Tina's Dynamic Homeschool Plus

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History Resources

Top 10 Free Popular Homeschool History Printables

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Top 10 Popular Free History Printables @ Tina's Dynamic Homeschool Plus

Today, I wanted to share with you what my readers love here when it comes to history printables. Be sure you have grabbed all of these top 10 free popular homeschool history printables.

With all the free printables I have created, the number one spot goes to the What is History minibook on the Ancient Civilization Unit Study page.

The number two spot or printable is ironically on the same page, Ancient Civilization Unit Study and it is the free Mesopotamia Cover sheet.

Essential Homeschool History Printables

Fast forward quite a few years and the third spot is my free Lewis and Clark Unit Study and Lapbook.

Still moving forward to modern history, you are really loving the Titanic timeline printable, which came in fourth place.

In fifth place, we go back in time again and this time the Ancient Greece Geography minibook got fifth place.

Taking sixth place is Hammurabi from Babylon, which is another printable from the ancients on the Ancient Civilization Unit Study .

Coming in at seventh place, eighth and ninth place are all printables from my Egypt unit study which too are all from the Ancient Civilization Unit Study .

Egypt Map
Egypt  Famous Queens
Egypt Pharoahs and Queens Front Page

Finally, rounding out the top 10 popular history printables on my site is the Westward Expansion timeline on my Westward Ho Unit study and Lapbook.

I love getting a peek into what rocks your homeschool world, but more than anything it shows me what you use and love here so that I can continue adding more history printables for you.

Did your favorites make the list? What are you favorite homeschool history printables here? What would you like to see more of? (ok, it doesn’t hurt to ask)

Hugs and love ya,

Check out these other articles:
How to Use a History Spine to Build Your Study of History
8 Ways to Teach Homeschool History Other Than Chronologically.
How to Teach History in 14 Lessons (From Daunting to Doable)

Don’t forget to follow BOTH of my Pinterest accounts for more AWESOME pins.

Visit Tina Robertson’s profile on Pinterest.


Visit Tinas Dynamic Homeschool ‘s profile on Pinterest.

22 Awesome Homeschool History Field Trips

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This post may contain affiliate links. For more information, please see my full disclosure policy.

It’s one thing to read about the Holocaust in a book and quite another to bring history to life by visiting a museum and learning about the lives affected by this tragedy.

22 Awesome Homeschool History Field Trips. Bring history alive through interactive learning @ Tina's Dynamic Homeschool Plus

History field trips have a way of not only making history fun, but places have a way of helping a child remember important dates, important people and events.

Moving from the book to visiting historical places makes learning history memorable and engaging.

Creative Ways to Give Life to Homeschool History

Look at this list of places to visit for history and oh yes, be sure to print off some copies of my forms below.

Historical Reenactments.

Civil War Battle Fields.

Old Plantations.

Renaissance Festival.

Historical Hotel.

Paddlewheel Boat Replica. (Enjoy a meal like they dined back in times past.)

Pioneer Village. (Learn about candle making, shoe cobbling and how to make soap to name a few activities. Call ahead and get a guided tour.)

Cemeteries. (Read about the people who lived in the past and read what the quotes say about older graves.)

State Capitol. (Our state capitol has homeschool days. Check with your state capitol.)

History Museum.

One Room School houses. (Super fun field trip if you have one in your area.)

Old Car Museum. (Learn about how people got around in times past.)

Old Stagecoach House. (We use to live near an old stage coach house. It was a place the stage coach stopped to change horses and for travelers to grab a meal.)

Old churches turned museum. (Many old churches have been turned into museums.)

More Homeschool Field Trips Resources

Old forts. (We visited the Alamo and tried to vision what life would have been like then.)

Visit war ships.

Historical part of a town. (Look for the historical markers and find old buildings. Also, look at the old advertising on the side of the buildings.)

Lighthouses. (This is next on our list to visit.)

Federal Reserve Bank. (We learned about the history of how money is made)

Library. (Read old newspapers and magazines.)

Courthouse. (If you call ahead, you can coordinate a viewing of old Wills and Deeds. So much fun reading what was willed to family members. You get an idea of every day items used back in the day that were important to a livelihood.)

Old people. (A truly valuable resource especially if you have an older aunt, uncle or grandparent that can tell your children about the past.)

Anything else to add to this list?

How many of these things have you done to make homeschool history come alive?

3 Fun History Sites for Homeschooled High School Teens

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3 Free History Websites for Homeschooled High School Kids @ Tina's Dynamic Homeschool Plus

Earlier I shared 5 Free History Websites for Middle School Kids and today I am sharing 3 fun history sites to kick off the new year for your highschooler.

You know how easy it is to find activities for your kids in Kindergarten. And then it seems like when they hit the upper grades and especially highschool that learning is suppose to somehow get less — well– fun.

No way, if I have something to say about it. Look at these three websites below, which I rounded up for high school teens.

artifacts

I am excited about finding this site because I had shared a post earlier, 7 Things to Try When a Homeschool History Curriculum Isn’t Coming Together (Hint: Try a Primary Source or Two) because studying the way people lived and the objects they used everyday is intriguing and engaging.

Leave boring behind when you study primary sources.

The information from the site: This site presents a strategy for incorporating historical artifacts and documents into the teaching of U.S. history. Designed as a companion to the Advanced Placement Program U.S. History course, it is also effective in any instructional setting that emphasizes analytical thinking and writing.

crash

This next site is on YouTube and is called Crash Course. It is just what it says. Quick and fun crash course on many different topics.

Though it has all kinds of interesting topics, it has world history and American history that make learning history far from boring.

Tiny likes the fact that it is quick and I love the fact that it gives a sweeping overview and can introduce your teen to history topics he may not be aware of or just to be sure he has been introduced to major events.

civics

This next site is a complete fit for teens, which generally don’t mind arguing. Let them use all their prowess on this site.

From the site:

Our educational resources empower teachers and prepare the next generation of students to become knowledgeable and engaged citizens.

Founded and led by Justice Sandra Day O’Connor, iCivics provides students with the tools they need for active participation and democratic action, and teachers with the materials and support to achieve this. Our free resources include print-and-go lesson plans, award-winning games, and digital interactives.

The iCivics games place students in different civic roles and give them agency to address real-world problems and issues. They are rooted in clear learning objectives and integrated with lesson plans and support materials.

Mark these and grab them. And you know as I find them, I share them with you too.

Also, you’ll love these other ideas:

Hugs and love ya,

Be sure to follow my Middle and High School Pinterest Board for more tips you don’t want to miss!

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5 Free History Websites for Homeschooled Middle School Kids

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This post may contain affiliate links. For more information, please see my full disclosure policy.

In putting together history unit studies, I know you too are on the prowl for free and fun history websites to enrich your homeschool unit studies.  Also, look at my page homeschool middle school for more fun tips.

Today, I have rounded up 5 free history websites for homeschooled middle school kids that are not only super helpful in bring history alive, but really informational.

5 Free History Websites for Homeschooled Middle School Kids @ Tina's Dynamic Homeschool Plus
5 Free History Websites for Homeschooled Middle School Kids @ Tina’s Dynamic Homeschool Plus

Interactive History Equals Hands On Homeschooling & Learning

Most of the sites can be used for your younger and older children too, it’s just that I am focusing on homeschooled middle school kids because some sites are too babyish.

This website has 8 short films about significant early American history moments. The movies are:

The Ben Franklin Story
The Life of George Washington
Declaring Independence
Paul Revere, Messenger of the Revolution
The Shot Heard Around The World
The Treason of Benedict Arnold
The Real Face of George Washington
Molly Pitcher, An American Heroine

From the website:

Of added interest for viewers, each film tells its story using scenes and portraits from our collection of Early American Images. Many of the images are primary source documents — engravings, woodcuts and drawings that date back to the early to mid-1800s.

2. TEACHING HISTORY (actually has something free for elementary, middle and high school kids)

From the website:

Teachinghistory.org is designed to help K–12 history teachers access resources and materials to improve U.S. history education in the classroom.

It is funded by the U.S. Department of Education and has free activities for each grade level along with activities and ideas.

Not only will you be clicking in each grade level, but each grade level has several activities and topics that will keep you planning.

Also, grab the awesome free posters under Print Materials at the bottom left.

There is so much on this website too that you will need to space out your visits so that you have time to explore it all.

Are you planning for an upcoming unit study about the Oregon Trail?

Take a virtual trip to learn about the Oregon Trail and the landmarks along the way.

Click on the various tabs at the top right side of the page. There is background information on each landmark. Great for geography too.

Click on Trail Tour to get started.

As homeschoolers we always voice our worry over whether or not our homeschooled kids will be ready for the “real world”.

Well, let them take a practice run at it with this free online game.

From the website:

Mapping Your Future’s Show Me the Future is a financial literacy and life skills game, designed to help 12-20 year olds prepare for their futures.  The game helps players understand:

  • the cost of living;
  • budgeting, which is vital to financial freedom;
  • the difference between wants and needs;
  • the importance of financial planning;
  • the need to set career goals; and
  • the value of higher education.

I haven’t tried this one with Tiny yet, but it looks great as well. It is one I have marked for some “real life” learning.

This is an awesome website too with interactive stories.

It has 4 missions.

Mission 1 is for Crown or Colony, Mission 2 is Flight to Freedom – Will You Find a Path to Freedom, Mission 3 is a Cheyenne Odyssey – Can You Help Your Tribe Survive Life on the Plains and Mission 4 is City of Immigrants, How Will You Start a New Life in America?

You’ll love the educator’s guides and your middle school kid will love the interactive games. The Think Fast part is super fun!

Mark these and keep them to add to your next unit study.

Also, look at:

Hugs and love ya,

Snack Like They Did In Ancient Greece – Make Baklava (Delicious)

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Make delicious baklava when studying about Ancient Greece @ Tina's Dynamic Homeschool Plus

Moving on to our next hands-on activity for our newest unit study which is Ancient Greece, we decided to look for something “delicious” to do.

We also have the book, TOOLS OF THE ANCIENT GREEKS: A Kid’s Guide to the History & Science of Life in Ancient Greece (Build It Yourself), which is fantastic for hands-on ideas.

Tiny was reading about what the Greeks snacked on and some of the foods are still with us today.

Learning that the Ancient Greeks rolled out pastry real thin and made Spanakopita (spinach pie) or Baklava, we decided to try out a new recipe.

Deciding that Baklava sounded better to make because it would give us a sugar high, we opted to make it.

Baklava is a dessert made with phyllo, walnuts and honey.

I will warn you though that if you are a foodie blogger you might cringe at our substitutions and make do ingredients.

Living here in Ecuador some ingredients like phyllo dough are not even obtainable.

I read in one place on the internet when we were looking for a simple recipe that you shouldn’t even make it if you don’t have phyllo pasty dough. I am sure I am doing some awful foodie injustice.

Good thing I am not a foodie blogger because I would be fired from the hall of foodie fame deliciousness because we did substitute and make do with what we had.

Did I mention it came out super good and we had a ton of fun in the process?

Check out the ingredient list:

■phyllo pastry dough OR make it like we did. I used this easy recipe from Living in the Pie Life
■I had about 2 cups of walnuts at the house, but we could have easily used more.■About a teaspoon of cinnamon.
■We had some local honey – a small jar.
■Couple of sticks of butter melted.
■3/4 cup of sugar.
■vanilla extract to taste.

1 Baklava  2 Baklava

We made a well for our dough and added in all the ingredients.

We were so focused on getting this dough “right” that we forgot a few pictures.

But it came out perfect for us. We allowed the dough to “rest” and while it rested, we crushed the walnuts in a ziploc bag.

Then Tiny mixed the cinnamon in with the walnuts in a bowl and set it aside.

We also melted butter in a bowl and set it aside.

3 Baklava  4 Baklava

Our dough was less than perfect, but Tiny was pleased with it and so he started rolling it out.

We buttered every layer and that gave it tons of that light feeling and sweet layers. Butter fixes everything.

5 Baklava  6 Baklava

So he rolled out one piece of the dough and brushed with butter. Then he spread some of the walnut and cinnamon mixture on top.

He did that for a couple of layers. After that I cut through and made the diagonal slits.

7 Baklava  8 Baklava

While it was baking, we warmed some local organic honey and vanilla in a sauce pot.

After our baklava was baked, we let it cool down just a minute.

9 Baklava 10 Baklava

Then Tiny spooned the delicious honey sauce over the baklava and allowed the sauce to soak through.

Tiny shocked himself because  our make do baklava was absolutely delicious with crusty and sweet layers.

It was a fun way to read some about what the Ancient Greeks ate and try a dessert too.

12 Baklava

Hugs and love ya,

Tina Signature 2015c