My son and I love learning about American History which
is why we were grateful to have the privilege of reviewing The Story of theThirteen Colonies & the Great Republic Set along with the 200 QuestionsAbout American History Set from well-known and trusted vendor Memoria Press.
About The Story of the Thirteen Colonies & the Great
Republic Set:
The Story of the Thirteen Colonies & the Great
Republic Set includes a Student Reader, a Student Guide (Workbook), and a
Teacher's Guide. The Student Reader, entitled The Story of the Thirteen
Colonies & The Great Republic is a compilation of short historical pieces
of writing by H. A. Guerber that cover American history from the time before Christopher
Columbus discovered America until the Spanish American War. Some of the topics covered in the reader
include: America’s Exploration, America’s Settlement, The French and Indian
War, The War for Independence, The Framing of America as a Nation, Westward Expansion,
Slavery, The Civil War, and Inventions.
Since we reside in Pennsylvania, it is
interesting to note that the Student Reader devotes an entire chapter to
William Penn, the founder of our great state, another chapter focuses upon the
Erie Canal, while yet another is dedicated to the Battle of Gettysburg. My son also
enjoys learning about the people who have made our nation a great place. Some
of his favorites are featured in the reader as well: George Washington,
Benjamin Franklin, and Abraham Lincoln. We both also liked the numerous
references as to how the faith of the people was an important element of their
lives and very instrumental in our nation’s history. The text in the Student
Reader flows quite easily yet did not lose the interest of my ninth grader.
Furthermore, the chapters are short at roughly two to three pages maximum. This
was helpful as it helped my son retain information better, kept his attention
from wandering during the reading, and allowed for productive conversations to
follow each reading section.
The Teacher’s Guide contains the answers for each lesson
contained in the Student Guide (Workbook), Tests, Answers for the Tests, and an
Appendix which includes Maps and various historical documents such as the
Declaration of Independence and the United States Constitution.
Finally, the Student Guide (Workbook) starts each lesson
with facts to know. These are important people, places, and concepts that
students need to know and understand. It provides them with short, detailed
information about each item in this section. Next, the students are to complete
the vocabulary section which contains words that need to be defined. After
that, students are to complete comprehension questions directly related to the
topic being covered in that chapter. Lastly, there is an enrichment section that
typically has the students locate areas of interest on the maps (included in
the Teacher’s Guide), fill in a timeline with the newest dates and information,
and complete some type of project.
About the 200 Questions About American History Set:
The 200 Questions About American History Set includes a
packet of flash cards, a Student Book, and a Teacher's Guide.
Both the Student Book and the Teacher’s Guide contain a
Recommended Weekly Schedule that provides a listing of corresponding Text (H.
A. Guerber’s The Story of the Thirteen Colonies & the Great Republic), Drill
Questions, Timeline Data, Notable Quotes, and Presidents to be reviewed each
week.
The first section of the Student’s Book contains the Drill
Questions. One of the items I like most about the Drill Questions is that each
one provides a chapter and page number that allows students to find the corresponding
answer if they cannot immediately recall the information they have learned. This
is a great way to help them build good studying habits that will be crucial in
their college years. The Timeline section lists important events for which
students must write down the correct dates. The Notable Quotes section lists a
quote and the students must write down who stated that particular quote. The
Presidents section lists a noteworthy accomplishment or characteristic of that
particular President and the students must write down the President’s name.
Finally, the Student Book concludes with a copy of the Star Spangled Banner,
Old Ironsides, and O Captain! My Captain!
The Teacher’s Guide contains the answers for the Drill
Questions, the Timeline, the Notable Quotes, and the Presidents sections of the
Student’s Book. It also contains tests for the students to take as well as
answers to those tests.
As a parent, I am very pleased with The Story of the
Thirteen Colonies & the Great Republic Set as well as the 200 Questions
About American History Set from Memoria Press. The material provides an
accurate account of our American history while including elements of our faith
and virtues. Furthermore, the material kept my child’s interest and helped him
grow his knowledge of the country in which we live. Although this set is
typically recommended for fifth through eighth grades, it wasn’t too difficult
nor too easy for him. Having a diagnosis of high-functioning Autism, he is very
intelligent but easily loses interest in topics that are not of interest, are
too complicated, or are too long. This homeschool curriculum was a perfect
match for him. It facilitated great discussions while also allowing him the
opportunity to fine-tune the art of answering comprehension and essay type
questions by restating the topic and utilizing complete sentences. I would
strongly recommend it to others looking for American history homeschool curriculum.
To learn more about Memoria Press, visit them on
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Thank you for stopping by my blog to read my review. Please take a moment to go to the Homeschool Review Crew site and read what other members are saying about Memoria Press. In addition to the American History sets I've discussed, other members have reviewed the First
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