Give Me Liberty: An American History Brief Editions. Volume 1 covers material on the History of the US I CLEP while volume 2 covers the material on the History of the US II CLEP. This series is very popular for US history college courses. There are two versions of this book. One is the brief version and the other is expanded. I had a copy of both versions and decided that the brief version met our needs better. My kids preferred the brief version too! Go figure!
Pros: These books are thoughtfully written and a joy to read. The author keeps a running theme of “liberty” throughout the chapters. He discusses how the concept of liberty is refined over the years. In the middle of each chapter is a political literature selection. A brief review of these works can increase the odds of gaining more points on the CLEP exam. The many relevant photos, political cartoons, and drawings in each chapter can deliver teaching points in an impactful way. Chronology tables help piece together critical events. Maps are also included which helps for the CLEP exams. At the end of each chapter are review questions and key terms.
Cons: Some sections are probably not relevant to the test like coverage of foreign powers. Some sections go deeper into important and interesting cultural issues than needed for the CLEP exam. On the other hand, coverage of battles was not deep. For example, the majority of Civil War battles are not covered. This might be an issue for someone with a lot of interest in battles. Civil War buffs take note. I don’t know if individual battles are a significant enough part of the US History I CLEP exam to cross-reference. I’m inclined to believe they are not. But if a student wants to learn about the battles and generals, an extra resource could remedy this shortcoming. I found separate YouTube videos of important battles from Ft. Sumter to the surrender. They were really interesting and memorable. John Green Crash Course provides two videos that cover the Civil War in an overview sort of way.
In conclusion. I loved using both volumes of Give Me Liberty! I highly recommend volume 1 to prepare for the History of the US I CLEP exam and volume 2 to prepare for the History of the US II CLEP exam. If you are interested in reading how we approached these two exams read: History of the US I CLEP and History of the US II CLEP.
My experience with CLEPs. I have coached my kids and their friends through 16 different CLEP exams over a period of 9 years. Collectively, they have passed 38 CLEP exams and earned over 156 college credits. My high school graduates have received full-ride merit scholarships.
Musing: a period of reflection or thought. As such this post reflects my thoughts, opinions, and experiences on the topic. The choice to home school and the methods you choose are yours to determine.
GML was used as one resource to pass US history 1 CLEP.