Colonial America Unit Study

Welcome to Williamsburg 1774!
Are you read for an exciting, hands-on study of the birth of the United States of America?
Where is Williamsburg?  Who were the Loyalists and the Patriots? What did Paul Revere do?  How did the colonies turn into states?  What was life really like during this time?  Did kids go to school?  What did they do for fun?  Did people really eat oyster ice cream?  What questions do YOU have?

We’ll learn the answers to all these questions and lots more through the eyes of Felicity Merriman, an adventurous, outdoor loving young girl growing up in bustling colonial Williamsburg.  We will read her stories, learn about her family, and explore life in a colony village divided by loyalties.   You can practice having high tea, ballroom dancing, baking some sweet biscuits, and lots more!  So, read on!

 

Welcome to Felicity’s World, 1774!

The American Girl History Unit Studies are planned out for a 3 week study…HOWEVER, this is just an outline!
Be sure to spend as much or as little time as interest and curiosity allow.   If you have younger children, you could just choose a few options from each day’s plans that you think they would be most excited to learn about.   And if you have some older kids in the mix, or your children are really excited to learn about this era, just use more of the suggested books, hands-on activities, field trips, etc.   You could EASILY stretch this unit out for months!   The idea is that this works either as a grab and go curriculum if that’s what you need, OR it can just be a spine from which you can really EXPLORE all the different questions your family has about this time period.  This is another benefit of homeschooling (and of a FREE curriculum)! You get to tweak it and use it however it fits your family!

If this is the first time you are doing one of these units, you can read what topics are covered in each unit in an overview FREE American Girl History Units post.

 

 

Do you have some questions about this series of Free History Unit Studies?

+What do you need to buy for these units?  Are they really FREE?
–>Also, WHERE do I find the American Girl Books?

+How do I use these unit studies?

+Can I really teach these lesson to my children TOGETHER?

+What is a History Timeline Binder?

You can read the answers to these questions, along with lots of helpful tips, in the first post in the series:
Native American History: American Girl Kaya Unit Study

 

Before we get started I want to include some of the resources you might like to check out to supplement this unit.  NONE of them are required!

 

*Colonial America (Felicity) Printable POWER Pack
-Weekly Planners, Field Trip Ideas, Copy Work Sheets, Artist Study, History Detective Pages, Science Experiment Lab Sheets, Maps, Bible Study Activities, and lots more !

 

 

 

 

*Colonial America (Felicity) PDF Version
Includes this entire unit study with
live links, week at a glance pages,
planners, printable note taking pages,
and lots more!

 

 

 

–>???What’s The Difference Between The PDF Version and The Printable POWER Pack???
Click the link above for a full video explanation!

 

 

*If you are using this unit during the holidays,
please jump on over to my
‘A Colonial Christmas- Hands-On History’  post
for a FREE Colonial Christmas Unit that will make
homeschooling through the holidays SO MUCH FUN!

I also have companion Printables for the Christmas study as well!
–Colonial Christmas Printable POWER Pack
–Colonial Christmas Printable PDF Version

 

 

 

*Colonial America Book & Resources List
You’ll find really good books, movies your whole family will enjoy, activity guides, board games, and craft kits that could supplement this unit.

 

 

 

 

 

 

*FREE Early American History Curriculum
This series is not in a unit study format, but would make a great addition of resources for your older students, and also just for adding even more ideas to explore if your family is craving more knowledge of this time in our history!

 

 

 

*ALL of the Colonial America- AG Felicity Resources… SO FAR!!  😀

*FREE Colonial America Unit Study – AG Felicity
+Felicity Printable Power Pack
+Colonial America  (Felicity) Unit Study-  PDF Version
+Colonial America Books and Resources List
+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

 

 

Definitely check out the TOP 10 HISTORY HELPS series for even more ideas!
There are ideas for every type of learner and every age student!

+Top 10 History PODCASTS
+Top 10 History SONGS
+Top 10 History TIMELINES
+Top 10 History AUDIOBOOKS
+Top 10 History MOVIES
+Top 10 History BOOKS    (Seriously the ULTIMATE history book list!!)
+Top 10 History GAMES
+Top 10 HANDS-ON History Projects
+Top 10 History PRINTABLES
+Top 10 History FIELD TRIPS

And a bonus…
+Top 10 History for the HOLIDAYS

*Last Note:  I am in no way affiliated with, or compensated by the American Girl Company.  This post does contain links to products on Amazon (just for some extra fun resources and books).  If you choose to purchase any of them, I’d really appreciate if you clicked through these links !   There is NO extra cost to you whatsoever, and I will get a small commission from each sale.   Thanks friends!   🙂

 

*Colonial America (American Girl Felicity) Unit:

 

 

*Basic Outline and Core Reading For Whole Unit-

“Welcome to Felicity’s World 1774”

 
*Week 1: Introduction to Felicity and Colonial America

1. Introduction to Felicity’s world 1774    (see Day 1 Plan Below)
2.  “Welcome to Felicity’s World 1774”-   Life in the New World    (p. 1-3)               
3.   Review of the 13 Colonies      (Southern Colonies)
4.  “Welcome to Felicity’s World 1774”-   Plantation Village       (p. 24-25)
5.  “Welcome to Felicity’s World 1774”-   At Home with Family     (p. 6-7)

 

* Week 2: A Day With Felicity

1.  “Welcome to Felicity’s World 1774”-   Society    (p. 12-15, 16-19)
2.  “Welcome to Felicity’s World 1774”-   Work     (p. 22-23, 32-33)
3.  “Welcome to Felicity’s World 1774”-   Play        (p. 8-9)
4.  “Welcome to Felicity’s World 1774”-   Food       (p. 20-21)
5.  “Welcome to Felicity’s World 1774”-   Slavery    (p. 26-31)

 

*Week 3: American Revolution!

1.  “Welcome to Felicity’s World 1774”-   Boston Tea Party & the Midnight Ride    (p. 4-5, 42-43)
2.  “Welcome to Felicity’s World 1774”-   War! At home & at Camp       (p. 44-51)
3.  “Welcome to Felicity’s World 1774”-   GeorgeWashington      (p. 52-53)
4.  “Welcome to Felicity’s World 1774”-    The Turning Point       (p. 54-55)
5.  “Welcome to Felicity’s World 1774”-    Surrender!                     (p. 56-58)

 

 

---

*Daily Lesson Plans-  Read It…Watch It…Explore It…Try It!   Week By Week*

 

Below you will find just the Week 1 outline for Daily Reading, Videos, Online Activities, Coloring Pages, etc that are directly related to the core reading for each day.  Continue to scroll down to find the other section for each week’s Writing, Copy Work, Vocabulary, Bible, Science, Geography, and Art plans!

 

 

*Week 1:  Introduction to Felicity and Colonial America

 

 

*Week 1: Reading Outline

1. Introduction to Felicity’s world 1774-     (see Day 1 Plan Below)
2. “Welcome to Felicity’s World 1774”-   Life in the New World   (p. 1-3)               
3.  Review of the 13 Colonies-     (Southern Colonies)
4.  “Welcome to Felicity’s World 1774”-   Plantation Village   (p. 24-25)
5.  “Welcome to Felicity’s World 1774”-   At Home with Family    (p. 6-7)

 

+Optional Reading For Week 1:
* American Girl Felicity Series,  Book 1, “Meet  Felicity”
(These books are not necessary to this unit.  Just really good reads!  There are 6 books in the series, so you could choose how much to read each week depending on your child’s level and interests.  I just listed one book per week.)

 

 

 

+Day 1:  Meet American Girl Felicity

*Read!

*Core Reading:  none today

*Optional Reading-
-“Meet Felicity”

*Online Reading-

–Meet Felicity Merriman and Her Family
–> Watch this video introduction too  Meet Felicity and Elizabeth in Williamsburg  !
–Explore Felicity’s World
–“Meet Felicity”  Read Aloud
(YouTube video, but all the pages are shown if you’d like to read along!)

–What is a Colony?
–The Very First Colonies

–Where is Williamsburg?
–Meet the People of Colonial Williamsburg
–TONS of Colonial Williamsburg Resources!

–>If you want to start a little further back either as an introduction to the first colonies, or as a refresher, here are a few resources!
You can also find full sections on the Vikings, Native Americans, Columbus, The Lost Colony, Plimouth Colony, etc… in The FREE Early American History post!

–The Lost Colony of Roanoke
–Intro to the Lost Colony at Roanoke

–What Was The Mayflower?
–Who Was On The Mayflower?
(Be sure to click on the names and read a short bit of information!)

–Who Was John Smith?
–The Story of John Smith , Page 2    (More detailed)
-Life at Jamestown
–A Jamestown Adventure With Capt. John Smith
–Early Life in the Jamestown Colony

–Plymouth Colony

 

 

+Watch!

–Felicity:  An American Girl Adventure     (Full movie on YouTube)
OR you can buy the Felicity Movie

*The Very First Colonies Videos
–Early America    (Dr. Carson’s series!  about 6 minutes)
–Ship Shape!    (Anna’s Adventures-  about 6 minutes)

–The Mayflower For Kids    (about 6 minutes)

–Discover Jamestown   (Drive Thru History – about 10 minutes)
–Exploring Jamestown With Maps      (Anna’s Adventures- about 6 mins)
– Kid’s Tour of Jamestown
–Jamestown Settlement    (short video for younger students- about 4 minutes)
–Jamestown Colony

 

 

+Explore It More!

–Play this American Girl Felicity Fun Trivia Quiz

–Ship Shape! Activities 
–Virtual Field Trip To The Susan Constant Ship
–Printable Virtual Museum Guide To The Susan Constant
–Pack It Up!  Activity
–Talk Like A Sailor!   (Kid friendly 😀  )

– Jamestown Activities 
(This is the teacher’s resource guide for Jamestown from the NPS…there are lots of activities here, including audio clips from famous settlers!  Be sure to scroll all the way to the bottom.)

–Virtual Tour of Colonial Williamsburg
–A Walk In a Colonial Garden
(Be sure to scroll all the way down for a video and other activities!)
-Play The Williamsburg Uncovering Loyalties Game

 
+Coloring Pages-

–Color The Susan Constant Ship
–Jamestown and Colonial Williamsburg Coloring Pages
*Mayflower Coloring Page
*The Mayflower Compact 
*Plimoth Coloring Pages     (Click “next” to see more!)
–Jamestown   and   Jamestown Settlement
–Jamestown Mini-Book
–Jamestown Historical Coloring Pages
(This has LOTS of pages to choose from!)
–Virginia Stamp Coloring Page

-History Detective Activity  ( found in the Printable Pack) –  John Smith

 

*The Thirteen Colonies are covered in depth in this week’s Geography lesson!

 

 

+Day 2: Colonial Life in the New World 

#1-  We will be finding the answers to LOTS more of your questions about what life was like in Colonial America in week 2 !

#2- You may like to read “Mary Of Plymouth” or  “Richard of Jamestown”  
They are both quite old books, but fully available as a PDF or to read online!  I haven’t read these yet, but they look good.  Would be nice I imagine to read over Breakfast together or something like that !

+Read!

*Core Reading:
-“Welcome to Felicity’s World 1774”-   p. 1-3

*Optional Reading-
-“Meet Felicity”

*Online Reading-

–Why Did the Colonists Come to America?
–Daily Life For a Colonist In the City
–Daily Life For a Colonist In the Country
–Places To See Around a Colonial Town
–Learn More About the Places In Colonial Williamsburg

* ‘A Colonial Christmas‘ !

 

+Watch!

–Pilgrim Life In Plymouth  
–Mayflower Voyage- Charlie Brown
–The Pilgrims In 5 Minutes

–What Was It Like To Be A Child In Colonial America?
–A Day In the Life Of a Colonial Kid
–Part 2- A Day In the Life
*A Day in the Life of a Colonial Kid      (Part 3- Fun!)
—->Download the  A Day in the Life of a Colonial Kid PDF Booklet  too ! 

– A Child’s Life In Colonial Williamsburg
–What Was Life Like For a Kid In Colonial America?
–Colonial Life from 3 Perspectives
(*Please preview this video as you do with all these!)
–Daily Life In Colonial Williamsburg Video Playlist

 

+Explore It More!

–The Early Settlements Song   (By Kids For Kids!)
– Explore Colonial Life Interactive
-Take a Virtual Trip Through Colonial Williamsburg Capitol Building
(Just click on the other choices to see more of the places in Williamsburg!)
-Take a virtual trip through the Colonial Williamsburg Museum!
– Colonial House Interactive History
–13 Colonies Matching Game
-Colonial America Scavenger Hunt

 

+Coloring Pages-

–Colonial Life Coloring Pages
*TONS of Colonial Life Coloring Pages

 

+Day 3:  The Southern Colonies

*See Week 1 Geography for more information about the 13 Colonies!

+Read!

*Core Reading-  none today

*Optional Reading-
-“Meet Felicity”

*Online Reading-

–What is a Colony?
(Just in case you didn’t read this before!)

*The Southern Colonies
–The Southern Colonies
–What Were the Southern Colonies?

–The Virginia Colony
–The Maryland Colony
–The North Carolina Colony
–The South Carolina Colony
–The Georgia Colony

–How Did the Colonies Become States?
(We will talk lots more about how this happened in Week 3!)

 

+Watch!

–The Southern Colonies
–Learn the Southern Colonies
(A bit more detailed)
–The Jamestown/Virginia Colony
–The Colony of North Carolina

 

+Explore It More!

–Southern Colonies Map Game
–Southern Colonies Word Wall Game
–Colonial Errors- Can you find them all?
–Interactive Colonies

 

+Coloring Pages-

–Colonial Village Coloring Pages
–Colonial Virginia Coloring Page
–Virginia Coloring Page
–Maryland Coloring Page
–North Carolina Coloring Page
–South Carolina Coloring Page
–Georgia Coloring Page

*History Detective Activity (found in Printable Pack)-  George Wythe
– Who Was George Wyeth

 

+Day 4:  The Plantation Village

*You may want to include more about slavery here, but since we cover it in Week 2, Day 5… and much more in depth in the Civil War (AG Addy), I didn’t add more in today’s lesson.

 

+Read!

* Core Reading–
– “Welcome to Felicity’s World 1774”-   p. 24-25

*Optional Reading-
– “Meet Felicity”

*Online Reading-

–What Kind of Houses Did Colonists Live In?
– What Was a Plantation?
– What Did Houses In Colonial Williamsburg Look Like?
– Meet the People of Colonial Williamsburg
– Hope Plantation

 

+Watch!

–The Plantation System of the Southern Colonies
(It is black and white and dated, but still has good information and visuals)
–Travel back in time to The Southern Colonies
(This is a “class trip” with a storyteller teacher… very creative!)
– Take a virtual field trip to Shirley Plantation     (The oldest in the US!)
– The Latta Plantation
(Though this has much tied into the time of the Civil War, there is a lot of good information about Plantation life!  If you’d like, you can skip to about 4:00 minutes to start with the history of the Latter Plantation.)
–Life on a Plantation  
(This is a read aloud excerpt on this topic from the book “What Was the Underground Railroad”)

 

+Explore It More!

–Build a Plantation Farm
– Explore a Colonial House Interactive Field Trip
– Colonial Houses
– Houses Around the Village
–The Story Of  Gowan Pamphlet at Williamsburg
–The Story Of James Armistead Lafayette at Williamsburg
–Tour The Randolph Site At Colonial Williamsburg
(This virtual tour includes a “real” narrator.  Enter through the “door” icon.  Click on the narrator to hear his story.  You can also click the icon at the bottom left to go from room to room that way).

 

+Coloring-

–Mt. Vernon Plantation Coloring Page
–Plantation/Cotton Picking Coloring Pages
–Colonial Village Christmas Coloring Book
–Colonial Life Coloring Page

 

 

+Day 5:  At Home With the Colonial Family

+Read!

* Core Reading–
– “Welcome to Felicity’s World 1774”-    p. 6-7

*Optional Reading-
– “Meet Felicity”

*Online Reading-

–What did Colonial Americans do for work?
–Colonial American Daily Life
–The Story of Martha Washington Colonial Williamsburg
–Life In the Colonies
(Textbook Pages)
–Family Life In Colonial Days
(This is a bit long for younger children, but very complete)

 

+Watch!

–Life In Colonial Williamsburg
–Colonial Life
–If You Lived In Colonial Times-  read aloud!
–Colonial Times For Kids

 

+Explore It More!

–Colonial Family & Community
(Super FUN web detective type game based on a real colonial family!  Includes video clips & lots of fun facts!
–Family Homes in Colonial Williamsburg
(Explore the different homes of the people who lived in Colonial Williamsburg)
–Colonial Kingston, New York   (A lovely story and coloring book to print)

 

+Coloring pages

–Colonial Paper Doll
–Colonial Coloring Book
–Colonial Life Coloring Page
–Colonial Society Coloring Page
–Life At Home Coloring Page

 

 

*Week 1- Hands-On History FUN!*

 

Each week you will find a few suggestions for projects and activities that go along with the daily lessons.
Choose as many as you like to make History come alive!  There are LOTS (seriously TONS!) of other ideas for crafts, cooking, and Colonial American activities on my Colonial America Felicity Pinterest Page and my Colonial America Christmas Pinterest Page.

*Colonial Williamsburg Tinsmithing Craft

*Make Your Own Book!
(This would be a great start to this unit- you could make the book and use it to record all you’re learning about Colonial America!  You could also use it to keep a list of the famous people, events, and places that you discover!

*Try cooking some Colonial American Recipes with Felicity  or with her best friend American Girl Elizabeth!

*Host a Traditional Tea !

*Make a no-sew mob cap, or a proper Colonial Hat for your tea time!

* American History Coloring Pages

* American Revolution Activites

* You might like to visit a plantation house or living history museum in your area that is open to the public… OR take a virtual field trip to one !
– Virtual Field Trip to Plimoth Plantation
– Virtual Tour of Plimoth Plantation Thanksgiving                           
– Drayton Hall Plantation, South Carolina….virtual tour & interactive games

*Try some hand crafts that Felicity practiced!
-Try Paper Quilling
–Cross Stitch and Embroidery 
(You could try a sampler, or you could stitch your family’s initials on a tea towel!)
–Pressing Flowers
–Dried Flower Potpourri
–Tin Punch

 

 

---

 

*Week 2:   A Day With Felicity

 

*Week 2:  Core Reading At A Glance

1.  “Welcome to Felicity’s World 1774”-   Society       (p. 12-15, 16-19)
2.  “Welcome to Felicity’s World 1774”-   Work         (p. 22-23, 32-33)
3.  “Welcome to Felicity’s World 1774”-   Play           (p. 8-9)
4.  “Welcome to Felicity’s World 1774”-   Food         (p. 20-21)
5.  “Welcome to Felicity’s World 1774”-   Slavery     (p. 26-31)

 

 

*Week 2 Optional Reading-  Felicity Learns A Lesson

*  American Girl Felicity Series,  Book 2, “Felicity Learns A Lesson ”

 

 

 

 

+Day 1:  Colonial Society

+Read!

* Core Reading-
– “Welcome to Felicity’s World 1774”  –   p.  12-15, 16-19

*Optional Reading-
– “Felicity Learns a Lesson”

*Online Reading-

–What are Social Classes?
–Who Were The Gentry?
–What Was The Planter Class?
–Colonial American Society
–Colonial Clothing & Society
–Colonial Men’s Clothing
–Colonial Women’s Clothing
–Colonial Kid’s Clothing

–Social classes in Colonial Williamsburg
  (This section is “Meet The Nation Builders”.  You may have read several of the stories of these people from Colonial Williamsburg in Week 1.  You may like to choose a few more stories to read taking notice of what social class each person belonged to.  You could even make a list!)
–Tea and Coffee in the Colonies
–Tea Customs In Colonial Boston

+Watch!

–Felicity Takes Tea
–Kids Teach Colonial Tea 
–Kid’s Tour of Colonial Williamsburg
-Learn a Colonial Williamsburg Dance like Felicity!
–CW Kids Ask: How did different kids fit into colonial America?
(Probably best for parents, or very interested students.  This is about 45 minutes.  It may not be something you want to watch in full, but it answers many questions about society and class in Colonial Williamsburg)

 

+Explore It More!

–George Washington’s Rules of Civility
–Dress the Colonial
(Explore how the colonials dressed with this fun interactive game!)
–Explore What People Wore In Colonial Williamsburg
–Which Colonial Are YOU?
(Fun Interactive)
–Take High Tea
(Try having your own high tea at home!)
–Shrewsbury Cakes
–Spice Cakes 
–Queen Cakes
(Try some of Felicity’s own recipes for your next tea time! )

 

+Coloring-

–Colonial Life Coloring Pages
–Colonial America Society Coloring Pages
–Colonial Paper Dolls and Clothing
(Scroll down to the 18th Century and there are LOTS of dolls and clothing to choose from!  Just click on black and white or colored and a clear PDF will load!  These are really nice!)
–Colonial Ladies Coloring Page
–Colonial Couple Coloring Page
–Tea Time Coloring Page
–Tea Time Coloring Pages   (6 different pages from Dover)

*History Detective Activity  ( found in the Printable Pack)-  Patrick Henry 
– Who Was Patrick Henry?
– Liberty Or Death!     (Liberty’s Kids Video-  about 28 minutes)
– Patrick Henry and the American Revolution

 

 

+Colonial Jobs & Daily Work

+Read!

* Core Reading-
– “Welcome to Felicity’s World 1774”-     p.  22-23, 32-33

*Optional Reading-
– “Felicity Learns a Lesson”

*Online Reading-

– Colonial Jobs
– Colonial Trades
–Crafts & Trades Colonial Days
– Colonial Trades in Williamsburg
-Fun List of Colonial Occupations
(This is just for fun- see if you can guess what a Bang Beggar, Back’us Boy, or a Cattle Jobber does!  )
–What’s An Apprentice?
-Explore Colonial Trades from Mr. Nussbaum

• Apothecary
• Blacksmith
• Brickmaker
• Candlemaker
• Cobbler
• Cooper
• General Store Keeper
• Gunsmith
• Hatter
• Milliner
• Printer
• Religion in the 13 Colonies
• Saddlemaker
• Silversmith
• Tavern Keeper
• Wheelwright
• Wigmaker

– Did Kids Go To School in Colonial Days?
–Education In The Colonies
– Did Kids Have Chores in Colonial Days?

+Watch!

–Colonial Jobs In Virginia    (about 9 minutes- filmed in Colonial Williamsburg)
–Colonial Trades
(LOTS of videos of different colonial trades, from Williamsburg)
–Colonial Times For Kids-  Trades & Careers    (about 5 minutes)

–Did Colonial Kids Go To School?   (about 7 minutes)
–Colonial Times  
(This video is an overview- if you want to see just the school section, forward to 13:42)
–Colonial Teachers    (about 3 minutes)

 

+Explore It More!

–Merchant Matchup Game
(Play this fun Merchant Matchup game!)
–Colonial Trades Scavenger Hunt
(Play this 13 Colonial Trades Interactive Game!)
-Explore the Trades of Colonial Williamsburg
(Be sure to scroll all the way down for videos and more!)
–Silversmithing Activity

 

+Coloring-

–Colonial Trades Coloring Page
–Colonial Trades Coloring Book
(Free Colonial Trades Coloring Book)
–Colonial Girls Sewing Coloring Page
–Colonial Store Coloring Page
–Colonial Cordwainer Coloring Page   (Can you guess what this job is?)
–Blacksmith Coloring Page
–Colonial Child Studying Coloring Page

 

 

+Colonial Fun & Play

Most of the Colonists worked long hours, but still they enjoyed simple games and social activities.  They played games like leapfrog, blindman’s bluff, tag, and marbles, and made their own toys such as corn husk dolls, spinning tops, and Jacob’s ladders.
Grown-ups enjoyed music and dancing at barn raisings or parties, and they liked to play card games, checkers, shuffleboard, and backgammon.
Families and neighbors also came together for quilting bees, husking bees, and fairs, where work often turned into fun.  We will read lots more about these activities in the America’s Pioneers (Kirsten) Unit!

+Read!

* Core Reading-
-“Welcome to Felicity’s World 1774”-    p.  8-9

*Optional Reading-
-“Felicity Learns a Lesson”

*Online Reading-

–What Did Colonial Kids Do For Fun?
–What Did Colonial Kids Play?
–Colonial Games To Try!
–Fun in Colonial Times
(A short book – Fun In Colonial Times)
–Colonial Entertainment
–Music In Colonial Days
–How To Dance A Colonial Country Dance

 

+Watch!

–Colonial Children’s Games
(Watch this fun video made by kids !!)
–Colonial Kids Fun and Games     (about 6 minutes)
–Toys and Games For Colonial Kids
–A Kid’s Life in Colonial Williamsburg
–Playing & Toys In Colonial America       (about 10 minutes)
–Colonial Williamsburg Dancing “The Pilgrim”    (about 2 minutes)
–Party and Dancing At The Governor’s Palace, Colonial Williamsburg 

 

+Explore It More!

-Listen to some Traditional Colonial Music while you work!
–Colonial Williamsburg Music
–Nine Men’s Morris
(Scroll down to Anna’s Adventures:  Nine Men’s Morris)
–How To Make Nine Men’s Morris
–Colonial Children’s Games
–Colonial Children’s Games WebQuest
–Nine Pins
–What Kind of Music Did Colonists Listen To?
–Explore Colonial Fun   (click on each image to read more!)

+Coloring-

–Colonial Children’s Playing Coloring Page
–Colonial Life Coloring Pages
–Colonial Kids Coloring Pages

 

 

+Colonial Food and Drink

 

For the people of Colonial America, what you ate often depended on how much money you had.
Wealthier families could afford cooks and had access to imported goods like sugar, spices, tea, coffee, and fine wines, along with a wide variety of meats and baked dishes.  Most colonists, however, ate simpler meals made from what they could grow, hunt, or raise themselves—cornbread, stews, salted meat, beans, and seasonal vegetables.
While everyone depended on the local harvests, wealthier families could enjoy a wider variety of foods prepared in more elaborate ways, while most families ate simple meals made from what they grew or raised themselves.

+Read!

* Core Reading-
– “Welcome to Felicity’s World 1774”-    p.  20-21

*Optional Reading-
– “Felicity Learns a Lesson”

*Online Reading-

–What did they eat in Colonial America?
–Cooking In The 13 Colonies
–Do You Want To Eat Like A Colonist?
–Colonial America Food Facts
–What did the early Colonists eat?
–Where did the Colonial American’s food come from?
–Colonial Food
(lots & lots of links)
–Colonial Kitchens & Recipes For Kids

 

+Watch-

–If You Lived In Colonial Times-  What Did People Eat?!
–Cooking in Colonial Days
–What Did They Eat In Colonial Williamsburg?
–Colonial Williamsburg Cooking    (about 4 minutes)
–Yorktown- Colonial Cooking     (about 4 minutes)

–Townsends – 18th Century Food and History
(This is the link to the Townsends YouTube channel which features TONS of really good videos on pretty much every food topic during the 18th Century!)

 

+Explore It More!

–Pick and Pickle!
(Scroll down to Anna’s Adventures:  Pick and Pickle)
–Colonial America Recipes
(lots of links & recipes)
–Revolutionary War Recipes
(Freebie from Teachers Pay Teachers…Revolutionary War Recipes)
–Colonial Recipes From Williamsburg
-Explore TONS of Recipes From Mount Vernon
(Just click on each recipe title to open up the image and recipe!)

+Coloring!

–Early Colonies Cooking
(activity sheets & directions on some food preservation recipes to try yourself!)
–Colonial Cooking Coloring Page

 

 

+ Slavery In Colonial America

*If you will be working through all of the AG Units, this topic will be covered in a lot more depth in the Civil War- American Girl Addy Unit Study  !

+Read!

* Core Reading-
– “Welcome to Felicity’s World 1774”-    p.  26-31

*Optional Reading-
– “Felicity Learns a Lesson”


*Online Reading-

–What Is Slavery?
–Slavery in Colonial America
–How Did Slavery Come To Colonial America?
–Colonial Williamsburg’s Bray School
–Why Did the Colonists Have Slaves?
–The Story of Lydia Broadnax

+Watch!

– Plantation Life, A History For Kids     (about 11 minutes)
–Liberty’s Kids video Liberty or Death!               (about 15 minutes)

+Explore It More!

–Slavery in the southern colonies
–Explore Williamsburg’s Peyton Randolph House  
(If you haven’t already!)
–Stories from Williamsburg- Slaves
(animated stories from colonial Williamsburg site for kids)
–Colonial African American Art
(Take a virtual tour of Colonial Williamsburg’s African American Colonial Art collection)
-Play Uncovering Loyalties
(You may like to choose a player that was likely a slave to learn from that perspective!)

 

+Coloring-

–Enslaved People Picking Cotton

 

 

*Week 2- Hands-On History FUN!

 

*Make some of your own Colonial toys and games!
– Colonial Whirligig Toy 
–Cup and Ball Game
–Game of Graces
-Design your own 18th Century Kite

*Try jumping rope and learning some old fashioned jump rope rhymes

*Colonial School Fun
–  Make Your Own Horn Book!

*Colonial Work-
+Give soap making a try !
– How to Make Your Own Colonial Soap
– Simple Soap Making

–Colonial Hand Dipped Candles

+Colonial Foods-
How about a quick (and yummy) science lesson ?  Make your own butter!
We did this activity for Thanksgiving one year and everyone (adults included) loved it !
–Make Your Own Butter

*Try some of these Colonial recipes:
–Kid Friendly Syllabub
–Mt. Vernon Apple Pancakes
–The Washington’s Cake
–Mt. Vernon Tea Muffins
–Dried Apples  or Apple Butter
(Fun afternoon snacks, and the dried apples are made in the microwave- so not authentic, but a good way to talk about food preservation!)
–Peek Into The Pantry-  Felicity’s Recipes

 

 

---

 

* Week 3:  A Revolution In The Colonies!

 

*Week 3: American Revolution!  Reading Overview-

1.  “Welcome to Felicity’s World 1774”-   Boston Tea Party & the Midnight Ride
(p. 4-5, 42-43)
2.  “Welcome to Felicity’s World 1774”-   War! At home & at Camp
(p. 44-51)
3.  “Welcome to Felicity’s World 1774”-   GeorgeWashington
(p. 52-53)
4.  “Welcome to Felicity’s World 1774”-    The Turning Point
(p. 54-55)
5.  “Welcome to Felicity’s World 1774”-    Surrender!
(p. 56-58)

 

 

*Week 3 Optional Reading-  
+American Girl Felicity Series, Book 3, “Felicity’s Surprise”

 

*You can find A LOT more ideas and resources for this part of the unit in my Free Early American History post too!
Scroll down to Week 3, Week 4, and Week 5 to start with Colonial History!

 

+Day 1:  A Tea Party & A Midnight Ride

 

–> Note:
There is A LOT of information today!  You can pick just a few resources from both section to read, or you may want to add an extra day to cover these important events!

 

*The Boston Tea Party

+Read!

* Core Reading-
– “Welcome to Felicity’s World 1774”-     p.  4-5,  42-43

*Optional Reading-
– “Felicity’s Surprise”

*Online Reading-

–What Were The Intolerable Acts?

–Who Were The Sons Of Liberty?
–Who Was Samuel Adams?

–What Was The Boston Tea Party?
–The Story of The Boston Tea-Party
–The Boston Tea Party
–Was There Any Tea At the Boston Tea Party?

–What Was The Continental Congress?
–Who Was Benjamin Franklin?

+Watch!

–Liberty’s Kids- The Intolerable Acts!
–Liberty’s Kids-  The Boston Tea Party
-You can purchase the whole series which is GREAT->  Liberty’s Kids Set
– School House Rocks! Tea Party!
–The Boston Tea Party – Bedtime History For Kids

 

+Explore It More!

–The Revolution Interactive Timeline
–Quiz Yourself- The Boston Tea Party
–Boston Tea Party Puzzle Online
(You can select how many pieces you want the puzzle to have)
–Tea Party Slide Puzzle Online 

*3 Boston Tea Party Songs
–Tea Party Song
–The Boston Tea Party Song
–Boston Tea Party Song

 

+Coloring-

–The Boston Tea Party Coloring Page
–The First Continental Congress Coloring Page

*The Midnight Ride

+Read!

–Who Was Paul Revere?
–Paul Revere’s Ride
–Paul Revere’s House
–Longfellow- The Midnight Ride of Paul Revere
–Paul Revere’s Ride

–Who Were The Minutemen?
–What Were The Battles Of Lexington & Concord?

 

+Watch!

–Liberty Kids- The Midnight Ride!
–The Regular’s Are Coming!! Paul Revere’s Ride
–School House Rock- The Shot Heard Around The World

 

+Explore It More!

–Interactive Map Of Paul Revere’s Ride
–Explore Paul Revere’s Life

 

+Color-

–The Midnight Ride Coloring Page
–Paul Revere Coloring Page
–Paul Revere’s Ride Coloring Page
–Revolution! Coloring Page
–Dover- Revere’s Ride Coloring Page
–Dover- The Battle Of Lexington Coloring Page

 

*History Detective Activity  (found in the Printable Pack)-  George Wythe
–Who Was George Wyeth?
–George Wyeth at Williamsburg
–Williamsburg’s Wythe House
–George Wyeth at Colonial Williamsburg
(Home video of “George Wythe” at Colonial Williamsburg)
– Video Tour George Wyeth’s Home

 

 

 

+Day 2:  War!  At Home & At Camp

 

+Read!

* Core Reading-
– “Welcome to Felicity’s World 1774”-    p.  44-51

*Optional Reading-
– “Felicity’s Surprise”

*Online Reading-

–What Was The Continental Army?
–What Was It Like To Be a Soldier In the Revolutionary War?
–The Militia and The Continental Army
–Life As A Revolutionary War Soldier
–The Story Of Stephen Tainter
–The Story Of Sarah Osborn Benjamin
–The Story Of Peggy Shippen Arnold
–Women of the Revolutionary War
–The Continental Army Facts For Kids
–The British Soldiers
–SPIES!

 

+Watch!

–Liberty’s Kids- The Shot Heard Around The World
–Paul Revere, Lexington, and Concord
–The Battle of Lexington and Concord  
–What Is Patriots Day?
–Lexington and Concord Song    (preview this  😀  )

 

+Explore It More!

–The Shot Heard Audio
(short audio with nice drawings)
–Music of the Revolutionary War
(This would be good to read along with the bio of the drummer above)
-More Interactive True Stories Of People Of The American Revolution
-Explore this Interactive American Revolution Timeline   (includes above people as well!)
–Activities On The Battles Of Lexington & Concord
–Second Continental Congress Activities

 

+Coloring-

–A Soldier’s Life
(scroll through to read about & find activities for what it was like to be a young soldier in the war… there is a list of their rations that is quite interesting!)
–Minutemen Coloring Page
–TONS of Colonial America, George Washington and Revolutionary War Online Coloring Pages

*History Detective Activity  (found in Printable Pack)-  John Murray, Lord of Dunmore

 

 

+Day 3:  George Washington

 

+Read!

* Core Reading-
-“Welcome to Felicity’s World 1774”-    p.  52-53

*Optional Reading-
-“Felicity’s Surprise”

*Online Reading-

– Who Was George Washington?
–Who Was George Washington?
–George Washington in Williamsburg
–George Washington
–Washington Facts and Fiction
–Who Was George Washington?
–New York and the Revolutionary War!

–Where Is Washington?

 

+Watch!

–Animated Hero Classics-  George Washington  (about 23 minutes)
–Liberty’s Kids- Washington Takes Command
–Liberty’s Kids- New York! New York!
–Liberty’s Kids- Across the Delaware

–George Washington Song

–George Washington’s Childhood
–George and Martha
–George Washington and The French & Indian War
–King George III  vs.  President George
(Rap battle?  Creative way to see both sides of this war!)

+Explore It More!

–George Vs. George Interactive Game
–George Washington- BrainPop!
-Interactive Portrait of George Washington
-Play some of these George Washington Games
–Virtual Field Trip to Mount Vernon
–George Washington Song
-Lots of George Washington Games and Interactive Fun   (form Mount Vernon)
–Interactive Online Coloring Pages
–George Washington Portrait   Interactive Mystery Game
–More Washington Games & Puzzles Online

+Coloring-

–General Washington and the Continental Army
–16 George Washington Coloring Pages
–Life George Washington    (LOTS of printables !)
–George Washington Rules of Civility Copywork Booklet
–Learn How to Draw George Washington

 

+Day 4:  The Turning Point- Valley Forge

 

+Read!

* Core Reading-
– “Welcome to Felicity’s World 1774”-    p.  54-55

*Optional Reading-
– “Felicity’s Surprise”

*Online Reading-

–Where Is Valley Forge?
–What Happened At Valley Forge?
–The American Revolution at Valley Forge
–What Happened at Valley Forge ?
–The Story Of Valley Forge
–Who Was Molly Pitcher?

*You can read about some of the other major battles of the American Revolution below-
–Battle of Bunker Hill
–Battle of Long Island
–Washington Crossing the Delaware
–Battle of Germantown
-The Battle of Saratoga
–Battle of Cowpens
–Battle of Guilford Courthouse
–Battle of Yorktown

+Watch!

–Liberty’s Kids- One Life To Lose
–Liberty’s Kids- Valley Forge
–Liberty’s Kids- Captain Molly

–Famous Battles of The American Revolution

+Explore It More!

–Valley Forge Printable Activity Book
(Some of these activities require a visit to the museum, but most do not)
–Winter In Valley Forge Activities
–Become A Valley Forge Junior Ranger Online!

 

+Coloring-

–Winter At Valley Forge Coloring Page
–Free Valley Forge Coloring Book
–Molly Pitcher Coloring Page

 

+Day 5:  Surrender !

**We will talk more about the new government of the United States in Week 3- Bible Study!

+Read!

* Core Reading-
– “Welcome to Felicity’s World 1774”-    p.  56-58

*Optional Reading-
-“Felicity’s Surprise”

*Online Reading-

–The Battle of Yorktown (and more!)
–What Was The Battle of Yorktown?
–Eyewitness- The Battle of Yorktown

–The Treaty of Paris

–What Is The Declaration of Independence?
–Signers Of The Declaration  
(How many do you remember reading about?)
–The American Revolution And The Liberty Bell

–A New Nation
–Creating A New Nation
–The First President of The United States

–The Patriot Squirrel Who Help Save America
(Super cute story!)

+Watch!

–Liberty’s Kids- Yorktown!
–Liberty’s Kids- The First Fourth of July
–Liberty’s Kids- The Man Who Wouldn’t Be King!
–The Battle of Yorktown
–Battle at Yorktown
–The Constitution:  Why a Republic?
–The Red, White, and Blue:  The Story of the American Flag   

 

+Explore It More!

–Revolutionary War Matching Game Online
–Review the Revolution!  Hangman Game Online
–Revolutionary War Rap!    (History Teachers Sing)
–Declaration of Independence Song    (History Teachers Sing)
–Declaration of Independence   (Interactive Game)

 

+Coloring-

–Battle of Bunker Hill Coloring Page 
–Surrender at Yorktown ! Coloring Page
–Cornwallis Surrenders Coloring Page
–The Declaration of Independence Coloring Page
–Draw The Liberty Bell- Step By Step

*Week 3-  Hands-On History FUN!

*TONS of Colonial America Crafts, Recipes, and Activities From Mount Vernon 

*Make a Colonial Stamp   (activity from Colonial Williamsburg)

*Use these stencils to design your own Revolutionary War Flag!

*Play- Join the Army!

*Learn how to play the soldier’s card game Whist

*Try playing Fox and Geese 

*Color George Washington’s Inaugural Buttons

*Be a Spy and Figure the Secret Ciphers!

*Make Paul Revere’s Lantern!

*Quill and Ink Activity

* Revolutionary War printables from an amazing site, Just Us,  full of great resources!
– American Revolution Lapbook

 

---

 

*If you’d like to finish reading the series of Felicity books, you can find links to them below.   If you click on and  purchase any of these books, I receive a small commission from Amazon.   This helps all my units be FREE!  As always, I won’t include anything I don’t love 🙂  Thank you for supporting Fields of Daisies !

– Happy Birthday Felicity!
– Felicity Saves the Day!
– Changes for Felicity!

*There are also a group of Felicity Short Stories and Felicity Mysteries that would fit perfectly with this unit!

     

*Try some of the American Girl Felicity Activity Books too!
+Felicity’s Craft Book
+Felicity’s Cook Book
+American Girl Felicity Paper Dolls

---

*Weekly Language Arts & Grammar Ideas-

*Reading Comprehension Ideas:

This is the same list for each week! Choose which ideas you’d like to work on and come back!
Show what you know about Felicity and Colonial America!

*Reading Comprehension Worksheets

*Felicity Book Series Comprehension Questions
This AG loving mom has lists of comprehension questions for lots of the books in the series-
– Meet Felicity Reading Comprehension Questions

*Notes
Keep a running list in a notebook of important people, important places,  important events, and important ideas. Use these lists later for writing prompts, notebooking, lapbooking, creating a timeline, etc…
– Colonial Kids Coloring Pages
 (People, Places, & Events coloring pages)

* Keep a Colonial American History notebook!
+Make sections and just quickly add in important people (scientists, artists, musicians, leaders, etc),  places, and events.
Use these lists later for writing prompts, notebooking, lapbooking, creating a timeline, 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 Turn of The Century!    In the following links, you can find some examples of Notebooking ,  Lapbooking , and Folders  (with templates!)
+See how we made some of these!
–>–>How To Make A History Binder     (I made a video if you’d rather watch than read 🙂  )

* Coloring pages for People, Places, & Events of this period

* Find whatever outlet that excites your kids!
One video featured a girl showing how to create different period hairstyles on her AG doll for example !

*Hands-On!
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!

*Language Arts/Grammar Ideas-

 

*Grammar ideas-

* Here’s a website of very short daily grammar reviews

* 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.

*Here is a fun idea…make up a mad libs by writing a simple paragraph about one of our topics of study.
Here’s a sample using George Washington.
– George Washington MadLibs

* You may choose to use your regular grammar curriculum, add just a few of the  ideas below  into the mix, or use all the ideas below.  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.

*It might also be fun to include some words that we use today that originated during this period.

– Fun Kids Talk Pilgrims
(fun audio here too!)
– Colonial House
(text & audio)
– Colonial Slang

*Or you can use my lists that are taken from each week’s core reading.
If your child is old enough to be proficient in using a computer, it might be a fun activity to include copy & pasted images along with some of the particularly foreign words. (ex. plantation, gentry, etc…)

*Vocabulary Lists:

1.  colony         2. colonists         3. Patriots       4. Loyalists                5. apprentice
6. tax               7. plantation       8. gentry          9. independence    10. wharf

1. loyal                2. minuet                 3. widow               4. tallow               5. carding
6. tavern            7. milliner                8. epidemic          9. shackle           10. freemen

1. delegates      2. rebellion         3.  regulars            4. minutemen        5. hardtack
6. courage        7. victory             8. defeat                 9. trenches           10. revolution

 

*Copy Work/Narration ideas-

* Try some of these famous quotes:
– Quotes From the American Revolution
– Quotable Revolutionaries

* This week’s Scripture verses-
–Leviticus 26: 11-13             – Exodus 6: 1-8           – Genesis 9              – Luke 4: 18-19 (Isaiah 61:1)
–Galatians 5                          – James 1: 25              – Romans 8: 21
–1 Corinthians 10:23           –1 Peter 2:16               –John 8:36
–Genesis 1: 26-30 and Genesis 2….particularly 2: 8-17

 

* Here is a poem from Phillis Wheatley-
– Who Was Phillis Wheatley?
– Poetry of Phillis Wheatley

* This week’s Scripture verses-
– Exodus 6: 2-7            – 1 John 3:8                  – Romans 8:21       – Hebrews 2: 14-15
– 2 Timothy 2:26        – 1 Corinthians 6:12      – John 8:34

 

* Paul Revere’s Ride
Try some of the poem, “Paul Revere’s Ride”,  by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow
– Paul Revere’s Midnight Ride

*Excerpt from  “The World Turned Upside Down”
“If ponies rode men and grass ate cows,
And cats were chased into holes by the mouse . . .
If summer were spring and the other way round,
Then all the world would be upside down.”

–  What Does This Poem Mean?

– Read the history about the song ‘Yankee Doodle’ and copy a verse!
–What Is Yankee Doodle Dandy?

 

* This week’s Scripture verses-
–Romans 8: 1-4                      – John 8:36                 – John 10:10
– Isaiah 61:1                           – Romans 6: 6-7          – Romans 8: 14-15
–1 Corinthians 6:12

 

* Copy your favorite passage from some of this week’s reading.

* Choose an author that was popular during this period copy an excerpt from their writings!
– Phillis Wheatley       – Thomas Paine                – Thomas Jefferson       – Samuel Adams
– Abigail Adams         – George Washington

 

*Creative Writing Ideas-

 

Idea #1– The Secret of Jamestown

You discover a hidden map tucked inside an old chest in Jamestown. The map leads to something the settlers left behind hundreds of years ago. Write the story of your adventure—what do you find, and how does it change your colony?

Idea #2-   Time Travel Reporter
You step into a time machine and land in Colonial Williamsburg. You’re now a reporter for the town newspaper. Write your front-page story about something exciting happening in the colony that day.

Idea #3- Pen Pals Across the Colonies

Pretend you live in one of the 13 Colonies and write a letter to a child in another colony. What do you tell them about your home? What do you want to know about theirs?

 

 

Idea #1-  Colonial Toy Shop
Imagine you own a toy shop in Williamsburg.
You can only make toys from wood, cloth, and simple materials.
Describe three toys you would make and sell in your colonial toy shop.
Sketch out your design!

Idea #2- If I Were an Apprentice

In Colonial America, many kids worked as apprentices to learn a trade.
Imagine you are an apprentice to a blacksmith, printer, or wigmaker.
Write about your first day on the job!

Idea #3-  The Magical Colonial Recipe

While exploring your attic, you stumble upon a tattered recipe book that belonged to your great-great-grandparents in Colonial America. This isn’t just any recipe—it’s rumored to bring joy, courage, or even a little magic to anyone who eats it!

Write the story of how your family gathers the ingredients (maybe from the garden, the market, or even a mysterious forest), prepares the dish, and shares it at a special meal.
What happens when you taste it?
How is this colonial meal different from the foods we eat today?

 

 

Idea #1- A Secret Letter to General Washington 

Imagine you are a young colonist who has been chosen to send a secret letter to General George Washington during the Revolutionary War. Your letter could contain advice, a clever idea, encouragement, or even a warning about the British.
Describe what you write, how you secretly deliver it, and imagine how General Washington might respond to your clever words.
What would it feel like to know your ideas could help shape history?

Idea #2-  A Spy’s Secret Mission 

Imagine you are a young spy for the Patriots during the Revolutionary War.
Tonight, you must deliver a secret message about British troop movements to the Continental Army. Describe the route you take—through dark forests, quiet fields, or across rivers—and the obstacles you face along the way.
How do you hide the message so no one notices it?
Do you use invisible ink, a hidden pocket, or a clever code?
Write about the narrow escapes, and how it feels to know that your daring mission could change the course of history.

Idea #3- Sewing a New Flag with Betsy

Imagine you are an apprentice helping Betsy Ross create a brand-new flag for the young United States.
She shows you the fabrics, the stars, and the stripes, but she asks for your ideas for a special design. Describe how you help choose colors, arrange the stars, or even suggest a secret symbol only a few will notice. What stories or hopes do you imagine the flag will tell to the people who see it?
How does it feel to be part of such an important moment in history?

Make a sketch of what design you would’ve made!

 

 

 

---

*Bible Study:

#1-  You might like to add the classic Pilgrim’s Progress (or perhaps an abridged or animated version) to your reading (or viewing…there are lots of great movie options too) for Bible during this unit, as it goes along very well with the theme of freedom.

 

#2-  I also have covered this topic in even more detail in the Civil War (American Girl Addy) Unit Study.
You may like to grab some ideas there to add to your discussion and activities!

 

 

*Week 1:   What is Freedom?

**Just a note to begin:
Please just scroll on down if this isn’t what you’re looking for.  Just a few thoughts before the lessons 🙂

“Freedom” might just be one of the most foundationally important, yet often overlooked concepts we must teach our children.  Why is it so important?
If we understood this word deeply and fully, it would change our hearts (and the hearts of our children too!).  It goes deeper than patriotism, and it’s power is much greater.  If the world just understood freedom, EVERYTHING would change!
Is that too dramatic?  😀

There are two aspects of freedom to iron out, and then to talk to our kiddos about- physical freedom, and  spiritual freedom.  First, and most important to understand is freedom in the spiritual sense.   I think that it will set the groundwork to appreciate the freedom we usually celebrate on the Fourth of July, and the type of freedom we will learn about in these lessons below.
I venture to guess that most people at some point at least have wrestled with the idea of giving God control over their lives.  Until we know Him, this idea of giving up our independence and rights to another seems anything but LIBERATING!!  Here is a quick example-
I have taught many ages of children, in all kinds of settings, and in different parts of the world.  It is always surprising to me that so many children (and therefore many adults I would guess) when asked about giving their lives to Jesus think of that as anything but living in abundant, joyful FREEDOM!   Once, a child in my class told me confidentially that he didn’t want to be a Christian anymore because he could never “keep all the rules”, and he was tired of trying to figure it all out and get it right.  It was such a sad confession 🙁
This  kind of thinking  (basically that of works) will never produce the goal of an abundant life in anyone, child or adult!    This will only cause your kiddos to follow rules out of fear or compulsion, often creating resentment toward God, and rebellion in a little heart.
Instead, why not press in and teach your children about the FREEDOM Jesus died to give to all those who believe! 

So what does this have to do with freedom?
In order for us to have a relationship with God, Jesus had to come and set us FREE from the world. The world is so broken- full of quarreling, division, hate, confusion, sadness, and sickness.
Before we know Jesus, we live here in this world like slaves…slaves to all those things of the world.  To fear, to sin, and to death.  But Jesus has loved us right where we are in the middle of all this mess, and He’s reaching out His hand to us, inviting us to come on out of the craziness, and live above it all.  He wants to set us FREE!
If we teach children first of God’s desire for us to live as a FREE people, bound only by our love for Him & for each other, the foundation for a life of gratitude and love for Jesus is laid!
Maybe better said…
God’s great love, and our response to that gift, is what sets us free, and the very thing that causes us to want to live a holy life.

The love we’ve been shown and the freedom we’ve been given causes our hearts to overflow with gratefulness, and creates in us a desire to live in a way to please Jesus!
It is Christ Himself, in us, that sets us free !!
The feeling that comes when you understand FREEDOM-  that you have truly been set free from this world by Love, is incomparable!!

And during this holiday, we can celebrate both the spiritual and the physical parts of freedom!
If we understand our FREEDOM in Christ,  it hopefully will create an APPRECIATION and RESPECT for the physical  freedoms we enjoy as well.   We can remember the sacrifices made by men and women that have lived before us (like Jesus who made the ultimate sacrifice), so that we could enjoy all of the liberties we have in this country!
May this spur us on to remember the cost, and to LIVE gratefully as FREE men and women and kids!  <3

 

* Read It! 

– Scriptures to explore & discuss –
Let’s start our Bible Study by finding out what God thinks about FREEDOM !

+ Genesis 1: 26-30 and Genesis 2  (particularly 2: 8-17)
*God created the most amazing place and set man right in the center of it,  to rule over His new, magnificent creation,  in the truest sense of freedom ever.  God saw that this was all very good.   From the beginning this was  God’s perfect intention for an abundant life of freedom & joy for all people!

*God’s plan for His people has consistently and from the beginning, been that we would look to Him as our God, that we would always be HIS people, and that we would rule by His ordering and by His law of Love over all of His creation in freedom.

-You can read more here !
–Leviticus 26: 11-13            – Exodus 6: 1-8             – Genesis 9
–Luke 4: 18-19                     – Isaiah 61:1                   –Galatians 5
–James 1: 25                        – Romans 8: 21              – 1 Corinthians 10:23
–1 Peter 2:16                        –John 8:36

-Pilgrim’s Progress
You might like to add a short version of Pilgrim’s Progress (maybe even a children’s version) to your reading (or viewing…there are lots of great movie options too)  as it goes along perfectly with the theme of freedom !

*You can watch a children’s movie cartoon version of Pilgrim’s Progress on YouTube for free.
OR you can listen to the Audio Book in full !

*Ideas to Think About & Discuss-

+ What is freedom?
*You might like to just ask your children this question.  No intro.
I bet if you ask this without any other promptings, their own answers will be pretty interesting and insightful !

*Here is the definition of freedom as found in the Oxford Dictionary:
-What do you think about this definition?
-Does freedom mean being allowed to do anything you want to do?
>For example…If you like something that belongs to someone else, and you want it, can you just take it?
If you are driving a car, can you go through a stop sign because you don’t feel like stopping there?

–Kids Wordsmyth Definition of Freedom

+ What is independence?
– Definition of Independence
– Kids Wordsmyth Definition of Independence

+ What is the difference between freedom & independence?

+ What picture comes to your mind when you hear the word ‘freedom’ ?
– Do you think of the American flag or the Statue of Liberty?
– Or do you think of being able to do whatever you want to do?
– Do you think about your own country, or maybe another country where there is not freedom?
– Do you think of someone coming out of prison?

+ How does it make you feel to think about being free?
– Does your freedom make you feel grateful?  Proud?  Confident?  Happy?
– Can you name some freedoms you have?

+ What would it be like to NOT be free?
– Can you think of any examples of people who are not free?

+What did you learn that GOD has to say about FREEDOM?
-Who does God say is really free?
-Who is not free?
-Who does God want to become free?
-How can a person really have freedom?

*The celebration of freedom in America!
Now that we have learned what TRUE FREEDOM is, and what God thinks about it, let’s discover why we have a special holiday to celebrate it in America!
What does the flag, fireworks, and cookouts have to do with what we’ve learned about freedom so far?

+Why do we talk about freedom & independence so much on the Fourth of July ?
– https://www.gominno.com/parents/how-to-talk-your-kids-about-independence-day/
(This resource is best to read and share with your kids)
– What Is Independence Day?
– What Is the Declaration of Independence?
– You can click here to read the original words of The Declaration of Independence !
– Listen to the Declaration of Independence read aloud, and follow along

+ Why was freedom so important to the first settlers in Colonial America?
– Do you know why many of the first settlers came to America?  Freedom!
– As our country grew, what kinds of freedoms were most important to the Colonists?
– Were the Colonists mindful of God’s ideas about freedom ?   How do we know?
(It might be a good time to read a bit of the Declaration of Independence  or other such historical documents important to the foundation of our government… be sure to point out how many times God is mentioned.)
–America’s Freedom Documents
( reading & activities)
– Explore this interactive  “Season of Independence”

 

*Watch & Listen!

–Independence Day and Freedom in Christ    (about 7 minutes)

– The First Fourth of July      (Liberty’s Kids-  about 24 minutes)

– Schoolhouse Rocks!  Fireworks & The Declaration of Independence   (about 2 minutes)

– Betsy Ross and The Story of the American Flag    (about 3 minutes)

–I Am Free- Hillsong Kids …this is a super fun, get-moving kind of song!)

-Or take a listen to this song by Lindell Cooley-  “Freedom!”

-You might enjoy listening to the following song, Freedom-  Bethel Live  to go along with Part 1 of this lesson.

 

 

*Activities-

+ Crafts and Other Fun

– Free Falling Freedom     (Play this fun hands-on game-  our freedom is delicate!!)
-Play “For Crown or Colony” online
(You have to create an account to save your progress in the game, but it is free!)
– Try making this layered Patriotic Punch!
– No Bake Flag Cake  No Bake Flag Cake   (kids could make this from start to finish!)
– Patriotic Windsock Craft
– Print and play this 4th of July Bingo Game
– Decorate your sidewalk with these Patriotic Luminaries

+ Bible Journal/Notebooking-
It might make a nice notebooking page to creatively portray what freedom means… let your creativity go crazy!
This is a broad topic and this type of slow reflection may help pull out some deeper thoughts.  🙂
Collages are a great way for expression-  use any medium that your family enjoys!
Recently, on my Free Modern American History Curriculum post, I featured a collage that my dad created to honor Martin Luther King, Jr.   He used ink, and pieces torn from magazines.

-Try an Art Journal….here are some beginner ideas, especially good for younger children.
– How To Start An Art Journal


+ Object Lessons

– Freedom In Christ Object Lesson
– What Is Freedom? Object Lesson
– Independence Lesson
(A complete lesson on Independence…including some craft ideas!)

 

*Coloring Pages-

–John 8:36 Coloring Page
– Freedom Coloring Page
–4th of July Coloring Pages
–Independence Day Coloring Pages
–Fourth of July Coloring Pages
–Patriotic Color By Number Pages   (great for younger kiddos)
–Coloring Page of Original US Flag

– https://calvarycurriculum.com/ot-genesis-exodus/
This is my favorite resource for free online Bible coloring pages!
(See today’s Scripture verses and then find the coloring pages & activity sheets)

 

 

*Week 2:  Slavery, the Opposite of Freedom

*Reading-

In the last lesson we learned some very important definitions.  Definitions for words like:
 FREEDOM, INDEPENDENCE, and TRUTH.
Today, we are going to learn about SLAVERY, BONDAGE, and LIES.
YIKES!!!

I know it all sounds kind of dark and gloomy, but sometimes learning about the opposite meaning of a word can help us understand the meaning of that word better.  Sometimes understanding the negative meaning of a word, can help us recognize the importance and precious nature of it’s opposite!
For example, we can understand what light is better, if we know what darkness is.
We can better relate what big is, if we understand what little is.
This week we will explore the opposite of FREEDOM….  SLAVERY!

 

Let’s start again in this lesson with what GOD thinks about these things… the Bible!

+ God’s people were created to be FREE!   So what happened?
–Genesis  chapter 3 (with attention to verses 6 & 21 in particular)
–Genesis  6: 5-6 ,  17-18
–Genesis  9: 1-17
-Read the story of the Israelites as slaves in Egypt & see what God did !
The Book of Exodus  (particularly Chapters 1, 12 , and 14)

*Just a little side note:
Have you ever noticed that there is a cyclical nature apparent in the Scriptures?
Cyclical means in the pattern of a circle.  Like the seasons for example.

It usually goes something like this…
*God creates something amazing with a beautiful purpose
*Humans forget who God is and doubt His purpose is sufficient
*We turn away from God and try to do it our own way
*We then become slaves to whatever we decided to do our own way ( sin)
*God deals with us in different ways as we suffer the consequences of our sin,
which thankfully includes bringing us back into His purpose…

“So you will be my people,  and I will be your God”, that we would  “Be fruitful and increase in number;  and fill the earth and subdue it”,  so that His Kingdom would be evident “on earth as it is in Heaven”.

 

+Related Scriptures for Further Reading-

– Exodus 6: 2-7                 – 1 John 3:8                    – Romans 8:21
– Hebrews 2: 14-15         – 2 Timothy 2:26             – 1 Corinthians 6:12
– John 8:34

 

 

*Ideas To Think About & Discuss-

+Slavery.
One of the saddest and most regrettable parts of the history of the United States.
It’s a difficult, but important subject to learn about.  We can’t ignore or over estimate the hard parts of history.  We can face them openly because they have a lot of valuable lessons to teach us! 
The United States has fought hard as a nation for the freedom of all of it’s citizens.

But did you know that there are many people in America and every single other place in the world, that are still slaves?!
They are abused by the cruelest slave master and bound up tightly by some pretty awful things.
You may ask, “So, if our country is really free, how can there still be slavery?” 
There is always a PHYSICAL and a SPIRITUAL battle against slavery going on.
Today… people everywhere are spiritual slaves!

As we read in Week 1, our call to a life of liberty was given from the foundations of the world.
It is also from the beginning that we can see what it is that has enslaved humanity.
Simply put, it is sin.  This is what we will talk about this week.

So… what exactly is slavery?
You may want to review your children’s definitions of freedom from earlier to draw attention to this antonym

-Read the definition of  slave  and  slavery.

-What is it like to be a slave ?
-What was it like to be a free child ?
-Think about being born into each of those families.
Compare what life would be like to be a child born into a slave family versus being born to a  wealthy plantation family.   It might be good to discuss that many slaves had been born free and then “sold” into slavery.

If you’d like to dig in on this topic you can read more, and find lots of activities to help understand a very big topic-    America’s Civil War (AG Addy)

+ Have YOU ever been a slave?
– Read John 8:34 together
You might say, “NO! Of course not!”… but Scripture shows us how we all are spiritual slaves.
Slaves to sin & death when we are without Christ  (see Scriptures in the reading section).
Another good continuance on the conversation of spiritual freedom.

+ What is sin ?
Without Jesus’ help, we all are slaves to a terrible master named SIN!
– Watch What Is Sin?     (short video and a good explanation just for kids !)
–Dictionary definition of sin

-We learned the very first government in our country said that every citizen was free…
-The Declaration of Independence states these words-
“We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.”

-WHAT do you think that “life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness” means?

-WHO does the constitution state gives “all men” their rights?

-IF the government of our country said that all citizens were free, why were there still enslaved people?

-Is it possible for a person to be a slave, yet be ‘free’ at the same time?
Though physically slaves, many of the enslaved people embraced the deep truth that they were spiritually free.   They were waiting and enduring this hardship KNOWING that they would some day be free both physically and spiritually!   You will hear that truth in many of the songs slaves sang were about!

From this sad part of our history have come some beautiful songs written by the slaves, called spirituals.  Why do you think so many of these songs include references to Moses?
-Listen to  Go Down Moses! 

-Here’s a bit of it’s history about the song if you’d like to know more…
History of ‘Go Down Moses’ Song

–John Newton: God’s Amazing Grace
(Read about how one slave trader (and slave!) was set free by God’s amazing grace!!)

+BUT THERE IS GOOD NEWS!
-IF sin is a terrible owner and makes all of us slaves, who is going to help? 

-WHO will set us free? 
Jesus is the answer of course!  (We’ll talk even more about this in the Day 3 lesson)

You can read what Isaiah prophesied Jesus would come and do in Isaiah 61
Isaiah 61:1 includes “setting the captives FREE and releasing PRISONERS from darkness!
*John 8:36
*Galatians 5:1
*2 Corinthians 3:17

 

*Watch & Listen!

–God’s Story   (about 4 minutes)
–The Story of Sin    (about 3 minutes)
–God Sets The Israelites Free   (about 3 minutes)
–Reading Rainbow:  Follow The Drinking Gourd   (about 45 minutes)

–The Story of “Amazing Grace”  (about 6 minutes)
–No Longer A Slave To Fear    (song with lyrics)
–Freedom-  Bethel Live      (keep singing it!)

*Activities-

+Creatively portray what sin or slavery means…here are a few ideas to get you started !
– Choreograph a dance
– Make a mini-movie
– Draw a picture
– Write a song
– Make a large wall mural with words related to slavery
– Create a “chain of slavery” by writing related words on strips of paper and
forming them into a chain

+Explore this A Day In The Life Of A Slave Interactive  to learn more about what it is to be enslaved

+Try this Declaration of Independence Detective Activity
+Fill out this Declaration of Independence Mad Lib

 

+Object Lessons-

– A Heavy Load:
*Though your children will never know what it really feels like to have been a slave, you might like to try the activity below (perhaps before your discussion time)  to illustrate what it feels like to carry the heavy burden of sin that keeps us enslaved spiritually (and sometimes physically too!) and unable to live freely.
*Directions:  Fill a backpack with as much canned foods (or weights) as you think your child could carry safely.  Have them put it on at the beginning of this lesson.  You may ask them to stand instead of sit … or to do a task such as going up & down the stairs to put some things away for you.

–“Sin” Object Lessons
–  Slavery Object Lesson     (YouTube)
 – Short retelling of The Story of Moses & the Exodus    (also many printables!)

–The Beginning of Freedom       (full lesson!)

 

*Coloring Pages-

– Adam & Eve Are Tempted……coloring page and printable questions, word puzzles, etc…
–Israelites In Slavery…. coloring page and printable questions, word puzzles, etc…
– The First Passover…. coloring page and printable questions, word puzzles, etc…
– The Exodus…. coloring page and printable questions, word puzzles, etc…
–Moses and the Red Sea Coloring Page
– Galatians 5:1   Coloring Page
– Person in Bondage

**You can learn more about Moses and the Israelites in my  Free Ancient Egypt Unit !

 

*Week 3:  Free !!

*Reading-

-Scriptures For This Week’s Study-

+ Exodus 12           (The First Passover )
+ Luke 22:7-20       (The Last Supper)
+Romans 8: 1-4          +John 8:36                   +John 10:10
+Isaiah 61:1                +Romans 6: 6-7            +Romans 8: 14-15
+ 1 Corinthians 6:12

+ First Passover/the Last Supper Lesson
(This also includes Christ’s fulfillment of many of the symbols of the first Passover!)

 

*Ideas To Think About & Discuss-

+Why Is Freedom Is So Important?

It’s important to study how our country was founded and how we gained our independence.
If you’ve been following the Colonial America Unit, or the Early American History Curriculum, you’ve read about many brave men, women, and even children who risked their lives for freedom. They fought so America could be a free country for everyone to enjoy!

Our nation has worked hard to protect freedom since the very beginning—and even today, people continue to fight for it. That shows just how important freedom is! In upcoming lessons, we will learn about the many wars and struggles that came after the Revolutionary War.

Freedom matters because it shapes how we can live, speak, and worship. In many places around the world, people cannot freely do these things. The Constitution and the Bill of Rights help protect our freedoms so that every citizen can share ideas, follow their beliefs safely, and have a voice in their country. Without these protections, life would be very different.

On Day 2, we learned about some important freedom documents. These documents became the law and foundation for our government. The Founding Fathers wrote the Constitution to clearly explain the rules and freedoms for all citizens of the new United States. They worked carefully to make sure everyone could understand how the government would function.

The Bill of Rights was written to protect specific freedoms that every citizen has the right to enjoy. Keeping the balance between a fair government and free citizens has been a challenge throughout our history—but one that has been worth the effort! Today, we’ll learn more about what the Constitution and Bill of Rights say.

Let’s find out first how God’s ideas of government and freedom compare to the ideas of government and freedom that we celebrate on Independence Day in America!

From this Bible study, we’ve seen that God has a perfect plan for a life of freedom and also how sin can make us spiritual slaves.
Today, we’ll learn that God shows everyone the way to win the ultimate battle and be set free forever!

Just as the people we’ve studied this week gave their lives for freedom for their families and country, Jesus Christ died so that all of humanity could be freed forever.
That’s amazing news!
This lesson will help tie together everything we’ve been learning about freedom and slavery.

+What does God think about government?
–Exodus 6:7
–1 Peter 2:13-17
–Psalm 22:28
–Isaiah 9:6
–Deuteronomy 16:18-20
–Revelation 1:5-6

+ God always had a good plan for His people…freedom & abundant life by the King of Kings!
– Who are some of the people in the Bible that we read about that were set free?
– How did God set those people free?
– How did God give the offer of  freedom to ALL people FOREVER ?
– What are some things that have happened that seemed to destroy His plan?
– What do we have to do to be set free from slavery forever?

+While living in the United States doesn’t give the PERFECT freedom that Jesus offers, we still enjoy many benefits of liberty simply because we live in this country.

-Do YOU know what freedoms you have?
-How do you know?
-Can you name some of them?
-Why was freedom such an important issue to the founders of our country?
-What kind of freedom are we guaranteed as citizens of the United States?
-Where can you find a list of these “rights”?

*Here are a few resources that might be helpful  (also in the section below!
>The Constitution
>The Bill of Rights

-WHY is freedom STILL a very, very important issue today?
-WHAT can YOU do to protect/fight for your own freedom and freedom for your country?

*Watch & Listen!

–God’s Story-  The WHOLE Story of the Great Rescue!
–There Is Power In The Name of Jesus
–I Am Free– Hillsong Kids….this is a super fun, get-moving kind of song!
–Freedom

-The Constitution-  School House Rock!
–The Preamble of the Constitution
–Do YOU Know the Constitution?
(Lesson on the Constitution about 4 minutes)

–Bill of Rights Song
(You’ll be singing this in your sleep!  But that might not be such a bad thing!)
– OR  The Bill of Rights Rap
(This one states each Amendment a little more clearly)

-Learn some Patriotic Songs:
*My Country Tis of Thee
*America The Beautiful
*You’re A Grand Old Flag
*National Anthem

 

*Activities-

+ In Part 2 of this study, we read about the first Passover in the Book of Exodus.
I think that sharing a special Seder meal together would be a sweet and meaningful way to tie everything we’ve studied together in Christ.   If you live in America, we can celebrate the freedoms we have been given by being a citizen of this great country… and as a believer in Jesus Christ, we can celebrate even BIGGER that we have ETERNAL FREEDOM in Him!!!!

+Bill of Rights Quiz Yourself
+Constitution Concentration Game

+Find Out WHY?
–Why do we celebrate the Fourth of July with fireworks?
(Hint!  It is NOT a new tradition!)
–Why do we have BBQs on the Fourth of July?

+Crafts-
–15 Fireworks Activities  (Without the Fire!)

+Enjoy the “sweeter” things in life with these patriotic snack ideas!
–Easy 4th of July Ice Cream Cones
–Patriotic Snack Mix
–Red, White, and Blue Marshmallow Pops
–Fruit Sparklers

* Object Lessons-

–Set Free!
–Sin and Set Free!

* Share it !

– http://www.futureflyingsaucers.com/the-fall-in-the-garden-genesis-3-object-lesson/ 
(A really nice site with TONS of original & creative ideas to share the good news)

-You could also host a Fourth of July Neighborhood Movie Night and get to know your neighbors!
Here’s all my best ideas to host AN EASY Summertime Movie Night!

*Coloring Pages-

–Constitution Coloring Page
–Signing the Constitution Coloring Page
–LOTS of Patriotic Coloring Pages
–Fireworks Coloring Pages

+ Visit Calvary Curriculum for really great children’s lessons and printables for pretty much the entire Bible!
There are lessons for both the Littles in your family and the older kids too!

– Luke 22: 7-20  coloring & activity sheets

–Romans 8: 1-12  coloring & activity sheets

– 2 Corinthians 5:14-21 coloring & activity sheets

 

 

---

*Colonial Unit Science Ideas:

 

*Week 1:   Medicine In Colonial Times
*Week 2:  Colonial Food Science
*Week 3:  Spies and Ciphers!

 

 

*Week 1:   Medicine in Colonial Times

+Reading-

–  “Welcome to Felicity’s World 1774”- p. 34-41

-Diseases And Cures In Colonial America
–Bad Colonial Medicine
– The Healthful Habits of Thomas Jefferson
–Colonial Uses of Herbs
–Colonial Gardens
–Colonial Herb Gardens 

–What Was Medicine Like in Colonial Williamsburg?
– Going to the Doctor In Colonial Days       (A bit more reading and some ideas for activities)

 

+Discovering & Doing-

 

*Nature Walk Activity
– Colonial Medicine and “Quackery”?

-After reading the above link about herbal treatments in Colonial Williamsburg, go on a nature walk. 

-See if you can collect some vegetation that might be good for health (for example in the reading, the “herb lady” reasoned that plants with heart shaped leaves were good for healing the heart). 
Collect maybe 4 or 5 items.

-Take a photo of each one to print out, or sketch them to include in your unit notebook, or lapbook. 
  See if you can identify the plants your collection.

-Ask questions!  Make guesses!  Find the answers!  Here’s some questions to get you started-
Do any of them actually have medicinal properties?
What do you think about herbal medicine in the colonial period?
Do you know of any herbal remedies we still use today?
This would be a good charting exercise to include.

—> There are companion printables for this activity in the Colonial America Printable Power Pack.

 

*Plant a Small Herb Garden or a Patio Garden
Set up a “colonial apothecary” with jars of common herbs (mint, lavender, rosemary, ginger, chamomile).  Did you know that basil was used to calm anxiety, or that dill and mint were used to treat colic in babies ?  Research the health properties of some common herbs (easy to grow in your herb garden) such as garlic, mint, basil, thyme, sage, rosemary, etc…

Try growing some of these herbs yourself!
Plot out a small garden.  This could be in a corner in your yard, a flower box, a large planter, or any other container or space! 
– How To Plant An Herb Garden For Kids

 

 

*Colonial Remedies Matching Game

As you read this lesson, create index cards with every day illnesses (headache, cough, toothache, fever) and cards with colonial remedies (leeches, basil, drinking tea, bleeding, applying poultices).   Turn the cards face down, mix the cards up, and play!

 

+Coloring Pages-

– Basil Coloring Page
– Mint Coloring Page
– Sage Coloring Page
– Rosemary Coloring Page
– Dandelion Coloring Page
–Herb Chart Coloring Page

 

 

*Week 2:   Colonial Foods Science

+Reading-

*Did you know that it was not uncommon for settlers (including small children)  to drink beer with their meals?
Pure and  safe drinking water was not always available.   It was because of this that  “small beer” or “ales” such as root beer, sarsaparilla,  and ginger ale were created during the colonial period in America as a
non-alcoholic (or at least less alcoholic) alternative  particularly for women and children.

If this is a sensitive issue in your family, there are LOTS of other fun cooking ideas you could use for this week’s lesson.  All cooking IS science after all!!!

Below are some fun links to experiments with fermentation and yeast (with bread baking & butter churning as an activity) below….OR try another colonial recipe if this topic is uncomfortable for your family!
The bread baking experiment ties in wonderfully with the Bible study on Exodus this week too!

–What is Carbonation?
–What is Carbon Dioxide?
–What is Fermentation?
–What are Microbes?

+Discovering & Doing-

* Carbonation & Fermentation!
Try making a batch of your own colonial non-alcoholic “ale” (root beer or ginger beer)
– Behind the Bubbles Science
– Steve Spangler Root Beer Science
–Root Beer Recipe           (a very simple how-to recipe)
–History and How To Of Root Beer

–Ginger Ale Science
–Get Well Ginger Beer Recipe

 

*Fermentation Science!
Here are some other science experiments to learn about leavening, fermentation, and yeast.  This study goes along very well with the Bible study suggestions for this week!  🙂

– Get Ready, Set, Dough!    (The Magic School Bus!!)
– What Is Yeast?
– The Science of Yeast For Kids!
– Magical Microbes

 

*Make some Bread!
Baking bread is a SUPER chemistry lesson!  And a yummy one too!

*Make Your Own Butter!
Want a quick & yummy companion project?   Easy directions, quick results, brief scientific explanation. Teaches about emulsions, fat molecules, and how physical agitation separates butterfat from liquid.   Perfect to try if you are doing the bread baking activity above!

 

*Food Preservation in Colonial America!
Colonists had no refrigeration and relied on preserving foods to keep them from spoiling.  They used common drying agents like salt, sugar, and vinegar to make the foods they grew last longer.  Try covering apple slices in different preservation methods—salt, sugar, vinegar, and plain. Compare which lasts longest.
Or try one of the experiments below-
+Comparing Food Dehydration Methods
+Preserving The Harvest    (Includes drying herbs, a great tie in with science in Week 1, and drying apples!)

*Record it!
Printables to record your experiments and findings!
– Scientific Method Printables
(These are really nice and very easy to download and use!  Scroll to the bottom to open the PDF)

 

 

 

*Week 3:  Colonial Spies & Secret Codes

+Reading-

Did you know that George Washington’s Culper Spy Ring used invisible ink to send intelligence reports?

– Spies and Ciphers
– Girl Spies of the American Revolution!
– Secret ciphers, codes, and spies of the American Revolution
-Read more about the Culper Spy Ring!

+Discovering & Doing-

*George Washington:  America’s Spymaster
–Hands-On Revolutionary War Spy Activities

* Try writing a hidden message with invisible ink!
–Send a letter in Invisible Ink
– Disappearing Ink Experiment
(experiment with a brief explanation)

– Ways to Make Invisible Writing
(Short video with explanations-  the same idea, using different ingredients)
–Secret Code On An Egg??

–All About Acids and Bases
– Experimenting with Acids and Bases

*Secret Codes
– Secret Codes For Kids!
(More secret coding for kids to try !)
–Ciphers, Cryptograms, and Other Secret Codes 
–Crack The Code Game

* Record It!
Printables to record your experiments and findings!
– Scientific Method Printables
(These are really nice and very easy to download and use!  Scroll to the bottom to open the PDF)

 

 

---

*Geography ideas-

 

*Week 1:   The 13 Colonies
*Week 2:  Flags, Cartoons, and Colonial America?
*Week 3:  Battles of the Revolutionary War!

 

 

 

*Week 1:  The 13 Colonies
Virginia State Study

*Note:  If you feel this topic has sufficiently been covered already, you may prefer to focus on doing a state study of Virginia.
I have included some resources below for this, as well as some corresponding worksheets in the printable pack.

+Reading-

+ An Introduction To The 13 Colonies

–The 13 Colonies
–Where Were the 13 Colonies?
–Colonies One by One
*The New England Colonies 
*The Middle Colonies
*The Southern Colonies

–Sing & Learn-  The 13 Colonies 
–13 Colonies Song    (watch this one ONLY if you have a sense of humor 😀  )

*Quick Chart of the Original 13 Colonies
*A Colonial “City”
*How Did the Colonies Become States?

Here’s a link for some reading and a bit more detail about the Virginia colony.
– History- The Virginia Colony
–The Colony Of Virginia Begins
–Virginia Colony Fast Facts
– What Was Jamestown?
–The Kids That Helped Build Jamestown

+Mapping-

+Color and label the map of the colonies.
Talk about the distinction between the New England, Mid-Atlantic, and Southern colonies
–13 Colonies Interactive Mapping

 

+Labeling…Here’s a few ideas, but use the reading this week to add to this list!
–  Virginia         – Williamsburg         – Jamestown         – Chesapeake Bay
– Add pictures to the map noting the major cash crops for each colony

– 13 Colonies Printables
(Lots of printable maps, worksheets, etc…)

+Here is a printable map & an activity to show trade routes during the late 1600’s-1700’s.
This might also be of interest to map out for a fuller picture of what was happening.
– Colonial Trade Routes

+Hands On-

+ 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.

– How To Make a Shoebox Diorama 
– Example of Shoebox Diorama

+ Or create a paper mache or clay relief map of the 13 colonies, perhaps with special emphasis on the state of Virginia & the colony at Williamsburg.

+ Play some interactive games online!
– 13 Colonies Mapping Interactive Game
– Interactive 13 Colonies Games

– 13 Colonies Notebooking Pages
(Free 13 Colonies note booking pages)

*Scavenger Hunt     (Printable clue cards)
*Colonial American Interactive Scavenger Hunt

 

*Virginia State Study-

*Some short videos to learn more about the state of Virginia, then and now.
– Brief history of Virginia   (about 3 minutes)
– See Southern Livings 10 Best Places to See in Virginia    (about 2 minutes)

–Explore America’s Story Online-   State of Virginia 
(Interactive site with stories, games, and more !)

– Virginia Unit Study         (from DIY Homeschooler)
– TONS of great links for studying Virginia       (from The Homeschool Mom)
– 14 FREE pages of Virginia Printables !    (from 3 Boys and a Dog)

 

 

*Week 2:   Flags, Cartoons, and Colonial America?

 

*Teaching American History Creatively
You may like to read  on teaching American History creatively, including using things like political cartoons and flags !

 

+Reading-

*Flags Of Colonial America/Revolutionary War

–The Flags Of The United States Of America   (short video)
–Timeline Of The American Flag
–American Flag Facts & Codes   (short video)
–History of The Flag Told In Paper   (short video)
–Who Was Betsy Ross?    (short video)
–What Is Flag Day?
–Otto’s Tales-  Flag Day    (video)

–Flags of the American Revolution
–Flags of the American Colonies

–American Flag Webquest

+Mapping-

*Print out some of the important flags flown during the Revolutionary War in small scale (or draw them).
Either add them to the maps you’ve been working with all week, or print a new map out to use with this activity.

*History Cartoons

–Cartoons Are History?
–What Are Political Cartoons?
–Ben Franklin’s Join Or Die Cartoon

–School House Rock 
(These videos are a great example of political “cartoons”.  They were developed in the 1970’s with the goal to educate America’s youth about the foundations of our country.)

– Are Political Cartoons Funny?
(More information on political cartoons in general…also some thoughtful discussion questions on their validity in bettering our democracy )

 

+Hands On-

–Make a Flag Pinwheel
–First Flags Coloring Pages 

–Join Or Die Activities   and   Jigsaw Puzzle Online

–  Revolutionary War Flag Printable
Create your own flag…link to reading & printable activity.

-Flag Timeline
Create some type of timeline that shows how the American flag began and all the different flags it was until it looks like the one we have today.

Include the Grand Union Flag, the Betsy Ross flag, and later versions.
You can check out tons of creative ways to do this here—> How To Make Timelines 

-Diorama
Add items studied this week to your diorama
You could add paper dolls this week… make a colonial family (or several), or different people representing various occupations in the community.

 

 

 

*Week 3:   Revolutionary War Battles

+Reading-

–Battles of The Revolutionary War 
(Click on the name of a battle to read more and find it on a map!)
–Revolutionary War Battle Maps
–Revolutionary War Battles Matching Game
–Concentration Battles Game

 

+Mapping-

– Famous Battles of the Revolutionary War Mapping
(mapping activity of famous battles of the revolutionary war)
–Battles of the Revolutionary War Map Activity
– Interactive Revolutionary War Battle Map
(Interactive map with questions)

 

+Hands On-

– Interactive Revolutionary War Timeline
(Decode a riddle using clues from events during the Revolutionary War- printable)

*Create Your Own Timeline 
(SHOW WHAT YOU KNOW!  Create Your Own Revolutionary War timeline with one of these creative ideas!)

*Add to & finish up your diorama
(It might be fun this week to add some of the famous people we have studied this week to your diorama….or even a few soldiers, a drummer, a fife player, etc…)

 

---

*History through Art- Portraits

 

ARTIST STUDY:   John Singleton Copley

 

*Reading-

– The Children’s Book of American Biography:  John Singleton Copley
(Video- about 10 minutes)
– John Singleton Copley Biography   (Khan Academy)
-Longer biography of  John Singleton Copley
– Copley, Boy With a Squirrel    (Khan Academy Video-  about 5 minutes)

*Activities-

– Study on Copley’s  Paul Revere, 1768
–  Making Portraits Walk and Talk      (Lesson Plan with Discussion and Activities)
– Portraits Art Lesson For Kids
– Expressive Self Portraits
– Self Portraits for Kids
– 12 Creative Self-Portrait Art Projects

 

*Resources-

– Free Printable Artist Biography Books      (from  Kitchen Table Classroom)
– Free Art Analysis Worksheet

---

*Remember these unit studies are designed so that your family can enjoy them for
FREE anywhere there is internet access !  You don’t need any extra books for this unit.  However, 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 Books & Resources For American History.
If you decide to purchase any of these extra books, I would appreciate it greatly if you could click directly from my links. Amazon will pay me a small commission for it, and it will NOT cost you anything additional. Thanks everyone!

 

*Other Resources For This Unit Study-
+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
+Colonial America Books and Resources List
+Felicity- Colonial America Pinterest Board
+Colonial America (Felicity) Christmas Pinterest Board

 

**Hope you have enjoyed the Felicity Unit Study !***

Learn about the American Frontier  in the  Southwestern Frontier Josefina Unit Study next !

       

 

*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
+Native America (Kaya) Printable HISTORY Cards and Bingo Game
+Native America Books and Resources List
+Kaya Native America Pinterest Board

*FREE Colonial America Unit Study – AG Felicity
+Felicity Printable Power Pack
+Colonial America  (Felicity) Unit Study-  PDF Version
+Colonial America Books and Resources List
+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
+America’s Southwest Frontier (Josefina) Books & Resources List
+Christmas Southwestern Frontier- Hands-On History  (Free)
+Josefina’s Southwestern Frontier Christmas POWER Pack
+Josefina’s Southwestern Frontier Christmas PDF Version
+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
+FREE* Kirsten’s Swedish Pioneer Christmas Unit
+A Pioneer Christmas-  PDF Version
+A Pioneer Christmas Printable POWER Pack
+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
+Civil War Unit Book and Resources List
+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
+Turn of the Century (Samantha) Unit Study-  PDF Version
+Turn of the Century Books and Resources List
+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
+The Great Depression (Kit) Printable Printable Power Pack
+Great Depression Books and Resources List
+Kit- The Great Depression Pinterest Board

*FREE World War 2 Unit Study-  AG Molly
+World War 2 (Molly) Unit Study-  PDF Version
+Molly Printable Power Pack
+WW2 File Folder Game
+World War 2 Unit Study Printables BUNDLE!
+World War 2 Books and Resources List
+Molly- World War 2 Pinterest Board

 

---

*American Girl Christmas School-  Homeschooling Through the Holidays

---

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!

   

---

 

 

SaveSave

SaveSave

SaveSave

SaveSave

SaveSave