The Civil War Made Simple: A Curriculum for Homeschool Families

Explore the Civil War era with your homeschoolers using this Charlotte Mason curriculum packed with living books and creative activities!

Discover the Past with the “Civil War” Curriculum for Charlotte Mason Homeschoolers

Are you ready to bring history to life in your homeschool? Our “Civil War” Charlotte Mason curriculum offers an engaging and thoughtful journey into one of the most pivotal periods in American history.

Designed for homeschoolers, this curriculum combines living books, hands-on activities, and nature study to immerse your family in the people, events, and lessons of the Civil War era. You’ll explore key battles, influential figures, and the societal changes that shaped the nation—all while fostering meaningful discussions about courage, perseverance, and compassion.

With “Civil War,” you’ll have everything you need to inspire a love of history in your children while teaching critical thinking and empathy. This curriculum provides the perfect blend of history, literature, and art to enrich your homeschool.

Let’s explore the Civil War together! Dive into this hands-on learning experience today and make history a subject your family will never forget.

Try Historical Recipes with this Tea Time Spread

One of our favorite activities in this curriculum is the tea time recipe section, where you can whip up treats inspired by the Civil War era! Delight your family with creamy Blancmange or bake Mary Todd Lincoln’s famous White Cake—perfect for a taste of history. Each recipe is paired with a tea-time reading selection, so you can enjoy stories from the era while savoring these timeless flavors. It’s a delicious way to bring history to life in your homeschool!

civil war recipes — *Civil War* Tea Time Spread- Blancmange, Gingerbread Nuts, Pickled Limes, and Mary Todd Lincoln Cake.

Mary Todd Lincoln’s White Cake
Blancmange
Hard Tack
Cornbread
Ginger Nuts
Pickled Limes

Here are a few of the historical-inspired recipes we have in store for you. Explore the foods made and eaten during the Civil War and connect with the stories of those who lived through this period!

Add a Poem to Your Tea Time:

We have included several poetry selections from various men who served in the Civil War that we feel capture the essence of the struggles, suffering, and resilience of those who lived throughout it, including Walt Whitman, who served as a doctor for the Union side during the war. Whitman’s famous piece, “I Hear America Singing,” is our chosen selection for today! We have included copywork for this poem and more for ages ranging from primary through high school, as well as a biography on Whitman and our other featured poet, Henry Timrod for further study.

I Hear America Singing
by Walt Whitman

I hear America singing, the varied carols I hear,

Those of mechanics, each one singing his as it should be blithe and strong,

The carpenter singing his as he measures his plank or beam,

The mason singing his as he makes ready for work, or leaves off work,

The boatman singing what belongs to him in his boat, the deckhand singing on the steamboat deck,

The shoemaker singing as he sits on his bench, the hatter singing as he stands,

The wood-cutter’s song, the ploughboy’s on his way in the morning, or at noon intermission or at sundown,

The delicious singing of the mother, or of the young wife at work, or of the girl sewing or washing,

Each singing what belongs to him or her and to none else,

The day what belongs to the day—at night the party of young fellows, robust, friendly,

Singing with open mouths their strong melodious songs.

Discover the Civil War in the 180+ page “Civil War Morning Time Session”!

Get ready to travel back in time with our beautifully crafted “Civil War Morning Time Session!” This 180+ page guide has everything you need to immerse your family in the study of the Civil War through creative, hands-on learning activities.

Inside, you’ll find:

6-week Calendar with each subject scheduled on it
Prayer and scripture memorization
Copywork selections from Matthew 12:25, Psalm 133:1, The Gettysburg Address, Charleston, I Hear America Singing,and Abraham Lincoln’s Prayer for Peace in primary, elementary, cursive, and a notebook sheet for high school students (and moms)
Memory Work: Prayer, scripture memory, and poetry memorization
Living Books recommended reading list
Artist & Picture Study: Winslow Homer with six printable art pieces
Music Study: Patrick S. Gilmore
Poet Study: Walt Whitman & Henry Timrod with poetry selections
Hymn Study: “Battle Hymn of the Republic”, with sheet music, listening links, and copywork
Folk Song Study: “Aura Lee”, with sheet music and listening links
6 Teatime Recipes: Mary Todd Lincoln’s White Cake, Blancmange, Hard Tack, Cornbread, Ginger Nuts, and Pickled Limes
Teatime Readings: “A Nameless Grave” poem, Chapter 5 “Being Neighborly,” from Little Women, The Four Oxen and the Lion, by Aesop, “The Emancipation Proclamation,” by Abraham Lincoln, “The Paradise of Children,” from The Wonder Book, and “Rumplestiltzkin,” from The Blue Fairy Book
Shakespeare Play: “Pericles”
Handicraft: Penny Rug
Art Lesson: “Our Banner in the Sky” inspired by Frederic Edwin Church
Nature study: Nocturnal Animals
And more!

Ready to explore history using tried and true Charlotte Mason methods? Get your guide today and let your adventure begin!

Purchase the Civil War Morning Time Session for Only $47

Recreate a Famous Civil War Era Painting!

In this curriculum, we have included an art lesson recreating the symbolic painting “Our Banner in the Sky,” by the famed artist Frederic Edwin Church. Church was inspired to create this piece at the beginning of the Civil War, as he saw the nation he loved being torn apart from the inside by conflict. Yet this piece evokes a sense of hope that the nation would carry on in spite of the hardships its people endured. It is that spirit of hope and resilience that we celebrate as we recreate this painting today!

Our Banner in the Sky, recreated by Alisha Gratehouse.

Enjoying your painting too much to stop? Grab these lessons from the Masterpiece Society to keep the fun going!

Historical ARTchives: United States

African American Artists

Living Books to Explore the Civil War In Your Homeschool

Discover more about this pivotal period with these living books that will make history come alive for your family. Check them out from your local library or add your favorites to your family’s permanent collection by grabbing them below!

Elementary & Middle Grades

Pink and Say Henry’s Freedom Box: A True Story from the Underground Railroad Sweet Clara and the Freedom Quilt (Reading Rainbow Books)Minty: A Story of Young Harriet Tubman A Picture Book of Sojourner Truth (Picture Book Biography)A Picture Book of Frederick Douglass (Picture Book Biography)A Picture Book of Abraham Lincoln (Picture Book Biography)A Picture Book of Robert E. Lee (Picture Book Biography)The Last Brother: A Civil War Tale (Tales of Young Americans)The Drinking Gourd (Rise and Shine) (I Can Read Level 3)Winslow Homer (Getting to Know the World’s Greatest Artists (Paperback))The Civil War (A True Book: The Civil War) (A True Book (Relaunch))Iron Thunder (I Witness)Poetry for Young People: Walt Whitman The Golden Book of the Civil War Civil War On Sunday (Magic Tree House #21)Abe Lincoln at Last! (Magic Tree House (R) Merlin Mission)Magic Tree House Fact Tracker: Abraham Lincoln: A Nonfiction Companion to Magic Tree House #47: Abe Lincoln at Last!If You Grew Up With Abraham Lincoln Meet Addy: An American Girl (The American Girls Collection Book 1)Across Five Aprils Courageous Women of the Civil War: Soldiers, Spies, Medics, and More (17) (Women of Action)The Civil War: The Story of the War with Maps Abraham Lincoln, 75th Anniversary Edition

Upper Grades

Abraham Lincoln’s World, Expanded Edition The Civil War: A Visual History (DK Definitive Visual Histories)The Civil War: Exploring History One Week at a Time (The Seven-Day Scholar)The Boys’ War: Confederate and Union Soldiers Talk About the Civil War The Red Badge of Courage: A Novel of the Civil War, by Stephen Crane Uncle Tom’s Cabin by Harriet Beecher Stowe Harriet Tubman and the Underground Railroad With Lee in Virginia: A Story of the American Civil War Little Women (150th Anniversary Edition): With Foreword and 200 Original Illustrations Hospital Sketches [with Biographical Introduction]Rifles for Watie

We hope you enjoy uncovering history with this Civil War curriculum!

The “Civil War” curriculum isn’t just about learning dates and facts—it’s about bringing the stories of the past to life in a way your kids will never forget. With its blend of hands-on activities and living books, this study will help you spark curiosity and meaningful conversations in your homeschool. History doesn’t have to be boring or overwhelming—it can be a journey you take together as a family. So why not jump in and explore the “Civil War” curriculum today? You’re going to love where it takes you! And remember: