What to Teach in an Elementary History Curriculum

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Have you ever wondered what you ‘should’ teach in an elementary history course? This post is for you! It can help you choose an elementary history curriculum or you can use it as a starting point to create your own homeschool history curriculum.

Of course, homeschool parents can teach whatever they think is important, but some families want to make sure their students’ lessons align somewhat closely with the public schools.

Kids often begin homeschooling when they are in elementary grades. Parents might want to be aware of public school standards for two reasons. They want to:

  1. Stay ‘on track’ because they plan to enter the public school system at some point.
  2. Exceed the public school requirements.

I have fallen into both categories. My family first began homeschooling when my oldest was in first grade. We planned to return her to our local elementary school within a year or two.

It didn’t take long until we decided to homeschool for the long haul. At that point, we wanted to give our kids the very best education we could, which meant going beyond the standard expectations.

Elementary history units often include a mix of:

  • History – American History and World History
  • Geography
  • Civics
  • Government
  • Basic Economics

Many of these topics naturally overlap, so don’t feel like you need to teach each one on its own.

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What to Teach in an Elementary History Curriculum

How I Created This List

First I researched the standards for public elementary schools in North Carolina, where I live. I jotted down the main objectives for each content area and elementary grade level.

Then I looked at a list of the best states for education. I was only interested in the K – 12 ranking because colleges throw off the general rank number. Currently, Massachusetts is number 1 in K – 12 education and New Jersey is number 2.

I visited the Massachusetts Board of Education website and read through all of the Kindergarten – fifth grade social studies standards. Then I did the same for the New Jersey Board of Education.

These three states gave me a pretty good idea of what topics are generally included in an elementary history curriculum.

Let me make it clear that unless your state homeschool laws say otherwise, you do NOT have to teach exactly what public schools teach. You are the director of your homeschool and get to decide what to teach.

With that said, many parents do want to cover the standard topics. You can adapt it to your homeschool by choosing the most appropriate style of learning, resources, and format for your children.

Topics to Cover

History

  • Contributions of different groups to American culture
  • Folklore in local communities
  • National holidays (Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, Presidents’ Day, Independence Day, Labor Day, etc.)
  • National symbols – flag, bald eagle, Statue of Liberty, White House, etc.
  • National songs – Star Spangled Banner, America the Beautiful, My Country Tis of Thee, etc.
  • National texts – Pledge of Allegiance, Constitution, Declaration of Independence, etc.
  • Timelines show the order of events
  • Contributions of community figures
  • Reasons for migration
  • History of your state
  • Voyages of European explorers to North America
  • European contact with Native people
  • Pilgrims
  • Interaction between Europeans, Native people, and Enslaved people
  • 13 Original colonies
  • Middle passage
  • American Revolution
  • Creation of the Constitution
  • Native people’s cultural regions of North America
  • Vikings
  • Westward expansion
  • Acquisition of new states
  • French and Indian War
  • Civil War

Geography

  • Features on a globe – continents, oceans, lakes, rivers, bays, mountains, peninsulas, islands, deserts, etc.
  • Read a map, using the cardinal directions and map symbols
  • Compare different types of maps – Mercator and Peters
  • Positional words to describe locations
  • Types of landforms locally and around the world – mountains, deserts, plains, etc.
  • How the geography and climate of a location impact the development and lifestyle of communities
  • Memorize their address
  • Physical geography vs political geography
  • Characteristics of a country
  • State geography
  • States and capitals

Related: Rice Krispies Map for World Geography

Civics

  • Community helpers
  • Rights and responsibilities of citizens
  • Elections and voting
  • How people become citizens

Government

  • Three branches of the federal government
  • Federal and state divisions of power
  • Structure of your state government
  • Roles of state and local leaders
  • State government, flag, and symbols
  • Rights that are protected under the United States Constitution

Basic Economics

  • Needs and wants
  • Goods and services
  • Supply and demand
  • Natural resources of a region shape the consumption of a product
  • Money – spending and saving
  • Trade between the United States and other countries
  • Roles of producers and consumers
  • Renewable versus nonrenewable resources
  • Bartering

You might be wondering why I didn’t organize this by grade level.

Every state teaches things in a slightly different order, so it really isn’t important to teach these topics in any set order.

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How to Use This List of Elementary History Topics

Create Your Own Lesson Plans

One way to use this list of elementary history topics is to create your own curriculum and lesson plans. This gives you total flexibility to teach in a way that works for your homeschool, whether that is a classical approach, an eclectic style, or literature-heavy with great books.

It is easier than you might think to create a personalized curriculum for your own kids. I have the full instructions listed in this post about how to create a curriculum, but you just need to choose what you want to teach, gather resources, and create a schedule.

Evaluate History Curricula

This list can be a tool to help you evaluate elementary history curricula before purchasing. If covering all of these topics is important to you, look at the scope and sequence of a curriculum. The scope and sequence lay out the order topics are taught.

Related: How to Choose the Right Homeschool Curriculum for Your Family

Questions about Teaching Elementary History

Can I teach more than the topics listed above?

Of course. You are the director of your homeschool and can choose what to teach. There are history topics not listed that are often enjoyed by kids, such as ancient history and ancient civilizations.

Elementary history curricula tend to focus on U.S. history, specifically early American history, with a sprinkle of world history. Modern history is often excluded altogether, but you are free to teach any history topics that interest your family.

Can you recommend an elementary history curriculum?

When my kids were elementary students, my husband and I put together our own history curriculum. Every summer we would have a date night where we decided on ten topics to cover, one for each month of the school year. Then we would organize these topics by time period and choose resources.

Popular elementary homeschool history curricula include:

Be sure to research the elementary homeschool curriculum well before purchasing to make sure you agree with the worldview. I also recommend you check out the Homeschool Deals and Sales page so you don’t miss any coupon codes or sales.

How can I combine history with other subjects?

History lessons pair well with language arts lessons. Historical books, even historical fiction, can help kids understand the perspectives of different people. Writing lessons can also revolve around historical events.

Is it important for kids to study history?

I think so. Teaching elementary kids history gives them a strong foundation that will set the stage for middle school and high school. The study of history also introduces them to different cultures and viewpoints.

Exposing young children to primary sources from an early age also makes them less intimidating.

What are fun ways to teach history?

  • Field trips
  • Picture books
  • Read-alouds
  • Cooking recipes from certain time periods
  • Lap books
  • Movies
  • Building historical places out of Legos or blocks
  • History Toobs

I hope this post helps you feel confident about teaching your elementary age children history!

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Welcome! My name is Jennifer. I am a teacher at heart. Before my children were born I was a public school teacher. Now, I am a homeschooling mom of two.