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Short Lessons in World History
It's difficult (ambitious, even) to cover world history in a year. A lot of information gets left out. Just the same, it's good to have a framework to work from, even if you intend to "flesh it out." Written at a 5th grade level (making it usable at a lower age than listed above), this course would be an ideal self-study overview of world history for any student, or it would provide short summaries of period history that you elaborate on using supplementary materials. It is a unique book in that it is broken down into "bite-sized" chunks to be completed daily, each followed by a short comprehension exercise. These include fill-ins, multiple choice, puzzles, and map questions. Scattered throughout the material are 12 mini-biographies of major figures in World History - notables like Winston Churchill, Florence Nightingale, Charlemagne, etc. While from a secular publisher, I found no evolutionary content, the first civilization in Sumer begins "nearly 6,000 years ago," and there are several references to the Bible. While certainly not comprehensive, the text is interesting, easy to understand, and inexpensive. Visuals are not glitzy, text is two-colored, and many consist of clip-art type graphics. However, maps are extremely clear. A glossary and answer key are provided in the text. Text is reproducible. This text would be helpful to acquire a "big picture" view of world history.
