It may seem like a no-brainer since you live in Ohio, but what exactly do you teach when it comes to Ohio history? No specific guidelines are given, so you can choose to cover it however you wish. Here are some things to get the ideas flowing for you to teach about our great state.

Early History- What native groups of people were here? Choose one or more tribes to learn more about them.

Pioneers- When was Ohio opened for pioneers? Who were some of the first people to settle here?

Statehood- When did it become a state? Where was the first state capital? Where is it now? Why was it relocated?

Presidents- There are seven that were born in Ohio, how about learning about them?

Inventions/ Inventors- Did you know that the Wright brothers were born in Ohio? Carillon Park in Dayton has a great display of inventions and their history for you to see.

Underground Railroad- There are many places throughout Ohio that slaves traveled to get to free states and Canada. What about doing some research to learn more about it?

Make it Hands-On History is all around us. Visit statues, museums, historical markers, your library, an older neighbor or a relative. Any or all of these are great places to begin to learn about the history near you. Find out if there are any programs that talk about the history of your town or the area. Summer is a great time to explore and visit various parts of Ohio. Are you familiar with our Ohio Historical Society? It has places to visit, archives to search, and even homeschool programs. https://www.ohiohistory.org/

Geography- Have you ever looked at a map of Ohio with your student? Can they locate the major cities or rivers of our great state? You can use google maps to have a more interactive experience if you like. Personally, I enjoy a paper map and getting a better idea of how far a place is from our home.

Explore the great outdoors- Ohio has such a diverse landscape that includes lakes, rivers, farmland, caves, gorges, and forests, bike trails, etc. Instead of planning a long road trip, how about exploring a different part of the state? You’ll not only have fun, but will be able to count it for school. (yay!)

Read books about Ohio– The photo collage that is seen above is one I created (using Pic-Collage) with some books that might be interesting to your student(s).

Videos- You can find all sorts of documentaries about the history of Ohio if you do an internet search. You could have your older student take notes, make a slide show or PowerPoint presentation about what they have learned.

Create a Lapbook- These are a great way of getting your student to write snippets of information without taxing them too much. You can take as much time as you wish making the lapbook.

Is there anything you have done with Ohio history that you think others would enjoy? Please leave a comment.

Have a great week! ~Lisa~