• Facebook
  • Pinterest
  • Instagram
  • YouTube
  • LinkedIn
  • Skip to secondary menu
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer

Tina's Dynamic Homeschool Plus

Activity, Change, Progress

  • HOME
  • How to
    • Preschool
    • Kindergarten
    • Middle School
    • High School
  • Planner
  • Lapbooks
    • Trioramas
    • History Games
  • Shop
  • GET STARTED NOW!
    • Learning Styles
  • 7 Step Planner
    • DIY Best Student Planner
    • Free & Easy DIY Home Management Binder
  • Unit Studies
    • Creation to Ancients
    • Middle Ages to Reform
    • Exploring to Revolution
    • World Wars to Today
    • Science
    • Free Art Curriculum Grades 1 – 8
  • Curriculum
    • More Unit Studies
    • Geography
    • Writing PreK to 12th
    • Geronimo Stilton
  • BootCamp
    • Resources
      • Dynamic Subscriber Freebies
      • Exclusive Subscribers Library
      • Ultimate Unit Study Planner

Teach Homeschool History

How to Create a Creditworthy American History Course (& resources)

September 20, 2024 | Leave a Comment
This post may contain affiliate links. For more information, please see my full disclosure policy.

I’m showing you how to create a creditworthy American history course with resources. Also, look at my page How to Homeschool High School.

Whether you want to create a standalone creditworthy American history course for your teen or you want to enhance the interest level of your current American history curriculum, you’ll love these tips.

Here’s a seasoned veteran tip.

Use lower grade level resources to put important topics in a nutshell.

How to Create a Creditworthy American History Course (& resources)

To get a quick glimpse of major events, use what you have at the house or that you can get at a library to get a quick glimpse of major events.

Lower level resources can give you an easy starting point when teaching a new topic.

5 TIPS FOR CREATING A CREDITWORTHY HISTORY COURSE

Then, look at these 5 seasoned veteran tips that will make creating your own American History high school course easy.

1. KNOW YOUR STATE LAW.

Be familiar with your state homeschool laws so you can meet the requirements as you build an American history course.

A lot of states don’t have specific requirements, some do. Just be sure you know so that you can cover it.

2. TRACK YOUR TEEN’S TIME.

The rule of thumb is that one course credit is equal to 120 hours. Obviously one-half a credit is 60 hours.

What is not so obvious is deciding how to meet the hours requirement.

It also does not mean that all of the hours need to come from textbooks.

Also, look at my post Homeschool High School–How to Log Hours for High School to give yourself time to learn more about how to truly count hours.

3. FOLLOW YOUR TEEN’S INTEREST. THINK OUT OF THE PUBLIC-SCHOOL BOX STANDARDS.

Don’t hem in your teen’s creative expression on how to meet the hour requirement.

If you have the control in your state to determine how to fill the credit requirement, then think beyond what public school dictates as traditional learning.

Look at this list of ideas to add to your course and ways to meet the time requirement.

Mix and match these activities to meet the needs of an American history credit.

  • Read a textbook
  • Read living books
  • Essays
  • Hands-on projects
  • Prepare a speech
  • Review primary resources
  • Learn history through art
  • Learn history through geography
  • Learn about fashion of the period
  • Apprenticeships
  • Watch movies
  • Cook a period recipe
  • Focus on one or more history makers like Abe Lincoln or George Washington or Wyatt Earp. Look at my lapbook Free American History Lapbook The Old West Through the Life of Wyatt Earp.
  • Learn history through music
  • Take field trips like attending a play, music performance and art museum
  • Do a lapbook on a period in American History like our FBI lapbook for high school
How to Create a Creditworthy American History Course (& resources). You'll love these EZ steps for creating your own curriculum @Tina's Dynamic Homeschool Plus

The fun part begins when you and your teen decide if he will cover only history for the whole 120 hours or if you’ll mix and match with other subjects.

4. DETERMINE IF THE COURSE WILL BE HALF-CREDIT, FULL YEAR CREDIT OR SOMEWHERE IN BETWEEN.

The beauty of homeschooling is that you can adjust a course to a teen’s likes and passions.

For example, if a teen is a writer, then he can focus on writing while learning history.

So history could be a .60 credit and creative writing about history a .60 credit.

Alternately, if you want to add a literature element, then history may be a full 1 credit and literature could be a one-half credit.

If your teen is a budding artist and doesn’t like history so much, then he can cover history while doing art. You and your teen determine how to divide up the hourly credit.

5. IF YOU BEGIN IN MIDDLE SCHOOL YOU CAN STILL COUNT IT AS HIGH SCHOOL AS LONG AS YOU USE HIGH SCHOOL LEVEL RESOURCES.

By starting in middle school, your teen can go slower or take his time and dig deeper if there is a passion for history.

As long as the resource you’re using is high school level, then you can count the credit on the transcript.

American Homeschool History Outline

Although my teens had some say in the topics, they didn’t have the final say.

I wanted to be sure my teens were exposed to a wide variety of topics.

But it’s not necessary to cover all the events, people, or topics at the same depth.

I find that looking at the table of contents of any American History textbook can serve as a beginning point for an outline.

You can easily use it as a reference or make your own course outline.

AMERICAN HISTORY EVENTS AND PERIODS TO COVER

Look at one I created to get you started.

  • Columbus
  • The First People of America
  • The American Colonies
  • The American Revolution
  • Creating the Constitution
  • The Age of Jefferson
  • The Age of Jackson
  • Religion and Reform
  • Manifest Destiny
  • The Civil War
  • Reconstruction
  • Industrial Growth
  • The Gilded Age
  • World War I
  • The 1920s
  • The Great Depression
  • Truman and the Cold War
  • The Eisenhower Years
  • The 1960s and Vietnam
  • Present

5 American History Enhancements

As you can see you quickly can draft a diy American History course that your teen will be passionate about.

After doing American History several times with each of my grads, I mixed and match different resources.

Key to keeping it easy is to have a variety of resources at your fingertips.

Look at these 5 American history resources that you can use to enhance or flesh out your course. It’s not that hard, I promise.

I’ve listed living books, a hands-on history resource and even a book to us a spine in a story form which is how we prefer to learn.

5 History Resources for Teens

Laid out resources can help you put together an easy creditworthy American history course for teens.

America: Ready-To-Use Interdisciplinary Lessons & ActivitIes for Grades 5-12

Use this as a springboard for ideas. I loved this resource because it helped me to have ideas to include my younger kids while teaching my high school kid.

Too, I could expand an idea in the book to a high school level. Like it says, it’s a great big book of ideas to teach about American history.

A History of US: Eleven-Volume Set (A ^AHistory of US)

Whether it's standing on the podium in Seneca Falls with the Suffragettes or riding on the first subway car beneath New York City in 1907, the books in Joy Hakim's A History of US series weave together exciting stories that bring American history to life. Readers may want to start with War, Terrible War, the tragic and bloody account of the Civil War that has been hailed by critics as magnificent. Or All the People, brought fully up-to-date in this new edition with a thoughtful and engaging examination of our world after September 11th. No matter which book they read, young people will never think of American history as boring again. Joy Hakim's single, clear voice offers continuity and narrative drama as she shares with a young audience her love of and fascination with the people of the past.

The World of Captain John Smith

Genevieve Foster wrote this nearly fifty years ago. It resonates with perhaps more truth today. As a result of this clarion call we have sold many of her enduring "World" titles because of the timeless nature of her books. Her writing style is clear, concise and fluid with her greatest strength as a storyteller being her ability to bring her readers right into the minds and times of her characters.Abraham Lincoln's WorldGeorge Washington's WorldWorld of William PennWorld of Columbus and SonsWorld ofCaptain John Smith.

The Yanks are Coming: The United States in the First World War

Use living books which bring history to life.

One of my son’s favorite authors is Albert Marrin. His books make it easy to cover
topics using a story format and avoiding boring textbooks.

Look at all of the ones for American history.

A History of the American People

Paul Johnson’s History of the American People is like a history form of American History and covers major events and times. We used it like a spine or main resource. Then dig into further topics after that.

In addition, hands-on games bring a different element to the day and keep teens from taking all so seriously.

Add in hands-on games and fun if your kid loves hands-on.

Hands-on history is not just for the young.

If your teen learns best by hands-on then assign one or two projects as a grade.

I used Home School in the Woods projects to help me come up with ideas for my teens.

Include your younger kids too and the day can be fun while your teen gets his credit hours.

I love this format because if you have to teach American History a few times over, there is always room for a unique slant or perspective.

How to Create a Creditworthy American History Course (& resources). You'll love these EZ steps for creating your own curriculum @Tina's Dynamic Homeschool Plus

Avoid the boredom and blahs by using different resources.

What else do you like to include for your teen?

MORE CREDITWORTHY AMERICAN HISTORY COURSE ACTIVITIES

  • Modern U.S. and World History High School Literature
  • 7 Unique Ways to Supplement U.S. History for High School
  • 10 Early American History Events that Happened in Fall for Homeschool Middle or High School
  • How to Grade Hands-on Homeschool Activities and Projects (Free Rubric for Grading)
  • Daniel Boone – North American Explorer Unit Study and Free Lapbook
  • American Revolution and Free Lapbook
  • 7 Things to Try When a Homeschool History Curriculum Isn’t Coming Together (Hint: Try a Primary Source or Two)
  • How to Use a History Spine to Build Your Study of History

Leave a CommentFiled Under: History Resources, Teach Homeschool History Tagged With: american history, early American history, high school, history, history resources, historyspine, homeschoolhighschool, homeschoolhistory, middleschool

Amazing Hands-on History Activities for 14 Ancient Empires (free notebook cover too)

February 10, 2024 | 3 Comments
This post may contain affiliate links. For more information, please see my full disclosure policy.

You’ll love these hands-on history activities for ancient empires. Also, there are more Ancient Civilization hands-on ideas on my page.

Over the years I have shared my passion for hands-on history activities.

They breathe life into lifeless events of the past.

Amazing Hands-on History Activities for 14 Ancient Empires (free notebook cover too)

So when planning our year end history co-op, I decided to use the Great Empires Activity Study.

It is an activity study by Home School in the Woods.

Why? Because of the scope of empires that the Great Empires Activity Study covers.

Your kids will love these hands-on history activities for 14 Ancient Empires.Great Empires Activity Study by Home School in the Woods covers fourteen empires:

I was given this product for free. ALL opinions are my own and I will always tell you what is on my mind. When I do accept a product it’s because I’m giddy to tell you about it. Read my full disclosure here. Now on to the fun stuff!

Hands-on History Activities Ancient Empires

  • Ancient China
  • Ancient Egypt
  • Ancient Greece
  • Ancient Rome
  • Arab-Muslims,
  • English Empire
  • French Empire
  • German Empire
  • Japanese Empire
  • Mongols
  • Russian Empire
  • Spanish Empire
  • United States and
  • Viking.

I decided to cover a little about each of these empires through hands-on projects.

Organizing and assigning hands-on projects for our Great Empires co-op was easy.

The information is laid out simply. After reviewing the download, you’ll see the files organized by master, texts and projects.

Amazing Hands-on History Activities for 14 Ancient Empires (free notebook cover too)

The projects page for each empire, I found extremely useful in wading through all of the excellent material.

The project page is like your weekly lesson plan at a glance page.

And the master is your lesson plan for the day. The master pages include a helpful teacher’s key reference. It is a map marked with key areas, boundaries and other helpful features for each region covered by that empire.

Ancient Empires Study for Kids

Glancing at the project page, we could select all the hands-on activities that we wanted to do.

Then find them among the 107 master pages.

Too, background information on each empire is vital in covering the topics like we did because we wanted to savor a morsel of each empire. The text pages for each empire are 2-3 pages. However, one gem about the text pages is that they cover the empire at its height.

Non-history loving folks are turned off by many details. A quagmire of details drains the life out of learning history.

Unsure of which invention, event or key point to highlight, a budding history buff may come away more confused.

Amazing Hands-on History Activities for 14 Ancient Empires (free notebook cover too)

However, the text pages by Home School in the Woods shaves off non-essential details for the elementary age child but builds appreciation by covering key events that are significant for each civilization.

If you are a give-me-the-facts-only type of person, you will enjoy reading about each empire in the condensed text because you won’t come away feeling overwhelmed.

Ancient Empires Study for Kids

Beyond covering key events for each empire or covering significant inventions, the text unifies the past to the present.

Your child comes away with a better understanding of the impact previous civilizations made in today’s world. Keeping it simple without being boring makes the text a nifty feature.

However, if you already have a basic framework of history knowledge and want to explore beyond that foundation, you will enjoy the additional reading suggestions in each projects page and the extensive links found in the text which directs you to a website page at Home School in the Woods.

Easily, you could spend a week on each empire.

Amazing Hands-on History Activities for 14 Ancient Empires (free notebook cover too)

Because the Great Empires Activity Study is about exploring, discovering and hands-on learning, you will find plenty of activities for each empire from making scones when learning about the English empire to making an Egyptian cartouche.

Activities vary with each empire from learning about history through cooking, painting pottery like the Greeks and printing minibooks about famous people to Japanese kiragami.

Amazing Hands-on History Activities for 14 Ancient Empires (free notebook cover too)

You will not find cheesy analogies of history clip art in this product.

All of the clip art, projects and pictures have amazing detail. If you are a non-artsy person you will enjoy assembling the easy to do projects because a lot of them are printable.

You decide if you want to color or not.Here is what I find most appealing about this product:

Hands-on History Projects

  • The scope of empires covered. If you have been lagging behind in covering history topics or are trying to follow the 4 year cycle used by a lot of homeschoolers and it is going slower than you would like to, using Great Empires Activity Study would be a useful tool if you want a bird’s-eye view.
  • It can be a stand-alone history curriculum. You have the option with additional reading material listed in the projects pages and links provided by Home School in the Woods to extend each empire. With the abundance of reading recommendations and because we love history, I personally would take two weeks to cover each empire if I were using this as a stand-alone curriculum. Doing one hands-on activity per week would not be overly time consuming and you could easily end up with a year’s worth of history.  What a bargain for the price and you are using it for all of your children.
  • Adding in an activity to enrich your reading. Then Great Empires Activity Study would be a nice fit.
  • Great Empires Activity Study allowed a lot of room for flexibility in our co-op setting because it allowed each family to focus on the topic that interested them.
  • History clip art matters to me because pictures are important in history. The fine detail and high quality pictures can be used for a timeline, history notebook or to add to a lapbook.
  • Many of the creative activities can be printed. They do not involve a lot of teacher supervision or tons of crafty artsy items on hand to do them.
  • The constant in all the empires is the beautiful teacher’s key map. Providing a key map for each empire is like having a mini geography curriculum as a bonus.
If you’re wanting to breathe life into homeschool history, your kids will love these hands-on learning history activities for studying 14 Great Empires! CLICK HERE to look at these fun and engaging hands-on ideas!

I feel that persons can vary tremendously on what each one thinks is a disadvantage in a product. I prefer using the word considerations because it gives you pause for thought to see if your circumstances fit that product.

Ancient Empire History Projects

Considerations for this product would be:

Amazing Hands-on History Activities for 14 Ancient Empires (free notebook cover too)
  • There is not a lesson planning guide or checklist for each day’s activities. For some homeschoolers that may feel like freedom to explore and breathe but for others having a to-do checklist each day may feel a bit more secure.
  • Some of these activities are ones that history lovers may have already done. However, the product is aimed at elementary age..

How to Get the Free History Notebook cover

Now, how to grab the free printable. It’s a subscriber freebie.

When you sign up to follow me, you get access to this freebie.

1) Sign up on my email list.
2) Grab the printable.
3) Last, look for my emails in your inbox as a follower. Glad to have you.

You know I have to organize most products I get and this one was no different. I have created a printable for you to use as cover page for your binder when covering these empires.Home School in the Woods is an excellent example of showing how history does not have to involve a textbook or always acquiring random uninteresting facts.

With background information on each past civilization and several creative activities you won’t be disappointed with Great Empires Activity Study.

Whether you are studying about the legends of Crete or are exploring the adventures of Captain John Smith, adding in hands-on history along with a huge dose of field trips and a history co-op or two is a sure way to making learning about the past meaningful.

If you’re wanting to breathe life into homeschool history, your kids will love these hands-on learning history activities for studying 14 Great Empires! CLICK HERE to look at these fun and engaging hands-on ideas!

You’ll also love these other helpful posts with activities:

  • Hands-on History Activities for Learning about Ancient Civilizations
  • 20 Ancient Civilization History Coloring Pages
  • 100 Easy & Fun Ancient Civilization Hands-on Projects

3 CommentsFiled Under: Ancient Civilizations, Hands-On Activities, History Resources, Homeschool Curriculum Review, Product Review, Teach Homeschool History Tagged With: ancient civilizations, hands on history, hands-on, hands-on activities, handson, handsonhomeschooling, history, history resources, historyspine, homeschoolhistory

Homeschool Secular History Curriculum Dynamic Reader Asks 3 Best Teaching Tips

September 27, 2023 | 4 Comments
This post may contain affiliate links. For more information, please see my full disclosure policy.

I have some great tips for teaching homeschool secular history curriculum. Also, look at my post 35 Simple But Powerful American History Homeschool Resources K to 1.

Answering your questions means a lot to me. So today I wanted to share a question that I think you may be wondering about too.

Additionally, although I am not a secular homeschooler, I do prefer faith neutral history programs.

Dynamic Reader Asks 3 Best Teaching Tips For Homeschool Secular History Curriculum

First, here is the question.

“Hi my name is Heather,  I have been following you for awhile now and I have been planning on homeschooling for awhile but as it draws closer to the start line I realized I can not find a social studies and history curriculum that I like. I trying to be as secular as possible with the main curriculum and then teach many different religions later on. Do you have any curriculum you favor or any hints and tips for picking social studies and history curriculum ? My daughter will be doing Prek/K work and I am seven months pregnant with my next child.”

Homeschool History Curriculum

Deciding whether or not to include “religion” can be a touchy subject for most homeschoolers because every homeschooler views the term “teaching religions” differently.

I certainly think children that age are capable of understanding more than we give them credit for at times. 

Shying away from teaching them values early on when their hearts are malleable can make it harder to teach later. 

Right away principles can be involved that include your view on religion and Bible.

Dynamic Reader Asks 3 Best Teaching Tips For Homeschool Secular History Curriculum

However, because we have the inherent right to teach our children, homeschooling is about you as the parent deciding when and how to teach your values to your children.

Too, all the complexities of history do not need to be taught at this age. 

1.
Secular Does Not Mean Faith Neutral.

So, my first tip is to understand what is meant by your definition of homeschool secular history curriculum.

Because some homeschoolers feel history and the Bible are the same subject, they do not feel you can teach history separate from teaching the Bible.

Other homeschoolers feel religion biases history. This would be secular homeschoolers.

Then others feel somewhat down the middle of the road.

For example, along with learning how to read and write, children are learning at every moment.

It really is the time to be teaching them about the story of history.

When my boys were that age, I had stumbled upon The Story of the World. 

When it first came out, it sparked controversy because some homeschoolers felt it was too secular. 

Other homeschoolers understood what Susan Wise Bauer was doing, which was allowing the parents to be the ones to decide when and how to teach the Bible.

I happened to be in the second camp but probably for a slightly different reason too. 

I wanted my husband and I to be the ones responsible for their education on the Bible and religion.

Through the years, I have found The Story of the World to be more about history than a Bible study. 

It really allowed me the chance to add Bible content and teach history as I wanted to. However, I don’t consider Story of the World a homeschool secular history curriculum.

I do consider it secular friendly.

Here are some other things to think about and that I loved too about Story of the World.

The Story of the World is for ages 6 and up or starting in first grade, but easily adaptable for a slower pace or age.

As a new homeschooling teacher, regardless of grade level, it made teaching easy because I could learn right alongside my children.  Using something laid out, though engaging, makes it easier on you so that you understand the story of history.

Secular Friendly History Curriculum

The reader is written in a story format to engage early learners. 

Too, I always purchased each of my sons their own reader. 

I had one and they had one too. I felt this promoted a love of books and history though it cost a bit more, I would be using it for several years.

The questions and answers are on the same page in the Activity Guide which is like the Teacher’s Manual and Activities all together.  It is a must-have.

Other books or suggested reading are listed in the Activity Guide so that as your child learns to read, you can look for other books to add to her everyday reading.

There are a variety of hands-on projects to choose from, including map work.  From coloring, to crafting, to building, I had plenty to choose from to make our day fun.

Dynamic Reader Asks 3 Best Teaching Tips For Homeschool Secular History Curriculum

However, because your daughter is so young, I would suggest doing a bit of tweaking to this curriculum or any curriculum you use at this age. 

History Curriculum

It is more about enjoying the learning process too while she is taking in the story.

  • Do not follow the schedule of the first grader, which is about 6 years of age.  Since your daughter is younger, go slower.
Homeschool Secular History Curriculum Dynamic Reader Asks 3 Best Teaching Tips. I have some great tips for teaching homeschool secular history curriculum. Also, look at my post 35 Simple But Powerful American History Homeschool Resources K to 1. Answering your questions means a lot to me. So today I wanted to share a question that I think you may be wondering about too. Additionally, although I am not a secular homeschooler, I do prefer faith neutral history programs.

(Mr. Senior 2013, Tiny and Mr. Awesome.  Sorry for the quality of the picture, but I was a new homeschooling momma proud of the fact that when we started Story of the World, I did some things right. I immediately added more hands-on when we started Story of World like “digging for artifacts” instead of pushing through the curriculum. I get a few sniffles looking at this picture.)

For example, we did one lesson and spent a few days on it or a week instead of the time suggested by the schedule. 

Covering less and explaining it more is the secret tool to teaching well.  More does not mean better. 

More Homeschool History Resources

  • 35 Simple But Powerful US History Homeschool Curriculum Resources K to 12
  • 15 Fun Resources For History for Kindergarten Homeschool
  • First Grade Homeschool Curriculum for History and Geography
  • 8 Best Classical Style History Curriculum for a Classical Learning Style

I think about my sons’ eating habits when they were that age.  They needed less food more often throughout the day. 

Teaching is similar and not to be gulped down or forced in one sit down feeding time.

Additionally, that is one suggestion but look at more tips about the differences in a secular approach versus faith neutral approach.

2.
Know What Faith-Neutral Means in the Homeschool World.

Next, since I wrote this post many years ago, the homeschool world has changed in the definition of secular or it seemed like it then.

For example, many secular homeschool history curriculum providers like Calvert and Abeka were clearly touting how they approached those subjects.

For instance, Calvert was touted as secular but they didn’t try to attack the Bible.

Today, I would consider Calvert more of a faith neutral approach. They do not explicitly teach a secular view.

And Abeka has clearly taken a Chrisian based stand on teaching history.

What muddy the waters is that some curriculums which tout they’re secular are not in fact secular but fall under the faith neutral umbrella.

Back in the day, we didn’t really identify faith neutral curriculum.

3. Secular, Faith-Based and Faith-Neutral Simple History Curriculum Definitions

Look at this short list and my definition for the differences between them as they have morphed through the years.

Homeschool Secular History Curriculum – History curriculum which would leave all mention of the Bible out of it and with no influence of any godly intervention.

Many times, secular overlaps with a view of science. It would be scientifically accurate, and all curriculum is looked at through that scope.

In addition, one of the most important parts is that they reject a young earth or creationist view. For example, the Big Fat Notebooks, Pandia Press and Horrible History I would consider secular.

Homeschool Faith Neutral – This varies with providers and some leave in Bible events as they happened but would be neutral about providing a secular or Bible-based view.

They would not be considered secular but neutral to creationists and secular alike. For example, BookShark is faith neutral.

Homeschool Christian Based History Curriculum – This curriculum touts there is no history except with God involved or influencing men at the time.

Homeschool Secular History Curriculum

Too, some curriculum can intertwine their doctrine while other curriculum strives to include Godly values. Out of all of the providers, this one can vary the most from light Biblical influence to teaching doctrine as history.

Look ahead and see what the topic is going to be about and then find extra hands-on projects to go along with it.

Add in museum quality coloring books that are both fun and teach history. Look at Dover History Coloring Book

Remember teaching at this age should be about fun and introducing the intriguing lives of people from both the past and present. Reading aloud a book about George Washington, Pocahontas or about Columbus along with a coloring page are sufficient when you are sleep deprived.

Curriculum for Teaching History

Look at some of these other resources I have used and loved because there is an abundance of material that can make your job easier.

We love the Draw and Write Through History series. Though these books have some cursive copy work in them, the focus for now can be on following the easy step by step drawings and you writing what your daughter dictates to you about the picture or what she has learned.  

This technique is called narration.

Too, by purchasing resources like this you can get several grade levels out of them and can still use them with your next child. They are timeless tools for teaching young kids regardless of how many years go by.

I often call teaching at this age horizontal teaching. 

Don’t worry about going up so much in grade level as you do about expanding, broadening and deepening her understanding on the topic you are on through enrichment.

Picking up books at the library about the way people dress and preparing snacks together from different countries whets her appetite for appreciating the customs and culture of others.

Expanding History Curriculum

Though there are a wealth of wonderful history providers at this age, a lot of them do start with some kind of Bible or religion teaching. As the parent, you decide if and when you want to incorporate it.

Teaching your daughter through some of the products and ideas I listed above, you can stay as secular as possible and add in your world view as you decide.

4 CommentsFiled Under: Dynamic Reader Question, History Resources, Teach Homeschool History Tagged With: secularhistory, youngchildren

First Grade Homeschool Curriculum for History and Geography

June 12, 2023 | 2 Comments
This post may contain affiliate links. For more information, please see my full disclosure policy.

Today, I have first grade homeschool curriculum for history and geography. Also, look at my page Homeschool Geography for hands-on and simple ideas and tips.

Out of all the grades to begin choosing homeschool curriculum, first grade is really overwhelming.

Not from the point that it will necessarily be hard to teach, but it is the first formal grade.

You want to kick off your formal years right.

First Grade Homeschool Curriculum for History and Geography

The first of anything can be tough just because of inexperience.

Add to that the mega choices we have in homeschooling and it can be downright stressful to choose curriculum.

Starting with history and geography (because they are two of my favorite subjects) I want to give you a bit of help in sorting out the choices.

First Grade Homeschool Curriculum for History

When starting with history for any grade and especially first grade, keep these two important things in mind.

1. Decide An Approach to History

When I first started homeschooling, studying history in chronological order made sense to me after I read The Well-Trained Mind: A Guide to Classical Education at Home (Third Edition). I started my homeschool journey with classical roots.

I started off first grade using The Story of the World: History for the Classical Child: Volume 1: Ancient Times: From the Earliest Nomads to the Last Roman Emperor, Revised Edition (commonly referred to as SOTW).

Story of the World covers history in a 4 year cycle beginning with the Ancients and moving forward to Modern. You spend one year on each time period.

The teacher’s guide is helpful and necessary because you have questions and answers to help review the reader. 

History is told in a story fashion and my boys found it delightful.

Homeschool Curriculum for History

However, after schooling for a few years, I realized that because of his younger age, my middle son wasn’t retaining as much information as my oldest son had retained.

So I questioned the chronological approach and switched to a literature approach by Beautiful Feet where my son could learn history through a famous historical character.

This made a huge difference to him and helped my middle son make a meaningful connection to history.

Using living books like George Washington by the D’Aulaires or Abraham Lincoln (Bicentennial Edition) helped my son to understand some of the major players in history. Chronological order came later.

So, using Beautiful Feet is one example of living books and is a literature approach to history.

Using classical books, history comes alive through people and events and it’s not chronological.

First Grade Homeschool Curriculum for History and Geography @ Tina's Dynamic Homeschool Plus

If you feel your background in history was lacking, there is nothing wrong with starting in chronological order and adding in living books too.

It’s taking the best of both approaches.

If you have it in your budget, there is nothing wrong with choosing one history curriculum as your spine or the essential guide you are using and another one you like to supplement with.

Now, please don’t make the mistake of doing two curriculum because that is overwhelming.

But using curriculum which fits your teaching style more and using the other one to help add other things your spine may be lacking is a good technique to keep you rounded out in your teaching.

Before you can make curriculum choices, you want to take stock of how you think best your children will learn and how much background help you need in history.

2. Determine If You Want to Tech History Using a Secular, Christian or Neutral View

The next biggie to decide is how you want to approach history.

Do you want the history of religion woven into your curriculum like Mystery of History, which too is taught in chronological order?

Or would you prefer a more neutral stand to history like The Story of the World: History for the Classical Child: Volume 1: Ancient Times: From the Earliest Nomads to the Last Roman Emperor, Revised Edition?

Too, another reason for choosing a program like The Story of the World: History for the Classical Child: Volume 1: Ancient Times: From the Earliest Nomads to the Last Roman Emperor, Revised Edition is because you may want to add your own Bible study information to it.

I didn’t need any help with a worldview and so I chose SOTW. I also used other resources which I’m going to tell you about in a minute.

First Grade Homeschool Curriculum for History and Geography

Though some may argue that a secular and neutral approach in history are synonymous, it has been my experience that they are not.

In my earlier years of homeschooling I felt that you taught Bible based or used something that conflicted it and this idea is still popular among homeschoolers.

I still feel like that way somewhat but have expanded my view of what is neutral because of using so many different history curriculum.

More Homeschool Curriculum for History and Geography

  • Homeschool Geography Go To Resources
  • How to Find A Well Laid Out Homeschool High School Geography Curriculum
  • First Grade Homeschool Curriculum for History and Geography
  • Homeschool Secular History Curriculum Dynamic Reader Asks 3 Best Teaching Tips
  • 35 Simple But Powerful American History Homeschool Resources K to 12
  • 15 Fun Resources For History for Kindergarten Homeschool
  • 8 Best Classical Style History Curriculum for a Classical Learning Style
  • 35 Hands-on Geography Activities to do in 15 Minutes or Less
  • 5 Steps to Choosing Geography Living Books Your Children Will Love
  • Learn About Indigenous Animal Geography Fun Activity for Preschool to Elementary

There can be some fine differences though it is tough to tell at times until after you have finished the curriculum in full.

Then there is secular curriculum that takes a more neutral approach in that they merely introduces the idea of the big bang theory but then talks about true history like making disciples during Roman times.

The book I am talking about and is an example of a more neutral view is a book by Virgil Hillyer, A Child’s History of the World.

I skipped the first two chapters of the book because of the mention of the big bang theory which I didn’t want to introduce at this age.

A Child’s History of the World makes history come alive for this age and it has been the one book that has held each of my boy’s attention as they started first grade.

I can’t say enough good things about this book.

Looking back now, I could have easily only used A Child’s History of the World and added in my own free resources.

For hands-on learning we’ve always used Home School in the Woods products.

First Grade Homeschool Curriculum for History and Geography

Look at a couple of the ones for grades K to 2.

Homeschool Geography for the Littles

It is important to mix hands-on activities with formal learning.

I enjoyed using the series by Steck Vaughn called Maps, Globes, Graphs. It was a mix of coloring, crossword puzzles and search and find clues in the workbooks along with maps.

Another super resource for grade K – 4 is Galloping the Globe, which is a unit study approach.

It it not as easy to follow along because I feel it is more like a reference but it is meaty enough for this grade level to understand about the cultural of other places.

The beauty of this resource is that it adds in things like cooking and cultural, which certainly needs to be included to help a child appreciate that geography is more than just a map, which could be boring.

Galloping the Globe would compliment a workbook approach.

My other love to have at this is Geography from A to Z: A Picture Glossary (Trophy Picture Books).

This is a reference book along with pictures to explain different features of geography.  A must have if I were homeschooling this grade again.

I hope this background information along with some of the things I used will keep this process fun and exciting like it should be.

Also, another one that we love for this age and that fits my idea of what teaching history and geography is Beautiful Feet curriculum that I mentioned earlier.

First Grade Homeschool Curriculum for History and Geography

2 CommentsFiled Under: Geography, Teach Homeschool History Tagged With: history, history resources, historyspine, homeschoolingfirstgrade

American History Game Fun U.S. President Go Fish Unit Study

December 24, 2022 | Leave a Comment
This post may contain affiliate links. For more information, please see my full disclosure policy.

We enjoy the American history game U.S. President Go Fish for studying homeschool history.

And we love History For Kids Go Fish Game series a lot, and with a good variety of history topics we can easily add them to several studies.

American History Game Fun U.S. President Go Fish Unit Study

Today is all about the U.S. Presidents Go Fish and how to use it.

Also, we are going to take this game and build an entire presidents unit study around it with books, hands-on activities, and videos that will help you dive deep into it without cracking open a curriculum box.

About the U.S. Presidents Go Fish Game

Moreover, the U.S. Presidents Go Fish game is a simple game to add to a presidential unit study.

I like it because it is a quick play game that will pack a lot of educational punch.

Too, it comes with a little mini book that gives instructions and plays like traditional go fish but you collect all 4 presidents from each category (cold war, industrial revolution, reconstruction, etc.).

Or kids can collect presidents by guessing them correctly based on the hints on the card the other player gives.

You can take it on the road, use it in place of your lesson for the day or add it to your morning basket to help start the day.

The one drawback is that as of this date, it only includes the first 44 presidents.

American History Game Fun U.S. President Go Fish Unit Study

Additionally, look at this list of books to use as a unit study spine or for your learning day.

Books about U.S. Presidents

10 Resources about U.S. Presidents and The White House

Here are some books to add to a presidential unit study that cover a good variety of ages.

What Presidents Are Made Of

See America’s presidents as never before—made of objects! Using everything from blue jeans to boxing gloves, Hanoch Piven “builds” the characters of eighteen of our nation’s leaders. Revealing anecdotes accompany the creative collages and lend insight to the charismatic personalities of prominent presidents from George Washington to Barack Obama, resulting in an irresistible resource.

Our Country's Presidents: A Complete Encyclopedia of the U.S. Presidents

Revised and updated to include the winner of the 2020 presidential election, this photo-filled and fact-packed book is a timely must-have reference.National Geographic presents the 45 individuals who have led the U.S. in this up-to-date, authoritative, and lavishly illustrated family, school, and library reference.

A Kid's Guide to U.S. Presidents: Fascinating Facts About Each President

Concise and Interesting Guide to the U.S. Presidents Updated to Include President Biden

A Kid’s Guide to U.S. Presidents contains a concise and interesting summary of each president’s background and accomplishments from George Washington to Joe Biden.The role of the president has been an important one throughout the history of the United States. This engaging look at each president and their impact on the country is the perfect introduction to get kids interested and excited about learning about history and politics.

Politics for Beginners

While it isn't specifically about the presidency, this book offers a lot of good information on political parties, elections, and the presidents relationships with other people who hold important political careers.

Fandex Family Field Guides: Presidents

Fandex Family Field Guides: Presidents is a chronological field guide to all 45 of America's chief executives, from George Washington to Donald J. Trump. A hands-on reference, it includes more than 50 grommeted, die-cut cards featuring a full-color image of each president along with facts about his personal and political life.Which President made the Louisiana Purchase? Which President won a Nobel Peace Prize? Which President also served as justice of the Supreme Court? Who was in office during the Teapot Dome scandal, and who endured the childhood nickname “Useless”?

Toobs: USA Presidents

8 PROFESSIONALLY SCULPTED FIGURINES – This themed collection is perfect for U.S. History buffs. It includes 8 professional sculpted busts of some of the most influential presidents, including George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, John Quincy Adams, Andrew Jackson, Abraham Lincoln, Theodore Roosevelt, Franklin Roosevelt, and JFK.

Who Was George Washington?

In 1789, George Washington became the first president of the United States. He has been called the father of our country for leading America through its early years. Washington also served in two major wars during his lifetime: the French and Indian War and the American Revolution. With over 100 black-and-white illustrations, Washington's fascinating story comes to life - revealing the real man, not just the face on the dollar bill!

Where Is the White House?

The history of the White House, first completed in 1799, reflects the history of America itself. It was the dream of George Washington to have an elegant "presidential mansion" in the capital city that was named after him. Yet he is the only president who never got to live there. All the rest have made their mark--for better or worse--on the house at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue. Megan Stine explains how the White House came to be and offers young readers intriguing glimpses into the lives of the First Families--from John and Abigail Adams to Barack and Michelle Obama.

The First Book of presidents

This book is good to use as a beginner spine.

George Washington and the Founding of A Nation

A full account of George Washington's role in building the early U.S. republic explores his life, focusing on the assets he brought to public life.

Furthermore, add hands-on activities.

Hands-on Ideas for a President Unit Study

For example, use the Safari Ltd US Presidents busts to introduce and build excitement to the start of a new topic or for art inspiration.

American History Game Fun U.S. President Go Fish Unit Study

Create your own bust with Crayola Air Dry clay and a flashcard of a president for a model.

All you need is some clay and a toothpick and craft stick to carve and add detail.

American History Game Fun U.S. President Go Fish Unit Study

Any age can use these but I like that the scrabble tiles are so versatile and don’t seem babyish like some letter tiles might for older kids.

Instead of writing out spelling and vocabulary words use letter tiles. Call out words you would like your child to learn and let them do it with the letter tiles instead of paper.

This activity is easy to modify for any age level by simply using easier or more difficult words.

American History Game Fun U.S. President Go Fish Unit Study

 In addition, here are some vocabulary/spelling words to get you started and let your younger children put them in alphabetical order.

  • President,
  • election,
  • politics,
  • republican,
  • democrat,
  • ballot,
  • veto,
  • federal,
  • constitution,
  • monument, and
  • executive.
American History Game Fun U.S. President Go Fish Unit Study

Besides playing the U.S. Presidents Go fish according to the directions you can also use them to create a timeline by pulling 5 or 6 random cards and having your child place them in order.

American History Game Fun U.S. President Go Fish Unit Study

More Fun History Games

Look at them below.

  • The Benefits Of Using Games That Teach Geography | Review Of Scrambled States
  • Kids Art History Board Game Ideas
  • Ancient Egypt DIY Simple and Fun Mummification Process Game
  • Entertaining Games in the Past How to Make an Easy Backgammon Game
  • Easy Hands-on Fun Ancient Greek Games for Kids DIY Knucklebones
  • Unit Study: French Revolution + Free Storming the Bastille Game
  • 7 Super Fun History Games to Bring the Past to Life
  • Ancient Egypt Mehen free Printable Board Game (Hands-on History)
  • Free Ancient Greece Go Fish Game – Ancient Greece Unit Study
  • 13 Free and Fun BEST Printable History Board Game

Furthermore, add some American Presidents board games.

4 American Presidents Board Games

Play a fun board game like one of these below to learn about presidents, elections, and politics.

U.S. Presidents Go Fish

FUN AND EDUCATIONAL GAME FOR KIDS – memorize basic facts painlessly as you compete to collect most cards.

FACT-FILLED BOOKLET: Set includes a booklet explaining facts about each card, as well as ideas for other games to play with the deck.

MONOPOLY House Divided Board Game

WIN THE PRESIDENCY: The Monopoly House Divided board game is about U.S. Elections. Buy states, earn votes, and take over the White House as the new president

IT'S PARTY TIME: In this Monopoly game, players choose a Candidate token and get assigned to the red or blue party. Players vote with their party -- unless it's better for them not to

Election Night! A Super Fun Way to Learn Essential Math, Geography and Civics While Strategizing Your Way to The White House.

A home learning home run that teaches kids to think big things while mastering the hardest to learn addition and multiplication facts, U.S. state geography, and the mechanics of the Electoral College.

Double-sided gameboard includes addition and multiplication game versions to keep kids sharp on math skills, with varying levels of complexity based on player skill level.

Professor Noggin's Presidents of The United States Trivia Card Game

PLAY & LEARN: Professor Noggin’s series of educational card games encourages kids to learn interesting facts about their favorite subjects.

FUN FACTS: Since the time of George Washington, important leaders have ruled from the Oval Office. Learn about the first 44 Presidents of the United States, the times in which they served their country, and the challenges they faced as leaders of the world's most powerful nation.

Finally, videos are always a great way to present information in a fresh new way as well as take a little of the teaching responsibility off your shoulders.

  • US Presidents For Kids
  • Us Presidents Song For Kids
  • Presidential Trivia For Kids
  • Why is Voting Important
  • President of United States Job
  • The White House For Kids

Leave a CommentFiled Under: History Resources, Teach Homeschool History Tagged With: american history, games, hands on history, hands-on, hands-on activities, handson, handsonhomeschooling, history, history resources, homeschoolhistory, U.S. Presidents

  • Page 1
  • Page 2
  • Page 3
  • Interim pages omitted …
  • Page 6
  • Go to Next Page »

Primary Sidebar

Footer

Privacy Policy | About Me | Reviews | Contact | Advertise

Categories

Archives

Tina Robertson is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to amazon.com. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.

Copyright © 2025 · 5 TNT LLC · Log in · Privacy Policy