American Pioneers and Patriots?

[mom of 2 boys]

I'm still trying to figure out my 1st grade Early American History curriculum over here. So far I've figured out that I think I would like to pick and choose literature from MFW, Sonlight and Beautiful Feet books according to what is available at my library and what I like the best. I think I would like to use some kind of a "textbook" - but not really a text book. I don't know exactly, some kind of a guide. A spine? Is that the word that people use for this? Something that outlines what I'll be teaching, but not necessarily a text book or an official curriculum, KWIM? Anyway, I thought I would use the DK Childrens encyclopedia of american history, but I was able to borrow it from the library to take a look at it and this is way, way over my sons head, so that idea's out. Now I'm looking at American Pioneers and Patriots by Christian Liberty Press. Has anyone used this? I'm reading that it is very fictional, but I think that I might be okay with that if it get's at the heart of the historical events. I don't want to bore my son to death with dry history facts. I am considering just getting the beautiful feet books primary study guide, but I really don't need a guide to tell me how many pages to read per day and I usually don't like many of the activities in those sorts of things (not saying that I wouldn't necessarily, I just kind of like to do my own thing most of the time.) 

 

Anyway, would American Pioneers and Patriots give us a little bit of a uniform blurb (ideally 1-3 pages with some illustrations) about each major historical event in early US history that we can use to then dive into the literature books from? Or would this book actually be more like a literature book in itself? I'm just not sure looking at it online. 

 

Please feel free to suggest other non-textbook textbooks that would be appropriate for a 1st grader along these lines. Thank you! 

[SilverMoon]

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Edited August 31, 2023 by SilverMoon

[SilverMoon]

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Edited June 13 by SilverMoon

[SebastianCat]

Also consider Homeschool in the Woods Time Traveler packs for colonial days and the revolutionary war. Again, they might be a bit over a 6 year old's head, but would add some hands on projects and a sequence of lessons.

[Bay Lake Mom]

For that age, I would recommend using the series of "If you lived...." books.  You can use those as jumping points to read other real books and biographies.  Here is a link that shows the series :

http://www.prairieviewpress.com/catalog/If_You_Lived_Series-139-1.html

 

My kids have always loved these, and there's just enough information to spark interest.  You can choose how much you want to expand on the study.

 

BTW, my daughters both loved American Pioneers & Patriots.  Heart of Dakota's Beyond Little Hearts for His Glory program includes this book in their study.  It's an awesome program.  It's also included in My Father's World's Adventures in US History, but that program is geared more towards 2/3rd grade.

 

Also, check out the book list for Winter Promise American Story 1.   The program itself was a bit disjointed (IMO), but the book list is awesome!!!  https://winterpromise.com/themed-programs/american-story-1-theme-introduction/

Edited February 11, 2017 by The Substitute is a Westie

[mom of 2 boys]

For that age, I would recommend using the series of "If you lived...." books.  You can use those as jumping points to read other real books and biographies.  Here is a link that shows the series :

http://www.prairieviewpress.com/catalog/If_You_Lived_Series-139-1.html

 

 

 

Thank you! These look great, and it looks like my local library carries them! 

[mom of 2 boys]

It's a great read aloud for that age, but I don't think it's what you're looking for. If I recall correctly, it starts with the many different people groups who came to America and you see what life was like through the eyes of a fictional child who came with them. Each kid had a couple/few chapters that were good sizes for the attention span of little people. Then it catches a handful of other events in a similar manner. Hold on, it's in this room with me but I'm in the comfy chair under a laptop...lol.

 

Topics covered:

First Pioneers (from Spain)

English Pioneers (in Virginia)

Pilgrim Pioneers (Plymouth)

Pioneers from Holland

Pioneers from France

How the US Began (boy who saw GW become president)

Pioneers going west

Going west by water (Ohio River)

Going west by wagon train

Three trails through the mountains (Santa Fe, Oregon, California)

home on the plains

moving west by railroad

 

It really is sweet and age appropriate. If you're fine with a broad focus on just pioneers it'd be great. But it's not what you're describing. The only books I can think of that do that off the top of my head aren't something I'd expect my 6yo to get through. You might be better off with a general timeline and picking different resources for the major events. Like American Girl Kaya for native Americans, Liberty's Kids for revolutionary times, and so on. AG Felicity for revolutionary times too. (AG protagonists are always girls, but there is plenty of action and pretty much always a boy character included. You could just read the first of the series for someone so small. My 6yo boy enjoyed listening to them last year when his sisters went through most of them.)

 

Thank you so much for the list of topics! I guess I'm having trouble finding what I want because it probably doesn't exist. I think you're right about the timeline idea, and that's probably what I'm going to end up doing. I think that I am going to get this American Pioneers and Patriots book though, even if I can't use it as a spine. It just looks like such a nice resource. 

[emmaluv+2more]

https://www.amazon.com/Complete-Book-United-States-History/dp/1561896799

 

I've used this as a guide with lots of additional books for each topic covered. If I recall correctly, I even added some topics/events that weren't addressed. It was decent. It is the best thing I found at the time that seemed simple, yet somewhat thorough. I was looking for a secular resource, though.