Disclaimer: I received a free copy of this product in exchange for my honest review. All opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with FTC Regulations.
Homeschooling my four children has forced me to really re-think how I approach education in the traditional sense. Public school separates children into grade levels based on their age. Homeschooling, however, has enabled me to teach my kids certain subjects, like science and history, together. This has made exploring these subjects easier (think one or two lessons rather than four) and more fun. Often, I’ve paired my two teenage daughters together and my two youngest together for history lessons, as I’ve had two different aims based on their ages.
My goals for my two teenagers have been to spark critical analysis of historical events that generate thoughtful conversations, provide context to modern-day cultural issues, and communicate these ideas effectively in writing. My goals for my two younger elementary-aged kids have been to expose them to historical events, historical figures, and expand their understanding of how humanity has grown and changed over thousands of years. From a practical sense, history for my two younger children must be hands-on and fun. Unit Studies have been invaluable to this end. History Unboxed’s Ancient History: A Secular Exploration of the World Volume I has been an excellent spine from which to start our explorations.
We received this history curriculum as a textbook; however, it can also be received as individual lessons received monthly. The Ancient History Volume I textbook features colorful, eye-catching pictures throughout, exciting facts on the various people groups explored based on a historical timeline, and further reading suggestions to expand on what is presented.
What I Love About This Curriculum
Inclusive History
History Unboxed does an excellent job of introducing kids to various people groups from each continent—from Australia to Africa, Central and South America, the Middle East, and Europe. We learned about the Sumerians and Babylonians and lesser-known groups such as the indigenous aborigines of Australia and the Jumon people, which are typically not included in the traditional Ancient History curricula I’ve used in the past. I found myself learning new information alongside my kids, which is always a treat.
Bite-Size Chunks for Short Attention Spans
My younger children are kinesthetic learners, which means they are not fond of sitting for long periods listening to lots of information. The information delivered to them in chunks and coupled with a related hands-on activity has been much more impactful to them. The Ancient History textbook has been perfect for us in that it provides just the right amount of information and leaves room for us to explore further with other related activities. A great example of this came in our use of the textbook as a spine to our study of the Ancient Egyptians. We read about the Pharaohs, Hieroglyphics, and Nefertiti. The information we learned led us to a study of Egyptian mummification processes. We mummified apple slices as an extension activity.
While the Ancient History Volume I Textbook did not recommend additional hands-on extension activities, I could easily find ideas on Pinterest and coloring sheets and printables to enhance the lesson.
The Takeaway
Ancient History: A Secular Exploration of the World Volume I by History Unboxed is well-designed to capture the interests of young learners with its colorful maps and pictures and manageable chunks of interesting facts. It is a great resource to use as a spine for ancient history unit studies and provides additional readings that can expand on the information presented. This curriculum is great to pair with related hands-on activities, videos, and resources to expand on what is discussed in the text.
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