World History Homeschool Bundle (2016 Edition)

Savvas brings the standards of a classroom curriculum to homeschool. This homeschool bundle includes a hardcover student text, two Teacher Resource DVDROMS, and a postcard with instructions for registering for online access to teaching resources, an e-text, videos and much more.
The student text is substantial, with 1110 pages. There are 21 chronological "topics" or units, starting with the origins of civilization and ending with the world today (1980-present). Each topic is divided into shorter chapters, which end with several assessment questions. There are plenty of visuals, including illustrations, maps, charts, artwork from that period and more. "Topics" each include objectives, terms to define, end-of-unit assessment questions and a reminder to go online to SavvasRealize.com for digital resources.
All of the teaching resources are found online at SavvasRealize.com. You will receive a postcard with your bundle that includes instructions on setting up an account. (Note: make sure you select the course title itself - World History 2016 - instead of searching for an actual school code.) Once logged in, click on the course title and you will see the table of contents for the course. When you click on a Topic, you will see several lessons for that unit, along with some additional assignments such as projects, videos or document-based activities. Printable tests and reviews can also be accessed here. Students can also access, download and print "Interactive Reading Notepads" which are Word documents that correlate with the reading assignments and offer space for notes and questions to check comprehension and understanding. Teaching resources for each lesson are found on the right side of the screen and typically include: answer keys (for the Interactive Reading Notepads, quizzes, and text questions); lesson summaries (provided in text, audio, Spanish and Spanish audio); teaching suggestions for English Language Learners, and a Lesson Organizer document which is a kind of a lesson plan with a listing of all of the readings, assignments, and objectives for the lesson. Teachers also have the ability to customize tests for each lesson, adding questions from a testbank or writing their own. You also have the option to create a class and track student assignment progress. There is a lot to look at at SavvasRealize.com, so I would plan to spend some time browsing through what is offered to familiarize yourself with where to locate all of the various resources.
The third part of the bundle is the Teacher Resource DVD-ROM set. No printables, assessments or lesson plans are included on these DVD-ROMs.
Computer requirements for DVD-ROMs: Windows XP, Vista and 7; Mac Version 10.6.8 and 10.7x. This course is a good option for families looking for a secular high school world history course where both teacher and student have reliable internet access. There is a good amount of video and audio content, which will appeal to students who may struggle with a completely textbook-based course.