I have to say that this book was very easy to read. I felt at times as if I was having a conversation with the author. The language was easy to follow. I liked how some things would be explained off to the side. I get distracted easily though so sometimes I caught myself getting side tracked from the story. I loved the use of pictures and diagrams. Being a visual learner, I need that extra support to picture the story as I'm reading it.
As I was reading, I liked that we were being taught about different aspects and viewpoints. For example, when Hakim would discuss the women and their roles. Then she went into how the blacks were represented. I liked how it just wasn't one viewpoint throughout this entire book. We weren't just walked through how the loyalists felt or how the patriots saw things.
I also liked how we were introduced to so many people that were involved in the history of our country. There were names that I have never heard of before. I liked how the book went beyond George Washington, John Adams, and Benjamin Franklin. I found it interested how the feelings and fears of the signers were made known. I didn't realize that they feared for their lives after signing the Declaration of Independence. Also, how John Adams felt that women should have been given more roles in history than what they did.
I think students would enjoy reading a book like this versus one that just stated facts. I feel it gives another side to history that is part of the unknown. Now can we be really sure that's exactly how our founding fathers felt? Probably not. I did enjoy reading this type of history book. To me, it seemed more likely that students would follow along in a format such as this one. It was also easier to pick up and put down without the feeling that I was lost or had to review what I had previously read. That's important for time factors.
Overall, I really liked this type of story. I liked to be entertained when I'm reading. I look at history as very educational but as entertainment as well.
I also appreciated the "pick it up, put it down, pick it up again" format. This time of year is so hectic! It was nice to not lose the train of ideas and have to re-read sections to be able to keep a story line straight.
ReplyDeleteI completely agree with you. The book was nicely laid out for a visual learner. I am the same. I need pictures to go along with what I am reading. They're neat pictures too! I did find myself getting distracted also. It was an easy read, however I feel that it wasn't really meant for a student just beginning to learn about American history. It gave a quick overview.
ReplyDeleteI thought your comment that the content was like having a conversation with the author was insightful. That is certainly part of what makes the text so approachable. I too needed to be careful that my distractable brain was not pulled off to the sidebars before I read the complete text. This would be good to remember when using this text or a similar text with students. They may need some guide or aid to keep them connected to the primary article.
ReplyDeleteI thought your comment about having a conversation with the author was very insightful. That is certainly one aspect that makes the text so approachable. I too had to keep my distractable brain from being pulled off to the sidebars before completing the primary article. This would be good to remember when using this text or a similar text with students who may need a guide or aid to keep them on track.
ReplyDeleteYou hit it on the head when you talked about having a conversation with the author. I too had to keep myself from being distracted by the sidebars before I finished reading the primary article. This would be good to remember when dealing with students who also could become distracted. Perhaps they would benefit by using a guide or aid of some kind to keep them on track.
ReplyDeleteKaren, I tried to post several times and it tells me my comment will be posted when it is approved. This happened on one or two other blogs. Not sure this message will come through. If not, I will try emailing you.
ReplyDeleteI'm glad you enjoyed Hakim! One of the biggest challenges with interpreting history is to help people understand that there were multiple points of view and opinions. Also, that many people contributed to the development of the United States. History, as a field, has been working for the last 50 years to tell the stories of everyone, not just the "dead white men" but I suspect that it hasn't completely trickled down to textbooks yet.
ReplyDelete