National Standards for United States History: Exploring the American Experience

The publication of these standards created a firestorm of controversy, led by the head of the federal agency that commissioned them (Lynne Cheney of the National Endowment for the Humanities). Despite the fact that one of the authors was himself a Republican, they were accused of excessive political correctness. That story is told in the related book, _History on Trial_ by G. Nash et al.

This guide divides US history into eight or nine units that coincide nicely with Barron's Guide to AP US History. As the title implies, national standards are given within each unit as to what students should understand about events in America's past. Very specific, creative, and challenging ways to achieve student comprehension accompany each standard, and are broken down by grade level. For example, to help 9th-12th graders understand the Puritan way of thinking, and the consequent impact of Puritans on the American psyche, the suggestion is to analyze and evaluate primary source documents: Jonathan Edwards' "Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God," Anne Bradstreet's poetry, etc. (the book gives more examples). This worked well with my AP juniors - they had to think, but it was good for them. If nothing else, this book provides wonderful ways for US History teachers to creatively and effectively challenge their students