Civil War Unit Study American Girl Addy

American Girl Addy Civil War Unit Study

Civil War Unit Study

Welcome to Addy’s World 1854:
Growing Up During America’s Civil War

*Note: This is such a deeply emotional topic of study, that will surely create much discussion and perhaps some sadness, anger, and confusion for children.  I hope to convey some positive points (stories of courage, faith, hope against all hope, and the deepest expressions of love) that will help sort out what can be learned,  so that in our personal lives and in the life of our communities and our countries, we will never repeat a history such as this.


The Civil War (American Girl Addy) Unit Study Overview

Here’s what you’ll find in the Addy Unit Study !

We will be discovering!
What was life like during this period of history?  We’ll dig deep and see it happening through the eyes of Addy Walker, a courageous young girl who escapes life as a slave in North Carolina, and then must learn how to live as a free girl in her new home in Philadelphia.  

We will read her stories.
Real life tales of battles and spies!  Heartbreak for certain, but also amazing true stories of perseverance and immense bravery.  We will find out how Addy and others made their way in the dark on the underground railroad ,and the friends they made along the way.  And we will explore Addy’s new life in a free state where she finally gets to go to school!

*Helpful Resources:
Hands-On learning makes history come to life! 

There are tons of ideas each week to try.    Crack the Morse Code mystery, make your own secret direction quilt,  write your own freedom song, make Addy’s favorite meal, or learn to sew a rag doll !And if you have a student who LOVES printables, you’re in luck!
I’ve created all kinds of Printables for planning and activities to go along with the lessons each week.
There are themed copy work pages, word searches, Vocabulary Bingo games, and lots of other fun and creative activities to add to your study of the Civil War.
You’ll also find suggestions for EXTRA fun field trip ideas specifically for this unit!  You can find this resource in the BOOK STORE, or by clicking the image below!

Civil War American Girl Addy Printable Power Pack

 

 

 

Civil War (Addy) Printable Power Pack
History Detective printables, Recipe Pages, Coloring Pages, Vocabulary Word Searches, Science Experiment Template, Copy Work Pages, Maps, and more!

 

 

 

 

Civil War Addy Unit Study PDF Version


*Civil War Unit PDF Version
-140 Printable Pages
-Week at a Glance Pages
-Daily Lesson Plans arranged by week
-Planning Sheets (field trips, library list, projects, etc…)
-Live Links (so you can preview)
-People, Places, Events, Vocabulary Pages

 

 

 

 

history unit studies

 

*For a complete overview of this and ALL of the other American Girl Unit Studies in this series, you can check out this post-
American Girl Unit Studies Overview
(Outline of topics covered in Literature, Science, Geography, Bible, History, and Art for each unit)

 

 

 

 

American flags for children's books about american history

 

*Check out my  Book List for each of the American Girl Units!
Scroll down to the Addy section and I have a list of all my very favorite resources for this unit!  Historical fiction, movie suggestions, craft kits, hands-on activity guides, and lots more!
If you have some older students (or boys!) you can also find even MORE resources in the Early American History Booklist!

 

 

columbus discovers america native americans and the revolutionary war free early american history curriculum

 

*For those of you who are using this unit for your whole family (or just looking for even more ideas!) and may be looking for more resources for your older kids, you can find lots of online reading, activities, etc in my Free Early American History Curriculum.

 

 

 


Also, be sure to follow my American Girl Pages on Pinterest for all kinds of additional ideas, including:

Addy:  Civil War Unit
Addy’s Christmas
EXTRAS for Addy Unit

 

questions about Free History Curriculum

 

 

How Do I Use This Unit?
This unit is written out as a 5 day a week unit, lasting for 3 Weeks.   HOWEVER, the very best way to use it is however it works best for YOUR family!   The unit can be used as is, or use it as a spine and add all you’d like to it!

Do I have to do ALL of the things listed each day?
Absolutely NOT!
Actually, I have listed WAY MORE reading, activities, etc than would even be possible to complete in a day.  You will notice as soon as you start working through these units that some of the links suit the Littles best, and some are meant for your older kiddos.  USE what works for your family!
If you purchased the Addy PDF Version of this unit, one handy way to use that is to print it out and highlight the links and activities that you want to cover each day.  Also a good way to keep up with anything you have previewed and decided was a good fit!

Teaching Tips For The Littles-

-First, go through the daily plans and choose the reading, explore it more, and activities that you think your Littles will love!
-Read and learn together!
Think about the memories made curled up and reading together with your big kids and Littles… the learning is the icing on the cake!  If your younger kiddos are too wiggly for curling up, mine LOVED to  color while I read aloud.  I have suggested coloring pages for each day’s lesson.   Even when it doesn’t look like they’re listening, you’d be amazed at how much they absorb!   Scrapbooks or history notebooks are a super fun way for the younger kids to have some “school work” to be proud of and show grandparents!
The Hands-On History Christmas Posts are extra fun and great for all ages, or to extend a unit!

Do you have older kids, or kids that are extra excited to learn about this part of history in greater detail? Wish that this unit was longer?
This unit could easily stretch out for several months or more if everyone is enjoying it and curious to search out more!
First, you could choose to do all of the suggested sections/links in the plans.
I also have FREE Early American History  (Week 7) and Modern American History curriculum that aren’t unit studies, and are geared toward older students.  This series has TONS more links to reading, activities, videos, an entirely different Book List, etc that could easily plugged in.
You can also add some of the suggested resources like the Civil War Printable Power Pack, adding in the printables, and lots of the reading books in the Book List.  Add in more hands-on projects, more field trips, expand the art, science, or geography studies!  The choice is YOURS!
Cut out the hands-on if your family doesn’t enjoy that kind of thing, or complete every single one and host a Pioneer Museum Night to display all your handiwork!
This is the beauty of homeschooling (and of a FREE curriculum lol)!
Arrange it and use it however it benefits your family most.


Nothing else is required!

I have written a post –>  The American History/American Girl Book List
This is my list of favorite related literature, paper doll books, cook books, activity books, science books, movies, games, etc.  I’ve also have included 3 of the 6  books from the Kirsten series in the lessons, but they aren’t necessary or integral to any activities in the unit.  These books are excellent for independent or read alouds!

Also, if your family enjoys listening to audiobooks, there is a new series of Historical American Girl Addy Audiobook versions on Amazon.

*Last Note:
I am in no way affiliated with, or compensated by the American Girl Company.
There are however links in this unit for some of the suggested books.  They will take you directly to Amazon.  And, as an Amazon affiliate, I receive a small commission from any purchases that you may make.  There is no extra charge to you whatsoever.  Thank you for helping support my work in this way 🙂

**America’s Civil War Unit Study- American Girl Addy**

 

*Core Reading:

Welcome to Addy's World 1864 book

Welcome to Addy’s World 1864

*Week 1: “Welcome to Addy’s World 1864”-  Life in the South 

1.  “Welcome to Addy’s World 1864″   (p. 1-3)-  Meet Addy
2.  “Welcome to Addy’s World 1864″   (p. 26-29)-  Intro to the Civil War & Slavery
3.  “Welcome to Addy’s World 1864″   (p. 30-31; 34-35) –  Addy’s Family
4.  “Welcome to Addy’s World 1864″   (p. 32-33)-  Addy’s Faith
5.  “Welcome to Addy’s World 1864″   (p. 36-37 )-  Songs to Freedom

 

*Week 2: “Welcome to Addy’s World 1864″- North to Freedom

1.  “Welcome to Addy’s World 1864″   (p. 38-39)-  The Underground Railroad
2.  “Welcome to Addy’s World 1864″   (p. 8-11; 20-21)-  New Beginnings in the North
3.  “Welcome to Addy’s World 1864″    (p. 14-15; 12-13)-  Children Still Played
4.  “Welcome to Addy’s World 1864″    (p. 16-19)-  Civil War Era Fashion
5.  “Welcome to Addy’s World 1864″    (p. 22-23)-  The Church Family

 

*Week 3: “Welcome to Addy’s World 1864”- America’s “Civil” War

1.  “Welcome to Addy’s World 1864″    (p. 4-7)-  The Nation at War
2.  “Welcome to Addy’s World 1864″    (p. 42-43)-  The Homefront- South
3.  “Welcome to Addy’s World 1864″    (p. 44-45)-  The Homefront- North
4.  “Welcome to Addy’s World 1864″    (p. 46-49)-  The War Ends !
5. “Welcome to Addy’s World 1864″     (p. 50-58)-  Moving On! A New South        

 

The spine for this unit is Welcome to Addy’s World“,  however you still can do this unit without the book!  I have also included 3 of the chapter books in the Addy series for extra reading, but they are NOT required and none of the activities rely on them.  🙂
They are really good though and add to the fun!

 

love reading books

*Read It…Watch It…Explore It…Try It!

 

american girl unit study

*Week 1: Life in the South During the Civil War

American Girl Addy Series,  Book 1, Meet  Addy
(There are 6 books in this series, so you could choose how much to read each week (and which books) depending on your child’s level and interests.  I just listed one book per week.   You can find discussion questions and activities for these books at ‘Krazy Kuehner Days’-  Meet Addy Comprehension Questions & Activities .)

This is a very difficult topic to introduce to young children.  Some parts of these books are quite heart wrenching.  You may like to read ahead of your children and allow some time for good discussions!

Meet Addy American Civil War Book

 

1.  “Welcome to Addy’s World 1864″   (p. 1-3)-  Meet Addy
2.  “Welcome to Addy’s World 1864″   (p. 26-29)-  Intro to the Civil War & Slavery
3.  “Welcome to Addy’s World 1864″   (p. 30-31; 34-35) –  Addy’s Family
4.  “Welcome to Addy’s World 1864″   (p. 32-33)-  Addy’s Faith
5.  “Welcome to Addy’s World 1864″   (p. 36-37 )-  Songs to Freedom

 

*Note:
You may want to talk to your children during this week’s lesson about the different ideas that people have about the real reason the Civil War started.  The major reasons are states rights, slavery, industry, and even the spread of Christianity.  These ideas are all pretty much touched on in the reading and videos I have listed throughout this unit.  I tried to find resources that presented what I believe to be true, that the war happened for ALL of the above reasons.  Slavery as one of these reasons however, became the face of the fight, and perhaps became the reason for the continuation of the war itself.  And so, there is the largest emphasis on this topic.
*Antebellum Period  (Slavery & Politics)
This is a good short video for parents to watch for a review… or for older students.

WHY is it important to understand that the Civil War was about more than slavery?
Just as we must study and understand history, so we can grow forward into a better and more unified nation, AND not repeat the awful parts of the past, we need to understand the Civil War for these same reasons.
As I am typing this, our country is in the midst of some MAJOR disagreements over equally as compelling issues.  States rights and the reach of the Federal Government are constantly being argued about.  Their is disunity among our nations leaders, our state’s leaders, and even among our neighbors.

History tends to repeat.  There is nothing new under the sun.
It’s WHAT we do with what we have LEARNED and UNDERSTOOD that can make a difference in the outcome!

I’m so glad that YOU are teaching your children the whole story of History!
If I’ve left something out that you see that needs representation in presenting the WHOLE big picture of this era, and is appropriate for the kiddos to study, please leave me a comment or send me an email!

 

+Day 1:  Meet Addy

 

*Core Reading:
“Welcome to Addy’s World 1864″   (p. 1-3)-  Meet Addy
-“Meet Addy”

 

*Read!

– Meet Addy and try some fun activities on the interactive American Girl website.
– Addy’s World:  Explore Stories of Daily Life During the Civil War
– Meet Addy Comprehension Questions and Activities
(These are good even if you didn’t opt to read the “Meet Addy” book!)

What is Slavery?
How Did Slavery Begin?
History of Slavery in the United States

-Addy in  North Carolina.
(Read a bit about what her life might have been like there before she escaped to Philadelphia.)
+Slavery in North Carolina
+North Carolina A to Z “Mini-Pages”
(This “newspaper” can be printed too!)
*Note:  We will cover North Carolina in detail in the Geography section

-Take a tour of a Plantation House in the Antebellum South
(*Antebellum-  a long word for “pre” wartime)

Events Leading Up to the Civil War

-You may like to read ‘Uncle Tom’s Cabin:  Young Folk’s Edition together online for this unit study.
I cover the importance of this book in more depth in Week 2, Day 2 , including links to free ebooks, etc…
PLEASE read the note at the top of the site page before deciding on reading book.   Thanks!  🙂

 


*Watch!

– Meet Addy & Her Family and the beginning of their dangerous journey north !
-Listen to Chapters 1-2 of ‘Meet Addy’

Stagville Plantation
(This is the site that researchers based Addy’s story on!  Mary Walker was a real enslaved woman at this plantation and one of the only slaves that was able to escape north to freedom!)
Take a Tour of Stagville Plantation
(Really good introduction to what life was like for Addy and her family!)

What is a Slave?

Follow the Drinking Gourd     (Did Addy & Momma sing a song like this while they walked?)
The Story of “Follow the Drinking Gourd”     (about 5 minutes)
–  ‘All Night Forever’ PBS short video (4 minutes) in striking photos & narration .
This is a good introduction to explain what it may have been like to live during Addy’s lifetime…
There is one image of a slave’s buttocks, and 2 mentions made by the slaves that they would rather be dead than enslaved.

-Video of Slave Houses at Boone Hall Plantation, Charleston, SC
What Did the Slaves Eat?

 

*Explore It More!

– The North and the South in 1861    (Interactive Map)
-Print the map of Eastern United States
(Label the states of North Carolina, Pennsylvania, and the city Philadelphia.  You could also use this map, or another copy of it, to “follow” the drinking gourd!  It is quite impressive to point out how far Addy & her family had to travel to find safety and freedom!)!

-Explore what Addy’s House might have looked like
Virtual Tour of Slave Quarters at Mount Vernon
(Not the mid 1800s, but representative)

-Make Addy’s Wooden Spool Puppet
-Try making Addy’s Shortbread Recipe

 

+Civil War Coloring pages to use for notebooking, lap booking, etc….or just for fun!

 North Carolina coloring page
(This site can be finicky sometimes.  Just refresh the page a few times if you have trouble & it should do the trick!)
Addy’s Life  Lapbook 
– Addy Crossword Puzzle
Picking Cotton
Daily life at home coloring page


+Day 2: Introduction to the Civil War & Slavery

 

*Core Reading:
“Welcome to Addy’s World 1864″   (p. 26-29)-  Intro to the Civil War & Slavery
-“Meet Addy”


*Read!

The beginning of a “civil” war  and The Civil War Begins
(Mr. Donn’s site…LOTS & LOTS of links to introduce the topic of the civil war)
Introduction to slavery and the Civil War
(PBS Webisode series.  Read or listen to the text, teacher’s guides, printables, etc…)

What was life like for a kid during the Civil War?

*Who was the President during the Civil War?
Abraham Lincoln
Short Biography of Abraham Lincoln
Who Was Mary Todd Lincoln?
-Listen to Bedtime History-  Abraham Lincoln

*TWO Presidents?
Who was Jefferson Davis?

The Red Badge of Courage  is a classic… this is probably best suited for older children, but everyone may enjoy watching the movie together!
The Red Badge of Courage    (Full length movie)
OR The Red Badge of Courage (free audio book)

 

*Watch!

The Civil War   short introduction       (Brain Pop video)
*The Civil War- A Kid Explains History  (note: though he begins by saying the war was caused by a disagreement about slavery, he continues to explain more about some of the deeper causes)
Road to the Civil War  (about 9 minutes)
What caused the civil war ?                  (YouTube video-  About 3 minutes)
Causes of the Civil War      (About 4 minutes)
(This is a balanced and clear explanation of the different reasons that people still disagree about today!)
Nettie’s Trip South by Ann Turner
(Just the pages of this book shown at a slow pace on YouTube)

Abraham Lincoln from Disney The American Presidents
(This is a good intro to both Abraham Lincoln and the Civil War.   YouTube video about 4 minutes)
Who Was Abraham Lincoln?
Meet Abraham Lincoln
Tour Abraham Lincoln’s Home
(Lots of videos from the NPS historical site)

President Jefferson Davis?
Lincoln Versus Davis

 

*Explore It More!

A Day in the Life     (Interactive )
Causes of the Civil War Game
Brain Pop!  Civil War Game
Virtual Tour of the Life of Abraham Lincoln and Family
(from the National Park Service)
Inside Abraham Lincoln’s House
Abraham Lincoln Unit  from The Homeschool Mom
(You may like to use these links to study President Lincoln in depth, or just choose a few for an overview.)
Free Civil War Printable Board Game
Make Your Own Abraham Lincoln Hat

 

+ Civil War Coloring pages to use for notebooking, lap booking, etc….
or just for fun!

– Civil War Lapbook Printables   from Homeschool Share 
– Cotton Picking
(You may want to discuss the text below the picture a bit more…”help” may not be the most clear word usage)
– Civil WarAbraham Lincoln
– Lots of Abraham Lincoln coloring pages, worksheets, and activities  (Enchanted Learning)
– Abraham Lincoln Handwriting Printable

+Day 3:  Family Life:  Addy’s Family

 

*Core Reading:
“Welcome to Addy’s World 1864″   (p. 30-31; 34-35) –  Addy’s Family
-“Meet Addy”


*Read!

**There are so many beautiful traditions kept by African American families struggling to stay together during this era.  Below are just a few that tie in with the reading in Addy’s World.
– Introduction to  Addy’s Friends & Family
 The Family Life of the Enslaved
(Lesson on several different aspects….scroll to the bottom for the 3 true narratives and the discussion questions)
The Ways of the Gullah Geechee
(So interesting!!)
Tradition of Watch Night
– The Slave Experience, Holidays      (Christmas)
– Jumping the Broom, Wedding Celebrations
(You can listen to this really good podcast all about this custom.  Done by Colonial Williamsburg, it is still very relevant to the slaves during the Civil War.  About 11 minutes)
– African American Holiday Traditions
African Folktales from World of Tales
(Lots of books!  Click on the book and then on the story to read the full text
– African Fables for Kids  from Mr. Donn
– A Collection of African American Folklore
(Might want to review  Big Liz and Boo Hag before sharing. )
– Funeral Customs

 

*Watch!

– Secret Life of the American Teenager-  Slavery in 1800’s
(A short narrative from the perspective of a young brother & sister…with beautiful historical photos.  About  6 minutes)
– Reading Rainbow –  Slavery
(Episode about slavery beginning with the passage from Africa… be sure to click on the icon for full screen)
– The Passage
(This is a very poignant video softened a bit only because of it’s storybook format…it begins in Africa with a brother & sister…approx. 35 minutes.  You might like to preview this in full before deciding to use it.)
– Marriage and the Family Bond
– Gullah Christmas Memory,  A Slave Narrative from storyteller Tim Lowry
– African American Folktales and Storytelling by Donna Washington
– The People Could Fly
– Wishbone:  Bark That Bark   (African Folktales….just for fun 🙂
– Funeral scene from 12 Years a Slave

 

*Explore It More!

-Make A Civil War Handkerchief Doll
-Try some deliciousGullah Recipes!
-Listen to someone Speaking Gullah
1800s Civil War Sweet Potato Pie Recipe
Slavery Era Hoe Cake Recipe  (Video)
-Make your own Civil War Recipe Book!
(Free printable templates!)

 

+ Civil War Coloring pages to use for notebooking, lap booking, etc…. or just for fun!

– Anansi the Spider
– Playing Marbles
– Rag Doll
– Jumping Rope


+Day 4: The Church During the Civil War-  Addy’s Faith

*NOTE:  This lesson overlaps with the lessons in Week 2: Day 5.
The information isn’t the same, but the topic is.  You may like to combine these 2 lessons into one!

*Core Reading:
“Welcome to Addy’s World 1864″   (p. 32-33)-  Addy’s Faith
-“Meet Addy”

*You might enjoy watching “Amazing Grace: The Story of William Wilberforce”
(Amazon link –  rated PG)

*Read!

The Secret Religion of the Slaves
(This is a very good introduction to this topic, but once again the theme is quite somber, though fittingly, quite hopeful in the end…as always, you may want to read ahead of your child : )  )
What Was Church Like For the Slaves In the South?
(Read these first hand accounts)
– Audio/Text of personal narrative of Fountain Hughes
What Was the Invisible Church?

*Sunday Dinner!
Once Addy and her family escaped to the North, there were many new things to adjust to.  Some things were very difficult, but others were lots of FUN!   One new part of Addy’s life to explore was FOOD!  Addy’s family still ate many of the same foods that they ate in the South… things like cornbread, beans with cornmeal dumplings, and tangy collard greens.  HOWEVER, Addy made the wonderful discovery of the new food at CHURCH SOCIALS!  In Philadelphia, it was legal for Addy and her family to attend church on Sundays.  And on some special days, everyone would cook their very best recipes to share at these picnics.
Addy tried Chicken Shortcake, Potato Salad, and her favorite, LEMONADE!
*SEE the Explore It More! section for some Sunday Church Dinner Recipes to try!
The History of Sunday Dinners
(Really written for parents to share, but good for older students too. )

– Harriet Powers Biography
– Harriet Powers’ Pictoral Quilt
Against All Odds: Harriet Powers
The Stories Behind African American Quilts
Pathways to Freedom:  The Language of Quilts
The Faith of Harriet Tubman
(We will cover more about Harriet Tubman in Week 2, Day 1)

 

*Watch!

– Slavery & the Making of America from PBS, religious documents…. lots of resources.
Here is a link to some historical documents, particularly regarding the faith of the slaves. Short articles, but very good to understand this part of life.
The Gullah Geechee Ring Shouters
(The Ring Shouters were part of the enslaved Church.  Forward to about the 4 minute mark to listen!)
Harriet Powers Biography (about 7 minutes- also includes Discussion Questions)
Sewing Stories:  From Slave to Artist   (Read aloud-  about 10 minutes)
This Far By Faith… excerpt of PBS series on YouTube  (about 6 minutes)
This Far By Faith
(Same title, but not the same video… from AT&T Archives-  video history of slavery and the faith that persevered…you may like to preview this video before showing it considering the theme)
– Harriet Powers and the Bible Quilt
– Click HERE for a another close up color photo of the original quilt from the National Museum of American History.

 

*Explore It More!

Create Your Own Quilt Online
-Take a Virtual Tour of The First African Baptist Church
-Make a Drawstring Bag to carry to Church
Cross-Stitch a Book Mark
(See project #1- Add the finished bookmark to your Bible!)
Simple Soul Food Recipes
Recipe for Addy’s Chicken Shortcake
Addy’s Strawberry Shortcake
Addy’s Hush Puppies

 


+ Civil War Coloring pages to use for notebooking, lap booking, etc….or just for fun!

Quilt Coloring Page
(maybe reduce the size and print out some of these Bible Scene coloring pages to add to your quilt…or just design some of your own to cut and paste onto your quilt!)
– Create your own quilt code   
Strawberry Shortcake Coloring Page
Lemonade Coloring Page

 

+Day 5:  Songs to Freedom

*NOTE:   You may prefer to teach the section on the Underground Railroad (Week 2- Day 1) first… these lessons will overlap & complement each other.


*Core Reading
:
“Welcome to Addy’s World 1864″  (p. 36-37 )-  Songs to Freedom
-“Meet Addy”


*Read!

What Is a Spiritual?
– Spirituals
( History, Songs (with audio), and briefs about some of the Composers of  Negro Spirituals in the 1800’s)
Brief Introduction to “Negro Spirituals”
(This is best read by parents and explained to children)
Signal Songs
(Scroll down to page 4 of this PDF to read about “signal songs”
– Secret Messages, More than a Song
(Scroll down a bit and there are links to Videos, lesson plans & activities from PBS)

 

*Watch!

– “Wade in the Water”
(and many other songs…history and  comments by Calvin Earl )
*Listen to some more Freedom Songs
“The Gospel Train is Coming”
“Steal Away”
“Go Down Moses”
“Follow the Drinking Gourd”
African American Spirituals
Spirituals and The Underground Railroad
(We will read lots about the amazing Underground Railroad in Week 2, Day 1)

 

*Explore It More!

Interactive-  The Secret Code   (Gullah Net)
Hidden Messages In the Spirituals Activities
Explore the Civil War!
(This powerpoint includes lots of maps and visuals to go along with ‘Follow the Drinking Gourd’)
– Pathways to Freedom:  Music Steal Away Home & Other Songs of Hope
(A brief explanation & history as well as lyrics and activities for several of the songs)
Teacher’s Guide for Follow the Drinking Gourd and Our Story
– Sheet Music to Follow the Drinking Gourd     (Maybe try to play or sing this song yourself!)

 

 

+ Coloring pages to use for notebooking, lap booking, etc…. or just for fun!
– Civil War / Slavery Coloring Page 1
The Drinking Gourd Coloring Page and other Printables
“The Big Dipper” Coloring Page

 

 


 

 

american girl unit study week 3

*Week 2:  North to Freedom

 

*  American Girl Addy Series,   Book 2, “Addy Learns A Lesson


Addy Learns a Lesson Civil War book for children


1.  “Welcome to Addy’s World 1864″   (p. 38-39)-  The Underground Railroad
2.  “Welcome to Addy’s World 1864″   (p. 8-11; 20-21)-  New Beginnings in the North
3.  “Welcome to Addy’s World 1864″    (p. 14-15; 12-13)-  Children Still Played
4.  “Welcome to Addy’s World 1864″    (p. 16-19)-  Civil War Era Fashion
5.  “Welcome to Addy’s World 1864″    (p. 22-23)-  The Church Family

 

+Day 1:  The Underground Railroad

 

*Core Reading:
“Welcome to Addy’s World 1864″  (p. 38-39)-  The Underground Railroad
-“Addy Learns A Lesson”


*Read!

What is the Underground Railroad?
The Underground Railroad For Kids
Secrets & codes of the Underground Railroad
Pathways to Freedom :  The Underground Railroad
(activities, reading, and more…interactive site)

Who Was Harriet Tubman?
Harriet Tubman Unit Study

The Church and the Underground Railroad
Underground The Plymouth Church
–> Watch a video of Plymouth Church Underground of what it looks like today
-Read the story of A Little BIG Church in Canada
Second Baptist Church on the Underground Railroad

 

*Watch!

Harriet Tubman Movie  from Nest-  Animated Hero Classics
(full length movie about 28 minutes)
Torchlighters:  The Harriet Tubman Story
(The beginning of this animated video may be intense for your Littles, so as always preview!  Be sure to check out the super fun Harriet Tubman Activity Book that goes along with this video!)
Harriet Tubman Biography

Sweet Clara and the Freedom Quilt
Henry’s Freedom Box

– Winslow Homer:  A Living Painting
(YouTube video from the Newark Museum- A narration from “Charity”, the young woman depicted in Homer’s painting “Near Andersonville” .   Very poignant !  )

 

*Explore It More!

-All about the Underground Railroad interactive site from Scholastic
The Underground Railroad Activity Book
*Extra Resources on the Underground Railroad to use with this Activity Book
– Travel the Underground Railroad Interactive Game from National Geographic
(The game is being reworked after the end of Adobe Flash… BUT the activities suggested and printable pages of information would still make for great reading and fun activities until they come out with the game online again!)
 Mission US: Flight to Freedom
(Interactive Game-They are rebuilding this game after the end of Adobe Flash, so I’m keeping it on our list!  Keep checking back!)

Harriet Tubman Word Find Online
Explore this Harriet Tubman Interactive Timeline
-Have you tried making a Triarama?
(This is a fun Harriet Tubman activity from Crayola)
-Make your own Underground Railroad Lantern
-Easy embroidered bookmark ideas like the ones Addy and her friends may have made
Or try Fabric Embroidered Bookmarks  
  *You can also buy this Kid’s Embroidery Kit ->  Kid’s Embroidery Bookmark Kit 
Show What You Know- Harriet Tubman Online Quiz

-Watch the Torchlighters movie   and then take this fun interactive test about Harriet Tubman to see what you can remember!
The Story of Harriet Tubman Activity Book
-Print out and create your own Underground Railroad Quilt Code Board Game!

+ Coloring pages to use for notebooking, lap booking, etc…. or just for fun!

* The Underground Railroad coloring pages –page 1,  page 2,  page 3,  page 4
* Harriet Tubman
*Harriet Tubman Sketch
* Leaders of the Underground Railroad  (worksheet)
* Harriet Tubman Activity Book   (Complete book from Nest Video above !!!)
*How to Draw Harriet Tubman 
(Draw and color your own picture to add to your history notebook or timeline!)

+Day 2:  New Beginnings in the North

 

*Core Reading:
-“Welcome to Addy’s World 1864″  (p. 8-11; 20-21)-  New Beginnings in the North
-“Addy Learns A Lesson”


*Read!

What Is Abolitionism?
What is an abolitionist?
(You can click on the speaker icon for a very nice audio reading- well done!)
– Frederick Douglass   from one of my favorites Garden of Praise (Short biography, printables, online activities, etc…)
Harriet Beecher Stowe  brief biography
Meet Harriet and the Beecher Family

*A New Life- Education!
– Read a brief biography of Charlotte Forten (see also pages 20-21 in today’s reading)
– From the Journal of Charlotte Forten:  Free Woman of Color
(Selections from 1854 to 1859-  age 16-21)
Mary Jane Patterson
Susie King Taylor biography
Who Was Robert Smalls?
(An amazing story!)

Schools For Freed Peoples

– Uncle Tom’s Cabin (Told to the Children)
(*NOTE:   by Harriet Beecher Stowe…  This version includes audio AND an activity for every chapter!)
Uncle Tom’s Cabin: Young Folks’ Edition, by Harriet Beecher Stowe
(Read chapter by chapter online for free!)
Songs from Uncle Tom’s Cabin (Lovely with lyrics and audio!!)

 

*Watch!

What Does Abolish Mean?
Perseverance: The Story of Mary Jane Patterson     (Read Aloud)
– Frederick Douglass Biography   (short video by the National Park Service)
– Words Set Me Free‘  by Lesa Cline-Ransome
(Story about Frederick Douglass as a boy…read aloud on YouTube)
– Harriet Beecher Stowe: Uncle Tom’s Cabin and the Abolitionists
The Forten Sisters
The Life of Susie King Taylor

 

*Explore It More!

Frederick Douglass Virtual Museum Exhibit   (from the National Park Service)
–>360* Virtual Tour of Frederick Douglass Home
Frederick Douglass’ Secret      (The Mini-Page…printable)

Abolitionists Activity Book
(Scroll down to find the pages that correspond to today’s reading, or use the entire book!)

-Take a Virtual Tour of Harriet Beecher Stowe’s House

 

Coloring pages to use for notebooking, lap booking, etc…. or just for fun!

* Frederick Douglass Coloring Book   (Printable)
* Frederick Douglass printable 
* Harriet Beecher Stowe/Uncle Tom’s Cabin coloring page
* School!

 

 

+Day 3: Children Still Played


*Core Reading
:
-“Welcome to Addy’s World 1864″   (p. 14-15; 12-13)-  Children Still Played
-“Addy Learns A Lesson”

 

*Read!

African American Children   (from NPS)

– Children During the Civil War (a longer post)
– Children’s Games During the 1800’s   (brief overview)
“Free Time” Slide Show
(What did the slaves do during their “free time” ?  Click on each pop up picture to pull up a screen with a short narrative)
* Toys and Games of Free & Slave Children during the Civil War…
And games mostly for free children are listed HERE (Lesson offered by the National Park Service)
* Games played during the Civil War
10 Toys & Games that were common to children in slavery
(You may like to read through these first… there are some detailed explanations of the psychology behind some of these games)
– Topsy Turvy Dolls & Rag Dolls

 


*Explore It More!

– The American Girl’s Book
(Free Ebook- The original book printed in 1862… TONS of games & activities.  I LOVE THIS !!!  It is easier to hit the “next” button than it is to scroll down through some of the blank pages since this is the entire book scanned.)
The American Boy’s Book of Sports and Games
(This the companion for boys…LOVE that climbing trees and playing in the snow are included!!! )

Make your own rag doll… step by step instructions!
– HOW To Braid Hair Like American Girl Addy !
How to play Ringer    (Marbles)

 

*Watch!

Civil War Games Kids Played:  Dominoes
(Learn how to play this game!  By kids for kids!)
Wooden Toys from the 1860’s
(A video by the same girl as above)
How To Play the Game of Graces

 


+ Coloring pages
 to use for notebooking, lap booking, etc…. or just for fun!

Boy playing marbles
– Jump Rope
– Leap Frog
Baseball
Hopscotch


+Day 4:  Civil War Era Fashion

 

*Core Reading:
-“Welcome to Addy’s World 1864″    (p. 16-19)-  Civil War Era Fashion
-“Addy Learns A Lesson”


*Read!

*Ladies Fashion
Civil War Women’s Clothing
Women’s Clothing of the South
Fashion in 1864
or try Women’s Fashion of 1860’s Pinterest board (lovely colored photos!)
Women’s Fashion  (Prezi presentation)
Fashion Magazine Smugglers !
You may be surprised to find how important women’s fashion magazines
were even during the war !
Hats & HairstylesGodey’s Lady’s Book
(Click on the many images on the left !  Fascinating!)
Elizabeth Keckly,  Mrs. Lincoln’s dressmaker
(Her story, mostly in her own words!  Fascinating!)

*Children’s Clothing
Children’s Clothing: Civil War
Civil War Children & Their Clothes
Clothing worn by slaves & their children
Kids Clothes During the Civil War

*Soldier’s Gear
Kid’s History:  Civil War Uniforms
Uniforms
Union Soldiers
Confederate Soldiers

 

*Watch!

What Kind of Clothing Did Enslaved Wear?
Civil War Children’s Clothing
Fashion of Civil War Days
War Fashions   (YouTube-  Kent State University Presentation)
Elizabeth Keckly, short video from NPS
Uniforms & Firearms of Soldiers   (YouTube Video from the National Park Service)
– Addy Hairstyle
How To For 1860’s Hairstyle

 

*Explore It More!

Quick and Simple 1860’s Hairstyle
Dress Like Clara Barton
Free Hoop Petticoat Diagram
(* Note:  I ALWAYS try to keep all the resources found in these units FREE.  If you look below the description there’s a link to click and it’s…FREE!  🙂
Frugal Fun For Boys and Girls Civil War Dress Up Day
DIY Hair Bows
(Hair bows were very popular in the 1860’s.  Try making your own!)

 

+ Coloring pages to use for notebooking, lap booking, etc…. or just for fun!

Mary Todd Lincoln coloring page
Union & Confederate Soldier coloring page
Confederate Soldier ,  Union Soldier
Civil War Paper Dolls    (might be good for a diorama!)
Pre-War Style  , Gala Style,  1860’s Style  (from Dover)
Civil War Paper Dolls  (Ladies)

 

 

+Day 5: The Church Family During the Civil War

 

*Core Reading:
-“Welcome to Addy’s World 1864″   (p. 22-23)-  The Church Family
-“Addy Learns A Lesson”


*Read!

 Religion and Slavery
Virtual Visit – NC Underground Railroad
(Stories about the deep faith of many of the enslaved… and the stories behind their “hymns”)

Religious Practice of enslaved African Americans
(excerpts of interviews….probably best to read together, or for older students)
The Church in the North
(There are quotes from enslaved people during the Civil War that are included in this article. Some contain some coarse language.  Please preview)
The Church and Education During Reconstruction   (best read together, or for older students)
US History:  Free African Americans
Building the Black Community:  The Church
Church on the Battlefield
-Brief history of Mother Bethel Church , also there are some great original photos

*The Quakers
Who Were the Quakers?
Quakers and Anti-Slavery in North America
The Quakers in North Carolina

John Greenleaf Whittier Biography for Kids
Whittier Biography
(Longer, more detailed biography)
Whittier Poems

 


*Watch!

Who Were the Quakers?
Who Was William Penn?
The Biography of Richard Allen     (short YouTube video…very well done!!)
Mother Bethel Church  (YouTube)
(Note:  there is a bit of a building project included in this video. Worth watching regardless, in my opinion. )
The Diaries of Emilie Francis Davis   (4 minute video and lesson)
John Greenleaf Whittier’s Life   (Short YouTube video)
The Quakers at Sandy Springs

 

*Explore It More!

– John Greenleaf Whittier Notebooking Page 
– Virtual Tour of Whittier’s Home
Virtual Tour of Mother Bethel Church

Coloring pages to use for notebooking, lap booking, etc…. or just for fun!

– Quaker Couple
Mother Bethel Church
(sketch to use for lap book/notebook)
– Richard Allen
– John G. Whittier       (printable picture)
– The Church all together     (sweet coloring page from a blog I will return to!)
– Storytime At Church
Bible
Church Building

 

 

 


American Girl Unit Study Week 3


*Week 3:  America’s  “Civil”  War

*  American Girl Addy Series, Book 3, “Addy’s Surprise

American Girl Addy civil war book for children

 

1.  “Welcome to Addy’s World 1864″    (p. 4-7)-  The Nation at War
2.  “Welcome to Addy’s World 1864″    (p. 42-43)-  The Homefront- South
3.  “Welcome to Addy’s World 1864″    (p. 44-45)-  The Homefront- North
4.  “Welcome to Addy’s World 1864″    (p. 46-49)-  The War Ends !
5. “Welcome to Addy’s World 1864″     (p. 50-58)-  Moving On! A New South


+Day 1:  The Nation at War

*Core Reading:
-“Welcome to Addy’s World 1864″   (p. 4-7)-  The Nation at War
-“Addy’s Surprise”


*Read!

Events Leading Up to the Civil War   (Mr. Donn’s History Page & LOTS of links!)
– Why War?   (Good intro for teaching or reading together)
The Civil War for Kids
The War Begins   (Causes and the beginning of the war from the National Park Service)
Daily Life of Soldiers in the Civil War
(Mr. Donn’s History page & LOTS of links!  Seriously, this unit could last for months!)
The Emancipation Proclamation
The Battle at Fort Sumter
Overview of the Battle at Fort Sumter

African American Soldiers
Confederate Soldiers
Why Did the Confederate Soldiers Fight?
(Best for older students)
Why Did the Federal Soldiers Fight?
Civil War Daily Life
Lengthy list of links to brief introductions to what daily life was like during the Civil War for people fighting the war, people on the homefront, slaves, etc…)

With Lee in Virginia by GA Henty    (Full Audiobook on YouTube)
Short Biographies of Important People of the Civil War
– Confederate General Robert E. Lee
Virtual Museum Robert E. Lee    (from National Park Service)
Union General Ulysses S. Grant

 


*Watch!

The Civil War Intro Video from BrainPop!
How the Civil War Got Its Start   (Short YouTube video from The Smithsonian)
Several short videos about the Civil War from The History Channel
Introduction to the Civil War from the Ken Burns Film
(*NOTE:  You may want to preview this first if your child is sensitive…many real photos, including casualties)
The Battle at Fort Sumter    (Short YouTube “virtual tour” of Ft. Sumter from the NPS)
The Battle of Fort Sumter and The Civil War     (Short overview-  YouTube video)
– Women Soldiers     (Short educational video on YouTube-  Very well done!)

Pink & Say by Patricia Polacco
(lovely narration on YouTube with full pictures from book…though this is a children’s story, once again please note the content is very somber)

North Versus South
(Song from Mr. Beats… sorry :D)

 

*Explore It More!

Interactive Civil War Map
(Click and learn!)
The Civil War Lesson Plan
->There are plans here for elementary through high school!  You may, or may not enjoy the plans, but be sure to check out the PDF printables.  There are some good ones!

–  Activities and Ideas to Explore Pink & Say
What did the soldiers eat?
Try some of these RECIPES
– Civil War Timeline Game!
Interactive Map of Grant’s Battles

 

Coloring pages to use for notebooking, lap booking, etc…. or just for fun!
*Mapping/Coloring Page of Union and Confederate States
* Civil War Lapbook  from Homeschool Share
* Civil War Coloring Pages   (GREAT collection of American History coloring pages!)
* The Emancipation Proclamation  and Slavery in the South Continues
* The Battle at Fort Sumter   (The war begins)
* Confederate States Coloring Page
* Civil War Worksheets
* Jefferson Davis Coloring Page
*Note:  I have included these in the sections below also.
* Battle of Gettysburg Coloring Page  ,  Abraham Lincoln at Gettysburg, Speech
* Ulysses S. Grant ,  Robert E. Lee ,  Sherman,  Appomattox Court House  Coloring Pages

 


+Day 2:  The Homefront- South


*Core Reading:
-“Welcome to Addy’s World 1864″   (p. 42-43)-  The Homefront- South
-“Addy’s Surprise”

 

*Read!
+Note:  There are A LOT of reading choices below!  Remember that you do NOT have to read every one of these!  You could also take a whole week to work through Day 2 🙂

*Daily Life in the South during the war:

Daily Life in the South
(Mr. Donn’s History Page with lots of other links!)
The Southern Homefront
Hardships on the Southern Homefront    (and we think chicken is expensive these days!)
– A child’s perspective of the war in the south
– War Through the Eyes of a Child   (Listen to an excerpt from the diary of Carrie Berry)
Women and the Civil War
– Women at home and SPIES!?!
– Rose O’Neal Greenhow
– Sally Tompkins   (Confederate Nurse)
Daily Civil War Life
(Lengthy list of links to brief introductions to what daily life was like during the Civil War for people fighting the war, people on the homefront, slaves, etc…)


*The War comes close:

Vicksburg Virtual Museum Exhibit   (National Park Service)
Battle of Vicksburg
Vicksburg….and why it was so important!

 

*Watch!

– Encouraging Hearts, Strengthening Hands:  Women Support the Confederate War Effort 
(Short YouTube video with nice sketches and photos)
The Union Siege at Vicksburg
(Approx. 3 minute video from the History Channel)
Short Biographies from the South    (PBS)
-Civil War

 


*Explore It More!

*Recipes from the South:
Most people living in slavery in the South would only have received a very small allowance of corn meal and a few other rations to cook with from their masters.  Cornbreads and other recipes including cornmeal were common.  Some slaves were allowed to grow small gardens or raise a small number of chickens.  Here are some meals that Addy and her family would have eaten that you might like to try!
*Note:  There is a link for a simple, lined paper printable recipe page that you might like to include in this unit under the coloring pages section below.   🙂
–  Collards & Corn Bread  from A Taste of Southern
(If you are a fan of Southern Cuisine, this is THE website.  I grew up in eastern North Carolina, and these recipes are just like I remember them!   Spot on!   I love the many anecdotes and personal family stories that are shared here as well!  )
Sweet Potato Pone
Hoppin John    (Recipe & a short history)
Grits   OR  Fried Grits
* Some other fun Civil War Recipes to try
* Book of Confederate “Recipts”   (scroll down to read some fascinating recipes!)

 

Coloring pages to use for notebooking, lap booking, etc…. or just for fun!

The South at Home
 Printable Recipe Pages
General Robert E. Lee
Soldiers Cooking Coloring Page

 

 

+Day 3:  The Homefront- North


*Core Reading
:
-“Welcome to Addy’s World 1864″   (p. 44-45)-  The Homefront- North
-“Addy’s Surprise”

 

*Read!

*Daily Life in the North during the war:
Daily Life in the North   (Mr. Donn’s History page with lots of links!)
Life On the Civil War Homefront
Women on the Homefront
(Includes some daily habits and diary excerpts which always make history so vivid !)
Nurses and Spies on the Homefront!
Elizabeth Blackwell
The Sanitary Commission
(The list of recognizable names here is amazing!  Louisa May Alcott, Clara Barton, Dorothea Dix.  I love when the years of “history pieces” come together and make one big picture!  )
 Sanitary Fairs    (Brief overview)
The Sanitary Fairs of the Civil War
* Note:  Clara Barton will be covered in Science: Week 3- Civil War Medicine

*The War comes close:
Gettysburg
Virtual Tour of Life at Gettysburg
The Battle of Gettysburg
The Gettysburg Address    (simple introduction and speech)
Virtual Tour of Gettysburg

 


*Watch!

On the Homefront      (YouTube Video- approx. 10 minutes)
Short Biographies from the North   ( PBS)
– The Diaries of Emilie Davis  and a video about the discovery of Emilie Davis’ Diary
(This girl would have grown up similarly to Addy in Philadelphia)
– African American Civilian Battle of Gettysburg Experience
Lee at Gettysburg
(short video from The History Channel)
 The Gettysburg Address
( Just the speech.  Well done and with great visuals! )
– The Civil War:  The Gettysburg Address
(YouTube excerpt from Ken Burns’ Film-  PBS)
Civil War Daily Life In the North

 


*Explore It More!

*Recipes from the North:
* When Addy and her family escaped to freedom in Philadelphia, Addy was surprised by how different the food was!  Church socials would have included some delicious new treats !! *Note:  There is a link for a simple, lined paper printable recipe page that you might like to include in this unit under the coloring pages section below.   🙂
–  Chicken Shortcake  and other AG Recipes from  A Peak Into the Pantry   (So CUTE!)
–  Potato Salad
Lemonade
Peach Cobbler
Applesauce Cookies
Gingerbread     (and lots of other recipes to try!)
* Recipes from Gettysburg
* Union Recipes

 


+ Coloring pages
 to use for notebooking, lap booking, etc…. or just for fun!

* Printable Recipe Page 
* Battle of Gettysburg
* Lincoln & the Gettysburg Address
* Lincoln and the Troops
* Clara Barton
* Elizabeth Blackwell
*Free printable Gettysburg Address copy work pages  from Proverbs 22:6 Academy
* Gettysburg Address printable


+Day 4:
   The War Ends !

*Core Reading:
-“Welcome to Addy’s World 1864″   (p. 46-49)-  The War Ends !
-“Addy’s Surprise”

 

*Read!

Robert E. Lee Biography
Ulysses S. Grant Biography

National Parks WebQuest- Appomattox Courthouse
(This is a fun way to learn!  There are 16 pages in all)
Fannie Berry’s Account of Appomattox
(A slave in the South’s perspective)
Charles Wainwright’s Account of Appomattox
(A Union Soldier’s perspective)
Charles Minnigerode’s Account of Appomattox
(A Confederate Soldier’s perspective)

The Battle of Appomattox
Lee Surrenders!
The South Surrenders

Lincoln’s Assassination

The Emancipation Proclamation

What is Juneteenth ?
The Importance of Juneteenth

 


*Watch!

Who Was Robert E. Lee?
Who Was Ulysses S. Grant?
The Victorious General of the Civil War
(A lesson about Ulysses Grant and Gracious Winning  :D)
Appomattox Courthouse For Kids     (Video- about 6 minutes)
What Happened At Appomattox?
The Civil War Ends!   (3 short videos from the National Park Service)
– Juneteenth !    (YouTube video-  about 4 minutes)

 


*Explore It More!

Appomattox Court House Activity Book  (National Park Service)
(Complete the printable book and get a Junior Ranger Badge!)
360* Tour of National Park Appomattox
 Take a Virtual Field Trip to the Appomattox Court House
(And other nearby sites as well!)

–  The End of the Civil War- Elementary Lesson Plan
(Includes power points & lots of other links!)

 

Coloring pages to use for notebooking, lap booking, etc…. or just for fun!
* 3 – Ulysses S. Grant coloring pages
* General Grant
*  Robert E. Lee   coloring page
* Grant and Lee Meet
* Generals Grant & Lee at Appomattox
*  Lee Surrenders
* The War is Over
* Juneteenth  Printables  from Enchanted Learning

 

 

+Day 5:  Moving On! A New South

 

*Core Reading:
-“Welcome to Addy’s World 1864″   (p. 50-58)-  Moving On! A New South
-“Addy’s Surprise”


*Read!

A New Birth of Freedom:  Reconstruction
(Be sure to click through the additional links on the left)
Reconstruction
The Reconstruction Act
(Mr. Donn’s History Pages & LOTS of links to keep reading!)
Civil War Reconstruction
Moving West !
Who Was Nat Love?

 

*Watch!

What Was the Reconstruction Era?
–  Reconstruction    (short video from History.com)

 

*Explore It More!

Play the Civil War Challenge!
The Life and Adventures of Nat Love
(Full/Free Audiobook on YouTube. I have NOT listened to the whole recording (though what I did listen to was really good!!)
–>OR you can read The Life and Adventures Of Nat Love  if you’d prefer!
(This is a fun read, written by Nat Love himself, and includes nice sketches as well!)
Sojourner Truth
(Biography and LOTS of activities, links, and printables….be sure to scroll  ALL the way down to the bottom! )

 

Coloring pages to use for notebooking, lap booking, etc…. or just for fun!
* Reconstruction Coloring Page
* Sojourner Truth
* Sojourner Truth Coloring Page
Lincoln and Reconstruction Coloring Page

 


*If you’d like to read the rest of the American Girl Addy Book series, I’ve included them below!

American Girl Addy Box Set Books

 


Reading Comprehension Think!

*Reading Comprehension Ideas:
  Show what you know about the Civil War!

 

* Keep a Civil War notebook!
Make sections and just quickly add in important people (scientists, artists, musicians, leaders, etc), important places, important events, and important ideas as you study this period of time. Use these lists later for writing prompts, notebooking, lapbooking, creating a timeline, etc…

* Make a History Timeline!

Timelines can be a constant visual review as you study through history!
If you are continuing on with the rest of the American Girl Units, you can just keep adding to your timeline and you will end up with a really solid visual for Early American History!
I wrote a post recently on how to Create Your Own Timeline… there are ideas for pretty much every personality of family… creative, tech loving, small spaces, hands-on, etc…

* Design a notebook, lapbook, scrapbook, folder, etc…to show what you’re learning.
If you have crafty, creative, or artistic kiddos, any one of these choices are a great way for the kids to show what they know about the Civil War!    In the following links, you can find some examples of Notebooking ,  Lapbooking , and Folders  (with templates!)

Meet Addy  ideas for learning games, discussion questions, and more!

* You can find interactive quizzes for many American Girl Doll books, including the series of Kirsten books.

*No Groans Book Reports
Does the tiniest mention of a book report fill the rooms with GROANS?!?  I don’t blame you!  Boring book reports can suck all the fun out of reading a book.  HOWEVER, there are some really fun ways you can share about some of the great books you are reading in this Civil War unit study!
If you are still doubting me…try one of these  Book Reports…  show what you know with a Book Report Cake, a Rainbow Report, or a Pizza Box Book Report!  See doesn’t this sound fun?!?  If you’re still not convinced may try making a book report poster.   This family made a giant poster from the Kristen series!

-Curate your own Civil War Museum!
If this sounds a bit too much to do, no fears!  It’s a MINI museum!
Here are some ideas on how to make your own mini museum (not history specific, but you’ll get the idea)!   I have done this just with my kids, but also in a co-op.  SUPER fun!!  This would be a great project to work on throughout this unit study, adding all your hands-on projects, pictures from field trips, creative book reports, art, and even recipes you’ve made to the museum!  We hosted a night for friends and family to come learn all about what we had been studying.

* Find whatever outlet that excites your kids!
Maybe they could make a video about some aspect of the Civil War.  Perhaps a How-To video for cooking a Civil War Era recipe…or a How-To Play for some of the games…or a recital of music from that era.  Whatever they love to do, find a way to use it to show what they know!
 “Minds in Bloom” has a really great post for some ideas… 72 to be exact!!

*LOTS of Hands-on Activities 
Be sure to scroll down to the bottom of this unit to see a list of some of the fun crafts, cooking activities, & other creative ideas!

*The American Girl website has some nice worksheets including comprehension questions.  You will also find some free printable activities as well.

*This AG loving mom has lists of comprehension questions for lots of the books in the historical AG series.  You will also find tons of other ideas for ADDY here too !   

* You can find interactive quizzes for many American Girl Doll books, including the  series of Addy books.

* Be sure to scroll down to the bottom of this unit to see a list of some of the fun crafts, cooking activities, & other creative ideas!

Mad-Libs

*Language Arts/Grammar Ideas-

* You may choose to use your regular grammar curriculum, add just a few of the  ideas below into the mix, or use it all.  Isn’t homeschooling wonderful sometimes?  🙂

*Vocabulary ideas-

*Choose any list of vocabulary you’d like to use for this unit.  I have included a brief list for each week from the core reading.

*Vocabulary Lists:

*Week 1:
1. plantation     2. overseer       3. auction       4. yankee          5. Rebel
6. cotton gin     7. rhythm         8. gourds        9. spirituals    10. witness


*Week 2:

1. nation           2. shackles           3. The Union     4. The Confederate     5. reunite
6.secede           7. abolitionist      8.  segregate      9. equality         10. The Quakers


*Week 3:

1. blockade    2. emancipation     3. proclamation     4. regiments     5. patriotic
6. duty            7. jubilation            8. enlist                   9. mourn         10. reconstruction


*Copy Work/Dictation/Narration ideas-

Following is a list of suggested quotes and poems from people we have studied each week, Scripture verses from the Bible Study section, song choices, and even recipes!  Choose your favorite ideas from this list.   The idea is to write from the sources that have sparked your curiosity!
If you purchased the Addy Civil War Printable Power Pack, don’t forget to print out the companion copy work pages for each week!

*Week 1:

* This week’s Scripture verses-
Hebrews 11:1-3 and 7          
2 Corinthians 5:7           
John 6:47          
Romans 5: 1-5
Ephesians 2:8                         
Psalm 37:5-6

* Abraham Lincoln Quotes Copywork Printable from Mama’s Learning Corner  

* Spirituals-
Do point out the way some words have been written as they were spoken and aren’t spelled correctly.
–  Wade in the Water      –  Steal Away –  Go Down Moses         –  The Gospel Train

 

*Week 2:

* This week’s Scripture verses-
  James 1:2-4  
  Romans 4:20  
  Hebrews 10:38-39
  1 Timothy 6:12
  Jeremiah 29:11
  Mark 11:22
  Romans 8:24-25

*Did you try one of the cooking activities this week?
Copying recipes is a fantastic exercise.  Here is a  Printable Recipe Page  you might like to use.

* John Greenleaf Whittier Copy Work Printables
– Whittier Poems
–  Notebooking Page from Homeschool Giveaways & Freebies

* Harriet Beecher Stowe Quotes

 

*Week 3:

* This week’s Scripture verses-
John 8: 32-36
Galatians 4: 6-7
John 3:16
2 Timothy 1: 9-10
Ephesians 2: 4-10
Galatians 5: 1, 13

The Gettysburg Address Copywork Printables  from Proverbs 22:6 Academy
(This is done really well…broken down into small portions to copy and discuss….manuscript print)

Emancipation Proclamation (could also be used in week 1) Printable

Clara Barton Quotes

*Grammar ideas-

* Here’s a website of very short daily grammar reviews
Fun Grammar  offers interactive online games, and Education World has fun editing worksheets.

* You could also choose a sentence, or photocopy a page of the reading. Depending on what skill you want to emphasize, have your child diagram a few sentences, or find all the verbs, nouns, etc…, or whatever grammar skill needs work.

* This is a great unit to include a discussion of ‘slang‘.   The vocabulary in many of the readings, songs, and recipes is often strange to both the eyes and the ears.   Here are some fun ways to help gain a better understanding !
Civil War Slang
Civil War Slang Lesson Plan   (starts on page 16)



*Creative Writing Ideas-

*NOTE!
–>
Be sure to check the Addy Printable POWER Pack if you have that!  There are printable sheets for each of these creative writing ideas!

* Ideas for Week 1-

+Listen to Follow the Drinking Gourd 
The songs of the slaves held very deep meaning.  Some of the songs reminded them of their lives before being sold into slavery, some encouraged them to keep their faith in God and in their future freedoms, and some even hid secret messages !   Try writing one of your own songs…it could be a song of hope or a song with a secret message!


+To Quote President Lincoln…

Read some of Abraham Lincoln’s words to the people of the United States during the Civil War.
What kind of leader did President Lincoln seem to be?
What would YOU have said to the people of America if you had been the president?
Choose some of your favorite Lincoln quotes to copy.


+Character Is Like A Tree-

Abraham Lincoln once said, “Character is like a tree and reputation like a shadow.  The shadow is what we think of it; the tree is the real thing.”

Creative Writing Idea #1-  Write about what you think this quote means.

Creative Writing Idea #2-  Study the picture  below.
Write a short story, a brief news report, or first person account of what might be taking place in this picture!

 


* Ideas for Week 2

 

+A Ride on the Railroad
The year is 1864.  Imagine being a child of a slave in the south.  You go to bed as usual and are sleeping soundly, when in the middle of the night, your mother wakes you up and tells you it’s time to go… you’re heading toward “the underground railroad”!
Think about what this meant, how you might have felt, and describe your journey on the Underground Railroad!
Where does the path lead? How do you find your way in the dark?  Who do you meet along the way?  Is it dangerous?
This writing activity might be best if you add a bit more to your story each day.  You could write it like a journal, as a short story, or even a long poem!

War Letters Home
-Read about the letters that Civil War Soldiers wrote to friends and family at home.
-Try writing a letter to a family member or friend from the perspective of a Civil War soldier.
Choose whether you will be a Union Soldier or a Confederate Soldier.
How old are you?  What state are you from?  Where are you now?

Remember to use everything you’ve been learning!
You could talk about a battle you were just in, a famous person you may have met, or even what you have been eating.
Be sure to really imagine yourself in the soldier’s shoes!
You can read some more samples HERE

+Civil War Letter Writing Activity  
-Click on the link above to find even more Civil War creative writing ideas!
-Check out each link to choose one you like!
The link above includes instructions for making your own antiqued stationary and envelopes as well!
OR…  Civil War Letters   and  Printable Civil War Era Envelopes & Stationary

 


*Ideas for Week 3

+Emancipated!
Study the picture below.  What is this man thinking as he reads the newspaper headline that the Emancipation Proclamation has been signed?  Who do you think he might be?  Where does he live- in the North or the South?  How will his life change?  What does he do after he has read this news?

man reading emancipation proclamation in newspaper civil war


+Civil War Diaries

Reread some of the diary entries of Carrie Berry  or watch the short video about Emilie Davis and her diary.  Many people wrote diaries to record their thoughts and struggles during the Civil War era.   They have left us with so many vivid descriptions of what life was like for people living in that time.  You may like to go back and read Imagine you are a child in 1865 and learning that finally the awful war has ended.
Civil War Diary Activity
Civil War Themed Lined Pages    (FREE Printables)

 

 


Heart Bible

 

*Bible Study –   Faith

*Week 1: Faith, Through Belief   (Noah)
*Week 2: Faith, Through Perseverance    (Joseph)
*Week 3: Faith, Through Love     (Jesus)

 

american girl unit study

*Week 1: Faith, Through Belief   (Noah)

As we start our study of Addy and the time in America’s history which she lived, you may be feeling a little sad.  Some of the stories you read show just how awful and cruel people were to one another.  This may make you feel angry or even afraid.
Do you think Addy felt this way too?
The history of slavery in our country (and others too!) is a very dark and ugly study.

So maybe you are wondering WHY we should study something so evil?
To borrow a quote from the past-  “Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it!”

This is why it is important to learn and UNDERSTAND all the parts of history… even the parts that make us uncomfortable, sad, or angry.  We study the PAST (history)  to move FORWARD into a better future!

The world will ALWAYS be full of troubles, but for all who have faith in Jesus, there is HOPE!
We will read of some pretty amazing people who saw how wrong slavery was, and showed great courage by DOING something about it!   Many of these brave men and women and children like Addy, as well as many other African Slaves had something that helped them to have HOPE in their lives even when what they could see around them looked very hopeless.

Do you know what they had?   They had FAITH!

“Faith is being sure of what we hope for.   It is being sure of what we do not see.”
( Hebrews 11:1)

Religion was a very important part of life to most of the African American slaves.  You will read about the hymns and songs that the slaves sang to encourage one another as they worked.   You will hear how God sent many people to help them along the path to freedom, and how He lead many of them miraculously through the dark  to safety.
Do you know that God even used the quilts the women sewed in a pretty amazing way?
So though their circumstances were pretty awful, they were filled with faith in God and therefore filled with hope!

Can you feel a little bit of the hope rising up  in your heart too ? 
FAITH.  

And since we are talking about HISTORY, we are going to learn a little bit about the history of FAITH!
We will be learning the REAL LIFE STORIES of people whose FAITH is still being talked about, not just hundreds of years later, but THOUSANDS of years later!!  People like Noah, Joseph, and JESUS!

Do you know what faith is?
What does it mean to have faith?
Do you have faith?
We will be learning all about this topic over the next few weeks.  Here’s a sneak peek-  faith is bigger than what we can SEE !!! There’s so much to discover!  Even if you only have a tiny bit, God sees it!  And He LOVES what He sees !! Because even when you might not have lots of faith, He is FAITH-FULL!!  He will take the little bit of faith you have and make it multiply into a giant faith that can change the world !

As you study this unit, I hope that you will learn how GOOD God is, even in the midst of hard times when you can’t see what He is doing.  I hope that your faith will grow like a beautiful, big tree, and that you will be strong and filled with hope ! I am praying for you as I am writing!


*Read More!

* Short Intro to the topic of FAITH
* Faith Lesson
* Story of Noah
(Noah is a great example of having faith in what God has said even if you can’t see what is ahead !   Imagine the faith it took to build a giant ship on dry land no where near the water while everyone who passed by came to laugh at and mock Noah!)
* Noah and the Great Flood
* Noah and the Ark
(Lots of activities and printables from Garden of Praise)


*Ideas About *FAITH* to Think About & Discuss-

* What is faith?
* Can you give an example of faith?
* Is faith just a feeling?
* Where does faith come from?
* What are some things that people put their faith in?
* Why is it important to have faith in the right thing (person)?

* How can we be certain about something when we can’t see it?
* What are some things you believe are true but cannot see?
   (The wind, love, a billion dollars, the North Pole, dinosaurs, etc…)
* Why are you sure those things exist?

* What is hope?
* What is the difference between faith and hope ?

* Tell someone about a time that you had faith.
  What happened ?
  Ask them to tell you about a time when they showed faith.
* Does acting in faith always make sense?


*Read 
Hebrews 11:1-7  
* Faith is a big part of our relationship with God!
   What are some ways that FAITH strengthens our relationship with God?
*Now go back and read Hebrews 11:6.
  How important does God say FAITH is?

* Think about the stories we’ve read about Noah this week.

* What is something that Noah believed before he could see it?
* What do you think Noah was hoping for?
* Why did Noah have confidence?
* Who or What did Noah have FAITH in?
There could be many answers to this question, but ultimately, there’s only one safe place to put our confidence and faith!

*Read James 2:17-18.
* What are some of the things Noah did that showed his faith in God?
* Do you think God was pleased with Noah?  Why or why not?
* What kind of reward did Noah receive for acting in FAITH?

* Read through the Scriptures listed below for this Bible study.
What other things does GOD say about faith?
Can you name some other true stories of faith from these (or other) Scriptures?

*Which Scripture did you like the most this week?  Why?

Hebrews 11:1-7           

2 Corinthians 5:7            

John 6:47           

Romans 5: 1-5

Ephesians 2:8                          

Psalm 37:5-6


*NOTE:
 You may like to start a Bible journal this week if you don’t already keep one.  One way that God speaks to us is through the Scriptures.  If one sticks out to you while you’re reading, try writing it down in a special notebook so you will remember it!  If you purchased the Addy Printable POWER Pack, there are printable Bible Journaling Pages included for each lesson!)

 


*Watch It!

A New Beginning
(This is great for the younger students- from The Jesus Storybook Bible.  About 6 minutes)
Stories From the Bible :  Noah’s Ark
(YouTube Video about 25 minutes)
Veggie Tales:  Noah’s Ark
(About 25 minutes)
What Is Faith?  What Is Being Sure?
(about 3 minutes)
Just a Little Faith
(about 3 minutes)
What is Faith?
(About 9 minutes)
The Faithful Hall of Fame
(about 3 minutes)

 

*Sing About It!

*Hebrews 11:1 Song
–>  Or try this one-  Lyrics Hebrews 11:1
* ‘By Faith
* ‘I Lift My Hands’
* F-A-I-T-H!
* ‘By Faith’
* “By Faith”   Keith & Kristyn Getty

*‘Oh Noah!’
*‘Noah Built A Boat’
*‘Noah Found Grace In the Eyes of the Lord’
*‘Noah Was A Faithful Man’
*‘Noah, God’s Friend’

 

*Explore It More!

+Free Kids Devotional on Noah from ‘Answers In Genesis’
(You can print this PDF out at the bottom)

+Adventures In Odyssey- ‘By Faith:  Noah’

+Faith Object Lessons
Have A Little Faith!  Object Lesson
– 4 Faith Object Lessons
– Faith Object Lesson


+Faith Lesson Ideas
 Lesson on Faith  (classroom oriented)

+Write in your Bible Journal !
HERE   and  HERE are some fun examples to get you started !
-Print these Free Bible Journaling Pages   


+Noah
Noah Builds an Ark
(Gen. 5:28-6:22…Story, Lesson, and some fun object lessons…see *Activities* below for coloring pages and printables that go with this lesson )
Noah Science Experiment
(This is a good craft to keep as a reminder  that  God ALWAYS keeps His promises…therefore, we can always put our faith in Him.)
Noah Paper Plate Craft


* Coloring/Activity Pages-

+Faith Coloring Page
+Noah Builds an Ark
(Coloring pages & other printables- See *Reading* above with same name for a corresponding lesson)
+Noah Coloring Pages & Printables
+Noah Coloring Pages and Printables  
+Noah Coloring Pages
+If you’d like extra coloring pages or printable activities to go along with any of the stories from the scriptures listed above, you can find them here:
– http://www.calvarycurriculum.com/childrens-curriculum-ot.php

 

 

 

american girl unit study week 3

*Week 2: Faith, Through Perseverance
(Joseph)

When Addy ran away in the dark of the night to escape to freedom in the North, I’m sure she was really afraid.
The trip ahead was full of the UNKNOWN!   Would they be chased and arrested?  How far was the journey?  Would they find the safe houses along the way?  What would the North really be like?  Would Addy miss her friends in North Carolina?
Addy, and many others like her needed a lot of courage to even attempt this journey!
Thankfully Addy and her family had faith in God, and knew He would guide them even through the darkest nights!   The trip North was very difficult.  Addy was hungry and cold sometimes, and her body ached from all the walking!  FINALLY, after persevering day by day, they arrived in Philadelphia!  They made it!
They were FREE!

However, as we know, arriving in Pennsylvania wasn’t the end of Addy’s story, her family’s story,  or the stories of the thousands of other slaves still in bondage.  They needed faith to constantly continue to rise up in their hearts every day.  They needed to remember the hope they had as they worked in the fields with hungry bellies and hearts full of sadness and frustration and fear.
They needed to persevere not just on the journey to freedom, but in their faith in God!

I wonder if the preacher at their new church in Philadelphia read the stories from the Bible of the men and women who even in the hardest times, continued to PERSEVERE and have great FAITH!
In last week’s Bible study we learned about Noah.  We heard the amazing story of Noah’s faith…

Noah BELIEVED God
and he and his family were SAVED!

This week we are going to read the story of Joseph, and the great faith Joseph showed through PERSEVERANCE.  Not only did God save Joseph through his perseverance and faith, not only did He save Joseph’s family, but God saved ALL OF ISRAEL (the People of God) through Joseph’s obedient trust in Him!

Let’s find out how!

First, you may be wondering what PERSEVERANCE is!
Here’s a short definition of this word.
We’ll be learning a lot more what perseverance looks like as we study this week!
Perseverance:  steadiness or determination to continue onward to the goal despite hardship and difficulty.

 


*Read!

*What Is Perseverance?
PERSEVERANCE Bible/Character Study
(SEE Bible Study, Week 1, Day 1…from the Kirsten- Pioneer America Unit Study)
-Special note for the Mama’s on  —>Perseverance <3
Acts 7
You may also like to read this passage of Scripture and think on the perseverance of GOD, and how He so incredibly used people like Noah, Abraham, Joseph, and Stephen to carry out His plans and purpose over THOUSANDS of years!  Truly an AWEsome example of this word!

*The Story of Joseph
(Activities, printables, quizzes…from Garden of Praise)
Joseph’s Brothers
( The rest of the story  🙂  With all of the above printables)
*Joseph Sold into Slavery
(Gen. 37:3-36…Story, Lesson, and some fun object lessons…see *Activities* below for coloring pages and printables that go with this lesson )
* Joseph & Potiphar
(Genesis 39:1-23…Story, Lesson, and some fun object lessons…see *Activities* below for coloring pages and printables that go with this lesson )
*Joseph in Prison
(Genesis 40-41:57…Same idea as above)
*Jacob Moves to Egypt
(Genesis 45:17- 50:26…. same as above)

 

*Ideas to Think About & Discuss-

*What is perseverance?
*Can you think of an example of when a person needs to persevere?
*Tell someone about a time when you had to persevere.
Did you finish strong until you reached your goal?
Why or why not?
*What does it mean to persevere in faith?
*Why do you think it’s so important to persevere in faith?
*Where does faith come from?
*Where does perseverance come from?
*Who can help you to persevere when you feel like giving up?
*What are some reasons to persevere through hard things ?

*What is Joseph’s story?
*How did Joseph persevere in his faith?
*How did Joseph respond when he was cruelly treated by his brothers?
Or when he was in prison unfairly more than one time?
*What made Joseph keep on doing what was right?
*How was Joseph saved from his brothers plot to sell him into slavery?
*How was Joseph saved from the Pharaoh’s prison?
*Who do you think was working all these things for GOOD?!
*What did Joseph do when the brothers who tried to kill him came to him for help?
Was Joseph kind and good?  Or angry and vengeful?
*How did God use Joseph’s perseverance in faith to save his family?
*Ultimately, God used Joseph to save Israel, God’s own people!
How did this happen?

*What kinds of things did Addy (and the other enslaved people) have to persevere through?
*Did they have anyone to help them?
*How did God send encouragement to them to overcome?
*Can you see any similarities between the lives of the slaves and the life of Joseph?
*How could the story of Joseph cheer them on to not give up their quest for freedom despite really difficult circumstances?

*Romans 14:8-9 says, ” If we live, we live to honor the Lord. If we die, we die to honor the Lord. So whether we live or die, we belong to the Lord.  Christ died and came back to life. He did this to become the Lord of both the dead and the living.”

*What do you think this means?
*How could this Scripture be encouraging ?
*What is one area of YOUR life where you need to PERSEVERE in faith?

*Which Scripture did you like the most this week?
(Remember to write it down if you’re keeping a journal!)

*What Does God Say About Faith and Perseverance?

  James 1:2-4  
Galatians 6:9
Romans 12:12
James 1:12
  Romans 4:20  
  Hebrews 10:36-39
  1 Timothy 6:12
  Jeremiah 29:11
  Mark 11:22
  Romans 8:24-25
2 Corinthians 1:3-4


*Watch!

What’s the Scoop?  Perseverance
The Good News for Kids
(YouTube- about 2 minutes)
The Value of Perseverance
With Jesus, I Can Persevere!
(This is a video and free printables about Perseverance)
The Story Of Nick Vujicic’s   (focus on perseverance)
Nick’s Story–>  PLEASE continue to watch the REASON Nick has persevered!!!
Veggie Tales:  A Lesson In Perseverance
Examples of Perseverance-  Finding Nemo

The Story of Joseph  (Parts 1-4)
Animated Bible Stories:  Joseph and His Brothers
Kids Bible Story-  Joseph


*Explore It More!

*Perseverance Crafts
*Joseph Crafts
(Though designed for younger kiddos, there are some activities  that would be fun for anyone!  )
* Joseph Sold into Slavery
(Coloring pages & other printables- See *Reading* above with same name for a corresponding lesson)
* Joseph & Potiphar
* Joseph in Prison
* Jacob Moves to Egypt


* Sing!  

*Perseverance:  Consider It Joy!
*Never Be Shaken
*You Make Me Brave (kids video)   OR  just the song You Make Me Brave
*In the End
*By Faith!
*Galatians 6:9 Song


*Coloring Pages-

*Perseverance Coloring Page
*Note:  There are LOTS of coloring pages found in the *Activities* section this week.
*Joseph and His Brothers Coloring Page
*Joseph and Potiphar Coloring Page
(You can click forward or back to find other coloring pages about Joseph)

 

 

American Girl Unit Study Week 3

*Week 3: Faith, Through Love     (Jesus’ Story)

Even after the war ended and the slaves were set “free”, life was still quite hard for them.
Remember that part of being a slave meant that someone else “owned” you.  It is unimaginable to us living now to think that a person could own another person, but this is how it was in our country during the Civil War.  So keep in your mind that as a slave in the South, you had been working for other people for which you were not paid, you had been living on your “owners” land and in a house that belonged to them.  You had no field of your own and you didn’t have many belongings,
What would you do when the news that the war was over and you had the right to be free?!
Where would you go?  How would you survive?  How could you earn money?
There were new laws made in the country to help the slaves gain their freedom, but laws could not change people’s hearts.
Many people who had owned slaves were angry about the new laws and so they made life very hard for the freed people. It was almost impossible to find work, and homes, and land.

So after all you’ve learned about Addy and families like hers, do you think they gave up? No way!!
Many of these brave people still had, you guessed it, faith!
As horrible as this time in history had been, those who had lived through it knew that God would carry them through!
Do you remember the words to the songs they sang as they worked long hours in the fields and suffered so much injustice?  They had been persevering, and patiently waiting for this day!

Many of the slaves knew that in reality they had been set free long, long ago by someone much more powerful than a “master”.  They knew that the Word of God promised them that they could belong to no other man, but were the CHILDREN OF GOD and belonged to HIM alone!   And He promised that He would keep guiding them until the end!
Jesus had already set them free!  And He has set us free too if we believe Him!

You may be thinking this is all very confusing!!
How could Jesus who died thousands of years ago set the slaves free?  And how in the world has He set us free too if we’ve never been slaves?!
Jesus was once talking to some people who asked this very same question!!
I’ll let Him give us the answer in His own words!
“Jesus said, “If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples.Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” They answered him, “We are Abraham’s descendants and have never been slaves of anyone. How can you say that we shall be set free?” Jesus replied, “Very truly I tell you, everyone who sins is a slave to sin. Now a slave has no permanent place in the family, but a son belongs to it forever. So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed.”
(John 8:31-36)

Did you know that we are ALL slaves until we know Jesus?
Not like the slaves we have been reading about in this study, but we are all held captive by a “master” and truly slaves to things like sin, and fear, and death?
But did you read the GOOD NEWS in the Scripture above?

Jesus told the people, “…if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed!”
Many people who lived during the Civil War knew this good news all those years ago, and so they waited patiently and endured all the bad things that were happening to them, and they kept hoping and believing and having faith.
Actually the news isn’t just good… it is GREAT NEWS!

The great news for ALL SLAVES IS… We have been set FREE by LOVE!
Did you think I was going to say Jesus?
Well, you’re completely right!  It is Jesus!  Because Jesus doesn’t just love us, He IS love!
It’s the INCREDIBLE, AMAZING, UNENDING, UNFAILING, ENORMOUS LOVE of Jesus! Why is that good news? Because His love for ALL people is so BIG,  that He chose to come to earth and make a way for everyone to be SET FREE !!!  He set us all free from sin, and fear, and death FOREVER!
Are you excited about that?   Me too !!  

 

*Read More!

*The story of the slavery of the Israelites really illustrates so well that God has had a plan for His people for all time and He WILL carry it out throughout history .  This would be a good lesson to tie everything together that we have been learning about, and point to the ultimate deliverer of all those in slavery, Jesus Christ!
*The Slavery of the Israelites
(Exodus…Story, Lesson, and some fun object lessons…see *Activities* below for coloring pages and printables that go with this lesson )
*The Exodus           (See above note!)
*Jesus
*Jesus Gives Freedom
*All You Need Is Love   (a few of my own thoughts on this topic)

 

*Ideas to Think About & Discuss-

*What is Love?
*Who is Love?
*Why is this LOVE such great news?
*How does knowing the good news give you more faith?

*What is sin?
*Have you ever sinned?
Tell someone about a time when you sinned.
*How did it make you feel after you did the thing you knew not to do?

*Can you retell the story of Jesus in your own words?
*Why did Jesus come to the earth?
*How did Jesus’ coming show us His great love?
*Did Jesus have faith?
If you think Jesus did have faith, who do you think His faith was in?
*Retell in your own words what faith is.
*How do we receive faith?
*How do we receive Jesus’ love for us?
*How does *FAITH* in Jesus’ sacrificial love for us set us free?
*What are we set free from?

*Are there still slaves living today?
Where?
*Have you ever been a slave?  Why or why not?
*What do we mean when we say that everyone is a slave before they know Jesus?
*What does it mean to be a slave to something (not a person)?
*When is a time you felt like a slave to something?
What were you a slave to?   (TV?  Video games?  Lying?  Sweets?  Fighting with a sibling?)

*How does Jesus set us free so we aren’t slaves anymore?
*Have you ever been set free from something?
Tell someone about a time when this happened to you.
*How did that make you feel?
*What changed after you realized that you had power over your sin?
*What can you do if you still don’t FEEL like you’ve been set free?

*What does God have to say about SIN, SLAVERY, and HIS LOVE?
John 3:16-18
Romans 5:8 
John 8: 32-36
1 Corinthians 13:1-8
Galatians 4: 6-7
1 John 4:9-10; 16
2 Timothy 1: 9-10
Ephesians 2: 4-10
Galatians 5: 1, 13
1 John 3:1

*Which Scripture did you like the most this week?
*What part of this study do you remember the most?

 

*Watch!
*The Good News for Kids
(YouTube- about 2 minutes)
*What Is Love?
(about 6 minutes)
*Why Did Jesus Come To Earth?
(Has a great example using Minecraft!!)
*The Story of Jesus For Kids
(From a kids perspective…By the Jesus Film Project)
*Jesus’ Story
(About 6 minutes)
*God’s Story
(About 4 minutes)

 

*Explore It More!

*The Slavery of the Israelites
(Coloring pages, activity pages, printables)
*The Exodus
*Freedom Object Lesson

*Sing!

*I Am Free 
*No Longer Slaves
*I Am Set Free
*Freedom Reigns
*Freedom
*Good News !
(Just because it’s so sweet <3  )


*Coloring & Activity Pages-

*A whole collection of Scripture coloring pages

*Count It All Joy Coloring Page
(Another great encouragement for homeschooling families… The Flanders Family )

*LOTS of coloring pages are found in the *Activities* section this week.


Frog in Pond

 

*Civil War Science !

*Week 1:  Amazing Inventions of Samuel Morse
*Week 2:  Constellations
*Week 3:  Civil War Medicine

*NOTE:  Week 3 is a HUGE topic.  I ended up including way more than needed for a one week study.  You could chose to spend more time on this science section, or even just use it for all 3 weeks and save the other 2 sections for later if this topic is something your kiddos are extra enthusiastic about!

 

 

american girl unit study
*Week 1: Amazing Inventions-
Samuel Morse and The Telegraph

Today, news travels very fast around the world!  We know almost instantly when something happens whether it is in our neighborhood or across the ocean and on a different continent!  We can find out what our friends are doing and communicate instantly by telephone, computer, texting, and social media.

Now…imagine life without the telephone, or texting, or television, or the internet!
In the early 1800’s, it took a long time for people to hear from their friends and families who didn’t live nearby.  News traveled by horse, by rail, by newspapers, and even by ship!
But, Addy lived during a time of some amazing inventions!
The telegraph was one of the most life changing technologies of it’s day!  This one new machine opened up so many new ways to communicate quickly, and even spanned the barrier of different languages!   The telegraph was like the very first “internet” or the first “texting”!

In this section we will learn all about a man named Samuel Morse and some of his fantastic inventions.  While Samuel Morse didn’t come up with the idea for the first telegraph, he was the person who perfected it and put it to use all around the world.  How did he do this?  By his own invention of a special code that could be understood by anyone, and transmitted from anywhere!  We’ll learn how the telegraph worked, what Morse Code is, how it changed the world, and how it was used in the Civil War.  Do you know what Mr. Morse sent as his very first message?

*Fun Fact- In your reading below, see if you can discover what Samuel’s first passion was!  Hint:  It wasn’t inventing!

 

* Read!

*Who was  Samuel Morse ?
*Brief Biography of Samuel Morse

* Morse Code & the Telegraph
–  Communication
(This is a sweet, true story about how important communication is!)
Invention of the Telegraph
Electric Messages Then and Now     (Lesson Plan with student printables)

*Inventions of the 1800’s
*Technology and Weapons of the Civil War
*Inventions During the Civil War


*Watch!

Samuel Morse!  That’s Who!
The Telegraph:  Civil War Text Machine
–  History of the Morse Code
–  The History of the Telegraph
The Telegraph and Lincoln
– See & Hear Morse Code
The Invention of Morse Code  (animated)
Invention During 1800’s

 

*Explore It More!

* Communication Activities     (Lots of fun ideas & activities)
Learn Morse Code                                   (Interactive)
Morse Code Text Converter
Morse Code Game
Morse Code Activity
20 Fun Morse Code Activities To Try At Home!

*Samuel Morse, Artist
Samuel Morse’s Art
(Scroll down to see many of Morse’s beautiful paintings!)
Video Collection of 37 Paintings By Samuel Morse

 

* Coloring Pages-

* Samuel Morse
* Samuel Morse & His Telegraph
* Morse Code Printable from Crayola
* Samuel Morse  Notebooking Pages
* Electric Messages Then and Now            (Lesson Plan with student printables)

 


american girl unit study week 3

*Week 2: Constellations 

Addy and her family relied on the help of many along their dangerous escape to freedom.  There were secrets hidden in quilts, hidden in songs, hidden in the light of the lanterns at night, and even hidden in the stars!!


* Read!

What Is a Star?
How Do Stars Work?
Where Did Stars Come From?
Who Named The First Stars?
What Is the Purpose of Stars?
How Hot Are the Sun and Other Stars?
Can Stars Tell Time?
(**See the activity for this in Explore It More!)

Interactive Night Sky Constellations 
What’s A Constellation?
Constellations Lesson Plan
Constellations

Ursa Major For Kids
(Find out which country can’t see Ursa Major!)

 

*Watch!

What Is A Star?
(There are a few mentions of millions of years… just so you know!)
Stars!  Wonders of Creation

Look At Constellations!   (Good for younger students)
What Is a Constellation?   (Good for your older kiddos)

Constellations for Kids
What Are Stars?
Connect the Dots In the Sky

Constellation Quest-  The Myth of Ursa Major
– Follow the Drinking Gourd
(Short YouTube video about how slaves escaping to freedom may have followed constellations to safety)
‘Zoo in the Sky’

 

*Explore It More!

* Constellations Printables
SkyMap Online
(Opens a bit slow, but this is wonderful!  Find the constellations right now!)
Constellations Game 1
* Constellations Game 2
* Constellation Viewers
* Marshmallow Constellations
* Constellations
* Watercolor Constellation Activity
* Constellation Keychain Activity
* Constellation Activity
* Constellation Activities and Links
* Find a Planetarium Near YOU!
* Play the Constellation Station Game
* Name Your Own Constellations Activity
* Constellation Connect the Dots

*Make Constellation Cookies
(Constellations Activity included)

Make a Big Dipper Star Clock

 

* Coloring Pages-

* Constellation Mini Book Printable
* Big Dipper Coloring Page
* Constellations
* Star Gazing Diary
* Ursa Major Coloring Page

 

 

 

American Girl Unit Study Week 3

*Week 3: Civil War Medicine


(This is a HUGE topic that kind of branched out as I wrote!  You really could spend all 3 weeks on different aspects if you choose!)

* Read!

* American Civil War Medicine
* Civil War Medicine
* Civil War Medicine
(Lesson Plan from National Park Service)
* What was it like to be a patient during the Civil War ?
* If You Were A Civil War Doctor Activity
* The Civil War and Medicine
* Civil War Diseases

* Clara Barton National Historic Site
(This site has wonderful photos of Clara & her life !)
*Who Was Clara Barton?
*Clara Barton Mini Biography

* The Red Cross Starts
(click “enter” …which is in microscopic print…to begin!!)
* 5 Medical Innovations of the Civil War

 

*Watch!

* Civil War Medical Care
* A Day at the Doctor
(Video from CSpan-   very good visual of medicine during this era)
*Civil War Medical Artifacts Videos
* Civil War Medicine PodCasts
*Mercy Street:Civil War Medicine
(a collection of videos from PBS-> PLEASE preview!!)


*Explore It More!

*Civil War Medicine On the Homefrong-  Virtual Museum
and  Civil War Medicine On the Battlefield-  Virtual Museum
(Click on each image to enlarge and read more!)
Virtual Tour of National Museum of Civil War Medicine
* Analyzing Artifacts Activity 
(from the National Parks Service)

* Clara Barton NPS Virtual Tour  and  Worksheets

 

*As we have learned, most of the deaths due to the war were caused by infection, not injuries.  Clara Barton worked tirelessly to educate on the importance of hygiene.
Here is a chart that really puts it into perspective !  YIKES !

 

CIVIL WAR CASUALTIES
Union Confederacy Total
Deaths
Death from wounds 110,070 94,000 204,070
Death from disease 249,458 164,000 413,458
Total deaths 359,528 258,000 617,52

***This chart was taken from North Carolina Digital History .


* MICROORGANISMS-

Germs! The Importance of Washing Your Hands  from Kristin Moon Science !
Microorganisms !!!       ( Fun interactive site with info & games!)
Where Do Germs Grow in Your House experiment
(This one is scary!  lol  from Homeschool Den with a free printable to download! LOTS of other fun to be found on this site too!)
Magic School Bus Goes Inside Ralphie       (GERMS!!  full length video)
– Germs!   (all kinds of ideas from A to Z Kids Stuff  )
Growing Bacteria from ScienceBob
– Fun game about Microorganisms
– A list of short videos for kids all about different aspects of germs, etc…

 

 

*DISEASE & NUTRITION-
-Read this short essay on The Civil War Food & Disease
What Did Civil War Soldiers Eat?
– HERE is a short YouTube video showing what rations would have looked like.

– Look at the Rations List found in the first essay (page 2).
Make a comparison chart of the typical rations given to a soldier and compare it to what is suggested for a healthy diet.  What is obviously missing ?  EEEKS!
Can you make a list of some of the diseases that the soldiers suffered from and what food might have had to do with it?  (Scurvy for example)
–  Hardtack was a staple in the soldier’s diet  (more details about hardtack found in the second essay)….  Try making some hardtack to try for yourself.
Here’s a recipe to try.
The recipe is about halfway through the page.
* Here is a short activity on Civil War Rations and Health from the National Park Service

*Exploring the History of Medicine would be a wonderful addition for your older students or if you’re still wanting to keep studying this topic!!

History of Medicine book


* Coloring Pages-

* Foods & Vitamins Matching Page
*Microbe Comic Coloring Book  and Viral Attack from Ask a Biologist
* Clara Barton Activity Pages      (Scroll down to the “For Kids” section)
* Clara Barton Paper Doll

 

 


 I Want to See the World

*Geography ideas-


*Week 1:  Africa
*Week 2: North Carolina
*Week 3: Pennsylvania

 

 

american girl unit study

*Week 1:  Africa


+Read, Watch, and Learn!

*Geography of Africa
(Short YouTube video intro to the geography of Africa…very informative!  This is a great place to start! )
Geography of Africa
Africa Today
(From Mr. Donn…TONS of links!)
* Africa Geography
(Including a coloring page & word search)
* Learn Africa!     (Song for kids)

*Planet Earth Africa Landscapes
(Short YouTube Video- 6 min….BEAUTIFUL !)


+Mapping & Printables-

*Interactive Geography Games for Africa
*All About Africa
* Interactive Africa
(Interactive stories about Africa from PBS Kids)
* Africa’s Lands (Biomes) Coloring Sheet
* Africa Scavenger Hunt
*Easy Salt Dough Map of Africa
*Africa Coloring Pages
*Play this African Map Quiz


+Hands On-

*Kente Cloth Art  from my favorite, Kitchen Table Classroom!
*Check out the AfriCam  
(See live video, or check out their weekly highlights!  Please be aware that this is FREE, but their are options to buy the premium package- no clicking without your parents kiddos 😀 !!)
* Play this fun Dice Game
* Create some African Neck Pieces
* Make a Mask!
* Try some recipes:
– Here’s a list of African Recipes from many countries
– OR you might like to try Recipes From Africa

* Listen to some beautiful Classical African Music set to native scenery 

 

+ Start a diorama. You may like to create several, one for each week’s theme, or just add on each week to make one larger diorama.  I have included lots of links to coloring pages & paper dolls that would be good to use.  

 

 


american girl unit study week 3


*Week 2:  North Carolina

+Read, Watch, and Learn!

*North Carolina Learning Links
* America’s Story: North Carolina
* North Carolina History

* Exploring NC Geography
* Let’s Explore!  NC Coastal Plain     
* Let’s Explore!  NC Mountains
* Let’s Explore!   NC Piedmont    
* Take a Virtual Field Trip to Coastal North Carolina
* NC Lighthouses

* The Wright Brothers
* Wright Brothers:Dreams Take Flight

NC and the Civil War
(Online exhibit- click choices to see each exhibit)

* The Lost Colony of Roanoke


+ Mapping & Printables-

* Enchanted Learning Printables for NC
* Draw & Write Notebooking Page
6 North Carolina Printables
* NC Coloring Pages
* Printables for NC
*Independence Hall Coloring Page


+Hands On-

* Make your own Wright Brothers Flyer
* Color some of the lighthouses found in NC
(Click the right arrow to see each NC lighthouse page- color online, or print!)
* Try fixin’ some Pimento Cheese               (Or another recipe from  Our State Magazine)
* Here are several craft ideas from the 3 different regions of North Carolina

 

 

American Girl Unit Study Week 3

Week 3: Pennsylvania


+Read, Watch, and Learn!

*All About Pennsylvania
*State Study-  Pennsylvania

* 2 Minute Tour of Pennsylvania
*Pennsylvania Video
(Focus more on the culture and people of PA)
* Virtual Tour of Historic Philadelphia
*PBS Kids Wilson & Ditch Diggin’ Philadelphia

* The Amish
*Stories from Pennyslvania History
(This is a collection of articles…not super lengthy, but a bit higher reading level is required…pretty much covers all of the Pennsylvania history high points.  It would be a good place to choose the articles that were most interesting to your child and read them together.  )

*Play these online learning games about Pennsylvania 


+Mapping & Printables-

* Pennsylvania Lapbook
* Interactive Maps of Pennsylvania
*All About Pennsylvania
(LOTS of mapping printables from Enchanted Learning)
*Pennsylvania Printables
*State Map Lined Show What You Know Printable
*Color Pennsylvania and All It’s Symbols   
(Free Printable booklet)


+Hands On-

*Listen to “Just Plain Fancy” by Patricia Polacco
(A story about the Amish in PA)

* Make your own Kids Travel Guide to Pennsylvania!
Kid’s Travel Guide is a sample video you can use to get started with if you need some help!

*Try making some typical foods you might find in Pennsylvania.
– Here is a site with LOTS of Amish Recipes to try!
Or try one of these traditional Pennsylvania recipes below:
Shoo Fly Pie   (no worries!  no flies !)
Homemade Pretzels
Easy Whoopie Pies
Pennsylvania Dutch Chicken Pot Pie

* Read this article about Hex Signs
-Try
this HEX SIGN CRAFT or this   Hex Craft Barn Stars

 

*Add to & finish up your diorama
(It might be fun this week to add some of the major landmarks or landforms that  we have studied this week to your diorama….)

 


IMG_4080

 

*Civil War ARTIST Study-
Winslow Homer

+Read-

  Winslow Homer   ( A complete unit from Garden of Praise)
  All About Winslow Homer    (from Deep Space Sparkle- includes activities!)

Homer’s Civil War Veteran: Battlefield to Wheat Field    (lesson plan)
  Winslow Homer Mini Page
Teaching the Civil War Through Art
  (An entire lesson plan)


+Watch-

Winslow Homer: An American Artist    (YouTube video about 5 minutes)
Winslow Homer:  A Living Painting       (YouTube video from the Newark Museum)

 

+Explore-

  Homer Art Lessons for Children     (This includes lots of Homer’s works all in one place)

* Make a painted story quilt about YOUR life.
How To Make A Painted Story Quilt is a short video on just how to do it!

*Some more artist study ideas to use !
*Worksheet on How to Analyze an Artwork

 

+Print-

  Virtual Coloring Page
– Making Art Fun – a show what you know kind of printable

– Worksheet on How to Analyze a Artwork
– Some more artist study ideas to use from my favorite Kitchen Table Classroom!

 


 

*Misc. Recipes, Crafts, Activities, and other Fun Stuff*

*Abraham Lincoln and His Gingerbread Men
*Battle of Gettysburg Farina
*Hands-on Study of the Civil War  

*Remember these unit studies are designed so that your family can enjoy them for FREE anywhere there is internet access ! There are so many wonderful books that you could add to these studies, please by all means use as many as you have access to.  :)

Remember to check out my favorite books for each of the unit studies in the Great Books List 

great books for unit studies

or you can check my Pinterest “EXTRAS” boards for each unit HERE.

If you decide to purchase any of these extra books, I would appreciate it greatly if you could click directly to Amazon from one of my links.  Amazon will pay me a small commission for it, and it will NOT cost you anything additional.  THANKS FRIENDS !!



***Hope you have enjoyed the Addy Unit Study !
Check out Turn of the Century America,  Samantha’s Unit Study next!

american girl unit study


*Other FREE American Girl History Units from Fields of Daisies~

 

*Overview of All American Girl Unit Studies
(An outline of the scope and sequence covered in each of the AG Units)

*FREE Native America Unit Study-  AG Kaya
+Kaya Printable Power Pack  (Free!)
+
Native America (Kaya) Unit Study- PDF Version
+Kaya Native America Pinterest Board

*FREE Colonial America Unit Study – AG Felicity
+Felicity Printable Power Pack
+Colonial America  (Felicity) Unit Study-  PDF Version
+A Colonial America Christmas-  Hands-On History  (Free)
+A Colonial America Christmas-  Printable Power Pack
+Felicity- Colonial America Pinterest Board
+Colonial America (Felicity) Christmas Pinterest Board

*FREE Southwest Frontier America Unit Study – AG Josefina
+Josefina Printable Power Pack
+Southwest Frontier  (Josefina) Unit Study-  PDF Version
+Christmas Southwestern Frontier- Hands-On History  (Free)
+Josefina- Frontier America Pinterest Board
+Southwestern Frontier (Josefina) Christmas Pinterest Board

*FREE Pioneer America Unit Study – AG Kirsten
+Kirsten Printable Power Pack
+Pioneer America (Kirsten) Unit Study- PDF Version
+Kirsten-  Pioneer America Pinterest Board
+Pioneer America (Kirsten) Christmas Pinterest Board

*FREE Civil War America Unit Study – AG Addy
+Addy Printable Power Pack
+Civil War (Addy) Unit Study-  PDF Version
+Addy- Civil War America Pinterest Board
+Civil War (Addy) Christmas Pinterest Board

*FREE 1900 Turn of the Century America Unit Study – AG Samantha
+Samantha Printable Power Pack   (My FAVORITE yet!!!)
+Turn of the Century (Samantha) Unit Study-  PDF Version
+Samantha-  Turn of the Century Pinterest Board
+Turn of the Century (Samantha) Christmas Pinterest Board

*FREE The Great Depression Unit Study-  AG Kit
+The Great Depression (Kit) Unit Study-  PDF Version
+Kit Printable Power Pack
+Kit- The Great Depression Pinterest Board

*FREE World War 2 Unit Study-  AG Molly
+World War 2 (Molly) Unit Study-  PDF Version
+World War 2 (Molly) Unit Printable POWER Pack!
+WW2 File Folder Game
+World War 2 Unit Study Printables BUNDLE!     (*NEW!)
+Molly- World War 2 Pinterest Board

 

 

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*American Girl Christmas School-  Homeschooling Through the Holidays

–> Check out all the American Girl Printables in the Book Store!
American History American Girl PDF Versions Bundle  american girl unit studies fields of daisies

If you loved this Unit Study, check out the Printable Power Packs and the live PDF Versions of the American Girl History Units all in a neat BUNDLE!
And nicely DISCOUNTED of course!

 


 

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