• Develops literacy, vocabulary, geography, politics!
• Introduces & explores key ideas in history!
• Explores American history, and the Revolution!
• Explores in detail the documents that define America!
• A true "Owner's Manual" for Americans of all ages!
• Explores the plight of American natives in history!
• Covers major people & events in the order they happened!
• Hands-on activities make history relevant to the student!
• Develops critical thinking skills!
• Develops study in a self-determined manner!
• Lesson plans are complete and ready to use!  Start now!

We're currently working our way through this program and loving it.  The children (aged 12 and 16) work independently on most of their subjects, but we chose to do this together to tie in with this year's Great Books studies. As we started with The Epic of Gilgamesh, the Mesopotamian start to this unit worked perfectly.

This program has been designed for independent study, but we've found it to be ideal for collaborative learning, encouraging interesting discussions. All the hard work has been done, but there is plenty of scope for shaping it to your family's needs. If necessary the children can work on their own too, so I love the freedom this gives us.  Highly recommended.  E. R., Professional Educator
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THIS COURSE IS WRITTEN TO STAND ALONE FOR THE STUDENT WHO ONLY WISHES TO STUDY AMERICAN CIVICS. It can also be skipped in the line-up of Step 4 History courses for those who do not wish to study American history.

For serious history students, ages 11-adult. This course is not subtitled An Owner's Manual for the American Citizen for nothing!

What was the idea behind America that drove its people to go to war with England for their independence? Break down word for word the important documents that made America, such as the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution, and find out what they mean in history and to us, today.

Our nation's founding ideas and rules have rarely been made more germane and involving than in this course, and the American student (or adult) who completes it will never look at their nation in an indifferent or ineffective way again.

The student intently studies and "rewrites" the Declaration of Independence and the Paris Treaty. He studies several Federalist Papers, written by John Adams, Alexander Hamilton and John Jay, the most significant argument we possess for the acceptance of our form of government. The Constitution is broken down article by article, and each article is considered by the student for its current and historical effectiveness.

Included in this course, the student is provided a simple history of America, and the revolution that set us apart from England.

All American holidays and their history are studied, and the usefulness and current appropriateness of each holiday’s celebration is determined by the student. The same is done with the Pledge of Allegiance.

Prominent American speeches are reviewed for their current effect on the nation and on the student's own life, including Martin Luther King's "I Have A Dream" speech, and Lincoln's "Gettysburg Address". The student even fills out an actual form to run for President of the United States. (Yes, the real form.)

This course, with the exception of a few films (not provided by STEPS , but found easily on the Internet), comes complete. The course will take about a semester, and will result in a student who understands American history. the American form of government, how it should work, how it does work, how it fails, and how it might be corrected.

98 lesson plans and ten tests and answer guides.

Concepts and subjects covered in this course include:

• American history before independence
• Europe before American independence
• America before the Europeans
• America before the Revolution
• The Boston Tea Party
• King George III
• The Founding Fathers: John Adams, George Washington, Benjamin Franklin, Alexander Hamilton, Thomas Jefferson, Patrick Henry, James Madison, James Monroe, John Hancock Thomas Paine & Common Sense
• America at the time of the Declaration of Independence
• The Declaration of Independence dissected
• The Revolutionary War
• The Continental Congress
• The Paris Treaty of 1783 dissected
• The history of the American Constitution
• The Constitution dissected line by line, including each amendment, with discussions about each important issue
• The Federalist Papers
• Federalist Paper # 14 dissected
• The U.S. Government checks and balances - branches of the government
• The Election Process dissected
• The American flag, history and today
• The Pledge of Allegiance
• American Holidays – their history and celebration, including: The 4th of July; Thanksgiving; President's Day; Veteran's Day
• Separate But Equal dissected, Martin Luther King, Jr. Day; Labor Day; Memorial Day
• History from the Native American Indian viewpoint
• 500 Nations
• Your Rights and Obligations as an American Citizen