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In many states, sixth grade is the year students learn world history. Generally, textbooks begin with early peoples and their journey across Asia and over the ancient land bridge of Beringia to populate North America. Your grandchildren learn about the great civilizations and empires of history from textbooks that have a wider scope than those you or your children used years ago. (For example, there's more information on India, Southeast Asia, Africa, and South America in today's textbooks.) Sixth-grade books also tend to ignore U.S. history, because most students covered it extensively in grade five. Early in the year, students learn about the pharaohs of ancient Egypt — and the Eastern African civilization that briefly conquered Egypt; the emperor who united China and began building the Great Wall; the Greeks and Romans; and the vast Muslim empire of the medieval world, including its many scientific accomplishments. In the second half of the year, the focus is on the Renaissance; European exploration and colonization; the Industrial Revolution; and finally the wars of the 20th century. Throughout the year, students expand their map- and chart-reading skills as they continue their study of geography, and learn to research, organize, and present information in oral reports to the class.
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Religious Studies. Along with learning about the origins of world civilizations, sixth-graders also learn about the development of the world's major religions, including Buddhism, Hinduism, Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. For this reason, ethnic and religious groups across the political spectrum heavily scrutinize these textbooks. Sometimes, groups mount a protest or even sue publishers over the representation of their faiths in textbooks.
• Art and culture are big parts of the world-history curriculum, as students learn that great art didn't begin with the
Mona Lisa. Go online with your grandchildren to show them some the world's earliest-known artworks, the remarkable
cave paintings from Lescaux, France. But knowing da Vinci remains important, and a book like Alison Cole's
Eyewitness: Renaissance (DK, 2000) can introduce Renaissance masterpieces to your grandchildren.
• Jared Diamond's Pulitzer Prize-winning bestseller Guns, Germs, and Steel (W. W. Norton, 1997) takes a fresh look at some of the major forces that shaped world history, in an attempt to answer the question of why some civilizations thrived while others fell. His book has influenced social-studies textbooks since its publication, and reading it will help you gain some insight into the philosophy behind your grandchildren's history class.
• History today is more than lists of dates and names of kings. Teachers want students to get a feel for what life was like in the times and places they're studying. Laura Amy Schlitz's award-winning anthology of medieval monologues, Good Masters! Sweet Ladies!: Voices from a Medieval Village (Candlewick, 2007), introduces students to the Middle Ages in a fresh way.
• Can't tell a steppe from an isthmus? Scholastic offers parents and grandparents an online geography refresher.
• The ancient peoples of Africa are a big part of the world-history curriculum today. One book that brings these civilizations to life is Patricia and Frederick McKissack's The Royal Kingdoms of Ghana, Mali, and Songhay (Henry Holt, 1995) .
The Whole World in Your Hands. Unfold a world map and talk with your grandchildren about the distances between countries, the ways people can travel from place to place, and the natural resources available in different areas. Also, share with the kids your impressions of any places you've visited.
Back to the Cold War. In the spring, sixth-graders should learn about the Cold War, a period of history familiar to most adults. Tell grandchildren what it was like to live during that time, and, taking a step back, what your parents or grandparents told you about world conflicts during their time. Your experience will help grandchildren put today's world conflicts in perspective.
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