For our studies of Ancient History this year we are using Susan Weis Bauer’s Story of the World Vol. 1 alongside our Bible reading. It has been an awesome resource as it is written so well for a lower elementary audience. Just as much a story teller as much as she is a historian, Bauer knows how to capture the attention in her short biographies and funny stories of characters long ago. As we read about Daniel and King Nebuchadnezzar in our Bible, we also read about the Hanging Gardens of Babylon that the king ordered built for his princess to keep her comfortable in her absence from her homeland and longing for Persia. As we talked about the libraries that were built and the great city gates, we also introduced a tale that had been in Babylonian culture for centuries and written in cuneiform on tablets of clay, “The Epic of Gilgamesh.” Ancient stories are so fascinating and I have to say that this one does not disappoint! It is the fascinating tale of an ancient friendship between two unlikely people, the history of a flood that killed all but one and his family, and the story of the search for immortality. It hits so close to the longings of the human heart and is easily compared to the story of Noah. Even for my second grader, it was easy for him to see that God’s word is true and ancient stories like this one, even though it was told by a people who’s hearts were far from God, still held echos of the truth of long ago. The version we read was found at our local library, although you could purchase your own.
I would also recommend the “Epic of Gilgamesh Trilogy”:
Now before you get too impressed with our homeschooling curriculum, let me just say that I’ve never read this story and yes, teaching ancient literature is just a tad intimidating to me. But, honestly, I can think of no better way to learn something that to teach it. And, these stories, since they are all new to me as well, are best introduced in pint sized form. I’ll be learning ancient Greek Literature the same way in our next unit…this mama is going to school too, ya’ll. (I love how Paula Dean says ya’ll… just felt like trying it…ok, next subject). Here’s a few more links so that you can see all of the resources we used for our studies of Ancient Babylon. You can also take a look at our Bible Studies in the Bible Category:
For Bible we read aloud from our Children’s Bible:
For History we read aloud from Story of the World Vol.1.
Then we do the accompanying student pages for activities/narrations.
Writing Assignments:
Here is an example of how I often times handle writing assignments after we have read a book. When we were finished reading “The Epic of Gilgamesh,” I talked with my son about all the different parts of the story, essentially having him narrate back to me what he remembered from the story. To take it a step further, I asked the question, “What do you think is the moral of the story?” or “What can we learn from Gilgamesh’s friendship with Enkidu?” This was his response and I had him write it down. Then he drew a picture to illustrate his favorite part of the tale.
I hope our studies of Ancient Babylon have helped you on your way. Here’s a quick bulleted recap of how you can study any ancient culture:
- Use a text as your spine (SOTW Vol. 1)
- Read a book that is a biography or period literature (Epic of Gilgamesh)
- Finish with a writing assignment that helps to re-cap/narrate the story.
- You can download the All-Purpose Blank Journal Page pictured above here.
And there you have it,
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