REVIEW OF STORY OF THE WORLD HISTORY WHAT CHRISTIANS NEED TO KNOW ABOUT IT

Life in the Mundane
22 May 201915:01
EducationalLearning
32 Likes 10 Comments

TLDRIn this video, Katie from Life and Mundane discusses Susan Bauer's 'Story of the World' history curriculum for homeschooling. She outlines the curriculum's strengths, such as its global perspective, flexibility, and comprehensive activity books. Katie also addresses potential concerns for Christian homeschoolers, including the curriculum's coverage of non-Christian deities and its starting point with nomads rather than creation. She emphasizes the importance of teaching children about diverse historical beliefs to understand both world and biblical history, sharing her personal approach to integrating the curriculum with her family's homeschooling journey.

Takeaways
  • 📚 Katie introduces the 'Story of the World' curriculum, highlighting its use in homeschooling for a comprehensive world history education.
  • 🌏 The curriculum covers a broad range of historical topics, from early nomads to modern times, and is not centered solely on US history.
  • 📘 The curriculum is structured into four books, each designed to be a one-year course, but with flexibility to be adapted for different learning paces.
  • 👨‍👧‍👦 It is suitable for use with the entire family, allowing for shared reading experiences and individual additional work depending on age and stage.
  • 📚 Activity books are available as optional resources, providing discussion questions, additional reading suggestions, maps, and activities to enhance learning.
  • 🎥 Supplementary resources like YouTube videos and Amazon Prime's 'Animated History for Kids with Pippo' can be used to enrich the learning experience, though they are not overtly Christian.
  • 👍 Pros of the curriculum include its family-friendly approach, comprehensive activity books, flexibility in pacing, and the availability of audio CDs for repeated listening.
  • 👎 Concerns raised include the curriculum's approach to non-Christian gods and mythology, the potential need for parental editing or guidance, and the starting point of history not being from creation.
  • 📈 The curriculum aims to provide a broad overview of world history, focusing on understanding the context and connections between different historical events rather than memorizing dates and names.
  • 👀 Katie acknowledges that while some may have objections or concerns, she personally finds the curriculum engaging and plans to continue using it with her family, starting Volume 2 next year.
Q & A

  • What is the main focus of Susan Bauer's 'Story of the World' curriculum?

    -The 'Story of the World' curriculum is a world history program that is not US-centered, providing a comprehensive view of world history rather than just US history.

  • How is the curriculum structured in terms of its books and coverage?

    -The curriculum is structured into four books, with each book covering a different historical period. The first book covers from the earliest nomads to the last Roman Emperor, the second covers the Middle Ages, the third covers early modern times, and the fourth goes up to current times.

  • What is the recommended usage of the curriculum in terms of time?

    -The curriculum is designed to be used over four years if followed as recommended, with each book intended to be a one-year course.

  • How flexible is the curriculum in terms of pacing and usage?

    -The curriculum is flexible, allowing for adjustments in pacing and usage. For example, Katie's younger brother read all four books in a year, reading one each quarter.

  • What supplementary materials are available with the curriculum?

    -The curriculum includes activity books that provide discussion questions, additional reading suggestions, maps, activities, games, and coloring sheets. These are optional but are considered a valuable resource.

  • How does Katie use the 'Story of the World' curriculum in her homeschooling?

    -Katie uses the text to read aloud to her children, supplementing it with activity books and, occasionally, YouTube videos or Amazon Prime shows like 'Animated History for Kids with Pippo' to enhance learning.

  • What are some of the pros of using the 'Story of the World' curriculum?

    -Some pros include its ability to be used with the entire family, the availability of activity books for comprehensive learning, the inclusion of audio CDs for auditory learning, and its focus on providing a broad overview of world history.

  • What are some concerns or cons that have been raised about the curriculum?

    -Some concerns include the curriculum's frequent references to other gods and Greek mythology, the potential for some historical inaccuracies in dates, and the inclusion of more violent content in later books.

  • How does Katie address the concern about the curriculum not being a Christian curriculum?

    -Katie believes it's important to teach children about other gods as part of history and the Bible's context. She suggests parents can edit or add remarks as needed, and she has not found anything offensive in the curriculum.

  • What is Katie's stance on the curriculum starting from nomads instead of creation?

    -Katie sees no issue with starting from nomads, as her children learn biblical history extensively in Bible studies. She appreciates the curriculum's approach to integrating biblical history with world history.

  • What advice does Katie give to parents considering the 'Story of the World' curriculum?

    -Katie advises parents to consider their own values and the needs of their children, and to be open to editing or supplementing the curriculum as necessary. She also encourages parents to explore additional resources and supplements available online.

Outlines
00:00
📚 Introduction to Susan Bauer's Story of the World Curriculum

Katie introduces her viewers to Susan Bauer's 'Story of the World' curriculum, a comprehensive history program designed for homeschooling. She outlines her intention to discuss the curriculum's strengths and weaknesses, and address concerns from Christians about its suitability. Katie emphasizes the curriculum's global perspective, covering world history beyond just US history. The curriculum is structured into four books, each covering a broad time period and designed to be used over four years, though Katie mentions flexibility in pacing. She also highlights the availability of activity books for additional learning and the option to supplement with YouTube videos and Amazon Prime's 'Animated History for Kids'.

05:01
🌐 Benefits and Flexibility of Story of the World

Katie discusses the advantages of the 'Story of the World' curriculum, noting its suitability for family learning and its comprehensive activity books. She appreciates the curriculum's ability to be used across different age groups and stages, and the ease of following along with chapters. Katie also mentions the availability of audio CDs for additional learning, which can be used in various settings like car rides or bedtime. The curriculum provides a broad overview of world history, focusing on understanding historical contexts rather than memorizing dates and names. She addresses common concerns, particularly from a Christian perspective, about the curriculum's inclusion of non-Christian deities and mythologies, arguing for the importance of understanding these aspects of history.

10:02
🤔 Addressing Concerns and Personal Experience with the Curriculum

Katie addresses specific concerns about the 'Story of the World' curriculum, such as its starting point with nomads rather than creation, and the potential for some content to be considered non-Christian. She defends the curriculum's approach, explaining that it helps provide context for biblical history within a broader world history framework. Katie also discusses the possibility of needing to edit or add remarks to the curriculum based on personal beliefs. She mentions that while she has not personally encountered any major issues, she has heard from others about potential errors in dates. Katie concludes by sharing her personal decision to continue using the curriculum for her family and invites viewers to share their experiences and resources related to 'Story of the World'.

Mindmap
Keywords
💡Susan Bauer's Story of the World
Susan Bauer's Story of the World is a world history curriculum designed for homeschooling. It is a comprehensive educational program that covers a wide range of historical topics from ancient times to the modern era. In the video, Katie discusses the strengths and weaknesses of this curriculum, emphasizing its global perspective and its suitability for various age groups within a family.
💡Homeschooling
Homeschooling refers to the practice of educating children at home rather than in a formal school setting. In the context of the video, Katie is discussing her experiences and recommendations for homeschooling resources, specifically focusing on the Story of the World curriculum as a tool for teaching world history to her children.
💡Curriculum
A curriculum is a planned program of study that outlines the subjects, materials, and activities that students will engage with. In the video, Katie is reviewing the Story of the World curriculum, discussing its structure, content, and how it can be adapted for different learning styles and ages within a homeschooling environment.
💡World History
World history is the study of past events and societies across the globe, as opposed to focusing solely on a single country or region. The Story of the World curriculum emphasizes a global perspective, which Katie appreciates as it provides her children with a broader understanding of historical events and their interconnectedness.
💡Activity Books
Activity books are supplementary materials that accompany textbooks, providing additional exercises, discussions, and resources to enhance learning. In the video, Katie mentions the activity books that accompany the Story of the World curriculum, highlighting their usefulness in providing a more interactive learning experience for her children.
💡Audio CDs
Audio CDs are a form of supplementary material that can be used to listen to content, such as textbooks or stories, in an audio format. Katie discusses the availability of audio CDs for the Story of the World curriculum, noting their benefits for reinforcing learning and providing an alternative way for children to engage with the material.
💡Christian Curriculum
A Christian curriculum is an educational program that integrates Christian beliefs and values into its content. Katie addresses concerns about whether the Story of the World curriculum is appropriate for Christian homeschoolers, discussing the curriculum's approach to discussing other religions and its inclusion of biblical history.
💡Biblical History
Biblical history refers to the historical events and narratives described in the Bible. In the video, Katie notes that the Story of the World curriculum includes biblical history, providing a context for her children to understand the historical events mentioned in the Bible alongside other world events.
💡Greek Mythology
Greek mythology is a collection of stories and beliefs from ancient Greece that explain the origins and actions of various gods and heroes. Katie discusses the inclusion of Greek mythology in the Story of the World curriculum, emphasizing the importance of teaching children about this aspect of history and its influence on various cultures.
💡Flexibility
Flexibility in a curriculum refers to its adaptability to different learning styles, paces, and age groups. Katie appreciates the flexibility of the Story of the World curriculum, as it can be used across various ages and can be adjusted to fit the needs of her family, such as reading aloud or allowing children to read independently.
💡Supplemental Resources
Supplemental resources are additional materials that can be used to enhance or extend the learning experience beyond the core curriculum. Katie mentions the availability of supplemental resources for the Story of the World curriculum, such as online activities and timeline cards, which can be used to provide a more comprehensive learning experience.
Highlights

Introduction to Susan Bauer's 'Story of the World' history curriculum for homeschooling.

Discussion of the curriculum's pros and cons, and addressing Christian concerns about its content.

The curriculum's global historical perspective, not US-centered, providing a comprehensive view of world history.

Flexibility of the curriculum, suitable for different age groups and adaptable to various learning paces.

Description of the textbook and its role as the core reading material for the curriculum.

Optional activity books that accompany the curriculum, offering discussion questions, additional readings, and activities.

Use of supplementary resources like YouTube videos and Amazon Prime's 'Animated History for Kids' to enhance learning.

Benefits of the curriculum for family learning, allowing children of different ages to learn together.

Availability of online resources and community-created supplements for the curriculum.

Cost-effectiveness of the curriculum, particularly with the ability to reproduce activity materials for family use.

The curriculum's chapter structure, designed for easy follow-along and adaptability to different learning speeds.

Inclusion of audio CDs for the curriculum, aiding in review and reinforcement of historical content.

Overview of history provided by the curriculum, aiming to give students a broad understanding before delving into depth.

Addressing concerns about the curriculum's mention of other gods and mythologies in a historical context.

Personal stance on teaching children about other gods as part of historical and cultural education.

Comparison with other history curriculums, particularly those with a biblical focus.

Potential concerns about the curriculum's starting point, not beginning with creation or biblical history.

Mention of possible errors or discrepancies in dates within the curriculum.

Personal decision to continue using the curriculum and plans for the next volume.

Invitation for feedback from other users of the 'Story of the World' curriculum.

Transcripts

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