Homeschool Learning Ideas for November
Do you want to introduce your kids to a variety of people and places, historical time periods, and interesting ideas? Here you’ll find a big list of November homeschool ideas. Choose a few to explore and see what sparks their interest.
As you read through these ideas, you may be inspired to search out additional people, places, or events to learn about in November!
This article is part of a series of monthly homeschool learning ideas. Each month offers suggestions for seasonal activities and homeschool projects, along with a list of topics relevant to the month.
The learning suggestions are grouped in the following categories:
- Read Aloud Book Suggestions
- Movie/Book Combos
- Poetry
- Classical Music
- Quotes
- Artists (birthdays in November)
- Athletes (birthdays in November)
- Authors (birthdays in November)
- Composers (birthdays in November)
- Engineers (birthdays in November)
- Inventors (birthdays in November)
- Presidents (birthdays in November)
- Scientists (birthdays in November)
- Interesting People (birthdays in November)
- Unusual Occupations
- Animals
- Plants (seasonal related)
- World Landmarks
- Games
- Crafts (seasonal related)
- Study Skills
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Where to Find Learning Resources
After you decide on a few people or topics you want to learn about in November, head to your local library to check out books, magazines, movies, and more related to your topics of interest. You may find that your library system is able to request additional material from other libraries as well.
Another free source of information is YouTube. There is a massive amount of educational content on YouTube and a quick search will turn up many options to learn about almost anything.
For relatively inexpensive and sometimes free resources related to many of these topics, check out Teachers Pay Teachers.
Read-Aloud Suggestions for November
November is a great time to read a mystery, science fiction, or adventure novel. Here are a few suggestions for books to read together in November.
Heidi by Johanna Spyri
Twenty and Ten by Claire Huchet Bishop
An Elephant in the Garden by Michael Morpurgo
Where the Mountain Meets the Moon by Grace Lin
The Book Thief by Markus Zusak
Movie/Book Combos for November
If your child loves movies, but isn’t as keen to read, try reading a book that’s been made into a movie. Read the book together with the promise of a popcorn and movie-watching party when you’re finished! Or, if you think the movie will generate interest in the story, do it backwards for your child. Here are a few suggestions for November book and movie combos.
Escape from Mr. Lemoncello’s Library
Read: 100+ Family Movie Night Suggestions
Poetry to Read in November
Read poetry aloud to explore the rhythm of the words. Here are some poetry suggestions to consider for November.
November by Esther M. Clark
Thanksgiving by William Stanley Braithwaite
Thanksgiving Day by Lydia Maria Child
What the Birds Teach Us by J.R. Eastwood
Additional poems for November can be found at discoverpoetry.com.
Classical Music to Listen to in November
Choose a few pieces of classical music to listen to this month. Here are a couple of suggestions for November.
Chopin-Etude No.25-Winter Wind
Quotes to Ponder in November
In November we focus on thankfulness. Choose a quote to read and discuss in November. Here are a few suggestions to get you started.
“I am grateful for what I am and have. My thanksgiving is perpetual.”
– Henry David Thoreau
“Gratitude can transform common days into thanksgivings, turn routine jobs into joy, and change ordinary opportunities into blessings.”
– William Arthur Ward
“You cannot do a kindness too soon because you never know how soon it will be too late.”
– Ralph Waldo Emerson
More November Homeschool Ideas…
Artists Born in November
Claude Monet (French impressionist painter)
Georgia O’Keefe (American modernist artist)
Auguste Rodin (French sculptor)
Athletes Born in November
Nadia Comaneci (gymnastics)
Allyson Felix (running)
Ken Griffey, Jr. (baseball)
Authors Born in November
Frances Hodgson Burnett (The Secret Garden, A Little Princess)
Samuel Clemens “Mark Twain” (Huckleberry Finn, Tom Sawyer)
C.S. Lewis (Narnia series)
Astrid Lindgren (Pippi Longstocking)
Elizabeth George Speare (The Witch of Blackbird Pond)
Composers Born in November
Aaron Copland
John Philip Sousa
Engineers Born in November
Amar Bose (electrical engineer who founded the Bose Corporation)
Olive Dennis (engineer known for her innovations in railway travel)
Kate Gleason (first woman elected to the American Society of Mechanical Engineers)
Entrepreneurs Born in November
Andrew Carnegie (creator of Carnegie Steel Company)
Berry Gordy (founder of Motown Records)
Ruth Handler (co-founder of Mattel)
Soichiro Honda (founder of Honda Motor Company)
Ted Turner (founder of CNN)
Inventors Born in November
Robert Fulton (developed the steamboat)
Jack Kilby (co-inventor of the integrated circuit, handheld calculator, and thermal printer)
John Montagu – 4th Earl of Sandwich (perhaps the creator of the modern sandwich)
Adolphe Sax (inventor of the saxophone)
Scientists Born in November
Marie Curie (physicist and chemist who pioneered research on radioactivity)
Edmund Halley (English astronomer, mathematician, and physicist)
William Herschel (astronomer and composer, discovered the planet Uranus)
Edwin Hubble (American astronomer)
Lise Meitner (physicist partially responsible for the discovery of nuclear fission)
U.S. Presidents Born in November
James Polk (11th president)
Zachary Taylor (12th president)
Franklin Pierce (14th president)
James A. Garfield (20th president)
Warren G. Harding (29th president)
Other Interesting People Born in November
Benjamin Banneker (builder of the first American clock, almanac writer)
Christian Barnard (South African surgeon who performed the first heart transplant)
Dale Carnegie (writer of How to Win Friends and Influence People, public speaking course creator)
Sir Winston Churchill (British Prime Minister well known for his leadership during WWII)
Walter Cronkite (American broadcast journalist)
Billy Graham (American evangelist known for his large rallies)
Hedy Lamarr (actress and inventor)
Martin Luther (theologian and prominent voice of the Protestant Reformation)
Condoleezza Rice (served as national security advisor to President George W. Bush and later as U.S. Secretary of State)
Alan Shepard (astronaut, 2nd person and 1st American to travel into space)
Elizabeth Cady Stanton (writer and leader in the women’s rights movement in the 1800s)
Find even more interesting people with November birthdays noted on ThoughtCo’s list of November famous inventions and birthdays.
Interesting Occupations to Learn About in November
Animals to Learn About in November
Glass frog
Okapi
Wombat
Plants to Learn About in November
Garlic
Chrysanthemums
Arborvitae
World Landmarks to Learn About in November
Games to Play in November
Crafts to Make in November
Study Skills to Work On in November
Note taking: Encourage your student to try a variety of notetaking methods to determine what works best for them.
How to Take Notes in Class: 5 Best Methods (YouTube – Thomas Frank)
How to Take Notes Effectively (YouTube – Jim Kwik)
Taking Notes (YouTube – Crash Course Study Skills)
November Nonfiction Reads for Moms
Don’t forget to keep learning for yourself! Here are a few books to continue learning in the areas of time management, homeschooling, and Christian living.
The 12 Week Year by Brian Moran: Create focus and urgency by planning your time and setting goals in 12 week segments.
One Thousand Gifts by Ann Voskamp: Slow down and embrace everyday gratitude.
Raising Grateful Kids in an Entitled World by Kristin Welch: Help your kids learn the difference between “want” and “need,” and learn to cultivate appreciation for what they have.
What to Learn in November
Obviously, this is not a comprehensive list. Nor is it a prescriptive list of things you should study in November.
Choosing some of these topics to learn about in November will expose your kids to a variety of people, places, and ideas. If they find something or someone especially interesting, feel free to dive deep. If not, read a short excerpt, watch a short video, and move on to something else.
Your kids won’t necessarily know what they find interesting or exciting until they read, see, or hear something about it. Give them the chance to discover things that generate interest by providing a broad spectrum of learning opportunities this month.
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