I first wrote the booklet about early Native American homes because I could not find something simple for a brief introduction to Native Americans for my son. I wanted him to understand that there was a variety of cultures living on the American continent before Europeans arrived. I wanted him to understand that the vastness
To begin my hands-on American History class at my homeschool co-op, I decided to introduce the world explorers by playing our Guess Who?-inspired game: Guess the World Explorer! Not all of the kids knew details about the various world explorers, so we revisited the information cards to learn as we played.Setting up the World Explorers
In anticipation of the upcoming holiday, we read The Very First Thanksgiving Day. I made my preschool daughter a simple puppet template related to the traditional first Thanksgiving dinner with the Pilgrims and the Wampanoags. Although she is young, playing with First Thanksgiving Story Puppets is a nice start to understanding the meaning of the
On September 11, 2001, I got up early because that was the only time my apartment of six was quiet. I read the entire New York Times and headed up to my early Economics class. When I got there, I learned of the attacks in New York. It’s hard to consider how to teach of
Pioneer Day is celebrated July 24 in Utah, which is where a lot of my husband’s family lives. It celebrates the first arrival of pioneers in the Salt Lake Valley. Although we aren’t living there, we thought it would be a good time to slip in a study about covered wagon pioneers. After our covered wagon
Little House in the Big Woods introduces children of today to how children in the 1800s lived, ate, and played. My kids and I have read Laura Ingalls Wilder’s Little House in the Big Woods a few times of the past few years (Click here to see the book listed on Amazon). I was delighted
Each summer, my kids and I celebrate our pioneer heritage, especially those who traveled across the infant American continent in covered wagons and by foot. To make the concept more hands on for my kids, we decided to make a covered wagon! This covered wagon craft is pretty simple to decorate and assemble. Making the
We do not usually do a lot of formal learning during the summer, because we are running around with swim team and family trips. This coming school year we’ll be studying American History! The middle-of-the-summer celebration of Independence Day gives a nice chance to slip some history review into our day over the summer. Since
I absolutely love history. So does my middle kid. But my youngest doesn’t love history yet, despite my best intentions. History time sometimes even prompts a groan. But when I showed her that the world history box I’d just received was a set of hands-on activities and crafts, her face lit up and she couldn’t wait
There is one game we have come back to time and again in our homeschool, and that is Marco Polo’s Silk Road Game. In this game, we review the ancient trade routes that Marco Polo traveled as he went from Venice to China. We try our hand at buying and selling goods along the way,
I’ve been on a mission! I am looking for the best Martin Luther King picture book for my young readers. As a homeschool parent, I have kids a variety of ages, so I wanted to select picture books and Martin Luther King biographies for kids of varying levels. My favorite Martin Luther King picture books
I realize that my children are young, but I decided we needed to learn about his grandparents and great-grandparents who served in the armed forces today. Understanding the service given by veterans helps us understand the freedom we truly enjoy came at a cost.
