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The Best Guide to History Curriculum for Homeschool
When it comes to homeschooling their children, many homeschooling families tend to be more oriented towards the three Rs; reading, writing, and arithmetic. While those are essential skills for any individual, the result often sees social studies, particularly history, falling by the wayside.
We wouldn't necessarily call this approach wrong, but we might call it lacking because history is much more than facts and dates for homeschooling students to memorize. The beauty of history is that it's actually a rich tapestry of human experiences, stories, mistakes, victories, and lessons.
A structured homeschool history curriculum helps students understand the history and the people and societies of the past instead of just memorizing facts, which is ultimately what history is all about, taking the sum of human experience and knowledge and applying it to our daily lives in the present.
In this guide, we'll discuss the importance of a good homeschool history curriculum, why history should be part of your homeschool plan, and what a good history curriculum covers.
Know Why You Should Teach History in Your Homeschool
A good history curriculum helps homeschool students understand past societies and their people, along with all the social and natural adversities they faced, the mistakes they made, and their achievements and innovations.
More importantly, a well-structured history curriculum can help students develop critical thinking and analytical skills of various past events, as well as how to consider various different perspectives and sides of the same historical issue or event.
It's safe to say that the primary purpose of history (as is the case with any other social study) is to help young people make well-informed and reasonable decisions, as well as rational choices, for the common good of the public and society. This is particularly relevant as they navigate their roles as citizens within a culturally varied, democratic society existing in a world that values freedom and autonomy.
For elementary homeschoolers, history might not seem as important as writing, reading, and arithmetic, which are all vital studies. However, that doesn't mean you shouldn't incorporate history; in fact, elementary age is perfect for cultivating a love of history because children are naturally curious about the world around them.
History offers insight into human behavior, teaches the students about their own culture, as well as other cultures of the world, and allows students to learn about great leaders and individuals from our collective past.
The best part is that there are several different ways you can incorporate history into your homeschool curriculum to make the study more interesting, even for students who typically aren't as apt at social studies.
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A complete History Curriculum for Homeschool
What Should a Good History Curriculum Cover?
Unfortunately, there isn’t a universal approach when it comes to structuring a good homeschool history curriculum. History can be taught in many ways, through reading study material, interactive means, or simply through the narrative with historians looking to impart knowledge to younger generations.
As a result, there's a lot of variation when it comes to the curriculum; certain curricula may use different study materials and approaches to exploring the past, while others may emphasize certain aspects or past events that proved to be turning points in our collective history.
Additionally, and for better or worse, each US state typically has its own standards when it comes to social studies (history included) that homeschooling families would have to align with. The National Curriculum Standards for Social Studies provides an outline for some common topics and subjects that a history curriculum should cover.
This typically includes the US history or American History throughout the whole K-12 education, covering topics such as Pre-colonial Native American history, European colonization of the Americas, the history of the student's native state, life in early colonies, slavery, the American Revolution and its impact on society, the founding of the US, and all historical periods leading up to the contemporary US history.
However, grades 9 through 12 also include world history, covering topics such as ancient human culture and societies, as well as ancient Greece, as the cradle of human civilization, through all events leading to the Cold War and the division of international power.
There are plenty of history programs out there, which only underscores the importance of finding or developing a good history curriculum for homeschooling families.
American History Curriculum for Homeschool
The typical American History Curriculum spans the entire history of the US in chronological order, from the Native Americans and their civilization and culture to the first European settlers colonizing the Americas, through the Revolutionary War, the Civil War, and the role of the United States in both World Wars, right up to the modern era.
The central idea behind this curriculum is the integration of the Four Pillars of American exceptionalism, and by understanding these core principles, history students can better appreciate the unique circumstances of the journey of American people through history. These present more than just mere sets of lessons; they symbolize a journey to the soul of a nation, its heart, struggles, and its enduring spirit.
If you're looking for a well-structured curriculum, there are plenty of homeschool resources, history books, and history courses you can employ. However, there's really no need to shuffle through hundreds of books to find suitable material for structuring an in-depth curriculum of American history. You can rely on tried and tested curriculums, like the American History Homeschool Curriculum by Professor Larry Schweikart.
Proposed revision: Professor Larry Schweikart taught at the University of Dayton for nearly 30 years, and his book, A Patriot's History of the United States, has been mentioned and referenced in thousands of classrooms across the US.
This particular course is aimed at grade levels 9 through 12 and teaches homeschool students everything there is to know about US history from the early colonial period to the Great Crash of 1920. It also includes the "Four Pillars" of American exceptionalism and how it shaped the early US.
The course contains 22 lessons, each featuring a full-length video, which can be taught over the course of a full semester. Furthermore, it also includes free lesson plans and a teacher's guide for all homeschool moms out there teaching history to their kids. The videos are a great additional touch that would allow students to read about a particular lessor, and then watch the video in order to better retain knowledge for the test.
World History Curriculum for Homeschool
The generic world history curriculum focuses on a broader timeline, and its typically reserved for grades 5 through 9 and focuses on early human societies, first civilizations, ancient Greece, the rise and fall of the Roman Empire, the rise of Christianity, and other major religions.
It also focuses on the middle ages, followed by the Renaissance, the industrial revolution, the rise of nationalism and modern economics, and the causes and consequences both World Wars had on Europe and the world, all leading up to the Cold War and post-Cold War period.
Professor Larry Schweikart's World History Curriculum contains 15 full-length lessons aimed at grades level 9 through 12. The course covers various era's in the history of Europe, ranging from ancient history to modern subjects. This includes the history of Europe, Africa, Asia, Latin America, and the States; the latter is taught more extensively from 1775 in this course.
The World History Curriculum also incorporated the Four Pillars of American Exceptionalism and the effects associated with the lack of this concept in other parts of the world.
Finding the Best Homeschool History Curriculum
Not all homeschool history curriculums are made equal. Professor Larry Schweikart's courses are generally aimed at high school students. They might be apt for middle school students as well, but they're not well suited for most elementary school students. In this section, we'll mention some of the most recommended options for elementary, middle school, and high school levels of education.
Homeschool History Curriculum for Elementary School
Children tend to be most curious at this age, which provides a great opportunity to lay the foundations that cultivates further interest in the history of the world and its working. Children are typically most interested in Egypt and its pyramids, Greece and its mythology, and the achievements of the Roman Empire.
Depending on whether you're going with a secular or faith-based curriculum, several resources can help you cultivate interest in cultures of old in your young ones. The Mystery of History is a fantastic resource that offers a comprehensive journey through time, as well as Master Books America's Story, Story of the World, and Notgrass History.
It's worth noting that the literature-based approach isn't the most viable, particularly for young children, as they're mostly still learning to read and write, and history can be a reading-intensive subject. In those situations, it's perhaps best to use audio CDs, videos, or hands-on activities, such as historically themed fairs and events, to teach your child some history.
Homeschool History Curriculum for Middle School
Middle school is a bit different than elementary school when it comes to history, as you can take two different approaches but still get the desired results. At this stage in their education, homeschooled students are still very much exposed to relatively new ideas, terms, and concepts.
Take a laid-back approach and tackle only those ideas, terms, and concepts that are relevant instead of piling unnecessary information and fact, and they're more likely to retain the knowledge.
We'd like to suggest The Mystery of History, a four-volume comprehensive journey throughout time that can be applied to elementary levels as well, or the aforementioned Notgrass History, which also contains language arts, Bible, and social studies in a single textbook set.
Homeschool History Curriculum for High School
At this point, you need to ensure that your history studies are on par with the state's requirements. Take the time to conduct your own research on what the requirements for your state are.
Nearly all states require three high school topics, including American history, world history, and economics. The benefit of this curriculum is that you can customize it to an extent and cover these three topics in an order you see fit.
At this point, you need to ensure that your history studies are on par with the state's requirements. Take the time to conduct your own research on what the requirements for your state are.
Nearly all states require three high school topics, including American history, world history, and economics. The benefit of this curriculum is that you can customize it to an extent and cover these three topics in an order you see fit.
However, there are certain things you might want to pay attention to, like matching the history curriculum with English requirements, which allows students to earn both unit studies simultaneously so that everything interconnects and fits together nicely. This type of complementary learning is more likely to "stick" with the students.
Professor Larry Schweikart's American History Homeschool Curriculum and World History Curriculum will do a fantastic job of preparing your high school student for any test or exam. However, it's worth noting that some states or institutions also included US geography, government, and economics as part of their exams or tests, so you'll want to prepare for those separately.
Summary
We hope our guide has provided you with valuable information on why a well-structured homeschool history curriculum is important for your student's education, why you should teach history at your homeschool, and what a good homeschool history curriculum covers.
The program you're teaching your high school students must be on par with the state's standard for social studies, which is why we recommend Professor Larry Schweikart's American History and World History Homeschool Curriculum.
We hope our guide has provided you with valuable information on why a well-structured homeschool history curriculum is important for your student's education, why you should teach history at your homeschool, and what a good homeschool history curriculum covers.
The program you're teaching your high school students must be on par with the state's standard for social studies, which is why we recommend Professor Larry Schweikart's American History and World History Homeschool Curriculum.
Both programs contain comprehensive material regarding American history from the earliest days of colonization to the Great Crash of 1920, and a detailed history of the world, ranging from ancient times to the Post-Cold War era and the redistribution of power following the collapse of the Soviet Union.
If you're interested in Professor Larry Schweikart's American History Homeschool Curriculum and World History Curriculum, please visit the Wild World of History store, where you can purchase individual curricula, as well as The Patriot's History of the US and The Patriot's History Reader books, ebooks, educational bundles, and much more.
"The course was very interesting and held my child's attention! I thought the tests and the course were a spot on to assess knowledge! Thanks for creating an excellent course!"
- Stephanie W.
