Uncle Sam and You is a one-year civics and government course for students in grades 5-8. Daily lessons teach your child about the foundations of American government, the elections process, and how Federal, state, and local governments work. The Curriculum Package includes Uncle Sam and You Part 1, Uncle Sam and You Part 2, The Citizen's Handbook, and the Uncle Sam and You Answer Key. Ages 10-14. In addition to these core books, there are two optional books to help measure your student's understanding of the material, Lesson Review (designed for students in 7th and 8th grades) and Student Activity Book (designed for students in 5th and 6th grades). Most parents choose one or the other for each child, though you can use both for one student if you wish. These books are available separately and are not included in the curriculum package.
Uncle Sam and You Part 1 and Part 2 each contain fifteen units for a total of thirty units. Your child can study Part 1 during the first half of the school year and Part 2 during the second half. Each unit has four lessons. At the back of each book are fifteen lessons on America’s patriotic holidays. You may do one of these lessons as the fifth lesson each week. You might enjoy using these lessons and the corresponding activities on a family night so that Dad can join in.
All of the instructions for how to use the course are included in Uncle Sam and You Part 1 and Part 2 so you do not need a separate Teacher's Manual. The daily instructions are very easy to follow. Most students will be able to follow the instructions on their own. At the beginning of each weekly unit, an introductory page gives a list of the lessons and a list of what additional books the student will be using while studying that particular unit.
Your child can read the daily lessons on his own or you can read the lessons aloud. The full-color pages are richly illustrated with both modern and historical photographs and illustrations. At the end of each regular (non-holiday) lesson is a list of several supplemental activities. Students are not necessarily expected to complete all of these activities. You may choose which activities you wish to assign. Depending on how many activities you assign, most students will need 45-90 minutes to complete one lesson. The types of activities vary from day to day. They include:
- Thinking Biblically assignments
- Creative writing assignments
- Vocabulary assignments
- Short research assignments to look something up or ask a family member
- Assignments to draw a picture or take a photograph
- Reading assignments from The Citizen’s Handbook or a literature title
- Assignments in the Student Workbook or Lesson Review
One special family activity is assigned each week that corresponds with the holiday lesson you choose. These activities include craft and art projects, themed meals, and other multi-age activities. Your student may need extra time for Uncle Sam and You on the day you do the family activity.
Eight works of literature are assigned in the Uncle Sam and You curriculum to give your student a richer perspective on the various topics studied. The student is usually given two weeks to read each book, with 1-3 chapters assigned each day. The first three books go with Part 1, and the next five books go with Part 2. These books are not included in the curriculum package.
- Lincoln: A Photobiography by Russell Freedman (Units 5-6)
- A Letter to Mrs. Roosevelt by C. Coco De Young (Units 10-11)
- Brighty of the Grand Canyon by Marguerite Henry (Units 12-14)
- Basher Five-Two by Scott O'Grady (Units 16-17)
- Misty of Chincoteague by Marguerite Henry (Units 18-19)
- The Long Winter by Laura Ingalls Wilder (Units 22-24)
- The Wright Brothers: How They Invented the Airplane by Russell Freedman (Units 25-26)
- Lost on a Mountain in Maine by Donn Fendler (Units 29-30)