World History: The Fertile Crescent to the American Revolution (video course)

Name: World History: The Fertile Crescent to the American Revolution (video course)
Brand: The Great Courseshttps://www.thegreatcoursesplus.com/shop?utm_source=Affiliate&utm_medium=Affiliate_Awin&utm_campaign=

by The Great Courseshttps://www.thegreatcoursesplus.com/shop?utm_source=Affiliate&utm_medium=Affiliate_Awin&utm_campaign=

Social_studiesGrades 9–12

World History: The Fertile Crescent to the American Revolution: Character-Based Video Series

This is a 30-lesson video supplement featuring teacher Lin Thompson who uses costumes and character portrayals to present world history from ancient times through the American Revolution. The course includes study workbooks with comprehension and essay questions but is designed as a supplement rather than a complete curriculum.

Best for

High school students (grades 9-12) who benefit from engaging, story-based supplemental instruction in world history, particularly those using it alongside a comprehensive textbook curriculum

Evaluation Criteria

1 concern · 3 neutral · 3 insufficient evidence

Teacher TrainingConcern

The curriculum provides minimal teacher support, consisting mainly of answer keys in the study workbook. No comprehensive teacher training materials are mentioned.

Review mentions 'suggested answers and key points to look for' are provided in the study workbook, but no other teacher support materials

Direct InstructionNeutral

The curriculum provides direct instruction through video lectures, though delivered in a storytelling format with character portrayals. The approach appears engaging but may lack systematic content delivery.

Teacher 'dresses in costume and takes on various historical characters' and 'tells stories rather than just lecturing'

Retrieval PracticeNeutral

The curriculum includes some retrieval practice through comprehension questions in the study workbook. However, the extent and systematic nature of this practice is unclear.

Study workbook contains 'ten comprehensive questions plus two essay questions' per lesson that ask 'who, what, where, why, and how type questions'

Chronological KnowledgeNeutral

The curriculum covers broad historical periods chronologically from the Fertile Crescent through the American Revolution. However, as a supplemental course with only 30 lessons, the chronological coverage appears limited in scope.

Review mentions coverage of 'early Egypt, Ancient Rome, Chinese dynasties, and the Protestant Reformation' in chronological sequence, but notes this 'is not a complete course'

Primary SourcesInsufficient Evidence

No evidence of primary source engagement is provided in the available review. The focus appears to be on storytelling and character portrayals rather than document analysis.

Review emphasizes 'Thompson tells stories rather than just lecturing' and character-based presentations, with no mention of primary sources

Vocabulary BuildingInsufficient Evidence

The curriculum appears to lack explicit vocabulary instruction based on the available review evidence. The focus is on storytelling rather than academic vocabulary development.

No mention of vocabulary instruction in the review, which focuses on storytelling approach and essay questions

Geographic KnowledgeInsufficient Evidence

Geographic knowledge appears limited based on the available evidence. The curriculum covers various civilizations but without clear emphasis on geographic understanding.

Review mentions coverage of different regions (Egypt, Rome, China) but provides no specific details about geographic instruction

Sources: cathyduffyreviews.com