 150-151 (City of Babylon)
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KHE: 36-37 (Babylon Revived 626-539 BC)
- CHOW: 111-114 (CH18 – A City of Wonders and Wickedness)
Activities
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Map: Babylon, AB 49
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Coloring: Marduk and Tiamat, AB 50
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Art Project: Draw Hanging Gardens of Babylon
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Science Project: Build a Babylonian Mountain Garden
18 – Life in Early Crete
Topics: Crete, Minoans, King Minos
Readings
- SOTW: 128-136 (CH18 Life in Early Crete – Bull-Jumpers and Sailors | King Minos and the Minotaur | Mysterious End of the Minoans)
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UILE: 124-127 (Palaces and Legends)
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KHE: 16 (Ancient Crete 3000-1450 BC)
Activities
- Map: Crete, AB 51
- Coloring: Bull Jumper, AB 52
- Projects: Minotaur’s Maze, AB 53
- Craft: Build Your Own Labyrinth
- Craft: Build a Minoan Ship
- Craft: Erupting Volcano
19 – The Early Greeks
Topics: Mycenaeans, colony, Greek Dark Ages, Iron, barbarians
Readings
- SOTW: 137-141 (CH19 Early Greeks – The Mycenaeans | Greek Dark Ages)
- UILE: 128-131 (Palaces and Tombs | Warriors and Traders)
- KHE: 17 (The Myceneans 2000-1200 BC)
Activities
- Map: Greece, AB 54
- Coloring: Greek War Chariot, AB 55
- Project: Mycenaean Helmet (Easy or Realistic)
- Craft: Mycenaean Shield
- Craft: Greek Vase (Simple or Realistic)
20 – Greece Gets Civilized Again
Topics: Sea People/Philistines, Greek letters, Homer, Trojan War, Olympic Games
Readings
- SOTW: 142-154 (CH20 Greece Gets Civilized Again – Greece Gets an Alphabet | Stories of Homer | First Olympic Games)
- UILE: 141 (Raiders of the Mediterranean), 154-157 (Greeks at War | Life in Ancient Greece)
- KHE: 38 (Greek Dark Age)
Activities
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Map: Greece, SP57
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Coloring: Cyclops, AB 58
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Project: Write Your Name in Greek Letters, AB 59
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Project: Make Greek Instruments; Greek Loom; Olympic Wreath
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Have Olympic Games/Greek Feast party
21 – The Medes and the Persians
Topics: Media, Persia, Astyges, Cyrus the Great, Asia Minor, King Croesus
Readings
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SOTW: 155-161 (CH21 Medes and Persians – A New Empire | Cyrus the Great)
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UILE: 152-153 (The Power of Persia)
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KHE: 40-41 (Persian Empire 559-331 BC)
Activities
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Map: Persian Empire, AB 60
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Coloring: Cyrus the Great, AB 61
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Craft: Persian Ruler’s Silver Plate
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Craft: Persian Puppets
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Activity: Conquer Mesopotamia Game
22 – Sparta and Athens
Topics: Sparta, Athens, democracy, Plato
Readings
- SOTW: 162-168 (CH22 Sparta and Athens – Life in Sparta | Life in Athens)
- UILE: 154-159 (Greeks at War | Life in Ancient Greece | City of Athens)
- KHE: 52-55 (Classical Greece 600-337 BC | Greek City-States 600-337 BC)
Activities
- Map: Sparta and Athens, AB 63
- Coloring Page: Spartan Warrior, AB 64
- Craft: Make a Greek Bowl
- Activity: Write on an Athenian Wax Tablet
- Craft: Make “No-Sew” Greek Clothes
- Craft: Make Greek Stickers (Homemade or Regular)
- Craft: Greek Charm Bracelet
- Activity: Greek Tattoos
- Activity: Spartan and Greek Paper Dolls
23 – The Greek Gods
Topics: Greek Gods, polytheists, Zeus
Readings
- SOTW: 169-172 (CH23 The Greek Gods – The Golden Apple)
- KHE: 48 (one illustration)
Activities
- Map: Greek Gods, SP 69
- Coloring: Aphrodite and Zeus, SP 70
- Activity Project: Make an Olympus Family Tree
- Art Project: Draw a Home for the Greek Gods
- Craft: Make a Golden Apple
- Activity: Greek Gods and Goddesses Wordsearch
24 – The Wars of the Greeks
Topics: Persia, Marathon, architecture, friezes, Peloponnesian War
Readings
- SOTW: 173-179 (CH24 Wars of the Greeks – Greece’s War With Persia | The Greeks Fight Each Other)
- UILE: 154-155 (The Greeks at War)
- KHE: 52-53 (Classical Greece 600-337 BC)
Activities
- Map: Wars of the Greeks, SP 73
- Coloring: The Parthenon, SP 74
- Cooking Project: Ship and Parthenon
- Activity: Make a “Stone” Sculpture
- Craft: Make Athenian Coins
- Activity: Play the Peloponnesian War Game
25 – Alexander the Great
Topics: Philip, Macedonia, Alexander the Great, Pharos, Alexandria
Readings
- SOTW: 180-187 (CH25 Alexander the Great – Philip and his Son | Alexander’s Invasions | Death of Alexander)
- UILE: 160-161 (Alexander the Great)
- KHE: 56 (Alexander the Great 336-323 BC)
Activities
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Map: Alexander the Great, SP 76
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Coloring: Alexander the Great and Bucephalus, SP 77
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Craft: Make Bucephalus Stick Horse
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Activity:Tie a Gordian Know
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Activity: Pharos Lighthouse
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Story: Being Brave
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Activity: Alexander the Great Game
26 – The People of the Americas
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27 – The Rise of Rome
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28 – The Roman Empire
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29 – Rome’s War with Carthage
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30 – The Aryans of India
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31 – The Mauryan Empire of India
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32 – China: Writing and the Qin
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33 – Confucius
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34 – The Rise of Julius Caesar
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35 – Caesar the Hero
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36 – The First Roman Prince
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37 – The Beginning of Christianity
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38 – The End of the Ancient Jewish Nation
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39 – Rome and the Christians
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40 – Rome Begins to Weaken
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41 – The Attacking Barbarians
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42 – The End of Rome
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