A History Textbook that Inspires, Not Lectures, Students about America

James G. Martin Center for Academic Renewal ^ | April 5, 2019 | Jenna A. Robinson

[reaganaut1]

From the very beginning, it’s clear that Wilfred M. McClay’s Land of Hope: An Invitation to the Great American Story isn’t a typical textbook. The title alone alerts readers that McClay’s book will not be the kind of history text that has become so popular in today’s high school and college courses—a diatribe against America’s many sins. Instead, it is an accurate, but loving, story of our country and our shared culture. McClay describes his book as “a patriotic endeavor as well as a scholarly one.”

In his introduction, McClay explains that the purpose of his text is:

to offer to American readers, young and old alike, an accurate, responsible, coherent, persuasive, and inspiring narrative account of their own country–an account that will inform and deepen their sense of the land they inhabit and equip them for the privileges and responsibilities of citizenship.

McClay is just the person to provide such an account. He is the G.T. and Libby Blankenship Chair in the History of Liberty at the University of Oklahoma and the Director of the Center for the History of Liberty. His other works include Why Place Matters: Geography, Identity, and Civic Life in Modern America and The Student’s Guide to U.S. History. The text will be available on May 21 and published by Encounter Books, a non-profit “dedicated to strengthening the marketplace of ideas and engaging in educational activities to help preserve democratic culture.”

After a beautifully written introduction, “Beginnings: Settlement and Unsettlement” starts with the first human settlers in the new world—twenty to thirty thousand years ago—and ends with Christopher Columbus’ four trips from Spain to the Americas starting in 1492.

[ThePatriotsFlag]

Looks great ... kind of pricey (even Kindle). Of course it is a textbook, so maybe worth the price?

[fuente]

Unfortuntely, many don’t use textbooks anymore.

[shanover]

Unfortunately, many don’t use textbooks anymore.

You absolutely correct and it's shocking. America is not educating its children as the system is broken.

[LS]

Umm, been there, done that.

“A Patriot’s History of the United States.”

No, it’s not glossy and slick. Old fashioned book book.

We are now in our 30th (!!) printing, with the 15th Anniversary Edition (through Obama and the first two years of Trump) available in July.

Also, in my online curriculum, I do video lessons of all 22 chapters: www.wildworldofhistory.com

[Albion Wilde]

bump

[SunkenCiv]

Thanks reaganaut1, and Larry for the additional idea. :^) Seems like a good weekly digest ping as well.

[vannrox]

Outstanding post! Bookmarked.

[nicollo]

Unfortuntely, many don’t use textbooks anymore.

You absolutely correct and it's shocking. America is not educating its children as the system is broken.

Teachers don't know how to use textbooks. They weren't taught this essential skill in their "education" classes, and they weren't taught to use them by their own teachers growing up.

Worst of all, those same teachers assign readings on online textbooks, which, especially for history, are useless.

This all begs the question: why do textbooks persist? I have to explain this to students, as it finally makes sense to them when they understand it: student textbooks are just a small part of a curriculum delivered to schools, which more largely consists of prepared lessons, digital tools for teacher use in the classroom, pacing, student assignments, and, above all, assessments.

Once kids figure out that the assessments come from the textbook, suddenly textbooks become useful.

[LS]

It’s a habit. Teachers do their lessons tied to a text book, then are reluctant to change.

I had a conservative college instructor once tell me she wouldn’t use “Patriot’s History” and instead continued to use a lefty book because “her classes were already written.” (I.e., it was work to change to a more accurate, truthful book). But check out www.wildworldofhistory.com

It’s a great curriculum and even if you’re not teaching, my 22 lectures on US History are worth the price.