Landmark series for American History

[Kfamily]

I know that Artner from Memoria Press uses many Landmark books to cover American History. Have any of you used this guide? Would reading this series in order cover Am. History well enough? I was wondering if I would miss a spine to use for an overall connection. Of course, if I did need a spine that would lead us back to the question of which spine to use for Am. History (especially for the late elem.-middle grades which seems to be a problem area)?

 

Anyone use this guide and not miss a spine?

 

If you need one, what would you suggest? Since the bulk of the learning would come from the Landmark readings I wouldn't need an overwhelmingly large or comprehensive spine. I would need something well-written, interesting to children and yet as correct as possible. Hmmm, which leads me back to the question of whether we could teach Am. History without a spine.

What do you think?

[Kfamily]

bump

[Kfamily]

Has anyone used the Artner guide (from Memoria Press)? (This was also used in LCC 1st ed.)

 

Has anyone used Landmark books as a curriculum? If so, did you add a spine? If not, did you feel you should have? If you added a spine, which one?

 

Any recommendations for an American History spine (roughly grades 5-8) that is interesting, well-written, etc?

 

I would also be adding documents and speeches to this.

 

I am considering replacing the book we are using so ideas would help.

Edited June 11, 2010 by Kfamily

[8filltheheart]

Has anyone used the Artner guide (from Memoria Press)? (This was also used in LCC 1st ed.)

 

Has anyone used Landmark books as a curriculum? If so, did you add a spine? If not, did you feel you should have? If you added a spine, which one?

 

Any recommendations for an American History spine (roughly grades 5-8) that is interesting, well-written, etc?

 

I would also be adding documents and speeches to this.

 

I am considering replacing the book we are using so ideas would help.

 

I have absolutely no idea what the guide is that you are talking about; however, I love Landmark and American Heritage Junior Library books.

 

I have never done what you describe with just the Landmark books, but, yes, I absolutely believe you could. My 8th grade ds did essentially the same thing this past yr with the American Heritage books and said he learned more this yr in history than he believes he ever has in the past. (and I put a lot of effort into history!)

 

I have never found an American history spine for elementary/middle school that I really like. I have several, but they are so superficial and cover such minuscule amts of info that I feel like they are a waste of time. Boorstin's Landmark book (not to be confused with the Landmarks we are discussing) covers some interesting elements of American history, but it is still surface light.

 

I think that any child that reads through the Landmark series will have a good foundation. Just keep in mind that they are written by different authors and some of them are better than others. I dislike the Landing of the Pilgrims (one of the few that I don't like). I have a few that are absolute favorites (Hitler, Thomas Jefferson, Louisiana Purchase, Alamo, Rogers Rangers, Gettysburg).

 

There are a few Signature series books that I really like and for the Civil War, I really like Bruce Catton's Golden Book of the Civil War as an excellent spine.

 

FWIW.....I think you'll find your child has a far more realistic understanding of history this way than textbook linear snippets.

 

HTH

[Kfamily]

Thank you so much!

The Artner guide apparently uses many Landmark books (as well as others)and arranges them in chronological order. I have bookmarked a site that has already done that so I may not even need the guide.

I will definitely look into your other suggestions. Your faith that this would work is very encouraging.

[Chloe]

I don't know anything about the Artner's guide either, but we are just using Landmark books with some other books thrown in to study American History from the Revolutionary War on. We started out our AH studies using This Country of Ours, but my dc really hated it. We ended up using Story of the Thirteen Colonies, which they liked better but still weren't thrilled with. Now that we are almost finished with STC I've decided to finish the rest of American History without a spine. We've collected quite a few Landmark books, and my dc really like them. We're just going to read them in chronological order without a spine.

 

I've always put so much time and effort into lining up biographies and historical fiction and such with whatever spine I choose for history. It's always been a great deal of stress for me. I don't know why I do it! I KNOW it's not needed. Beautiful Feet doesn't use a spine for it's history studies until high school. That's exactly what I intend to do with all my dc from now on.......just read history books in chronological order until high school. We'll use a spine then to tie it all together.

[Kfamily]

Thanks Chloe, this gives me confidence too.

 

I think I can make this work since I will be using some spines at some points along the way. It is just those difficult 4th-8th grade years where finding a spine I like is so difficult. I do like the Dorothy Mills books so I can add those in where needed. Unfortunately, her books stop with the Renaissance which leaves all of American/Modern history out.

[In The Great White North]

The Landmark books will definitely give your dc a much better grasp of American History than a textbook (any textbook) because they have a lot more detail, are more interesting, are more memorable, etc. The only drawback is that there would be a lot more reading.

 

You don't really need a spine, a timeline can put it all into perspective.

[Kfamily]

Yes, very true, this would require more reading. I was planning on speading them out over a period of years with speeches, documents and other supplemental readings (historical fiction, biographies, etc.) to finish it out. I found a list online that has them first separated into two categories: American and World. Within each list they are arranged chronologically. I think adding a timeline, or for us a Book of Centuries would be very helpful.

[Katie.Louise]

Would the Guerber books be a good American History Spine for you? I have them, but haven't been able to look through them much. We used her Medieval books this year. We used them for my 6th grade dd to do narrations and outlines, while using SOTW as main spine. I would pick stories that were different topics from what we had just read, but still followed chronologically.

Katie

[ChristineC]

I found a list online that has them first separated into two categories: American and World. Within each list they are arranged chronologically.

 

Care to share?

 

I just purchased Artner's Guide (b/c I had LCC 1st edition and that's our path this year)...They recommend the "everything you need to know" series as a further resource.

 

Me? I can't handle any further resources right now and plan to go the read-through-the-landmark-series method and use Artner as the "quick facts" guide it apparently is.

[Kfamily]

Here is the one I found:

 

http://www.pattysbookshop.com/home/landmarkserieschronologicallist.html