Finishing "A History of US"

I have had the chance to read the minority and skim the majority of A History of US. Hakim's book is definitely a refreshing look at what most students consider to be the dusty old study of history. Making it seem alive for kids is such a struggle, especially now that we have so much emphasis placed on the testable material for PSSAs. I really was intrigued by her style of writing - inserts of photos, artwork, commentary. I have already jotted down references from this book into my plans for next year. For example, Chapter 36 gives great detail that corresponds with a one paragraph statement in our textbook about the summer of 1787 in Philadelphia (or Philly as she refers to it!) I can envision projects for my students that would incorporate content area writing into a similar format next year. It can develop into more creative studies of the events of the time period that would help to tap into all types of learning. My 3rd grade classroom is being restructured physically to allow me to do even more projects and centers to increase the amount of differentiated instruction I can provide (I am getting rid of student desks, and using large tables instead). I will definitely go back through this book in detail over the summer!