History & Social Studies at Follow The Light Academy
Meeting the men and women who shaped our nation — through stories of faith, courage, sacrifice, and God's hand in every generation. 32 weeks of discovery, character, and faith!
📜 Modern American History
From Pearl Harbor to the present day — America's greatest story, told with honesty, courage, and faith.
📋 Course Overview
Modern American History is not a course about memorizing dates and facts. It is a course about meeting the men and women who shaped our nation — the soldiers on Normandy's beaches, the marchers on Selma's bridge, the astronauts who reached for the moon, and the ordinary citizens who refused to give up on America when everything seemed to be falling apart. Every unit is anchored in an essential question that connects historical events to faith, to character, and to the real choices your student will one day face as a citizen. This course grows with your student: Grades 6–8 and Grades 9–12 follow the same rich, faith-integrated content — the difference is in the depth of writing and the formality of assessment. America's story is not finished. Your student is one of its next authors.
📚 Course Units — 10 Units · 32 Weeks
- 🌍 Weeks 1–5: The Road to War & World War II — Rise of Fascism, Pearl Harbor, the Home Front, D-Day, the Holocaust & V-J Day
- ❄️ Weeks 6–8: The Cold War Begins — Iron Curtain, Truman Doctrine, Korea, McCarthyism, the Arms Race & Space Race
- 🏠 Weeks 9–10: Postwar Prosperity & the 1950s — GI Bill, Baby Boom, Brown v. Board of Education & Montgomery Bus Boycott
- ✊ Weeks 11–13: The Civil Rights Movement — Sit-ins, Freedom Riders, the March on Washington, Selma & the Lasting Legacy
- 🕊 Weeks 14–16: The 1960s: JFK, LBJ & Vietnam — Cuban Missile Crisis, the Great Society, Tet Offensive & the Fall of Saigon
- 🔍 Weeks 17–18: The 1970s: Nixon, Watergate & Change — Détente, the Oil Embargo, Nixon's Resignation & Iran Hostages
- 🌅 Weeks 19–20: The Reagan Revolution & the 1980s — Reaganomics, the AIDS Crisis, Iran-Contra & the Fall of the Berlin Wall
- 🌐 Weeks 21–24: New World Order: 1989–2001 — Soviet Collapse, Gulf War, NAFTA, Oklahoma City, Clinton Presidency & Election 2000
- 🦅 Weeks 25–26: 9/11 & the War on Terror — The Attacks, Afghanistan, Iraq, Hurricane Katrina & the Financial Crisis
- ⭐ Weeks 27–32: 21st Century America — Obama to Today: Social Movements, COVID-19, Political Polarization & Capstone ★ Final Exam
✏️ Differentiated by Grade Level
Paragraph responses (3–5 sentences), short-answer unit tests, guided outline notes, map activities, timelines & creative primary-source projects. Capstone: illustrated timeline, poster, or short oral presentation.
Analytical essays (2–4 paragraphs) with cited evidence, three Document-Based Questions (DBQs) across the year, constructed essays on unit tests. Capstone: formal research paper (5+ sources) + class presentation.
📅 Course at a Glance
Live Zoom — Interactive
Grades 6–12
32 Weeks · 10 Units
Available — no full program needed
10 Unit Tests + Capstone + Final Exam
Scripture woven into every single unit
2026–2027
Modern American History Family Course Guide
Download the complete family guide — all 10 units, weekly structure, writing expectations & grading breakdown.
📥 Download Family Guide🦸 American Heroes — Social Studies for Young Patriots
From Native Americans to today's heroes — God raises up courageous, faithful people in every generation!
📋 Course Overview
American Heroes is all about real people, real faith, and real stories that change hearts! Students discover that God raises up courageous, faithful people in every single generation of our great nation — from the brave Native Americans who were the first to call this land home, to the heroes serving our communities today. Every lesson is designed for children to complete right at home, and our live Zoom sessions bring the whole class together to share discoveries, celebrate heroes, and grow in character. One of the most beautiful things about this class is that children of all ages K–5 learn side by side — just like a family — with activities thoughtfully matched to each child's age and stage.
📚 Course Units — 8 Units · 32 Weeks
- 🏹 Weeks 1–4: America's Earliest Heroes! — Native Americans, Explorers, Pilgrims & Founding Fathers (Squanto, Columbus, Washington & Franklin)
- ⚔️ Weeks 5–8: Heroes Who Built Our Nation! — Revolution, Faith, Constitution & Exploration (Paul Revere, James Madison & Sacagawea)
- 🌾 Weeks 9–12: Heroes of the Frontier! — Pioneers, Inventors & Texas Independence (Daniel Boone, Eli Whitney & Sam Houston)
- 🕊 Weeks 13–16: Heroes During Hard Times! — Abolitionists, Civil War Leaders & Healers (Harriet Tubman, Lincoln & Clara Barton)
- 💡 Weeks 17–20: Heroes of Progress! — Inventors, Aviators & Scientists of Faith (Edison, Wright Brothers & George Washington Carver)
- 🌟 Weeks 21–24: Heroes in Dark Times! — WWI, Great Depression, WWII & Courageous Faith (Desmond Doss & Corrie ten Boom)
- ✊ Weeks 25–28: Heroes of Civil Rights & Space! — Justice, Dignity & the Stars Above (Rosa Parks, MLK Jr., Neil Armstrong & Billy Graham)
- 🦸 Weeks 29–32: Today's Heroes! — Military, First Responders, Community & You!
🌱 Age-Differentiated Learning
Little historians learn through seeing, listening & sharing! Draw and color the week's hero, oral answers, guessing games & simple hero timeline coloring pages. Participation and curiosity are the gold standard — no wrong answers, only wonderful questions!
Illustrated Hero Notebook entries, weekly vocabulary matching, short written sentences & show-and-tell on Zoom. One short written activity each week. Effort matters more than perfection!
Written hero profile reports, research projects, fact cards, unit quizzes & Zoom presentations. Year-end Hero Hall of Fame project is a highlight! Thinking and writing like real historians — with faith guiding every discovery.
📅 Course at a Glance
Live Zoom — Interactive
Grades K–5
32 Weeks · 8 Units
Available — no full program needed
Hero Hall of Fame — Week 32!
Hero Notebook (composition notebook) only!
2026–2027
American Heroes Family Course Guide
Download the complete family guide — all 8 units, age-differentiated expectations & weekly activity overview.
📥 Download Family GuideAll History Courses Available À La Carte!
You don't need our full program to study history with us. Modern American History and American Heroes are both available as individual classes — perfect for families who want to add a great faith-integrated history course to their existing homeschool plan. Same great teacher. Same live Zoom classes. No full-program commitment needed!
Questions? We'd Love to Hear From You! 💛
Contact us to learn more about any of our history and social studies courses, family guides, pricing, or scheduling for 2026–2027.