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More than 70,000 copies of the print editions have been used in classrooms all across the U.S. To make it more easily available to teachers and students, it is now sold as an inexpensive PDF file download that carries permission for teachers to photocopy the pages for use by their own students. The graphics-rich, workbook style format of this learning guide engages students in a variety of knowledge and skill building activities. These all promote a strong sense of "buy-in" and a commitment to succeed. Interesting video resources, historical photo sets, and other useful materials for each section are suggested and linked from the matching Internet site. Fasttrack to America's Past has won the highest praise any book can receive: many students want to keep their copy when the school year ends. It has become their own personal record of their journey into history, a quest on which they grew stronger in knowledge and wisdom. They want to remember it, and visit America's past again.  Tell me more -  Fasttrack to America's Past encourages students to explore topics widely, using a variety of resources, while providing a common framework of study.
Fasttrack to America's Past has no ideological or political bias or agenda. It is a straightforward, factual, and balanced guide to U.S. history. The author is a 28 year veteran social studies teacher - now retired - with experience in high school and middle school classrooms in Virginia. What grade levels is this for? 
Fasttrack to America's Past is very flexible
and adaptable, just as a tourist guide book is designed to be useful
and valuable for both experienced and first-time travelers. It
has been used widely in high school and middle school classrooms, as
well as in home school settings. Its pages help high school level
students stay engaged and on track in those fast-paced U.S. history
survey courses. In middle school classes, where U.S. history is
usually spread over two school years, teachers typically pick and
choose sections and pages that best fit their lesson sequence and
topics.
Students in high school and middle school all love exploring the interesting history resources on this title's Internet support site. No passwords or sign-ons are needed. Note: For middle school USII history classes (Reconstruction Era to the present), consider our Frameworks for America's Past learning guide and its matching Internet support site. It provides a more structured instructional design, and closely follows the widely respected Virginia Standards of Learning for middle school grade levels. Click here to visit the Frameworks for America's Past home page and learn more about that title. Where can I see the pages inside? You can see all the pages on this web site - click on the link right under the image of the workbook's cover on the home page. (You can also see the pages, in completed Teacher Key format, with links found in each section.) What support is available for teachers and students using this? The Internet support site has a full set of Teacher Key pages for each section. There are also extensive resources that you and your students will enjoy using, including historical photograph sets and links to interesting online video clips. The Tips for Teachers page on the web site has many ideas and suggestions for using the learning guide most effectively in your classroom. You can find it, along with price and ordering details, linked from the Information Page for this title.  Why do students enjoy
working with this so much?This approach is much more engaging to students, and that is the key to success in any classroom! Consider that any tourist going to a foreign country wants to go out and experience for themselves the streets, the people, the museums, and the landscape. They do want a guidebook to help them find things, though, and also to give them the background to understand what they experience. That's what Fasttrack to America's Past is - a guidebook that, with your help, will ensure that they come away with an understanding of what they have seen, examined, and experienced.
 Fasttrack to America's
Past is now available as
an inexpensive PDF file download that includes permanent
permission to
photocopy its pages for use with your own students.
Please
see the full details by clicking on the Ordering and Downloading
page link on the Information
Page for this title.May we place a link to pages on this web site? Teachers are welcome to place links from their own teacher web pages to this title's home page, to a section main page, or to other specific pages. You may not, however, take or copy content to transfer to your web site or pages, or other online sites or pages. (It's just like in a museum: You may visit and have your students visit, but the museum doesn't let you steal the exhibits!) How can I get more information? Please contact our office in Springfield, Virginia, by phone at: (703) 644 - 4612, or by email at: ftm.contact@verizon.net |
