This Country of Ours, by H.E. Marshall

[Guest Cindie2dds]

Has anyone used this book for American History? What age range did you use it for? Some online sources say 1st-6th grade; other say it's appropriate for all ages.

 

Any opinions are greatly appreciated! :)

[Hillary in KS]

Well, we've used it for 7-9th grade. My son reads it independently.

 

I suppose it could be used as a read aloud for the younger years (grades 1-4), but it may be a little dry.

[KrissiK]

I have not used it for homeschooling, but I just finished reading it and loved it. Wow. It was a great book. I'm now reading her book about Europe from the fall of Rome to the Reformation. I would probably not use it for my younger kids, though.

[coffeefreak]

We bought it to use with Ambleside Online but quickly discarded it. I'm going to save it for High School. Even as a Read Aloud it was dry and hard for a child to understand.

 

HTH!

Dorinda

[Guest Cindie2dds]

Got it! Dry and boring. :) Any recommendations for a 1st grade American History spine-type book? Would SOTW 3 be too much for 1st grade?

[Hillary in KS]

Got it! Dry and boring. :)

 

OK, but not dry and boring for older students. Just.... not so much for 1st grade. :)

 

We used SOTW 3, but for 3rd grade. (We followed the WTM pattern for history.) It would probably be fine for 1st grade, assuming you read it aloud and discussed it. :)

[coffeefreak]

Check out what these companies use:

 

Beautiful Feet

Christian Liberty Press

Heart of Dakota

My Father's World

Winter's Promise

 

All have American History courses that you can use for first grade and the sources they use are great.

 

We're using BF Intermediate American History, but you might like their Primary American History. The instructor's guide is cheap, around $14. BF uses the D'Aulaire books .I decided to combine my two kiddos, and make my life easier, otherwise I'd be using Primary American History for my 1st grader. My oldest is using CLP's A Child's Story of America and my youngest is using the "If you lived when____________." series along with the BF read alouds (If You Lived in Colonial Times, If You Lived during the Revolutionary War etc).

 

HTH!

Dorinda

[johnandtinagilbert]

Well, we've used it for 7-9th grade. My son reads it independently.

 

I suppose it could be used as a read aloud for the younger years (grades 1-4), but it may be a little dry.

:iagree: My 6-8th graders read it, begrudgingly. They don't love it.

 

Got it! Dry and boring. :) Any recommendations for a 1st grade American History spine-type book? Would SOTW 3 be too much for 1st grade?

My 1st and 2nd grader find SOTW a little drawn out; i.e. it is well written, but it has been a lot for them to process, so if you use it, you'd have to go slowly, in my opinion.

 

We have incorporated Times US Presidents, Venezia books on Presidents, The New nation by Joy Hakim (really an UG selection, but makes a decent read aloud for LG), More than Moccasins, Wesward Ho (both by Lauri Carlson) and several literature selections.

[Laura Corin]

I prefer it as a read aloud, as there are some unpleasant attitudes to native people expressed in it, so I like to discuss my way through them, rather than handing the book over for independent reading.

 

Laura

[Kuovonne]

FYI, you can get a free audiobook version from Librivox.

Here is part 1:

http://librivox.org/this-country-of-ours-part-1-by-he-marshall/

[AudreyTN]

FYI, you can get a free audiobook version from Librivox.

Here is part 1:

http://librivox.org/this-country-of-ours-part-1-by-he-marshall/

 

You can also read it for free at Mainlesson.com

http://www.mainlesson.com/display.php?author=marshall&book=country&story=_contents

[johnandtinagilbert]

FYI, you can get a free audiobook version from Librivox.

Here is part 1:

http://librivox.org/this-country-of-ours-part-1-by-he-marshall/

 

Woo hoo! Thank you. My dc will like this! 2 out of 3 really don't love this book (I still make them read it, though b/c it is worthwhile academically).

[Guest Cindie2dds]

Check out what these companies use:

 

Beautiful Feet

Christian Liberty Press

Heart of Dakota

My Father's World

Winter's Promise

 

All have American History courses that you can use for first grade and the sources they use are great.

 

We're using BF Intermediate American History, but you might like their Primary American History. The instructor's guide is cheap, around $14. BF uses the D'Aulaire books .I decided to combine my two kiddos, and make my life easier, otherwise I'd be using Primary American History for my 1st grader. My oldest is using CLP's A Child's Story of America and my youngest is using the "If you lived when____________." series along with the BF read alouds (If You Lived in Colonial Times, If You Lived during the Revolutionary War etc).

 

HTH!

Dorinda

 

I have an older version of BF's Primary American History (got it used very cheap), and I plan to use parts of it. I'll check out A Child's Story of America and MFW, CLP and HOD's selections, thanks!

 

I prefer it as a read aloud, as there are some unpleasant attitudes to native people expressed in it, so I like to discuss my way through them, rather than handing the book over for independent reading.

 

Laura

 

Thanks for the heads up, Laura. We have Native Americans in our family (Cherokee Nation great grandparents). I was planning on teaching them their history as it relates to this America.

 

FYI, you can get a free audiobook version from Librivox.

Here is part 1:

http://librivox.org/this-country-of-ours-part-1-by-he-marshall/

 

Thanks for the link!

 

You can also read it for free at Mainlesson.com

http://www.mainlesson.com/display.php?author=marshall&book=country&story=_contents

 

Thanks for the link!

My 1st and 2nd grader find SOTW a little drawn out; i.e. it is well written, but it has been a lot for them to process, so if you use it, you'd have to go slowly, in my opinion.

 

We have incorporated Times US Presidents, Venezia books on Presidents, The New nation by Joy Hakim (really an UG selection, but makes a decent read aloud for LG), More than Moccasins, Wesward Ho (both by Lauri Carlson) and several literature selections.

 

I know SOTW is written for a 3rd grader, but I was kind of hoping for something like that for 1st grade. :) For so many reasons I want to start with American History while they're young.

[Cynful]

Another you might want to look at is American History Stories by Mara Pratt. You can see them for free here:

 

http://www.mainlesson.com/displayauthor.php?author=pratt

[Greta]

I'm using this right now with my 4th grader, and we're both really enjoying it. I read a chapter aloud to her, she narrates it orally. We do discuss the attitude toward Native Americans (we roll our eyes and make a big production when she uses the term "savages"), and other things that pop up that don't jive with our worldview. But I don't see those as reasons to discard the book, just good occasions to talk.

 

This book is a bit challenging, but I don't think it's dry or boring at all. I like older books for the vocabulary and eloquent use of language. The author is assuming some background knowledge that I, sadly, don't have in every instance (history of the UK). My only defense is that I'm a product of the public school system. :D I'm almost wishing that we had read Our Island Story first and this one second, but too late. I would say give it a shot since it's available free from mainlesson. Pick out a couple of chapters from different sections of the book, and just read through them and see what you think.

[Guest Cindie2dds]

Cynthia, I will check them out. Thank you.

[Guest Cindie2dds]

Greta, thank you for your review. There are many things I read to her right now where the language is very different. Definitely a growing opportunity.

[lovemykids]

I think it’s a wonderful read aloud for children in grades 3-6 or so. My children enjoyed it. We are currently using SL 3+4 (minus Landmark) with extra books. The spine I am using for my younger children is The Complete Book of US History, it works very well with added picture books such as the If You Lived..series and various others.

We found SOTW a little dry for the littles…

[HRAAB]

I haven't used the book with younger student for a couple of reasons. First, mine have found it hard to understand, and secondly, I really want my children well grounded with our values before they start hearing the 'blood thirsty savages' and all that. I won't discard the book because of those views, but I want my child old enough that we are able to discuss it light of the time it was written and our values.

 

That said, I handed it over to my 7th grader to read and then discuss, but she didn't get very far into it. Even though she understands the views of the time it was written, she still found it upsetting. She is rather sensitive about such matters. I have an older dd who read it when she was around 11 yrs., and she enjoyed it - with a lot of discussion.

[Guest Cindie2dds]

I think it’s a wonderful read aloud for children in grades 3-6 or so. My children enjoyed it. We are currently using SL 3+4 (minus Landmark) with extra books. The spine I am using for my younger children is The Complete Book of US History, it works very well with added picture books such as the If You Lived..series and various others.

 

We found SOTW a little dry for the littles…

 

Another book to drool over. :) Thanks for the recommendation. I really like the If You Lived... series also. I found a couple of them used and keeping my eyes opened for the other ones.