3 Top Reasons Why Evan Moor’s History Pockets Rock

Today I am sharing an honest review of History Pockets by Evan-Moor. I have been using these homeschool history resources for two years and can’t wait to tell you all about it!!

These so-called pockets are on the top of my favorite homeschool history resources list. History should be fun and not hard to teach! History Pockets combine both, hands-on activities and art for kids. Kids learn about the time in history we’re reading about while coloring or crafting.

Who is History Pockets for?

Evan-Moor’s History Pockets is an exciting and engaging program that brings History alive. It is a guaranteed way to make your kids beg to learn more.

These fantastic unit studies are unlike other history curricula we’ve used in our homeschool. It is a multi-sensorial program that appeals to different styles of learning. This program mixes history and art together. It is efficient and so much fun to use!

Honestly, History Pockets are perfect for any homeschool family, especially those who love hands-on learning. If you love unit studies and lapbooks like me, this is exactly what you need!

There are two different levels and several different topics:

Grades 1-3

• Ancient Civilizations**
• Life in Plymouth Colony
• Native Americans**

Grades 4-6

• The American Civil War
• The American Revolution
• Ancient Rome
• Ancient Egypt**
• Ancient Greece
• Colonial America
• Explorers of North America**
• Moving West

**These are the ones we have done so far.

What does History Pockets cover?

It depends on the History Pocket theme.

Native American

The History Pockets Native Americans was the very first we did. If you are starting to teach American or Canadian History in your homeschool, this pocket is perfect for you!

My kids and I learned so much about the Native Americans and First Nations of Canada. If we had a love for these people before, we loved them even more after this study. We were fascinated by learning the most important facts about each tribe, what they ate, how they dressed, where they lived, etc. 

This theme was an open door for us to go to the library and grab some books to learn more. We also watched documentaries and listen to audiobooks while working on our History Pockets’ crafts.

Here are the 8 Native American tribes we’ve learned about:

• The Inuit of the Arctic  
• The Tlingit of the Northwest  
• The Nez Perce of the Plateau
• The Maidu of California
• The Sioux of the Plains  
• The Navajo of the Southwest  
• The Iroquois of the Northeast
• The Seminole of the Southeast

Explorers of North America

It was fantastic as we were learning American and Canadian history at the same time!! And even though I lived in the USA for many years and have lived in Canada for seven years, I didn’t know much of the history at all!

This theme covered important facts and expeditions of these early explorers:

• Christopher Columbus
• John Cabot
• Hernando Cortes
• Jacques Cartier
• Sir Francis Drake
• Henry Hudson
• Daniel Boone
• James Cook
• Lewis and Clark
• John Wesley Powell

For my kids, the highlight of this pocket was to write a letter asking for a job inside the Santa Maria. They were so creative persuading Columbus to hire them for their best skills! This program is really a lot of fun!

History Pockets Ancient Civilizations

Right now, this is what we using with my second-grader. This pocket is an introduction to History in general and an overview of the six greatest ancient civilizations. I honestly, did not remember learning most of these things in school. Just fascinating!

Here are the six ancient civilizations you can choose from:

• Mesopotamia
• Egypt
• Greece
• Rome
• China
• Aztec

TIP: We paired these resources with our Sonlight Curriculum and listened to Story of The World and Mystery of History related chapters while working on the crafts!

While I’m doing an overview of the six great ancient civilizations with my youngest, my fourth-grader and fifth-grader are diving deeper into Ancient Egypt. After this, we are planning on doing Ancient Greece as well.

Here are the main topics covered by each of these unit studies:

• Introduction
• Military Power
• Daily Life
• Government
• Religion and Mythology
• Work and School
• Art and Architecture
• Language and Literature
• Sports and Entertainment

No matter which theme you choose, all of them include:

• bookmarks with short fun facts
• maps
• a fact sheet for teacher and students
• arts and crafts projects
• writing activities

In our homeschool, we pick one lesson/pocket to work on for a week or two. I love how my kids get to read, write, color, draw, and build all in one lesson. You can go as deep as you want with their lessons.

How to Get Started With History Pockets?

As I mentioned before, you can use this resource as a completely independent unit study or combine it with any History curriculum you are already using in your homeschool.

Pick the History Pocket theme that fits your history cycle. This year, we are studying ancient civilizations but last year we studied American and Canadian History.

Evan-Moor offers a digital version and a printed version for you to choose from. If you want to start right away, go for the digital because you will have access to immediate download. Quite honestly, I find it easier to print since I have an awesome printer!!

Once you download your files, you will need paper to print, scissors, glue, and colored pencils.

Go to Evan-Moor now to pick the perfect unit study for you!

In Conclusion, History Pockets have been a hit in our homeschool for two years now.

• First, because it appeals to all kinds of learners.
• Second, because the lessons are done-for-you and they are thorough and easy to teach.
• Third, because the hands-on activities keep my kids engaged and having fun while they’re learning.
• And lastly, because I can use it by itself or combined with any other homeschool history resource I want!

All in all, it is a fantastic homeschool history curriculum that I highly recommend to all homeschoolers.

3 More Resources From Evan-Moor You Might Want To Try Now!

1. Evan-Moor’s Rewards Program. Receive a point for every $1.00 spent! Join our rewards program today!
2. Teacher File Box. Evan-Moor’s entire online lesson library only $99.99/per year! Get activities and lessons from over 600 Evan-Moor books. Ideal for educational enrichment in the classroom or at home!
3. Interactive Games for Kids (Grades 1–6). Only $3.99 for Mac/PC or iPads! Evan-Moor’s selection of interactive games engages children in practicing reading, writing, and science skills.

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Your Turn: Have you tried History Pockets yet? Do your kids love hands-on learning? Let me know down in the comments!

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