Social Studies, History & Geography
Discover our handpicked selection of leading homeschool resources in Social Studies, History, and Geography! We've carefully chosen our favourites for their content accuracy, expert authorship, and research-backed educational methods. Our curated collection offers a trusted starting point for developing an engaging and comprehensive Social Studies curriculum for your family, ensuring effective learning and a well-rounded understanding of History, Geography, and Cultural Studies.
Social Studies, History & Geography Curricula
(Listed Alphabetically)
Build Your Library
The Build Your Library Curriculum offers a secular homeschooling resources that seamlessly integrates literature-based learning across various subjects. Its main features include thoughtfully curated book lists, comprehensive lesson plans, and hands-on activities that span a wide range of academic disciplines. They also have a fantastic YouTube channel called ARRRGH Schooling that provides book talks, book reviews and homeschooling tips. What sets this curriculum apart is its ability to foster a love for learning through engaging narratives, critical thinking prompts, and creative projects. Homeschool parents should consider using Build Your Library to provide a well-rounded and captivating education, as it not only ensures academic excellence but also nurtures a lifelong passion for exploration and discovery in their children.
Curiosity Chronicles offers a secular, inclusive, and global history curriculum for children, presented through engaging dialogues between characters Mona and Ted. The program covers ancient to modern history, fostering critical thinking and interdisciplinary connections through hands-on activities, such as map work, art projects, and science experiments. It emphasizes cultural history and social movements, making complex ideas accessible and encouraging in-depth exploration. This curriculum is ideal for homeschoolers seeking a comprehensive and interactive approach to teaching history.
Mint and Bloom
Mint and Bloom Learning is an exceptional option for secular, progressive curriculum grounded in literature, art, and creative activity-based lessons. Their Power of the People U.S. History program features a 26‑week journey through overlooked social movements and activists, pairing each chapter of Rad American History A‑Z with projects, discussion prompts, videos, and critical thinking exercises. They’ve also released a full-year Big World History curriculum for elementary and middle grades, covering global history from prehistory to modern times in 36 weeks of richly illustrated, empathy‑driven lessons paired with reading and video suggestions, discussion topics, and print‑and‑go creative tasks. All curricular programs are designed to be easy to use and flexible, offering differentiated materials that centre diverse perspectives while empowering learners to explore history as an inclusive, engaging, and creative process. We also really love their Melancholy Grammar series!
Mr. Filiplic is a Canadian Social Studies teacher who has created a fantastic YouTube channel with organized playlists for students in Grades 7, 8 & 9 based on the Alberta Programs of Study. His course videos walk students through key concepts that include Canadian history, citizenship, intercultural contact, worldviews, and how political and economic systems shape the quality of life in Canada and beyond. He also shares practical tech how-to videos and hosts the Stick Around Soundwaves podcast (an engaging podcast for parents, teachers, and students that discusses big ideas in Social Studies and Technology). If you're looking for clear, Canadian content to support your Social Studies program, his channel is well-worth a visit!
The OER Project (Open Educational Resources) offers FREE, comprehensive social studies curricula, including the Big History Project the World History Project, and The Climate Project, among others. Designed to engage students in critical thinking and interdisciplinary learning, its resources are aligned with state standards and include a mix of videos, texts, and interactive activities, making history accessible and interesting. The flexibility of the platform allows it to be used in various educational settings, including homeschooling. This makes it an excellent option for homeschoolers seeking a structured yet adaptable history curriculum.
Pandia Press offers comprehensive and engaging history curricula through its History Odyssey and History Quest series, tailored for various educational levels. These programs provide a secular and multidisciplinary approach, integrating history with language arts and geography. The curricula are designed to facilitate independent learning, making them ideal for homeschoolers. Pandia Press' history programs are known for their thorough content and hands-on activities, fostering a deep understanding of historical events and contexts.
Supplementary Social Studies & History Resources
(Listed Alphabetically)
Compilation of Anti-Racism Resources by Blossom and Root
This curated guide for homeschoolers offers age-appropriate books, lesson ideas, discussion tools, and other resources, to help families teach anti-racism, celebrate diversity, and foster meaningful conversations about equity and inclusion in their learning at home.
CrashCourse History, available on YouTube, offers engaging and comprehensive video lessons covering a wide range of historical topics and periods. The series uses animations and a fast-paced narrative to make complex historical events and themes accessible and entertaining for viewers. This educational resource is particularly valuable for students and teachers looking to enhance their understanding of history in an enjoyable format. Again, remember to watch for commercials on the YouTube platform.
Curiosity Stream is a streaming service that offers a vast library of documentaries covering topics like science, history, nature, and technology. Founded by the creator of the Discovery Channel, John Hendricks, it provides educational content designed to inspire and enlighten curious minds. With affordable subscription plans, Curiosity Stream is an excellent resource for anyone looking to explore high-quality, informative documentaries. Its user-friendly platform makes it accessible for viewers of all ages, making learning engaging and enjoyable.
We can’t say enough good things about Daniel and the History Plus team! His monthly subscription-based program offers informative, hilarious, and totally engaging videos and educational resources—with a refreshing Canadian perspective. Designed for kids ages 8–11 and 12–18, the lessons rotate through a three-year cycle of History, Science, and Geography—all taught through a historical lens—so students can keep learning year after year without repeating content.
Daniel, a former homeschooler himself, just gets homeschoolers. He knows how to teach in a way that clicks with kids—and we’ll be honest, parents will catch themselves watching and laughing along too (we definitely do!).
Live in Alberta? You're in luck—History Plus also offers in-person classes for local students! Want to explore more? Visit their website to check out their blog and watch a free sample lesson. You’ll see why we’re hooked.
The "Horrible Histories" books and TV show are renowned for their humorous and engaging take on historical events and figures, making history fun and accessible for children and young audiences. Created in conjunction with the BBC, the series uses witty writing, cartoons, and jokes to present facts and stories from different historical periods, often highlighting the bizarre, gory, and lesser-known aspects of history. The TV adaptation extends this approach with comedic sketches, songs, and animations, further bringing historical tales to life. Both the books and the show are praised for making learning history enjoyable and memorable. We recommend that parents review for content-appropriateness and watch for YouTube pop-ups and commercials.
LesPlan offers educational resources that help students understand and critically assess current events and issues. Their materials, such as News4Youth, Building Bridges, and What in the World?, provide differentiated learning experiences through articles available in various reading levels. They cater to students from grades 3 to 10, incorporating interactive elements and photocopiable resources for classroom use. LesPlan aims to lighten teachers' loads while making learning engaging and relevant for students.
The On The Mark Press serves as a valuable hub for educators searching for quality Canadian teaching resources. With its wide range of educational materials, including worksheets, lesson plans, and activities, the website provides comprehensive resources for various subjects and grade levels. On The Mark also produces products that align specifically to the Alberta, Ontario, and Common Core programs, which makes them a go-to destination for homeschoolers looking to follow specific outcomes.
Oversimplified History is a YouTube channel that makes complex historical events accessible and entertaining through humorous and simplified animated videos. The channel covers a wide range of topics, from major wars to revolutions, making history engaging for viewers. Its fun and easy-to-understand format makes it an excellent educational tool, particularly for students and casual learners who find traditional history lessons challenging. While OverSimplified History is engaging and educational, it occasionally includes mild bad language and humor that may not be suitable for younger viewers. Parents should exercise discretion, ensuring the content is appropriate as these videos are recommended for older children and teenagers who can better understand the context and nuances of the humor and language used.
WeTeachNYC is an online platform developed by the New York City Department of Education which provides curriculum materials, lesson plans, professional learning resources, and tools tailored to support instruction in NYC public schools. Despite being focused on Public Schools in NYC, we'd like to highlight their Hidden Voices series, which encourages students to explore marginalized communities and connect historical narratives to present-day issues.
In addition, their Hidden Voices: LGBTQ+ Stories in United States History highlights people who challenged norms around gender and sexuality, offering ready-to-use lesson plans, visuals, and media to support meaningful classroom conversations. These resources help all educators diversify their teaching and bring historically underrepresented voices into focus.
History Book Suggestions (Middle and High School)
Canadian Curricula, Books and Resources
Book lists by Mint and Bloom Learning
U.S. History Books
A Different Mirror for Young People: A History of Multicultural America (For Young People) by Rebecca Stefoff and Ronald Takaki
A People’s History of the United States by Howard Zinn
A True History of the United States: Indigenous Genocide, Racialized Slavery, Hyper-Capitalism, Militarist Imperialism, and Other Overlooked Aspects of American Exceptionalism by Daniel A. Sjursen
A Young People’s History of the United States by Howard Zinn and Rebecca Stefoff
An Indigenous Peoples’ History of the United States by Roxanne Dunbar-Ortiz, Jean Mendoza, and Debbie Reese.
Black AF History: The Un-Whitewashed Story of America by Michael Harriot
Borderlands and the Mexican American Story by David Dorado Romo
Colonization and the Wampanoag Story by Linda Coombs
How to Hide an Empire: A History of the Greater United States by Daniel Immerwahr
Made in Asian America: A History for Young People by Erika Lee and Christina Soontornvat
Our History Has Always Been Contraband: In Defense of Black Studies, edited by Colin Kaepernick, Robin D. G. Kelley, and Keeanga-Yamahtta Taylor. Available as a free ebook here.
Slavery and the African American Story by Patricia Williams Dockery
World History Books
1491: New Revelations of the Americas Before Columbus by Charles Mann
Africa Is Not a Country: Notes on a Bright Continent by Dipo Faloyin
Before Columbus: The Americas of 1491 by Charles C. Mann
The Black History Book: Big Ideas Simply Explained by DK Books
Caste: The Origins of Our Discontents, Adapted for Young Readers by Isabel Wilkerson
History Quest: Early Times by Lisa Hawkins
History Quest: Middle Times by Lindsey Sodano
History Quest: United States by Lindsey Sodano
The LGBTQ+ History Book: Big Ideas Simply Explained by DK Books
Origin Story: A Big History of Everything by David Christian
Pathogenesis: A History of the World in Eight Plagues by Jonathan Kennedy
Revised and Expanded version of Absolutely Everything: A History of Earth, Dinosaurs, Rulers, Robots, and Other Things too Numerous to Mention by Christopher Lloyd
Sapiens: A Graphic History Vol. 1 & 2 by Yuval Harari
Stolen History: The Truth About the British Empire and How It Shaped Us by Sathnam Sanghera
World History Volume 1, to 1500 by Kordas, A., J. Tatlock, B. Nelson, and R. J. Lynch Available for free here.
World History, Volume 2, from 1400 by Kordas, A., J. Tatlock, B. Nelson, and R. J. Lynch Available for free here
World War II: The Definitive Visual History by Richard Holmes