We fought a war against England?
Oh hey, another nice series of American history books are by Jean Fritz. One is And then what happened, Paul Revere? All the titles are similar, asking a question of a particular famous name. Lots of fun!
[QUOTE=Shagnasty]
My oldest daughter is in Kindergarten and she knows a lot about early American history. Then again, our house and property were built before 1760 and we have been restoring it for her entire life. It is basically a hands on exercise and she better know about it based on all the work we do. We also live in the Boston area where early American history is everywhere.
That doesn’t apply to all kids but I am pretty sure that I knew about American history by first grade growing up in a poor school district in Louisiana. It went along with the Pilgrims, Ben Franklin, George Washington, and things like that. Like all good Southern children, we were also well versed on the intricacies of the Civil War soon after we learned to read give or take.
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I was the same way; my grandmother was a DAR member, so I knew the basics and the fmaily members who fought.
(She’d probably roll over in her grave at the idea that some of her Scots ancestors were part of the perverse faction that came over after 1745 and fought FOR mad King George - probably a good thing she was already dead when I ran across that little nugget!)
[QUOTE=Sunspace]
Whatever you do, don’t try to video the place.
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Or annoy the ravens.
[QUOTE=Quartz]
Or annoy the ravens.
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And be careful if you sit on the benches- the ravens poo on them.
Have you considered getting him a subscription to Cobblestone? It’s a kids’ history magazine and it’s really good. It’s made by the same people as Cricket. Every issue has a theme, and it has primary sources, more traditional history narratives, activities, stuff like that. It’s really an excellent magazine. I’m sure your local library probably subscribes - take a look at an issue or two.
[QUOTE=robardin]
I swear, everyone in my generation knows the Preamble to the Constitution to a tune.
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When I was having a talk with my sil, both of us found out we did not know the words unless we sang them.
Throwing it out there - but were you also in elementary school around the bicentennial?
I’m guessing (but don’t know for certain) that there may have been a bit more emphasis on the Revolution in the mid-to-late 70s (not just in classrooms, but also in popular culture in general, which kids sort of pick up on) than there was before or after that time period.
Just wanted to add: One of my nieces, a ninth-grader, asked “Who won the Revolutionary War?” I’ve always considered her to be pretty bright, so I was a little surprised. Not only did she not know who won–she didn’t know who the combatants were.
[QUOTE=BMalion]
We fought a war against England?
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I’d tell you who won, but I don’t want to spoil it for you.
[QUOTE=robardin]
But then again, I was in first grade for the Bicentennial (1976), and you can bet a lot of talk was going around about the Declaration of Independence.
Plus all those Schoolhouse Rock shorts at 12 every Saturday, what with catchy songs and animation like “take your powder, take your gun / report to General Washington” and “The Shot Heard Round The World” and “No More Kings”, any of which I can still play back in my head.
I swear, everyone in my generation knows the Preamble to the Constitution to a tune.
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Word.
[QUOTE=robardin]
I do remember learning about the Revolutionary War by third grade, at least a little bit… But then again, I was in first grade for the Bicentennial (1976), and you can bet a lot of talk was going around about the Declaration of Independence.
Plus all those Schoolhouse Rock shorts at 12 every Saturday, what with catchy songs and animation like “take your powder, take your gun / report to General Washington” and “The Shot Heard Round The World” and “No More Kings”, any of which I can still play back in my head.
I swear, everyone in my generation knows the Preamble to the Constitution to a tune.
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“No More Kings” lyrics and video and “Shot Heard Round the World” lyrics and video gives you key names, locations, as well as an elementary level explanation of “Taxation W/O Representation”
[QUOTE=amarinth]
Throwing it out there - but were you also in elementary school around the bicentennial?
I’m guessing (but don’t know for certain) that there may have been a bit more emphasis on the Revolution in the mid-to-late 70s (not just in classrooms, but also in popular culture in general, which kids sort of pick up on) than there was before or after that time period.
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Bingo. I don’t recall having history classes until about the third or fourth grade, at least not any set curriculum involving textbooks, but starting my schooling in 1976 (born in '71) meant that I heard about the revolution constantly, both in school and out.
Schoolhouse Rock helped a lot, too. No More King!
[QUOTE=ShibbOleth]
I’d tell you who won, but I don’t want to spoil it for you.
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The French (with the help of the Dutch and the Spanish).
A vocal minority of the colonists helped a bit as well i suppose, although the way they never fucking shut up about it you’d think they’d done it all themselves.
It’s about equivalent to France suddenly claiming that they “won WW2” when you think about it.
[QUOTE=Anne Neville]
I went to visit the Tower in 2004, and there were no skeletons on display then. I don’t think they do that these days… The Yeoman Warders (sometimes called the Beefeaters) did have some interesting and gory tales to tell on the tour, though.
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Oh, I know there will be no skeletons, bloody axes or blocks on display; I’ve been there before and also understand that sanctity offered to human remains. My son refuses to believe it. That right there might be a good reason not to bother teaching too much history to 8 year olds. They’ll only hear what they want to hear.
[QUOTE=Caricci]
Oh, I know there will be no skeletons, bloody axes or blocks on display; I’ve been there before and also understand that sanctity offered to human remains. My son refuses to believe it. That right there might be a good reason not to bother teaching too much history to 8 year olds. They’ll only hear what they want to hear.
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Well, if you want gore, go to the London Dungeon or the Clink museum. Both are just across the river from the Tower.
[QUOTE=BMalion]
We fought a war against England?
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What’s an England?
[QUOTE=Antinor01]
What’s an England?
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Eh. From what I’ve heard it’s got nothing to offer but blood, toil, tears and sweat. Somehow this is considered a stirring selling point to the natives there. 
I went to school in Ohio and Kentucky. We covered the Pilgrims a bit around Thanksgiving in 2nd and/or 3rd grade, but nothing in-depth. I don’t remember what I knew about the American Revolution at that age, other than a quick gloss over of George Washington along with other famous presidents (the standard cover of Washington, Adams, Jefferson, and Lincoln). We didn’t really have “history” class though. I remember we had “social studies” which was, well, social studies. We discussed basic things like what the words community and neighborhood meant, basic info on laws, and the hierarchy of city-county-state-federal, with maybe some basic geography thrown in. It was more like elementary civics.
We moved in 4th grade, and the entire history class was devoted to Kentucky state history. Then in 5th grade we got into the first real discussion of American history, starting pre-colonization and continuing to WWI, I think.
If you want to get your son interested in history, there are some really good historical fiction books for kids/young adults. I remember one about a boy who moved into an old colonial house where there was a ghost of a boy his age from the late 1700s…ok, at least, I thought it was really good when I was 12. I wish I could remember the titles of the ones I read. He may be a bit young for them, I don’t know, since I remember reading them in middle school.
Can’t remember back to my own schooling–but I don’t think we got detailed Revolutionary history in 3rd grade. We didn’t even get to the Texas Revolution until a bit later! (Texas history in elementary; Texas history, geography & political science in Jr High. Our Constitution sucks–although the teacher didn’t use that word, exactly.)
I’ll join the chorus recommending book buying. (In fact, buying books will help almost every situation.) Even the ones “too advanced” right now will be lying in wait!
Do you remember “Animaniacs”? I’m from the Howdy Doody generation but became a fan; so far, I’ve bought 2 of the 3 DVD sets. Lots of silliness–but with some interesting lessons thrown in.