Heather in VA Posted August 18, 2012 Share Posted August 18, 2012 My senior is doing Modern history and literature this year. She's done Omnibus the last 4 years but wanted more of a history focus and more flexibility with literature choices so we are doing it on our own. Her 8th grade sister is using Biblioplan and their companion so I'm using that as a framework and adding non-fiction along with it. So I chose "Democracy in America" but now I'm looking at it and wow does it seem tedious. We've read some tough books in the past but I don't know if I just am tired of difficult books or if I just don't want to do it... ugh. So tell me if this is a valuable experience. If so, that's fine. But if not.. then I'm picking other stuff LOL. Heather Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
74Heaven Posted August 18, 2012 Share Posted August 18, 2012 Heather - I can't answer - hopefully someone can. But, my reaction was the same as yours - yikes, I just didn't have the energy, time, commitment to read it, digest it, study it and ask my child to do the same. I still do want to read it. Some day. Lisa j, mom to 5 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Leanna Tomlinson Posted August 18, 2012 Share Posted August 18, 2012 Ds 17 read large chunks of it in TOG year 3 as part of the government readings. Many of the insights were interesting and there were a lot of predictions that we've seen come true! If you want to read it to enhance government studies, go right ahead, but if you're looking at it as literature, I would pick something else. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brenda in MA Posted August 18, 2012 Share Posted August 18, 2012 We watched the Teaching Company course on Democracy in America, and both my son and I thought it was fantastic -- a great way to understand the salient points without having to slog through the whole thing. Tocqueville had some amazing insights for a foreigner and also some very interesting predictions of what would become of the good 'ole USA. Brenda Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Heather in VA Posted August 19, 2012 Author Share Posted August 19, 2012 This is what I figured. We've done a lot of Government already so I'm going to have to think about whether I want her to spend this much time on more. It sounds like a very worthwhile book... Just need to weigh the time vs. what else we might do instead. Thanks!! Heather Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Candid Posted August 19, 2012 Share Posted August 19, 2012 This work by de Tocqueville is considered essential in terms of American democracy, but I think if you are tired and your student is tired, you could certainly get by with reading only bits of it. Find a used copy of a Norton anthology that has it or buy Tapestry's government disc. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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