mrshomework Posted July 18, 2011 Share Posted July 18, 2011 I am currently doing SOTW but I would like to include some early american history for my dd this coming year. Any suggestions for curriculum? I would like to cover American Revolution, the Bill of Right, the Constitution, War of 1812, Wild West, and Civil War? Does anyone know of curriculums or workbooks to get some introduction into these subjects even unit studies but nothing too advanced. We read a few scholastic books for 1st but I would like to include a bit more detail or if something is out there that covers it all in one curriculum would be great? Any advice would be great thanks. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bpskowski Posted July 18, 2011 Share Posted July 18, 2011 There was a recent thread about a brand new program called Elemental History. Search "Elemental History." You might find it helpful. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
happyWImom Posted July 18, 2011 Share Posted July 18, 2011 There was a recent thread about a brand new program called Elemental History. Search "Elemental History." You might find it helpful. :iagree::iagree: I just purchased this, and it is perfect. We wanted a light American History with a state study, and it's just enough. We are doing it along with MFW ECC. You can add other books to make it meatier, but it is a nice study as written. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CandaceC Posted July 18, 2011 Share Posted July 18, 2011 We just started A Living History of Our World and really like it so far! It is sold by Queens Homeschool Supply and written by Angela O'Dell. (I think that name is right, away from my desk right now.) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tammyw Posted July 18, 2011 Share Posted July 18, 2011 Try all the Betsy Maestro books! Also the first couple Joy Hakim books. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mrs Twain Posted July 18, 2011 Share Posted July 18, 2011 For second grade, I used Edward Eggleston's A First Book in American History, and Stories of Great Americans for Little Americans. They are reprints of his originals from 1895. The second book was especially good. You could even use that as a reading book if you like. It has a lot of adventure stories, and my son read a lot of the stories twice. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Heidi Posted July 18, 2011 Share Posted July 18, 2011 (Edward Eggleston's books are free online as well) We are using Mara Pratt's American History Series I & II this year. They're free online. We'll be reading about three chapters a week. We're also adding in some of the Beautiful Feet Early American History books to supplement. I'm also doing a state study. I just purchased Don't Know Much about the 50 States and we'll be doing three states every other week. I found free state notebook pages online to make a state notebook. PS. I LOVE the looks of Elemental History! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sahamamama Posted July 18, 2011 Share Posted July 18, 2011 For 2nd grade next year, we thought we might do this: http://www.bfbooks.com/Literature-Packs/Early-American-History-Packs But for us this would be our only History program, since we would not be doing SOTW (or anything else). You could get the D'Aulaire biographies and read through those. IMO, they are perfect for second grade. HTH. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SophiaH Posted July 18, 2011 Share Posted July 18, 2011 I would read through Mara Pratt's American History Stories as my spine, and add in Betsy Maestro's and Jean Fritz' books along with the biographies by D'Aulaire and/or Cheryl Harness. I prefer the beautifully-illustrated Harness biographies (George Washington, John Adams, Thomas Jefferson, Abraham Lincoln, etc.) over the D'Aulaire, but they are a little more advanced, I'd say. The Childhood of Famous American books are good to use as independent readers for that age, too, if they are reading well. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mrshomework Posted July 20, 2011 Author Share Posted July 20, 2011 Thanks for your responses. I have lots to research. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mama2two Posted July 20, 2011 Share Posted July 20, 2011 Try all the Betsy Maestro books! Also the first couple Joy Hakim books. I agree about the Betsy Maestro books, we love them! We also love Mara Pratt's American History Series Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
woolybear Posted July 20, 2011 Share Posted July 20, 2011 Some free options: http://ebeth.typepad.com/serendipity/us-history-geography.html http://www.guesthollow.com/homeschool/history/americanhistoryindex.html Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
*lifeoftheparty* Posted July 20, 2011 Share Posted July 20, 2011 We're doing My Father's World Adventures this year, for American History, and I think it's absolutely perfect! I have everything I need and I can't WAIT to start!!! I like that it hits all the major events/people, has a state study, and you learn about patriotic symbols/songs, etc. Seriously, I can't think of a single way I would change it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zenjenn Posted July 20, 2011 Share Posted July 20, 2011 I see from you profile you have a daughter? Reposting this which is what I did for my older daughter for 2nd grade last year. Originally Posted by zenjenn I am also going to plug again - for those with girls in the 8-10 range, what I did with American History this year. We used the American Girl historical fiction books, along with supplemental books. The books are more of a social history and the life and times of a 10 year old girl in each of several time periods and settings throughout American History. How she lived, family life, schooling at the time, as well as political/economic events in the greater world around her and how they affected HER. My daughter really digested everything we learned in a real and meaningful way. Each time period has 6 core short novels each with a nonfiction chapter at the end, plus additional mystery novels set in the time period that my daughter read independently for fun. If this sounds fluffy, we're talking 60+ books here. That's 60 chapters of non-fiction along with the stories, plus any supplemental material. The books also, IMO, are amazingly good at telling stories from multiple sides. For example, the colonial character is from a family of Patriots, but with a beloved grandfather who is a Loyalist. Her best friend is an English girl, and she meets some not-so-nice Patriots along the way. Things are not black-and-white, but the books leave an age-appropriate sense of awe of the American story along with sorrow for the wrongs that have happened in the past. The general theme is that the American story is an amazing story, and things change through time, and change is usually both positive and negative. But the people - no matter how differently they lived, whether it was a Nez Perce child or a girl living on a rancho near 19th century Sante Fe, or a slave escaping the Civil War or a wealthy girl at the turn of the century - had many of the same feelings, desires, and hopes as a girl does today. We are just reading the last set of books about a girl in the 1970's. I've shed a lot of tears over these characters who go through death, loss, survival, war, slavery, racism, class warfare, child labor, poverty, wealth, and the latest one, a broken family - yet the books have managed to all remain uplifting as well. We've had some amazing discussions about real events, and I watch this information have a serious impact on my daughter who empathizes with people in history as she thinks about trials endured by characters she loves. I'm sad our journey with these books is coming to an end. For the topics you cover, there is a series each for the topics you mention are at least mentioned. If she is an independent reader I'd at least recommend them as supplemental reading. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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