Rating: 
Summary: I am returning the copy of this book I just bought
Review: At first glance, this seems like a nice supplement to the book, Story of a World. However, the more I looked at the book and read through the pages and "projects" - the more I do not like it. Most of the projects are quite unrealistic for homeschoolers. Two weeks to mummify a chicken? Making a Greek ship out of ice cream? What do kids learn from these? I want my children to learn classical education at home - not try to create time-consuming projects that do not really teach them anything. Education takes a lifetime - Dr. Adler is right on that. I am going back to the time-tested classics of the Great Books - books that have been loved and used for centuries and not use a book like this.
Rating: 
Summary: Excellent activity choices
Review: I am thrilled to have this activity book to supplement the Story of the World! There are many wonderful activities in it that I would never have come close to thinking of on my own! Although there are a few activities that I know I would never try, I know others that have done those same activities with their kids and loved them! There is such a variety, that each user can pick and choose the activities that best suit the individual/family. I think it was well worth the money!
Rating: 
Summary: Valuable resource in spite of negative reviews.
Review: I bought the first edition of Books one and two last spring when I planned to homeschool my 7 year old. (Divorce judge vetoed that idea, but I did "homeschool" over the summer.) We now read a chapter/story from this book each night along with a story/chapter from a book, and then a Bible Chapter. I get very frustrated reading the "Christian" reviews. I'm an old-fashioned Missionary Baptist. I'm a lawyer. I take responsibility for teaching my child about God. That doesn't mean we don't learn about the non-Christian events of the world. I teach my child that the pagan gods were believed/worshipped, but that's not what we believe and why. Ignorant people are weak when they don't know why they believe one thing rather than another. These products are a great way to introduce a young child to world history. We color the maps (I don't expect them to be terribly elaborate and I didn't want to pay an arm and a leg for basic maps.) We don't use the activity book much now since she's in public school but I will be pulling out maps etc. I don't expect her to be able to recite ancient history and write a detailed essay. I expect to lay a foundation that will be built upon as she gets older.
She enjoys it. She also remembers things we've covered when they cover the subject in Sunday School or hears it elsewhere. I reference where we live, Egypt and Mesopotamia to develop and sense of geography. She regularly checks the globe. I've very satisfied.
Rating:
Summary: book not meant for religious only
Review: I can't believe the reviews that assume this book was written only for fundamentalist Christians and review it as such. That's so narrow-minded. One reviewer even seems to think that all homeschoolers are fundamentalist Christians! I assure you this is not the case.
I am a secular homeschooler, and I know and know of many, many others. I am culturally Jewish, but I am not religious. We are reading this book and expanding on it together with some other homeschoolers, some secular, some religious, but clearly not extreme in the way some of the reviewers below are. I like that the series is written in a very readable novel format and that the series presents a continuous view of history. I don't know of other history books for children that do this in such a nice way. My children look forward to my reading to them. In fact, they are always asking for more. I do have a few issues with the perspective of the books -- there are actually some points that seem too religious to me. I would not, however, expect any history book to reflect my perspective perfectly. I am able to explain my different views to my children and supplement them with other literature.
If you are looking for a history book from a biblical perspective, there are plenty out there. Please don't come here, to a secular bookstore, and lower the ratings for a book that was not intended to meet only your needs.
Rating:
Summary: VERY DISAPOINTED
Review: I made a big mistake and bought this with the "Story of the World." Both books are going in the garbage. I wouldn't want to pass them on to anyone else.
If you are a Christian homeschooler wanting to see God's hand in history you have come to the wrong place. This is NOT written from a Christian world view (obvious from the author's the "definition of history in the Introduction).
The projects are silly and not tested. The book is full of spelling and grammar errors
Rating: 
Summary: Good ideas but they should have hired an artist
Review: I really liked the "Story of the World" volume and eagerly ordered this activity book to go with it. There are good activity ideas in this volume but the coloring pages and other graphics could have been drawn by a 3 year old. For the price, which is more than I would have paid if I had seen it, I expected a quality product. I guess if you are using it for an older child and don't care about the graphics it is a good resource for someone who just wants quick ideas and doesn't want to research their own. However, I don't think the original volume "Story of the World" would be that great for an older child so you end up with activities for one age group and text for another. If I wouldn't be out shipping both ways I would return this book. I highly recommend that you view it somewhere before purchasing.
Rating:
Summary: Good ideas but they should have hired an artist
Review: I really liked the "Story of the World" volume and eagerly ordered this activity book to go with it. There are good activity ideas in this volume but the coloring pages and other graphics could have been drawn by a 3 year old. For the price, which is more than I would have paid if I had seen it, I expected a quality product. I guess if you are using it for an older child and don't care about the graphics it is a good resource for someone who just wants quick ideas and doesn't want to research their own. However, I don't think the original volume "Story of the World" would be that great for an older child so you end up with activities for one age group and text for another. If I wouldn't be out shipping both ways I would return this book. I highly recommend that you view it somewhere before purchasing.
Rating:
Summary: Great Resource
Review: I used this guide last year for my children. In addition to activities that help make history interesting, there are supplemental reading lists (both fiction and non-fiction) and review questions provided. Mapwork is included for each chapter as well as coloring pages and games. All three of my school-age children enjoyed Story of the World-from the first grader up to the sixth!We did not do all the activities, but mummifying a chicken was a highlight! My children decided that not many children in school were able to participate in such an activity.
Rating:
Summary: Thank you, fundamentalists
Review: I've been considering buying these books for my homeschooling son as what I'd seen and heard from other homeschoolers (including devout Christians) was encouraging. But nothing encouraged me like hearing dissatisfaction from fundamentalist Christians. Whether they're Christian, Muslim, Jewish, or Wiccan, fundamentalists are great guides to the opposite. If they like it, avoid it. If they hate it, it probably has value.
Rating:
Summary: We love this book!
Review: I've been using the Activity Guide for the Story of the World for five weeks now, with a 7yo girl and a 5yo boy.
This is not a stand-alone book, but this book plus the Story of the World (plus access to a library) gives you everything you need for a very complete history curriculum. I think it would be suitable for most children in grades K-3.
Here's what you get in the Story of the World Activity Guide (basically everything!)...
Review Questions - my kids compete to answer these. They are fun, not too hard, and cover all the main points in the chapter. Which makes it very easy to follow up with...
Narration Exercises - OK, we're still trying to get the hang of these. Neither of my guys knows how to summarize, really. But I'm sure we'll get it, and it'll be a valuable skill later on.
***Additional History Reading and Corresponding Literature Suggestions*** - I LOVE these books! So far my library has had almost all of them. They are mostly simple fact books and gorgeous picture books. This is the most valuable part of the guide, for me.
Map Work - I like this. My kids are getting a real sense of the geography of Egypt and the Middle East. It helps to have a globe handy, so we can match the maps with the "real" world.
Coloring Pages - Well, to be honest, I find the pictures really vary in quality, but my kids don't seem to have noticed. And it's nice to have them right there.
Projects - Once I got over the idea that I wanted to do them all, I found myself really enjoying these. We've made cave paintings, and a model of the Nile. We're planning on doing the sand cube step pyramid some time next week and I haven't totally ruled out cuneiform tablets (if I get around to picking up the clay).
The projects are fun and easy, and don't require anything you can't find at your local hardware store or grocery store.
There are several projects suggested for each chapter, so you can always pick the ones that suit your family best. Do as many or as few as you like.
Review Cards - We cut them out and colored them, but to be honest, I'm not quite sure what to do with them. Maybe I'll pick up a box of paperclips and let the kids hang them off of a piece of yarn, like a timeline.
As well as all this, there are page referances at the beginning of each chapter to corresponding pages in four different history encyclopedias. They are: The Kingfisher Illustrated History of the World, The Kingfisher History Encyclopedia, The Usborne Book of World History, and The Usborne Internet-Linked Encyclopedia of World History. This is a nice extra if you already have one of these books on hand, but you won't miss it if you don't. All the information in the encyclopedias is covered in the library books you'll be borrowing to read aloud.
So, in summary - I love this curriculum and would recommend it to anyone. Even non-homeschoolers could use it for summer enrichment activities. My kids have been playing at being archaeologists for weeks now, building tombs and pyramids and temples out of blocks and digging up the backyard in search of artifacts.
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