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3rd grade American history?


4maybabies
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I'm looking for a 3rd grade American History curriculum. We're using Adventures in America this year and loving it. However, I'm looking for something that is a little more in depth for next year. My ds5 begs for more history everyday. We add in the read-alouds that are listed, but hoping there's something out there that might be a little 'heavier'. Any suggestions?

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For American history, I have picked one book as a spine along with read alouds (historical fiction or biographies), lapbooks, and a basic timeline.

 

I used these for spines last year and liked them very much:

A First Book in American History (Edward Eggleston), along with

Stories of Great Americans for Little Americans (Edward Eggleston)

These only go up to about 1900.

 

Currently I am using:

American History Stories, volumes I-IV (Mara Pratt).

There has been a lot of bad press about this series on this forum lately, and I was wary of reading these at all. However, now that we have started, we love this series. My 3rd grader has been holding up this history book in my face to hurry up and get to reading it since he loves it so much. He asks me to read extra chapters because he wants to know what is going to happen next. I did take a Sharpie to volume 4 about the Civil War, however, to cross off words and write in more appropriate terms that we use now. These books were written around 1900 and have not been revised, and they therefore use the terminology of the times. I haven't had the impression (we are only in volume II) that they are predjudiced, but that they are just old fashioned. They are sort of like talking about old times with your grandmother.

 

We are also memorizing the presidents, and after the Pratt books, we are going to do a basic study of the presidencies through to modern times. I bought this to read as well:

At Home with the Presidents (Morris)

 

For next year, I bought:

The Story of the Thirteen Colonies & The Great Republic (Guerber), the edition that Memoria Press put out. Along with that, I am using:

200 Questions About American History, and

Why America Is Free--A History of the American Republic 1750-1800.

 

Another book that I have for the future that looks interesting as a supplement (though I haven't done more than skim it) is:

Exploring American History (Montgomery)

This one covers up to 2008, I think.

 

We do one or two lapbooks per year on American history from HOAC, plus keep a basic timeline. The hands on activities help the kids retain more info than if they just listen to the readings.

 

I am still looking for good resources that cover the last 100 years up the present.

 

HTH

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I am not familiar with the program you mentioned, but we are huge fans of TruthQuest here. I'm going through American History for Younger Students I (discovery to Amer Revolution) this year with my 2nd grader. We plan to do AHYS II (Amer Rev to Civil War) next year.

 

The commentary is wonderfully written and very informative, and the books listed are exhaustive. You can pick one or 10 for any topic. And she lists them by grade level, so you can decide which to do as read alouds and which to do as readers.

 

I am learning as much as my kiddo, having apparently forgotten everything I learned about history somewhere along the way :glare:

 

BTW, my son has been captivated by most of the books we've read this year. He has asked to read several books on his own or as bedtime stories, chosen over Star Wars!!! That's pretty much a miracle around here.

 

HTH,

Christina

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