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ALmom
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On another thread about CHC plans, someone mentioned how they really liked From Sea to Shining Sea but didn't care for All Ye Lands. Well, I was thinking about next year and liked From Sea ... so I thought I'd use All Ye Lands as my spine (9th grader will be doing ancient history and 6th grader will be doing some history compatible with whatever we study with her). I can use a very easy spine for 9th grader as we will be using portions of Kolbe plans for 9th and 10th year with her in 9th (Ie she will have high school level work - but I want a good spine to help put things in context as she has not done any systematic study of World History). Anyways, now I'm wondering ...
Anyone who has used All Ye Lands - could you compare it to From Sea to Shining Sea. What exactly were its problems if you didn't like it. Are there things you liked? I guess I am trying to be more careful what I purchse.
Thanks.
Janet
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obriens61
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I am interested in hearing the answer to this question too, Janet!
Maureen
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Willa
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I bought All Ye Lands last year and didn't like it much; I meant for my 7th grader to use it but we haven't used it at all yet. But (1) I'm not a big textbook person, neither are my kids, and it looked textbooky to me and (2) I haven't seen Sea to Shining Sea so I can't compare the two. Anyway, those are my meagre comments mainly for the purpose of bumping up the thread 
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MicheleQ
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ALmom wrote:
I was thinking about next year and liked From Sea ... so I thought I'd use All Ye Lands as my spine (9th grader will be doing ancient history and 6th grader will be doing some history compatible with whatever we study with her).
Anyone who has used All Ye Lands - could you compare it to From Sea to Shining Sea. What exactly were its problems if you didn't like it. Are there things you liked? I guess I am trying to be more careful what I purchse. |
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I like both books. From Sea to Shining Sea is written in a more narrative way and All Ye Lands is more "textbookish". But the content of both are very good and both qualify in my mind as living books (i.e., makes history come alive and allows the student to connect with the individuals who make history).
I also think All ye Lands would work well as a spine.
Hope this helps!
God bless,
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MaryM
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I would second Michele's assessment. I liked both and felt they were really similar so when you posted this I went back through and skimmed and would have to agree that there is a difference in writing style between them. But not anything that would have really stood out to me until I was looking for it. The All Ye Lands was written first in the series and I think probably made some style changes and slight improvements with the next. My son who has used them, liked them both. I'm really anxious to see the ones for the older high school years since these are really geared toward jr. high. Hope those are published soon.
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Dawn
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Janet, I'm glad you started this thread. We're using From Sea to Shining Sea as a spine this year and we really like it. I am also considering All Ye Lands for next year, but I'd love to get a better look at the contents (I can't seem to find them online, I know I had found Sea's contents before I bought it ...).
Can anyone tell me the general timeframe for All Ye Lands? We were hoping to spend a good chunk of time next year on the Middle Ages, so I'm curious to know how they are covered in this text. Thanks!
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MaryM
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Here is the table of contents for a sense of the subject matter and pages spent on each period. It is a broad overview of civilization from prehsitory to colonization of the New World.
Introduction to Geography - 1
Prehistory: Beginning Man's Story - 17
The Mission of Israel - 43
The Marvelous Greeks - 63
Eternal Rome - 85
Christianity: A Gift from God - 103
Byzantium and the Rise of Islam - 131
Europe: The Middle Ages - 143
Europe: The Renaissance and It's Consequences - 173
China: The Middle Kingdom - 191
Japan: Land of the Rising Sun - 211
India: World of the Rajas - 227
Africa: The Enduring Continent - 249
Russia: The Third Rome - 271
North America: Land Of Opportunity - 291
Latin America: The Sleeping Giant - 309
What kind of specifics would you like on the Middle Ages chapter?
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Dawn
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Thank you, Mary, this is *exactly* the information I was looking for ... Mainly, I was curious to see where in the text the Middle Ages fell, and how many pages were devoted to them.
I was thinking we might informally study Pre-history over the summer (only because my 10 yo hasn't in a while and my 6 yo never has), and then spend all of next year on the Middle Ages.
I already have "Story of the World II: The Middle Ages" and I could use that as a spine, but we enjoyed Sea to Sea so much I thought I would take a closer look at All Ye Lands ... Of course AYL isn't cheap, so I would want to use it extensively if I decide to go with it ...
Well, I've got time to ponder it all  ! Thanks again for the info.!
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ALmom
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I'm planning to use All Ye Lands (I think) as a spine for 2 years. Thanks for listing the table of contents. The first year, I'll have my 6th grader work at least through the chapter on Rome. With my 9th grader, we'll be using Kolbe plans - modified considerably by me to cover approximately the same time periods as her brother. I'll have some primary sources, materials, guides, paper topics and AK type things for some of this high school level stuff but plan to take trails to dig deeper into whatever seems to entice. I also plan to have a stash of activities, ideas, suggestions, and easy reading but living books that cover the same time period around the house over this summer - and may plan some as part of the history.
Then for 10th grade, I'll have dd study medieval period using All Ye Lands again as a spine. I also happen to have ABCs of Christian Culture which has a number of very neat map activities we'll include for both the then 10th grader and 7th grader. In addition, the 10th grader will do portions of the 11th grade year from Kolbe (modified of course). Again, by breaking the book up a bit, I'll have time to add in real books to make the history more alive and Kolbe will have primary sources from the time period to use at the high school level.
I'm still looking for a good spine for European history from Renaissance on through at least WWI, preferably beyond that. It doesn't look like All Ye Lands will work here and I may just have to go with secular texts that I have (or secular combined with Ann Caroll). If anyone has anything better as a spine here, let me know.
It might be interesting to do a quick read of the final chapters in All Ye Lands as prep for the 10th grade year as I'm sure that will help to put some context to some of the later European stuff - like the British Empire, Boxer Rebellion, etc.
I'll be looking for book ideas later this year, I'm sure, as I try to put it all together - but know you ladies will provide plenty of ideas. Thanks!
Janet
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Bookswithtea
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It may have been me who said she didn't like AYL. 
I didn't care for it. I consider it half a history text and half a "world cultures" type text. It does not read simply as a chronological text. On the SL Catholic loop, many people are using it as a resource to study "non western cultures" (core 5) rather than Western Civ. (cores 6 and 7). Its age graded for 6th-9th. I would NOT use it with a 6th grader...too hard to understand, imho (frankly, I don't know WHAT CHC is thinking recommending it for 6th grade).
FSTSS's narrative format makes it tolerable as a text, I think. Its age graded for 5th-8th. I still wouldn't use it at the 5th grade level, although I think it would work for 7th or 8th. AYL reads exactly like a text...lots of information that's been predigested. My ds *hated* it. I thought he was griping a bit much so I took a look at it and decided he was right. Its boring, imho.
I think now I would use it as a resource among many living books, where we refer to it for some help with the basics of the time period. But I wouldn't assign it chapter by chapter.
Just a different point of view, and a meager .02 at that.
~Books
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ALmom
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Thanks, Books,
That's what I was looking for - an honest assessment from a variety of people. We did use From Sea to... with our 5th grader and he really hasn't had any trouble with it. We aren't slavish to the TB completely and supplement with other books. I had the same idea for using All Ye Lands. I'm still undecided. I hated the Greenleaf guides way back and really want an organized presentation from a Catholic (but balanced) perspective. I felt From Sea ... was the most balanced text I'd seen in a long time. I glanced at All Ye Lands at a bookstore while on retreat. I was a bit disappointed with what isn't there and didn't have time to really read chapters, etc. I'm looking for a quick overview of ancinet civilizations and am not a unit study person - neither are my dc. I have a lot of college level books that could be used as spines (but definitely too much for the 6th grader and probably more than we could really do sequentially with the 9th grader and still do Kolbe material (which I really like with modifications).
By the way, whoever is interested in Middle Ages - we just picked up a marvelous book - Crusader King by Susan Peek. My dc have devoured it - 14 yo read it twice through in 2 days and now the 11 yo has it. It is fiction based on King Baldwin the leper king.
Now my question - if All Ye Lands does not make a good spine what else is there? I have not liked A Child's History of the World because of the protestant flavor and also it seems more of a collection of tidbits and unrelated stories. I have it for dc to read if they like, but it isn't quite what I'm looking for as a spine. I guess I like the somewhat textbookiness for use as a spine because it is the condensation that allows them to present the overview while we fill in the details with living books of our choice. I guess we like our spine as a somewhat detailed time line.
Janet
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Dawn
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ALmom wrote:
| By the way, whoever is interested in Middle Ages - we just picked up a marvelous book - Crusader King by Susan Peek. |
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Thanks, Janet ~ that was me .
I will be waiting along with you to hear suggestions for AYL alternatives.
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Kathryn UK
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If you are comfortable with a non-Catholic text Van Loon's Story of Mankind is a living book with far more historical depth than All Ye Lands. You would need to be prepared to balance the occasional disparaging remark about the Catholic Church, but he is at least equally disparaging at times about Protestants (if not more so!). I think this one is a "love it or hate it" book.
A simpler survey of world history (somewhere between Hillyer's Child's History of the World and Story of Mankind in difficulty) is The World's Story by Elizabeth O'Neill. It is an old book and out of print but not too hard to find. It appears to be written from a Catholic perspective (there is a whole chapter on the Counter-Reformation, for example). The author was a history lecturer at an English university in the earlier part of the 20th century, and I have a hunch she was probably Anglo-Catholic.
For an older child or one prepared to handle a more challenging text I would opt for Story of Mankind. For a younger or less history minded child The World's Story would work better.
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Bookswithtea
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I've never even heard of the The World's Story by Elizabeth O'Neill. I ran a quick search on the net but couldn't find it.
Re: The Van Loon book... Sonlight used that book briefly in their core 6 before dropping it in favor of Hillyer's (which was replaced by SOTW a year or two later). They never really said why they dropped it...just that they thought it was a bad choice after all. Can you tell me more about it?
I really appreciate your suggestions, Kathryn.
~Books
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We used Fr. Furlong's book, The Old World and America . It reviewed ancient history as it applied to Western cultural influences and spent MUCH time in the Middle Ages, which is the area we were studying at the time. Many persons of courage and faith were mentioned in the text which we used as our jumping point for historical fiction and biographies for that era. It worked well as a spine because it is thoroughly Catholic and very readable for 5th-8th grade, leaving lots of time for rabbit trails.
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MicheleQ
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Bookswithtea wrote:
I've never even heard of the The World's Story by Elizabeth O'Neill. I ran a quick search on the net but couldn't find it.
~Books |
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I found one here .
I have a copy (thanks to Kathryn ) and agree it's good.
God bless!
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MicheleQ
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Quote:
If you are comfortable with a non-Catholic text Van Loon's Story of Mankind is a living book with far more historical depth than All Ye Lands.
You would need to be prepared to balance the occasional disparaging remark about the Catholic Church, but he is at least equally disparaging at times about Protestants (if not more so!). |
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Yes he is and I wonder if that's why Sonlight dropped the book? Well, who knows, but I do find value in this book as well.
I find that history is better read from various sources rather than just relying on one author's point of view. I think you have shown me that Kathryn dear.
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Natalia
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Books,
I used Story of Mankind for a little while with my dd (7th gr) and I agree with Kathryn and Michele that it is a good book, far more in depth that AYL. But it was a bit much for my dd. She couldn't follow it well. We didn't start it at the beginning because we discovered it after we have done SOTW 1 and a big portion of STOW 2 so I just picked up at the beginning of the Rennaissance. Maybe if she woul've started from the beginning she would've had a feel for the author way of writing and it would've worked out. As it was it didn't work and we dropped it.
Janet,
Regarding AYL and FSTSS, I have had trouble implementing both of those books. The way is has worked better for us is to use portions of them and not read straight through. My dd just is not thrilled with the books and my reading aloud to both of my dc just doesn't work either. It could be that we are used to do history using STOW and the suggestions in the activity guide. So for each chapter of STOW we read tons of picture books and literature books that reinforce the concept. So my dd is not used to do the work of reading history of her own.
This year we are doing history the way MA suggests : two days of world history and two days of American history. Since Van Loon's book didn't work for us, we are still using STOW 3 as a spine and bringing in the Catholic perspecitve using FSTSS for American History. Sometimes we might also use AYL but a lot less. STOW is for younger children but I feel that with supplementary reading it has give my dd a good feel for history. I have been amazed at how much history I can learn from picture books. The STOW activity guide has been a great resource for sugestions on books to read. Of course, we are studying the 1600's right now which is time in history where American and World History merge a lot. That has made it easy to follow this format. I don't know how it is going to work as we progress in time.
Another reason I think this approach has worked for us is because my dd, even though she likes history, she doesn't like only to read historical fiction. By reading shorter books she has managed to get a lot of information without spending all her reading time reading history the way it used to be when we used SL.
I hope all of this makes sense since I keep getting interrupted....
Natalia
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Bookswithtea
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Natalia, I'm intrigued by the idea of studying world history for 2 days per week and then American history 2 days per week. Is this suggested for several years, or only for a few?
What have you noticed about your dd's learning that is different by doing this?
I appreciate your review of Van Loon, too, Natalia. Thanks!
~Books
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Natalia
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Bookswithtea wrote:
| Natalia, I'm intrigued by the idea of studying world history for 2 days per week and then American history 2 days per week. Is this suggested for several years, or only for a few? |
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The way MA has it set up the student does National History ( In our case American) twice weekly and World History twice weekly. We are doing Level 1A with my ds (8) and Level 3 with dd (12). The way they have it set up on Level 1A you do Ancient Times with Bible history, then with Level 2 you do Greeks and Romans and level 3 you take two year to go through Van Loon's History of Mankind. For American history you take two years to do This Country of Ours for Level 1A and two years for Level 3 to do FSTSS.
In our case we have had to tweak a little (well more than a little) mainly because I discovered MA last year after doing STOW for a couple of years. I didn't want to start history from the beginning again so soon.
As I said earlier Van Loon' s book didn't work for us so basically what I am doing if following their idea of doing both simultaneously but using different books. It has been a good thing for us because using STOW I was worried that we weren't going to cover American History in any depth. This seems like a good alternative even if it takes us longer to get through the different books we are using.
Bookswithtea wrote:
| What have you noticed about your dd's learning that is different by doing this? |
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You mean by doing both histories? I think it has made it easier for her to see American History within the framework of World History. Mainly because we see a certain event in World History and then touch on it in greater depth in American History. As I mentioned earlier, right now both histories seem to coincide a lot so sometimes I don't know if the kids realize that we are doing something different. From my perspective the main thing was to be able to do both instead of having to choose a different focus each year. Other than that I don't see a major difference.
Natalia
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Topic: ALL Ye Lands and Sea to...
