The Story of the World Volume 3
A captivating, story-driven journey through early modern history that makes the 1500s to Gold Rush come alive for curious young learners.
$21.95
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2026 Third-Grade Curriculum Kit
The Story of the World Volume 3
World history from 1600 to 1850 includes revolutions, expanding empires, scientific discoveries, political change, trade routes, exploration, and rapid cultural shifts. Volume 3 organizes these events into a story-driven history program designed to help students understand how people, places, and events connect across time.
Students encounter rulers, explorers, inventors, political movements, changing civilizations, and major world events while studying the Early Modern period through narrative lessons rather than isolated facts and dates.
Designed primarily for grades 1–6, Volume 3 serves as the third book in Susan Wise Bauer’s four-volume world history series.
Inside the text, families will find:
- A pronunciation guide for unfamiliar names and places
- Timelines to help students follow historical progression
- Illustrations by Jeff West
- Maps throughout the book to reinforce geography and historical context
Students explore topics ranging from figures such as Catherine the Great to events like the Black Hole of Calcutta while building a broader understanding of how societies changed during the Early Modern era.
Families can read aloud together, assign independent reading, or use the text as the foundation for a full year of Early Modern history study.
The Story of the World is not faith-based but introduces important historical figures, cultures, and religions throughout world history.
See some sample pages from the first part of Story of the World: Volume 3.
How to Use The Story of the World Volume 3: Early Modern Times
- Read one chapter aloud together, and assign independent reading. Many families complete one or two chapters each week, depending on schedule and age level.
- After each chapter, ask your child to retell what happened. Narration helps students organize information, strengthen comprehension, and retain historical events without requiring additional worksheets.
- A pace of approximately three chapters every two weeks gives students time for reading, activities, review, and discussion while still allowing most families to complete the book during a typical school year.
Whether reading, listening, or discussing, the goal is simple: help students connect Early Modern Times into one continuous story rather than isolated events and dates.
Features of the 2019 Revised Edition
Publisher's Information
Author: Susan Wise Bauer
Number of Pages: 510
Format: Paperback
Publisher: Well-Trained Mind Press
Edition/Copyright: 2019
Printed In: USA
ISBN: 9781945841446
Consumable: No
Faith-Based: No
The Old Schoolhouse Excellence in Education WinnerFind answers to the most frequently asked questions about this product below:
Families can successfully begin with whatever time period most interests them. Some families prefer starting with ancient times and unraveling the story sequentially until modern times. Yet because the full scope of history is taught repeatedly up through high school, it is okay to skip volumes, knowing that the same events will be covered later.
One difference between the two series is their target age. The Story of the World is primarily for elementary students, with Volume I recommended for 1st through 4th grade and Volume IV for 4th through 8th grade. The Mystery of History's reading level begins at about 4th or 5th grade in Volume I and progresses to 10th or 11th grade in Volume IV, although it is easily adaptable for multiple ages.
Another key difference is the religious perspective. The Story of the World aims to narrate from a neutral perspective. It covers major religious characters and historical events but does not endorse a particular religious view. The Mystery of History is written from a clearly Christian perspective and integrates biblical and church history into the text.
A minor difference between the two series is the student work involved. The Story of the World revolves around the narrative, so all activities, while engaging, are optional. The Mystery of History is also narrative-based but expects more student work. Nonetheless, it is highly adaptable to each student's age and family preferences.
Throughout history, religion has played a major role in shaping the world for significant reasons:
- Religion has shaped the development of civilizations. Many of the world's major civilizations, such as ancient Egypt, Greece, and Rome, were founded on religious beliefs. Religion has also played a role in law, government, and education development.
- Religion has been a source of conflict and violence. Wars have been fought over religious differences, and religious persecution has been common throughout history.
- Religion has influenced art, music, and literature. Religious themes have been a source of inspiration for artists, musicians, and writers for centuries.
In short, religion is mentioned in world history because it has greatly shaped human societies and cultures throughout history. Religion has been a complex and multifaceted force in human history, and its influence continues to be felt today.
The Story of the World Volume 3 includes figures from both Famous Figures of the Early Modern Era and Famous Figures of the American Revolution.
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- September 24, 2026
Adrianne N.
I love this history program, I am learning right along with my girls. It bounces around to all different parts of the world at that specific time in history, it’s engaging and interesting and the workbook has so much extra, something for any interest.
- September 23, 2026
Steph H.
The Story of the World has become a highlight for my son and me during our school week. He started homeschooling in grade 2, so we borrowed a copy of the first volume to move through quickly before beginning the second volume. This year we are beginning with volume 3, and it does not disappoint. The story format is right at this age level. It contains a lot of historical information without overwhelming my almost 8 year old son. I read the chapter to him or we listen to the chapter read aloud. The Story of the World is a great resource!
- February 16, 2025
Favorite world stories
Kristen F.
The story of the world series is my daughters favorite type of history. She likes learning about the different cultures and how the leaders rise and fall from their kingdoms. The chapters are typically about 7-8 pages long, but you can read 1 chapter in about 30 minutes.
- October 3, 2024
Amazing!
Tasha G.
I truly wish this was how they taught history when I was a kid. The stories make sense and bring history to life. We remember more of the information and have a great time reading it together. Well worth it and very easy to use for multiple kids!
- December 12, 2022
Story of the world
Hayes
Picks up where volume 2 leaves off. If you're a fan of the first two volumes then you will probably like this too. If you're looking at this and haven't used the first two I'd suggest getting volume one first.
- April 7, 2021
Great history Curriculum
Rachel C.
We really like the Story of the World history curriculum. The reading book is easy to use and understand.
- March 12, 2021
It works.
Samantha
The curriculum as a whole is working for us and my son is retaining the information. I feel like it is a little overwhelming, the chapters are long and contain a ton of info. We have been reading it without son, but I think he could easily read it by himself. I do think it would be a good idea to have the audio CD, which we didn't get. Overall, it works for us, but I think its a little dry. I do no have any other social studies to compare it to.
- December 13, 2020
Very good resourceful history ‘
Tatyana L.
We love listening to the stories !
- September 17, 2020
AWESOME
Kat
Great content
- September 17, 2020
Wonderful!
Nina S.
Age appropriate, in depth, and appropriately paced history book!
