Fun Homeschool History Curriculum

Have you ever wondered how to make homeschool history curriculum more interesting? History does not need to be boring. It can be fun when you teach according to your child's learning style.

History more than Textbooks

Most textbooks just give a summary of the time period. For me it was boring reading about one battle after another. There are ways to make textbook learning more interesting. We use textbooks for a reference. We do different activities to make it fun and interesting.

There are different types of homeschool history curriculum for different types of learners.

Visual Learners

For visual learners use historical videos to watch about different time periods.

The history of art might also be interesting for visual learners. You can look at different art, read about the artists, and the time period when the artist lived.

Visual learners would also like to go to museums and reenactments. Most towns have museums about the history of the town.

There are also some history books that have a lot of pictures. We have used Usborne history books, The Kingfisher History Encyclopedia, and books by Milliken publishing.

For hands on Learning

There are ways to make homeschool history curriculum hands-on. Your child could make a notebook containing a timeline. He could also make some maps.

When my children were younger we had several historical coloring books. We had the ones that went along with The Light and the Glory by Peter Marshal. My children would color while I read the stories.

We also a Dover coloring book about Lewis and Clark.

We also did arts and crafts. We also did arts and crafts. My daughter made a prairie bonnet and a small quilt. We also had a mosaic kit.

We have cooked food from the time that we were studying. When we were reading about the civil war we made hard tack. Cooking un U.S. History Recipes and Research to Share with Children by Susanne Barchers has recipes from different United State time periods.

Children can also act out historical events.

I have read about a new hands-on homeschool history curriculum. Hands and Heart History Discovery Kits contain the supplies that you will need to complete ten to fifteen projects. There are kits for Ancient Greece and Rome, The Middle Ages, Early America, and others.

Auditory

Even auditory learners can develop a interesting homeschool history curriculum. Have them study the history of music. There are even songs that are about different things that happened in history such as Yankee Doodle, and Dixie.

History Reavealed (What in the World) series by Diana Waring would be good for auditory learners. Listen to Diana Waring tell about historical events and God's involvement. There is student guide, teachers manual, and tests that go along with the CDs. The student guides provides activities and readings. When you add the activities in the student guide the curriculum is similar to a unit study. The activities cover history, geography, culture, and language arts. The History Revealed series is available from Christian Book Distributors.

History Revealed: What in the World? Ancient Civlizations and the Bible - Volume 1 4 Audio CDs By Diana Waring, edited by Gary Vaterlaus

Family History

Your children will like to learn about your family history. If you have a grandparent or older relative have them tell stories about their life. What was it like when they were children? Can they remember stories about other family members? Try to find out more interesting facts about your family.

Unit Studies

There is homeschool history curriculum that uses the unit study approach.

Tapestry of Grace is a unit study that uses history of the world as the core subject. It is for grades kindergarten through twelfth grade. All grades study the same history lesson only at their level. The history cycles every four years.

If you did not want to buy a curriculum you could pick a time period. Go to the library and find fiction books about the time period. Also find biographies. Read about the science discoveries of the time.

Add some hands-on activities that are related to the time period. If you are studying about Western Expansion, make a meal containing some of the foods that would be eaten on the trail.

Teach to Your Child's Interest

Different people are interested in different things. Your daughter might like to study the food, fashion, or family life in different time periods.

Boys usually like to read about different war battles. They like to study about different weapons and types of equipment.

You could also study about the history of your child's interests. If your child is interested in boats or planes read about how they were invented.

More Homeschool History Curriculum

If you want a textbook you can buy from your favorite textbook dealer. There are several good ones.

TruthQuest lists historical books and films to make history come alive. The books are listed by reading level. On the TruthQuest website you can download PDF files of activities and timelines. TruthQuest History: Middle Ages By Michelle Miller

Knowledge Quest has historical timelines. They also sell blank timeline books. Knowledge Quest is available from Christian Book Distributors.Map Trek--Book and CD-ROM by Terri Johnson / Knowledge Quest Wonders of Old: A Blank Timeline Book of World History By Terri Johnson / Knowledge Quest Map Trek: US Edition CD-Rom By Terri Johnson / Knowledge Quest

Homeschool history curriculum does not need to be boring. Gear your lessons to your child's interests and he will think that learning is fun.