American History

Again, I am reorganizing my blog....changing pages into posts so I can track them. 

American History With Notebooking, Crafts, Timeline, and More......

We are using Sonlight History Readers, Read Alouds, and student readers. We are adding different books, readers, and read alouds that we like better. I've decided to not use the Landmark book from SL Core D for Bambi because she just was not getting into it as planned. I am using the Complete Book of United States History and DK Children's Encyclopedia of American History. We read, make crafts using History Pockets, Notebooking pages, timeline, and cook our way through American History. We have all the Liberty's Kids Videos and get on Discovery Education frequently. We are just making it up as we go and plan to learn a lot! I won't show all of the crafts, notebooking pages, etc. because there is so much of it.....I will along the way display some of her favorites though!

I found a map of North America and had Bambi show the different regions of Indian Tribes. She is now working on a comparison chart of each tribe describing their food, clothing, & shelter. She has done well! She will continue filling in her comparison chart as we learn about each tribe next week. I look forward to our crafts next week as I know she will, too! 

Weeks 1-2

For our Read Aloud this week, I choose not to read Walk the World's Rim from Sonlight. Instead, I'm reading Crazy Horse & Favorite North American Indian Legends.

Making a Navajo Necklace! Dying her pasta...she wanted blue but it ended up green!

taping on her foil to cover her 4 1/2 inch cardboard piece

Making her raised design

Here is what it looks like after you take the template off.

Making it look pretty

She did a beautiful job!

 

Thumper's History

My America and My World

History/Geography Reader by Abeka

I went with this book b/c Thumper was looking through the reader at our used homeschool store and he just wanted it! Luckily they had the TM to go along with it that breaks it into 32 lessons. There are activity suggestions also at the end of the lesson. We use history readers from SL Core D, with Big Sis, and The Wee Sing American Songs CD. We are still continuing our map/globe work from Legends and Leagues even though we are through with that. I really just needed a guide like this to keep my going on track.....Sometimes I feel that Science and History/Geography get put on the back burner if it's not planned out. My America and My World are short and sweet lessons for Thumper. His Notebook is getting filled with his work and he likes to look back to see what he has accomplished.

Federal City Brass Band at The National Archives

 

THE OLD NORTH STATE SONG

Carolina! Carolina! heaven's blessings attend her,
While we live we will cherish, protect, and defend her,
Tho' the scorner may sneer at and witlings defame her,
Still our hearts swell with gladness when ever we name her.

Chorus:
Hurrah! Hurrah! the Old North State forever,
Hurrah! Hurrah! the good Old North State.

Tho' she envies not others, their merited glory,
Say whose name stands the foremost, in liberty's story,
Tho' too true to herself e'er to crouch to oppression,
Who can yield to just rule a more loyal submission.

(Repeat chorus)

Then let all those who love us, love the land that we live in,
As happy a region as on this side of heaven,
Where plenty and peace, love and joy smile before us,
Raise aloud, raise together the heart thrilling chorus.

(Repeat chorus)

Reading Rainbow

To go along with Thumper's America lesson today we watched this Reading Rainbow episode.....We have been reading about our symbols of America.  Today we learned about the Statue of Liberty.......This episode was a perfect addition to end our lesson.
Reading Rainbow: The Statue of Liberty

The Star Spangled Banner Video

I plan on showing my kids this video about Francis Scott Keys creation of "The Star Spangled Banner." Thought I would share for those that are studying American History right now.



Anthem Video

 

HAPPY BIRTHDAY AMERICA!

My kids are loving the Liberty's Kids series and learning a ton about American History!
http://libertyskids.com/

Some Summer Learning!

Since June the kids have been finishing up their subjects from our 2011-2012 school year.  The girls are both finishing up Winning With Writing so we can jump into Essentials in Writing for the 2012-2013 school year.  We are anxious to start that program!  I will start a review on EIW when we start it, hopefully by the end of August.  The girls are also keeping up with math facts.  Bambi is working really hard on her facts using Time Tales, Xtra Math, Saxon flash cards, and Sum Dog  .  I want her to be ready for Saxon 5/4 Math which she will do independently with Saxon Teacher.
I haven't stopped lessons with Thumper.  At the beginning of Grade K, he was doing Saxon K Math....then by mid year he was in Saxon 1 and we are over halfway through it now.  So, I continue to keep on truckin' with that until we are ready to move to Saxon 2.  My kids have done really well using Saxon and my two girls rocked their state test for math.  Scores were incredible!  I am still using OPGTR with Thumper along with alot of readers from the library and his bookshelf.  We are on lesson 102!  I have noticed major changes with his attitude in reading.  He is now reading some Seuss books!

This summer we are working our way through the USA States!  It has been a success so far.  We are compiling our notebook pages along the way and when we are through I will use my proclick binder to make each of them a USA State Book!  I got a really great deal on my proclick binder at my local Office Depot.  It was only around $50!

Here are some materials we are using for our studies:

This is something we do in the evenings together and my kids don't want to miss a day of it!  They are absolutely loving it!  We add some History channel clips and documentaries to our studies as well!  It helps before learning a new state to go over the states and capitals that we have already learned.  This keeps the knowledge intact!  We do listen to the songs in the car and while playing with legos. I can't forget to mention about the American Grub book.  We do try to incorporate this for most of the states!  YUM!