Story of the World, Vol. 4, Chapter 25

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Story of the World, Vol. 4, Chapter 25 covers armies in China. The first story talks about Japan, China, and a pretend emperor. The second story talks about the long march. It also introduces Chairman Mao to the children.

The Chrysanthemum throne paper craft

The Chrysanthemum throne paper craft

Having grown up under communism, this information is painful and very difficult to process. I cannot begin to tell you how badly I feel for Chinese people who still have to live under communism. Continue reading »


Story of the World, Vol. 4, Chapter 17

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Story of the World vol. 4 chapter 17 covers China’s troubles. From the Boxer Rebellion to the Czar and the Japanese Admiral who end up fighting over bits and pieces of China, we travel to the East again.

Balloon torpedo craft supplies

Balloon torpedo craft supplies

This is an intricate chapter. I am glad I decided not to complete the outline of the stories in volume 4. Even I would not be able to do it without going back and forth several times between the book and the worksheet. Continue reading »


Story of the World, Vol. 4, Chapter 4

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For chapter 4, we traveled to the Italian peninsula and then to China. It was so interesting to really stop and think about the fact that there was no Italy in 1850. The small states on the boot-shaped peninsula were either ruled by Italian princes or by Austria. Talk about a mess that needs to be cleaned up.

Gluten free pizza - Scharr crust

Gluten free pizza – Scharr crust, my toppings

Garibaldi came into the picture, as well as the Young Italy Society, which reminded me of the Young England Society who tried to assassinate Queen Victoria over in England about the same time. I feel good when I start to make connections of my own as we study. Continue reading »


Story of the World, Vol. 3, Chapter 39

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In chapter 39, we traveled to China. The kids were appalled by the greediness of the English merchants and the weak character of the Chinese who got addicted to opium. It was another opportunity to talk about smoking and illegal drugs, as well as the love of money.

Gluten free, vegan poppy seed muffins

Gluten free, vegan poppy seed muffins

We made poppy seed muffins for our craft. Since I had to go on a gluten free diet, I have been perfecting my gluten free baking skills. I like my creations, but my children do not. Oh well. More for me. Continue reading »


Story of the World, Vol. 3, Chapter 28

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Chapter 28 is titled “China and the Rest of the World.” It is meant to contrast how the Chinese viewed themselves versus how the world (mainly Great Britain) saw China. If you ever needed a conversation starter on the topic of illegal drugs, this would be it.

Girl throwing clay on toy pottery wheel

Working with air dry clay and a toy pottery wheel

By now, you know I use these history lessons to make applications to our daily lives. Because the opium trade is discussed in the second story of the chapter, this was my opportunity to cover the bad long-term consequences of drugs. Continue reading »


Story of the World, Vol. 3, Chapter 20

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Chapter 20 dealt with Ch’ien Lung (Qianlong) in two different stories. The first focused on his interest in books. Ch’ien Long was a patron of the arts in general, but he really, really liked books. He knew there were lots of books all over China and he wanted them in one place, for posterity. Yes, it sounds like he wanted a library.

Chi'en Lung (public domain picture)

Chi’en Lung (public domain picture)

He sent men all over China to gather up these volumes and split them into four categories. Then, he ordered them copied so that he may have nine copies of each. Of course, they copied them by hand. Continue reading »