MADE FOR FAMILIES TEACHING AT HOME
Social Studies homeschool curriculum, planned for your family
Tell Kuraplan your children's ages and what you are studying. It builds the social studies lessons, worksheets and answer keys, sized for each child.
Homeschool social studies curriculum
Homeschool social studies curriculum: history, geography, civics and economics without the textbook
Social studies is the school word for four subjects: history, geography, civics (or government) and economics, with a little culture and current events mixed in. In a classroom they are taught from a single textbook. At home you can do something much better: teach each strand through real books, real maps, real news and real money.
This guide explains how the four strands fit at each age, which one to lead with, what your state is likely to require, and how to cover it all in a couple of sessions a week. If you want depth on one strand, see the separate guides for history and geography.
Scope by age
What social studies looks like at each stage
Use this as a checklist, not a schedule. Children move through it at their own pace, and a strong year can cover two stages.
Grades K–2
Ages 5–8- Me, my family, my community: who helps us, what jobs people do, rules and why we have them.
- Maps of the bedroom, the house, the street; a globe on the shelf and 'where does this story happen?'.
- Holidays and their stories, national symbols, a first sense of long ago versus now.
- Economics in the shop: needs and wants, saving up, what money is for.
Grades 3–5
Ages 8–11- Chronological world history begins (see the history guide), with geography attached to each period.
- State history and geography around grade 4 in most US states; a first pass at national history around grade 5.
- Civics: how local, state and national government work, how a law is made, what citizenship means.
- Economics: producers and consumers, supply and demand with a lemonade stand, simple budgeting.
Grades 6–8
Ages 11–14- World history in more depth with primary sources; world geography by region, including physical and human geography.
- US history as a full course, and the Constitution read and discussed.
- Current events weekly: one story, two sources, one conversation about how to tell reliable reporting from the rest.
- Personal finance basics: earning, saving, interest, and why a credit card is not free money.
High school
Ages 14–18- Typical graduation expectations: world history, US history, a half-credit of government and a half-credit of economics. Many states add state history or personal finance.
- Argumentative writing from sources in every course.
- Government taught with the founding documents and current cases; economics with both micro and macro basics.
- Optional AP or dual enrollment in US history, government or economics for college credit.
A weekly rhythm that gets done
Homeschool social studies does not need a school timetable. This is what a sustainable week looks like for most families.
- How often
- 2–3 days a week
- How long
- 20 min (K–2), 40 min (3–5), 50 min (6–8), 60 min (9–12)
Lead with history as the spine two days a week and attach geography to it. Rotate civics and economics in as short units or a weekly current-events session, and make them full half-year courses in high school.
Honest comparison
Social Studies programs homeschool families actually finish
Prices are approximate and change; check the publisher. We note worldview because it matters to families on both sides, not to recommend one.
| Program | Approach | Price | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
| The Story of the World + a good atlas Covers the history strand beautifully; add map work from the activity book and a civics or economics unit each year. | Neutral | About $20 per volume plus atlas | Elementary families who want history as the spine of social studies |
| BookShark and Sonlight Sonlight is Christian; BookShark is the secular version of the same publisher. Both integrate history, geography and read-alouds in a daily schedule. | Neutral | About $500–$900 per year, books included | Literature-based social studies with everything scheduled for you |
| Notgrass Open-and-go textbooks with primary sources and literature. Christian perspective throughout. | Faith-based | About $100–$150 per course | Middle and high school US history, government and economics in one publisher |
| iCivics and Khan Academy iCivics has games and lesson plans on government that work well from grade 5 up; Khan Academy covers high-school economics and US government. | Secular | Free | Civics and economics without buying anything |
| Build Your Library Schedules living books and Story of the World or History Quest with a secular lens, including science and language arts. | Secular | About $30–$60 per level, PDF | Secular families who want a literature-based schedule around history and geography |
Avoid these
Mistakes that make social studies harder than it needs to be
- Buying a social studies textbook. The genre exists to compress four subjects into one book for a classroom; at home you can teach each strand from its best sources.
- Doing history and skipping the rest. Civics and economics are the strands most states actually require for graduation, and the ones teenagers need most.
- Ignoring geography. Every history lesson should have a map; a child who knows where the Nile is understands Egypt.
- Leaving current events until high school. A weekly ten-minute conversation about the news from age nine builds the habit and the judgement.
- Forgetting to record it. Social studies is often taught through conversation and read-alouds, which is fine, but note the books and topics for your portfolio.
Plan it with Kuraplan
How families use Kuraplan for social studies
You choose the program and the pace. Kuraplan makes the lessons, worksheets and answer keys that fit around it, for every child in the house.
Units that cover all four strands
Ask for a unit on Ancient Rome and get the history spine, a map exercise, a civics comparison with modern government, and an economics activity on trade, matched to your child's grade.
State-specific content
Tell Kuraplan your state and grade and it builds state history and government lessons aligned to what your state expects, without you having to find the standards yourself.
Current-events worksheets
Paste a news article or name a topic and get comprehension questions, a source-reliability checklist and a discussion prompt suited to the child's age.
One lesson. All your kids.
$49/yr flat, no per-child fees
Write one family lesson, then adjust the reading level, the practice and the response format for each child without rebuilding the day.
Social Studies homeschool FAQ
What does social studies include in homeschool?
History, geography, civics or government, and economics, plus culture and current events. Most families teach history as the spine in elementary and add the other strands as short units, then run government and economics as their own half-year courses in high school.
Do homeschoolers have to teach social studies?
Many US states list it as a required subject and most expect US history, government and sometimes state history before graduation. Requirements vary; check the Kuraplan guide for your state. Outside the US, history and geography are typically expected but not tested.
What is the best homeschool social studies curriculum?
For elementary, Story of the World with an atlas and short civics units is the most common and cheapest. For an all-in-one literature-based schedule, BookShark (secular) or Sonlight (Christian). For middle and high school US history, government and economics, Notgrass. iCivics and Khan Academy cover civics and economics free.
How do I teach civics at home?
Start with how your own town is run: attend a council meeting, look at a ballot, read the Constitution together in middle school. iCivics games make the structures concrete. In high school, a half-credit course using the founding documents and current cases is standard.
Can social studies be taught to multiple ages together?
It is the easiest subject to combine. One read-aloud or documentary, one shared map, then different written or drawn output by age. Kuraplan can produce the age-split tasks from one lesson.
Program details and prices change. Verify with the publisher before buying, and check your state's guide for what is required.
Your social studies year, in one place
Plan lessons, make printables and keep each child's finished work together for the records you choose to keep.
Plan with Kuraplan