If you have a child that loathes textbooks and worksheets, but enjoys reading, read alouds, and movies, you may enjoy this American History curriculum pack I have put together.
This list can be used with elementary and middle school aged children. Feel free to add in any materials that would fit in for your family.
American History/ A Classical Approach
All reading materials are easy reads that can be used as read alouds or read individually. Best for 5th grade and up. I will be using it for An 8th grader this year and a 6th grade next year.
- Pedro’s Journal (1492)
- Rush Revere and the Brave Pilgrims by Rush Limbaugh (1620)
- Amos Fortune by Elizabeth Yates (1760)
- Rush Revere and the First Patriots by Rush Limbaugh (1765)
- What’s the Big Idea, Ben Franklin? by Jean Fritz (1760+)
- Johnny Tremain by Esther Forbes (1773)
- Rush Revere and the American Revolution by Rush Limbaugh and Kathryn Adams Limbaugh (1775)
- Carry On, Mr. Bowditch by Jean Latham (late 1700s)
- Fever 1793 by Laurie Anderson (1793)
- Freedom Crossing by Margaret Goff Clark (early to mid 1800s)
- Soft Rain by Cornelia Cornelissen (1838)
- Mary and the Trail of Tears by Andrea L. Rogers (1838)
- Bound for Oregon by Jean Van Leeuwen (1852)
- Across Five Aprils by Irene Hunt (1861)
- Little Town on the Prairie by Laura Ingalls Wilder (1881)
- Homer Price by Robert McCloskey (1930)
- I Survived the Bombing of Pearl Harbor, 1941 by Lauren Tarshis (1941)
Movies and TV
- Pochahontas
- Squanto: A Warrior’s Tale
- Liberty Kids (Boston Massacre-America’s Independence)
- Johnny Tremain (revolutionary war)
- 1776
- Felicity: An American Girl Adventure (colonial times)
- Caddie Woodlawn
- Little House on the Prairie (1800s/ pioneers) *watch the pilot!
Timeline to Print and Fill Out
Click HERE for free timeline on Google drive folder. I don’t want your email, any information, or any other stuff. It’s actually FREE.
Important Figures for Study
This list of names are people you may want to study. I plan to get small children’s biographies from the library. We may also add facts about these individuals to our timeline.
- Christopher Columbus
- Squanto
- Meriwether Lewis and William Clark
- Sacagawea
- George Washington
- James Madison
- Thomas Edison
- Benjamin Franklin
- Samuel Adams
- Abraham Lincoln
- Robert E. Lee
- Harriet Tubman
- Harriet Beecher Stowe
- Alexander Graham Bell
- Franklin D. Roosevelt
- Theodore Roosevelt
- Ronald Reagan
- Orville and Wilbur Wright
There are so many I am missing, so add those you feel impacted America in a big way! Remember, it doesn’t have to be someone you agreed with. We want to share the truth of history to our children, even if it’s not pretty!
Foods Through American History
Native Americans ate corn, squash, beans, venison, turkey, fish, and berries. Acquire some of these items and try to cook them outdoors without electricity or modern cookware.
Jumble cookies are thought to have come to America around the time of the Mayflower. They were very popular all the way through the 19th century. Check out a recipe here.
Hardtack was a well known because it lasted so long. This would be great to make when studying expeditions or the civil war as if was used for soldiers and as a food when traveling. Recipe here.
The Oregon Trail was a very interesting time for America. Check out this website for amazing information about what it took to make the journey as well as a few recipes to try!
Games Through History
Colonial Games resource ideas from US National Park Service
Mission US is a public media project where you can play your way through history! Pretty neat and FREE.
Play The Oregon Trail HERE
Colonial Classroom Toys and Games
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