American History?

[TiredX2]

What is everyone doing regarding American History? I feel like we should do *some* stuff, but I hate all the books at DDs level (shes only 4)--- you know, "Me Great Christopher Columbus here to help the stupid savages" type stuff. I don't want to just skip everything, but I would like a more realistic view ("We" aren't always the "good guys" etc...). It also seems like you end up finding out the "truth" (ie lots of people knew the world was round, etc...) later, I'd just like to do that right off.

Any ideas?

TIA,
Kay

[grisandole]

There are books out there that present the "other side", I will check our stash when I have some time........I know I found stuff at the first grade level (ds1 is now in fifth grade); not sure about kinder.

Instead of a book, you can just discuss it with her. For adults, a great book is "A People's History of the United States" or for easier reading "Lies My Teacher Told Me" is also good; I read them and was able to paraphrase at my ds's level.

[sha_lyn]

we do a lot of museums, local historical sites, cultural festivals etc. Many have lesson plans on their web sites.

[NoHiddenFees]

For a young child, I'd go with biographies over a narrative history. Is there a particular time period you are looking to cover?

Here are a few off the top of my head... but there are tonnes more:

Picture Book of Martin Luther King, Jr. Adler, David
Picture Book of Sacagawea Adler, David
Heroine of the Titanic Blos, Joan
Abraham Lincoln D’Aulaire, Ingri
Benjamin Franklin D'Aulaire, Ingri
George Washington D’Aulaire, Ingri
Pocahontas D’Aulaire, Ingri
Columbus D'Aulaire, Ingri
Story of Stagecoach Mary Fields Miller, Robert
I am Rosa Parks Parks, Rosa
Kate Shelley: Bound for Legend San Souci, Robert
Molly Bannaky McGill, Alice
The Little House books

There's also a series of picture books by James Knight about life in Colonial America. Titles include:

The Village: Life in Colonial Times
Seventh & Walnut
The Winter at Valley Forge
The Farm: Life in Colonial Pennsylvania

I'm a big fan of introducing history through folktales and tall tales. Many disagree, but I think that there's a reason all cutures most communities develop a history from myth and folktale and while they may be short of "factual" truth, they do speak to how people felt about events at the time. There are some good collections of American folktales (probably too advanced for a four year old, but maybe adaptable):

Stockings of Buttermilk Philip, Neil (ed)
American Fairy Tales Philip, Neil (ed)
Cut From the Same Cloth San Souci, Robert (tales of women)
Her Stories Hamilton, Virginia (African American women's tales)

Eduardo Galeano has a few books out for an adult audience that can be adapted for children. The first volume of the Memory of Fire Trilogy -- Genesis and Walking Words in particular.

[faeriemom]

NoHiddenFees -- thanks for sharing such great information! I'm going to look into some of the books you've listed.

faeriemom

[applejuice]

Thereis a very wonderful but underrated book titled simply COD , which discusses the beginnings of this nation (I do believe that it is a great nation, sorry) as a colony which developed into a nation state over a period from 1500-1750, notwithstanding the American Revolution.

Many people were sent here as endentured servants and to certain areas simply as a penal colony of sorts (not as notoriuosly as Australia). Many settlers went native. Many returned to England - parts of Benjamin Franklin's family did, and his family was split over the outcome of the American Revolution.

I know that there is/was slavery and racism, but what country does not have that black mark in its history. Many nations have slavery today and human rights violations rampant, and we look the other way, if it suits us.

I know that I am romanticizing our past a bit, but it is my nation, and I am interested in it.

JMPOV