Teaching history should not simply be an endless recitation of irrelevant facts, entombed between the covers of a textbook. Instead, Breaking Away from the Textbook offers a fascinating journey through world history. Not a comprehensive, theory-heavy guide, this book instead focuses on exciting classroom activities, methods for students to grapple with human issues, and innovative ways to show students the relevance of the past to the world today. Simply put, this book makes world history fun. Soon your students will be busy debating, thinking, applying, and learning about information that will stay with them for a lifetime. The key to this wonderful work is that it incorporates various disciplines including art, music, and writing to create a vibrant classroom. Volume I covers prehistory to the Renaissance and volume II covers the Enlightenment to the 20th century. Both books are appropriate for all grade levels.

"Not a comprehensive, theory-heavy text, this book instead focuses on innovative classroom activities designed to stimulate students in discussion of human issues and to show students the relevance of the past. Activities include brief writing assignments to be done in class and shared with the group, map assignments, pair and group discussion, skits, and research activities using library and the Internet. Appendices offer notes on map resources, a list of recommended music by time period, and a description of useful CD-ROMs and Web sites. Pahl is professor and coordinator of the social sciences program at California State University-Fullerton." - Reference and Research Book News