US history for middle schooler

[grethel]

Any suggestions? Anyone use the American Heritage foundation's free lesson plans? A quick look at their website shows they claim to be non-partisan, but a google search showed that Focus on the Family called their program "excellent," which makes me wonder if the program will go over well in our freethinking/liberal home. Also notice in their philosophy section that they state that "diversity for diversity's sake" is tearing our country apart. *eyebrow*

Has anyone used any US history curric they love? I'd really like something with a year-long plan to follow, fairly secular and not from an extreme conservative viewpoint.

Thanks!

[grethel]

I realize no one's replied, but I just wanted to add that since posting, I've asked around and gotten several recommendations for Joy Hakim's History of the US series. It's 10 books and there are teacher's manuals and some worksheets out there too as companions. I think that's what we're going to use.

[tankgirl73]

I'm not American so I haven't used any of these :) but I'm pretty sure Intellego has various units on US History and social studies... Actually we're doing their WWII program right now and my son has learned a lot of modern US history just from that!  :)  (dust bowl, depression, new deal, pearl harbour, rationing, japanese internment, etc etc)

Intellego is secular and seems even-handed.  There are often questions where you're encouraged to think about your opinion on something but it doesn't actually give you an answer.  :)

Hands of a Child also has some US History unit studies, I think.  They're a Christian company but that's not always reflected in the materials.  I don't know if those would be more conservative or revisionist or not, but they're worth looking at I think.

[zebra15]

I have no idea... I think we are just going to pick and choose, maybe some biographies this year.