A Bigger World Curriculum: Stars and Stories

I have avoided doing this review for awhile. The reason is that I have had such a bad taste in my mouth when it comes to 'full-curriculum' type software. Most is either so workbookish as to drive a student insane (well, at least a teacher or parent who knows there is a better way,) or they are so expensive you need to take out a second mortgage to afford them!

A Bigger World is in the process of forming a curriculum for high school (and advanced Jr. high students) which takes a unit studies approach. This is something we often see in the earlier grades, but we tend to resort to textbook style learning in the upper grades. Since Wildridge states their philosophy best, I'll let you read an expert from the manual:

"Stars and Stories is one unit of an interdisciplinary curriculum, A Bigger World, written by Lawrence B. Bangs, of Wildridge Academy, Newark, Vermont. The guiding philosophy of the A Bigger World curriculum is to integrate the mastery of basic or fundamental skills with an exposure to a knowledge of history, English, literature, art, music, mathematics, and science. The goal is to help students understand the inter-relatedness of our world. The curriculum focuses on helping students expand their world by learning new ideas and new ways of thinking. In general, the curriculum emphasizes moving from "our own little worlds into the worlds of others and into the great complexity we call the universe." Each unit of A Bigger World is designed to expose learners to the many ways humankind has of viewing the world and its people and the many ways we have used our minds to penetrate the barriers of ignorance."

Additional units will be following this one. At a price of $89.95 each, they are a bit expensive, but no more so than a Saxon Math curriculum, or any other package you may purchase as a homeschooler or classroom teacher. This is also an affordable way to supplement the education of a student who does not have access to a good astronomy class in high school.

On the CD you will find a teachers manual, a student manual and assignment list, a textbook, and other references which go along with the course. While these can be accessed on the computer, I think we will print them out and put them in a nice binder. My high school aged son is quite interested in following this course to it's completion. Unlike the Robinson curriculum where you print out the books and do most of the work from these books, this course includes a variety of approaches.

Computer work:

Your CD contains well done animated lectures on subjects such as trigonometry, angles, scientific notation, myths, star mapping, graphing and more. The sound quality is very good, and the animations (while not earth-shattering) are well constructed. This is the type of multimedia presentation you would expect to find in a good planetarium or museum.

Textbook work:

Your child will be expected to work through the textbook assignments. The reading is interesting, and not a dry as some textbooks can be. If you have a color printer, there are even colored graphs and photos throughout.

Experiential learning:

Perhaps the most exciting addition is the 'away from computer work.' Your child will do hands-on experiments, chart the stars, and learn how to plot their movements. This is not a course which ties your child to a textbook OR to the computer screen.

I was pleasantly surprised with the quality, and variety of activities I found here. While I am loath to place my children in front of most full-curriculum programs, this one is fine. I have no problems with this new approach at all.

Grading for A Bigger World: Stars and Stories Educational Value: 5 Entertainment Value: 3 1/2 Replay Value: 3 1/2 Available from Wildridge Software at http://www.wildridge.com