kirstenhill Posted March 25, 2016 Share Posted March 25, 2016 Are there any good American History audio options that would give a nice overview of American history (similar to listening to SOTW audio)? I am considering options for next year for my rising 4th/2nd graders. I originally thought we would do a full on year of American history, but I am mulling over the idea of making history a lesser focus for them next year and taking more time for civics/government and maybe geography. I thought maybe having something to pop in for car rides to cover a bit of American history on the side might be a good option if we go that route. Any ideas? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TX Pilgrim Posted March 26, 2016 Share Posted March 26, 2016 If you want to listen to something that is in the public domain I would use Mara Pratt - only the first two are available through librivox. You could also use This Country of Ours (this is the text used by Ambleside Online for the elementary years). It is a little advanced but my kids have enjoyed it. Obviously with these texts American history ends around 1900. Not as rigorous - but you could get Magic Tree House books related to American history on audible (or from the library). She also has an American Tall Tales that my boys have enjoyed. There are also quite a few Jim Weiss CDs that cover different aspects of American history. This wouldn't be chronological but it would hit some important events and people. There are also many books like those of Jean Fritz or Alice Dalgliesh or Elizabeth George Speare or Clyde Robert Bulla and of course Laura Ingalls Wilder that you might be able to get on Audible or at your library that would have a more narrative history. Not all of their books will have an audio format - but some will. I am not aware of a more current audio book of American history - if someone knows of one I would love to hear about it! 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FawnsFunnyFarm Posted March 26, 2016 Share Posted March 26, 2016 Hakim's A History of US is available as an audio but may be too much for your ages. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
justasque Posted March 26, 2016 Share Posted March 26, 2016 Hakim's A History of US is available as an audio but may be too much for your ages. We loved Hakim on audio, but I agree that your kids are a wee bit too young for it. You might consider choosing a few of the main events in American history - Colonial Times/Revolutionary War, Slavery/Civil War, Native Americans/Westward Expansion - and selecting a couple of historical fiction audio books that fit into those times. Divide your school year into three parts (Sept-Thanksgiving, Jan-mid-Feb, mid-Feb-May) and cover one topic per "trimester". I second the suggestions of Magic Tree House and Jim Weiss. We've also liked some of the American Girl "History Mysteries". Your librarian may be able to help you find more suitable books in your library system. If you have local museums or other historical sites, or nearby events such as reenactments, plan at least one field trip per topic. You might want to add in some kind of craft activity, or social event, depending on your kids' interests. For example, there is a nice American Girl play about Addie - gather a group of friends and put on a show! Or invite friends to join you in enjoying topic-related food and activity - get a local teen to teach your group lacrosse and then share some Native foods. You could even have the kids (yours and the friends you invite) give "reports" to each other on key figures of the time period. And of course throw in some non-fiction read-alouds as part of your bedtime reading or the student's daily reading time or even a book club with friends. This kind of approach lays a good foundation about the basic topics in American history, which can be built upon with more formal studies in middle and high school. It also reinforces listening skills, including good English grammar, and, depending on the other activities you choose, provides practice with reading, giving presentations, and so on. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ruthie in MS Posted March 26, 2016 Share Posted March 26, 2016 I don't have a suggestion for all year but maybe a Pioneer era rabbit trail. The Little House series is really wonderful. Cherry Jones is a wonderful narrator. My children love the series. It goes deep into everyday life and that's something that most textbooks and historical fiction books miss. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kirstenhill Posted March 26, 2016 Author Share Posted March 26, 2016 Thanks for the ideas. I have a long list of topical books (a large number of which we own) I used with my DD at that age, so I feel like I have plenty of resources if I want to go that route. My DD will probably use the condensed Hakim texts next year for 7th grade (unless she talks me into letting her do MOH 4 instead...or maybe we'll do that next year and save Hakim for 8th grade). I feel like if I go the lots of topics/individual books route with the boys, that will be our primary focus, and it wouldn't leave time for government/civics/geography as well (at least not the way I would like to cover those topics). I was just thinking of doing things differently -- multitasking the history as an audiobook in the car while making our focus during the regular school time those other topics. It might be there isn't a good audio US History resource that really works for that purpose. It might be we need to pick one or the other for next year and save the other one for a future year. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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