jorendorff / a-history-of-the-world-notes

Lesson plans for "A History of the World in 100 Objects".

What is this?

A History of the World in 100 Objects is a series of 15-minute radio programs by British Museum director Neil MacGregor, first broadcast in 2010.

This repository contains notes for using the series in homeschooling as an introduction to world history.

Fair warning: like most homeschooling materials, this will be pretty quirky. I know next to nothing about history myself. Oh - also I am only 25% done.

How do I use these notes?

They're pretty flexible.

• If you scroll up to the top of this page, you'll see a long list of links, like 001-Mummy-of-Hornedjitef.md. Each day, click on a link to see notes for one episode.

• Discuss the "Before listening" questions. Go fast, skip what you already know, and use the internet to look things up.

• Under "Listen", click the link and listen to the episode online. Or, get the book and read.

• The notes also include discussion questions. Use these however you want.

What makes this series good?

A History of the World in 100 Objects is:

• palatable - It draws you in. Have a listen and you'll see what I mean.

• introductory - You don't have to be a historian yourself to teach from it.

• smart - It questions assumptions; it makes insightful observations; it includes expert voices; it makes connections between little events and major world-changing developments.

• orderly - Go on, laugh; but the series is a serious attempt to tell a comprehensive story, in roughly chronological order, hitting all the most important themes and wrapping up on time. The first ten episodes address human evolution and prehistory. Halfway through, you'll find yourself on the Silk Road, in a series of five episodes that focus on the exchange of goods and ideas between civilizations. And in episode 100, you'll reach the present day—a feat that no history course I took ever managed to achieve.

Why does this matter to homeschoolers?

The purpose of any survey course is to provide the "spine" of an education, so that what the student learns later doesn't have to sit in isolation in his or her memory. There will already be something there to attach it to. I think this is especially useful for history.

But most comprehensive world history surveys are rather dry. The most engaging history resources hop around in time, from one dramatic story to another, with no real plan in mind. This series is both excellent and comprehensive, so we're going to give it a shot. Our experiment is ongoing.