The Story of the World Volume 4 Activity Book
Bring modern history to life with engaging maps, crafts, review questions, and projects—designed to make teaching multiple grades easy, flexible, and fun.
$43.95
Quantity:
2026 Fourth-Grade Curriculum Kit
Modern history covers revolutions, industrialization, world wars, political movements, and rapid technological change, which can make it difficult for students to connect events into one larger story. The Activity Book helps students interact with that history through projects, geography, writing, timelines, and hands-on activities.
Designed to accompany The Story of the World Volume 4: The Modern Age, this Activity Book extends lessons covering world history from 1850 through 1994.
Students reinforce learning through activities such as:
- Building a model of the Crystal Palace
- Creating Ned Kelly's armor
- Constructing visual timelines
- Completing map activities and geography work
- Working through writing assignments and research projects
- Using encyclopedia links and curated reading suggestions for deeper study
Designed primarily for grades 4–8, the Activity Book works alongside the history text to help students connect people, places, movements, and historical events across the modern era.
Whether students are building projects, creating timelines, researching historical events, or completing map work, the goal is simple: move beyond reading about history and begin interacting with it.
How to Use The Story of the World Volume 4 Activity Book
The Activity Book is the hands-on companion to The Story of the World Volume 4 history text (also available as an audiobook), sold separately or together as part of Timberdoodle's curriculum kits. You'll need the text or audiobook to use the Activity Book as intended.
- Begin by reading a section from the text or listening to the audiobook before opening the Activity Book. The activities work best when your student already has the historical context.
- After reading, ask your child to retell what he remembers. Narration reinforces comprehension and gives him a chance to organize new information before moving into activities.
- Pick what fits. The Activity Book includes maps, review questions, literature suggestions, writing assignments, research activities, projects, recipes, and hands-on extensions tied to modern history—far more than any one family will do for every chapter. Choose one or two activities per lesson based on what works for your child and your week.
- Move at a pace that fits your family. Many families work through about three chapters every two weeks, which finishes the program in a standard school year while leaving room for reading, projects, discussion, and review. Slower or faster is also fine.
- Adjust by week. Some weeks call for maps and short discussions. Others have room for the bigger projects—building the Crystal Palace, constructing historical models, or research-heavy work tied to the era.
Maps and geography activities help your child connect events with places.
Discussion questions and narration strengthen retention. The audiobook works well for additional review throughout the week, even after the chapter is finished.
You're not behind if you skip activities. The Activity Book is built to be picked from, not finished.
Whether your child is mapping, researching, writing, building, or discussing, the goal is the same: help modern history become something he interacts with, not just something he reads.
- Suggestions for additional history readings
- Lists of literature readings
- Hands-on activities
- Review cards for each chapter
- Covers 1850 to 1994 AD
- From Victoria's Empire to the end of the USSR
Publisher's Information
Author: Susan Wise Bauer
Number of Pages: 403
Format: Paperback
Publisher: Well-Trained Mind Press
Edition/Copyright: 2005
Made In: USA
ISBN: 0972860355
Consumable: Yes
Reproducible: 206 reproducible student pages
For families: You may make as many photocopies of the maps and other Student Pages as you need for use WITHIN YOUR OWN FAMILY ONLY. Schools and co-ops MAY NOT PHOTOCOPY any portion of the Activity Book.
Faith-Based: No
Awards and Endorsements:
The Old Schoolhouse Excellence in Education Winner
Find 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.
Customers earn Doodle Dollars for reviewing products they've purchased, and some promotions add an entry in a prize drawing. Rewards never depend on the rating given.
- April 28, 2024
The activity book deepens the lesson!
Amanda P.
We love the book list in the activity book to deepen each lesson; the map work is our favorite part! There are also activities and coloring sheets.
- April 14, 2023
Packed full of info and projects
Jill W.
We use the activity book along with the audio CD. The questions that it asks for each section are great (and thankfully provide the answers right on the page). Along with the questions, Volume 4 adds complexity with a "timeline" which asks the child to re-tell the information in chronological order. Our daughter isn't quite to this level yet, but I appreciate the purpose and what it teaches kids. Also, ALL of the different projects. You can pick and choose what is best for your family, or even look them up online for examples. You don't need to use everything for it to have amazing value. It inspires us to learn more and I think it helps our daughter that mom & dad find it interesting and she feels that energy and wants to learn more too.
- March 14, 2023
great history worksheets
Bina
We love the worksheets that are in this workbook for history. Our kids love the coloring pages. I use the review questions to do out loud, and we do the maps together too. We just love it!
- May 18, 2022
Just alright
A. P.
We used it, but it wasn't that exciting for my 4th graders. They loved the book, but not the activity book. They actually dreaded anytime the activity book came out. Most of the activity book was a waste for us. It was a struggle to use this.
- October 1, 2020
Need!
Brittany H.
This really brings everything to life. I highly recommend getting this companion product.
- December 31, 2019
Great Companion
Jennifer
The activity books that go along with the text books are a wonderful resource. They are filled with study questions, maps, and projects that fit multiple grade and age ranges. As a mom of three these books made it easy for me to tailor things for each one of my kids. The wealth of information in it has been a life savor for me.
- May 8, 2018
The Story of the World Volume 4 Activity Book
Lisa A.
I loved this. I like all the activities included and all of the extra work to help kids remember and help history come alive.
- May 8, 2018
The Story of the World Volume 4 Activity Book
12 P.
What a great resource! There is easily a week's worth of lesson content provided for each chapter. It includes map, writing, and art activities with clear directions. Fantastic!
- November 18, 2017
The Story of the World Volume 4 Activity Book
Rachel C.
My 9 year old struggles with this book. We are not huge fans of the layout and format of the book.
- August 18, 2014
A huge jump from SOTW 3
Maggie
We are about 8 weeks into school now and I am really disliking SOTW volume 4. It says in the intro that it is for 4-8 graders and I heartily agree with the upper end of that spectrum. We are doing this in the 4th grade, however, as recommended by Timberdoodle and have found the activity book a waste. The map work is completely different and much more of a geography lesson asking questions that may not have been in the material read instead being a reinforcement like previous additions. Right now all I use it for is the outlines, but even then, I'm having to be much more hands on than I used to. We also ordered the test book which we've used in the past, but the format is completely different and again, much better suited to a middle schooler. Fortunately I did not attempt to teach this simultaneously with my first grader (as this is often suggested for a multi level lesson) she would have lost her mind! TD Reply: Maggie, we're so sorry it's not what you expected! We do have a couple of notes on our website stating things like "Due to the intended age level and the subject matter contained in the book, the Activity Book for Volume 4 does not contain coloring pages." If you have a moment, we would love to hear how we could have made this more helpful for you. Regardless though, we do have a 60-day return policy, if it's in new condition and not working for you, we'd love to take it back and issue you a refund. Thank you so much for the feedback, even if it wasn't a perfect fit for you!
