Best Social Studies Homeschool Curriculum
Looking for the best social studies homeschool curriculum?
These resources have been with us from the early school years to high school, teaching history, civics, geography, and economics.
They offer a diverse range, from digital resources to textbooks and interactive materials, ensuring a comprehensive understanding.
These exceptional materials stand out as the best homeschooling resources. Offering immersive experiences and engaging activities that make learning about the world both captivating and educational.
These resources have significantly expanded our understanding of world events and history. Enriching our homeschooling experience with depth and valuable insights.
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What counts as social studies for homeschool?
Social studies for homeschooling typically encompasses a broad range of subjects that focus on human society, its interactions, history, geography, economics, civics, government, and culture. Here are some key areas often included in social studies courses for homeschooling:
- History: Studying historical events, timelines, and significant figures from various periods and civilizations.
- Geography: Learning about different regions, countries, continents, maps, and their physical features.
- Civics and Government: Understanding how governments work, the political system, rights and responsibilities of citizens, and civic engagement.
- Economics: Exploring basic economic concepts, money, markets, trade, supply and demand, and personal finance.
In our homeschooling journey, we’ve had the flexibility to personalize our social studies learning to match our interests, learning styles, and grade levels. This involved using textbooks, online curriculum, historical fiction, museum visits, educational games, and engaging in discussions.
It’s important to consider state or local curriculum requirements or standards when planning a homeschool social studies program. Ensuring that the chosen materials and subjects align with any specific guidelines if applicable.
Homeschool history curriculum
These are the best history homeschool curriculum options that have become a staple in our home!
Covering ancient civilizations to modern times, these full curriculum options offer a fantastic journey through different historical periods. They’re perfect for various grade levels, making social studies engaging and educational.
With engaging activities and supplemental materials, these options cater to different learning styles and needs, providing a memorable learning experience for the entire family.
Pandia Press History Odyssey
Pandia Press offers History Odyssey, a secular homeschool curriculum designed to provide comprehensive history education. History Odyssey covers various historical periods and cultures through engaging literature, hands-on activities, and critical thinking exercises.
The curriculum focuses on a literature-based approach, incorporating reading, writing, and discussions to explore history. It emphasizes critical analysis, research skills, and understanding historical context.
History Odyssey offers flexible options for different age groups, allowing customization based on the student’s grade level and interests. It includes resources like reading lists, activity guides, and timelines to enhance learning.
Pandia Press curriculum is secular, meaning it is free from religious affiliations or bias.
For more details see our History Odyssey review.
Beautiful Feet Books
Beautiful Feet Books provides literature-based curriculum options that cover American history, ancient history, and modern history. Their approach integrates quality literature, biographies, and historical fiction to explore history.
The curriculum emphasizes the use of literature to immerse students in historical eras, offering a narrative-based learning experience. It aims to foster critical thinking and understanding of diverse perspectives.
Beautiful Feet Books offers themed literature packs that focus on specific time periods, regions, or historical events. The curriculum includes discussion questions, activities, and suggestions for further exploration.
Beautiful Feet Books aims to maintain neutrality regarding religious or secular content, allowing families to incorporate their beliefs as they see fit.
For more details see our Beautiful Feet Books review.
Sonlight
Sonlight is a Christian-based homeschool curriculum that integrates faith-based perspectives into its history program. It offers literature-rich materials to teach history, focusing on the Christian perspective.
Sonlight utilizes literature, historical fiction, and non-fiction books to present history in a narrative format. It integrates a biblical worldview and values into the study of historical events and figures.
Sonlight provides structured lesson plans, reading schedules, and discussion guides. It aims to create connections between history and Christian faith, incorporating discussions on morality and faith-based principles.
Sonlight is a Christian-oriented curriculum, reflecting Christian beliefs and values in its content and approach to history education.
For more details see our Sonlight review.
Homeschool geography curriculum
Diving into the best homeschool geography curriculum options. These resources foster a love for geography, from introductory to more advanced levels. Making learning about the world a fascinating journey for homeschoolers of varying grades.
Beautiful Feet Geography
Beautiful Feet Books offers a comprehensive geography curriculum covering different levels and regions:
- U.S. Geography (kindergarten – third grade): Focuses on the United States, introducing young children to the geography, states, landmarks, and cultural aspects.
- Around the World (first grade – fourth grade): Explores continents like Africa, Asia, Australia, Antarctica, Europe, and South America, offering a broad understanding of diverse cultures and geographical features.
- 4th grade – 8th grade curriculum: Includes U.S. Geography (elementary grades) and World Geography & Ecology (seventh grade – ninth grade) for deeper exploration of geographic principles and global ecosystems.
Let’s Go Geography
Let’s Go Geography is designed for different grade levels and offers interactive and engaging lessons:
- Geography for Grades Kindergarten – second grade: Provides a structured approach where students spend approximately an hour per week on activities such as map coloring, exploring flags, watching video clips, and engaging in geography-related crafts or coloring pages.
- Geography for 3rd grade – 5th grade: Tailored for older students, focusing on map activities, exploration of countries, using continent maps and geography journals for a deeper understanding. It includes more advanced projects like creating a geography glossary and utilizing outside resources like atlases or websites.
Utilize our free printable geography worksheets too!
Economics
The best homeschool economics curriculum is from Mr. D Math. Mr D Math offers two self-paced Economics classes tailored for middle school and high schoolers. This course is structured into 16 lessons, resembling a semester schedule while allowing the flexibility of self-paced learning. It starts with an introduction to economics, laying a strong foundation for students.
The lessons are divided into sections that cover essential economic systems, including supply and demand, producers and consumers, currency and credit, debt and deficit, economic recessions, monopolies, and taxes. Additionally, students delve into practical life skills critical for their next stage:
- Managing a bank account
- Job application and interview skills
- Comparing benefit packages
- Understanding pay stubs
- Establishing good credit and budgeting with credit
- Awareness about identity theft
- Purchasing or leasing a vehicle
- Renting an apartment and interest calculations
The class combines teacher-led video lessons with assigned readings, videos, and worksheets to reinforce understanding. By utilizing multiple sources of information, the course ensures an engaging and enjoyable learning experience.
Homeschool Government Curriculum
These are the two best homeschool government curriculum options:
Principles and Precepts of Government
Principles and Precepts of Government is designed for high school students, offering an exploration of governance systems’ historical evolution. This course, worth 0.5 transcript credit, encompasses texts, activity books, and a Teacher’s Resource Kit.
It delves into various governance models, from patriarchal systems to republics, aiming to instill an understanding of the American Republic’s foundation and the importance of citizen involvement.
Guest Hollow
Guest Hollow Government presents an engaging curriculum covering government, economics, and personal finance. This comprehensive course includes economic theories, American government structures, personal finance skills, and critical thinking.
Its purpose is to equip students with decision-making abilities and proactive citizenship skills. Leveraging various tools like books, videos, and interactive activities, this curriculum encourages practical application, empowerment for civic engagement, and fosters a love for learning and societal involvement.
Homeschool Civics Curriculum
The best homeschool civics curriculum is iCivics. An online educational platform founded by former Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O’Connor. It offers a comprehensive and interactive approach to teaching civics and government to students.
The platform provides a wide array of free, engaging, and interactive games, lesson plans, and resources designed to educate students about the fundamental concepts of civics, such as the branches of government, the Constitution, rights and responsibilities of citizens, the electoral process, and the functioning of democracy in the United States.
As a homeschool civics curriculum, iCivics can be a valuable tool. It offers a structured and great way to introduce and reinforce various civics topics. Parents can utilize iCivics’ lesson plans, games, and resources to supplement their teaching materials. The interactive nature of the platform makes learning about civics enjoyable and helps students better understand complex concepts through hands-on activities.
iCivics also allows homeschooling parents to track their children’s progress, offering assessments and tools to measure understanding and knowledge retention. Its flexibility allows customization to suit different learning styles and grade levels, making it adaptable for various homeschooling approaches.
Younger students will enjoy our free Supreme Court worksheets.
Free social studies homeschool curriculum
Free social studies homeschool curriculum options provide accessible and comprehensive resources for homeschooling families. They offer diverse content and tools for teaching various social studies subjects without requiring a financial commitment. Here are three of the best options:
Last Updated on 4 September 2024 by Clare Brown