Category Archives: History & Social Studies
SEA Homeschoolers have tips and information for secular homeschoolers about learning history. All the articles in this section meet the Secular, Eclectic, Academic Homeschoolers’ definition for what constitutes secular history.
Making through History

Pandemics – Unit Study

Pandemics – Unit Study Several days ago Pandia Press reached out to Pandia authors & SEA Homeschoolers Samantha Matalone Cook, Amy Sharony, Lindsey Sodano, and Blair Lee and asked us to collaborate on a unit study focused on the history and science of the causes, cures, and responses of pandemics. Here it is as a direct download. We worked to create something usable for a large grade range. Much of the science is excerpted, rearranged, and edited (to be specific for this topic) from RSO Biology 2. All the rest is newly written. Even the science has some new labs …
Homeschool History: How To Plan It

Are you thinking about how to approach history in your homeschool? Particularly if you are just starting out, it can seem like there are too many choices. Should you start with American history, or go chronologically? Should you buy a structured program or build your own, based off your child’s interests? I’ll be breaking down how to make decisions about history for your homeschool, and sharing my planning process plus a free printable chart along the way.
The Five Elements For Learning Holistic History

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Why Study History?

Why Study History? History is our story, the record of our triumphs and tragedies. Without history, everything is new and surprising; history does not predict the future, but it narrows the possibilities. The best way to learn history is to immerse yourself in the study of it – through historical television dramas, movies, historical novels, and by reading history, particularly one that takes both a social and political approach. Children love learning what other children’s lives were like, but even older students (and adults) like their history to read like a novel. In teaching history, remember the twenty-year rule: do …
The Homeschool History Project: American Government

The Home School History Project: American Government “Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it.” George Santayana I interpret this quote to mean that through studying history people are less likely to repeat past mistakes. I think this is an important reason for studying history. In the United States the best way to accomplish this is by participating in the election process and at least voting. It disturbs me that young people, those who are likely to live the longest and therefore be affected the most by voting decisions made now, are not voting. It seems to me, they are …
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Handcrafting High School: Year 1, The First Four Months: History

History: A Repeat of a Favorite Class and Volunteering The Course: A Brief History of Humankind: This is a Coursera course, https://class.coursera.org/humankind-002, that repeats regularly. It is the best history course I have ever taken. The instructor, Dr. Yuval Noah Harari, from the Hebrew University in Jerusalem comes across as brilliant, even as he makes history accessible to a lay person! There is a book as well, but Sean did not use it. I did though, http://www.ynharari.com/sapiens-the-book/short-overview/. I read it, referred to it, and made a series of questions from it to accompany each lecture. Sean got a lot more out of the class …
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