Question about America the Beautiful

[nixpix5]

For those of you that have used it, have you ever done so with a younger student? The grade level is 5-8 but I am curious if anyone has used it as a read aloud style history for 3rd or 4th. 

How would you compare it's writing style and ease of understanding? Where on the continuum would you rank it in comparison to SOTW, MOH,  Hakim, etc? 

I am not thinking next year as we will be in middle ages but we will be ready for US history the year after and I might want to venture away from SOTW so I am thinking ahead a bit. I like the look of Notgrass programs in general but have never had my hands on them to get a sense of how they read. 

[Momto6inIN]

We found the reading very dry and boring. I loved the idea of the Notgrass programs but we didn't enjoy the writing style at all. I did use it for a 4th grader and it worked fine but we have since moved on to other US History resources. I would rank it definitely below SotW and MOH (with modifications) and Hakim as a read aloud. For 3rd and 4th I used the Complete Book of US History combined with some Betsy Maestro books and other library books.  That took more thought to pull together but was more engaging than America the Beautiful.

[nixpix5]

4 hours ago, Momto5inIN said:

We found the reading very dry and boring. I loved the idea of the Notgrass programs but we didn't enjoy the writing style at all. I did use it for a 4th grader and it worked fine but we have since moved on to other US History resources. I would rank it definitely below SotW and MOH (with modifications) and Hakim as a read aloud. For 3rd and 4th I used the Complete Book of US History combined with some Betsy Maestro books and other library books.  That took more thought to pull together but was more engaging than America the Beautiful.

This is really helpful, thank you. I kind of have this love affair with the look of the program and it tends to get really good reviews. Maybe that is why it is listed for older students. I definitely want my kids to be able to engage with the time period in a meaningful way. 

I love love love Hakim's conversational writing style in A History of Us but there is some parts when I am reading them that I cringe a bit due to her inserted opinions and in a few places the history is flat out wrong. I do love it about 85% of the time though.

I know that is true of all history programs for the most part though so I should probably let go of some ideal I hold where the writer uses only primary source material and leaves out their own current century opinions. 

I will definitely look at The Complete Story of Us, I haven't seen that one. I have a ridiculous amount of US history texts on our shelves and I cannot put my finger on it but my gut knows what I want haha. I am too picky ?

[Momto6inIN]

53 minutes ago, nixpix5 said:

 

I will definitely look at The Complete Story of Us, I haven't seen that one. I have a ridiculous amount of US history texts on our shelves and I cannot put my finger on it but my gut knows what I want haha. I am too picky ?

It's not a fancy text, more a cheap paperback workbook type book but without the fill in answers. But it was a good intro.

[KrissiK]

Well, we enjoy it. They say it’s supposed to be for 5-8th grade, but I would definitely say it’s on the lower end of that. We used From Adam to Us last year with my son as a 7th grader and now America thr Beautiful as an 8th grader, supplementing with a Constitution study.  Here is what I really like:

1) the individual Lesson format.

2) choice of literature books

3) pictures, text format is gorgeous

4) we have studied things i’ve Never seen in any textbooks - For example, they have lessons on the major national parks, baseball, Jackie Robinson, the Civilian Conservation Corps, The culture of the 1950’s, Route 66. And those are the few we’ve read about recently.

5) they have biographical insets of each President within lessons

Things I don’t like:

1) for this grade level, especially going into middle school, it is too informative. It is very interesting,  but it doesn’t go deeper, really, than factual information.

2) The lessons, while they are in chronological order, don’t hang together terribly well.

[nixpix5]

7 hours ago, KrissiK said:

Well, we enjoy it. They say it’s supposed to be for 5-8th grade, but I would definitely say it’s on the lower end of that. We used From Adam to Us last year with my son as a 7th grader and now America thr Beautiful as an 8th grader, supplementing with a Constitution study.  Here is what I really like:

1) the individual Lesson format.

2) choice of literature books

3) pictures, text format is gorgeous

4) we have studied things i’ve Never seen in any textbooks - For example, they have lessons on the major national parks, baseball, Jackie Robinson, the Civilian Conservation Corps, The culture of the 1950’s, Route 66. And those are the few we’ve read about recently.

5) they have biographical insets of each President within lessons

Things I don’t like:

1) for this grade level, especially going into middle school, it is too informative. It is very interesting,  but it doesn’t go deeper, really, than factual information.

2) The lessons, while they are in chronological order, don’t hang together terribly well.

This is also super helpful. One of the reasons I thought it might work in the grammar stage is the sample I saw did feel information based to me as well. It almost seemed more suited to 4th- 6th ish range but I only saw a small sample so I wasn't sure. 

Does your son seem to enjoy it/find it interesting? 

 

[KrissiK]

39 minutes ago, nixpix5 said:

 

Does your son seem to enjoy it/find it interesting? 

 

Yes, he does. I do, too. It’s got a lot of information that I never knew about. The past several lessons they’ve had little lists of toys and such that were invented in the decades we are studying and he’s found that fascinating. We learned today that Mr. Potato Head was invented in the 50’s and initially, you had to supply your own potato. Tonight at dinner DS got out his history book and we had to guess which year different toys were introduced.

At first I was kind of bothered, because I felt like the whole curriculum wasn’t very rigorous. Which it’s not. But as we’re working our way through the second year I have come to appreciate it for what it is. It’s got a different approach. But I think it is a good curriculum.

[ktgrok]

Notgrass, in my opinion, gives the basics. If you do it your children will get a good framework, and a solid knowledge of the basic information an American should have about their country. You can add in more with documentaries, novels, etc. But if you want that "this is what you should know as a minimum to participate in our society" you will get it. I wanted that, a nd felt comfortable adding the fun stuff. 

[wehave8]

Charlene Notgrass is trying to get Our Star Spangled Story (for grades 1-4) out for next school year.

 

Pam

[sangtarah]

We have used  it this year for a 3rd and 6th grader. Both have enjoyed it. My 3rd grader, after some vision therapy, hasn't had any problem reading it to herself when I'm not available to read it to her. The 6th grader loves to be able to do it herself, and is learning quite a lot! I've been happy with the total package.