CatholicMom Posted June 22, 2012 Share Posted June 22, 2012 Please recommend!! I am clueless when it comes to American history texts! I want something that will hit all the main points, but NOT too in-depth. I only want to spend a couple months, so I don't want a whole "program" per se... Just a resource, or 2 or 3. It's just that my kids have had NO formal American history because we did Ancients first, then medieval, then we will get to America. But I'm anxious to do some American history to mix it up, plus I don't want to wait until my oldest is in 6th grade to touch it! Ideas?? For some fun stuff I'm ordering Wee Sing America (they love Audio stuff), and the Magic Tree House Revolutionary War book, plus the Fact Tracker MT book. I will probably also read the Civil War one and get the Fact Tracker if there is one.... and basically whatever other Magic Tree House book they have that is American-ish. Hey my kids like em. Whatever works. :lol: What should I use as a spine? But remember, nothing that would be really intense and take all year. (And nothing that will cost a lot. I already spent my budget. :glare:) :bigear: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CatholicMom Posted June 22, 2012 Author Share Posted June 22, 2012 anybody? :crying: :tongue_smilie: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JenninMN Posted June 22, 2012 Share Posted June 22, 2012 I used Elemental History. It has plans and worksheets to be a full program, but you can just use the text as a spine. My ds enjoyed it. Plus, it's only $15. http://www.elementalhistory.com/ HTH, Jennifer Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fairy4tmama Posted June 22, 2012 Share Posted June 22, 2012 We have been reading the Betsy Maestro books this year and are really enjoying them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
trishalinn Posted June 22, 2012 Share Posted June 22, 2012 Funny, I was just looking for some early american history resources today! I found raisingrefounders.com. It has free units! We want to study some american history this summer to get ready for our Williamsburg trip at Thanksgiving. Good luck! Looking forward to hearing what everyone else has to suggest. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CatholicMom Posted June 22, 2012 Author Share Posted June 22, 2012 We have been reading the Betsy Maestro books this year and are really enjoying them. :ohmy: :001_tt1: These books look awesome!! I love the illustrations! My kids will love the storybook look! Thank you! So glad I bumped this. :hurray: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mazakaal Posted June 22, 2012 Share Posted June 22, 2012 I also like the If You Were There Books for that age. Here's one of them with links for more down the page. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Annabel Lee Posted June 22, 2012 Share Posted June 22, 2012 I was going to suggest the Maestro books as well, but see someone else already did. Just wanted to give them another thumbs up. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sagira Posted June 22, 2012 Share Posted June 22, 2012 I was going to suggest the Maestro books as well, but see someone else already did. Just wanted to give them another thumbs up. Same here. We also enjoyed "The American Story" by Jennifer Strong et al. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
raceNzanesmom Posted June 22, 2012 Share Posted June 22, 2012 We have been reading the Betsy Maestro books this year and are really enjoying them. I also like the If You Were There Books for that age. Here's one of them with links for more down the page. We like both of these too. There's lots of good biographies and historical fiction to go with them. And, don't forget Liberty Kids DVDs. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Another Lynn Posted June 22, 2012 Share Posted June 22, 2012 The Complete Book of U.S. History is geared towards that age and it's cheap. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stripe Posted June 22, 2012 Share Posted June 22, 2012 I have been sloooowly going through Maestro and adding in Jean Fritz books. My son found a copy of her book on Pocahontas and read it. Some are more advanced/longer than others. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lillehei Posted June 22, 2012 Share Posted June 22, 2012 I was going to recommend Jean Fritz books, as well. I love Amanda Bennett's unit studies. She makes one on American Government: http://www.unitstudy.com/American_Government.html I see you do Sonlight right now. There are a plethora of great books in D and E that you could pull from the library or on Amazon's 4 for 3. I did NOT like their spine (Landmark HIstory) but the readers and read alouds were great. Another idea is to just use the workbooks Story of the USA. They are short and you can supplement when needed. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Farrar Posted June 22, 2012 Share Posted June 22, 2012 We used the Maestro books, The American Story, the Jean Fritz books, and others. However if the OP wants simple, quick and straightforward, she should definitely just do The Complete Book and add in the other resources as she has time/desire to do so. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chelli Posted June 22, 2012 Share Posted June 22, 2012 The Complete Book of U.S. History is geared towards that age and it's cheap. :iagree: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EKS Posted June 22, 2012 Share Posted June 22, 2012 There is a book called The American Story. I have it on the shelf but ended up not using it. It attempts to present American history through a series of stories. I don't know how effective it is though, as I didn't use it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stripe Posted June 22, 2012 Share Posted June 22, 2012 The Complete Book of U.S. History is geared towards that age and it's cheap. It sure is -- amazon has it (and several others in the "complete book of" series) for $8.97. I bought it recently because I wanted something my son could read on his own that hopefully will be devoid of horrific surprises. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mrs Twain Posted June 22, 2012 Share Posted June 22, 2012 I have been teaching American history for the second semester each year. These are spines I have used and liked: A First Book in American History (Edward Eggleston). If you use this (or even if you don't), I recommend also getting his book called: Stories of Great Americans for Little Americans. My kids *love* this book. Eggleston wrote more than a few history books around 1900. The two above have been edited recently. American History Stories I, II, III, IV (Mara Pratt). This was also a kid favorite and quite interesting and engaging, although I had to pre-edit Volume IV about the Civil War due to achaic terminology. (These were written around 1900 and have not been edited.) I bought The Rainbow Book of American History (Earl Schenck Miers). It is out of print, but I bought a used copy inexpensively on Amazon. I haven't read much of it yet, but it seems engaging and reads like a story book. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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