Showing posts with label American History. Show all posts
Showing posts with label American History. Show all posts

How to Select a Homeschooling History Curriculum

The market for homeschooling history curriculum is packed full of options for many unique and individual needs. No matter whether you want to study American, world, or Roman history with books, videos, or interactively on-line, from a religious or secular perspective there is likely to be a ready made option to fit your needs. If you want to put a curriculum together on your own, those options are available as well. With such a vast selection it can be difficult sifting through the alternatives. Fortunately, there are four aspects to consider which will greatly help to narrow your search for homeschooling history curriculum.




First decide on the time period and geographical region you are interested in studying. History curriculum are typically organized chronologically and geographically. The two most common locations to study are American History and World History. American history is commonly broken down into three time periods which include, before colonization, early colonization to the Civil War, and Civil War to modern times. World history is usually broken down into Ancient History, or history of people before writing, early civilizations, and modern civilizations. If you are focusing on a global region the study may be further broken down. For example, Western Civilization is often broken down by Egyptian, Mesopotamian, Greek, and Roman history. This is typically followed by studying the European history of the middle ages, Renaissance, and Age of Discovery. Determining which geographical region and time period you are interested in will help begin to narrow your search for a curriculum.

The second way to narrow your search is determining whether you are interested in studying history from a Christian or secular perspective. Although you could study history from additional perspectives, these are the two most common in regards to homeschooling curriculum options. History studied from a Christian perspective tends to align very closely with bible history where as secular history tends to include bible related history but not use it as a focus of the curriculum.

Determining the learning style of your children (visual, auditory, kinesthetic) is helpful when selecting curriculum for any subject, and history is no exception. Some kids learn really well by reading stories where as others thrive when given documentaries to watch. Kinesthetic learners tend to do well with hands on projects. In addition, note taking and answering end of chapter questions can benefit kinesthetic learners. Most people are capable of learning through a variety of inputs, but tend to favor one method over another. Curriculum is the same way. Most are written to teach children in a variety of ways, but some tap into certain learning styles more than others. Selecting resources that are effective for your child not only makes learning more enjoyable but increases retention of information and understanding.

Finally, homeschooling philosophy can be used to further narrow the field of options. Fortunately for history curriculum this tends to translate to curriculum in either textbook format or story format. Curriculum that aligns with the traditional, computer based, and Montessori methods of homeschooling are textbook format meaning that the material is organized into chapters with sub-topics, highlighted vocabulary words, dates, and documents with a series of questions at the end of each chapter. Curriculum that aligns with the classical, and Charlotte Mason philosophies of education tend to teach history using a story-based format. They commonly select one resource to serve as the history spine book and incorporate a number of age appropriate chapter books. The history spine book will start at the beginning of the time period and each chapter will tell the story of a person, idea, or event that took place during that time period. There are rarely questions at the end of the chapters as kids may have question/answer assignments from separate curriculum resources or not at all. The chapter books are commonly historical fiction books. They will cover a snippet from the time period, and make history come alive for those children who learn well from stories.


Most parents new to homeschooling believe they must purchase a grade-level based curriculum for each child and for each subject. As I mentioned on other posts, homeschooling curriculum is not required. Many homeschooling parents have assembled their own unique set of resources to comprise a subject-specific curriculum. In regards to history curriculum local libraries are an excellent place to begin finding resources. There are an immense number of history videos available on youtube and the low cost History Vault streaming service is loaded with documentaries. Most cities have history museums and living history events are a unique way for the entire family to interact with people from a particular time period. Parents can be as creative as they want in putting together a history curriculum. With such a variety of options, there is sure to be a curriculum to meet your needs.


History at Highhill Education

I am a big fan of history spine books which give an overview of people, places and time periods through stories. I never really understood history until I began homeschooling and learned about these books. They lay the foundations for further in-depth history study. Mentally, world history timelines begin to form and major events become connected with geographical locations. There are several available which I will list below.
 
Although this is in-line with the classical and Charlotte Mason methods of teaching history, we have not followed a particular history curriculum. We have however, used a wide variety of resources to create our own history curriculum.


When my kids were in the elementary school ages we participated in a weekly history day with other homeschooling families. The series of meetings would span approximately 10 weeks and cover one group of historical people. Each week we would talk about a different aspect of their culture and do a corresponding hands-on activity. This was a fun, interactive, social way to learn about history. Many of the lessons we covered during that time period are posted on the history tab of this blog. I will be updating and reorganizing this section of my blog this summer.

Traditional Textbook Style History Curriculum

Many complete curriculum options will sell their history curriculum separately. Therefore, if you don't find what you are looking for above, be sure to check out the list of full curriculum providers.

Charlotte Mason and Classical Style History Curriculum


History Spine Books

Additional History Resources

  • Youtube - lots of documentaries posted
  • Crash Course - on youtube, free, short videos on different topics and packed with information
  • History Vault - History Channel streaming service, low cost, full of documentaries

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American History for Middle School

This year I found a new history book to add to our collection.


I love history books that tell the story and explain reasons behind decisions. In the past I have discussed several history spine books. Books that give an overview of a time period which can spark deeper interest into historical topics and help kids to put more in-depth history studies into context. The majority of the books I have found provide overviews of world history, such as the well-known series Story of the World. Since we were studying American History this year, I was looking for something different.

That's when I discovered The Landmark History of the American People. There are two volumes separating American history around the time of the Civil War. The first is from Plymouth to the West and the second is from Appomattox to the Moon. Since we already studied Early American History, we only read volume 2.

The chapters did a good job at explaining causes and effects and discussed subjects that are often overlooked by other books. For example, the book had a sizable section covering mail order catalogs such as Sears and Roebuck, their reasons for coming into existence and how their being affected people. Since reading the book, my son has been asking a lot of questions on topics such as World War II. Yes! Finally he is curious about history.
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New Nation Crafts: Quilting, Felting and Embroidery

My daughter quilted, felted and embroidered like the Americans of the mid to late 1800's.

Although quilting, felting and embroidery were known in Early American times, they were not the handicrafts which kept most women busy. Opposite to popular belief, most Early American women were kept busy sewing, spinning and knitting as these handicrafts were more essential to their survival. It was only the wealthiest of early Americans who could afford to spend time quilting, embroidering and felting. However, by the mid to late 1800's industrial producers of cloth changed the availability of materials. It was during these later times when American quilting gained popularity.

Since we are a family who loves fiber and fabric based handicrafts, my daughter did all three.

Quilting

Once industrial produced fabric became available in America, the popularity of quilting increased. Contrary to popular belief, most quilts were created from new fabric. Patchwork is actually the word for cutting out and piecing together different fabrics. Quilting refers to the decorative stitching which holds the patchwork together. Regardless, my daughter spent time working on the quilting/patchwork process.

First she created a design and used a protractor to help her create the pieces for her design.

Next she cut out pieces of fabric.

Then she stitched them together.


Finally she ironed the seams of the stitched pieces. Currently, she is no where near completing the quilt she designed as she is a child who much prefers short-term projects. I'm not sure if she will ever finish this project, but am happy she has a good understanding for the effort involved.

Felting

There are several different methods for felting. Fibers from sheep and other animals will shrink and cling together after agitation. This can be accomplished with long sharp needles, or with soap and water. Many of us have accidentally felted wool sweaters in the washing machine and are surprised how dramatically small large sweaters can become. My daughter chose to create a purse by first knitting yarn with very large needles and then shrinking the knitted purse down to size.

 Following a pattern from the book Pursenality Plus, she created her purse.

 Next she squeezed warm soap and water through the purse for several hours until it shrank down to size.

Finally she stuffed her purse with treasures and carries it around town.


Embroidery


Today machines are used to make dynamic embroidery designs like this hedgehog created on my mother's machine. After the 30 minutes or so required to line up the design, program the machine, and place the fabric into a hoop with proper stabilizing papers above and below, the machine only takes about 30 minutes to whip out a finished product.

In the past simple embroidery designs took much longer. My daughter spent about 10 hours working on her embroidery sign for her room.

Like hand knitting a sweater, creating a full sampler must have taken weeks to months. Maybe I should invest in a knitting machine?

To see more American History lessons for kids please visit our archives on our History Page.

For more great educational activities check out these blog hops.
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Ohio River Flatboats

My daughter made a "Flatboats on the Ohio" game.

Beginning in Pennsylvania, the Ohio River flows towards the west across the southern borders of Ohio, Indiana and Illinois before joining with the mighty Mississippi River. In the early 1800's the river was a major route for westward expansion of the pioneers. Because flatboats were difficult to paddle upstream they were typically built in Pennsylvania and disassembled upon reaching their destination. The wood was then reused for building wagons, housing or other purposes.

Like other journeys undertaken by pioneers, a flatboat journey was ripe with hazards. Attacks by Indians were common, and inexperienced navigators could easily get a flatboat stuck in a fallen tree lying in the river. Sometimes accidents could cause a boat to break apart causing expensive delays.
 
The book Flatboats on the Ohio tells the story of two pioneering families that join together for a journey down the Ohio River in a flatboat.



While learning about American History the series USKids has served as our outline. The series is perfect for elementary students as it is detailed enough to get them interested in history, yet not a bombardment of facts and dates. Each book in the five-book series tells both fiction and non-fiction accounts of American history and provides ideas for projects to accompany the reading. My daughter's Flatboats on the Ohio game idea came from book three in the series USKids: New American Nation.

 The other titles are
USKids: American Indians
USKids: American Colonies
USKids: American Revolution
USKids: Civil War

Creating the game was quite involved as she had to create a map of the Ohio River as well as two sets of game cards. One set involved hazards pioneers may face on their journey and the other set involved progress.





The simple game was easy to play and creating it helped her to remember this time period of history.

For more great educational activities check out these blog hops.

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Revolutionary War Books for Kids

The Revolutionary period of American history is filled with stories of heroes who fought in vastly different ways for the freedom of the coming nation. Reading children's picture books made up a significant portion of our lesson plan for learning about this period. In addition to picture books we incorporated longer chapter books. Our favorites were the type that taught through story. LIVING BOOKS! Here's a list of books and videos we used to study American Revolutionary War History.



Benjamin Franklin

Grade 1st - 4th
Benjamin Franklin by D'Aulaire
What's the Big Idea Ben Franklin by Jean Fritz

Grade 5th - 8th
Ben and Me: An Astonishing Life of Benjamin Franklin by His Good Mouse Amos
Poor Richard by James Daughterty

High School
Autobiography of Benjamin Franklin

George Washington

Grade 1st - 4th
George Washington by D'Aulaire 
George Washington's Breakfast by Jean Fritz
George Washington's Mother by Jean Fritz


American Revolution

Grade 1st - 4th
Liberty's Kids Video Series Episodes 1-40
USKids History: Book of the American Revolution
The American Revolution for Kids: A History with 21 Activities
Sam the Minuteman (I Can Read Book 3)
18 Penny Goose
And Then What Happened Paul Revere? by Jean Fritz
Why Don't You Get a Horse, Sam Adams? by Jean Fritz

Grade 5th - 8th
Sarah Bishop

Constitution

Grade 1st - 4th
Where was Patrick Henry on the 29th of May? by Jean Fritz
The Great Little Madison by Jean Fritz
Will You Sign Here John Hancock? by Jean Fritz
 
Grade 5th - 8th
A More Perfect Union: The Story of Our Constitution

High School
The Freedom Answer Book: How the Government Is Taking Away Your Constitutional Freedoms
The Five Thousand Year Leap: 28 Great Ideas That Changed the World (Revised 30 Year Anniversary Edition)

Check out these great blog hops for more educational activity ideas. 
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Revolutionary War Video Series

Last week I wrote about Liberty's Kids; an animated Revolutionary War series for Kids. This week I'm recommending the History Channel Series The Revolution.


With a 9 year old and a 15 year old both studying American History, it's interesting to compare resources. The main difference between the series for children and the series for adults is the specific battle strategies and the violence. Being that my older daughter watched Liberty's Kids several years ago, the adult series was a good review.

This series is available at our local library. It was highly beneficial, but other American Revolution series could be substituted. The Revolution series contains thirteen 45 minute videos telling the complete story of the American Revolution. The last two videos in the series were a summary of the entire revolution.

Over the years, my 15 year old has read many historical fiction novels and the book This Country of Ours and has gained a very good understanding of American History. Now that she's in 10th grade, she has been documenting her knowledge in preparation for college by taking CLEP exams. American History is next on her list.

Over the next 6-8 weeks she plans to review American History and videos are one source of information. In addition to Revolutionary War History, she is watching a video PBS Documentary about Andrew Jackson, has been researching treaties and events and will continue to read.


Check out these great blog hops for more educational activity ideas.
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Liberty's Kids - American History Videos for Kids

Liberty's Kids is an animated series for kids which covers the American Revolution.


It begins with the Boston Tea Party and ends with We the People. Each episode in the 40 episode series covers a major event of the Revolutionary time period such as The Battle of Bunker Hill, Paul Revere's Ride and The Intolerable Acts. The 20 minute long episodes are perfect for short attention spans and an easy introduction to American History.

William J. Bennett's Children's Book of America and Jean Fritz's American History Short Narrative Stories are nice companions for the videos.


Check out these great blog hops for more educational activity ideas. 
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American Revolution for Kids: Soldiers

We read a few books about soldiers and made a tri-cornered hat.

The British soldiers wore red because it disguised the color of blood. To Americans they were known as Lobsterbacks or Red Coats. As professional soldiers, they were sent to America to keep law and order and enforce British rules. On top of being soldiers, they often accepted work in America to supplement their income. Therefore, they were liked by some and loathed by others. After all the country was at war and Americans were not all on the same side.

As tensions rose, they were sometimes taunted and teased in public. These incidents led to some of the most well known scuffles of the war including the Boston Massacre. As the war continued, more and more soldiers were sent to America. There were too many to house in British facilities, therefore many were boarded with families in private homes. To Americans rebelling against British rule, this was a gross injustice.

When the founders wrote the Declaration of Independence they wrote up a list of complaints against the British Government. One complaint on the list was the required quartering of British Soldiers at the expense of the Colonists. The book, The 18 Penny Goose, illustrates this complaint through the eyes of a child. When British soldiers came through Letty's village, she was worried about her ducks and wrote the soldiers a note. This easy reader is perfect for kids ages 5-11.

Contrary to the British, the American soldiers were not professional fighters. Instead, they were farmers, merchants and craftsmen. They worked their day jobs and then grabbed their muskets, scythes or other weapons and went off to defend themselves against tyranny. Since they could be ready to fight at a moments notice they were known as minutemen.

The book Sam the Minuteman tells the story of how one minuteman and his son were involved in the first battle of the Revolutionary War.

After reading a little about American and British soldiers my daughter made a tri-corner hat. The basic idea was to cover a piece of cardboard in the shape of a triangle with a circle in the middle for the head with fabric.

 First she made a band of white fabric to fit her head. Next she cut out a piece of cardboard with a circle hole in the center for her head.

 Then she cut a large circle of fabric. She draped the fabric over her head and then placed the cardboard overtop.

 The loose fabric was brought over the cardboard and stitched into place. Then she added a few feathers.



For more American History book/project ideas, please see our History Page.
Check out these great blog hops for more educational activity ideas. 
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George Washington and John Hancock

We read about John Hancock, George Washington and made Liberty Punch.

John Hancock

Everyone knows who George Washington was, but what do you know about John Hancock? He was the first person to sign the Declaration of Independence, but what was his role in the American Revolution?

John Hancock inherited a shipping company and was therefore one of the wealthiest residents of Massachusetts. He used much of his personal wealth in the fight for American independence. Because the British were placing taxes on imports to America, he became a smuggler during the days of the American Revolution.

Reading the book Will You Sign Here John Hancock? by Jean Fritz we learned that John Hancock wanted everyone to like him. He was a great host to both influential Americans and foreign dignitaries. He served as a member of the Continental Congress and was governor of Massachusetts.

George Washington

There are many biographies about George Washington, but sifting through them all we were able to narrow them down to three picture book biographies perfect for elementary age children.





We especially enjoyed the two Jean Fritz biographies. In George Washington's Breakfast, a young boy goes on a search to determine what George Washington may have eaten. After searching libraries, museums and his own attic he does arrive at an answer. Then he begins to wonder about lunch. George Washington's Mother was equally entertaining. How would you feel if your son wanted to join the Navy or the Army? What would you do if he decided to run off to fight a war? This book makes George Washington's Mother into a human we can relate to while enabling children to learn about several other reasons George Washington is a hero of America's past.

Liberty Punch

Along with reading biographies of famous Americans, we referenced some of the activities from The American Revolution for Kids. My daughter made Liberty Punch to celebrate American freedom.

The simple recipe mixed raspberry tea, ginger ale and mint leaves. She liked it so much she made it twice.

Check out these great blog hops for more educational activity ideas.

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James Madison and Patrick Henry - Kids Rights

James Madison and Patrick Henry were two great Americans who stood up for American rights, but they were extreme opposites. We read about these two leaders then my daughter made a t-shirt to help fight for a kid right.

James Madison was a quiet, small man with a history of illness. Reading and learning were great passions of his. He was extremely intelligent and a great thinker. Perhaps a little shy, he did not enjoy speaking to a audience, but did so when he felt it was absolutely necessary. He was a framer of the Constitution and became president of the United States.



Patrick Henry, on the other hand, was a tall, out-spoken man who liked being the center of attention. He began his oratory career arguing in a courthouse and continued making long speeches as a member of the Virginia House of Burgess. By some peers he was seen as a great speaker who sometimes lacked the intelligence or thought behind his words.

Both Patrick and James were opposed to taxes levied on the colonies by the British, but that is the major extent of their agreement. James Madison believed in the Constitution and worked to convince other colonial leaders of its necessity. Conversely, Patrick Henry thought each state should be independent and any document linking the colonies needed, at minimum, a bill of rights.

As it turned out, Madison and those in favor of a constitution won out. After many long months of discussion, the Constitution was ratified without a bill of rights.

Kids Rights

Propaganda, protests and public demonstrations are major ways people fight for change. I asked my daughter to think about the rights she felt she deserved. When discussing rights it is important to note that a "right" should not indirectly enslave another person. Therefore, if my daughter said it was her right to be served dinner every night I would have argued with her because being served would have required me or another individual to do the serving. In contrast, it would have been alright if she declared it her right to choose whether or not she ate dinner each night. Granted, this example could lead to discussions of charity, mother's duty, and people facing starvation, but the point was to discuss the difference between a right and a desire. 

Rights are tricky to understand and this is one area in which we as a nation have currently lost our way. Studying American history gives us a great opportunity to discuss the difference between a right and a privilege.

Therefore, after reading about how these early American patriots fought for rights they felt they deserved, my daughter made a t-shirt to help her fight for a right she felt she deserved.

She used fabric markers to write "Don't go to bed. Stay up instead!" - I guess she feels she is old enough to determine her own bedtime.......... another topic for discussion.

Check out these great blog hops for more educational activity ideas. 

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Benjamin Franklin - American History for Kids

My daughter read and wrote about Benjamin Franklin.

Benjamin Franklin was the Leonardo Da Vinci of America. He was an inventor and great thinker. His ideas not only defined our country, but helped it to gain independence. He was the Father of America and the first American Ambassador to both England and France.

As a citizen he worked to start a fire department, improved the post office, began a hospital and a library. He was the inventor of the lightning rod and conducted many scientific experiments involving electricity. He was a writer and printer and an involved member of society. He was loved by all and a great example to us even today.

Because he was so great a man there are numerous biographies written for children telling the story of his life. Some are excellent, and others mediocre. Here are three wonderful books that engage children while introducing them to Benjamin Franklin. Any one of the three is a great place to start and they all give very similar information. The book Ben and Me is a bit different than the other two because it is longer and the story is told by a mouse named Amos living with Benjamin Franklin.


Ben and Me by Robert Lawson

 Benjamin Franklin by Ingri and Edgar D'Aulaire

After reading about Ben Franklin, my daughter wrote a paper on Ben Franklin. First she made a list of interesting things she learned about Benjamin Franklin. Next she grouped the interesting facts into related groups. Then she chose three groups to make into paragraphs. After she had completed three paragraphs she wrote an introduction making sure to begin with a sentence which got the attention of the reader. She finished her paper with a conclusion paragraph. After the rough draft was complete, we spent a day crossing out irrelevant sentences and expanding on sentences which used vague descriptive words such as good and neat. Finally, everything was recopied to a clean sheet of paper. The entire process lasted about two weeks and ended with a product she was proud to have completed and happy to be done with.

For more American History lessons for kids please visit Highhill Education again next week or visit our archives on our History Page.

Check out these great blog hops for more educational activity ideas.
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American Rebels - Sam Adams and Paul Revere

My daughter brewed a batch of root beer in honor of Samuel Adams. Although he was trained as a brewer of beer, he was more interested in politics.

Samuel Adams and Paul Revere were two great American heroes that helped to lead the rebellion. The Sons of Liberty was a secret club of businessmen opposed to the King of England. The Mechanics was a secret club of craftsmen opposed to the King of England. Samuel Adams was a leader of the Sons of Liberty and Paul Revere was a leader of the Mechanics. The Boston Tea party was organized by the Sons of Liberty and Paul Revere is famous for his midnight ride to warn the colonists of the coming of the British to Lexington and Concord. Both of these events mark the beginnings of the American Revolution and America's fight for independence.


Living in Boston, Samuel Adams was greatly opposed to taxes imposed on the Americans by the British. He spoke out widely against The Stamp Act and The Townsend Acts which included the tea tax. Public support for independence during the time of the Boston Massacre was created with the help of his mastery of propaganda. Later he attended the continental congress and became a founding father of the new nation.


In Boston, Paul Revere became a silversmith opposed to taxes set forth by the British government. Like Samuel Adams, he was a participant in the Boston Tea Party and a leader of the Sons of Liberty. He was also a leader of the Mechanics; a group of craftsmen opposed to the King.

Jean Fritz has written several books on American History and we have really enjoyed her biographies of American heroes. The Boston Tea Party is another fun book to read with kids to introduce kids to this famous event.


The poem Paul Revere's Ride by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow shouldn't be missed when studying the American Revolution. There are lots of illustrated versions of the story.


After reading about Sam Adams and Paul Revere, my daughter brewed a batch of root beer in honor of Samuel Adams since he was trained as a brewer. The activity came from the book The American Revolution for Kids: A History with 21 Activities of which we referenced several activities.

Please join us again for future posts of American History Lessons for Kids.

Check out these great blog hops for more educational activity ideas.


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