Florida History Without A Textbook

It's no big secret that we live in steamy Florida.  My husband and children have lived here all their lives.  I, on the other hand, have only lived here my adult life along with a few years in early childhood.  I know what it's like for the seasons to actually change.  I often jokingly remark that Florida has one season.  Just different shades of summer.

Starting this year, we are learning Florida History. It is important that the children learn about their native state and it's rich history.  Being that it's not the state I learned about in elementary school, it will be a learning experience for me as well.  Thus began the great experiment!  We are not using a textbook although there are several available.  The local library even has the one that our public schools uses to teach 3rd graders.  We are doing it a little different.  You know being the rebel homeschoolers that we are!

Seriously, no textbook.  We are going to learn about the state bird and flower in nature.  We are going to incorporate some Florida artists and composers in our art and music studies.  Yes, we are going to read books with Florida as the setting like Because of Winn Dixie.  Books about Florida folk tales like Cracker Tales, which is our current read a loud. Some part of Florida history will be touched on in every subject.

My favorite part of this new way of learning is the field trips.  Yup, we are going to take field trips around the state to learn hands on. Field trips about history, agriculture , government, nature,  along with local customs and food It's no secret that my children are visual learners.  The memories that go along with these field trips will forever cement Florida history in their minds.  All while having fun and spending time together.  I heart homeschooling.

Our local news station has these great books called One Tank Trips.  They are little day trips that one can take to lots of places in Florida that are simply one tank of gas to take.  With the price of gas the way it is , this is an important factor.  We can't break the bank while learning about Florida.  The great part about living in Central Florida is that we are smack dab in the middle of the state.  We can go north or south usually on one tank.  This makes it easy to learn about the complete state.  There are 52 trips in each book so theoretically you could one per week. Our schedule , budget nor our car will allow that schedule for us.

So far, we have been to the Alafia River Rendevous (frontier Florida), The Straz Center , The Orlando Repertory Theater,  Florida Pioneer Museum in Dade City, the Museum of Fine Arts in St. Petersburg , The Butterfly Rainforest at the Museum of Natural History in Gainesville and the Port of Tampa. We've u-picked strawberries in Plant City and checked out native plants at a neighborhood plant nursery. Last week was the Port of Tampa . A phenomenal boat ride learning about how the Port helps out the Florida economy and what the history of it entailed.  One of my favorite field trips. I update my Facebook page with all the photos from our field trips. Have you "liked" me yet?

Tell me homeschooling friends, what do you do for state history?  Follow a curriculum or not?  Do you even touch on state history in your homeschool?  This seems to be working out well for us. I'd love to hear what ya'll are doing as well.  I will add a page to my blog where I will put all the things we do to cover Florida History in our little homeschool.