Creating the Ultimate Homeschool Government Curriculum
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A typical high school plan includes a government class. Usually, it a 0.5 credit class that is bundled with a 0.5 credit economics class to create a full history credit. I want my kids to have a solid grasp of how our government works, so I combined a few different resources to create a full credit homeschool government curriculum.
I decided that my 10th grade daughter would study government this year because it is a presidential election year.
I like to combine school with real-life whenever possible. This seemed like the perfect time to explore and explain the history, rights, and responsibilities of our government system.
What is a government class?
A high school level homeschool government curriculum usually includes lessons about:
- Historical and philosophical beginnings of our political system
- The Constitution
- The Bill of Rights
- Branches of government
- Separation of powers
- Civic responsibilities
My goal is to teach my children about politics, NOT force my political opinions upon them. They are smart individuals and they are free to choose the issues that are important to them.
As part of our homeschool government curriculum we will be watching the Presidential and Vice-Presidential debates. My kids enjoy watching political debates because they get to stay up late. We will use the debate guide from iCivics to lead our debate night discussion.
Actually, I expect there to be plenty of family discussion opportunities.
The Ultimate Homeschool Government Curriculum Plan
Resources:
- Debates – Presidential: September 29th and October 22nd
- Debates – VP: October 7th
- We the People : The Citizen and The Constitution student book and teacher’s edition, level 3
- Textbook website
- iCivics website
- National Archives (the Declaration of Independence, Constitution, and Bill of Rights are all online)
- Modern States Clep Practice
I consider this the ultimate high school government curriculum because I have pieced together two plans to create a full-credit homeschool government curriculum.
You will need the We the People: The Citizen and The Constitution, level 3 books, and the iCivics website (free) for this government course.
All of the resources listed as iCivics can be found on the iCivics website. This website is an incredible resource full of homeschool government curriculum lessons, WebQuests, and even games.
In addition to the lessons listed below, my daughter will prepare for the American Government CLEP exam. She will use the Modern States study program for the last two months of the school year. If she passes the CLEP test, she will be awarded college credit.
Below are all of the homeschool government curriculum lessons. You will notice that some lessons have only a few additional resources while others have quite a few. This means that some lessons will be quick and others might take a few weeks.
My homeschool government curriculum progression plan is:
- September – Lessons 1-7
- October – Lessons 8 – 13
- November – Lessons 14 – 19
- December – Lessons 20 – 25
- January – Lessons 26 – 32
- February – Lessons 33 – 40
- March – State, County, and Town
- April – Study for CLEP
- May – Study for CLEP
- June – Take CLEP
Of course, real life doesn’t always follow the plan. There is a little wiggle room built into this progression because my daughter probably won’t need 2 full months to study for the CLEP.
Lesson 1: What Did the Founders Think About Constitutional Government?
Lesson 2: What Ideas about Civic Life Informed the Founding Generation?
Lesson 3: What Historical Developments Influenced Modern Ideas of Individual Rights?
Lesson 4: What Were the British Origins of American Constitutionalism?
Lesson 5: What Basic Ideas about Rights and Constitutional Government Did Colonial Americans Hold?
Lesson 6: Why Did American Colonists Want to Free Themselves from Great Britain?
Lesson 7: What Basic Ideas about Government and Rights Did the State Constitutions Include
Resource: National Archives online Constitution
Lesson 8: What Were the Articles of Confederation and Why Did Some Founders Want to Change Them?
Lesson 9: How Was the Philadelphia Convention Organized?
Lesson 10: Why Was Representation a Major Issue at the Philadelphia Convention?
Resource: iCivics: The Constitutional Conventional Mini-Lesson
Lesson 11: What Questions Did the Framers Consider in Designing the Three Branches of the National Government?
Resource: iCivics: Branches of Power game
Resource: iCivics: Three Checks: Balance of Power webquest
Lesson 12: How Did the Delegates Distribute Powers between National and State Government?
Lesson 13: What Was the Federalist Position in the Debate about Ratification?
Resource: iCivics: Race to Ratify game
Lesson 14: What Was the Federalist Position in the Debate about Ratification?
Lesson 15: How Have Amendments and Judicial Review Changed the Constitution?
Resource: National Archives online Bill of Rights
Lesson 16: What is the Role of Political Parties in the Constitutional System
Resource: iCivics: One Big Party lesson
Resource: iCivics: Party Systems mini-lesson
Resource: Take a few online political party quizzes
Lesson 17: How Did the Civil War Test and Transform the American Constitutional System?
Lesson 18: How Has the Due Process Clause of the 14th Amendment Changed the Constitution?
Resource: iCivics: In re Gault mini-lesson
Lesson 19: How Has the Equal Protection Clause of the 14th Amendment Changed the Constitution?
Resource: iCivics: Plessy vs Ferguson mini-lesson
Resource: iCivics: Brown vs Board of Education mini-lesson
Resource: Disney+ Ruby Bridges Movie
- Amazon Prime Video (Video on Demand)
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Lesson 20: How Has the Right to Vote Been Expanded since the Adoption of the Constitution?
Resource: iCivics: Movement and Action Women’s Suffrage Movement webquest
Resource: iCivics: Voting by Mail webquest
Resource: iCivics: Voting Rights lesson
Resource: iCivics: Voting Age draftboard
Resource: iCivics: Voting Matters activity
Resource: iCivics: Cast Your Vote game
Lesson 21: What is the Role of Congress in American Constitutional Democracy?
Resource: iCivics: Why Do We Have a House and a Senate, Anyway lesson
Resource: iCivics: People’s Pie game
Resource: Represent Me game
Lesson 22: How Does Congress Perform Its Functions in the American Constitutional System?
Resource: iCivics: Voting in Congress mini-lesson
Resource: Legislative Race printable game
Lesson 23: What is the Role of the President in the American Constitutional System?
Resource: iCivics: Being President Webquest
Resource: iCivics: For the President, All in a Days Work mini-lesson
Resource: iCivics: 6 Roles of the President mini-lesson
Resource: iCivics: Executive Command game
Lesson 24: How Are National Laws Administered in the American Constitutional System?
Resource: iCivics: Making Laws Webquest
Resource: iCivics: Lawcraft game
Lesson 25: What is the Role of the Supreme Court in the American Government System?
Resource: iCivics: Supreme Decision game
Resource: iCivics: Court Quest webquest
Resource: iCivics: Supreme Interpreters webquest
Resource: iCivics: Supreme Court Nominations lesson
Resource: iCivics: The Supreme in Supreme Court lesson
Resource: iCivics: In the Courts webquest
Resource: iCivics: Argument Wars game
Resource: iCivics: Interpreting the Constitution
Resource: iCivics: Marbury vs Madison
Lesson 26: How Does American Federalism Work?
Lesson 27: What Are Bill of Rights and What Kinds of Rights Does the U.S. Bill of Rights Protect?
Resource: iCivics: Do I Have a Right game
Resource: Bill of Right Institute lesson and scenario cards
Lesson 28: How Does the First Amendment Affect the Establishment and Free Exercise of Religion?
Research VMI lawsuit
Lesson 29: How Does the First Amendment Protect Free Expression?
Resource: iCivics: Texas vs Johnson lesson
Lesson 30: How Does the First Amendment Protect Freedom to Assemble, Petition, and Associate?
Lesson 31: How Do the 4th and 5th Amendments Protect against Unreasonable Law Enforcement Procedures?
Resource: iCivics: Miranda vs Arizona
Lesson 32: How Do the 5th, 6th, and 8th Amendments Protect Rights within the Judicial System?
Resource: iCivics: Gideon vs Wainwright
Lesson 33: What Does it Mean to Be a Citizen?
Resource: iCivics: Citizen Me lesson
Resource: iCivics: Citizenship: Just the Facts lesson
Resource: iCivics: The Fourth Branch of Government: You!
Resource: iCivics: Responsibility Launcher game
Lesson 34: What is the Importance of Civic Engagement to American Constitutional Democracy?
Lesson 35: How Have Civil Rights Movements Resulted in Fundamental Political and Social Change in the United States?
Lesson 36: How Have American Political Ideas and the American Constitutional System Influenced Other Nations?
Lesson 37: What Key Challenges Does the United States Face in the Future?
Lesson 38: What Are the Challenges of the Participation of the United States in World Affairs?
Resource: iCivics: Foreign Policy: War & Peace, and Everything in Between
Lesson 39: What Does Returning to Fundamental Principles Mean?
State Government
Resource: iCivics: What States Do? lesson
Resource: iCivics: The Great State
Resource: iCivics: The State Governor
Resource: iCivics: States Rule
Resource: iCivics: State Legislature lesson
Resource: iCivics: State Lawmaking lesson
Resource: iCivics: State Executive Branch lesson
Resource: iCivics: Who Represents Me?
Resource: iCivics: Reapportionment & Redistricting
County Government
Resource: iCivics: County Basics webquest
Resource: iCivics: Counties Work game
Resource: iCivics: County Contributions
Resource: iCivics: The Capable County
Resource: iCivics: County Government lesson
Town Government
Resource: iCivics: Municipal Government lesson
Resource: iCivics: Citizen Me lesson
Resource: Attend town hall meeting
I am hopeful that things will open back up in the spring of 2021, and we can go on a few field trips to support our homeschool government curriculum.
Potential field trips:
- National Archives
- Supreme Court
- White House
- Constitutional Walking Tour Virtual
- Colonial Williamsburg
Pin this post so you can easily find it when you are ready to use this homeschool government curriculum!
UPDATE – The school year is almost over, and we are just about finished with this government curriculum. Actually, everything is finished with the exception of the American Government CLEP test. I was very impressed with the textbook and the iCivics resources. My kids definitely have a firm grasp on how our government was founded and the way it works.
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