Category Archives: Story Sunday

Jul 10 2026

Mystery of History vs. Story of the World: Which Homeschool History Curriculum Is Right for You?

Posted on by

Choosing a homeschool history curriculum can feel overwhelming. Once you’ve decided to homeschool, you’re suddenly faced with dozens of history programs, each promising to be the best. Two of the most popular choices are Story of the World and Mystery of History. Both are excellent, but they represent different approaches to teaching history. Here is the YouTube video if you would rather listen to this information: MOH vs SOTW on YouTube.

Mystery of History vs Story of the World

Mystery of History vs Story of the World – see the YouTube video

 

Story of the World: Learning Through Stories

I personally used Story of the World with my children, completing all four volumes twice—once when my oldest was in first grade and again beginning in fifth grade. Continue reading »

Apr 4 2026

Story of the World vs Notgrass History: Which Homeschool Curriculum Is Best?

Posted on by

If history feels like a struggle in your homeschool, the problem may not be the subject—it’s the method.

When taught well, history comes alive. So how do you choose between Story of the World vs Notgrass History?

The answer depends on your child. Watch on YouTube or keep reading.

Story of the World vs Notgrass History

Story of the World vs Notgrass History

 

Story of the World: Engaging and Story-Driven

Story of the World presents history as a narrative, covering ancient to modern times across four volumes. Continue reading »

Mar 7 2019

Story of the World, Vol. 4, Chapter 42

Posted on by

Story of the World, Vol. 4, Chapter 42 (titled “The End of the Twentieth Century”) is the last chapter in volume 4 and, as such, the end of our journey through Story of the World volumes 1-4. It has been a long and pleasant journey. Every year, we covered this curriculum in a different way.

Andrew Johnson Bust

Bust of one of three US presidents from TN, Andrew Johnson – at the Tennessee Capitol in Nashville.

One year, we faithfully followed every suggestion in the book, did all the reading comprehension questions and narration exercises, read most of the books recommended, did the mapwork, and at least one craft. Another year, I just could not seem to find time for history. So we crammed it all in during the second semester. Actually, it was more like from the middle of March until June. Continue reading »

Mar 3 2019

Story of the World, Vol. 4, Chapter 41

Posted on by

Story of the World, Vol. 4, Chapter 41 deals with communism again, namely how it crumbled in Europe but survived in China. Arguably the most impactful event of my life – or one of them, for sure – was the fall of the Berlin Wall. Romania left communism behind two months later. We knew our lives would take on a different trajectory than what we had thought previously.

Timeline book

Each child has one of these binders in which they place stickers with important people and events in history.

Did we do a craft? Nope. We did not connect with anything. We are just so close to finishing this book, we did the mapwork and called it a day. Continue reading »

Feb 24 2019

Story of the World, Vol. 4, Chapter 40

Posted on by

Story of the World, Vol. 4, Chapter 40 covers the 1980s in the USSR. I remember when Chernobyl happened and my dad warning us to really wash our apples well. As if radiation can be washed away from an apple.

Nuclear Warning Sign

Nuclear Warning Sign

Meanwhile, over in the US,  my husband says they used to do bomb drills when he was in school. The lesson was, you go under the table. As if being under the table will save you from a nuclear blast. Living so close to Oak Ridge, my husband and his friends actively engaged in speculation that a Russian attack would hit Gatlinburg as well as other parts of East Tennessee.  Continue reading »

Feb 6 2019

Story of the World, Vol. 4, Chapter 39

Posted on by

Story of the World, Vol. 4, Chapter 39 talked about my childhood. Our history book has finally caught up with me. It feels strange to read about one’s lifetime in a history book. We called it “contemporary history” when I was growing up but I see they only call it “modern” here.

Langar meal

First step in a langar meal: roast potatoes and cauliflower, chop tomatoes

The 1980s in the East and the Mideast took us to India after partition and Iran and Iraq. In all honesty, I did not know much about those places. I mean, I knew Indira Gandhi got assassinated by her own body guards but why I did not comprehend. Now I know. And I had never heard of the Bhopal disaster. So this was very educational for me. Continue reading »

Jan 27 2019

Story of the World, Vol. 4, Chapter 38

Posted on by

Story of the World, Vol. 4, Chapter 38 is titled Two Ways of Fighting, referring to Soviet invasions and the rise of international terrorism. Fascinating chapter, of course, for someone who grew up in Eastern Europe. We did not know much about the invasion of Czechoslovakia or Afghanistan under communism. So every new detail I learn or every new angle means a lot to me.

This way to Moscow signs

They made signs and I placed them in the wrong direction so that they would not find the toy.

The first invasion happened before I was born, so I cannot tell you what the communists reported in their highly controlled news at the time. But I do remember reading in the newspaper about the Mujaheddin in the early 80s, when I was in elementary school, and we had to prepare a news flash for a report.  Continue reading »

Jan 17 2019

Story of the World, Vol. 4, Chapter 37

Posted on by

Story of the World, Vol. 4, Chapter 37 has a funny title: Two Short Wars and One Long One. The Vietnam war represents the long war. Two wars in the Middle East appear as the short ones in the titles. After all, they only lasted days.

Apricot coconut rice cake for the Vietnamese Festival of Tet

Apricot coconut rice cake for the Vietnamese Festival of Tet

The Six-Day War lasted exactly six days, miraculously enough. The Yom Kippur War went on for 20 days or so. Of course, the Vietnam War went on for twenty years, with American involvement shifting from economic pressures to actually sending troops. Continue reading »

Jan 4 2019

Story of the World, Vol. 4, Chapter 36

Posted on by

Story of the World, Vol. 4, Chapter 36 is rather dark, covering the assassinations of John F. Kennedy and Martin Luther King Jr. On the bright side, we have the Civil Rights movement and the victory over segregation.

Pop art: comic strips and book cover

Pop art: comic strips and book cover

When the chapter mentioned Rosa Parks, we Googled it and found the famous pictures of her bus protest and subsequent arrest. Also, we pulled up a copy of Martin Luther King Jr.’s famous speech, “I Have a Dream.” I would start crying just reading it, so I let them do the reading to themselves. What is it with me and crying these days? Am I getting soft in my old days?  Continue reading »