The Stuff They Left Behind

Several months ago, a friend posted a description of how she was using pictures of ancient artifacts with a group of children who were studying the book of Daniel. As I followed the links to those pictures, I became aware of an awakening new connection within myself to Daniel and the setting in which he lived. It was amazing how much the focused artifact study added to my personal relation with the people of that time period!

What a great idea!, I thought. The stuff that the ancient civilizations left behind tells a deep story. Those ancient artifacts and architecture add a rich layer of understanding about what life was like during the eras of history.

But too often they are presented to students as tiny pictures all packed together on a two-page spread with a mishmash of text that requires a degree of unraveling to figure out, let alone form a personal connection with them. How much better it would be to do as my friend was doing: present one artifact at a time, as a single large picture, related to the history account as it is read, and with plenty of time to really look at it and discuss it.

And that is how The Stuff They Left Behind portfolios were born.

The Stuff They Left Behind Portfolios

Each portfolio collection consists of sixteen large, full-color photographs of important artifacts and architecture from an era in history. The photographs are printed on heavy paper, just like our popular Picture Study Portfolio pictures. Plus, a handy booklet is included to provide Leading Thoughts with interesting background information and discussion questions that will encourage your students to look closely and carefully. And all of the beautiful pictures and helpful tips come in an attractive, sturdy portfolio that will keep each era’s treasures organized and handy.

Three collections are currently available: from the days of Ancient Egypt, from the days of Ancient Greece, and from the days of Ancient Rome.

You can use The Stuff They Left Behind portfolios to enhance any history curriculum and to study the art of ancient times. Most of all, they will help your children form more fascinating connections with the story of history.

Download the free sample and see how you can add another layer of richness in your history studies through really looking at the fascinating stuff that people of long ago left behind!

Publisher’s Note: We don’t usually announce two new resources back-to-back, but we’ve had so many requests for this new resource that we wanted to let you know about it just as soon as possible! Rest assured, we are still dedicated to giving you more teaching tips and encouragement than product announcements. We’ll get back to our regular schedule next week.