American History & Government
The Great American Story
Welcome to the Great American Story.
This course covers the American story from early settlement up to the modern era. Included in this course on American history is a study of American government, both it’s founding and function. Students will be assigned weekly readings, narration, notebooking and keeping. Class time will focus on discussion and understanding of historical events, context and concepts. Additional assignments could include projects, essays, current events and field trips.
Students should plan for approximately 2 hours of work at home each week.
Student's are expected to come to class prepared from their week's assigned reading. They should be ready to participate in a deeper discussion, experiments and/or lab work.
Instructor: Nadine Goodwin
September - May, Fridays, 9:00 - 10:30 AM
This is a High School level course and is open to mature 8th grade students based on recommendation. Class size is limited.
High School Course Credits:
A PSA student who completes this course will earn 1 credit for U.S. History and .5 credit for American Government.
A Charter School student who completes this course will easily accomplish the AG Course Guide for Government and U.S. History, but the pace of the course will differ from what is suggested in their AG Guide.
Booklist:
Land of Hope: An Invitation to the Great American Story by Wilfred M. McClay
Your Rugged Constitution by Bruce Findlay and Esther Blair Findlay
Required Supplies & Resources:
Students will need access to digital resources such as: computer, printer, internet, gmail account
Book of Centuries (Riverbend Press is the recommended version)
3-ring binder with dividers
A full list of supplies will be sent out to students in the summer.
Cost: $950
Blue Ridge Charter School funds are accepted. Payments are available upon request. A $50 admin discount is offered for payment in full using cash or check.
Washington, D.C. Trip 2026
We are in the process of researching and planning a possible Washington, D.C. educational trip for the spring of 2026. For those interested, this would be an ideal ending to this course. More info coming soon!
CLEP Prep Option
An opportunity for CLEP test prep will be made available for students wishing to take the CLEP for US History I, US History II and/or American Government. For student’s willing to do the extra work to prepare for this exam, we highly encourage them to take advantage of this option as it provides college credit for this coursework.
The College-Level Examination Program® (CLEP) helps you receive college credit for your high school courses. This is commonly referred to as “CLEP-ing out” of the college requirement for these courses. The CLEP is a fraction of the cost of a college course and also allows your student’s transcript to stand out, similar to the Advanced Placement (AP) process.
You can learn more about the CLEP at collegeboard.org
