North Dakota Homeschool History for Grades 1–4, Planned Lesson by Lesson
North Dakota Homeschool History for Grades 1–4, Planned Lesson by Lesson
For a North Dakota family teaching children in grades 1 to 4, the Elementary History Curriculum ($169.99) supplies the history part of social studies as 20 finished units with lesson plans, worksheets, answer keys and slides. It does not cover North Dakota studies, the Constitution or government, which the state lists among homeschool social studies subjects, so plan those separately.
View the history curriculumThe Elementary History Curriculum costs $169.99 and contains all 20 elementary history units in the store, from the Stone Age to pioneers and inventions. Each unit has three sub-units with a step-by-step lesson plan, a worksheet with reading passage and word bank, a project or source activity, an answer key and slides. It gives a homeschool parent planned history lessons, but it is not a complete North Dakota social studies program.
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
What North Dakota asks of a home education family
Under the home education option, a parent files a statement of intent with the local public school district superintendent, or the county superintendent if there is no district. It goes in at least 5 days before you start, or within 14 days of moving into a district, and again every year; the Department of Public Instruction form is SFN 16909. Instruction runs at least 4 hours a day for at least 175 days. Social studies is a required subject, and for the elementary and middle years HSLDA's summary lists the United States Constitution, United States history, geography, government, and North Dakota studies in grades 4 and 8. Grade 4 also brings a standardized achievement test given by a North Dakota certified teacher, unless you claim an exemption on the statement of intent, and you keep a yearly record of courses and progress. What wears parents down is the daily part: finding history readings a seven-year-old can follow, writing questions, checking answers and keeping notes that still make sense in spring. Please confirm the current rules with the state or a homeschool legal resource; this is a summary, not legal advice.
Why it fits
How the units help at the kitchen table
History is one required subject among several. Here is what the download takes off your hands.
- Step-by-step lesson plans mean you can teach a topic you never studied yourself.
- Reading passages with word banks let a first grader and a fourth grader work on the same topic.
- Complete answer keys make checking quick and leave you dated work for your yearly record.
- Pioneers & Life on the Frontier sets up the North Dakota settlement and farm history you add yourself.
- Traces of the Past teaches young children how we learn about the past from historical sources.
- Project and source activities give hands-on afternoons that fit easily into a four-hour day.
Getting started
A sample rhythm for a 175-day year
This is one way to lay it out, offered as a suggestion. Shift it around your children and your calendar.
- File first, then choose unitsSend your statement of intent before lessons begin, then sit down with the parts list and choose which units each child will do this year. Not every unit has to be used.
- Two history sessions a weekTwo shorter history sessions a week are plenty at this age. One sub-unit with its worksheet and activity makes a natural session, with the slides on a laptop if you like.
- Teach siblings togetherPick one unit for everyone, such as The Ancient Romans or Vikings. The younger child leans on the word bank while the older one takes the project or source activity further.
- Keep the finished pagesFile the marked worksheets by month. Together with brief notes on what you taught, they help you build the yearly record of courses and progress the state expects you to keep.
- Plan grade 4 state studies earlyWhen a child reaches fourth grade, set aside time for North Dakota studies from other materials, and arrange the grade 4 achievement test with a certified teacher unless you claim an exemption.
What to buy
Choosing between the history downloads
With more than one child in grades 1 to 4, the Elementary History Curriculum at $169.99 gives you the most room: 20 units, against $499.80 if you bought them separately, so you can return to topics as younger siblings come up. The Early American History Bundle ($99.99, parts $199.92) covers Native Americans, explorers, Pilgrims, pioneers and how we learn about the past. The Ancient Civilizations Bundle ($99.99, parts $199.92) holds eight units on the ancient world. If planning in general is wearing you out, Teach-Life-Balance ($89.90) is a separate time-saving course with a planner and templates.
Honest limits
Limits to know before you buy
The curriculum is general history for young children. It contains nothing on North Dakota, the U.S. Constitution or how government works, and it does not satisfy any homeschool requirement by itself; you decide how it fits your required subjects. No state office has reviewed or approved it. Check the current law with the state or a homeschool legal resource. Printing, paper and craft materials for projects come from you. The licence is for your own family's teaching; a co-op that wants to share it should write to Teach Lessons first. Within 7 days you can swap it for store credit of equal value if it is not right, but not for cash.
Good to know
Frequently asked questions
Does this cover North Dakota's homeschool social studies requirement?
Not on its own, and no product can promise that. The curriculum is not aligned to North Dakota's Social Studies K-12 Standards 2019 or approved by any state office. HSLDA's summary of the law lists the U.S. Constitution, U.S. history, geography, government and, in grades 4 and 8, North Dakota studies. These units give you history lessons; you add the rest and confirm the law yourself.
Can I use it with children in different grades?
Yes. Every unit is written for grades 1–4, and each sub-unit has a differentiated worksheet with a reading passage and word bank. Teaching one topic to two or three children at once works well: the younger one gets more support from the word bank, while the older one takes on the project or source activity.
Will it help with the grade 4 test?
It is not test preparation. The grade 4 test is a standardized achievement test given by a North Dakota certified teacher, and it reaches well beyond history. What the units do give you is regular reading and written answers on history topics, with answer keys so you can see where a child is struggling before test time.
How does it help with record keeping?
Each sub-unit produces finished work: a worksheet and an activity, plus an answer key to check against. Keeping the marked pages in a dated folder makes the yearly record of courses and progress easier to put together, though what you must keep is set by the law, not by the product.
Do I need a projector or special software?
No. The download contains lesson plans, worksheets, activities, answer keys and slides. Everything except the slides works on paper, and the slides open on whatever laptop or tablet you already have at home. No accounts, apps or devices are included, and none are needed to teach the units.
Can our homeschool co-op use one copy?
The licence covers your own teaching. If a co-op or a group of families wants to use the same files, write to Teach Lessons before buying so the group use is agreed first. Sharing the files online or passing them on to other families is not allowed.
History planned, so the school day can start
Look at the full list of 20 units on the product page and pick the ones your children will start with.
View the history curriculum