Teach 20th Century the Fun Way

The 20th Century is an exciting time in history to study! As a family, we decided to dig in and learn about this fabulous century and we had a blast doing it!

At the Turn of the Century, the automobile was brand-new and man was learning to fly a simple plane. By the end of the century man had stepped on the moon and had stations in space. 

So many new inventions changed life as we know it: insulin, rockets, radar, lasers, GPS, computers, plastic, and vaccinations are just a few. Can you imagine life with out plastic?

Most people lived on farms in the early 1900s, but by the end of the century, most people lived in cities and there were hundreds of cities around the world with over 1 million people in them. 

At the beginning of the century, vast empires ruled over large portions of the world including the Ottoman Empire, Austrian-Hungarian Empire, Russia, British Empire, and the Dutch Empire. After World War I, two of those empires fell and many new nations were created like Poland, Austria, Hungary, Yugoslavia, Estonia, and Finland.  The Middle East, once part of the Ottoman Empire, was divided into territories and later into nations: Iraq, Syria, Lebanon, and Palestine (later divided into Jordan and Israel). So many changes. 

There are so many exciting people to learn about from political leaders like Ronald Reagan and Winston Churchill to authors like G.K. Chesterton and C.S. Lewis, from missionaries like Gladys Aylward and Jim Elliot to heroes like Douglas MacArthur and Edith Cavell, and from businessmen like Henry Ford and Sam Walton to athletes like Babe Ruth and Jackie Robinson. 

When we decided to study 20th Century World History, I went searching for the stories. You can read those stories all together in HIS Story of the 20th Century. But, we didn't want to stop with the stories, we wanted to dig into the culture of the 20th Century.  

---

History Labs & Movies

We set up history labs where all ages could learn together with hands-on fun. We put on a Vaudeville Show for one lab with everyone dressing from the turn of the century. We tried on gas masks, made World War I planes out of craft sticks, ate a "Trench Sundae," and played "Dog Fights" on a computer game when we studied World War I. 

Once a month, we dressed up in the fashion of the decade and saw some great outfits. We also ate some delicious food that was popular in each decade. 

In our history labs, we played miniature golf, created a radio show on World War II, held our own Gran Prix, played Scrabble, learned to do the twist, splatter painted, tie-dyed shirts, and listened to music from each decade. One of my children's favorite things was the game labs where we played games popular in the decade we were studying. 

Another fun part of learning about the 20th Century was watching movies and television shows. For our movie list, visit History20Century Page at PowerlineProd.com. You will also find our historical fiction list on the same page. Movies always bring a time period alive, especially if you watch a movie actually made in that decade. Television shows do the same thing. We watched shows like Leave it to Beaver, I Love Lucy, Dick van Dyke, Brady Bunch, and Home Improvement. 

---

World War I Trench Sundae

History Game Lab: Scrabble

History Drama Lab: Vaudeville Show

Resources

If you would like to study the 20th Century, we are happy to share our resources with you. 

HIS Story of the 20th Century is a textbook with history labs. Looking at world history decade by decade, I share the stories behind the events in an interesting, engaging way. 

There is also a high school workbook and a middle school workbook that includes questions, more hands-on activities, writing and mapping assignments, and arts and crafts. There are answer keys for both workbooks. 

HIS Story of the 20th Century is available in print at Amazon and in E-book at PayHip and Currclick. These resources are all available in print at Amazon and the E-books at PayHip and Currclick. Click on each photo to learn more about each book and get links to purchase those books. 

I hope you will consider taking the plunge and studying this exciting time in history. 

God bless you & Happy Homeschooling!
Meredith Curtis

---