{Warning: Picture overload. This post has tons of pictures so you’ll be scrolling. These books are so beautiful and worth every penny so I want you to see lots of pictures!}
I was given these books for free and I was paid for my time. However, paid for my time does not mean paid off. All opinions are my own and for sure I will always tell you what is on my mind. Not every product will get a positive review. Too, because I carefully sort through numerous offers for reviews, it usually means I’m giddy about the product when I do accept it. Read my full disclosure here.
The best way to learn about other parts of the world is through a book which tells stories full of suspense, adventure and discovery. Events that happened in a geographical area, at a certain time, or as they unfolded through the life of characters in history can engage kids while they learn about them. Today, I can’t wait to show you 5 best books to create an around the world unit study easily through stories by Candlewick Press.
The books I can’t wait to tell you about are Cleopatra Queen of Egypt, Marco Polo History’s Great Adventurer, Archie’s War – My Scrapbook of The First World War, Into the Unknown – How Great Explorers Found Their Way by Land, Sea, and Air and John Muir America’s First Environmentalist.
And I don’t want you to miss both the sweet discount and giveaway.
The first book Cleopatra Queen of Egypt is for ages 8-12 or about grades 3 -7 which makes it a useful book for teaching multiple ages. That is one huge advantage that attracted me to these books.
Strive for a middle age when choosing books because you can create a unit study for multiple ages without being so time intensive when planning. Moving up or down from a middle point to plan age appropriate activities is less stressful at a middle grade level.Starting off your adventure, your kids can read about Ancient Egypt and learn about Ancient Rome through the life of Cleopatra.
I also pulled out a game I had created when we studied Ancient Egypt before. Look here for the Free Ancient Egypt Mehen Printable Board Game (Hands-on History).
What I appreciated most about the book was that it had both positive and negative things to say about the life of Cleopatra. Whether true or not, many things we’ll never know about her.But your kids can learn about life during that time through the pull out maps in the book and lift flaps. Other topics in the book that you want to cover are Roman numbers for math, Cleopatra’s relatives which were Greek-speaking aristocrats, Egyptian religion, Julius Caesar, Egyptian hairstyles, Egyptian jewelry, festivals and temples.
How to Teach About World Cultures Through Children’s Books
Also, learning about how the Egyptians were accustomed to female pharaohs wielding power, but the Greeks and Romans were not gives your kids a glimpse into the government.
Look at some of these hands-on ideas while learning about Ancient Greece, Ancient Egypt and Ancient Rome.Grab this free Ancient Lapbook and unit study here.We studied Greece numerous times and here is a second lapbook for Ancient Greece. To understand the background of Ancient Egypt also download this free Pharaohs and Queens Ancient Egypt lapbook.
Grab this free Ancient Rome lapbook and make this fun easy Roman helmet and shield.
Just to be sure you have more than enough hands-on history activities to bring the reading of this book alive, here are several more Hands-on History Activities for Learning about Ancient Civilizations you don’t want to miss.
Then on to the next adventure with the book Into the Unknown – How Great Explorers Found Their Way by Land, Sea, and Air.
The reason I chose this book is that when you look at the table of contents, it has a mix of 14 different adventurers from Pytheas the Greek to Tenzing Norgay and Edmund Hillary who scaled Mount Everest in 1953 to Umberto Nobile who flies across the Arctic in 1928.
Some kids get bored covering history and geography in a chronological order and need some breathing room to skip to other areas of the world about topics that intrigue them.
The beauty of this book is that through the courageous and thrilling trips of the explorers, your child can learn about many different places.
Just some ideas to take away from this book are to learn about how Apollo II rockets in space, Leif Ericksson reaches the coast of America and how John Cook maps the Pacific Ocean.This book too is for ages 8-12 and through the colorful maps, detailed drawings and double spread pull out page, it was hard for Tiny to put this one down.Not only can you can bring this book alive by studying the different parts of a ship, your child can learn how explorers found their way using different navigational tools.From ancient to modern places, your kids have their choice of where to start. Here are some hands-on activities to pique their interest.
► Make a simple and easy compass.
►Make a quadrant using this free template.
►Do a Viking Lapbook.
►Free unit study and lapbook about the Arctic.
► Appreciate the exploration of Christopher Columbus by 5 Days of Learning Printables:The World of Columbus and Sons Day 5 For Middle and High School.
► Add in studying some science and learn about the Ocean with this free unit study.
Moving on to understand about China and the Silk Road through the eyes of Marco Polo, we loved reading Marco Polo History’s Great Adventurer.Like the Cleopatra Queen of Egypt book, this one too has beautiful bright fold outs with background information about medieval China.
One reason I chose this book is because it can be hard to find resources that don’t just focus on Medieval Europe without including what’s happening in the rest of the world during that time.
Topics like the Maya city of Chichen Itza (by the way, we went there on our honey moon, okay, okay) the Soninke Empire of West Africa and the Silk Road are equally engaging and important.Yes it was fascinating to read about the discoveries along the way but other topics like understanding the geography also helps your child to appreciate the rugged terrain.Including deserts, mountains and the silk making process make for fascinating topics while studying about Marco Polo. Learning about deserts, your child can create desert sand art, make a hygrometer and make a sand clock.
Illustrations, Fold Out Maps, Lift Tab Books and Mementos in Picture Books Brings Learning to Life
Also, I have a huge Marco Polo unit study where your child can make a mythological map, an interactive extend a timeline book, terracotta warriors, an artful mosaic and salt dough map. Add in my free Marco Polo and lapbook study to enrich this book.
My next choice is Archie’s War – My Scrapbook of The First World War.
This book is full of comic strips with a collage or scrapbook style. Although war is not a comical matter, I’ve always struggled with teaching my boys about wars and this book gives a picture of what life would have been like in World War I in an entertaining way.Through letters, drawings and through collages articles from that time period, your kids can appreciate the emotion of the time period.Also, because it is about World War I, your kids can read about snippets going on in other parts of the world along with an easy timeline.How rationing begins and how life is never the same again is a message that is gently weaved through the newspaper headlines, letters and diary like quotes throughout the book.One of the best things I didn’t realize about this book is that some of the things are actual mementos of the time period. This is one period that Tiny and I are wanting to focus more on.
Be sure to grab my free World War II lapbook and learn to make ration cakes as a follow up to this book.
The the last book John Muir America’s First Environmentalist is the perfect book for an outdoors adventure. From Muir’s birthplace in Scotland to Florida and California, John Muir was the ultimate nature adventurer. Sketching natural journals while learning about the local flora and fauna your child can love nature and appreciate it through his fascinating life.Learning about Yosemite National Park and Muir’s love to preserve the wilderness, this book has us researching for hours about songbirds, Sequoia, Canada and the Aurora Borealis.
Look at this free spring unit study about John Muir where we did several hands-on activities. One we did was to learn how ice affects mountains.
If you’re looking to use one book with all of your children to learn about far away places from the comfort of your chair, you’ll swoon over the choices by Candlewick Press. We easily have several more unit studies planned.
Look at this coupon below and enter the giveaway.
There will be 50 winners in the giveaway. That is a lot of winners and so generous. Enter the giveaway because you never know you may win! Read the rules carefully and use the promo code: Candlewick at checkout.
How to purchase them.
►Product Names: Cleopatra Queen of Egypt, Marco Polo History’s Great Adventurer, Archie’s War – My Scrapbook of The First World War, Into the Unknown – How Great Explorers Found Their Way by Land, Sea, and Air and John Muir America’s First Environmentalist.
►Website: Candlewick Press.
While you’re there, don’t miss these series: SPARKS for New Readers, Judy Moody and Stink, Read & Wonder, Brand New Readers and Candlewick Biographies.
►Suitable for Ages: 8 to 12 or grades 3 – 7.
Hugs and love ya,
Don’t forget to follow BOTH of my Pinterest accounts for AWESOME pins.