Non Western hist of US

[Jennifer in CO]

My high schooler wants to focus on the non Western European experience in the Americas, which really boils down to Indigenous people and African Americans. That fits right into my plan of a year of civil rights and racial justice. 
I'm looking at the following books

Howard Zinn- A Peoples History of the United States - there is a youth edition 

An Indigenous Peoples’ History of the United States- there is a youth edition

An African American and Latinx Peoples’ History of the United States 

All of these are too long to read straight thr   Oh! Freedom curriculum by Woke Homeschooling  uses the young people's edition of the Zinn book as well as the youth edition of Mirror Mirror. Has anyone used this curriculum for high school?  I wonder how much I’d have to beef up for high school. I also have a 5th and 8th grader on the same topic. 

Any advice for other books to serve as a spine?  I want something that’s truthful (with a T), but not so biased the other way that it’s propaganda. 
For reference we live in a well off majority Latino/Mexican suburb surround by wealthy white suburbs. When my white kids drop in to take classes at the PS they get to be the minority. 
 
Thanks

Jennifer

[Little Green Leaves]

What period of time does she want to focus on? Before Europeans came to the Americas, or after? Does she want to focus on North America, or the Americas in general? That would impact which spine to choose.

I would probably have her come up with some broad topics / questions to focus on. So, maybe she wants to look at labor, or land ownership, or education, or... I don't know. Once she has a list of topics, it'll also be easier to pick a spine and then to find other sources to build on. 

[EKS]

16 minutes ago, WendyAndMilo said:

Don't use the young people's editions of Zinn for high school - use the regular one.

This.  The young people's editions are for middle school and below.

I have not read them, but the books 1491 and 1493 by Charles Mann may be something to take a look at.  There is a young people's version of 1491 called Before Columbus.

There is also the book A Different Mirror by Ronald Takaki (which I also have not read and also has a young people's version).

[Matryoshka]

1 minute ago, EKS said:

This.  The young people's editions are for middle school and below.

I have not read them, but the books 1491 and 1493 by Charles Mann may be something to take a look at.  There is a young people's version of 1491 called Before Columbus.

There is also the book A Different Mirror by Ronald Takaki (which I also have not read and also has a young people's version).

1491 (I've only read the original) is absolutely fantastic.  History of the Americas before Columbus - so much new information, well researched and presented.  Highly recommend.  I have not seen the youth edition.

1493 is also really interesting but focuses on the Columbian Exchange, so you learn about things like sweet potatoes and silver in China.  It's kind of a story of how the world got interconnected on a global level (so quickly!) but it has a much broader and more scattered focus, about a lot more than America.

I would agree with others to use the regular editions for a high schooler, youth for middle and below.

There's also Stamped from the Beginning, which also has a youth edition.  And A Black Women's History of the United States by Daina Ramey Berry and Kali Nicole Gross.

[Farrar]

1619 Project for sure. And look at the resources at Teaching Tolerance.

Stamped from the Beginning - get the remix as it's aimed to students and as more of a general public book.

Seconding A Different Mirror and obviously People's History - I think a serious high schooler could do the regular version but that the young people's version is fine.

There's a really good graphic novel history of Latinx immigrants in America but I forget the exact title. Super quick little read but very well done.

[stripe]

I am going to suggest some non-book resources.

Some PBS related suggestions: Asian Americans. There are other broad documentaries, such as Henry Louis Gates’s Many Rivers to Cross, on African Americans, and We Shall Remain, about Native Americans. The show POV  highlights a variety of perspectives, but typically much narrower, but worth checking out.

Maria Hinojosa’s Latino USA could also be a useful resource. 

I would recommend any local or semi-local museums whenever things open up, and also a trip, if possible, to DC to the various Smithsonian museums. In the meantime, you can check out the Smithsonian’s website and look at their museums’ collections.