Review of America's Heritage: An Adventure in Liberty

We are studying American History this year. Five families have united to co-op every Tuesday in my living room, kitchen, backyard, and nearby park. We have listened to numerous books, read aloud, shot arrows from bows, worked on time lines, recited famous speeches, and created many hands-on projects. The fascinating thing to me about American History is the deep devotion to God that once lived in the hearts of men and women in this nation. Even those who rejected the Gospel, admitted that God had His hand in the formation of this great nation.

 Once, faith in the Lord led to core values that helped to make our nation great:  personal responsibility, integrity, and love for fellow man. My daddy always said, "You are responsible for your own actions. If everyone jumped off a bridge..." Your daddy probably said the same thing to you. Concern for the welfare of others led to charities and neighbors helping neighbors. People expected their politicians to be men and women of integrity and honor.

There also existed a great love of freedom so strong that people were willing to die to hold on to freedom. There was great pride in being a citizen of the United States of America. George Washington urged unity above political party affiliation. Patriotism, love of freedom, and a desire to move forward to make the world a better place for the next generation all united Americans.

While we cannot go back in time, we can pass on a Godly heritage to our children, reminding them of the providential blessing that has hovered over our nation. We can pass on the same values that led Daniel Boone across the wilderness, Teddy Roosevelt to storm San Juan Hill, and Lincoln to speak at Gettysburg.

The American Heritage Foundation is serious about teaching students the truth about the United States of America and current events. Historically, the United States of America is Modern History's first attempt at self-government. This adventure was bathed in prayer and led by men who feared the Lord and understood biblical principles.

This non-profit organization was formed to teach American history and to promote patriotism in young American lives. Though a non-religious organization, it promotes conservative, family-friendly values. Lesson plans have been created for use in public schools to fill in the gaps in public school history and government classes. Their lesson plans are offered free to homeschoolers too!

I received a CD-rom to review from American Heritage Foundation which contained America's Heritage:  An Adventure in Liberty. The material comes in four versions (elementary, Spanish elementary, middle school, and high school). We used many of the activities from all three age groups for our co-op because we have such a wide age range studying history together. The focus is on four themes: freedom, unity, progress, and responsibility. These themes are promoted throughout all of their lesson plans and materials. The hope is that children will see the connection between values, character, and our nation's heritage.

My favorite was the high school version, which focused on documents. The documents analyzed were The Mayflower Compact, The Declaration of Independence, Federalist Papers, U.S.  Constitution, Bill of Rights, and the First Amendment. There is also a neat section of Entrepreneurs in History which takes a look at Cornelius Vanderbilt, Andrew Carnegie, James Hill, and John D. Rockefeller. I like the pro-free market emphasis!

The elementary and middle school versions were also jam-packed with activities that can be used by children of all ages. We definitely enjoyed "testing" them in our homeschool co-op.

We played the Independence Game, a role playing game that helped us to understand the different players in the American Revolution, their roles, ideas, and values. We saw how each player was affected economically as well as politically. We discussed their rights and responsibilities, imagining how each event affected them and their families. The game players were the king, parliamentarian, governor, soldier, British merchant, and colonist. This game was enjoyed by the entire co-op (ages 8 to 17) and brought the events of the revolution alive in a new way!

We also used the Radio Theatre Script "We've  Got to Get Independence!" in the co-op. We acted it out, recorded it, and played it back. What fun! Again, this activity was enjoyed by all ages. This coming week, we are doing the Presidents together...learning about all of the presidents of the United States of America. I found all the activities to be handy in teaching a wide variety of ages.

There are more activities about the flag, national motto, Statue of Liberty, Star Spangled Banner (national anthem), and Pledge of Allegiance.

These lesson plans are easy and fun to use. They are free to download from their website, American Heritage Education Foundation. In addition, teacher training workshops are also available!

I so appreciate these free, but very valuable lesson plans. They have been a blessing to me this year as a co-op history teacher. I wish that the lesson plans were filled with Scripture and Bible-lessons, but I realize that the intention of the foundation is to reach all young Americans. I certainly hope that they do because they have a message that needs to be heard!