Feedback wanted -- Stobaugh's American History

[provenance61]

Has anyone used Stobaugh's American History?  Would like comments/suggestions on this curriculum.  Here's the link:

https://www.amazon.com/American-History-James-P-Stobaugh/dp/0890516448

[lexi]

We’re trying it this year. I hope we enjoy it! 

[Sebastian (a lady)]

Have you seen a copy yet?  The samples I found only show some of the first chapter. I wish that the chapter on Native Americans had covered more ground on life before Columbus.  (I had my kids read chapters from 1491 for this period)

One thing that I would want to see is how the Civil War was treated.  I've found some justifications for slavery and secession in some booms that make me unwilling to use them.  I don't know how Stobaugh covers this period.

I had some of the Stobaugh literature books a few years ago. I though the choice of works covered was pretty good,  but found the emphasis on reading everything through a lens of Christian worldview wore thin quickly.  (I am Christian and was considering for use in a church based coop.)

I think for me I would find that the balance of worldview to narrative and sources about the historical period comes down too much on the worldview commentary side.  

[provenance61]

This would be used in a co-op class we are considering. From the teacher and what reviews I've read, it may be a good discussion based class emphasizing critical thinking.  But as a history major myself, I'm considering the need to supplement for the reason you mentioned.

 

[Lori D.]

1 hour ago, provenance61 said:

...it may be a good discussion based class emphasizing critical thinking.  But as a history major myself, I'm considering the need to supplement for the reason you mentioned.

Just from the sample I was able to view from your link, this is what I was thinking -- it would be a great supplement for discussion, but not sure I'd want to use it as my main spine. I personally like some primary source documents, and using texts from several different authors to get a mix of perspectives, in an attempt at "balance" in my History studies. But I absolutely appreciate his introduction with the detailed explanation of his own background to understand where he's coming from -- and also I greatly appreciate that he is VERY upfront that this text is HIS personal take on History by noting that in the book's title:  American History: Observations & Assessments from Early Settlement to Today.

[lexi]

So what would be some ways to supplement this course? 

I know I’ll be adding some Great Course lectures. 

[BusyMom5]

I don'tknow anything about this text, but I found some TPT UNITS using primary source documents.  We are using a Holt textbook, the blue one that focuses on Reconstruction to modern.   I wanted to focus,on modern America this year.

[Sebastian (a lady)]

2 hours ago, lexi said:

So what would be some ways to supplement this course? 

I know I’ll be adding some Great Course lectures. 

 

I'd probably look at it the other way around and use the Stobaugh as a supplement for a text that presented more history.  I was comparing it with History of US by Hakim, which is generally a middle school set of texts.  Hakim had much more historical narrative, more illustrations, and more graphics (tables, graphs, maps).

The digital classroom at the National Archive site has really good sets of primary source documents grouped into period or thematic groups.  https://www.archives.gov/education/lessons

For AP US History, I used 

 

Major Problems in American History (problems here as in math problems or exercises, it is part of a series that has been around for decades covering many aspects of history).  These don't get updated that much, so I would buy them used for a few dollars.

https://www.amazon.com/Major-Problems-American-History-Wadsworth/dp/0618678328/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1530650168&sr=8-3&keywords=problems+in+US+history&dpID=51ETNAtofML&preST=_SY291_BO1,204,203,200_QL40_&dpSrc=srch

Opposing Viewpoints in American History.  I liked this book, but it seems to have gone out of print and be a bit pricey used.  https://www.amazon.com/Opposing-Viewpoints-American-History-Reconstruction/dp/1565103475/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1530650529&sr=1-1&keywords=opposing+viewpoints+in+american+history+volume+1&dpID=51PYJ8ARP5L&preST=_SX218_BO1,204,203,200_QL40_&dpSrc=srch

I used American Pageant for US History.  It's an intro college text for survey courses and is often used in AP classes.  If I do US history again, I'll probably use the brief edition instead of the AP specific textbook.  That will cut back a little on the textbook reading, but leave me room for adding more primary sources and secondary histories.

US History texts is something that can elicit a lot of opinion.  When I was getting ready for my US history year, I bought a lot of texts at library sales and checked some out from the library so that I could compare them.  I would read the coverage of a couple periods across several books to see which ones I thought did a good job (I tended to look at World War 1 to World War 2 - because I'm very familiar with that period, and the Civil War - because I thought it was a section where point of view comes across more clearly).  Also these intro college texts tend to be revised every 1-2 years, with little actual change.  That meant that I could use online samples from the current edition and then buy one that was a few editions older (for around $20 a volume instead of $150).  I like the paperback multi-volume sets, because they are easier to handle and just don't seem as intimidating as the big hardback single volumes.

Some of the texts I looked at were The American Pageant  https://www.amazon.com/American-Pageant-History-People-AP/dp/1111831068/ref=sr_1_38?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1530652005&sr=1-38&keywords=american+history+textbook, Out of Many (big sample here: https://www.amazon.com/Out-Many-John-Mack-Faragher/dp/020596205X/ref=pd_sim_14_41?_encoding=UTF8&pd_rd_i=020596205X&pd_rd_r=89327f4a-7f02-11e8-8d6f-eb1c20c2ded2&pd_rd_w=wcueZ&pd_rd_wg=dYwZQ&pf_rd_i=desktop-dp-sims&pf_rd_m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_p=7967298517161621930&pf_rd_r=GWJGGSJ3J3VFRJ5D2HZX&pf_rd_s=desktop-dp-sims&pf_rd_t=40701&psc=1&refRID=GWJGGSJ3J3VFRJ5D2HZX , America: A Narrative History https://www.amazon.com/America-Narrative-History-Brief-Tenth/dp/0393265978/ref=sr_1_24?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1530651780&sr=1-24&keywords=american+history+textbook, Give Me Liberty https://www.amazon.com/Give-Me-Liberty-American-History/dp/0393920291/ref=sr_1_25?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1530651780&sr=1-25&keywords=american+history+textbook

One of my friends did an online class that used American Stories.

[Sebastian (a lady)]

4 hours ago, lexi said:

So what would be some ways to supplement this course? 

I know I’ll be adding some Great Course lectures. 

 

Other option is to use something like Hakim's History of US for the history narrative, Stobaugh for writing and discussion prompts and use primary sources for research when answering the prompts.

[historymatters]

I own Stobaugh's AH text. I am going to combine it with the Great Courses' US History lectures, Founding Fathers, and some other individual lectures. 

I think that will provide a nice balance. 

Another option for you is to use The Classical Historian's materials using A Patriot's History of the United States. It includes the use of a Reader of primary sources. They have a lot of games and a set of flash cards. As well as a book on the formation of our federal holidays. http://www.classicalhistorian.com/american-history-from-columbus-discovery-to-the-war-on-terror.html