Sneak Peek #9: New US2 History Guide

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Carrie
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Joined: Wed Aug 15, 2007 8:39 pm

Sneak Peek #9: New US2 History Guide

Post by Carrie » Wed Aug 24, 2016 8:43 pm

As we designed the U.S. History II guide, we wanted to be sure to stay with our more CM focus and include wonderful living books along with the narrative spines scheduled within the new guide. We didn't want the students to suddenly hit the high school years and wonder where all of the wonderful books they have enjoyed through HOD have gone! :wink: We also didn't want our students to only have readings that were on the heavier or more factual side and miss out on the joy of reading for pleasure that goes along with reading engrossing books that immerse you in a certain time or place. :D

So, with this in mind, as part of the U.S. History II guide we developed a "Living Library" of books that enhances the study of American history. :D These books were selected to bring another facet, perspective, or point of view to the study of history and were chosen for their text connections to the history plans.:D

The books in this particular set are not intended to fulfill your student's high school literature credit, as students are scheduled in the "Literature" portion of the U.S. History II guide to read separate higher-level literature to fulfill that need. Instead, the books in this package were chosen to make U.S. history come to life and to help students experience various time periods in history through the lives of the people who lived during those times. 8) A daily reading schedule for the books is provided in the guide and follow-up activities are scheduled as well. This set of books is highly recommended, unless you need to economize, however it is not required to earn credit in U.S. History. Extra credit is earned by reading the books in the Living Library, so this is an additional incentive as it provides a way to improve a student's American history grade if needed. :D

To give you a feel for the books in this package, I will share the publisher's and reviewer's description of the books below. There is a girl set and a boy set for our living library. For those titles that are specific to the girl or boy set, I will note that next to the book title below. Since some of the titles below were also used in the Extension Pack in Missions to Modern Marvels, we have designed several package options so families who may happen to already own the Extension Pack from Mission to Modern Marvels do not duplicate titles they already have. :D It's important to note that students who are using US2 for their final year of high school will not have been in the extension range age-wise when they used Missions to Modern Marvels. So, they won't have read the books from the Missions to Modern Marvels Extension Pack that are duplicated in the US2 Living Library. This means that there shouldn't be any repetition of books for students who used Missions to Modern Marvels and are now using the Living Library in US2. :D

Cereal Tycoon
Do you ever think big things for God? Born into a wealthy family and endowed with a large inheritance after the death of his father, Henry Parsons Crowell had many opportunities to try his hand at business, a passion that suited him well. His shrewd business sense eventually brought him to the top of the oatmeal business, and to the potential for even greater wealth, if only he would compromise his values. But Crowell was a man of integrity and compassion. Read this compelling story of a man who, in his youth, struggled with a debilitating and life threatening illness. A man who survived the loss of two wives, faced opposition in almost every venture he engaged upon, and who through it all thought big things for God. Whether it was in his home-based Bible studies, his business lunches with great leaders, his work to rid the city of Chicago of debauchery, or his contributions to the Moody Bible Institute, Henry Parsons Crowell was a man who above all sought to share Christ with those around him. See how the vows Crowell made as a young man to give glory to God through his stewardship came to fruition in this inspiring biography of one of the faithful men of God.

The Year We Were Famous (for girls)
With their family home facing foreclosure, seventeen-year-old Clara Estby and her mother, Helga, need to raise a lot of money fast—no easy feat for two women in 1896. Helga wants to tackle the problem with her usual loud and flashy style, while Clara favors a less showy approach. Together they come up with a plan to walk the 4,600 miles from Mica Creek, Washington, to New York City—and if they can do it in only seven months, a publisher has agreed to give them $10,000. Based on the true story of the author’s great-aunt and great-grandmother, this is a fast-paced historical adventure that sets the drama of Around the World in Eighty Days against an American backdrop during the time of the suffragist movement, the 1896 presidential campaign, and the changing perception of “a woman’s place” in society.

Man of the Family (for boys)
Fortified with Yankee ingenuity and western can-do energy, the Moody family, transplanted from New England, builds a new life on a Colorado ranch early in the twentieth century. Father has died and Little Britches shoulders the responsibilities of a man at age eleven. Man of the Family continues true pioneering adventures as unforgettable as those in Little Britches.

A Higher Justice (for girls)
As Kit Shannon defends a down and outer named Mousy Malloy on the charge of attempted murder, she also takes on the case of a woman whose young son is tragically killed by a Los Angeles trolley. Was the death of little Sammy Franklin an accident? Or could it have been avoided? The trolley case pits Kit against a powerful coalition of railroad men and politicians—all of whom seem to have something to hide ... a secret Kit must uncover in order to win. As these two cases move forward, it becomes clear there is some sort of connection—one that could blow the lid off a conspiracy of corruption. And a web of powerful people who will stop at nothing to keep Kit from finding the truth.

Carry a Big Stick (for boys)
This volume presents the life of Teddy Roosevelt, adventurer, journalist, rancher, legislator, governor, Vice-President and President of the United States, and an inspiration to people of his own time and of ours. It is wonderfully inspiring to read about a man involved in politics who held such high ideals for himself and his country. He challenged himself to excel in every facet of his life including his faithfulness, his family, and his political life. He took his weaknesses and turned them into his strengths. This look at his life and character marks Roosevelt as one of the most remarkable men of the 20th century.

Hattie Big Sky
Hattie has been moved from family member to family member so often she calls herself "Hattie Here-and-There." So when a land-claim is passed to her from her late uncle, she jumps at the chance to prove up on her own claim and finally have a home where she belongs. Living under the big sky for a year, Hattie struggles to complete the terms of the claim-adding 480 rods of fence, and cultivating 1/8th of her claim (forty acres). She gets a load of help and companionship from her "neighbors" Perilee Mueller and her German husband Karl. However, as WWII continues, all Germans come under suspicion of a local "council of defense" patriotism force, and Hattie must face even more trials as she keeps loyal to her friends while attempting to keep her claim secure. Loosely based upon the author's grandmother's experiences homesteading in Montana, this New York Times bestseller will keep readers engaged until the very end.

Miles to Go for Freedom
Told through unforgettable first-person accounts, photographs, and other primary sources, and published in association with the Library of Congress, this book is an overview of racial segregation and early civil rights efforts in the United States from the 1890s to 1954, a period known as the Jim Crow years. Multiple perspectives are examined as the book looks at the impact of legal segregation and discrimination on the day-to-day life of black and white Americans across the country. Osborne expertly guides readers through this turbulent time and enables them to better understand the struggles, the triumphs, and the courage it took to set things right.

Six Days in October
Over six terrifying, desperate days in October 1929, the fabulous fortune that Americans had built in stocks plunged with a fervor never seen before. At first, the drop seemed like a mistake, a mere glitch in the system. But as the decline gathered steam, so did the destruction. Over twenty-five billion dollars in individual wealth was lost, vanished. Here, "Wall Street Journal" bureau chief Karen Blumenthal chronicles the six-day period that brought the country to its knees, from fascinating tales of key stock-market players, like Michael J. Meehan, an immigrant who started his career hustling cigars outside theaters and helped convince thousands to gamble their hard-earned money as never before, to riveting accounts of the power struggles between Wall Street and Washington, to poignant stories from those who lost their savings -- and more -- to the allure of stocks and the power of greed. For readers living in an era of stock-market fascination, this engrossing account explains stock-market fundamentals while bringing to life the darkest days of the mammoth crash of 1929.

A Room of My Own
Wrapped up in dreams of boys and marriage, 13-year-old Virginia Eide is brought back to a harsh reality when her uncle loses his job and his whole family is forced to move in with the Eides. Slightly resentful, Virginia doesn't fully understand why Jim can't just get another job. Visits to "Soo City," a housing camp for the homeless on the edge of their town, open Virginia's eyes. Along with her doctor father, Virginia helps care for the homeless. Virginia also begins to realize that God may not only have a place in her day-to-day life but has plans for her entire lifetime. Tatlock's first novel brings the Depression era to life, especially in its depiction of the of Soo City residents.

Nisei Daughter (for girls)
With charm, humor, and deep understanding, Monica Sone tells what it was like to grow up Japanese American on Seattle's waterfront in the 1930s and to be subjected to "relocation" during World War II. Along with over one hundred thousand other persons of Japanese ancestry ― most of whom were U.S. citizens ― Sone and her family were uprooted from their home and imprisoned in a camp. Her unique and personal account is a true classic of Asian American literature.

Eric Liddell: Something Greater Than Gold (for boys)
Eric's refusal to run on Sunday in the Olympic 100-meter race had stunned the world. Now his incredible victory in the 400-meter race further strengthened his belief in God's promise, "He who honors Me, I will honor." Years later, Eric Liddell would be tested far beyond mere physical ability as a missionary to China. His character, perseverance, and endurance are a challenging example for all who would obey the call to bring the gospel to the nations.

Trapped in Hitler's Hell(for girls)
Anita Dittman was just a little girl when the winds of Nazism and Hitler's coming Holocaust began to blow through Germany. Raised by her Jewish mother, she came to believe that Jesus was her Messiah at eight years old. By the time she was ten, the war had begun. Anita's story is an account of Holocaust horror, but also an account of God's miraculous mercy on a young girl who spent her teenage years desperately fighting for survival yet learning to trust in the One she had come to love. In this inspirational story Anita tells her tale of miraculous survival during the terror of Hitler's reign when she was becoming a teen. First, her mother was picked up by the Gestapo and sent to a concentration camp--then Anita. God protected her during forced labor in a concentration camp, and He made a way for her to escape and be reunited with her mother. This is a story of hope, survival, and God's miracles.

Gunner's Run: A World War II Novel (for boys)
The call of duty takes Jim Yoder far away from his home, his nation, and his attractive friend Margo, thrusting him into mortal peril in Nazi Europe. Hailing from the Hoosier State and a Mennonite--pacifist--background, he's determined that despite the loss of human life, the European countries are worth defending with his life. At age nineteen, Jim becomes part of the 44th division stationed in England during World War II. When Jim’s plane is shot down over enemy lines, to survive he must learn to trust the God that he used to disbelieve. Rife with historical detail and adventure, Gunner's Run brings both history and faith alive.

I'll Watch the Moon
When polio stalked Minnesota in 1948, fear was every mother's constant companion. Young Nova Tierney and her older brother, Dewey, live a mostly idyllic life despite sharing living space with a motley assortment of tenants at the boarding house run by their Aunt Dortha and mother, Catherine. Dewey, nicknamed "Galileo" for his love of astronomy, dreams of some day walking on the moon, and he and Nova spend many happy hours looking at the night sky together in their backyard. When Dewey is hospitalized with polio, Nova promises to watch the moon for him until he is well. But will he recover? In her bitterness over a childhood secret, her late husband's infidelity and her son's desperate illness, his mother turns her back on God. Hope begins to return when she strikes up a friendship with boarder and Auschwitz survivor Josef Karski. Meanwhile, Nova exchanges letters with her brother and dreams of having a father again. She takes comfort in the stars: "as long as the moon was in its place and the stars were burning and the planets were moving through their spheres... everything was all right." This beautiful story laced with hope, redemption and forgiveness should find wide appeal.

A Night Divided
With the rise of the Berlin Wall, twelve-year-old Gerta finds her family suddenly divided. She, her mother, and her brother Fritz live on the eastern side, controlled by the Soviets. Her father and middle brother, who had gone west in search of work, cannot return home. Gerta knows it is dangerous to watch the wall, to think forbidden thoughts of freedom, yet she can't help herself. She sees the East German soldiers with their guns trained on their own citizens; she, her family, her neighbors and friends are prisoners in their own city. But one day, while on her way to school, Gerta spots her father on a viewing platform on the western side, pantomiming a peculiar dance. Then, when she receives a mysterious drawing, Gerta puts two and two together and concludes that her father wants Gerta and Fritz to tunnel beneath the wall, out of East Berlin. However, if they are caught, the consequences will be deadly. No one can be trusted. Will Gerta and her family find their way to freedom?

Escape from Saigon
This is an unforgettable true story of an orphan caught in the midst of war. Over a million South Vietnamese children were orphaned by the Vietnam War. This affecting true account tells the story of Long, who, like more than 40,000 other orphans, is Amerasian -- a mixed-race child -- with little future in Vietnam. Experience Long's struggle to survive in war-torn Vietnam, his dramatic escape to America as part of "Operation Babylift" during the last chaotic days before the fall of Saigon, and his life in the United States as "Matt," part of a loving Ohio family. Finally, join Long as a young doctor when he journeys back to Vietnam to reconcile his Vietnamese past with his American present. This compelling account provides a fascinating introduction to the war and the plight of children caught in the middle of it.

Careful Enough?
Missionaries are illegal in China; yet God is calling Daniel's parents to move there and establish a house church. Daniel has a choice. He may either stay in America for his last year of high school or spend ten months in a country where he can only say the word "Christian" to trusted friends. Once in China, Daniel discovers that there is a fine line between being cautious and being ashamed of his faith, between disobeying man's law and upholding God's commands. As the strain of constant caution increases, Daniel wonders if being a missionary in China is really worth the risk.

The Dressmaker of Khair Khana (for girls)
The life Kamila Sidiqi had known changed overnight when the Taliban seized control of the city of Kabul. After receiving a teaching degree during the civil war--a rare achievement for any Afghan woman--Kamila was subsequently banned from school and confined to her home. When her father and brother were forced to flee the city, Kamila became the sole breadwinner for her five siblings. Armed only with grit and determination, she picked up a needle and thread and created a thriving business of her own. Move beyond the headlines as you are transported to an Afghanistan you have never seen before. This is a story of war, but it is also a story of sisterhood and resilience in the face of despair. Kamila Sidiqi's journey will inspire you, but it will also change the way you think about the world.

Let's Roll (for boys)
Lisa Beamer was thrust into the national spotlight after her husband, Todd, led a counterattack against terrorists on United Flight 93. He--and all the other passenger heroes--lost their lives in a Pennsylvania field. But that plane was the only one of the four hijacked planes on 9-11 that didn't hit its target--most likely the White House or the Capitol. Todd's last known words, "Let's roll!" have become a rallying cry for the entire American nation to move ahead in hope, courage, and faith, despite today's troubled times, and to live real life...right now.

Blessings,
Carrie

Carrie
Site Admin
Posts: 8125
Joined: Wed Aug 15, 2007 8:39 pm

Re: Sneak Peek #9: New US2 History Guide

Post by Carrie » Thu Aug 25, 2016 11:20 am

Ladies,

As I have received some questions about the repetition of some books from the Mission to Modern Marvels Extension Pack in the US2 Living Library and how that will affect those students who have already done MTMM, I thought I would share a bit more information about that below. :D

In looking at the book selections for the Living Library for US2, it is important to remember that students who come up through Heart of Dakota in the Extension Range of books are older than those who come up through the regular (or Basic Package) range of books. For example, the Extension Package of books for MTMM is targeted for 9th and 10th graders. :D This means that students who do Missions to Modern Marvels in the Extension Package range are expected to be in the 9th or 10th grade at the time that they do MTMM.

If you followed the Extension age-range path through HOD through graduation, it would look as follows:
MTMM in 9th or 10th grade (Extension Pack Range)
World Geography in 10th or 11th grade
World History in 11th or 12th grade
US1 in 12th grade

As you can see from looking at the path above, if a student was actually in the Extension Pack range when he/she used MTMM, there is no way that same student would make it to the US2 guide before graduation. This is because he/she would have done MTMM for his/her first or second year of high school and then would have run out of years to make it to US2 before graduation.

If a student did our guides in the traditional targeted age-range of the guides, it would instead look like this:
MTMM 7th or 8th grade (Not in the Extension Pack Range of books)
World Geography 8th or 9th grade
World History 9th or 10th grade
US1 10th or 11th grade
US2 11th or 12th grade

As you can see from looking at the path above, the student on the traditional path through our guides would not have been in the Extension Pack range of books as he/she proceeded through the guides. So, he/she would not have read the Extension books.

As you can see from both paths outlined above that by using Extension Pack books from MTMM in the Living Library of US2, we are not repeating books that students doing US2 would have been assigned to read previously. :D

In some individual cases, families may have chosen to have their students read the Extension Pack books in MTMM even though their students were younger than the specified age range for the Extension Pack books. Of course, that is fine if your family chose to do so. After all they are wonderful books!! :D But the fact that a family may have chosen to have their student read the Extension Pack books, even though their student was not in the recommended age range for those books, was a personal choice for that particular family outside of our recommended path. If that was the case that might now have resulted in some overlap in books for that particular family. It does not, however, mean that is true for most families. My own son used MTMM in the traditional age-range of our guides and will now be using US2 and will have no overlap of books, because he did not read the Extensions books in MTMM (since he was not in the Extension Package range when he did MTMM). The same is true for my sister's son who also did MTMM and will be using US2 this coming year. :D

I will share that I have spent many months seeking books for the US2 guide's Living Library, and it has been one of the most difficult book selection searches I have ever done! Whenever possible we have included new titles, however finding new books for this age range of students has been very, very difficult. This is because books at this stage need to match the history by adding a deeper facet to the study, need to appeal to a more mature reader, yet need to walk a careful line as to maturity of content as far as violence, language, and intimacy go. I have discarded more books than I can count that truly left me feeling ill! I have compiled piles of books that I would never want my students to read! And with all the years of books that we have selected in the past, we have already used many wonderful books for these particular time periods, making the remaining selections that much harder. At this point, we are very pleased with the book selections for the US2 Living Library, and we have not made the selections lightly or without much research and thought. :D

Since I do not have time right now to get all of the book descriptions on our website for the new guide, we will be linking this board post description of the Living Library to our website for all purchasers of the Living Library part of the new program. This means that families will be reading these posts as they weigh whether the new US2 guide will work for their families. :D


Blessings,
Carrie

LynnH
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Re: Sneak Peek #9: New US2 History Guide

Post by LynnH » Thu Aug 25, 2016 12:23 pm

Carrie my son has also come up through the guides according to the recommended grades so we didn't do the extensions. I always felt like he was missing out on some great books, so I am actually very glad to see these books are now scheduled in the guide.
Mom to:
dd 22 college graduate and employed as an Intervention Specialist
ds 18 US2, Loved Preparing, CTC , RTR , Rev to Rev, MTMM ,WG, WH and US1
http://www.graceandfur.blogspot.com/

momxnine
Posts: 58
Joined: Mon Feb 24, 2014 2:22 pm

Re: Sneak Peek #9: New US2 History Guide

Post by momxnine » Thu Aug 25, 2016 12:46 pm

I am really glad to see you using some of the MTMM extension books. My son is a 9th grader this year and while I would LOVE for him to go through the US2 guide, it's just not going to happen. So I've been waiting to see what books you would have in this guide so I could use some in MTMM. :) This is perfect. :) I can still use the MTMM books, but also get some of the US2 books if he wants more from the time period.
Vicki in SW. MO.
Mom of 9 (ages 14 - 35) and Grammy to 7
14 ds - Finished CTC, RTR and Rev To Rev; MTMM - Fall of 2016

my3sons
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Joined: Sun Aug 26, 2007 7:08 pm
Location: South Dakota

Re: Sneak Peek #9: New US2 History Guide

Post by my3sons » Sat Aug 27, 2016 7:52 am

LynnH wrote:Carrie my son has also come up through the guides according to the recommended grades so we didn't do the extensions. I always felt like he was missing out on some great books, so I am actually very glad to see these books are now scheduled in the guide.
This is my son too! I am so excited he'll get to enjoy some of these books instead of 'miss out' on them! You also found some real 'gems' again - less-known books that look like real 'finds' not-to-be-missed! Thanks, Carrie - looking forward to some awesome CM style reading for this last year - hooray!

In Christ,
Julie
Enjoyed LHTH to USII
Currently using USI
Wife to Rich for 28 years
Mother to 3 sons, ages 23, 20, and 16
Sister to Carrie

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