Social Studies Plan for K-2 Homeschoolers

If you are coming here looking for a full curriculum, this isn’t it. Apologies! But if you are looking for a relaxed and gentle approach to social studies topics for your K-2 homeschooler, I’ve got you covered.

With a rising 7yo and 5yo come 2024-2025, I like to keep social studies simple for now with general ideas, historical figures, and geography concepts with a side of ALL the books. If you are like me, you may think it is best to keep things light and fun at these ages, too. I think by providing the right materials and offering ideas you are simply exposing them to important facts and figures without weighing them down with too much information when they really can’t utilize this information in their lives just yet. All you can do is provide exposure through beautiful books, stories, games, etc. and whatever they cling to, you can dive deeper or if not, move onto something else. That is how I see it, anyway!

So I came up with a list of social studies topics/important symbols/historical figures that I would like to touch on with my kids this year. I know I am missing a ton of important people, but I could only do so much in one year (I look forward to making more lists in the future!) We may do one per week or maybe a few topics if they make sense together (like George Washington and the George Washington Monument in one week, perhaps). There is lots of room for overlap! And if we don’t get through it all, we can simply move into next year. The beauty is, you can go at your own pace and do as much or as little as you want. I’ll include my book choice next to each one. I truly believe that reading to your kids is enough. But of course, you can find projects or crafts and activities using Pinterest to go along with topics, too. I hope this is helpful to another homeschool mom!

NOTE: This post contains affiliate links, which means that I’ll receive a commission if you purchase from this link. This will not change or increase the cost of your purchase. This extra income provides for my family and keeps The Friendly Fig running strong.

Geography Concepts:

I am using an Evan Moor Geography workbook as a supplement to the below.

Reading a Map / Map Keys (Maps & Globes)
Cardinal Directions
Continents
US Map
Landforms and Bodies of Water (Geography from A to Z)
Natural Resources

Historical Figures:

George Washington (I Am George Washington)
George Washington Carver (National Geographic Readers: George Washington Carver)
Susan B. Anthony (Susan B. Anthony: Her Fight for Equal Rights)
Thomas Edison (Thomas Edison Lighting the Way)
Ben Franklin (Ben Franklin Thinks Big)
Helen Keller (Helen Keller: The World at Her Fingertips)
Abraham Lincoln (I Am Abraham Lincoln)
Rosa Parks (I Am Rosa Parks)
Martin Luther King Jr. (Martin Luther King Jr: A Peaceful Leader)
Amelia Earhart (I Am Amelia Earhart)

Important Symbols:

American Flag (Red White and Blue: The Story of the American Flag)
Bald Eagle (The Bald Eagle)
Liberty Bell (The Liberty Bell)
The White House (The White House)
George Washington Monument (George Washington Monument)
Mount Rushmore (Mount Rushmore)
Lincoln Memorial (Looking at Lincoln)
The Statue of Liberty (Step Into Reading: The Statue of Liberty)

Other Topics/Concepts:

Our Country (America Is…)
Pledge of Allegiance / National Anthem
Voting (A Vote is a Powerful Thing)
Economics (ABCs of Economics)
Government (For Which We Stand)
Then and Now (Then and Now series)
Presidents (Sofia Valdez for Prez)
Timelines (Timelines of Everything)

Aside from the above, there are a few other things I invested in. You do not have to have all the things, but some things I think are important to have so your kids can explore and play. There is no better way to learn.