T
Texts and Various Reading Material
The Unfinished Nation | Our Documents | After the Fact: The Art of Historical Detection | Understanding by Design | Dine: A History of the Navajos | The First Amendment | Finding Common Ground | The Blessings of Liberty | The Federalist Papers | The Democratic Debate: An Introduction to American Politics | A Breeze Swept Through | Reading Assignments
The Unfinished Nation: A Concise History of the American People [by Alan Brinkley]
The Unfinished Nation is a concise yet complete textbook, covering American history from the pre-colonial to the present. The author uses a clear, narrative style in presenting both the political and social histories which shaped our nation. The text is supplemented with visuals such as color maps, photographs, and other primary source images. The Unfinished Nation is a good classroom resources for both the teachers and students of American History.
Our Documents [edited by Christine Compston and Rachel Filene Seidman]
Our Documents is a phenomenal classroom resource. The book contains a broad collection of primary source documents spanning nearly 200 years of US history. Produced in collaboration with the National Archives, the collection contains the most famous of American documents including “The Declaration of Independence,” “The Emancipation Proclamation,” “The Gettysburg Address,” and “The Truman Doctrine.” Other gems of US history can be found in the collection as well including the 1794 patent for a cotton gin, the 1868 check for the purchase of Alaska, Thomas Edison’s 1879 patent for the light bulb, and a program form the 1963 civil rights March on Washington.
Archival photographs and reproduced images of the original documents provide excellent visual representation of sources while the editors provide historical context and analysis on the significance of each document. The transcripts of primary source documents are also reproduced in a readable font. The National Archives in collaboration with the National History Day program have also created an Our Documents web-site providing internet assess to the same valuable resources. Overall, the collection is enjoyable to peruse and would serve as a useful classroom tool for history and civics teachers.
After the Fact: The Art of Historical Detection [by James West Davidson and Mark Hamilton Lytle]
Considered by many to be a standard volume for the library of any historian, After the Fact is a collection of fifteen vignettes, exploring different eras in American History. The book is arranged chronologically, beginning with a chapter on colonial Virginia and concluding with a chapter exploring the extensive number of films set during the Vietnam War. Rather than providing a standard textbook history for each era, Davidson and Lytle build each chapter using various resources from oral histories, to photography, to literature, and film. The final product reveals how history is constructed through the interpretations of various primary resources.
Each vignette is exceptionally well written, providing an in depth and captivating narrative which fully examines not only the historic events themselves but also how we have come to view these events. For example, a chapter entitled “From Rosie to Lucy” explores the changing roles of American women form World War II to the 1950s. The authors use Betty Freidan’s Feminine Mystique to examine the plight of the American Woman in the 1950s but the chapter also examines the role of the media, specifically television shows such as Father Knows Best in perpetrating stereotypical gendered expectations for post war American Women. This assertion, that media products such as television programs, can be used by historians as primary source information may resonate with high school teachers. Likewise, any of the vignettes could be used by teachers as a source of inspiration for the creation of their own curriculum.
After the Fact is a great source to be included in the library of a high school history teacher. It is informative and useful, interesting and insightful.
Understanding by Design [by Grant Wiggins and Jay McTighe]
The purpose of Understanding by Design is to assist teachers in designing curriculum and assessments which will improve their students’ understanding and retention of information. The book does not provide a step-by-step guide for developing curriculum nor does it contain specific curriculum examples but rather serves as a template for teachers who wish to develop effective classroom strategies.
One of the methods used in the book is Backward Design, a method which requires instructors to develop their curriculum by stating their desired goal and then developing the lessons with this goal in mind. The book also addresses how to determine the desired goals, the six crucial aspects of understanding, and how to think like an assessor. Additionally, the book promotes the importance of understanding, specifically ensuring that students understand the causes and whys of a subject instead of merely memorizing a succession of names, events, or dates.
Understanding by Design contains many suggestions and examples for developing curriculum which can be exceptionally useful for teachers. Included in chapter eleven is a design template which teachers can follow for assistance in the designing of their lesson plans.
Dine: A History of the Navajos [by Peter Iverson]
Peter Iverson’s narrative traces the history of the Navajo, starting with the pre-Columbian era and continuing to the present. Navajo culture and stories are woven into the presentation of their history. The vast majority of the book deals with the 20th century history of the Dine.
The First Amendment [by Daniel A. Farber]
The First Amendment is a comprehensive guide to the freedoms and protections guaranteed to Americans under the First Amendment of the U. S. Constitution. The book examines the evolution of Supreme Court interpretations of first amendment rights. Daniel Farber included many specific examples of Supreme Court cases involving first amendment issues and fully develops the significance of each case and its ruling. The book also included many exercises and examples which encourage readers to critically examine various scenarios or situations concerning potential violations of first amendment protection, evaluating the most constitutional assessment of the situation.
The book is ordered in a highly structured fashion and can be easily referenced to find specific information on a desired topic. The majority of the text is focused on freedom of speech including examinations of topics such as hate speech and pornography. Approximately one-sixth of the book examines the freedom of religion.
Farber’s First Amendment is a comprehensive, detailed, analytical, yet digestible guide to understanding the First Amendment. It could as a good source of information as well as a good reference for civics and history teachers.
Finding Common Ground [by Charles C. Haynes, Oliver Thomas]
The purpose of Finding Common Ground is to reaffirm the importance of teaching aboutreligion in public schools. Because of its often controversial nature and because of the pressures on public schools to maintain sound separations between church and state, the books’ authors, Charles C. Haynes and Oliver Thomas assert that many public schools avoid the subject of religion all together. Finding Common Ground reveals the importance of teaching about religion by demonstrating the important role religion has played throughout the history of the United States, both as a positive and a negative factor.
The book is a useful tool not only due to its content on religious liberties but also as a guide on how individual teachers and school districts can implement education about religion in their classrooms. Additionally, the book serves as a resource for teachers concerned about how to address religious celebrations and religious liberties of their students’ in the classroom. The book also contains an extensive annotated bibliography of resources teachers may wish to reference in order to develop lessons about religion in their schools. Some of these materials include a sample of a school district’s policy on religion and a parent's guide to religion in the public schools.
The Blessings of Liberty A Concise History of the Constitution of the United States [by Michael Les Benedict]
The Blessings of Liberty is a broad history which traces the foundations of Constitutionalism and the evolution of the U.S. Constitution. Divided into twenty-two chapters, the book outlines the historic evolution of the U.S. Constitution, starting with an evaluation of English law brought over to North America by the first colonists and continuing through an examination of contemporary constitutional controversies such as the Clinton impeachment and the 2000 election.
While many books on the history of the Constitution focus on the Revolutionary era and the 1787 convention, Benedict’s study acknowledges the Constitution as a living document and traces constitutional history through a three-hundred year evolution. This idea of following the development of the Constitution and a study of civics along a time-line corresponds with the ideas being presented in the Presidential Academy.
Each chapter concludes with a timeline which summarizes the key historic events evaluated within the context of the chapter. Additionally, an extensive and annotated “Further Reading” section follows each chapter, providing vast, additional resources for teachers to explore. Special detail is also paid to issues involving minority groups such as African and Native Americans.
The Blessings of Liberty is a great resource as it blends civics and history education, it encompasses various eras of constitutional history, and as the book was published in 2006, it addresses current developments in Constitutional history.
The Federalist Papers [by James Madison, Alexander Hamilton, and John Jay]
The Federalist Papers can be viewed here.
The Democratic Debate: An Introduction to American Politics [by Bruce Miroff, Raymond Seidelman and Todd Swanstrom]
This book may be purchased through Amazon.com.
A Breeze Swept Through [by Luci Tapahonso]
To learn more about this text, click here.
To view our 2006 reading assignments, click here. (Word)