Help me (pretty please?) build a US history program........

[Joanne]

We have started using SOTW I and Activity Book with my group. (My 3 and another 9 year old and another 13 year old. I supplement the olders).

However, I feel the need to also do a unit on American History/Government between now and Nov.

I don't have my additional studends on Tuesday and Wedndesdays. I have their parents do work with them at home. I'd like to have American History done on those days. I'd like to do it "alone" with my kids. I also feel my client parents would feel the most confident and comfortable doing American History vs. nearly anything else.

I am going to use these http://www.epsbooks.com/dynamic/catalog/series.asp?subject=06S&subjectdesc=Reading+Comprehension+++++++++++++++++ ++++++++++++&series=1631M. What I'd like suggestions on are easy to find read aloud and read alone literature for US History to date. A book a month is fine.

My kids: 9-13

Client: 9 yob

Client: 13 yog

I will grade/assess notes, narrations, summaries and book reports for everyone. I think they are all old enough to keep a timeline as well.

I do not want to spend time/resources pulling together a curriculum which is why I am thinking the Story of the USA. If you have a better suggestion, I'm open.

[Linda in NE]

Are you looking for a spine-type book and some particular history/biographies to go along with that OR are you interested in historical fiction OR are you looking for books written during each particular time period you will study OR some combination?

I thought I'd post this question to bump your post to the fore again. Maybe you'll get some other responses. I can help with a few suggestions once I know what you're thinking.

[Joanne]

Are you looking for a spine-type book and some particular history/biographies to go along with that OR are you interested in historical fiction OR are you looking for books written during each particular time period you will study OR some combination?

Some combination. I found some good stuff at the homeschool store, though.

[Peek a Boo]

Some combination. I found some good stuff at the homeschool store, though.

not sure what you found so far, but for those ages, The Witch of Blackbird Pond, Across Five Aprils, and Johhnny Tremain are sound favorites here. I know there's more, but off the top of my head, those rock :-)

[Linda in NE]

I went to the website you linked, took some notes on the topics covered in the workbooks described there, and tried to organize my recommendations accordingly. Here goes:

Book 1, Explorers and Settlers --
Around the World in 100 Years, Jean Fritz
The World of Columbus and Sons, Genevieve Foster
Who Discovered America?, Patricia Lauber
Brendan the Navigator, Jean Fritz
Columbus, de Aulaire
Leif the Lucky, de Aulaire
Biographies of explorers by Ronald Syme, including Balboa, Magellan, Cartier, De Soto, Champlain, Hudson
A Lion to Guard Us, Clyde Robert Bulla
Pilgrim Stories, Margaret Pumphrey
Eating the Plates: A Pilgrim Book of Food and Manners, Lucille Recht Penner -- This one has recipes for a Thanksgiving feast, very cool
Squanto and the Miracle of Thanksgiving, Eric Metaxas
Who's that Stepping on Plymouth Rock, Jean Fritz
The World of Captain John Smith, Genevieve Foster
The Witch of Blackbird Pond
William Penn, Janet & Geoff Benge -- This is one of a series about heroes of history by these authors. All are good that I have read.
Sign of the Beaver, Speare
Indian Captive: The Story of Mary Jemison, Lois Lenski
Jean Fritz's books re the American Revolution (i.e., Can't You Make Them Behave, King George?; Where Was Patrick Henry on the 29th of May; etc.)
A Young Patriot, Jim Murphy
Matchlock Gun, Edmonds
Drums Along the Mohawk, Edmonds
Johnny Tremain
George Washington's World, Genevieve Foster
Gloria Phelan's histories re American Revolution, including Midnight Alarm, The Story of the Boston Tea Party, The Story of the Boston Massacre
Landmark Books -- Some of these have been republished recently, and many deal with the people and events during the American Revolution.Book 2, Young Nation --
Sam Fink has illustrated the words to the Declaration and to the Constitution in a way that makes it both more fun to read and more understandable to children.
The Maestros, Betsy and Guilio (I think that's their names) have a series of books about the formation of the Union and the Constitution
Rhoda Blumberg's books about Lewis & Clark
Jean Fritz, Great Little Madison
Gloria Phelan's and Albert Marrin's books about the War of 1812.
Must read something about Davy Crockett, the Alamo, and the War with Mexico -- most of what I have is out of print so, although they are good, they don't meet your requirement that they be readily available.
The Great American Gold Rush, Rhoda Blumberg (for older)
They're Off, Cheryl Harness (about the Pony Express, for younger)
I have so many about the Civil War that I can't list them all. Here are authors to look for in the category of histories/biographies: Albert Marrin, Jean Fritz, F.N. Monjo, Jim Murphy
There's a fabulous book about a Civil War era submarine they just raised. I don't have the author's name or the exact title in front of me, but the sub was named the Hunley, and that name is in the titleBook 3, America Becomes Giant --
The Story of Thomas Alva Edison, Cousins
Tracks Across America, Leonard Everett Fisher
Across America on an Emigrant Train, Jim Murphy -- tells story of Robert Louis Stevenson's trek across America by train mixed with history of railroad, westward expansion in America, living conditions at the timeI can't really help you much from there, because that's where my boys and I are in history right now. We just finished Murphy's book about the emigrant train a couple of weeks ago. It was great. I sort of plan extra reading as I go, a week or two at a time, so I don't have any real nuggets to offer from this point on.

Good luck.

[pixelroper]

http://www.memoriapress.com/descriptions/artner_history.html

we use this as an American History supplement- it has book lists

[mcconnellboys]

Modern U.S. lit:

The Yearling

Rifles for Watie, Harold Keith (gives western states' perspective on the Civil War)

Just a Few Words, Mr. Lincoln, the story of the Gettysburg Address, Jean Fritz

Mr. Lincoln's Whiskers, Burke Davis

Abraham Lincoln, D'Aulaires

Bull Run, Paul Fleischman

The Journal of James Edmond Pease: A Civil War Union Soldier, Virginia, 1863, Jim Murphy
(My Name is America series)

The Last Safe House, Barbara Greenwood (Underground Railroad into Canada)

A Picture Book of Thomas Alva Edison, David Adler

The Journal of Sean Sullivan, William Durbin (Dear America)

Call of the Wild, London and/or other Jack London short stories, such as Brown Wolf and That Spot, and/or White Fang

Caddie Woodlawn, Carol Brink

Elizabeth Blackwell: The First Woman Doctor, Francene Sabin

Louis Pasteur, Carol Greene (Rookie Bio)

Rachel's Journal, Marissa Moss

Black Beauty, Anna Sewell (DK Eyewitness Classic)

In the Face of Danger, Jean Nixon

My Name is America: The Journal of Otto Peltonen, a Finnish immigrant, William Durbin

The Amazing Thinking Machine, Dennis Haseley (set in the depression)

Esperanza Rising, Pam Munoz Ryan (set during the depression; touches on issue of deportation of Mexican Americans during that time period)

My Friend, the Enemy, J.B. Cheaney (set during WW II; touches on issues regarding handling of Japanese Americans at that time; ALSO treats little known issue of Japan sending airborne bombs to the west coast of America)

The Great Migration, Jacob Lawrence

You Want Women to Vote, Lizzie Stanton? Jean Fritz

Bud, Not Buddy, Christopher Paul Curtis

Flying Ace: The Story of Amelia Earhart, Angela Bull

The Gadget


That's most of what we've covered and enjoyed re: America this year, so far,

Regena

[Daisy]

Have you seen this?? It might give you some ideas.

http://www.ourlosbanos.com/homeschool/history/americanhistoryindex.html

[Joanne]

Wow! Thank you all so much for taking that time and care! I'm on the right track.