Uncle Sam And You (Gr. 5-8)

Description

Families who have home-educated through the high school years have been greatly blessed by the efforts of the Notgrass family in providing quality, Bible Based history curriculum options. With the core belief that God is actively involved in our nation's history and future, students in middle school have the same opportunity to learn of our nation's great Christian heritage. With a vision to equip students with knowledge and inspiration, this curriculum provides children with a solid understanding of the core values and beliefs that made our nation great. President Ronald Reagan eloquently stated, "If we ever forget we're one nation under God, then we will be a nation gone under", and the authors are passionate about helping children never forget this point.

The hardcover student text, Uncle Sam and You, is divided into two parts (each part is sold separately). Each part contains 15 units and 75 lessons. Part One introduces the American system of government, elections, the Presidency and Congress. Part Two covers the military and emergency workers, state and local government, the judicial system and the government oversight of transportation, tourism, technology, communication and more. Each lesson contains approximately six pages to be read daily. Each part also contains lessons on fifteen American patriotic holidays. These holiday studies are designed to provide historical background and context along with activities to complete as a family.

Each lesson incorporates a variety of activities, including: thinking biblically assignments, creative writing, vocabulary assignments, short research activities, art activities (draw a picture or take a photograph), reading assignments (Citizen's Handbook or from the selection ofrecommended literature titles), and assignments from the optional student workbook or lesson review book. Families should anticipate a time commitment of 45-90 minutes daily to complete the lessons.

The student texts can be purchased individually, or in a curriculum package containing both hardcover student texts, the answer key and the Citizen's Handbook. As described above, the two part student texts provide the core of instruction and activities along with information on how to use the program. Each text contains over 500 pages with extensive, vibrant illustrations.

Essential to the program is the soft cover Citizen'sHandbook which provides a collection of primaryresources related to American government, politics and civics. It includes letters, memoirs, speeches, articles, songs and poems. The Answer Key provides answers for the end of the lesson assignments, the optional student workbook, and the lesson review book. As previously mentioned, the student workbook and lesson review book are optional, yet valuable resources to accompany the series.

The spiral bound Student Workbook is designed for students in grades 5-6. It contains a variety of activities including crosswords, seek-a-words, matching questions, maps, and various worksheets to reinforce lessons. It also includes 30 unit tests with ten questions each. Questions vary and incorporate true/false, multiple choice, and short answer. The spiral bound Lesson Review book is designed for students in grades 7-8 and incorporates five (short answer or matching) questions for each lesson focused on either the daily reading or the recommended literature selections (end of the book summary only). Also included are 30 unit tests with ten questionseach. The Student Workbook and Lesson Review book are non-reproducible.

The optional literature recommendations have been created to give students more depth andunderstanding of the topics studied. Students aretypically given two weeks to read each book, with 1-3 chapters assigned daily. Recommended books are: Lincoln: A Photobiography (Units 5-6); A Letter to Mrs. Roosevelt (Units10-11); Brighty of Grand Canyon (Units 12-14); Basher Five-Two(Units 16-17); Misty of Chincoteague (Units 18-19); Long Winter (Units 22-24); Wright Brothers: How They Invented the Airplane (Units 25-26); and Lost on a Mountain in Maine (Units 29-30). Also recommended for the program are blank paper, notebook paper, a 3-ring binder, colored pencils and pencils.

As a homeschooling family, you will find Uncle Sam and You to be a thorough study of ournation's government from the Founding Fathers to today. To quote the author: "Our country would do well to remember our dependence on God, the many benefits of freedom and limitedgovernment, and our responsibility to be good stewards of the blessings that come from living in our great country." ~ Deanne

Teaching Method
Traditional
Teacher-centered curriculum commonly used in classrooms that may include a text, teacher manual, tests, etc.
Charlotte Mason
A methodology based on the work of a 19th century educator who maintained that children learn best from literature (Living Books), not textbooks.
Classical
A methodology based on the Latin Trivium (three stages of learning), including the grammar stage (memorization and facts), logic stage (critical thinking), and rhetoric stage (developing/defending ideas).
Unit Study
A thematic or topical approach centered around one topic that integrates multiple subject areas.
Montessori (Discovery)
A methodology based on the work of a 20th century educator that emphasizes student and sensory-driven discovery learning and real-life applications.
Religious Content
Christian/Religious
Faith-based or including instructional religious content.
Neutral
Avoids religious or theoretical topics or presents multiple viewpoints without preference.
Secular
Contains content contrary to common Christian beliefs (i.e. evolution).
Learning Modality
Auditory
Learns through listening, talking out loud or reading out loud.
Visual
Learns through seeing, prefers written instructions and visual materials.
Kinesthetic/Tactile (Hands-On)
Learns through moving, doing and touching.
Multi-Sensory
Curriculum that employ a variety of activities/components.
Presentation
Sequential
Curriculum progresses through well-defined learning objectives. Emphasizes mastery before moving to the next topic.
Spiral
Topics and concepts are repeated from level to level, adding more depth at each pass and connecting with review.
Conceptual/Topical
Focus is on the “why,” often with a unifying concept as well as specific skills; coverage may be broader.
Teacher Involvement
Low Teacher Involvement
Student-led materials; parent acts as a facilitator.
Medium Teacher Involvement
A mix of teacher-led time and independent student work.
High Teacher Involvement
Teacher-led lessons; may utilize discussions, hands-on activities and working together.
Additional Materials Required
No other materials needed
Everything you need is included.
Other Materials Required
There are additional required resources that are a separate purchase.
Other Materials Optional
There are additional resources mentioned or recommended but are not absolutely necessary.
Consumable
Consumable
Designed to be written in; not reusable.
Non-Consumable
Not designed to be written in; reusable.