Three FUN Reasons to Make the Presidential Election Part of Your Homeschool Curriculum

The end of the school year is near! If you’re not a year-round homeschooler, you know that these last days and weeks can be a slog. They can drag on for you, and they can drag on for your kids. Add quarantining and social distancing on top of it, and you have a recipe for the doldrums!
 
We could all use a little fun, right? Planning for next homeschool year can be a bright spot in otherwise dreary times. No doubt, you’re thinking about how you can make next year more enjoyable than the last. You’re thinking about what topics and curriculum will keep your kids interested and motivated. How can both you and your kids have a unique and enjoyable learning experience?
 
May is a great month to plan the next homeschool year. Maybe you’re crafting some fun unit studies. Perhaps you’re pulling together compelling book lists. Maybe you’re even listing the habits and character qualities you want to instill in your children.
 
As you plan for next year, why not make the presidential election part of your homeschool curriculum? We already gave you three important reasons to study the presidential election in your homeschool. Now here are three fun reasons to make the presidential election part of next year’s lesson plans.
 
Don’t forget to download our free lesson on the primaries from our Presidential Election Unit Study 2020. The primaries are happening now, and this is a great chance to give it a trial run to see how it can add fun to your school year.
 
1. Shake Things Up!
 
Math, English, Science, Repeat. Math, English, Science, Repeat. Day 23, Day 24, Day 25. Check, check, check. Do your homeschool days sometimes feel like this? You count off days and lesson numbers. You check off boxes and satisfy state compliance rules. It doesn’t take long into a brand-new year for things to start to feel, well, dull.
 
A compelling unit study can be just the thing to add some spice to your curriculum. Unit studies are a great way to explore fun topics that aren’t covered in depth elsewhere. For example, your history curriculum may spend a day or a week on George Washington. But what if your kids really show an interest in Washington and want to do more? A unit study is just the ticket.
 
Our Presidential Election Unit Study 2020 will be perfect for the coming school year. It’s a fun topic and one that your regular curriculum probably does not cover in much depth. At a time when everyone will be buzzing about the election, you’ll have the chance to take a deep dive into the topic and learn more than you ever imagined. There are eight in-depth lessons that cover every step of the campaign and election—from the Iowa caucus to the inauguration. Plus, it will provide you and your kids a welcome break from Math, English, Science, Repeat!
 
2. Engage!
 
We know that homeschool families are engaged in the world around us. Though some people may view us as hermit-like, unsocialized, and out of touch, we know better. The overwhelming majority of homeschool families care about our nation. They are tuned in. They volunteer in their communities. They pay their taxes and exercise the privileges of citizenship.
 
Learning about the presidential election as part of your homeschool curriculum allows your family to engage even more. Our Presidential Election Unit Study 2020 has many opportunities for students to engage the people and world around you and engage in their own learning. Numerous studies show that learning happens best when students are engaged in their own learning.
 
Our Presidential Election Unit Study 2020 has so many built-in opportunities for your students to engage. Each lesson has questions for debate to get your students engaged in the important questions of the day. Is it fair that Iowa and New Hampshire get to vote first during the primary season? What are the most important issues in 2020? It also has many hands-on activities to get your kids involved. They can convene their own constitutional convention. They can sign up to volunteer for a candidate or party. They can write a letter to the editor of your local paper.
 
3. Enjoy Educational Screen Time!
 
Do your kids beg and plead for screen time? We all know that reading a biography is much better for our kids than letting them watch movies and play video games. I know that we as parents do our best to limit screen time. But the struggle is real, especially in these extraordinary times.
 
The good news is that presidential campaigns allow for so much educational screen time. Since the dawn of television, campaigns have been waged over the airwaves. The audiovisual records are history!
 
In the 2020 edition of the Presidential Election Unit Study, we’ve added a new section at the end of each lesson: videos. In even better news, the videos are all Internet-linked and family-friendly! We know these videos will be a blessing to homeschool parents and a delight to your kids. They will learn so much and have fun. They will watch television ads through history. They will relive historic presidential debates. They will watch news clips about important events, and they will watch interviews with experts on topics such as the history of vice-presidential picks.
 
As you plan your upcoming homeschool year, why not add the Presidential Election Unit Study 2020 to your curriculum? It’s sure to add FUN at a time when we could all really use it.  

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