How to Approach U.S. History through Legends & Lore
I’ve taught U.S. History three times in our homeschooling high school. All of our high schoolers have been different. Two loved to read history along with talking and writing about it. Another would read best the quirky stories in history and loved it much more when she could deep dive into rabbit holes of learning. Still, I stuck with a spine text that led the way. Now we have just one last high school junior who will study U.S. History. This teen is all science, all the time. He’s studied world history though the lives of scientists. When it was time to get his schedule set for this year and he knew U.S. History was on the docket, he asked if he could learn history through spooky stories. Yes! was my enthusiastic reply and I began thinking of all the amazing stories of people, places, and events we would include. How to Approach U.S. History through Legends & Lore is all about how this core class from scratch came together and you’ll have the chance to use the course for your teen as well.
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My kids are all out of the box.
If you’ve been reading and following for a while, then you know I’m all about supporting out of the box learners through high school.
In the last year, we’ve been able to identify what makes our kids so out of the box.
They’re all neurodivergent.
In fact, so am I.
We require a different way to approach conventional things.
We do create unique experiences through project based courses for high school credit, but we also build core classes from scratch.
Why Study History through Legends & Lore
Well, my first answer is that it was a special request by my current (and last) 16 year old!
Beyond that, here are a few more reasons:
- History becomes more animated through story.
- Legends & lore force us to look at history through a different lens as we read through the eyes of those who were there.
- We learn through story and we remember through story, it’s an age old practice.
- So much of our culture is handed down through stories that it’s easy to make connections between a time and place and our collective stories.
Our high school junior thought it would be fun to read spooky stories related to history to learn the history.
It’s a fantastic approach!
Benefits of Teaching a Course with a Special Request
Has your teen ever asked for a particular class?
Sometimes I think we’re afraid of messing the course up and the consequences to their transcript if we step out and take the risk.
So, let’s talk about the reasons why it’s such a good idea to say yes:
- There’s immediate buy- in to the course you’ve planned together
- The course is sure to be stimulating enough because they’re invested
- You’ll be able to follow the path of interest within the theme they’ve chosen
- You and your teen can come up with customized assignments that help to show off strengths and build new skills
- Owning your studies means preparing for college because that’s what college kids do!
When I build new courses for my teens, it’s always some of the easiest parts of their schedule even when it does require consistent effort on my part.
Legends & Lore: A Full Year of U.S. History
Legends & Lore is a year long study in U.S. History taught through the stories of our collective culture.
This course is especially written for out of the box, neurodivergent teens who need an unconventional approach to the conventional. 💙
There are 9 month-long modules, each exploring a half century from the 1600s through the 1900s with an extra module on the 2000s. 💙
The modules will release the last week of every month from September through May and module one is already waiting for you! 💙
In each module, you’ll find:
✅ 2-3 focus texts in fiction and non-fiction that are legends, lore, and spooky. Of course. 😂
✅ Connections to history related to and around the focus texts
✅ Plenty of neurodivergent assignment options
✅ Creative writing prompts of both fiction and non-fiction
✅ Resource list full of podcasts, documentaries, books, websites, and stories related to the focus texts
This U.S. History course is meant to provide meaningful connections to the people, places, and events of a time through the lens of our country’s legends & lore. 💙
Ways to use this for a full credit are included with your enrollment. 💙
Right now you can get Legends & Lore for the introductory price of $37. 🥳
Are you in? 🎉
How Does this Course Count as a Full Credit?
You might be asking how a 9 module course can last a whole year and be enough for a credit in U.S. History.
The course is written so that your teen can do the max exploration on a topic.
Your teens will have the opportunity to explore, learn, and apply what they are learning to the next layer of learning.
When our teens can do that, we’re winning at high school instruction.
If you are using this as a full one credit course in U.S. History, your teen will need to devote 3 hours a week to the studies and complete all the modules.
Sign up for Legends & Lore
You can purchase the course, by following the link to my shop or clicking the button below.
The course has an introductory price of $37 and you can use it as a stand alone course or jump in and out of it as you follow another curriculum’s scope and sequence. The choice is yours!
Simple is better when it comes to teaching neurodivergent teens. This course offers a simple way to teach U.S. History through spooky stories of our past.
Will you join us?
