American history??

[5sweeties]

Well...math is covered for now, so now I'm on to history!

 

Dd wants to do a year of American History next year. What are your favorite programs?

[Linda in NE]

Here's a link.

 

http://www.amazon.com/America-Last-Best-Hope-Volumes/dp/1595551255/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1203984615&sr=1-1

[mcconnellboys]

Hakim's History of US series is good.

 

Regena

[happykids]

You can look at samples at http://www.notgrass.com

There are 150 interestingly written lessons that include primary source document readings (in a nice bound book which is included), writing assignments, literature, and Bible lessons.

 

~Sabrina in NY

[Nicole M]

If you're looking for a "standard" us history text, then I think The American Pageant is the one I've seen recommended here as a one that would be used in a typical course. I might have the wrong title, but someone here will know what I'm talking about.

 

It also depends on your political / religious leanings. I couldn't touch Notgrass with a ten foot pole, though I know it's very popular here and wouldn't knock anyone who found it useful (I like how it *looks* actually; very clean layout, which is hard to find!). I also would only use a narrative kind of text like the Bill Bennett that someone recommended in this thread IF I used someone on the other side of the spectrum, like Howard Zinn, alongside, in a compare - contrast sorta way.

 

I wouldn't use Hakim for a high schooler, though I do enjoy that series. We use it more as a reference than a spine here in our house. It would have to be "beefed up" for an older student, and I just don't know how that would be done.

 

Next year we're going to use a book that is very easy to find in the Goodwill and in used bookstores locally, because it is used in our community colleges. It's called Liberty, Equality, Power: A History of the American People. I'm sorry, I don't know how to do that fancy linking, but here's the most recent edition:

 

http://www.amazon.com/Liberty-Equality-Power-History-American/dp/0495105406/ref=sr_1_13?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1203999308&sr=1-13

 

I have an earlier edition that I bought for $2, and I also have two volumes of primary source texts that accompany the book, along with two map workbooks that also have essay questions. It also has a companion website where you can do practice tests.

 

There are so many options that it's hard to answer your question without knowing where you're coming from and where you're trying to go, kwim? So I hope this helps!

 

Nicole

[5sweeties]

Too many random thoughts floating around in my head!

 

For American history, I would prefer something on the secular end of the spectrum...since I think even a secular text has so much in the way of the author's personal perspective, that it is hard to wade through at times, and in certain subject material. Religous ideas complicate this even more so. We can add that on our own.

 

I'm looking for something that is probably text-based, but not necessarily. I'm interested in adding in lots of "extras" to make it more interesting for her. History is one of my strong subjects...so I have a lot of ideas...but I really would like a good solid spine to work from. Also, this particular child is big, real big, on organization. She doesn't like suprizes. I was looking at Hewitt's AP American history course this evening. It appeals to me, simply because of the syllabus. I have no idea if the material is good or not.

 

Dd can handle some very heavy reading, plenty of writing, and some pretty in-depth discussion for a kid her age. I would like something that really makes us think.

 

Thanks!

[Nicole M]

Hewitt always comes up with interesting stuff. We're using lightning lit this semester and (besides the millions of typos!) we do like it. I hadn't checked out their AP course and it looks pretty cool. Have you looked at or used any of their other syllabuses? Because they're pretty spare. I also have a kid who is big on organization, and I would have to work pretty hard to flesh out their syllabus - the one I did see, on the Story of Art, anyway.

 

If it were me, I'd see if I could get my hands on some of those Basic History of the United States books to check them out before I made a decision.

 

I'll be interested to see what other folks are doing. I'm glad you asked this question!

[islandmama]

We've decided on Notgrass. I was looking for something simple, organized, writing assignments and containing primary documents. I'm going to add in Lies My Teacher Told Me and/or A People's History of the United States (I bought for a dollar at a thrift shop!)for another point of view. I think it will provide material for discussion. I'm thinking of using Hippocampus for some visual supplementing.

[Nicole M]

Thank you, Eliana, for a fabulous post. Great list. The American Journey is the book I was trying to think of.

 

Do you use any Teaching Company lectures? I was just looking at their list and there are an awful lot of choices for US history....

 

Nicole

[Faithr]

for my 2 teens. I'm going with The Teaching Company's American Identity as the video component of our course. We have the 1st edition of Hakim's History of U.S. I bought when it first came out for my own education. We've used it as a reference but never read it all. I'm planning on using Hewitt's syllabus to give us a timetable for reading through the series. My two teens will just have to take turns reading. One can read in the afternoon and the other in the evening. Since the dvd course starts with the founding of Jamestown, we are just going to start at that point too so I guess we still won't get all of Hakim's volumes read in one year either.

 

We are going to study Economics, too, using Glencoe's Economics, Principles and Practices

 

And I'm planning on using Lightning Lit study guides (for the most part) for our American Lit studies.

 

The only thing I'm still unsure of is beefing up the study of Government. I am sure of lot of this will come up in book the Hakim books and American Identity but I'm looking for something to consolidate that info.

[mcconnellboys]

Ummm, sorry, didn't realize you were looking for hs history - that keeps happening to me in responding under "new posts", instead of from the actual boards themselves.....

 

My Mom picked up a copy of The American People: Creating a Nation and a Society, Nash, Jeffrey, et al, for me last year. I asked about it on the boards thinking I might use it for our study and was told by others who had used it that it was a good text. I have the single volume addition.

 

Regena