US History.... Notgrass?

[Mynyel]

I don't know where to begin. I want to do US History. I have looked online and haven't found anything that really strikes me. I like Sonlight (kinda) but I know they have at least one whole book dedicated to a missionary and I just don't want to focus on that. I looked at A Trail Guide to Learning but I don't like all the extra stuff like dictation and spelling. I don't need that.

 

I was looking at Notgrass and think that may be the thing I need. Does anyone have any experience with the Notgrass US History?

 

 

Unless there is a comprehensive chronological book list somewhere that someone has that is willing to share? :)

 

 

[Jaz]

My ds started with Notgrass American History texts and literature in August. He found Exploring America pretty dry. I really like American Voices: A Collection of Documents, Speeches, Essays, Hymns, Poems and Short Stories from American History. I'm using that text along with the exam book for discussion questions for the text and the literature selections.

 

We're watching DVDs for the history portion along with dd (6th grade). We all love it! My ds pointed out the documentaries we were watching covered the same material as Exploring America, so we decided to use Exploring America as a resource book.

 

So far, we have watched:

Liberty, The American Revolution (this is amazing with costumed actors only speaking actual words from letters, diaries, etc.)

The Louisiana Purchase

Lewis and Clark: The Journey of the Corps of Discovery

 

Next up: American Experience: We Shall Remain

 

My dd is using America the Beautiful from Notgrass and it is fabulous! She isn't using the additional workbooks, but really likes the mapping, writing, timeline, and activities.

 

I've added historical fiction and audiobooks for both that they haven't read yet such as:

My Brother Sam is Dead

Rifles for Watie

Calico Captive

The Witch of Blackbird Pond

Johnny Tremain

The Winter of Red Snow

 

I hope this helps!

[Mom22ns]

You can find quite a few opinions on Notgrass on the high school board. Here are a few.

 

http://forums.welltrainedmind.com/topic/467453-notgrass/?hl=%2Bnotgrass

 

http://forums.welltrainedmind.com/topic/442453-benefit-of-mfw-or-just-using-notgrassor-bju-history/?hl=notgrass

 

http://forums.welltrainedmind.com/topic/401288-please-help-me-pick-9th-grade-history-mfw-notgrass/?hl=notgrass

[laughing lioness]

I reviewed here, along with TOS Crew (link on bottom of post)

[Cynful]

We used Notgrass' America the Beautiful (the last half) last year and though we really liked the setup, we really didn't get into the lessons too much.  If it had been the spine for another program, like Sonlight, we would have liked it more.  It started out great but then just became something else to hurry up and get finished.  We also used Sonlight Core D and really, really loved it.  We skipped books we didn't like or want, such as the missionary stories, and it didn't effect the program at all.  In fact, I feel it made it a little better.  Sonlight can almost have too many books.  We remember each and every book we read though; we just took more time with some of them and added a few others in.  

 

Good luck,

[Χά�ων]

Book list broken down by subject:

 

1. Native Americans
-The Light in the Forest
-The Courage of Sarah Noble
-I Am Regina
-Night Bird: A Story of the Seminole Indians
-Calico Captive
-The Sign of the Beaver
-Children of the Longhouse
-The Birchbark House Series

2. Exploration
-Pedro's Journey
-If You Were There in 1492
-Around the World in a Hundred Years
-The Tainos
-I Sailed with Columbus
-Voyage of the Half Moon


3. The American Revolution and the Constitution
-The Fighting Ground
-My Brother Sam Is Dead
-War Comes to Willy Freeman
-Phoebe the Spy
-The Secrete Soldier
-Guns for General Washington
-George Washington's Socks
-George VS George -A look at both sides


4. Slavery and the Civil War
-Shades of Grey
-Charley Skedaddle
-A Separate Battle
-Freedom Crossing
-The Ghost Wore Grey
-The Boys' War
-Runaway to Freedom
-War Comes to Willie Freeman
-Jump Ship to Freedom

5. Pioneer Life and Westward Expansion
-Caddie Woodlawn
-Prairie Songs
-The Cabin Faced West
-My Prairie Year, Based on the Diary of Elenore Plaisted
-Sarah, Plain and Tall
-Mr. Tucket
-Dear Levi
-Magical Melons


6. Immigration
-Land of Hope
-Molly's Pilgrim
-Immigrant Kids
-In the Year of the Boar and Jackie Robinson
-Angel Child, Dragon Child
-An Orphan for Nebraska


7. Industrial Revolution
-Lyddie
-East Side Story
-The Factories
-Kids at Work
-Fire! The Beginnings of the Labor Movement
-Hannah's Fancy Notions


8. World War 1
-After the Dancing Days
-War Games
-The Night Bells Rang
-Hero Over Here
-Good-bye, Billy Radish
-Riding the Waves


9. World War II
-Hilde and Eli
-Parallel Journeys
-Rosie the Riveter
-Lisa's War
-Snow Treasure
-Code Talker: A Novel About the Navajo Marines of World War Two (Also touches on Native American children being forced to attend Mission schools)
-The Lucky Baseball: My Story in a Japanese-American Internment Camp
-Silver Like Dust: One Family's Story of America's Japanese Internment

10. The Korean War
-Year of Impossible Goodbyes
-Echoes of the White Giraffe
The Korean War Soldier at Heartbreak Ridge


11. The Civil Rights Movement
-Just Like Martin
-Ludie's Song
-Mayfield Crossing
-Witness to Freedom: Young People Who Fought for Civil Rights
-The Year They Walked: Rosa Parks and the Montgomery Bus Boycott
-The Gold Cadillac
-The Girl on the Outside
-Not Separate, Not Equal


12. The Women's Rights Movements
-The Day the Women Got the Vote: A Photo History
-Radicle Red
-You Want Women to Vote, Lizzie Stanton
-Mother, Aunt Susan and Me: The First Fight
-I Speak for the Women: A Story about Lucy Stone
-A Long Way to Go: A Story About Women's Right to Vote


13. Space Exploration
-The Day We Walked On the Moon: A Photo History of Space Exploration
-Heroes of the Challenger
-The Space Shuttle
-Countdown


14. The Vietnam War
-Charlie Pippin
-Tough Choices: The Story of the Vietnam War
-Always Remember: The Story of Vietnam Veterans Memorial
-December Stillness
-And One for All
-Park's Quest
-The Monument
-The Purple Heart


15. Celebrating Our Multicultural Heritage
-Indian Summer
-My Name is Maria Isabel
-Journey of the Sparrows
-Children of the River
-Crossing the Starlight Bridge
-Going Home
-Racing the Sun
-The Shimmershine Queens


16.The Persian Gulf War
-Operation Desert Storm
-Operation Desert Shield
-Saddam Hussin
-Linger
-Gulf

[kbutton]

I can comment only on America the Beautiful. My fourth grader is using it right now, and he does it independently. He loves it. He does the map work, timeline, and extra reading. It's magic for us as my son usually fritters away time being anxious about having work to do, or he needs someone at elbow, and he's very independent with this curriculum. We are not looking for lots of analysis from him at this point, so I can't comment on how well this curriculum facilitates discussion and analysis. He has Asperger's, and long, involved discussions about history just aren't on the radar yet--too many other fish to fry. I am happy to have him learn the facts in a way that he finds appealing. I appreciate that the curriculum doesn't whitewash everything or get really bogged down in everything controversial that comes along. I think it woks for what we need right now.

[Lucy]

I have two girls doing America the Beautiful - they both like it a lot!  They do the text, the firsthand account readings, the mapwork, and the fun little extra notebook page.  They will also read some of the fiction books that go with it, but not all of them because I have a huge list of books I want them to read this year already. :)  So far they are completely independent and enjoying it - a good combo in this house!