Homeschool History for Early Elementary: 20 Planned Units with Slides
If you homeschool children in the early grades and want history you don't have to plan yourself, the Elementary History Curriculum is built for that: 20 units for Grades 1–4, each with lesson plans, slides, reading worksheets and answer keys, for $169.99. It is not a substitute for your state's homeschool rules, so keep whatever records your state asks for.
View the homeschool history setFor early elementary homeschooling, the Elementary History Curriculum ($169.99) gives you all 20 of the store's Grades 1–4 history units in one download. Topics run from the Stone Age, Egypt, Greece, Rome, China and the Vikings to Native Americans, Pilgrims, pioneers and then-and-now studies of family and school. Each sub-unit has a lesson plan, a worksheet, a project or source activity, an answer key and slides. It is a teaching resource, not proof that you comply with any homeschool law.
The resources
Elementary History Curriculum, Grades 1–4
20 resources in one download: $169.99 instead of $499.80 bought separately.
Start with the first resource; the others are optional add-ons. Open any cover for the full contents and price.
Elementary History Curriculum | All 20 History Units | Grades 1–4
Early American History Bundle | Native Americans, Explorers, Pilgrims & Pioneers | 8 Units | Grades 1–4
Ancient Civilizations Bundle | Egypt, Greece, Rome, China, Vikings & Stone Age | 8 Units | Grades 1–4
Complete Learning Books Bundle | 10 Units: Grammar, Math, Science, History, ESL, Art & Music | Grades 3–6
Teach-Life-Balance: The Complete Time-Saving Course for Teachers (incl. Planner, Guides & Templates)
The real problem
The hard part of history at home with little kids
Teaching history to young children at home sounds easy until you try to plan it. Library books are wonderful, but they don't tell you what to do on Tuesday, what a seven-year-old should write down, or how to check whether anything stuck. Many homeschool parents also teach more than one child at the table. A five-year-old who wants to hear about pyramids and a fourth grader who can read a full passage need different tasks on the same topic. Then there is time. Young children focus for short stretches, so a history lesson that needs an hour of parent prep for a short stretch of teaching rarely survives past October. Finally, each state sets its own homeschool rules. Some ask for particular subjects, records or assessments, others ask for very little. A curriculum can give you material for your records, but it cannot tell you what your state requires; that part is yours to check with the state or a homeschool legal resource. What helps most at this age is a predictable routine: a short reading, a picture to talk about, a hands-on task and a quick check.
Why it fits
How the units work at a kitchen table
Every sub-unit uses the same five pieces, so your children learn the routine along with the content.
- Slides give young children pictures to talk about before any reading or writing starts.
- Reading passages with a word bank let an older child read alone while you help a younger one.
- Every sub-unit adds a project or primary-source activity, so history is more than reading and writing.
- Answer keys let you check work quickly without researching the topic yourself first.
- Then-and-now units on school, family and old trades connect history to your child's own daily life.
- Twenty topics give you room to follow a child's interest, from Vikings to hieroglyphs.
Getting started
A simple homeschool week built on one unit
Families keep very different schedules. Here is one pattern that tends to suit young children; change it freely.
- Weekend: read the overviewSpend a few minutes with the unit overview and the first sub-unit's lesson plan. Decide which sub-units you will teach this week and print only those worksheets.
- Monday: look and talkOpen the slides and let your children talk about what they see. Ask what they already know. For a kindergartner, this conversation may be the whole history lesson for the day.
- Tuesday: read togetherWork through the reading passage. An older child reads alone and uses the word bank, while a younger one listens and answers a few questions out loud.
- Midweek: the activityDo the project or source activity from the sub-unit. This is often the part children remember best, so give it time and let siblings work on it together.
- Friday: check and fileGo over the worksheet with the answer key, then file finished pages in a folder for each child. If your state asks for work samples, that folder becomes part of your record.
What to buy
Which history set fits your family
Most families with children in Grades 1–4 get the most from the Elementary History Curriculum at $169.99, since it holds all 20 units, which total $499.80 bought one by one. If your child cannot stop talking about pyramids and gladiators, the Ancient Civilizations Bundle ($99.99, eight units) is a cheaper start. If you want American beginnings first, the Early American History Bundle ($99.99, eight units) covers Native Americans, explorers, Pilgrims and pioneers. Both are part of the full curriculum, so pick one route. For a child in Grades 3–6 who needs work in several subjects, the Complete Learning Books Bundle ($99.90) has ten units across grammar, math, science, history, ESL, art and music.
Honest limits
Before you buy: the fine print
The curriculum is written for Grades 1–4. It has no kindergarten-specific lessons, no state history and no state standards codes, and using it does not by itself fulfill any state's homeschool law. The store does not claim to be an approved vendor of any ESA or scholarship program, so check your program's rules and vendor list before using program funds. You supply printing, craft materials and any devices. The license covers teaching your own children; sharing with a co-op needs a short message to Teach Lessons first. If it is not a fit, you can exchange it within 7 days for store credit of equal value, not cash.
Good to know
Frequently asked questions
Does this meet my state's homeschool requirements?
No curriculum can promise that, and this one is not approved, endorsed or aligned under any state's homeschool law or standards. States differ: some ask for specific subjects, records or assessments, others very little. Look up the current law through your state's education department or a homeschool legal resource, then decide how these units fit into your records. This is general information, not legal advice.
Can my kindergartner use it?
The units are written for Grades 1–4, so there are no kindergarten worksheets. Many families still let a younger child join in for the slides, the story of the topic and the hands-on activity while an older sibling does the written work. Treat that as listening and talking time for the little one, not as a kindergarten course.
How much prep does a lesson need?
Not much. Each sub-unit comes with a step-by-step lesson plan, so you read it, print the worksheet and open the slides. The answer key is included, so you do not need to research the topic to check work. Most of your planning time goes into deciding how far to take the activity with your children.
I teach two children in different grades. Does that work?
Yes, that is one of the more natural uses. The worksheets are differentiated and include a word bank, so a second grader and a fourth grader can work on the same topic at different levels. Look at the slides together, split up for the reading, then come back together for the project or source activity.
Can I pay with ESA or scholarship funds?
Teach Lessons does not claim to be an approved vendor of any ESA or scholarship program. Rules and vendor lists differ by program and can change. Before you buy, read your program's rules and its vendor list, or ask the program directly whether a digital curriculum from this store qualifies for reimbursement or direct purchase.
Do I need a printer or a tablet?
The materials are set up for both print and digital use. Many families print the worksheets and show the slides on a laptop or TV they already own. No device or software is included. Everything downloads right after purchase, with a link by email, and stays in your customer account under Orders.
Your history lessons, already planned
Look through the unit list on the product page and pick the topic your child will want to start with.
View the homeschool history set