We finished up the last five chapters of SOTW I, chapters 38 - 42, the end of the Jewish nation, through the end of Rome.
For some reason, our library has gotten rid of every single book about Masada. I have this one at home and suggested it:
http://www.amazon.com/Story-Masada-Yigael-Yadin/dp/0394816862/ref=sr_1_8?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1363805140&sr=1-8&keywords=masada
It is about the archaeological excavation of Masada, interwoven with the telling of the story of the last siege there and how the archaeology determined finally how that played out....
Also, Neil Waldman's book is a simpler version, but again, our library has done away with it:
http://www.amazon.com/Masada-Neil-Waldman/dp/1590780639/ref=sr_1_9?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1363805140&sr=1-9&keywords=masada
There are some arguments now that at least parts of the Masada story were fictionalized:
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/shows/religion/portrait/masada.html
http://hnn.us/articles/25292.html
I felt this time period was the perfect time for Rosemary Sutcliff's books, if not read earlier: The Eagle of the Ninth, The Silver Branch, and the Lantern Bearers. It is a trilogy that begins during the time of the Roman occupation of Britain and sort of follows the end of Rome from the viewpoint of those out on the British frontier at the time. The last occurs right after the sudden Roman withdrawal from Britain, when the barbarian invaders begin to attack the weakened island....
I don't know if there are any audio versions of this available any where or not. It would be great if there were.
The Shining Company, another book by her, is another perfect one for this time period. It is about a band of 300 younger sons (so mirrors the 300 at Thermopylae) who take up shields to fight against the invading Saxons.
Another of hers set in Roman Britain is Outcast, a Roman orphan gets shipwrecked on the shore of a part of Britain still under Celtic control and is raised by them. He ends up getting cast out by them and when he returns to a Roman town, he is sold into slavery on a galley....
The Last Legion was a good movie set during this time period that follows what many archaeologists are beginning to feel was the "real," historical Arthur (or his father). Many now think that the legends about Arthur cover two or even three individuals who were related and ruled one after the other. I'm not sure what it's rated or why, but I think any rating is related to the fighting in it. Perhaps you could find a review online. My boys both loved it.
And here's a scholar who says the Roman connection is rubbish, but Arthur did rule from Loch Lomond (Scotland) down into Wales. Since lots of legend makes his birth Welsh, that might make more sense:
http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2004/07/0728_040722_kingarthur.html
Other possible historical models for Arthur:
http://www.britannia.com/history/arthur/kaking.html
Other possible historical models for Arthur:
http://www.britannia.com/history/arthur/kaking.html
Possible archaeological evidence:
More library books:
Beowulf the warrior.New York :H.Z. Walck,1961.
Of swords and sorcerers : the adventures of King Arthur and his knights.New
York, N.Y. :Scribner ;,c1993.
King Arthur.New York :DK Pub.,1998.
The hero Beowulf.New York :Farrar, Straus and Giroux,2005.
Beowulf.Cambridge, Mass. :Candlewick Press,c2006.
Sir Gawain and the Green Knight.Cambridge, Mass. :Candlewick Press,2004.
Early Britain : the Celtics, Romans, and Anglo-Saxons.New York :Watts,1972.
Beowulf : a hero's tale retold.Boston :Houghton Mifflin Co.,c2007.
Young Arthur.New York, N.Y. :Bantam Doubleday Dell Pub.,1997.
King Arthur and the Round Table.New York :Morrow Junior Books,c1995.
Excalibur.New York :Books of Wonder/Morrow Junior Books,1996.
The making of a legend : England's King Arthur.Peterborough, N.H. :Cobblestone Publishing Co.,2012.
King Arthur and the knights of the Round Table.Cambridge, Mass. :Candlewick Press,1996
Nat Geo educational video on King Arthur:
I guess you have to register to get the entire movie, vs. just the trailer....
The library (of course) didn't seem to have anything related to the Vandals or Visigoths, but here's a short paragraph on the Visigoths:
http://curiosity.discovery.com/question/visigoths-word
This page also contains some short video clips about the Romans which sound interesting....
Here's another short piece on Alaric (not sure why the videos on the page are about Rome, rather than about the Barbarians, but they are interesting, nevertheless....):
http://curiosity.discovery.com/question/who-was-alaric
Did the Vandals live up to their name?
http://curiosity.discovery.com/question/vandals-word
Why did Attila become so infamous?
http://curiosity.discovery.com/question/why-attila-the-hun-infamous
This last page finally has a video about the wall the Romans built to keep out the Barbarians, so that should be interesting, too! Still didn't see any videos about the Barbarians, themselves....
Here's a map showing some of the areas inhabited by the various "barbaric" tribes (although some of them moved around):
http://wps.ablongman.com/wps/media/objects/262/268312/art/figures/KISH_08_171.gif
Here's another page I found that provides info on the Visigoths and Huns. It's more narrative in writing style:
http://www.mainlesson.com/display.php?author=marshall&book=sketches&story=barbarians
Did the Vandals live up to their name?
http://curiosity.discovery.com/question/vandals-word
Why did Attila become so infamous?
http://curiosity.discovery.com/question/why-attila-the-hun-infamous
This last page finally has a video about the wall the Romans built to keep out the Barbarians, so that should be interesting, too! Still didn't see any videos about the Barbarians, themselves....
Here's a map showing some of the areas inhabited by the various "barbaric" tribes (although some of them moved around):
http://wps.ablongman.com/wps/media/objects/262/268312/art/figures/KISH_08_171.gif
Here's another page I found that provides info on the Visigoths and Huns. It's more narrative in writing style:
http://www.mainlesson.com/display.php?author=marshall&book=sketches&story=barbarians
Weird that my library no longer has any history books available but I suspect that others will discover that to be a problem, too....
And when we got ready to study the Byzantine Empire: Unbelievable, nothing.... Here is one juvenile book I found:
The Byzantine Empire. San Diego, CA : Lucent Books, 1997.
And since we talked about illuminated manuscripts a little, here are some more on that topic:
The sailor who captured the sea : a story of the Book of Kells. New York : HarperCollins, c1991.
The Byzantine Empire. San Diego, CA : Lucent Books, 1997.
And since we talked about illuminated manuscripts a little, here are some more on that topic:
The sailor who captured the sea : a story of the Book of Kells. New York : HarperCollins, c1991.
Magic in the margins : a medieval tale of bookmaking. Boston : Houghton Mifflin, 2007.
Bibles and bestiaries : a guide to illuminated manuscripts. New York : Farrar, Straus, and Giroux, 1994
Here are some online things with more info on the Byzantine Empire:
http://www.ducksters.com/history/middle_ages_byzantine_empire.php
A little animation that's pretty good:
http://www.dailymotion.com/video/xxhuoe_kid-s-animated-history-with-pipo-the-byzantine-empire-part-1_lifestyle#.UYAYuN_D_V0
(Part one is divided by a commercial in the middle.... I think the entire thing is about 10 minutes long. No need to go on to part two after the first part is over as that covers a much later time period than we are studying right now....)
Emperor Justinian:
3-D tour of Hagia Sophia (you will need to understand that it has been a mosque for a long time and so many of the adornments you will see now are Muslim, rather than Christian):
http://www.3dmekanlar.com/en/hagia-sophia.html
Or here's another short tour that shows some of the Christian mosaics (note how fine the pieces are; these include some of the best mosaic work from the ancient world):
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eyH2MG_rh-0
Empress Theodora (I don't think this one is too racy, but you might want to just peruse it first):
http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/590611/Theodora
Here are the books I recommended for India and the rise of Islam chapters. I hope the ones for India are not too duplicative of ones I suggested earlier in the year. There are few books left at our library for this culture/time period:
The white nights of Ramadan. Honesdale, Pa. : Boyds Mills Press, 2008.
http://www.3dmekanlar.com/en/hagia-sophia.html
Or here's another short tour that shows some of the Christian mosaics (note how fine the pieces are; these include some of the best mosaic work from the ancient world):
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eyH2MG_rh-0
Empress Theodora (I don't think this one is too racy, but you might want to just peruse it first):
http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/590611/Theodora
Here are the books I recommended for India and the rise of Islam chapters. I hope the ones for India are not too duplicative of ones I suggested earlier in the year. There are few books left at our library for this culture/time period:
The white nights of Ramadan. Honesdale, Pa. : Boyds Mills Press, 2008.
In the heart of the village : the world of the Indian Banyan tree. San Francisco : Sierra Club Books, 1996. (INDIA - already requested?)
Science in early Islamic culture. New York : F. Watts, c1998.
Once a mouse-- : a fable cut in wood. New York : Scribner, 1961. (INDIA)
Muhammad. New York : Margaret K. McElderry Books, 2003.
Ramadan. New York : Holiday House, 1996.
The golden sandal : a Middle Eastern Cinderella story. New York : Holiday House, 1998.
India's Gupta dynasty, A.D. 320-510. Peterborough, NH : Cobblestone Pub., 2002. (INDIA - already requested earlier in year?)
Id-ul-Fitr. Austin, Tex. : Raintree Steck-Vaughn, c1997.
What you will see inside a mosque. Woodstock, Vt. : Skylight Paths Pub., c2003.
Muslim child : understanding Islam through stories and poems. Morton Grove, Ill. : Albert Whitman & Co., 2002.
The three princes : a tale from the Middle East. New York : Holiday House, 1994.
Sacred river. New York : Clarion Books, 1995. (INDIA - already requested?)
Ali, child of the desert. New York : Lothrop, Lee & Shepard Books, 1997.
Iblis. San Diego : Harcourt Brace Jovanovich, c1994.
The hundredth name. Honesdale, Pa. : Boyds Mills Press, c1995.
The wise fool : fables from the Islamic world. Cambridge, MA : Barefoot Books, 2011.
Muslim. Danbury, Conn. : Childrens Press, 1996.
The very hungry lion : a folktale. Toronto ;: Annick Press ;, c1996. (INDIA)
Sacred places. San Diego : Harcourt Brace & Co., c1996. (BOTH)
Sindbad in the land of giants. Toronto, Ont. ;: Tundra Books, c2001.
Sindbad : from the tales of The thousand and one nights. Toronto, Ont. ;: Tundra Books, c1999.
Sindbad's secret. Toronto, Ont. ;: Tundra Books, c2003.
No books on the Ajanta Caves, but here's a UNESCO website showing pictures of the caves. A lot of the shrines we are beginning to cover in various chapters of this book are still visited today and many are considered world heritage sites due to the artwork and architecture they contain:
Books for the chapter on China, Korea and Japan:
Science in ancient China. New York : F. Watts, c1988.
Tales of a Korean grandmother. Garden City, N.Y. : Doubleday, 1947.
Lord of the cranes : a Chinese tale. New York : North-South Books, c2000.
Children of Ancient Japan. Peterborough, NH : Cobblestone Pub., 2006.
The Korean Cinderella. New York, NY : HarperCollinsPublishers, c1993. (Let's do some more folklore comparisons)
Mr. Pak buys a story. Morton Grove, Ill. : Albert Whitman & Company, 1997.
The story about Ping [book and CD]. New York, N.Y. : Puffin Books, 1977. (very easy, but set on the Yangtze River)
Lóng is a dragon : Chinese writing for children. San Francisco : China Books & Periodicals, c1991.
Cool melons--turn to frogs! : the life and poems of Issa. New York : Lee & Low Books, c1998. (Issa actually lived in the seventeenth century, too, but we won't come back to Japan often so we'll do some poetry now)
The boy who drew cats. New York : Holiday House, 2002. (We love this one!)
Two of everything. Morton Grove, Ill. : A. Whitman, 1993.
Colors of Japan. Minneapolis : Carolrhoda Books, c1997.
Yeh-Shen : a Cinderella story from China. New York : Philomel Books, c1982.
You wouldn't want to be a Samurai! : a deadly career you'd rather not pursue. New York : Franklin Watts, 2010, c2009. (some Samurai stuff may be from later, say seventeenth century, but it's impossible to find books that just treat the early info)
The silk route : 7,000 miles of history. [New York] : HarperCollins, 1995. (This will talk about Byzantium, too - I don't *think* I have already mentioned this one, but ignore it if I have....)
Maples in the mist : children's poems from the Tang Dynasty. New York : Lothrop, Lee & Shepard, c1996. (These poems are actually from the time period we are studying)
Little Oh. New York : Lothrop, Lee & Shepard Books/Morrow, c1997.
Easy origami. New York : Dover Publications, 1992.
Easy origami. New York, N.Y. : Puffin Books, 1994.
The Japanese samurai. New York : Marshall Cavendish Benchmark, c2010.
The warlord's puzzle. Gretna : Pelican Pub., c2000.
Mrs. Harkness and the panda. New York : Alfred A. Knopf, c2012. (another story set on the Yangtze)
Life in ancient Japan. New York : Crabtree Pub., c2005.
In the moonlight mist : a Korean tale. Honesdale, Pa. : Boyds Mills Press, 1999.
The Yellow River : a 5000 year journey through China. Los Angeles : Knapp Press, 1987. (This is an oversize, adult book, but I thought the pictures might be interesting to him.)
The Tang Dynasty (A.D. 618-907). Peterborough, NH : Cobblestone Pub., 2003.
Cat and Rat : the legend of the Chinese zodiac. New York : H. Holt, 1995
Next, the books for Australia, New Zealand and the Pacific:
An adventure in New Zealand. New York : Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers, c1992.
An adventure in New Zealand. New York : Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers, c1992.
Easter Island : giant stone statues tell of a rich and tragic past. New York : Clarion Books, c2000.
The pumpkin runner. New York : Dial Books for Young Readers, c1998.
Australia's first people : the world's oldest culture?. Peterborough, NH : Cobblestone Pub., 2013.
The aboriginal peoples of Australia. Minneapolis : Lerner, 2002.
Aboriginal art & culture. Chicago, Ill. : Raintree, c2005.
1,000 years ago on planet Earth. Boston : Houghton Mifflin, 1999. (This one will make a good wrap-up)
The singing snake. New York : Hyperion Books for Children, c1993.
Destination Australia. Washington, D.C. : National Geographic Society, c2000.
Parrots. New York : Benchmark Books/Marshall Cavendish, c1996.
Land of the long white cloud : Maori myths, tales and legends. New York : Arcade Pub. :, c1989.
Rainbow bird : an aboriginal folktale from Northern Australia. Boston : Little, Brown and Co., 1993.
Stories from the Billabong. London : Frances Lincoln Children's Books, 2008.
Kakapo rescue : saving the world's strangest parrot. Boston, [Mass.] : Houghton Mifflin Books for Children, 2010.
Dreamtime : aborginal stories. New York : Lothrop, Lee & Shepard Books, 1994.
Maori. New York, NY : Weigl Publishers, c2005.
The Pacific Ocean. Woodbridge, Conn. : Blackbirch Press, c1999.
Seahorse reef : a story of the south Pacific. Norwalk, CT : Soundprints, 2000.
Sun Mother wakes the world : an Australian creation story. New York : HarperCollins, 2004
We began the year anew last week by reviewing the chapters on Japan and Australia (9 and 10). We are moving into studying the Franks and Merovingians next week, up through Charlemagne (chapters 11 and 13).
Regena
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