How Can You Teach High School Government at Home Without the Stress?
This post is sponsored by Paradigm Accelerated Curriculum in regards to their homeschool government curriculum.
Do you want your children to have a good understanding of our government and grow up to be informed, productive citizens? An excellent high school-level homeschool government curriculum and economics class can be a great first step.
Paradigm Accelerated Curriculum (PAC) offers a course that includes Principles and Precepts of Government and Principles and Precepts of Economics, providing a full-year credit and a solid study of both government and economics. This curriculum offers an effective, stress-free way to incorporate government and economics into your homeschool.
Shopping Tip
Looking to order both Principles and Precepts of Government and Principles and Precepts of Economics as a full course? Visit either the Principles and Precepts of Government page or the Precepts of Economics page and select in the options menu Gov & Eco Full Course Kit. Then select the product format: print or digital download. If you select print, it pulls up the Government & Economics combined Full Course Kit in printed soft-cover books option to add to your cart. This contains Texts, Activities, and Teacher’s Resource Kit. The digital download option allows you to add the Government & Economics combined Full Course Kit – Digital Download to your cart.
“Principles and Precepts of Government is designed to equip students with an understanding of the evolution of various forms of governance, and thereby gain an appreciation of the workings and myriad benefits afforded in their American Republic, the sacrifices to bring it to fruition, and the requirements of involvement to preserve it.”
What Sets Principles and Precepts of Government and Principles and Precepts of Economics Apart?
A homeschool parent wears many hats and often tries to juggle multiple students, a variety of subjects, and other obligations and pursuits. Parents want to make sure they are providing a strong, well-rounded education, but they also need to be able to take something off their plates.
This curriculum allows students to learn these important concepts through independent work and study, with minimal input from parents. It is straightforward and simple to use, open-and-go for both parents and students.
Homeschool Government Curriculum: What Is Principles and Precepts of Government?
The Principles and Precepts of Government homeschool government curriculum includes three text booklets and three coordinating activity booklets. There is also a teacher’s resource kit with tests and quizzes. This portion of the program is worth .5 of a social studies credit (one semester).
Course Overview
The text booklets are approximately 60–75 pages long. Each booklet contains three sections divided into five topics.
The content begins with the evolution of government, going back to historic empires before Christ. Then it moves on to the Roman government before introducing the colonies and the beginning of the US government.
The second booklet is an in-depth look at the Constitution, the Bill of Rights, and the branches of government. The final booklet covers state and local government, the election of the president, rights and responsibilities, and parliamentary procedure.
Text Layout
Each topic is only 3–4 pages long, making it manageable to cover in a day. At the beginning of each topic, a vocabulary list covers essential vocabulary from within the text. Within the text vocabulary appears in bold text.
There are black-and-white illustrations and maps sprinkled throughout the text for both visual interest and topical clarity.
Most sections also include a life principle and an important quote about government from a famous historical figure. For example, one section is by Francis Bacon. “If we do not maintain justice, justice will not maintain us.”
Activity Books
The activity books are organized into the same chapters, sections, and topics as the textbooks, making pairing them seamless. Each topic has a page or two of questions, mostly fill-in-the-blank and multiple-choice.
Sometimes, there are places to write down quotes or important content, such as the preamble to the Declaration of Independence.
While the company labels these as activity books, most homeschool families would recognize them as workbooks because they focus entirely on written questions rather than hands-on activities.
Teacher Resource Kit
In addition, this course includes a teacher resource kit. The resource kit has a table of contents, activity book answer keys, section quizzes, and chapter tests. There are also answer keys for the quizzes and tests included in this set. It is provided loose-leaf with the pages hole-punched for a three-ring binder.
PAC also includes a coupon code for a free digital version of the teacher resource kit if you would prefer to have that saved as a digital file instead of a paper copy.This resource kit makes this course super easy for the parent and provides everything you need to check for student learning and collect grades.
What is Principles and Precepts of Economics?
The Principles and Precepts of Economics course is set up in the same style as the Principles and Precepts of Government. There are three text booklets, three activity booklets, and a teacher resource kit.
What is Covered in Principles and Precepts of Economics?
This independent homeschool course starts with an overview of economics, then covers the history of economics, and finally examines various economic systems (communism, socialism, etc.).
Finally, the course dives into practical economics.
This Includes:
- Banking
- Insurance
- Investing
- Starting a Small Business
- College
- Trade Schools
- Military Service
This gives students a good framework for understanding both the political and personal ramifications of economics as well as practical tools for applying these economic principles in their lives.
Why Should I Use These Courses?
These courses prepare high school students for both independent study and co-op learning environments. They also support independent learners while requiring very little input from the parent or teacher.
Simply provide the materials to your student, give them the quizzes and tests as scheduled, and use the included answer keys to check their work.
However, you could easily add family/class discussions or activities to make it more interactive.
Find out more about this homeschool government and economics curriculum, as well as their many other independent learning courses, on the Paradigm Accelerated Curriculum website.
Frequently Asked Questions About This Homeschool Government Curriculum
| What grade level is this curriculum designed for? | Paradigm Accelerated Curriculum designed these government and economics courses for high school students. |
| Does this course count for high school credit? | Yes. Principles and Precepts of Government and Principles and Precepts of Economics together provide one full social studies credit. |
| Can students complete this course independently? | Yes. The open-and-go format allows students to work independently with very little parent involvement. |
| What topics does the government course cover? | Students study the evolution of government, the Constitution, the Bill of Rights, branches of government, elections, and parliamentary procedure. |
| What topics does the economics course cover? | The course covers economic systems, budgeting, banking, insurance, investing, career preparation, and practical financial skills. |
| What materials are included? | Each course includes text booklets, activity/workbooks, and a teacher resource kit with quizzes, tests, and answer keys. |
| Are there hands-on activities included? | No. The activity books function more like traditional workbooks with written questions and review exercises. |
| How much prep work does the parent need to do? | Very little. Parents mainly provide materials, administer quizzes/tests, and check work using the included answer keys. |
| What type of homeschool learner benefits most from this curriculum? | Independent high school students who prefer straightforward lessons and manageable daily assignments often benefit most from this program. |
HomeschoolingFinds.com Author
Dawn is a passionate follower of Jesus, wife to Chris, and homeschool mom of five. In her spare time she loves to read, hike, and write on her blog Schoolin’ Swag. She enjoys reviewing curriculum and helping moms find the right fit for their family.