Most school districts require high school students to acquire 4 years worth of social studies lessons or credits. These lessons are basically the same lessons that have been taught in previous years with the exception that at the high school level, students are expected to be able to learn history in detail, remembering exact dates of historic events, and discussing social issues. In part one of this article, I discussed 9th and 10 grade topics (though don’t have to study the years in this order). The basic curriculum for social studies in the Junior and Senior years is as follows. … Continue reading →

Most school districts require high school students to acquire 4 years worth of social studies lessons or credits. These lessons are basically the same lessons that have been taught in previous years. The exception is that at the high school level, students are expected to be able to learn history in detail, remembering exact dates of historic events, and discussing social issues. The basic curriculum for social studies in high school is as follows. A student does not have to take social studies in this order as long as the four types of courses are covered. Grade 9 social studies … Continue reading →

For the fifth grade, I like to move homeschoolers from passively learning to actively learning. This means I like to move from learning games to books and research. This of course can be done slowly over time. This following list details what a fifth grader needs to know. Fifth Grade Math Curriculum builds upon lessons learned in previous years, but with greater difficulty. In this post I listed websites that can help you teach important fifth grade concepts. In Fifth Grade Language Arts Curriculum Part 1, and Fifth Grade Language Arts Curriculum Part 2 , I discussed important grammar, reading … Continue reading →

Fifth grade social studies focuses on exploration and discovery, particularly of the United States and North American. This is a fun time period for children to learn and it can be done effortlessly and cohesively throughout the years. Part 2 involves democracy and Neighbors of the United States (North America). This part of fifth grade Social Studies can be taught through numerous materials. Democracy’s principles and documents: The US government has numerous websites that explain democracy thoroughly and at various age levels. Go to www.state.gov and look for the youth education section. Life in the U. S. and its possessions: … Continue reading →

Fifth grade social studies focus on exploration and discovery, particularly of the United States and North American. This is a fun time period for children to learn and it can be done effortlessly and cohesively throughout the years. Personally, I feel that most of the lessons in fifth grade social studies should come in the form of historical novels. Part I involves discovering American History. This part of fifth grade Social Studies should be largely read, discussed, and written about in essays. Exploration and discovery: Read and discuss The World Made New: Why the Age of Exploration Happened and How … Continue reading →

For your child’s fourth grade curriculum, I have complied a list for each subject for you to use. Each page will have a list of recommended subjects that you should cover as well as links to materials that I recommend. This list also contains information brought to you by other bloggers. In Fourth Grade Math Curriculum, I discussed the subjects that should be covered in the fourth grade year. This page also gives some suggestions for low cost programs you can use. In Fourth Grade Language Arts Part 1 and Part 2, you will find the many skills that your … Continue reading →

As I have mentioned before, you have many options when teaching social studies to homeschoolers. You may prefer a chronological approach that is popular among classical homeschoolers (I like it too), or you can teach according to what is taught in schools nationwide. This list of lesson topics comes from world book encyclopedia, but suggestions are added by me. Types of community life: To learn about community life, spend time in the community. Participate in volunteer opportunities. Go to local political meetings and rallies. Spend time in local recreation areas talking to people. History and development of the local state: … Continue reading →

Over the past month or so, I have compiled the typical course of study from grades 1-12. The purpose is to let you know what public school children around the country are studying, and to give a guideline to anyone who might want to write their own curriculum based on what most kids are learning at the same time. As homeschoolers, however, many of us are free to deviate from that typical course of study (depending upon the rules in your state). The question is, however, just how much should we deviate? While we want our kids to have unique … Continue reading →

Middle school is a time when students are growing physically at break-neck speed and also going through a bit of emotional turmoil. Perhaps that is the reason many school and curriculum designers spend these three years teaching the same subject matter each year, adding slightly more detailed level each year. This may also be the reason that many homeschoolers, who have a bit less social stress than middle school public schoolers then do complete middle school in one or two years instead of the usual three. In summarizing the basic curriculum for sixth, seventh, and eighth grade, I have condensed … Continue reading →