Homeschool History: Story of the World, Volune 1

We are still loving The Story of the World as our history curriculum and at this point I can't imagine switching to anything else! This is a complete curriculum on its own but I always enjoy bringing a little something extra in to enrich and enliven a study. Here's what we used alongside Volume 1 (ancient history): 

Books: Anansi and the Box of Stories (leveled reader) // Archaeologists Dig for Clues (picture book) // Big Book of History Stories from TGTB's History 1 // Bill and Pete Go Down the Nile (picture book) // The Curse of King Tut's Mummy (chapter book) // Egyptian Cinderella (picture book) // The Empty Pot (picture book) // I Survived... The Destruction of Pompeii (chapter book) // The Imagination Station series (chapter books) // Pompeii... Buried Alive! (Leveled reader) // We're Sailing Down the Nile (picture book) // Usborne's Living Long Ago 

Games and Activities: Story of the World coloring book // wrote our names + secret messages using hieroglyphics // each kid wrote a historical fiction short story using a chapter they enjoyed from this book

Podcasts: Bedtime History Podcast prehistory  and ancient history episodes

Videos/ Movies: Drive Thru History // Joseph King of Dreams and Prince of Egypt

Historical nonfiction chapter books we love

Apollo 13... (Bookshop // Amazon) 

Balto and the Great Race... (Bookshop // Amazon)) 

Climbing Everest... (Bookshop // Amazon) 

The Curse of King Tut's Mummy... this one was particularly interesting to my son. This is about the excavation of King Tut's tomb, but there is also information about further back ancient Egypt to explain what's going on. (Bookshop // Amazon) 

Five True Dog Stories (Bookshop // Amazon) and Five True Horse Stories (Amazon)... both of these books are so much fun for animal lovers! There is also one called Nine True Dolphin Stories (Amazon) and I am always hoping to get my hands on a copy but have never been able to yet.

I Have a Dream... this Martin Luther King book is so well written and so powerful. I highly recommend this one. (Amazon) 

Helen Keller... this one is also very well written and Powerful. I don't even know how many Helen Keller books I have read at this point in my life but this one is particularly well done. (Bookshop // Amazon) 

A Horn for Louis... we love this book about Louis Armstrong's start as a musician. (Bookshop // Amazon) 

Magic Tree House Fact Trackers: Titanic... truthfully, I do not care for the fiction versions of the Magic Tree House books but quite a few of the fact trackers have made their way onto our shelves book lists because they are so jam-packed full of information written in great language for the third grade reading level. (Bookshop // Amazon) 

New Toes for Tia... I found this gem in a yard sale where they just gave it to me and I was so delighted. This is a missionary story about a little girl named Tia who had burned her toes in a fire. The missionaries helped to provide the necessary medical treatment for her and it is overall just a great look at her life and culture. (Amazon) 

You Choose: The Dust Bowl... I loved Choose Your Own Adventure books as a kid and this was such an awesome way 2 teach kids history! Although this is kind of fictional in that you decide which path to go down and the story is sort of written from that perspective, this is jam-packed with factual information and I think it is allowed to count as nonfiction for that reason. (Bookshop // Amazon) 

WWII nonfiction for children and adults

I am not sure why, since they often break my heart, but I have been drawn to (fiction and non-fiction) WWII stories since I was nine years old. They touch on something deep in my heart. 

Amelia Lost... This middle grade biography is far more about Amelia Earhart than WWII, but I consider her mystery to be a WWII story so she makes it onto the list. This book was fascinating and well-written but parents should be aware that Amelia had an affair and this book (tastefully) tells the reader. 

Born Survivors... This was a nonfiction about three women who gave birth in Holocaust concentration camps. I’m sure there were many others, but these three women, along with their babies, all survived and were able to tell their stories to an interviewer. It feels strange saying it was one of my favorites since it was so wrought with horror and despair, but it was also an amazing portrayal of human resilience and it was very inspiring. It’s definitely extremely disturbing at times but if you are interested in Holocaust memoirs or biographies I for sure recommend this one. (But. Not while you are pregnant. Yikes)

Boxes for Katje... This picture book, found through TGTB's book list, reads like a fiction but is a true story about a girl in Holland receiving boxes of help from a new American pen pal right after the war. 

The Boy on the Wooden ... This memoir (also on the TGTB book list) is one man's account of his Holocaust experience and his rescue by Schindler. I just finished this the other day and now I want to watch Schindler's List. 

Candy Bomber... Also found via TGTB's book list...  This is the story of Gail Halverson, the candy bomber who dropped chocolate out of his plane as he flew over restricted areas after the war. This is a very uplifting read unlike so many WWII stories. There are also some great picture books on this subject but I adored this middle grade nonfiction and hope anyone who likes WWII stories will give it a whirl. 

The Diary of a Young... I first read Anne Frank's diary in sixth grade and did appreciate it, but it was when I had to re-read it in ninth grade that I was able to really appreciate their plight. 

Escaping the Nazis on the Kindertransport... This middle grade read talks about the children who were sent away on trains for protection. Many endured abuse or never reunited with their parents so this was an informative but devastating read. 

The Faithful Spy... I adored this graphic novel about Dietrich Bonhoeffer's life and involvement in WWII. Highly recommend for middle school or even early high school. 

God is my Hiding *... I was deeply moved by Corrie ten Boom's book The Hiding Place so jumped at the chance to read this book of 40 devotions put together with her writing. They did not disappoint! She was one faithful, inspiring woman and this is one faith-filled, inspiring book! 

The Greatest Treasure Hunt in History... I just listened to this middle grade as an audio book last week and was fascinated by the story of the Monuments Men, a part of WWII I had never learned about before. There were two (at least) graphic descriptions of bodies discovered so I put it in my kids' 9th or 10th grade reading list. 

Man's Search for Meaning... Victor Frankl was a psychiatrist before being imprisoned in a concentration camp so his memoir tackles psychology elements I had never considered before and was rich with insight. Still, many have called this one depressing so be prepared for a darker memoir if you go this route. 

Mercedes and the Chocolate Pilot... This younger version of the candy bomber story was a big hit with my son!  

Unbroken... This story about POW Louis Zamperini is engaging and fascinating, but still, reader beware. I found it to be too much for me on multiple occasions.  

* I received a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. 

Homeschool History: Revolutionary War

We've been working through American history and I've decided to list our favorite resources for a specific time period ever so often. We'll start today with the Revolutionary War and the resources I've used for ages 5-7.

Adventures in American History... My mom got us this Adventures in Oddysey audio drama and it's a huge hit. They just want to plow through it and I'm constantly having to convince them to wait for the next episode until we've read books and explored other resources for the subject they just learned about! 

Bedtime History Podcast: Paul Revere's Ride // George Washington part 1, 2 & 3

The Good and the Beautiful's History Year 1... These lessons were a bit lengthy if you're only working with the early elementary crowd but my son still loved it. The lesson book, the Big Book of History stories, the Keys of History board game, all of it.

Picture Books: American Girl: The Story of America (this is such a fun timeline book! Each time period is much too brief to be used alone but it's a great sidekick!) // George vs George // George Washington's Teeth 

Early readers:  George Washington: the First President by Sarah Albee // Imagination Station books 13-15 // Ranger in Time: Night of Soldiers and Spies

Middle Grade: Toliver's Secret by Esther Wood Brady (we read this a read-aloud, as recommended by TGTB's history unit. I liked it. A was on the fence at first but loved it by the end).

Videos: America: the Story of Us (definitely best for ages 10 or 12 and up) // Animated Hero Classics: George Washington

I've shared before that my childhood history lessons were dry and lackluster. I retained very little of it so I've been enjoying learning alongside my children. Those elements of history that did stick for me all involved historical fiction making it all come alive so I'm reading a historical fiction grown-up book with some units, too. For this one I read Rachel Hauck's Christian fiction timeslip The Love Letter. Romantic stories are never my favorites but I did like this one (she's a great writer) and it did indeed help this time period come alive for me! I don't necessarily recommend it for high schoolers but you know your kid better than I do! 

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