Homeschoolmom3 Posted September 4, 2016 Share Posted September 4, 2016 Okay, yeah I know another vague question....I am just at the wire and am scrambling since my son's dual enrollment course fell through. :( I am needing to do American History this year for high school credit and then we plan on clep for college credit. :) He took Omnibus 3 in 7th grade so a lot of the must reads I felt were in there so trying to figure out some other must reads. I am trying to find a good spine with a few Lit/History readings to add to it. I could also use some lit choices for his 1/2 credit of literature we are doing this year since he already took a dual enrollment writing course this fall. He has a heavy load this year and so I am looking to do more of a get it done lighter load for this year in history/literature and just focusing on the clep exam. However, I don't want him to miss out on some GREAT literature. So out of what I have listed or your ideas that he has not read what would be the best and most "moving", "applicable", and "life changing" books? Any recommendations for a history text that is good and would help if it included what one needs to know for the clep exam would be a plus. For 7th grade he did the following: BJU American History (11th grade text) Frankenstein Pride and Prejudice Gulliver's Travels Benjamin Franklin: The Autobiography The Autobiography of Charles G. Finney The Adventures of Tom Sawyer Little Women The Killer Angels Christianity and Liberalism Old Man and the Sea Animal Farm Death of a Salesman Postmodern Times How Should We Then Live? Foxe's Book of Martyrs The Westminster Confession of Faith The Pilgrim's Progress Of Plymouth Plantation The Social Contract The Federalist Papers The Anti-Federalist Papers A Tale of Two Cities Reflections on the Revolution in France Uncle Tom's Cabin Abraham Lincoln: Speeches and Writings The Communist Manifesto The Great Gatsby Mein Kampf 1984 Also has read: Pilgrim's Progress Pride and Prejudice Frankenstein Edgar Allan Poe's stories The Scarlet Letter Mere Christianity Some ideas: Clueless on a text I thought of A History of the American People but it looks so intimidating... ;) Common Sense John Adams (probably just watch the DVD) Red Badge of Courage Last of the Mohicans Democracy in America Important of Being Earnest Up From Slavery One Day in the Life of Ivan Denisovich Invisible Man Self Reliance and Civil Disobedience Moby Dick Grapes of Wrath A Dickens choice? which one would you choose that would be the best? Want to know your top 5 that are NOT on his 7th grade reading list (and does not have to be in my ideas). You guys are awesome, thanks so much for your help!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lori D. Posted September 5, 2016 Share Posted September 5, 2016 (edited) Okay, just so I understand -- are you asking specifically for AMERICAN LIT suggestions? Or just ANY must-read classic Lit suggestions? My suggestions to CHOOSE from for AMERICAN LIT of most frequently read for high school (EXCLUDING what you've already done): novels: - Moby Dick (very long novel) -OR- Billy Budd (longish novella) -OR- Bartleby the Scrivener (short story) (Melville) - Huckleberry Finn (Twain) -- read The Day They Came to Arrest the Book as a go-along - My Antonia (Cather) - The Red Badge of Courage (Crane) -- or a short story by Crane - Call of the Wild -OR- White Fang (London) -- usually done in middle school, but can be done in high school - Grapes of Wrath (novel) -OR- The Pearl (novella) (Steinbeck) - To Kill A Mockingbird (Lee) - Their Eyes Were Watching God (Hurston) - Fahrenheit 451 (Bradbury) - The Chosen (Potok) - I Heard the Owl Call My Name (Craven) - The Joy Luck Club (Tan) plays -- consider watching, rather than reading, as that is how plays were intended to be experienced: - The Crucible (Miller) - Our Town (Wilder) - A Raisin in the Sun (Hansberry) short stories: - Rip Van Winkle, or, Legend of Sleep Hollow (Irving) - Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge (Bierce) - Gift of the Magi -OR- other story by O. Henry - The Lady or the Tiger (Stockton) - Story of An Hour (Chopin) - The Most Dangerous Game (Connell) - Jury of Her Peers (Glaspell) - Thank You, Ma'am (Hughes) - The Catbird Seat; The Secret Life of Walter Mitty (Thurber) - There Will Come Soft Rains; The Veldt (Bradbury) - The Lottery (Jackson) - Revelation -OR- Everything That Rises Must Converge -OR- A Good Man is Hard to Find (O'Connor) poetry by: Emily Dickinson, Walt Whitman, Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, Ralph Waldo Emerson, William Carlos Williams, Robert Frost, Langston Hughes ... __________ To better understand what you've covered, and what you are thinking of doing, I broke your lists in to categories: YOUR IDEAS FOR THIS YEAR: AMERICAN HISTORY Common Sense John Adams (probably just watch the DVD) Democracy in America Up From Slavery Self Reliance and Civil Disobedience -- essays AMERICAN LIT Red Badge of Courage Last of the Mohicans Moby Dick Grapes of Wrath Invisible Man -- if you mean the book by Ralph Ellison -- no, it's pretty adult with difficult themes so I would NOT recommend it for a young teen -- OR, if you mean the novella The Invisible Man by HG Wells, yes that is do-able for a young teen, BUT it is British Lit. BRITISH LIT Important of Being Earnest A Dickens choice? which one would you choose that would be the best? The Invisible Man -- if you mean the novella by HG Wells WORLD LIT One Day in the Life of Ivan Denisovich __________ WHAT YOU'VE ALREADY DONE from OMNIBUS 3 BRITISH LIT Frankenstein Pride and Prejudice Gulliver's Travels Animal Farm The Pilgrim's Progress A Tale of Two Cities 1984 Pride and Prejudice Frankenstein AMERICAN HISTORY BJU American History (11th grade text) Benjamin Franklin: The Autobiography Of Plymouth Plantation The Social Contract The Federalist Papers The Anti-Federalist Papers Abraham Lincoln: Speeches and Writings AMERICAN LIT The Adventures of Tom Sawyer Little Women Old Man and the Sea Death of a Salesman Uncle Tom's Cabin The Great Gatsby Edgar Allan Poe's stories The Scarlet Letter THEOLOGY/PHILOSOPHY The Autobiography of Charles G. Finney The Killer Angels Christianity and Liberalism Postmodern Times How Should We Then Live? Foxe's Book of Martyrs The Westminster Confession of Faith Mere Christianity WORLD HISTORY Reflections on the Revolution in France The Communist Manifesto Mein Kampf Edited September 5, 2016 by Lori D. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Homeschoolmom3 Posted September 5, 2016 Author Share Posted September 5, 2016 (edited) Okay Lori D. you are so awesome and better at this than me. ;) There were a few he has already read so I am crossing them off on your post of potentials. Thank you so much for doing this! Easier to view. :) Thanks for your thoughts as always and yes, looking for just American History/Lit. Any ideas for a spine for history? IDEAS FAVORITES TO CONSIDER...THANKS TO LORI :D AMERICAN HISTORY Common Sense John Adams (probably just watch the DVD) Democracy in America Up From Slavery Self Reliance and Civil Disobedience -- essays AMERICAN LIT Red Badge of Courage Last of the Mohicans Moby Dick Grapes of Wrath novels: - Moby Dick (very long novel) -OR- Billy Budd (longish novella) -OR- Bartleby the Scrivener (short story) (Melville) - My Antonia - The Red Badge of Courage (Crane) -- or a short story by Crane - Grapes of Wrath (novel) -OR- The Pearl (novella) (Steinbeck) - Their Eyes Were Watching God (Hurston) - The Chosen (Potok) - I Heard the Owl Call My Name (Craven) - The Joy Luck Club (Tan) plays -- consider watching, rather than reading, as that is how plays were intended to be experienced: - The Crucible (Miller) - Our Town (Wilder) - A Raisin in the Sun (Hansberry) short stories: - Rip Van Winkle, or, Legend of Sleep Hollow (Irving) - Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge (Bierce) - Gift of the Magi -OR- other story by O. Henry - The Lady or the Tiger (Stockton) - Story of An Hour (Chopin) - The Most Dangerous Game (Connell) - Jury of Her Peers ( - Thank You, Ma'am (Hughes) - The Catbird Seat; The Secret Life of Walter Mitty (Thurber) - There Will Come Soft Rains; The Veldt (Bradbury) - The Lottery (Jackson) - Revelation -OR- Everything That Rises Must Converge -OR- A Good Man is Hard to Find (O'Connor) poetry by: Emily Dickinson, Walt Whitman, Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, Ralph Waldo Emerson, William Carlos Williams, Robert Frost, Langston Hughes ... WORLD LIT One Day in the Life of Ivan Denisovich * JUST WANTS TO READ THIS ONE THIS YEAR Great now which would be your top 5 for history and lit? THANKS!! Edited September 5, 2016 by Homeschoolmom3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kolamum Posted September 5, 2016 Share Posted September 5, 2016 I know someone used the SL 100 & then took the CLEP, having said that you can obtain CLEP books that you could use as a spine.. Just an idea.. thought. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Homeschoolmom3 Posted September 5, 2016 Author Share Posted September 5, 2016 I know someone used the SL 100 & then took the CLEP, having said that you can obtain CLEP books that you could use as a spine.. Just an idea.. thought. thanks, will take a look! :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lori D. Posted September 5, 2016 Share Posted September 5, 2016 (edited) Any ideas for a spine for history? Since you mentioned up-thread that the plan is to take the CLEPs (I assume both part 1 and part 2?), and since DS has a heavy load so you want to streamline your efforts, I'd suggest making it easy on yourselves and "teach to the test" ;) Use the CLEP examination guide, test prep study guides, and and pick 1-2 textbooks in the CLEP list of resources to focus on (or skim through several of the texts recommended by CLEP), and don't worry about making this a traditional sort of course. CLEP website: History of the US part 1 exam -- exam details; study resources; practice questions History of the US part 2 exam -- exam details; study resources; practice questions College Board: 3-page list of topics on the exam, plus list of texts the test is drawn from, plus sample questions: History of the US part 1 History of the US part 2 Free CLEP Prep website -- info is from the experience of those who have taken the specific test (so they guide you towards how to focus your study energies most effectively); lists topics covered and free prep resources, plus their own study resource for a fee History of the US part 1 exam History of the US part 2 exam CLEP recommends HippoCampus as a study/text resource, so you might watch these: US History before 1877 US History after 1877 Edited September 5, 2016 by Lori D. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sneezyone Posted September 5, 2016 Share Posted September 5, 2016 (edited) For American History, maybe add something that touches on the development of federal regulatory functions/agencies or the labor movement: The Jungle by Upton Sinclair, one of the many excellent books on the Triangle Shirtwaist factory, or even a book about the migrant farmworker movement. Edited September 5, 2016 by Sneezyone 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Homeschoolmom3 Posted September 5, 2016 Author Share Posted September 5, 2016 Since you mentioned up-thread that the plan is to take the CLEPs (I assume both part 1 and part 2?), and since DS has a heavy load so you want to streamline your efforts, I'd suggest making it easy on yourselves and "teach to the test" ;) Use the CLEP examination guide, test prep study guides, and and pick 1-2 textbooks in the CLEP list of resources to focus on (or skim through several of the texts recommended by CLEP), and don't worry about making this a traditional sort of course. CLEP website: History of the US part 1 exam -- exam details; study resources; practice questions History of the US part 2 exam -- exam details; study resources; practice questions College Board: 3-page list of topics on the exam, plus list of texts the test is drawn from, plus sample questions: History of the US part 1 History of the US part 2 Free CLEP Prep website -- info is from the experience of those who have taken the specific test (so they guide you towards how to focus your study energies most effectively); lists topics covered and free prep resources, plus their own study resource for a fee History of the US part 1 exam History of the US part 2 exam CLEP recommends HippoCampus as a study/text resource, so you might watch these: US History before 1877 US History after 1877 Thanks so much for the links! Just might do that, but we love to read so wanted to have some to go along with it and am just trying to narrow down our choices. :-P Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Susie in CA Posted September 6, 2016 Share Posted September 6, 2016 We are doing American History and American Literature this year. Our spine for history is America: A Narrative History by Tindall Ds will also be reading additional books to get an overview of what else happened in the world during this time as well as watch some of the American Experience documentaries. Our spine for literature is Classics of American Literature be The Teaching Company. Many of the books you have on your list (or Lori's) are part of Classics of American Literature. Btw, I found it used for $ 35.00 on amazon. One I did not see on your list is Ben Franklin's Autobiography which we are currently reading and it turns out to have quite a bit of meat for discussion. I am starting to really like it. :-) Hope this helps. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mschickie Posted September 6, 2016 Share Posted September 6, 2016 The Jungle and The Chosen are two must reads in my opinion. Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, an American Slave is also an excellent book. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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