One of the most interesting benefits of homeschooling your children is that they can learn about history through experience. History is an important lesson because students should learn from the problems that have continuously faced humanity. You can show your students that history may be experienced rather than learned about in a textbook. Follow a few tips to come up with ideas for teaching history to homeschoolers and make history come alive.
Give Your Child Freedom
- Let your child pick the topic she wants to examine. You can increase your child's interest in the assignment by letting her choose from any topic. Provide your child with structure by showing her your expectations from the assignment. Create an assignment that lets your child utilize her talents. For instance, your child can give you a presentation of her topic while dressed up as a character. You child could be the Statue of Liberty while she discusses immigration during World War II. In addition, let your child examine her topic through art and theater. Your child could create a monologue that she performs, and she could make a painting of a famous scene from history.
Experience History
- Contact the local historic preservation office and ask about tours of historical buildings for homeschooling children. Moments that are important to the history of your area may become interesting to your child if she learns at the place where an event occurred. In addition, your child might be able to see a recreation in historical dress. For instance, the Castillo de San Marcos of St. Augustine, Florida has park rangers dressed up the way people did during the establishment of St. Augustine. Encourage your child to write an essay about the location after she visits.
Archaeology Dig
- Have your child experience an archaeological dig so she can learn about the way historians discover artifacts. Google "children's archaeological dig" to find an event that takes place locally. As an example, the Colonial Spanish Quarter of St. Augustine, Florida invites kids to take part in an archaeological dig across the street from the Castillo. Another interesting thing about the Colonial Spanish Quarter is that you can see how the Spanish lived when they moved to Florida. An archaeological dig at the Colonial Spanish Quarter might show your child an artifact from the founding of St. Augustine.
