What do you all think about Whatever Happened to Justice and Are You Liberal, Conservation, or Confused?

[Sweet Home Alabama]

Dd will use A Noble Experiment for 1/2 credit for government.  I would like to supplement this with some "easy" reading books describing our government.  I'm looking at the Bluestocking books Whatever Happened to Justice and Are You Liberal, Conservative, or Confused?.

Please tell me if this is a good idea or not.  I'm not familiar at all with these books- cant' get them at the library. 

 

If not these books, what would you all recommend?  This dc wants history/government told as a story. Whatever we use to supplement ANE needs to capture and hold her attention..... so not a dull, boring text iykwim. (We're using TTC's A History of the US 2nd edition for history with 1776 by David McCullough and other similar-type books- not entirely scheduled yet.)

 

This is A Noble Experiment:

http://www.zeezok.com/A-Noble-Experiment-The-History-and-Nature-of-the-American-Government-COMBO-SET_p_64.html

 

What do you think of these books?

What other books would you recommend?

 

Thanks!

 

 

[Lori D.]

Dd will use A Noble Experiment for 1/2 credit for government.  I would like to supplement this with some "easy" reading books describing our government.  I'm looking at the Bluestocking books Whatever Happened to Justice and Are You Liberal, Conservative, or Confused?...

 

… This is A Noble Experiment:

http://www.zeezok.com/A-Noble-Experiment-The-History-and-Nature-of-the-American-Government-COMBO-SET_p_64.html

 

 

Not familiar with Noble Experiment. I looked it up at Christian Book's website (they usually have the most amount of "sample pages" to get a feel for materials ;) ). It looks like it is 90 minutes of DVD video segments, an activity book/workbook, and a Teacher CD with quizzes / answers / syllabus.

 

Hmmm… that seems a bit "lite" to me, depending on how much or how little work is required by the activity book/workbook… Okay, I just went and read the Cathy Duffy review… It sounds like as long as you do all of the primary source readings, quizzes, and research and activities in the activity book/workbook, you'll be okay.

 

HOWEVER, because you ARE using TC lecture series and another book (McCollough's 1776), and are considering using other books (e.g.,  Bluestocking books), it sounds like you will have Noble Experiment "beefed up" to a good Government credit. :)

 

 

… Whatever Happened to Justice and Are You Liberal, Conservative, or Confused?...

… What do you think of these books?

 

We read the second one of these (and Whatever Happened to Penny Candy). They are quick reads, written at a middle school level. While not written in the style of a story, they are conversational and informal in tone, and easy to understand -- certainly NOT like a textbook. ;)

 

All books from Richard Maybury/Bluestocking Press are from a very libertarian perspective, which is interesting and fine -- just as long as you realize it is a single, limited perspective. For a broader perspective, you would also want to include information about forms of government from other perspectives.

 

 

What other books would you recommend?

 

Not a book, but another suggestion for an interesting way to supplement a Government credit is to learn by doing through a mock legislative and/or mock judicial program. AND your student gets the benefit of discussing/debating differing political viewpoints with other teens:

 

- YMCA Youth in Government -- secular; model legislation (west of the Mississippi it's called Youth AND Government) 
- TEEN Pact -- Christian; government and the political process
- Junior State of America -- secular; teen-organized/attended evening or weekend-long events on civics and politics, with speakers and group discussion sessions on hot topics)
- National Model United Nations or Model United Nations -- secular; check your local University for a program near you
- Teen Court, Youth Court, Mock Trial -- secular; model judicial branch of government

 

 

Sounds like you've got a good plan going! BEST of luck in your Government studies! Warmly, Lori D.

[G5052]

My younger one took a local class with those books, and I was very pleased. The teacher has relatives who are more libertarian, but she is more moderate herself. She brought in current events, and they had a lot of debates in order to get both sides.  I felt like it was a good class.

 

My older one had a local class where they discussed and re-wrote a series of documents in their own words.  That was good too, but I think that my younger one got a richer, more well-rounded view.

 

Bottom line -- those are good books, but I think you need to be balanced with them, regardless of your personal viewpoint.

[Sweet Home Alabama]

Thank you, Lori!  Wonderful suggestions as always!  Our history and government is most likely going to be more on the lite side than many others on this board.  I'm trying to keep dd's schedule manageable.  She'll have American Literature and Composition outsourced as well as Pre-Calculus (Wilson Hill Academy) and Science Shepherd Biology (with me).  I'm fine with letting history and government be lite.  The "story" perspective will help her retain the information.

 

G5052, I like your thought of considering both sides, but I'm not sure we have the time to fully explore both sides.  Do you have any suggestions how to keep these books balanced?  I really want a supplement- an "easy" read- something that will engage dd without requiring a lot of heavy analysis.  I hope that doesn't sound like we're trying to shortchange either history or governmnet.  The Bluestocking books are the only ones that I know of that cover this subject like I'm wanting to do.

 

Another idea..... I would love to know if there is a book of historical fiction or nonfiction that would be written as a story that relates what government is and how it functions in story form?  As an example, we are currently watching the DVD series on West Wing as a family.  This has been a wonderful way to introduce government even before we start school.  This series is giving dd context for government study.

[G5052]

G5052, I like your thought of considering both sides, but I'm not sure we have the time to fully explore both sides.  Do you have any suggestions how to keep these books balanced?  I really want a supplement- an "easy" read- something that will engage dd without requiring a lot of heavy analysis.  I hope that doesn't sound like we're trying to shortchange either history or governmnet.  The Bluestocking books are the only ones that I know of that cover this subject like I'm wanting to do.

 

Another idea..... I would love to know if there is a book of historical fiction or nonfiction that would be written as a story that relates what government is and how it functions in story form?  As an example, we are currently watching the DVD series on West Wing as a family.  This has been a wonderful way to introduce government even before we start school.  This series is giving dd context for government study.

 

Since I didn't teach the class I really can't speak to that.  The teacher did bring in current events that related to what they were studying. In particular about Supreme Court cases, new laws, etc.  Several times she had the kids bring in an article on a particular subject.

 

We sometimes listen to the online shows on bothsidesradio.com for perspective.

[Sweet Home Alabama]

Trying again.....