It’s likely that when you think about learning your history lessons in school the words: dry, boring and unmemorable come to mine. When I was in school the subject was called Social Studies, and those are the words that definitely come to mine for me. I would memorize some facts, some dates, and some supporting data for long enough to take the examinations, and as soon as they were over, I promptly forgot everything I had ‘learned’. As a result I feel rather unequipped to teach history to my children as a homeschooler, and it is the one subject that I have more questions about being able to teach successfully than any other.

I want my children to have a good understanding of how Biblical history integrates with the rest of world history. I want them to read engaging and stimulating books that teach them history chronologically, while leaving a lasting impression, leading to a deep and rich understanding of the history of our world. I want them to engage in hands on activities that delight them, to integrate maps so that my little ones can visualize where these events are taking place. It’s no small undertaking is it? How do we pull everything together? How do we make it all fit?

How To Create Your Own History Curriculum is an essential resource for tying together all of the elements of a vibrant and interesting history program that your children will consider fun, while still providing a complete and balanced history education! It is hard to know where to start – this short (66 page guide) is packed full of practical, step by step information on how to plan your history studies, both short term and long term. Author Carol Henderson of the website, A Book In Time, has years of history teaching experience in a homeschooling environment that she brings to her work. Homeschooling her children for 17 years, and teaching several history classes for the last 5 years in a large homeschooling co-op have honed her history sleuthing skills, and she is now able to present a comprehensive planning system as well as oodles of resource locations for us to benefit from.

I do believe that everything needed to plan a successful history curriculum for your children is included in this e-book. Readers are guided through all of the steps necessary to plan their curriculum for the year on a weekly basis, and to pull all the needed resources together: textbooks, timelines, maps, crafts and projects and additional reading. Suggestions are given on: how to utilize all of these elements, evaluating your priorities and plans, different methods of teaching history, how to integrate World and American History, teaching multiple students etc. Imminently useful for both Christian and secular homeschoolers, the planning information in this book are useful for any and all homeschooling families. Some of the content (resources, forms etc.) is specifically focused on American History and isn’t too applicable for those of us who live outside of the U.S. and need to substitute our own countries history instead (we live in Canada). Those of us who do live outside of the U.S. will have a bit more digging to do to find resources for the history of our own country.

At a low price of $8.99 (click here to buy), the suggestions and instructions for finding and using online resources for timelines, maps, crafts etc. are well worth the price of the book alone. Taking some time and the author’s simple suggestions and linked resources will save a great deal of money. The links to the comprehensive resource listings that can be found for free at A Book In Time are priceless in themselves; for exploring your options (Christian and secular provided), finding additional reading material for your students and some free resources available for teaching history.

I highly recommend this title as a first choice to anyone who is faced with planning a complete history curriculum for her children and is wondering how to achieve her family’s goals.