SOTW: Narration - Ancient Asia and Africa

W is currently learning about Ancient Asia and Africa in The Story of the World Vol. 1. With these lessons we first read the book, then work on map work or coloring activities, then a day or so later we review by listening to the CD chapters we covered and then do narration. This way I find the stories sink in more for him (and me). We are not completely classical in our approach by any means, I don't think we could live up to the rigorous schedule, but I do like some of the methods and materials.

Map of Ancient China with the Yellow River Valley colored in. W remembered the Yangtze River from The Story About Ping which he rowed for FIAR last year. :) He also got some library books about China for last week to go along with this theme. 

W playing with tangrams

Chinese Pictograms 

W's notebook was mistakenly left outside as you might be able to tell from this pic (oops) so some if it got wet from dew but it is dried out now and usable again. 

W really loved the stories about Anansi the spider from Ancient Africa. Here is an example from the narration book, we just use an empty drawing booklet and I write what W says to summarize what he read. It doesn't have to be long but it gets him to articulate the way he understood the story. He drew a picture for the narration of Anansi and the make believe food.