Recommendations for Government/Civics

[siloam]

So far I have found two options that don't seem dry as a bone.  Basic Amerian Govenment, but I really don't have the time to do it with her....how much will it loose?  The Uncle Eric books look like they would be her thing (more story based) but I get a headache trying to figure the order and if all the books put together make a complete course.  Any opions and other options would be appreciated.

 

Heather

[GailV]

We used Thinkwell, purchased when it was  on sale through Homeschool Buyer's Co-op.  It's one semester.  Dd thought some of the professors were annoying, and some of the discussion was already dated (gay rights), but it got the job done.

[klmama]

American Government: A Complete Course by Wood and Sansone.  It's a basic, one-semester high school level course.  If you purchase the teacher's guide, it has discussion questions and chapter tests (mostly multiple choice with a couple of short essays).  There's an activity guide, too, that has main point worksheets for students to fill out as they read - no answer key.  Available used on Amazon (although I discovered the answer key wasn't in the teacher's guide that I bought used :glare:)

 

Complete Idiot's Guide to American Government, I think, or maybe ...US Govt..  Not as dry, but maybe not the title you want on the book list.  Your call.  Probably in your library.

 

www.hippocampus.org US Govt. and Politics for AP course, includes extra readings, writing assignment suggestions, multiple choice tests

 

 

 

 

 

[Pegasus]

We used a combination of the following:

 

1. The Complete Idiot’s Guide to U.S. Government and Politics by Franco Scardino

2. Are You Liberal? Conservative? Or Confused? by Richard Maybury

3. Our Documents: 100 Milestone Documents from the National Archives by Oxford University Press

4. Political speeches and debates, news articles, etc. during a presidential election year

 

We wrapped it up with a final exam that consisted of the government portion of the U.S. citizenship exam.

[MommaOfThree]

We also had a very hard time finding something here.  I didn't want the "bore" factor, and my son detests too much religion intermixed with these types of subjects, so I designed my own plan.  I've attached our plan below, maybe someone else may find it useful..

 

I had him read some classic and/or politically related literature pieces:

1.   Brave New World (Aldous Huxley) – not scheduled

2.   Brave New World Revisited (Aldous Huxley) – not scheduled

3.   Of Mice and Men (John Steinbeck) – not scheduled

4.   The 5000 Year Leap, A Miracle That Changed the World (W. Cleon Skousen) – scheduled in research outline

5.   The Signers of the Declaration of the Independence (Ferris & Morris) – scheduled in research outline

6.   In Dubious Battle (John Steinbeck)

7.   To Kill a Mockingbird (Harper Lee)

**Guns, Crime, and Freedom (Wayne LaPierre) – scheduled in research outline

 

In addition to having him research and provide brief explanations of the government-type outline I provided him:

1.     Beliefs, and could they affect your view of politics, policies, man, and religion.

a.      Define Beliefs, Creation, and Evolution        

b.      Do you think your belief system could affect your view of government?    

c.       What is the difference in Biblical View and Liberal View?

 

2.     Government.

a.      Define Government.

b.      When did government begin?

c.       Is government necessary?  Write an essay defending your answers.

 

3.     Civility

a.      Define Civility, Morals, and Disobedience.

b.      What does it mean to be civilized?

c.       What is civil disobedience?

 

 

4.     Types of Government

a.       Limited (a government where everyone, including authority figures, must obey laws – the US Constitution is a good example of a document that lists the limits of the government

              Define the following Limited Government types (listing at least one pro & con of each):

1.      Theocracy

2.      Absolute monarchy

3.      Dictatorship

4.      Socialism

5.      Communism fascism

b.       Unlimited (a government where there are no limits on the ruler’s authority – these ruler’s do not have to abide by the same laws as everyone else)

     Define the following Unlimited Government types (listing at least one pro & con of each):

1.      Constitutional monarchy

2.      Democracy

3.      Republic

c.       The United States is a Democratic Republic.

        In your own words, what does that mean?

 

5.     American Political Heritage – Ideas and Events that lead to the shaping of the US Government.

a.      Define and Explain all the Events/Ideas listed below:

             i.      Magna Charta

             ii.      Petition of Rights

             iii.      English Bill of Rights

             iv.      The Enlightenment

             v.      Mayflower Compact

             vi.      Athenian Democracy

             Vii.      Define: Bicameral, Confederation, and Charter

 

6.     The 5000 Year Leap

a.      Take a break from all your research, and read about A Miracle That Changed the World. (make sure you complete the book within 2 weeks)

b.      This book’s back cover boasts that this book helps to “Discover the 28 Principles of Freedom our Founding Fathers said must be understood and perpetuated by every people who desire peace, prosperity, and freedom.â€

              i.      List the 28 Founders’ Basic Principles.

              ii.      Write an essay about the insight you gained into the founding principles of our government.

 

7.     Declaration of Independence

a.      What is it and why was it drafted?

b.      Who signed it?

c.       Where and when was it signed?

 

8.     The Signers of the Declaration of Independence

a.      Take two weeks to read the book

b.      Take another week to research one “Signer†of your choosing

c.       Write an essay on the topic:  “What made _____ an important figure in history, and why he is an inspiration to me.â€

 

9.     Our Constitution

a.      What is the constitution?

b.      Familiarize yourself with the US Constitution for further studies.

c.       Define and Explain the Articles of the Constitution, and their parts:

     i.      Article 1: The Legislative Branch 

1.       Congress

2.       Senate

3.       House of Representatives

     ii.      Article 2: The Executive Branch

1.       President

2.       Vice President

3.       Executive Office of the President

      iii.      Article 3: The Judicial Branch

1.       Supreme Court

2.       Judicial Powers

      iv.      Article 4: The States

      v.      Article 5: The Amendment Process

      vi.      Article 6: Supremacy Clause

      vii.      Article 7: Ratification

      viii.      Signatories

1.       Where and when was the US Constitution signed?

2.       Who signed it?

       ix.      Amendments

1.       Amendment 1 - Freedom of Religion, Press, Expression

2.       Amendment 2 - Right to Bear Arms

3.       Amendment 3 - Quartering of Soldiers

4.       Amendment 4 - Search and Seizure

5.       Amendment 5 - Trial and Punishment, Compensation for Takings

6.       Amendment 6 - Right to Speedy Trial, Confrontation of Witnesses

7.       Amendment 7 - Trial by Jury in Civil Cases

8.       Amendment 8 - Cruel and Unusual Punishment

9.       Amendment 9 - Construction of Constitution

10.   Amendment 10 - Powers of the States and People

11.   Amendment 11 - Judicial Limits

12.   Amendment 12 - Choosing the President, Vice President

13.   Amendment 13 - Slavery Abolished

14.   Amendment 14 - Citizenship Rights

15.   Amendment 15 - Race No Bar to Vote

16.   Amendment 16 - Status of Income Tax Clarified

17.   Amendment 17 - Senators Elected by Popular Vote

18.   Amendment 18 - Liquor Abolished

19.   Amendment 19 - Women's Suffrage

20.   Amendment 20 - Presidential, Congressional Terms

21.   Amendment 21 - Amendment 18 Repealed

22.   Amendment 22 - Presidential Term Limits

23.   Amendment 23 - Presidential Vote for District of Columbia

24.   Amendment 24 - Poll Taxes Barred

25.   Amendment 25 - Presidential Disability and Succession

26.   Amendment 26 - Voting Age Set to 18 Years

27.   Amendment 27 - Limiting Changes to Congressional Pay

 

10.      Guns, Crime, and Freedom

a.      Take one week to read the book

b.      Write an essay on “The importance to keep and bear armsâ€.

 

11.       Bill of Rights

a.      What is it and why was it drafted?

 

12.       The World Order and U.S. Government

a.       What are the following ideas/events, and how did they affect the view of our government?

i.      Monroe Doctrine

ii.      Roosevelt Corollary

iii.      World Wars

iv.      Containment of Communism

v.      War on Terror

b.      What was the historical impact of immigration (legal and illegal) on American politics

c.       How do you feel The United Nations and Approach to foreign policy affect our government?

 

13.         Citizenship

a.        What are the qualities necessary for good citizenship (honesty, frugality, hard work, etc.)

b.        What are the rights of citizens (life, liberty, property/equality of opportunity vs. equality of outcome)

c.       What are the responsibilities of citizens

d.      Why is Participation in the political process/political parties necessary

e.      What is the Pledge of Allegiance?  How was it established?

f.        How did the National Anthem come about?

 

14.          Local Governments

a.      What is the BASIC structure of your:

i.      State Government

ii.      County Government

iii.      City/Town Government

[Lori D.]

So far I have found two options that don't seem dry as a bone.  Basic Amerian Govenment, but I really don't have the time to do it with her....how much will it loose?  The Uncle Eric books look like they would be her thing (more story based) but I get a headache trying to figure the order and if all the books put together make a complete course.  Any opions and other options would be appreciated.

 

Heather

 

 

JMO, but no way to do an honest high school Government course from just Uncle Eric books. Most are history or economics topics, not government. They do no cover the scope and sequence of high school government classes. And they are from a single very extreme point of view. (He is very honest and upfront with his worldview which is that the only "workable" political and economic system is juris naturalist (little or no government) and free markets. Fine to use 1-2 as supplement if you'd like in include an alternate point of view.

 

My suggestion for avoiding or reducing use of a dry textbook is to go with the participatory options, and fill in the missing topics with the Standard Deviant DVDs and the Complete Idiot's Guide to American Government or a textbook.

 

In case it helps, these are topics that are in the typical scope and sequence of a standard high school Government course:

 

- Types of Government

- Origins of American Government

- The Constitution

- Federalism

- Legislative Branch: Congress

- The Judicial Branch: Supreme Court and Lower Court System

- Landmark Supreme Court Cases

- Executive Branch: The Presidency

- The Bureaucracy

- Political Parties

- Elections and Campaigns

- Interest Groups

- The Media

- Policymaking 

- Civil Liberties and Civil Rights

- First Amendment Liberties

- Privacy Rights and Rights of Due Process

 

BEST of luck in finding what works best for your family! Warmly, Lori D.

 

 

Participatory options:

- YMCA Youth in Government (model legislation program) (west of the Mississippi it is Youth AND Government) 

- TEEN Pact (government and the political process; Christian)

- Junior State of America (civics and politics)

- National Model United Nations or Model United Nations (mock U.N. session)

- Teen Court, Youth Court, Mock Trial (mock judicial)

 

Other Government options:

Hippo Campus: American Government (secular; free online)

Complete Idiot's Guide: American Government, or, US Government and Politics (secular)

 

DVD options

American Government, Standard Deviants School Super Pack (secular, 10 DVDs -- you can buy these separately; to cover the usual scope and sequence of a high school course, you would need all -- *possibly* 3, 4, and 5 could be optional)

 

Textbook Options

Great Source: American Government (secular; can find cheaply used)

American Government, Prentice Hall (secular)

Exploring Government, Ray Notgrass (Christian)

American Government, BJUP Heritage Studies, grade 12 (Christian)

 

Computer Options

Thinkwell Government (secular, computer CD and online -- lecture-based)

Governement AND Economics, Switched On Schoolhouse (Christian, computer CD set)

Government AND Economics, Alpha Omega Lifepac (Christian, workbook set)

Hippocampus: American Government (secular; free online text & images)

 

Past Threads with more ideas:

Economics and Government suggestions

Government and Economics -- not rigorous

Help! American Gov and Econ for 12th grade

Please list what you use for Amer. History, Government, and Economics

High school government

Civics textbook?

What are you using for government? SL400?

Notgrass' Exploring Government?

[Kareni]

We also had a very hard time finding something here.  I didn't want the "bore" factor, and my son detests too much religion intermixed with these types of subjects, so I designed my own plan.  I've attached our plan below, maybe someone else may find it useful..

 

 

What a well thought out plan!  Thanks for sharing, MommaOfThree.

 

Regards,

Kareni

[Holly IN]

Wow!!  I love this.  Def. need to print this soon!! 

 

[kerenlynne]

I really like this resource for the civics aspect of a Government class -

 

http://www.whatsoproudlywehail.org/book#praise

 

- I think it would make a really good one stop supplement for a program you might find a little bit dry. The book all by itself is pretty good but the corresponding website makes it a really nice resource.

[Julie in MN]

JMO, but no way to do an honest high school Government course from just Uncle Eric books. Most are history or economics topics, not government. They do no cover the scope and sequence of high school government classes. And they are from a single very extreme point of view. (He is very honest and upfront with his worldview which is that the only "workable" political and economic system is juris naturalist (little or no government) and free markets. Fine to use 1-2 as supplement if you'd like in include an alternate point of view.

 

My suggestion for avoiding or reducing use of a dry textbook is to go with the participatory options, and fill in the missing topics

I agree with both those points.  Uncle Eric is not a complete course, and participation in government is a great option.  My kids will tell you that it teaches more than a ton of books.  We are fortunate in Minnesota that our homeschool group has a workshop at the capitol, and then a workshop at the convention.  Both focus on how ideas become bills and then become law, but they take the lofty ideas of government and put them in the real world.

 

Filling in the rest could be done with any of Lori's ideas.  I'm not a big fan of Standard Deviants, because they go so fast and so surface, but some people probably love it. 

 

Another book I really like that wasn't on her list is Never Before In History, very logically presented.  I was glad MFW scheduled it, and the other gov. book used in MFW gets the rest of the job done. 

 

Another DVD option is the Zeezok set, A Noble Experiment.  It isn't secular, but it spends a lot of time on original documents.

 

Julie

[3kidswild]

For my visual learner, we are using icivics (free online) founded by Justice Sandra Day O'Connor.  Covers all the branches of US Gov't, has fun activities (win the White House game was cute), and most importantly, he's understanding it. 

[Second Time Around]

So, I'm sitting here with my son's transcript before me, and wanting to weep (or at least procrastinate a bit more and have just one more cup of coffee! )  ;-)

Son has followed/is following a very rigorous "Great Books" reading list (one year with me, for the past two years with Great Books Academy program). Now he's in 12 grade. I want him to achieve at least 3 Social studies credits for the past 4 years. So far, he took "World History" with Spielvogel in 9th and US History (Bob Jones) in 11th.  I notice that most colleges he is apply to want at least 3 social studies credits and most states have gov. + economics on their graduation requirement list. I was hoping that he could uses some of this year's reading list to contribute towards his government. Being educated outside this country, I don't really know what the inside of a government course looks like. But I intuit, he probably also needs some kind of spine to make a half credit of government legitimate. So, what is the lightest approach for that of all the books/programs listed up there (sorry, this is for right now, so I'm in a time crunch!!!). And which texts can I legitmately recruit from his great books reading list to support his 'government' half credit with the added spine?

 

FYI, for 10th and 11th grade I was thinking of creating a "civics" course consisting of 1.5 credits. In my course description I would describe this as a mixture of world history, philosophy and literature. Will that fly with admissions people, and will they take that as "social studies" credit? I may fine tune the 'civics' label -  I came here this morning to research it a bit more. This year, my plan was to use 1 of those credits as "literature" and the remaining 1/2 credit towards "government". In prior years, I have given him 1 credit for composition each year (in 9th I gave him an additional credit for world literature because it warranted another credit), but in 12th I will give him 1.5 credits for "American and World Literature + Composition" since he will not be doing composition as intensively this year as in the past).

 

Finally, I was thinking of possibly signing ds up for an online dual credit macroeconomics 3 credit, 1 semester course, free at his local college. This would be mainly to fulfill the "economics" part of "Government and Economics". I'm a bit worried about the work load in his final semester of high school, but more so, that he will be bored out of his mind. I think he'd have much more fun with astronomy, but he is already science heavy on his transcript. Wish he could just do stuff for fun, and not to get scholarship money out of admissions people!!! So, just wondering if anyone has any recommendations about the necessity of doing that, or do you think we should take a similar approach as we are to Government?

 

Here is his reading list for the past 3 years (includes those in progress fo rthis year):

Year 2

 

Theogeny - Hesiod
Prometheus Bound - Aeschylus
Agamemnon, Libation Bearers, Eumenides - Aeschylus
Bacchae, Trojan Women - Euripides
Aesop' Fables (complete) - Aesop
Oedipus Rex, Colonus, Antigone - Sophocles
Histories (excerpts) - Herodotus
Plutarch's Lives (Lycurgus, Solon, Pericles, Alcibiades)
Peloponnesian War - Thucydides
Pre-Socratic Fragments
Ion, Meno - Plato
Symposium - Plato
Georgias - Plato
Euthyphro - Plato
Apology, Crito - Plato
Phaedo - Plato
The Republic - Plato
Poetics, On the Heavens (exceprts), On the Soul (excepts) - Aristotle
Aneid - Virgil
Livy (excerpts)
Caesar, Anthony, Cato the Younger - Plutarch's Lives
Duties - Cicero
Annals (excerpts) - Tacitus
On the Nature of Things - Lucretius
 

Consolation of Philosophy - Boethius

 

YEAR 3 - 2011/12 Great Books Program

Third Year – Medieval Readings

Week First Semester

1 Canterbury Tales -Chaucer

2 Canterbury Tales -Chaucer

3 Aquinas*

4 Aquinas*

5 Aquinas*

6 Aquinas*

7 Aquinas*

8 The Prince -Machiavelli

9 Utopia - Sir Thomas More

10 Praise of Folly- Erasmus

11 On the Revolutions of the Heavenly Spheres*- Copernicus

12 Institutes of the Christian Relgion* -Calvin

13 Essays* - Montaigne

14 Don Quixote* -Cervantes

15 Don Quixote* -Cervantes

16 Oral Exams – (Dec.12 – 23)

 

 

*Selections Only

 

Week Second Semester

17 Comedy of Errors, Shakespeare

18 A Midsummer’s Night’s Dream; Shakespeare

19 The Taming of the Shrew -William Shakespeare

20 Coriolanus - Shakespeare

21 Julius Caesar -Shakespeare

22 Dialogues Concerning Two New Sciences* - Galileo

23 The Merchant of Venice - Shakespeare

24 Henry V - Shakespeare

25 The New Atlantis and Novum Organum* - Bacon

26 Rules for the Direction of the Mind*, Discourse on Method*, Meditations-Descartes

27 Leviathan* - Hobbes

28 Spring Break, Apr. 2 – 6

29 Spring Break, Apr. 9 – 13

30 Paradise Lost - Milton

31 Paradise Lost - Milton

32 Pensees* - Pascal (May 64

33 Romeo & Juliet - Wm. Shakespeare

34 Oral Exams – (May 14-31)

 

 

 

YEAR 4 - 2011/12 Great Books Program

Fourth Year – Modern Readings

Week First Semester

1 Hamlet - Wm. Shakespeare

2 Othello - William Shakespeare

3 MacBeth - William Shakespeare

4 King Lear - William Shakespeare

5 The Tempest -William Shakespeare

6 Tartuffe - Moliere;Phaedra, Racine

7 Gulliver’s Travels - Jonathan Swift

8 Essay Concerning Human Knowledge*, Second Essay on Civil Government*, Letter on Toleration* -John Locke (

9 Essay Concerning Human Knowledge*, Second Essay on Civil Government*, Letter on Toleration* - John Locke

10 An Enquiry Concerning Human Understanding*, Treatise of Human Nature*, Dialogues Concerning Natural Religion* - David Hume

11 The Social Contract*, On the Origin of Inequality* - Jean-Jacques Rousseau

12 The Federalist Papers*; – Q 105, Art. 1 – Aquinas

13 U.S. Declaration of Independence, Articles of Confederation, & Constitution

14 Democracy in America*, - De Tocqueville;Representative Government*, J.S, Mill

15 Emma - Jane Austen

 

 

*Selections Only

 

Week Second Semester

17 Critique of Pure Reason*, Fundamental Principles of the Metaphysics of Morals*- Immanuel Kant

18 Faust - Goethe

19 Philosophy of Right*, The Philosophy of History* -Georg Hegel

20 War and Peace* - Tolstoy

21 War and Peace - Tolstoy

22 The Brothers Karamazov -Fyodor Mikailovich Dostoevsky

23 The Brothers Karamazov -Fyodor Mikailovich Dostoevsky

24 Wealth of Nations* - Adam Smith; Communist Manifesto - Karl Marx

25 1st & 2nd Inaugural Addresses, Gettysburg Address; Emancipation Proclamation - Abraham Lincoln

26 Walden, Civil Disobedience- Henry David Thoreau

27 The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn - Mark Twain

30 The Origin of Species* -Charles Darwin

31 Nineteen Eighty Four -George Orwell

32 Relativity: The Special and General Theory - Einstein

33 My Antonia - Willa Cather

 

 

Edited September 13, 2013 by Second Time Around

[Julie in MN]

I would think you could pull together some sort of "world studies," "philosophy of government," "government through literature," or the like from all of that reading.  Social studies is very broad.  Although check with any possible universities as to what their requirements will be, and whether your potential names will meet those.  Then evaluate whether you are okay with his needing to take these things in college if they aren't on his high school transcript.

 

As for adding an outside course or another spine, I would only do that if you feel you want him to get that information - is he ready to be a future voter or does he need a bit more in that department?  My son gained more by just going to the capitol and sitting in on committee meetings and the state senate/house, meeting his representative, meeting some former homeschoolers now at the capitol, etc. (we have a homeschool group lead this so we are fortunate).

 

Julie

[Sebastian (a lady)]

Of the works you listed, (within the limits of my familiarity with the titles) I think you could easily list any of the following under government. Look for enough to cover government without stripping too much off of history. You might just go with Machiavelli, Locke and the American Government titles.

 

 

The Republic - Plato
Duties - Cicero
 Aquinas*

 The Prince -Machiavelli

 Utopia - Sir Thomas More

 Leviathan* - Hobbes

 Essay Concerning Human Knowledge*, Second Essay on Civil Government*, Letter on Toleration* -John Locke (

 Essay Concerning Human Knowledge*, Second Essay on Civil Government*, Letter on Toleration* - John Locke

 An Enquiry Concerning Human Understanding*, Treatise of Human Nature*, Dialogues Concerning Natural Religion* - David Hume

 The Social Contract*, On the Origin of Inequality* - Jean-Jacques Rousseau

 The Federalist Papers*; – Q 105, Art. 1 – Aquinas

 U.S. Declaration of Independence, Articles of Confederation, & Constitution

 Democracy in America*, - De Tocqueville;Representative Government*, J.S, Mill

 Philosophy of Right*, The Philosophy of History* -Georg Hegel

 Wealth of Nations* - Adam Smith; Communist Manifesto - Karl Marx

 1st & 2nd Inaugural Addresses, Gettysburg Address; Emancipation Proclamation - Abraham Lincoln

 Walden, Civil Disobedience- Henry David Thoreau

 Nineteen Eighty Four -George Orwell

 

If you're looking for a basic high school level book, I do really like the Ethel Wood American Government book published by Steck Vaughn. If you spring for the Teacher book, it has some activities, a study page for each chapter, a quiz (multiple choice and essay) for each chapter, and longer project ideas. The text has 20 chapters, each of about 15 pages. Introduces political and government terms without excessive use of jargon to explain them. 

Teacher Guide

Student Book (This doesn't list Ethel Wood as the author, but it is the right title. The edition I received is the 2002 edition with the same isbn.)

Activity Guide (available used. I'm using this for a coop class. If you're only doing one kid, I think there are plenty of activities in the Teacher Guide)

 

Another cool resource is the You Decide books from Critical Thinking Company. I'm hoping to have time to use these in my coop group.

 

We haven't gotten to college applications yet, so this is conjecture. I don't think most schools would have an issue with accepting either government or economics under social studies/history credits. Having said that, my goal is to not make the admissions counselor think too hard in deciding if my kids have met requirements. I want them to move right along to thinking they would be a great catch.

 

So I think I might hesitate with the 1.5 credit civics class (I'm unclear if you mean 1.5 credits each year 10th and 11th or 1.5 credits over two years), just because it requires admissions to make a judgment on if social studies and English requirements were met. I would try to make it super clear on the transcript and this discuss the integration of studies in the Great Books setting in course descriptions and school philosophy statement.

 

[You didn't ask this, so feel free to ignore.  I also hesitate to grant extra credit because a subject was demanding. There are lots of schools with demanding curriculum. That doesn't mean that they award 1.5 credits for the one course. It might mean they give additional points when calculating gpa (for ex. points for honors, AP or CC courses). I don't want the reviewer to wonder if I'm padding the transcript and start to doubt what we did. What I might do (speaking only of my intentions) is give a separate .5 credit if I thought there was enough really different content. So for example, if there had been intense creative writing or drama in addition to standard English class content.  Just my $0.02 and probably worth less due to inflation.]

[HS Mom in NC]

Books

 

A Guide for Learning and Teaching The Declaration of Independence and the US Constitution by Joseph Andrews

The Federalist Papers in Modern English by Mary E. Webster or the originals

Lives of the Signers of the Declaration of Independence by Charles Augustus Goodrich

Island at the Center of the World by ? (Not all content is appropriate for children.)

 

Documents

 

The Declaration of Independence illustrated and inscribed by Sam Fink

The Constitution of the United States illustrated and inscribed by Sam Fink

The Flushing Remonstrance (The most conspicuously absent founding document in most American Civics curriculum. Google it.  Read it with Island at the Center of the World to understand how the thought process changed in early America from having an official religion in each colony to freedom of religion in the Bill of Rights.)

A look at the original charters of the colonies online is interesting.

[Second Time Around]

Thanks for all the input. In the end, this is what I have for my 3 social studies credits, based on other things I researched here today:

 

World history 9

US history 11

US Govt. & Economics 12

 

I will list English I, II, III and IV. The course descriptions will show that I & II are primarily based on composition skills. By III & IV there is more emphasis on literature .

 

I am including World Literature in grade 9 as an elective. In grade 10 & 11 this will switch to "Survey of Western Civilization I & II, Ancient/ Middle Ages- Renaissance," again, as electives. So as long as my basics are in there, I'm hoping the fact that this might be a weird course for high school should be okay. In 12th Grade, I'm applying the credit for the literary works studied to English IV, and the American Govt. related reading will apply to Govt. 1/2 credit along with supplemental reading (will also look at Idiots Guide to US Govt.). I think he will also go ahead and do the Microeconomics online course through the state college, which has 3 college credits.

 

I am going to hold out for 1.5 credits for each Western Civ. course taken (ie.in 10th and 11th grades), and that decision  is also the basis for me creating a credit of literature and .5 credit of  Govt. (+ supplementary reading and writing) in 12th grade. If you look at Great Books Academy, they estimate that this course should take 12-14 hours per week. If I had decided that ds should do the additional college credit version where he writes answers to a few questions each week, it would have been 18 hours and has been accredited for 6 hours per semester of college credit (elder brother did this and got about 24 credits towards college for two years of work). In 10th grade, we actually read more, discussed longer, and wrote more, because we were doing this by ourselves rather than through the online school at that time. At my dd's public/private high school she is awarded two credits for ballet and 1.5 credits for AP Calculus, so I don't think it is unusual for admissions to see weird credit hours on transcripts (even though admittedly, her school is accredited).

 

So, I think, hope we'll be good, and that he will still show that he took rigorous, unusual courses, while still hitting basic requirements.

 

Thanks again!

[jpklehm]

These are all great suggestions!  Thanks for sharing.

 

 

[ThisIsTheDay]

We also had a very hard time finding something here.  I didn't want the "bore" factor, and my son detests too much religion intermixed with these types of subjects, so I designed my own plan.  I've attached our plan below, maybe someone else may find it useful..

 

 

 

This looks fantastic; in fact, I am saving it to look over more closely and at this point, it's my number one choice for my ds.    :drool:    Thank you!!

 

For the OP: It sounds like you want something pretty simple and easy to do.  My dd did two years of TeenPact (wonderful program, I can't say enough good things about it). Their website says their state class is worth .3 of a credit.  My dd also read 5000 Year Leap, along with a few other simple materials that I added in (books and videos).  It worked well for us.

[TiaTia]

The AP US Government & Politics on Hippo Campus is indeed nice, but use it NOW, before it's withdrawn in June 2014.  Sniffle.

 

Reference Beth's comment in this thread:

http://forums.welltrainedmind.com/topic/474716-hippocampustell-me-its-not-true/

 

 

www.hippocampus.org US Govt. and Politics for AP course, includes extra readings, writing assignment suggestions, multiple choice tests

 

[TCB]

I am a complete newbie to high school. Dd is in 8th gr this year. I was not educated in this country so I really am not sure how the system works, although I have been trying to read all that I can to educate myself. I have a few questions that I wonder if someone would mind answering for me.

 

1. Which year of high school should the student take US Gov. or does it not matter? Which year do most take it in?

 

2. Can anyone point me to a thread or resource that tells you how to use hippocampus?

 

3. How many AP classes etc. should a student take, and which grade should they start taking these AP exams?

 

Just for some background, my dd is thinking about a career in education. At present her goal is not a highly selective college, but one that will offer her a good education. She does have the ability, and I think may get the scores necessary ( she did quite well on the ACT in 7th gr) to go to a more selective school, and may decide to try this in the future. We will probably need her to do well with scholarships in order to afford college.

 

Sorry if this is hijacking this thread, please tell me if so. American Gov. is one of the courses I'm just not sure how to approach, having not taken it myself.

 

Thanks for any information you may be able to give me.

 

Trenna

[Lori D.]

 

I am a complete newbie to high school. Dd is in 8th gr this year.... I have a few questions...

 

1. Which year of high school should the student take US Gov. or does it not matter? Which year do most take it in?

 

Welcome to planning for homeschool high school! :)

 

1. The majority of U.S. high school students in schools take Government in 12th grade (usually a 0.5 credit course, with the other 0.5 credit being Economics). But many, many students take it in other grades as well.

 

Does it matter? JMO: depends on the student. Government is a bit more abstract than History, so some students do better if you wait until they have matured a bit more to be ready for it.

 

Also, some argue that it is best to wait until 12th grade, as that is right about the time many students are turning 18yo and are able to vote, so the topic of Government is more relevant to students at that point.

 

On the other hand, many families who are following a classical model of education do Ancient History and Literature in 9th grade, and you can make a case for doing Government that year, as you would likely read Plato's Republic, and other ancient works that touch on the topic of Government. (Others might suggest doing the Government at year 3 of the classical model, in order to match up the History of the forming of the U.S. with Government.)

 

Another factor to take into consideration is if your student will be taking the AP test in Government -- not all schools offer it every year, so you may need to schedule when it is available in *your* area. 

 

That was the long answer. LOL. The short answer: you decide when it works best for YOUR student! :)

 

 

 

2. Can anyone point me to a thread or resource that tells you how to use hippocampus?

 

2. For a past thread, you might look at NROC/Hippocampus Courses -- esp. U.S. History: Please share how you have used these

 

But I'd suggest reading over the help files on the HippoCampus website (see the black bar at the very top of the home page; right corner has several options; click on "User's Guide"). For specific questions, you might contact Beth Pickett, product manager at HippoCampus at bpickett@theNROCproject.org

 

NOTE: If you plan on using HippoCampus for Government, then be aware that after June 2014, it will be GONE from the HippoCampus website.  In this past thread, Beth Pickett explained:

 

"Hi All,

I am Beth Pickett, the Product Manager at HippoCampus.org. I'd like to clarify what is happening at HippoCampus, and why...  in June of 2014... our 10-year contract to make the UCCP content available at HippoCampus will expire. We've been negotiating with them for the past three years to try to get them to renew, but they wish to sell the content, so it will be retired from HippoCampus.org at that time. 

...this is the first time that content is being retired from HippoCampus--it is by no means something that occurs on a regular basis. Courses and content that we (NROC) have created with grant funding from The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation (Algebra 1--An Open Course, Developmental Math--An Open Program, and the forthcoming Developmental English) are permanent fixtures at HippoCampus, as is the content from Khan Academy, PhET, and NOAA...

...unfortunately the content is not downloadable or archivable. 

HippoCampus will still be going strong after the UCCP content fades out. We hope to add a lot of collections to HippoCampus over the next 12 months to keep a wide variety of high quality multimedia content available for Homeschoolers and others. Please feel free to email me if you have questions, concerns, or suggestions."

 

3. How many AP classes etc. should a student take, and which grade should they start taking these AP exams?

Just for some background, my dd is thinking about a career in education. At present her goal is not a highly selective college, but one that will offer her a good education. She does have the ability, and I think may get the scores necessary ( she did quite well on the ACT in 7th gr) to go to a more selective school, and may decide to try this in the future. We will probably need her to do well with scholarships in order to afford college.

 

 

This REALLY varies widely on the student's abilities, the college the student wishes to attend, and the student's future plans. And, it really depends on your reasons for taking AP.

 

a.) If it is for scholarships, frequently, colleges focus on high SAT/ACT test scores and financial situation (from the FAFSA application), with rigorous coursework (whether AP or not), and community service hours coming next. In other words, AP tests are not the first thing looked at for scholarships, although several good AP scores won't hurt.

 

b.) If you are considering AP for the potential college credit, be aware that some colleges are beginning to move away from awarding credit for AP tests, due to the wide divergence between high schools of what is being called AP. If you are hoping to reduce college costs by having your student earning college credit while still in high school, also weigh the pros/cons of CLEP and dual enrollment alongside AP to see which will give your student the best "bang for the buck".

 

Pros for CLEP include MUCH cheaper (about $125-150 per course for the study materials and test), and credit accepted at many colleges (although not all) -- often as many as 30-60 credits. Cons to CLEP include no GPA to the credit, and not all CLEP credits will be counted towards the degree program, just counted as "electives".

 

Dual enrollment is taking college classes at a community college or university and getting credit for both high school AND college. Pros include: some states offer free tuition for a limited number of dual enrollment classes for high school students, the student is working at a more advanced level, and is moving ahead with college while still in high school, saving time and money in getting a degree. Cons include: not all credits transfer from a community college to a university, not all credits may be applied to the degree program (but will be "electives"), and some community colleges offer very poor courses.

 

c.) AP scores are most helpful for admission to selective and/or top tier schools. Some colleges really want to see several (2-5) AP tests (with scores of 4 or 5) to show high-level of working and competitiveness. However, interesting students with lots to offer can still get into these schools without AP tests. Some colleges require several SAT Subject test scores (also called "SAT II" tests) from homeschoolers, or from ALL applicants, so you may need SAT Subject tests either in addition to AP, or instead of AP. Really depends on the college. (This recent thread may help explain the 2 tests: AP and/or SAT2 tests?)

 

 

My VERY general advice would be:

 

- (admissions) if your student can handle some rigor, plan on 2 to 4 AP classes during high school

- (admissions) If considering a college that requires it, also plan on taking the SAT Subject test right after the AP in that subject

- (scholarships/admissions) do test prep and practice to score high on the SAT and ACT tests

- (reduce college costs) in 11th/12th grade, consider the pros/cons of CLEP and dual enrollment to see how these options might help reduce college costs

- (reduce college costs) in 11th/12th grade, talk to a financial advisor who specializes in college financial aid to learn how to reduce your "EFC" (estimated family contribution) number on the FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid)

 

 

There are 2 pinned threads chock-full of info at the top of the high school Board with loads of links to past threads on these topics for more thoughts as you wrestle through making a decision:

 

Outsourcing, Online Classes, Tutors, Dual Enrollment, AP, SAT II, CLEP -- links to past threads here!

post #1 = topics of: starting high school; outsourcing; tutors; online classes; dual enrollment

post #2 = topics of: PSAT; AP; CLEP; SAT II -- which test, why and when, pros & cons

 

Transcripts, Credits, GPA/Grading, Accreditation, College Prep/Applications, Scholarships/Financial Aid, Career Exploration -- past threads linked here!

post #1 = topics of: getting started/planning; transcripts; record keeping; course descriptions; accreditation

post #5 = topics of: college prep/planning; NCAA; choosing a school; admissions/Common APP; freshman orientation; first time at college; financial aid; scholarships; alternatives to college; career exploration

 

 

BEST of luck as you research, plan, and decide! Warmest regards, Lori D.

[TCB]

Thank you so much Lori D for such good, thorough answers to my questions! That really helps a lot. Thank you for the links, I will be looking at those carefully.

 

Trenna

[Sebastian (a lady)]

Wow, CSPAN has done a Cram for the Exam show for several years. There is a host and a couple government teachers who discuss typical test questions and answers. And of course, you can use your pause button to try to answer the question before it is discussed.

 

2013

 

2012

 

2011

 

2010

 

2009