Why I LOVE this book: As a teacher of world history, there is SO much to know! Bauer's book is a complete picture of the ancient world. The way it is organized makes it easy to pick and choose the topics that are relevant to you. It is littered with primary sources which are so important for teaching social studies. I often use those sources to create grade-level appropriate activities. I'm working on getting them published to my TPT store. She also has other books that cover the Medieval and Renaissance worlds.

Why I LOVE these books: These books are amazing because each reading is one page and each has 5 multiple choice questions and 1 short answer. Each set of questions is the simliar. For example, there is always a question about vocabulary, putting events in order, the main idea of a paragraph, etc. Each page of reading is straight-forward and well-rounded. The only drawback is the lack of keys for the questions, but that is a small price to pay! There are also books by the same publisher that address different historical periods and grade levels.

Why I LOVE this book: Every year, I have kids ask me what happened to the amazing civilizations we studied? Why did some thrive and expand, while others perished? In looking for my own answers, I stumbled upon this book (and it's accompanying PBS video series). Most middle school curriculum teaches through a geographic lens. In this book, Jared Diamond theorizes that it was geography that led to the ultimate success, and demise, of certain socieites. I was so fascinated by the premise, I designed a mini-unit simulation around the idea. I'm working to get that published to my TPT store!