One of the most wonderful educational uses of the internet is Google maps. And since geography is so closely linked with history, this tool would be an invaluable addition to your history studies. As you study the life of King Alfred (and you should) follow the River Thames as it wends its leisurely way though England. Fly over the Himalayas when you study Hillary’s ascent of Everest. You can even visit the moon.
Maps are essential to the understanding of history, and as children, all my kids loved creating them.
And they are still at it. Recently my son Isaac made this animation to show how the gospel has spread over the last two thousand years.
He also did a whole one-hour lecture explaining the history of this spread in more detail. This is a fascinating multimedia presentation, as he describes the impact and spread of the gospel over the entire globe in the past 2000 years of history. Explore the journeys of the apostles, the outposts of the early church, the hotbeds of persecution, and the staging grounds of the major theological battles of the Church. Be reminded of the power of the Gospel to transform “every nation and tribe and language and people,” and be inspired by the legacies of the brave brothers and sisters who faithfully carried the Gospel of Christ to the farthest ends of the earth. You can see a preview of this video here:
This one hour video download (which you can buy for $5 here) contains hundreds of pictures, maps, video clips and animations that helps illustrate the course of Christian history from 33AD until today, in a sweeping overview that provides context for our modern times and a good basis for further study.
He and his wife Heidi also made a full-color map which I sell in my store here: