World History help please...Spielvogel and Teaching Company ?

[michellem]

I recently purchased The Human Odyssey by Spielvogel to use along with some other things for World History 9th Grade. After looking through the text I think I am going to make it my spine and find some other things to go with it. Any ideas of things you all have used and liked as supplements. Also how much of this text is reasonable to cover in one year of World History? Has anyone used the video lectures from the Teaching Company? I am considering the World History with Professor Linwood Thompson but it seems to get some mixed reviews. Any help will be appreciated. Thanks,
Michelle

[Cindy in Indy]

I viewed a few of the lectures by Linwood Thompson and found them not very "meaty". Perhaps kind of fun (if you were sitting in a classroom), but probably not the best use of your precious time and $$.

I might try the TC "adult" world history lectures instead.

That's my opinion. ymmv.
Cindy in Indy

[Harrison_B]

I have a few of the Teaching Company's DVDs and I found them very informative. I have Linwood Thompson's Early American History Lectures and we found him entertaining; however, certain of his accents (especially the Vikings) we had a hard time following him. He does get dressed up as the characters. The study guide that goes with the series has vocabulary, comprehension questions, and an essay each week.

My favorite professor in the Teaching Company is Professor Rufus J. Fears. His DVD's includes: The Wisdom of History, Books That Made History, Romen Men, Greek Men, Winston Churchill. He teaches at the college level and I find his lectures fascinating. I have learn so much from him and he has a great way of telling history as a story. I do hope this helps you. I hope this helps you. :001_smile:

Terri

[EKS]

We have the Linwood Thompson lectures and I would classify them as "edutainment". They're fairly good if this is what you're looking for, but if you want something meatier, I would look at some of the other Teaching Company products. For example, we used Big History last summer and found it to be very interesting. I intend to use the western civilization series as well as the US history series when we get to high school history.