Little Bears Family Homeschool Study Notes

History

Contents

* Introduction * Themes * Textbooks * Literature * Internet Resources *

Introduction

I have said previously that we see History as the backbone of all our other studies, and since we wish to provide an holistic education, emphasising the "inter-connectedness" of all things, we would study all the subjects using "unit studies" based around History. However, the more I think about this, and actually start planning to teach, the less I am convinced that doing things this way is going to work for us. We may try and do a little bit, but I think that some of the other subjects might suffer if we concentrate too heavily on History.

We have been developing our own History Programme. We will probably use a mixture of the literature approach (reading biographies and historical fiction set in different eras) but will also back it up with some text-book work, and/ or unit studies.

Some Cross-curricula Themes for History

* Family History & Genealogy * Through the ages: * Kings and Queens * Children growing up * Art * Architecture * Design, technology & inventions * Language * Mathematical discoveries * Sports & Games * Communication * Music * Dance * Religion * Society & Civilisation * Science & Discovery * Costume * Explorations, pioneers & pilgrims *

Recommendations for Literature/ Suppliers

Coming Soon

There are some useful lists of books, including literature, divided into time period in the Greenleaf Press and Beautiful Feet catalogues, both of which I would be pleased to recommend. Greenleaf Press also provide colouring books with themes from each time period, which I think is a wonderful idea - I'm hoping to order these to use with Primary (early elementary) history teaching.

Recommendations for Textbooks & Teacher Resources & Reference

Early Learning for Infant Primary

• Bellerophon Colouring books for each major time period, from Greenleaf Press
• Usborne First History "Who Were the..." series
• Usborne Cut-out Models: * Egyptian temple, mummy * Greek Temple, Trojan Horse * Roman Fort, Amphitheatre, Villa * Viking settlement * Medieval Town, Castle, Village, Cathedral and Port.
• DK: "How Children Lived" A first book of History, £8.99 hb

Junior Primary

• DK Eyewitness "Visual Dictionary of Ancient Civilisation"
• DK Eyewitness Guides: "Ancient Egypt", "Pyramid", "Ancient Rome", "Medieval Life", "Explorer", "Archaeology"
• DK "The Atlas of Archaeology"
• DK "Kings and Queens" £16.99 hb
• DK "History of the World" £25 hb
• The Kingfisher "Illustrated History of the World"
• The Kingfisher "Book of the Ancient World"
• Usborne: "Famous Lives" combined volume, including explorers, inventors, scientists, kings & queens, and famous women. £12.99 (also avaiable individually)
• Usborne: "Book of World History"
• Usborne: "The Ancient World" and "The Medieval World" £9.99 each
• Usborne "Time Traveller" series, combined volume, including medieval, viking, roman, egypt £8.99
• "The Young Oxford History of Britain & Ireland", Oxford University Press, 1996

Senior - Adult/ Teacher

• For making your own unit studies based around History, "Design-a-Study Guide to History PLUS" $14 from The Elijah Co.
• "The Timetables of History". I am about to order this book, so I will advise on the Publisher's details when these are to hand.
• "The Cassell Atlas of World History", Andromeda Books, Oxford, 1997. I do have some reservations about this book, however, since it starts its history at "millions of years" BC and obviously takes an evolutionist, old-earth standpoint. However, we feel that since we as parents have differing views on this subject, we will leave the study of pre-4000 BC to a later stage; i.e. when the children are able to take in the fact that both creation and evolution "theories" are exactly that.

Internet Resources

We have a copy of the National Curriculum for History at Key Stage 1, which you may like to take a look at, but I do not recommend it. We feel that in the area of history, the NC falls far short of our expectations, particularly with regard to the fact that it breaks its own rule, ie that of chronological study.

UK Schools Resources has a list for History at:- http://www.liv.ac.uk/~evansjon/humanities/history/history.html

Blue Web'n:- http://www.kn.packbell.com/wired/bluewebn

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© Sharon Mortemore
18 August, 1999