Archives

Creating Timelines for History

Jul6

History timelines are a terrific way for helping students get a sense of time; see the significance of events; observe cause and effect, and how events interrelate. The best way to make this “come alive” is to have your child create their own. I have asked Molly, one of the homeschool moms whom I have had the privilege of reviewing her daughter’s work, if she would share how she has chosen to represent events.  She calls it “Calico History”. As you will see, she is creative and I think her scenes are purrfect! 🙂

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These are stuffed animals called Calico Critters. Notice the Statue of Liberty. 🙂

Calico Critter History

The Westward Expansion of the United States

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The space helmets are plastic balls that hold prizes you get out of a candy vending machine. I wonder if those are moon rocks?

Some tips from Molly:

You can use any toy your children like: Legos, plastic animals, Barbies, etc.

Let your children get creative with how to portray things and how to fabricate costumes, etc. This is a good problem solving exercise!

We used all kinds of stuff, including things we found outside, pictures we printed from Internet sites, craft supplies, Playdough, old bed sheets…use your imagination!

I am not an especially “crafty” person. I can’t sew more than to reattach a button. You don’t have to be “artsy” to have fun with this…playing and learning with your children is the best part of it!

Thank you for allowing me to share this,  Molly!

~Lisa

Mount Rushmore

Jun30

images-1Geography Lesson for Today!

My husband I recently visited family who live close to Mount Rushmore in the Black Hills of South Dakota. I thought since some of you may not get to visit this beautiful part of our amazing country that I would share a little about it.

  • On average, Mount Rushmore hosts nearly three million visitors a year.
  • It took 14 years and 400 men to carve the mountain. Despite harsh and dangerous conditions, no one died during the project.
  • Mount Rushmore cost nearly one million dollars and was mostly carved during the Great Depression.
  • Over 90% of Mount Rushmore was carved using dynamite. The blasts removed approximately 450,000 tons of rock. Details were finished with jackhammers and hand chisels.
  • The faces of Mount Rushmore are 60 feet high. That’s the same size as a six-story building. (Can your children name all of the men whose faces are on the mountainside?)
  • The eyes of each president are 11 feet wide, and their mouths are approximately 18 feet wide.
  • Thomas Jefferson’s face on Mount Rushmore was originally started on the opposite side of George Washington, but 18 months into the carving, they realized the granite was too weak. His face was dynamited off and carved on the other side.
  • To turn the dream of Mount Rushmore into reality, sculptor Gutzon Borglum and U.S. Senator Peter Norbeck had to get creative to secure federal funding. They invited President Calvin Coolidge to come to Custer State Park for a vacation so they could convince him to fund the carving of Mount Rushmore. To keep the president in the state, workers stocked the stream outside his room every night with thousands of trout. The president found the fishing so good, he decided to extend his stay for two months— just long enough to convince him to fund the carving of Mount Rushmore.
  • The men who carved Mount Rushmore were mostly miners who had come to the Black Hills in search of gold—they knew little about carving a mountain, let alone creating a giant work of art.  While the money was considered good at $8 a day, the project often ran out of money, causing the men to be furloughed or laid off.  But to their credit, when the mountain would start up again, the men would quit their jobs and come back to work on Mount Rushmore.

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Source: http://www.visitrapidcity.com

Minecraft Online Classes

Jun1

imgresDo you have a child who is interested in Minecraft? Did you know there are online classes that your student can enroll in that would correlate with your school? Minecraft Homeschool has classes that are related to history, language arts, math, and science. Classes do not have a set time so they can be taken when it is convenient for your schedule.

Here is the website to see if anything interests your student. Chances are that you will have to limit the amount of classes s/he will want to take! Game Academy

Memorial Day

May25

It‘s time for a History lesson!

For many Americans Memorial Day is the beginning of Summer with BBQ’s and camping trips, and a vague idea of something being celebrated because it is a national holiday. So, what are we celebrating and how did it begin? It is an occasion to honor the men and women who died in all wars that America has participated in.

The holiday was first observed on May 30, 1868, when Union General John A. Logan declared the day an occasion to decorate the graves of Civil War soldiers. Twenty years later, the name was changed to Memorial Day. On May 11, 1950, Congress passed a resolution requesting that the President issue a proclamation calling on Americans to observe each Memorial Day as a day of prayer for permanent peace and designating a period on that day when the people of the United States might unite in prayer. President Richard M. Nixon declared Memorial Day a federal holiday in 1971. Memorial Day is now observed on the last Monday of May.

How should it be observed? 

It is customary to mark Memorial Day by visiting graveyards and war monuments. One of the biggest Memorial Day traditions is for the President or Vice President to give a speech and lay a wreath on soldiers’ graves in the largest national cemetery, Arlington National Cemetery, in Virginia. Most towns have local Memorial Day celebrations. Here are some ways you can honor the men and women who serve our country:

  • Put flags or flowers on the graves of men and women who served in wars.
  • Fly the U.S. flag at half-staff until noon.
  • Visit monuments dedicated to soldiers, sailors and marines.
  • Participate in a National Moment of Remembrance at 3 p.m. local time.
  • Attend a Memorial Day parade.
  • If you know someone who has fought in a war or served in the military, show you appreciation by thanking them or making a card.

Source of information: http://www.timeforkids.com

 

Travels with Charlie: A book about U.S.Geography

Mar23

books“Who is Charlie?!” Charlie is the name of a cartoon character dog after which this series, written by Miles Backer, is named. I first saw this book on the internet and thought it would be a great resource for teaching younger students geography. Each page has some facts about the state and some questions to research, plus children must look at each page to locate Charlie somewhere on the page. It would be beneficial to have a map or atlas for your student as you discuss each state. Take your time with these books; I would suggest that you only do one state at a time and not rush through. I am going to spotlight some states by giving you activities and a craft to accompany your reading. If you are interested in purchasing the books or seeing more information, click on the individual titles listed below.

Travels with Charlie Way Out West

Our first stop is Alaska! How about printing a map of Alaska so your student(s) can color and label it? Here is a website with a collection of various maps of Alaska to color. CLICK HERE

Alaska is bigger than Texas, California, and Montana combined. And we thought Texas was big! You will find more interesting facts to read by clicking here

Time for Kids has information on the area, the people, and the animals of Alaska.

Travels with Charlie Down South 

Tennessee, the home of Ruby Falls Cavern, is sure to be a springboard for a study on caves and caverns.  Have you ever heard of cave popcorn, soda straws, or cave bacon? Here are pictures and facts for the various formations found in caves. CLICK HERE

How about making a cave in a cup? Sometimes it is hard to explain how water can eat away at rock, but this activity is perfect for showing the effects of acidic water on limestone. CLICK HERE

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Travelin’ the Northeast

The beautiful state of Maryland is one of the states featured in this book. Did you know there is a Miss Crustacean Beauty Pageant held there? In honor of this event, your student can make a crab craft.

As you can see, there are all kinds of activities and lessons you can do with your child when going  on an adventure with Charlie. Have a good time, and don’t get lost! 🙂