World History Elementary - Text

All Ye Lands

Origins of World Cultures
Book cover: All Ye Lands
Author(s): 
Rollin Lasseter
et al.
Number of pages: 
352 pages
Copyright: 
2002
ISBN: 
9780898709445
Publisher: 
Ignatius Press/Ave Maria College
Binding: 
Sewn Hardcover
Subject(s): 
World History
Grade / Age level: 
Elementary
sixth grade
Resource Type: 
Text
Review: 

I've had a chance to skim the book briefly and read the chapters on the Greeks and on the Aztecs and found them helpful and enlightening. There is a distinct effort to be fair to our Catholic legacy without whitewashing faults. (e.g. I noticed that Charlemagne is treated very favorably with the exception of one paragraph that honestly and without sensationalism explains a terrible thing he did in killing a large group of people who refused to be baptized. It also clears up the false rumors regarding the "evils" of Spain while still criticizing where there is fault).

It is quite specifically Catholic in mentioning many great saints and Catholic figures and the role of Christianity in shaping Western Culture (without ignoring the contributions of the Hebrews, Egyptians, Greeks and Romans) and being written from a Catholic point of view even where Catholics aren't specifically mentioned. There is a significant focus on World Cultures including chapters on many non-Christian cultures – eg. Japan, China, India and the Middle East – as well as a great deal about the largely Christian west. I think it is important for our children to understand these cultures and it is so helpful to have a book that honestly highlights the good and beautiful things from these cultures without acting like it doesn't matter that they weren't Christian (In other words, it's NOT in any way new-age or modernist in presenting these other cultures). I think this is an excellent antidote to modern multiculturalISM.

The book is very visually appealing without being overly-busy. It has beautiful full-color pictures throughout with informative captions. There are some fun features as well, such as a "Let's Eat" segment for each culture with information on what people ate and some simple recipes. The book is intended for 6th grade, but would be profitable and enjoyable to anyone wishing to get a better sense of history and culture. This is the first book being published in a series of Catholic history textbooks. (6-21-03)

Quibble:

The book describes the "Legend" of Samson which some have taken as unnecessarily calling into question the historicity of the Bible. Since there is no other indication of a flawed theology in this regard, I would encourage people to simply interpret this as one of the other meanings of "Legend" which is simply "Story".

There's a confusing typographical error on pg. 133 referencing the life of St. John Chrysostom as "(A.D. 550-407)" I believe it should read "(A.D. 350-407)".

Perspective: 
Catholic
Reviewed by: 
Alicia Van Hecke
First reviewed: 
9-16-02

Catholic World Culture

Book cover: 'Catholic World Culture'
Author(s): 
Anne W. Carroll
Number of pages: 
124 pages
Copyright: 
1998
ISBN: 
9781607040521
Publisher: 
Seton Press
Binding: 
Softcover
Subject(s): 
World History
Grade / Age level: 
Elementary
seventh grade
eighth grade
Resource Type: 
Text
Review: 

This book is sold as a 7th/8th grade history text, but with the addition of some outline maps and a little imagination it could easily serve as an introduction to world geography.

When I first saw Catholic World Culture it appeared to be a rather dry and boring book, but after reading a few paragraphs I was convinced that it would hold my children's attention and excite them about the Faith and history. My oldest son told me that he found it interesting and inspiring, as well as a great source for trivia with which he could impress his friends (a humble child as you can imagine.)

Each of the 30 chapters in this 124 page full color book focus on a specific country, Catholic personality or event. Some of the topics covered include: "The Artist of Mysteries" (da Vinci/Italy), "God Alone Sufficeth" (St. Teresa of Avila/Spain), "Martyrs and Miracles (The Netherlands), "Conversions in the North" (Scandinavia). The chapters end with "Thinking Over" prompts which lead to several interesting discussions in our family.

We attempted to use this as part of a chronological history program and it just did not work, but as part of a geography or religion program or as a supplement to history it was ideal. Best suited for 8th-12th.

Reviewed by: 
Andrea Chen
First reviewed: 
9-16-02

History Links - General Studies and Ancient Egypt

Book cover: 'History Links - General Studies and Ancient Egypt'
Author(s): 
Jennifer Alles
Barbara Little
Number of pages: 
68 pages
Copyright: 
1996
Publisher: 
Wooly Lamb Publishing
Binding: 
Spiralbound
Subject(s): 
World History
Grade / Age level: 
All ages
Elementary
Resource Type: 
Text
Review: 
We've only used the General Studies and just begun Ancient Egypt, so I know little. However, I do think they are very creative and very Catholic in their presentation. They recommend a certain kids Protestant Bible for ages 2-8 because of the "high picture-to-text ratio with twelve pictures per double plate spread. The characters are dressed in authentic garb, making it a wonderful companion to the unit studies. There is one reference to Jesus's brothers, but overall it is a fabulous learning resource for younger children and every child loves it!" They then go on to say that older children in the 6-10 year old category and pre-teens/teengagers should be able to use the adult Catholic Bibles, like the NAB, the Douay-Rheims, Jerusalem Bible or the RSV. The other resources they recommend in the "Resources Needed" section are a globe, a world map or atlas, a dictionary, a Catechism of the Catholic Church and a set of Encyclopedias. In the section on "highly recommended but not essential" resources, they also include the St. Joseph Baltimore Catechism, Usborne Book of World History, Usborne Book of the Ancient World, National Geographic Magazines, Josephus' Antiquities of the Jews, Encyclicals, a concordance, the WWW and last but not least, the Institute for Excellence in Writing program.Throughout the program, too, they also highly encourage the use of primary resources, which I think is a good idea. I was really impressed with their General Studies program, mostly for their emphasis on learning first HOW to study the Ancient World (thru. History, Archaeology, Geography and Theology) encouraging students to look methodically at the Ancient World thru. these lenses, rather than thru. a hodgepodge 20th century perspective. They start each section of the General Studies by recommending memorization of various Catholic hymns and prayers, too.
Perspective: 
Catholic
Reviewed by: 
K.B.
First reviewed: 
1998-99

Light to the Nations

The Development of Christian Civilizations, Volume One
Author(s): 
Catholic Schools Textbook Project
Binding: 
Sewn Hardcover
Subject(s): 
World History
Grade / Age level: 
Grades 6-8
High School
Elementary
Resource Type: 
Text
Review: 
Most Catholic homeschoolers today are familiar with the high quality level of the Catholic Textbook Projects volumes, and this one, Light to the Nations is no exception. (Note that I write this review based on the CD format of the book). Attractive, user-friendly layout, beautiful reproductions and helpful maps are found throughout the chapters. Light to the Nations explores World History starting with the birth of Christ. So it is the history of our Christian, Western civilization. Volume One, the book in question, goes from the time of the Birth of Christ until the Enlightenment in the 18th century. Volume Two will pick up where this volume has left off, and from what I can assess on their website, it is in production. See more information at the publisher's website at http://www.catholictextbookproject.com/purchase/purchase-main.html What is different, and both extremely rewarding and delightful about this book, is the issue of trust. You know the feeling: you are studying History with your kids and when it comes to certain historical periods, you begin trembling, knowing all too well what's coming: attacks on the Church based most times on ignorance of History and Protestant slant. Not here! While this book doesn't have the usual Protestant or secular slant, it does not glorify the Church as a spotless, perfect human institution: She isn't. We know that, as mistakes have been made and apologies have been issued. Light to the Nations gives the Catholic student a balanced, cohesive, balanced account of the turbulent and wonder-ful times of the development and growth of Christendom in Europe. I led a small group of 8th and 9th graders this past school year (2008-2009) using The Catholic Textbook Project's Light to the Nations. We got together once a week for an afternoon and read aloud the chapter, stopping to discuss when necessary, and using Atlases many times to follow along paths of events. We read the summary at the end of the chapter and loved the interesting extra snippets about people and places of interest. Since the teacher's manual is not yet available, I had the students write different types of questions with answers for each chapter and many times we had fun quizzing each other.
Perspective: 
Catholic
Reviewed by: 
Ana Braga-Henebry
First reviewed: 
7-13-2009

The Old World and America

Book cover: 'The Old World and America'
Author(s): 
Most Rev. Philip J. Furlong
Number of pages: 
394 pages
Copyright: 
1937
ISBN: 
9780895552020
Publisher: 
TAN Books
Binding: 
Paperback
Sample Pages
Subject(s): 
World History
Grade / Age level: 
Fourth Grade
Fifth Grade
Grades 6-8
Resource Type: 
Text
Review: 
The Old World and America is a superb history book that is decidely homeschool-friendly! The book begins briefly with a mention of Genesis, which is unusual in a history text. It is a thorough guide to the history of the world, from the time of primitive man to the mid-1500's. The approach is decidedly Catholic, and reference to Catholic saints are scattered throughout.

We are presently in the early chapters of this text, but the flavour of the book is apparent. Each chapter is amply illustrated with photos, diagrams, and maps (all black and white). Following each chapter is a series of tests, which include oral questions, written questions, discussion questions, word list, questions to make you think, and questions that test your character. What more could a homeschool mother ask for?

The book is reasonably priced. With older children, some supplementary material may be needed to cover various topics in more detail. It is my opinion that this is a wonderful book, and would be an asset to any history program. It would be suitable for a variety of ages (presently, I am using it for Grades 4 to 8).

Reviewed by: 
K.M.
First reviewed: 
1998-99

Founders of Freedom

Book cover: Founders of Freedom
Author(s): 
Sr. M. Benedict Joseph, SNJM
Number of pages: 
296 pages
Copyright: 
1954
ISBN: 
9780911845532
Publisher: 
Neumann Press
Binding: 
Sewn Hardcover
Subject(s): 
World History
Grade / Age level: 
Elementary
Resource Type: 
Text
Review: 

This first volume in the Catholic American history program, Land of Our Lady, is intended for the fourth grade. It overviews history from Creation to just before Columbus' voyage in 1492. The focus is mostly on Western History – Europe and the Middle East – but Ancient China is also touched upon. Emphasis is placed on the origins of democracy and people in history who were instrumental in its development in various forms (as a preparation for the study of American History – this year's text develops the "background"). The text is very Catholic with a great deal of attention given to Saints who had a role in history and the Catholic Church's influence on civilization. Also included between each Unit are a Marian hymn (with a black and white illustration of Our Lady) and the history of the hymn. While some more controversial issues such as the Inquisition aren't covered (which is reasonable for a 4th grade text), I was happy to see the author point out some of the good and bad of events such as the Crusades. This balanced presentation of history is more helpful for students who have to prepare themselves to defend their Faith in the future.

The text is readable and interesting (although do keep in mind that I LOVE history), but still rather textbookish. Because it is an overview, many topics are covered rather briefly and the "stories" of history aren't present. There are a rather large quantity of written problems, activities and other reviews designed to reinforce the ideas in the text. I would be inclined to only use some of the written problems and instead supplement with some "living books" (stories from History), such as those listed on our Timeline of Good History Reading.

Quibble:

I did notice a few small errors (as is common in textbooks).

First, the term Oro et Laboro which means literally means "I pray and I work", is interpreted as "To work is to pray" which I think is not only a mistranslation, but a misunderstanding of the rule of St. Benedict.

Second, on page 205, a photo of Neuschwanstein Castle (from Germany),which was built in the 1800s, is labeled "a medieval castle". (No, I'm not an expert on castles – our family put together a 1000piece puzzle of this castle last year!).

Some brief references to the Latin Mass (as a universal institution) and Communism are slightly outdated. Overall, I thought it to be quite a good text and I'm looking forward to reading the next volume.

Additional notes: 

This book was donated for review by Neumann Press

Reviewed by: 
Alicia Van Hecke
First reviewed: 
3-2-2000