Free Early American History Curriculum

– Columbus Through The Civil War –

Welcome to the first post in the Free American History Curriculum !
If you’ve been following along with our Free History Plans,
WELCOME BACK!

We now have posted FREE History Curriculum
from  Ancient Civilizations to Modern American History !

*NEW !!
The printable Early American History Cards are FINALLY here!

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Early American History Timeline:
Columbus through the Civil War

1. Leif Ericsson and the Vikings                                (1000)
2. Columbus                                                                        (1492)
3. The Virginia Company/Jamestown                    (1607)
4. The Pilgrims                                                                   (1620)
5. The French & Indian Wars                                       (1689)
6. Colonial Period                                                             (1620-1776)
7. The Boston Tea Party                                                (1773)
8.  The American Revolution                                      (1775-1783)
9.  The “United States” of America                         (1776-1800)
10.  Westward Expansion                                              (1783)
11.  Lewis & Clark Expedition                                     (1804-1806)
12.  The Trail of Tears                                                       (1838)
13.  The Transcontinental Railroad                           (1840’s)
14.  The Civil War                                                              (1861-1863)
15.  Emancipation Proclamation                                 (1863)

*Overview of Lessons for this section:

*Week 1–  Explorers and North “America”
*Week 2-  Native “Americans” and the First Colonists
*Week 3-  Colonial America
*Week 4-  The American Revolution
*Week 5-  The United States of America
*Week 6-  Westward Expansion
*Week 7-  The “Civil” War
*Week 8 and 9-  Explore It More! Weeks
(or you could add these ideas weekly)
*Week 10-  Notebook It ! Week/ Show What You Know Week
(*Explanation at beginning of plans for this week)

*Early American History Learning Objectives:

+ Be able to sequence the Early American History cards
+ Be able to tell at least 3 facts about each card
+ Be able to tell what “The Americas” means.
+ Be able to tell what a “Native American” is…and why Columbus called the
people he found on his first voyage, “Indians”
+ Be able to explain what colonization is and who the Colonists were.
+ Be able to locate Greenland, Spain,  India, and the continents of
North and South America on a map, as well as any other land areas as noted
in our studies each week.
+ Be able to define/describe what it was like to live in America during this time for:
-a Native American
-a Pilgrim (earliest colonists)
-a Colonist (in one of the 13 colonies)
-a Loyalist/Patriot
-a soldier in the Revolutionary War  (on either side)
-a Slave during the Civil War  (in the south & the north)
-a soldier in the Union Army/Confederate Army
-a person at the Battle of the Alamo
-a Homesteader
+Be able to name some of the Native American Tribes that the early Colonists
encountered.  And be able to discuss their relationship.
+Be able to explain what the Trail of Tears was.
+Tell about the Homestead Act.
+Be able to recall some of the achievements in exploration, invention  and/or
sciences that occurred during this time.
+Be able to name at least one notable artist, one inventor,  one leader of the people, and one scientist of the time.
+ Add at least one page per event (see list)  to your binder
(be sure you are including some important people and places!)

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*If you would just like to  SEE THE CURRICULUM  already
and not read all the details, ideas on how to use it, etc…
Just scroll on down!   I PROMISE IT’S THERE !    🙂

OR
You can just grab this handy Printable PDF Version of this entire curriculum  HERE !

 

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**NOTE:
Below is an outline of reading/activities for a three day schedule.  You could easily change this to a 5 day plan by adding in some hands-on activities listed in week 8 & 9, if that fits your needs better… for example…
spend 3 days of study and the other 2 you could create your own giant wall map of the world, noting explorers and how far they sailed;  or build a Native American/Pilgrim village diorama;  see how green your thumb is by planting corn the way the Native Americans taught the Pilgrims;   or sew a Story Quilt;  spend an evening in your backyard charting as many constellations as you can find…do you see the drinking gourd?;  or cook Hoe Cakes over an open fire for dinner too!  The possibilities are endless and so much FUN !!!
I’ve listed TONS of hands-on activities ideas ordered by topic in
weeks 8 and 9.  You can spend those 2 weeks doing those projects, or you can choose to add them in to your studies each week.
**NOTE on Early American History Living Books and Resources-
See this post —>
 Early American History BEST Early American History Books, Movies, Hands-On Projects, Games, etc… !

And for more FREE ideas-
—>  Homeschool-Early American History Pinterest Board !

**Another option if you’re a history loving family, is to stretch each DAY into a WEEK!   There are more than enough ideas suggested for each day to easily do this…..especially if you add in some good historical fiction reading, a field trip or two, some movies, and lots of creative projects!!
This curriculum, (Part 1: Early American History) would then last about 21 weeks, or more.

These are the kind of projects that will make MEMORIES !
I never realized how much studying history in this way would impressed my kids….
Kind of like the time a mummy showed up at our Thanksgiving table  😀    If you missed that, you can read about it  HERE .  I think we talk about this pretty much every year (it happened when my now 26 year old son was about 4)!   lol
You can find TONS more super fun projects and learning ideas on my other American History Pinterest Boards.  I’m always adding as I find the best FREE ideas !

How Our Family Used This Curriculum

We read piles of historical fiction books for “Language Arts” during our “history” studies.  I put “history” in quotes because there really isn’t a single subject area that isn’t at least touched on through the exploration of history.  This serves as a great way to have more time to ENJOY reading and cover two “subject areas” at once.  NO RUSHING THROUGH READING !!!

Perhaps one of the biggest bonuses is that this approach also makes it super easy to teach ALL OF YOUR CHILDREN AT ONCE !   I’m a believer in keeping a basket full of books of various reading levels on the focus topic somewhere where your children will spot them.  On library days I made a point to stock up on any picture books, beginner readers, chapter books, and upper level reading books that were related to our study.  I’d often find my older kids leafing through the easier books (or reading them aloud to a sibling)…and my Littles looking for pictures in the upper level books.  That left me the middle ground to assign for independent reading and choose for our family read alouds. 

More On Teaching All Ages At Once-

The  lessons I have written in this series are meant to be self directed for middle school ages .  But if you are using this for multiple ages like I did, it is VERY EASY to use the plans for teaching all your children at once.

Also –>  This post contains affiliate links.  There will NOT be any additional charge to you if you click to Amazon through these links, but I will make a small commission if you do!  So thanks ahead for supporting my work !  🙂

*  I simply read the Story of the World (SOTW)  OR Child’s History of the World (CHOW) out loud to everyone, and some other historical fiction we chose.  My Littles (and sometimes the Big) enjoyed coloring related pictures or drawing something for their timeline binders while I read aloud.

*  I assigned each child some independent reading on their level.  Most often I chose fun historical fiction books or non-fiction color filled guides.  I tried to make sure to have at least a few fun picture books for the Littles too.  You could use the Story of the World/Child’s History of the World suggestions as assigned reading as well if you prefer.

*  The plans below also include lots of online resources to broaden the topic (especially good for your visual learners!).  These can be completed independently by older students, or done together as part of the lesson.  There are lots of links to videos too…so please be sure to review them for sensitive material and so that you deem them suitable for YOUR family!)

*  We kept a constant review of our studies going with a history timeline binder.  You can read more about how we used those   HERE .  The older students can add in the events, people, places, related field trips, etc… as they study and the Littles can add in coloring pages or drawings as well.  As they search through the chronologically arranged pages in order to add a new page,  it serves as the perfect mini visual review.  You’ll be amazed at how well this works !!

**WHAT is a history binder?**
You will see mentions in this series to add pages to your “history binder”.  So what do I mean?
Here is how we made ours…
As we studied through each section of history, we each kept our own 3-ring binder-  an ‘all in one place’  type of timeline.  We filled the binders with fun facts, history related coloring pages, drawings, print outs, etc… each page with a date on the bottom (or at least stuck in the appropriate “period” of history).  We even added brochures from the art museum and other field trips that tied into our ancient studies!  In planning out our year, I also included biographies of important people, great artists, musicians, authors, scientists, etc. as applicable, and added them into the binder as well.  The suggestions you will find under “People”, “Places”, “Events”, and “Vocabulary” all would make great page headings to include in these binders.  As you flip through your binders to add pages, it is an automatic visual review of how these things fit together in a chronological history of our world.  The Printable History Cards also make a great addition!
–>Click here to find the Printable Early American History Cards

Do you have to use a history binder?
No.  You could make a huge timeline on the wall, or you could simply keep a notebook with tabs for vocabulary, important people and places, etc… This curriculum is meant to simply give you an outline to work from.  Add or take away whatever you want to make this a perfect fit for YOUR family!

*  And last, but certainly not least, the Hands-On Projects and Activities are a must !  (I think I kinda stressed my opinion of that before lol)   This is another super simple way to teach history to ALL your kiddos at once.  Super easy to find-  buy some coloring books or just print off some free coloring pages online ( HERE or HERE  or HERE)  to keep on hand when the wiggles strike.
I was amazed at how much is absorbed just by coloring and  listening !!   They are great to add in to the timeline binders for the big kids as well 🙂

**Note: The 21 History Activities Series is my favorite for short bites of information that is paired with really creative hands-on learning ideas.  These activities can easily be leveled up or made a bit more simple, but enjoyed by everyone !!  There are so many choices that would be good for this unit… here are just a few to give you an idea.  Click on the picture to check them out.

         

         

          

 

PHEW!  FINALLY !
So…HERE WE GO !

*Vocabulary-  Just a short list…add as you go if you’d like or make your own list
-saga                               -voyage                          -navigator
-settlement                 -native                             -port
-colonize                       -pilgrim                           -continental
-persecution               -colony                           -colonist
-congress                     -conquest                     -transcontinental
– revolution                  -representation         -union
-confederate              -emancipation            -proclamation
-cavalry                         -declaration                 -amend
-united                           -militia                            -governor
-plantation                   -compass                     -expansion
-treaty                            -reservation

*Events-
+These are essentially the same as the weekly topics of studies, and what I use on our History Cards.  You could add to these for older students (or make subcategories for details)…or choose less for younger students.

-Vikings Discover Greenland/North America
-Christopher Columbus Discovers “America”…or not
-First Colonists Arrive in America
-Colonists and Native Americans
-13 Colonies Established
-The Boston Tea Party
-The Shot Heard Around the World
-The American Revolution
-Government and the United States
-Westward Expansion
-Spanish American War
-The Civil War

*People-  Try matching the people, places, & events !
-Leif Ericson     -Erik the Red     -Christopher Columbus    -Sir Walter Raleigh
-Virginia Dare  -John Smith        -William Bradford                 -Powhatan
-Pocahontas   -Squanto              -King George III                     -Patriots
-Loyalists         -George Washington     -Thomas Jefferson    -Paul Revere
-Benjamin Franklin                        -Lewis and Clark                    -Sacagawea
-Shoshone   -Davy Crockett     -Andrew Jackson                  -Abraham Lincoln
-Harriet Tubman   -Frederick Douglass

*Places-
-Greenland     -Scandinavia     -Italy       -Spain   -England          -Bahamas
-Roanoke        -Virginia               -Plymoth               -Jamestown   -Philadelphia
-North Carolina   -Boston        -New York             -Missouri         -Oregon
-The Alamo           -Texas           -Oklahoma

**NOTE:
When I wrote these units, I initially used only ‘A Child’s History of the World’ for the main spine.  However, I often added in sections from ‘The Story of the World’  (Vol. 3), because I already owned a copy and had an older child in the mix .   Therefore, I am including reading from BOTH of these books in all of my plans.  However, you DO NOT need to use both books unless you just want to.  I would say that ‘A Child’s History of the World’ is written to a bit of a younger audience than ‘The Story of the World’ series is.

The Early American History Curriculum begins with an optional study/review of the Vikings.  There is reading listed in both ‘A Child’s History of the World’ and   ‘The Story of the World’ (Vol. 2).   It isn’t a huge part of this study, so if you don’t already have a copy of Volume 2 (or can’t borrow or find it at your library, just use some online resources and continue)… no need to purchase this entire Volume for sure !!   I have written the reading plans for each day to include both of those books.  You can use one, both, or even none of them and use what you have !  🙂  I have included lots of corresponding reading online, so you could essentially do this unit and add in your own reading.

      

*WEEK 1 :
Explorers  and  North “America

+Suggested Supplemental Reading:
Voyage With the Vikings
OR
The Lost Colony of Roanoke  (by Jean Fritz)
OR
The Lost Colony of Roanoke  

             

 

*Day 1- Leif Ericson and the Vikings

+Read-
*A Child’s History of the World-  Chapter 47:  Two Empires, Two Emperors  and Chapter 48: Getting a Start
*A Story of the World (Vol.2)-  Chapter 14:  The Arrival of the Norsemen

+Explore-
* 10 Facts About the Vikings   (NatGeo for Kids)
* DK Interactive Explore a Viking Ship
* Who Were the Vikings?
* Who Was Leif Ericson ?

*Geography of Scandinavia
-What is Scandinavia ?
–Map of Scandinavia 

+Color and Label this map of  Scandinavia
and you may like the one below as well
– Free PDF maps of Scandinavia

+Watch-
* A Kid Explains History :  The Vikings
* Eric the Red and Leif Ericson  (PBS video- about 5 minutes)
* Listen to some Viking Sagas !!
* An Incredible Viking Voyage   (National Geographic-  about 4 minutes)
*The Vikings in One Take    (from History Bombs, about 5 minutes)

*You can listen to ‘Eric the Red and Leif the Lucky’
   HERE .   (About 17 minutes)

+Timeline/Notebook Pages:
*Coloring Page 1  /  Coloring Page 2
*Leif Erikson Coloring Page 

*NOTE:  I will include ideas for the Hands-On Activities and projects for each lesson in a separate week below.  You could also choose one to do each day with the corresponding topic of study.

*Day 2-  Christopher Columbus

+Read-
*CHOW-  Chapter 62:  A Sailor Who Found a New World
*SOTW (Vol 3)- Chapter 1: A World of Empires and  Chapter 2: Protestant Rebellions (or just ‘The Riches of Spain’)
*Columbus: A Short Biography  (and some activities too!)
*Who Was Christopher Columbus ?
*What is Columbus Day ?

+Explore-
*Christopher Columbus     (Interactive Game- Brain Pop)
*Columbus’ 500 Year Old Map !
*DK Christopher Columbus

+Watch-
*Meet Christopher Columbus   (about 6 minutes)
*Christopher Columbus : PBS World Explorers   (about 5 minutes)
* The Christopher Columbus Song !    (It WILL get stuck in your head lol!)

+ Write-
* Start adding this section’s vocabulary words to your history notebook
(in vocabulary section)

+Coloring/Notebooking-
* Lots of Columbus (& his ships and maps) Coloring Pages
*  Columbus Notebooking Pages              (from Notebooking Fairy)

*Day 3-  The Lost Colony !

+Read-
*CHOW-  Chapter 69:  The Age of Elizabeth
*The Lost Colony of Roanoke
* The Lost Colony of Roanoke  (from NPS)
* The Lumbee Tribe
* New Clues to the Mystery      (What do you think ?)

+Watch-
*Sir Walter Raleigh and John White    (from PBS- about 5 minutes)
* The Lost Colony of Roanoke    (about 4 minutes- no audio)
*Roanoke, The Lost Colony, An Unsolved Mystery From History

+Explore-
*CSI:  The Lost Colony of Roanoke    (Explore Quest !)
*Investigate!  The Lost Colony of Roanoke    OR    HERE !

+ Write-
*Finish this section’s vocabulary words

+Coloring/Notebooking-
*Maps of Roanoke and the First Settlements in North America
*Sir Walter Raleigh
*Raleigh’s Ship

*WEEK 2 :
Native “Americans”  and  the
First Colonists

+Suggested Supplemental Reading:
“Shadows at Jamestown”  OR  “Our Strange New Land”
OR   “Squanto: Friend of the Pilgrims”

               

*Notes:  The “Shadows at Jamestown” and “Our Strange New Land” are both part of a series !  A good book should leave you disappointed that it has ended when you finish reading it.  🙂
You may choose to spend a bit more time in supplemental reading (books or online sources included below)  this week, as there is not as much textbook reading.   I have written a much more detailed unit study for Native America (free of course 🙂 ).
You can check it out by clicking   HERE   or on the image below.   You may also enjoy the companion FREE Native America Printable Power Pack !

*Day 1-  Jamestown

+Read-
*CHOW-  Chapter 70:  James the Servant or What’s In a Name?
*SOTW 3-  Chapter 4:  Searching For the Northwest Passage  (Or “King James’ Town”)
*Life at Jamestown
*A Jamestown Adventure With Capt. John Smith
*John Smith
*Early Life in the Jamestown Colony

+Explore-
*Jamestown Online Adventure    (Interactive – similar to Oregon Trail)
*A Journey to Jamestown   (LOTS of guided printables/worksheets)
*Jamestown Mapping

+Watch-
*Discover Jamestown   (Drive Thru History – about 10 minutes)
*Take a Tour of the Susan Constant     (Anna’s Adventures-  about 6 minutes)
OR   Voyage to Virginia: Discovering Jamestown   (About 6 minutes)
*Exploring Jamestown With Maps      (Anna’s Adventures- about 6 mins)
*Jamestown Settlement    (short video for younger students- about 4 minutes)

+Coloring/Notebooking-
*Jamestown   and   Jamestown Settlement
*Jamestown Mini-Book
*Jamestown Historical Coloring Pages
*Pocahontas Coloring Page   and   Pocahontas 2
*Captain John Smith
*Write Your Own Jamestown Story Cartoon Page

*Day 2-  Native American Friends and Foes

+Read-
*An Introduction to Native Americans
*The Powhatan Indian World
OR
* The Powhatan Indians
*Life at Jamestown   (scroll to page 4)
*Pocahontas   or more in detail  HERE

+Watch-
*People of the River: Powhatan Indians  (about 16 minutes)
*The Powhatan in Jamestown   (about 8 minutes)
*Powhatan Village   (about 7 minutes)
*Native Americans in Virginia   (about 25 minutes)

+Explore-
*Sketches of Powhatan Indian Life    (from History Is Fun)
*Explore the Powhatan artifacts found at Jamestown !
(Scroll down to artifacts section and open the tab)
*Eat Like a Powhatan  (short video and cooking activity)
*Werowocomoco
*Explore the First Thanksgiving    (Interactive)

+Coloring/Notebook
*Chief Powhatan
*Trading with the Colonists
*Packing for Jamestown  (lesson)  and   Printable
*Powhatan from John Smith’s Map
*Real Portrait of Pocahontas

*Day 3- Plimoth Plantation, Pilgrims, and the Wampanoag

+Read-
* SOTW3-   Chapter 6:  New Colonies in the New World
*Who Were the Pilgrims and Where Did They Come From ?
*The Pilgrims
*Who Were the Wampanoag ?
*All About the Wampanoag      (from The Mini Page  🙂  )
*Wampanoag Children and Pilgrim Children
*The True Story of Thanksgiving

+Watch-
*The Mayflower Pilgrims    
   (Drive Thru History- Religious Freedom Ideal…about 5 minutes)
*Daily Life for a Pilgrim Child 
*Virtual Field Trip to Plimoth Plantation  
(The Pilgrims, the Wampanoag, and Thanksgiving)
*The Wompanoag Way  (about 8 minutes)
*Who Was Squanto ?     (about 12 minutes…from CBN, the beginning is an intro)

+Explore-
*Voyage On the Mayflower    (Interactive)
*Daily Life    (Interactive)  and the Wampanoag 
*What Really Happened at the First Thanksgiving ?   (interactive)
*Try Talking Like a Pilgrim
*Colonial House Interactive
*The Diary of Remember Patience Whipple
(You can enjoy this interactive without purchasing the accompanying book.  If you’d like to buy the book, I’ve linked it below.)

 

+Coloring/Notebook-
*Mayflower Notebooking Pages
*The Mayflower Compact 
*Plimoth Coloring Pages
(Click “next” to see more)
*Squanto Coloring Pages 
*William Bradford Coloring Book
(this is from the Nest Video series…click the image below to see the
DVD that goes with the coloring book)

 

*WEEK 3 :
Colonial America

+Suggested Supplemental Reading:
*Colonial America: An Interactive History Adventure  OR
*Meet Felicity  OR
*Standing In the Light

         

*NOTE: If your family is loving this topic and you’d like to dig deeper, you may also enjoy checking out my FREE Colonial America Unit Study and the FREE Colonial America Printable Power Pack !

*And if you’d like to know how the Colonists celebrated Christmas, check out this FREE Hands-On Unit Study on ‘A Colonial Christmas‘ !

*Day 1-  The 13 Colonies

+Read-
*The First 13 Colonies  (reading for all your questions !)
*Colonies One by One
*The New England Colonies 
*The Middle Colonies
*The Southern Colonies
*Read More about each of the original 13 colonies

+Watch-
*The Original 13 Colonies   (An basic introduction…about 4 minutes)
*Stories of the New England Colonies   , Middle Colonies,  Southern Colonies
(a bit more advanced…each about 14 minutes)
*13 Colonies Song    (watch this ONLY if you have a sense of humor 😀  )

+Explore-
*13 Colonies Interactive Map
*Map of 13 Colonies   (Click each area for lots of interesting facts!)
*BrainPop 13 Colonies 
*Scavenger Hunt     (Printable clue cards)
*Colonial American Interactive Scavenger Hunt

+Coloring/Notebook-
*Original 13 Colonies Coloring Page
*First Flags Coloring Pages 
*LOTS of 13 Colonies printable worksheets and maps
*Colonial America Worksheets   from Education.com
*Colonial America    (Freebie from TPT)

*Day 2- Who’s Who in Colonial America

*There are many, many names that are important to the study of Colonial America. Thankfully, we don’t have to memorize all of them.  The internet gives us instant access to more information than we even care to know.   🙂    Today, I have included the stories of a few men and women who lived during this time that I found exciting and inspiring.  My goal is that you would remember much more than a list of names.  I hope you will remember the bravery, character, passion, and strength of the people who laid the foundation of life as we know it in the United States of America.

+Read-

*Benjamin Franklin
*10 Reasons Why Benjamin Franklin Was An Actual Superhero !
*Franklin, His Own Teacher   (From Stories About Great Americans for Little Americans)

*William Penn   and  the Quakers
*William Penn and the Indians   (From Stories About Great Americans for Little Americans)

*Jonathan Edwards
It was difficult to find a biography written for young people online.  If you’d like to read more about Jonathan Edwards check out this book-  Jonathan Edwards:  Christian Biographies for Young Readers.   Beautiful illustrations!

*You can also read the stories of some more interesting people of the Colonies
HERE

+Watch-
*The Story of William Penn
(This is an old black & white movie, but if your kiddos can get past that…and
the funny costuming, it’s really quite informative!  Notice the “thees and
thous” ? One of the marks of Quaker practice.  About 20 minutes)
*The Children’s Book of American Biography-  William Penn (about 9 minutes)
and   Benjamin Franklin   (about 11 minutes)
-These are audio…would make great bedtime stories or carschool listening !
*Now and Ben: The Modern Inventions of Benjamin Franklin  (about 9 minutes)
*Jonathan Edwards and the Great Awakening
(about 5 minutes…best for older students)

+Explore-
*Ben Franklin Inventor for Kids
*The Electric Ben Franklin  (be sure to check out the games tab!)
* Ben Franklin’s Magic Squares   –>  PLAY it HERE
*William Penn’s Guide to Pennsylvania

+Write-
*People & Places Vocabulary in your Notebook (see list at top of unit)

+Coloring/Notebook-
*William Penn Notebooking Paper  (from Homeschool Helper Online)
*William Penn Coloring Page
*Ben Franklin Lap Book   (from Homeschool Share)
*Benjamin Franklin
*Image of Jonathan Edwards  
(You could try printing this one from Project Gutenberg)

*Day 3- Life In the Colonies

+Read-
*Daily Life in a Colonial City
*Daily Colonial Life in the Country
*Life in the Southern Colonies
*Colonial Trades
*A Colonial Town
*A Day in the Life Stories
*Daily Life in Colonial Williamsburg
(This is a large amount of informative reading- primarily addressed to the teacher…but with some excellent printouts and activities!  This asks for a password, but they show a “guest” visitor one if you don’t want to make an account )
*Colonial Manners 

+Watch-
*Colonial Life  (about 25 minutes…good representation of the many peoples that came to find freedom in the United States)
*Life As a Child In Colonial America

+Explore-
*Colonial House Interactive History
*Daily Life in the Colonies 
*Would You Have Survived Colonial Life ?   (Interactive)
*Make a Colonial Doll 
*Make & Play Your Own Colonial Games!
*Colonial Trades

+Coloring/Notebook-
*Early American Life  (TONS of Coloring Pages covering all aspects of
Colonial American life !)
*Life in the Southern Colonies  Printable
*Colonial America Paper Doll
(This is from education.com .  It will ask for you to sign in, but it’s FREE)

*WEEK 4 :
The American Revolution

*Suggested supplemental reading-
–I Survived the American Revolution, 1776  or
–Spies of the Revolution  (A Choose Your Own Adventure Interactive History)
–Susanna’s Midnight Ride

    

 

*Day 1- The Boston Tea Party

+Read-
*SOTW3-  Chapter 19:  The English In India
*The Stamp Act,   The Tea Act   and  The Intolerable Acts
*The Boston Tea Party
*The Boston Tea Party History and Printable Worksheets

+Watch-
*No More King !   (SchoolHouse Rocks!  3 minutes  )
*Dump It Off !      and  The Boston Tea Party Song      (You’re welcome  😀
*The Boston Tea Party    (Liberty’s Kids- about 23 minutes)
*The Intolerable Act    (Liberty’s Kids- about 21 minutes)
*Here is the link to the full chronological playlist of the LIBERTY KID’S SERIES
You may prefer to choose one or several episodes to cover this week’s topics.

+Explore-
*The Boston Tea Party   (Interactive)
*For Crown or Colony ?    (Interactive Game)
*Virtual Field Trip

+Coloring/Notebooking Pages-
*Boston Tea Party Lapbook
*Boston Tea Party Coloring Page

*Day 2- Who’s Who of the American Revolution

+Read-
*CHOW-  Chapter 75:  America Gets Rid of Her King
*The Patriots and Loyalists
*The Sons of Liberty
*King George III
*George Washington   (we will study him more in depth next week)
*Samuel Adams
*Molly Pitcher
*Benjamin Franklin

+Explore-
*Explore the Museum of the Revolution   (interactive virtual field trip !)
*Name That Founding Father !   (Online interactive game)
*Mission US   (Meet the Characters)

 

+Watch-
*The Midnight Ride  / The Shot  (Paul Revere – both about 21 minutes)
*The Shot Heard Around the World    (School House Rocks!  about 3 minutes)
*Thomas Paine   (Liberty Kids- about 22 minutes)
*King George III  vs.  President George   (rap battle ?  Creative way to see
both sides of this war!  )
*Sybil Ludington   (about 22 minutes)

+Coloring and Notebooking Pages-
* Paul Revere’s Ride Coloring Page
*Minute Men Coloring Page
*Thomas Paine
*Sybil Ludington
*Benjamin Franklin Lap Book
*American Revolution Lap Book

*Day 3- The Revolutionary War

+Read-
*SOTW-  Chapter 22:  Revolution!
*The Revolutionary War     (In a Nutshell)
*Battle at Lexington & Concord
*What Happened at Valley Forge ?
*The Treaty of Paris

+Watch-
*How Did the Revolutionary War Start ?   (Touches on the 7 Year War too!)
*Across the Delaware       (Liberty’s Kids- about 21 minutes)
*Revolutionary War Rap!    (History Teachers Sing)
*Valley Forge
*Battle at Yorktown

+Explore-
*Interactive Revolutionary War Game
*For Crown or Colony?
*The Road to Revolution   (Interactive Game)
*Revolutionary War Battle of the Brain- Who Am I?
*Revolutionary War Battles Interactive Map

+Coloring/Notebooking Pages-
*The Shot Heard Around the World    (Coloring page)
*Battle of Bunker Hill 
*Surrender at Yorktown !

 

*Week 5:
The United States of America

*Suggested supplemental reading-
*George Washington’s Socks   (Choose Your Own History Adventure)
or    Eighteen Roses Red
or    Spies at Mount Vernon

          

*Day 1-  We the People

+Read-
*SOTW3-  Chapter 23:  The New Country
*Creating a New Nation
*The Second Continental Congress
*Declaration of Independence 
*The Bill of Rights
*The Constitution

–>There’s a good series of books that take the most well known documents of our country and “translate” them into more simple terms (ex. terms like, four score and seven ).   I used a similar set of books to cover Shakespeare and my kids really benefitted from reading the text first in plain modern English, and then reading the original text with that foundation.

+Watch–
*The Second Continental Congress  (Liberty’s Kids- about 21 minutes)
*Honor & Compromise  (The Articles of Confederation- about 21 minutes)
*Declaration of Independence Song    (History Teachers Sing)
*The Constitution     (I LOVE this song for memory work- School House Rocks !)

+Explore-
*The Constitution  Interactive
*Bill of Rights Game
*Declaration of Independence   (Interactive Game)
*Articles of the Confederation Game
*Preamble Game   OR   Preamble Scramble
*That’s Your Right!
*Do I Have a Right?

+Coloring/Notebooking Pages-
*The First Continental Congress
*The Declaration of Independence
*The Constitution
*The Bill of Rights Song

*Day 2- George Washington- Our First President

+Read-
*George Washington
*Washington Facts and Fiction
*Printable Short Stories about Washington
*Who Was George Washington?

+Watch-
*George Washington- Meet the President    (Free School-  about 5 minutes)
*Washington Takes Command   (about 21 minutes)
*George Washington Song

+Explore-
*Interactive Portrait 
*Take a Virtual Tour of Mount Vernon
*Lots of George Washington Games and Interactive Fun   (form Mount Vernon)
*Interactive Online Coloring Pages
*George Washington Portrait   Interactive Mystery Game

+Coloring/Notebooking Pages-
*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 3-  Government in the United States

+Read-
*America’s Government After the War
*US Government
*What is a Democracy/ Is the United States a Democracy ?
*Independence Hall and The Liberty Bell
*All About the White House    (Enchanted Learning- includes printables)
*The Washington Monument   (also from Enchanted Learning)
*The Liberty Bell

+Watch-
*What is Democracy ?    (About 3 minutes)
*Fireworks !    (School House Rocks !   About 3 mins)
*All About the White House    (Best for younger kids- about 5 minutes)
*Symbols of America    (Brain Pop Jr. –  about 5 minutes)
*The American Flag   (about 13 minutes)
*The Constitutional Convention  DK Kids
*We The People  (Liberty Kids- The Constitutional Convention- about 30 minutes)

+Explore-
*US Government Interactive
*The Constitutional Convention
*Branches of Government  Game
*Learn About Government     (Online Games)
*Create Your Own Nation 

+Coloring/Notebooking Pages-
*Branches of Government  Coloring Pages
(LOVE these ! from Classroom Doodles)
*US Government Coloring Pages
*Symbols of the USA    (LOTS of pages to choose from!)
*How to Draw the American Flag
*How to Draw the Liberty Bell
*American Government Folder/Lapbook

*Week 6 –
Westward Expansion

*Suggested supplemental reading-
+Captive Treasure
+Soft Rain
+Davy Crockett
+Westward Expansion   (Choose Your Own Adventure!)

–>  I have a ever growing book list for this time period  HERE  if you’d like some more ideas !

 

           

*NOTE: If your family is loving this topic and you’d like to dig deeper, you may also enjoy checking out my  FREE  Pioneer America Unit Study and
the  Pioneer Printable Power Pack  !

 

---

*Note:  I did not include the War of 1812 in this unit.  If you would like to include it, you can check out   THIS  from DIY Homeschooler!

*Day 1- Lewis and Clark

+Read-
* SOTW3-   Chapter 32:  The Opened West
*Who Were Lewis and Clark ?
*Lewis & Clark’s Expedition 
*On the Trail With Lewis & Clark
*Who Was Sacagawea ?
*What Did L&C Bring With Them ?

+Watch-
*First Expedition-  Lewis and Clark     (PBS- 3 minute Introduction)
*1804-1806 Lewis and Clark     (from National Geographic- 42 minutes)
*Lewis & Clark Meet Sacagawea   (about 10 minutes)
*Lewis & Clark Meet the Shoshone  (Love the surprise !  About 10 minutes)
*Lewis & Clark Reach the Pacific Ocean !   (about 10 minutes)
*Lewis & Clark Expedition Song

+Explore-
*Explore Artifacts from the Expedition !
*Lewis & Clark’s “Discoveries”   (Click each blue link to learn more !)
*Choose Your Own Adventure with Lewis & Clark
*Interactive Map of Lewis & Clark Trail
*Explore Lewis & Clark’s Journey 
*Lewis & Clark Online Games and Activities

+Coloring/Notebooking Pages-
*Lewis and Clark Coloring Pages and Worksheets
*Lewis and Clark Notebooking Page
*Sacagawea Coloring Page
*Lewis and Clark Lapbook
*Blank US Map    (Great to map out their journey !)

*Day 2- Davy Crockett and the Alamo

*Note:  Though not included in today’s lesson, this would be a great time to take a day or two extra and study the Wild West, the Oregon Trail,  and the California Gold Rush!  This could EASILY be worked in by reading a few short books!  (I’ll include a few choices at the bottom of THIS lesson)
See ?!?!  I told you that it was reallllly hard to narrow down this section of study!    (Reading in SOTW 3- p. 381-386)

+Read-
*SOTW3-  Chapter 42:  The World of Forty-Nine
*Who Was Davy Crockett ?
*David Crockett !
*The Life & Adventures of David Crockett
(Audiobook- Great for Carschooling or quiet time!  )
*The Battle of the Alamo 
*Teaching PDF “Remember the Alamo”  (for middle school ages)
Alamo Teaching PDF   (for 7th grade and up)
(There are pages of printables, information, maps, etc…
from  the official Alamo website )

+Watch-
*Davy Crockett  
(History and virtual tour of his childhood home!  About 7 minutes)
*The Alamo    (Travel Through History-  about 4 minutes)
*Ballad of the Alamo

*You may also like to watch one of the MANY movies made about
Davy Crockett/The Battle of the Alamo.   My top pick for families is this Disney (not animated) version –> Davy Crockett

+Explore-
*Interactive Map of the Alamo   (Present/past Alamo site side by side simulation!)
*Remember the Alamo Crossword Puzzle
*Virtual Tour of the Alamo
*Alamo Jeopardy Game
*Defend the Alamo Game   (loads a bit slow, but fun!)

 

+Coloring/Notebooking Pages-
*Davy Crockett Notebooking Page
*Davy Crockett Coloring Pages, Diagrams, etc.      (LOTS of good printables!)
*Davy Crocket Info Print & Color Page
*Davy Crockett Coloring Page
*The Alamo Coloring Page
*The Alamo Info Print & Coloring Page

+EXTRA books to extend study !
* Ghost Town at Sundown  /  The Wild West !   (Companion)
*The Oregon Trail   (Can You Survive ?)
*Seeds of Hope      ( Gold Rush)
*The Great Horn Spoon    (Gold Rush)
*American Tall Tales

*Day 3- The Trail of Tears and the Great Land Rush

*Note:
I included The Homestead Act  (1862) and “The Great Land Rush” at the end of the Trail of Tears section.
It seemed a natural progression after that period, though chronologically the Great Land Rush would fall near the end of the Civil War.   Add it in wherever you think best 🙂

+Read-
*SOTW3-   Chapter 38:  American Tragedies
*What Was the Trail of Tears ?   (Overview)
*Southwestern Tribes  
(Read more about the Native Americans who walked this trail)
*Indian Removal Act and the Trail of Tears
*Who Was Andrew Jackson?
*What Was the Homestead Act & The Great Land Rush ?
*The Homestead Act    (The Mini Pages)

+Watch-
*Brief Intro to the Trail of Tears  (about 3 minutes)
*Trail of Tears National Historic Trail   (about 26 minutes )
*How the Brutal Trail of Tears Got It’s Name   (about 3 minutes)
*The Homestead Act   (About 4 minutes- Intro with real photos !)
*Who Was Andrew Jackson ?

 

+Explore-
*Explore Art History and The Trail of Tears
*Interactive Map of the Trail
*Another Interactive Map of the Trail
(Click anywhere on the trail to read more)

+Coloring/Notebooking Pages-
*Trail of Tears/Indian Removal Act  Printable   (from the NPS)
*Trail of Tears Notebooking Pages and Lapbook
(From Tina’s Dynamic Homeschool Plus)
*Trail of Tears Coloring Page
*Dover Trail of Tears Coloring Page 
*Andrew Jackson Coloring Page

 

*Week 7 – The “Civil” War

*Suggested supplemental reading for Civil War-

+The Civil War : An Interactive History  (Choose Your Own Adventure)
+I Thought My Should Would Rise and Fly
+Meet Addy   (I highly recommend the whole series! —> HERE )
+Two Miserable Presidents

            

*Note:
As with the Colonial America section, and the Pioneer section, I have also written an extensive FREE unit study for  The Civil War …
there are TONS of ideas there to extend or supplement this section if your family is interested.   It is without a doubt one of the most difficult and sad parts of our country’s history.  While I definitely didn’t sugar coat it, I did try to balance it with true stories of perseverance, bravery, and compassion.   Please click on the link above or the image below to read more.  I include daily plans for related language arts, science, geography, art, music, and Bible studies as well.

*Day 1-  Abraham Lincoln

+Read-
*CHOW-  Chapter 80:  The Daily Papers of 1854-1865 (or if you only want to read about Lincoln, p. 518-520)
*Abraham Lincoln Biography
*Lincoln and the Civil War
*Abe Lincoln’s Life
*Events Leading Up to the Civil War
*A New President and the Southern States

+Watch-
*Meet Abraham Lincoln  (about 4 minutes)
*Disney’s American Presidents- Lincoln  (4 minutes)
*Childhood of Abraham Lincoln – Part 1   (about 7 minutes)
*Presidency of Abraham Lincoln – Part 2   (about 7 minutes)
*Abraham Lincoln     (full movie from Nest Videos- about 30 minutes)
—->  Also, you can find the FULL printable coloring story book  HERE

+Explore-

*Abraham Lincoln BrainPop Game
*Abraham Lincoln Interactive Map
*Take a Virtual Tour of Lincoln’s Home   / Read & SEE more  HERE
*Abraham Lincoln’s Crossroads     (Interactive Game)
*Slavery in the United States    (Interactive Map of Slavery / Civil War)
*Explore Lincoln’s Life    (Photos of Lincoln’s belongings, etc…from the Smithsonian Collection…super interesting !   Be sure to look to the menu at the left for the table of contents !!)
*Abe Lincoln’s Top Hat

+Coloring/Notebooking Pages-
* Abraham Lincoln Printables   (from Enchanted Learning)
*Super cute Lincoln Coloring Pages    (for the Littles)
*21 Lincoln Coloring Pages !!
*Color Lincoln’s Log Cabin  Online
*Free Abe Lincoln Lapbook

*Day 2- Slavery and the Underground Railroad

+Read-
*SOTW Vol.3-  Chapter 36:  The Slave Trade Ends
*Slavery in America
*What is an Abolitionist ?
*What was the Underground Railroad ?
*Who was Harriet Tubman ?
*Who was Frederick Douglass ?     and  Mini-Page Story
*Uncle Tom’s Cabin Told to Children   (This is the full text of this book-  but you can also listen to it chapter by chapter with the audio.  Great for car school or rest times!)

+Watch-

*All Night Forever   (about 4 minutes)
*Slavery in America   (about 11 minutes)
*Life on a Southern Plantation    (about 17 minutes)
*The Underground Railroad  (about 4 minutes)
*Follow the Drinking Gourd   (about 5 minutes)
*Harriet Tubman Movie   (Nest Movies – about 28 minutes)

+Explore-

*The Underground Railroad- Escape from Slavery  (Interactive Activity)
*Following the Footsteps  (Interactive- What if you were a Maryland slave?)
*Compare Lives    (Slave Trade interactive learning activity)
*Explore the Underground Railroad   (National Geographic Interactive)

+Coloring/Notebooking Pages-
*Underground Railroad Printable Activity Book  (National Park Service)
*Harriet Tubman Coloring Page
*The Story of the Underground Railroad    (Dover Coloring Book Sample Pages)
*Leaders of the Underground Railroad Printable Worksheet
*Frederick Douglass Coloring Book

*Day 3- The “Civil War”

+Read-
*SOTW4–  Chapter 5: The American Civil War (Just if you happen to have this volume already! )
*The War Begins
*What Did States Rights Have to Do With the Civil War ?
*The Battle at Fort Sumter
*What Was Life Like During the Civil War ?   (At home & on the battlefield)
If you’d like this info all in one page –>   HERE
*The Battle at Gettysburg
*What Was the Gettysburg Address ?
*The Civil War Ends-  A Child’s Eyewitness Account   and  Lee Surrenders !
*The Emancipation Proclamation
*Civil War Timeline

+Watch-
*The Civil War- A Kid Explains History  (note: though he begins by saying the war was caused by a disagreement about slavery, he continues to explain more about some of the deeper causes)
*What is the American Civil War ?    (about 10 minutes…starts with a mention of 1619…good overview of much of what we’ve been studying.  Moves really fast.  Maybe best for older students)
*How the Civil War Got Started   (BrainPop…about 5 mins)
*North vs. South   (Song- about 3 minutes)
*Civil War Facts for Kids   (about 10 minutes and a good overview for all ages )

+Explore-
*Interactive Civil War Map
*Civil War Challenge
*Memorize the Gettysburg Address with this song !!
*Can You Put This Gettysburg Address Puzzle Together ?
*Explore Artifacts from Gettysburg Soldiers
*Interactive Civil War Games Online

+Coloring/Notebooking Pages-
* 28 Civil War Coloring Pages !!
*American Civil War Soldiers  Coloring Page
*Civil War Soldiers Paper Dolls   and Antebellum Paper Dolls
*Emancipation Proclamation Coloring Page

 

*Week 8 and 9 –  EXPLORE IT MORE !

*This week is all about HANDS ON HISTORY FUN !
I will list some of my favorite ideas, but you can find lots more on my Pinterest board   Homeschool- Early American History

+Hands-On Activities for Vikings 

*Print out a GIANT world map (from your own PC!!) and trace the route the Vikings took to Greenland
[You could use this map for tracing the route of Columbus (and other explorers), the Pilgrims and first colonists, the Trail of Tears, label the Alamo, etc…  This would make a great visual reminder/review to see every day!  Be creative!  Think colored yarn sailing routes, colored figures of people and places you’re studying glued in place, etc…]
*Build a Viking Longboat 
*Viking Bread Recipe
*Make a Viking Brooch
*Viking Shields    (Get as creative as you are !)
*Cook a Viking Feast   (including homemade cheese !)
*15 Hands-On Viking Activities
*Backyard Viking Tent   (if you’re feeling very enthusiastic !!)

+Hands-On Activities for Columbus & Early Explorers

*Create Your Own Explorer Treasure Chest   (This idea is written for classroom use, but would be super fun in homeschools too !  The sky is the limit on all the things you could include and skills learned in the process.  Think aging paper for maps;  making navigational tools, compasses, and spyglasses;  coins;  a Captains journal or a ship’s log etc…)
*How Big Were Columbus’ Ships?
(and other Columbus activities from from Adventures in Mommydom !)
*Make Columbus’ Ships !      or  These Wooden Stick Ships
*Build a Boat That Floats
*Globe and Continents Activity    or   Paper Mache Globes
*Voyage in a Bottle
*Try Orienteering
*Mapping Fun !    or  this  Columbus Map Project
*Make a Spyglass
*Create Your Own Explorers Trading Cards…..   HERE  are some templates you can use !

+Hands-On Activities for Native Americans

*Create a Diorama representing one or more of the Tribes you’ve learned about
*Make a Quill Box
*Seed Mosaic Pictures
*Plant a Three Sisters Garden !
*Read this short Introduction to Native American Storytelling Stones and  then try making some of your own with this PROJECT
*Make & Play Native American Children’s Games  , Stick Game Instructions
*Build a Wigwam
*Try Making Wojapi   or   Kaya’s Pumpkin Cookies or  Indian Fry Bread
*Learn a few words in Wampanoag  & some words for animals
*Easy Cardboard Weaving     or   Popsicle Stick Weaving 
*Indian Chief Headress    or  A Colorful Beaded Bracelet
*Make a Rainstick
—>   For more ideas,  check out my  Native America Pinterest Board
—>  For extra resources, book ideas, etc …    Native America Extras Board 

+Hands-On Activities for Pilgrims & Early Colonists

*Pilgrim Recipes
(Or try cooking what would’ve been on the Menu at ‘The First Thanksgiving’ )
*Pilgrim Handsewing Activity
*Colonial Paper Quilling
*Try Cooking A Colonial Recipe !
(Or cook a whole dinner !  Indian Pudding, Barley Soup, and more!)
*Colonial Williamsburg 12 Night Cake
*Colonial Child’s Handkerchief Doll
*Host a Tea Party 
*Make & Play Colonial Children’s Games

*For more FREE Colonial America Activities, check out my
Colonial America Pinterest Board …  for Extra Colonial America Ideas, Resources, Books, etc…  check out Colonial America EXTRAS Board
and if you are studying this during the holidays,  you will find even MORE ideas on my  Colonial America Christmas Board  !

+Hands-On Activities for The American Revolution

*Invisible Ink & Secret Codes   or these  Spy Codes of the Revolutionary War!
OR   try this  Cipher Wheel 
*Valley Forge Cold Feet Experiment
*Benjamin Franklin Science !
*Read about (& cook!) some Revolutionary War Era Recipes
(It might make a fun activity to create your very own cookbook with all kinds of recipes from this period!  You could make historical notes- famous people, date on recipe, region where recipe was cooked, unique ingredients, etc…) on each recipe page.    You can find a cookbook page template  HERE   or you could create you own !  )
*Protesting Colonists Activity
*Create a Facebook Profile page for figures from the Revolutionary War  (the template is included !)
*Smarties Taxation   (Swap out smarties for m&ms or whatever your kiddos crave…Though created for a classroom, will work with a small group with a bit of creativity!)
*American Revolution Role Playing
*Bill of Rights Bingo Game   or   make a First 10 Amendments Cootie Catcher
OR   make this Preamble Scramble Puzzle

+Hands-On Activities for The Pioneers & The Wild West

*Build Your Own Covered Wagon   (Complete with Goods !)
*Pioneer Recipes    (Pioneer Dinner Night !!)
*Make Some Prairie Maple Candy  or   Have a Pioneer Taffy Pull
*Make and Play Pioneer Children’s Games      or  This Button Whirlygig
*Beeswax Candles
*Homemade Butter   (My kids LOVED this and still remember it to this day!)
*Try Dying Your Own Cloth 
*Daniel Boone Frontiersman Tracking Activity
*Build an Alamo Model !
*Make Your Own Davy Crockett Costume
*Learn How to Tie a Lasso    (and how to throw it !)
*Western Painted Rocks
*Try some of these Games from the Wild West !

*For more FREE Pioneer America Activities, check out my
Pioneer America Pinterest Board …  for Extra Colonial America Ideas, Resources, Books, etc…  check out Pioneer America EXTRAS Board
and if you are studying this during the holidays,  you will find even MORE ideas on my  Pioneer America Christmas Board  !

+Hands-On Activities for Lewis & Clark Expedition

*Create Your Own Lewis & Clark Animal Discovery Journal
*Make a Specimen Box
*Read about Lewis’ quest for learning about nature HERE .   One way he studied more was by collecting and observing plants and leaves very carefully.
Try using some of his techniques yourself,  like these  Leaf Rubbings   or  Pressing Plants  activity !  I have to say this was one of our FAVORITE activities !  You can save these dried flowers or plants and decoupage them onto a special box or make bookmarks out of them.   We went all out with this idea and made them into Christmas gifts one year.   You definitely can use books to press the flowers (as directed in the activity above, but if you’re going to do a lot of pressing, this flower press is really nice !

*Make Your Own Herbalist Notebook–  supervision required of course !
You could also use these beautiful (and free) wildflower coloring pages
from the NPS to illustrate your notebook.
*Read the Lewis & Clark’s Packing List.   Make a list of what YOU would have packed !  Do you think they left out anything important ?  What modern items would have made their travels easier ?
*Try your hand at carving !   Soap Carving at least !  Lewis and Clark as well as many of the Native Americans they encountered spent time carving intricate details of the animals they observed.  Give it a try !
*Lewis & Clark Expedition Activities

+Hands-On Activities for The Land Rush and Gold Rush 

*Play the Gold Rush! Game
*Read the history of Sourdough Bread and try making the starter and your own loaf !
*Ideas for an entire Gold Rush Day !
*Make Your Own Gold Rush Business Plan 
*Build your own Prospector diorama like the one shown  HERE
*Create a map of the first Transcontinental Railroad Route.   Include names of towns and sites the railroad would have passed along the way.  You can use THIS MAP to get started!
*The Pony Express- Activities
*Try one of several fun Hands-On Activities from Oklahoma Land Rush– including making your own Water Compass !
*Stake Your Claim !  (Activity from the NPS)  or  try
The Oklahoma Land Rush Simulation

+Hands-On Activities for Slavery and the Civil War

*Reliving the Underground Railroad Activity
*Print, Put Together, and Play this Underground Railroad Game
*Make Underground Railroad Lanterns …. then try using them at night !
*Follow the Drinking Gourd-  make these Constellation Tubes !
*What Would You Pack ?
*Try Sending Secret Messages with a Flashlight 
*Make a DIY Lincoln’s Top Hat    and  try reciting the Gettysburg address!
*Make Your Own Civil War Soldier Uniform
*Whip up some delicious Hardtack  or  try these other Civil War Era Foods You Can Still Make Today
*DIY Civil War Handkerchief Doll
*Discuss Eli Whitney’s invention of the Cotton Gin and maybe try making one of your own!  (Directions and background in link above!)  If you can find a few pieces of cotton with the seeds still inside and have your children try to remove them, this will really help them understand this lesson.  Imagine how painful the hands of the slaves on cotton plantations were !
—>   For LOTS more ideas,  check out my  Civil War Pinterest Board
—>  For extra resources, book ideas, etc … Civil War Extras Board
and if you are studying this during the holidays,  you will find even MORE ideas on my  Civil War Christmas Board  !

 

*Week 10 –  Notebook It Wrap Up Week

 

*Days 1 and 2:

*NOTE:
If you have been note booking throughout this entire unit, then you can use this week to fill in any empty spots, add in some pages,  watch some related movies, and review !   My kids really enjoyed showing off their notebooks after finishing a section !   You could really take a whole day for them to display all they’ve worked on, including their hands-on projects and these notebooks !

+Make a Cover Page for this section “Early American History- Vikings through the Civil War”,  to add to your history binder.  Be sure to put a line across the bottom of the page and note our “beginning date”, .

+If you haven’t already, make a History Notebook Page for each of the 15 sections (see below).  This can be print outs, coloring sheets, or hand written pages.  BE CREATIVE!  Just the heading and the line need to be done for each page today.
(Again, be sure to add the timeline date line at the bottom of each page)

1. Leif Ericsson and the Vikings                                     (1000)
2. Columbus                                                                             (1492)
3. The Virginia Company/Jamestown                         (1607)
4. The Pilgrims                                                                       (1620)
5. The French & Indian Wars                                           (1689)
6. Colonial Period                                                                  (1620-1776)
7. The Boston Tea Party                                                    (1773)
8.  The American Revolution                                           (1775-1783)
9.  The “United States” of America                              (1776-1800)
10.  Westward Expansion                                                  (1783)
11.  Lewis & Clark Expedition                                           (1804-1806)
12.  The Trail of Tears                                                           (1838)
13.  The Transcontinental Railroad                               (1840’s)
14.  The Civil War                                                                   (1861-1863)
15.  Emancipation Proclamation                                    (1863)

+Add a bit of information for each of the 15 pages you made on Day 1.
You may write things you can remember…quotes…draw pictures, etc.
Add in any of the activities you tried on the proper page :
Recipes, pictures,  or description of any food  you cooked, drawings of any inventions you made,etc.  You also could use main ideas from the reading
(cut & paste pictures, bubble notes, or bullet points…)

*Day 3:
+ Review the 15 index cards—>  NEW!!!  Printable Early American History Cards !!
+Try seeing how fast you can put the cards in order !
+ Do a Candy Quiz on these today !

---

You can find even more History FUN for the Early American History Curriculum, and all the others in this series, in the post-

**TOP 10 Teaching History Helps Series**
+Top 10 History PODCASTS
+Top 10 History SONGS
+Top 10 History TIMELINES
+Top 10 History AUDIOBOOKS
+Top 10 History MOVIES
+Top 10 History BOOKS
+Top 10 History GAMES
+Top 10 History HANDS-ON
+Top 10 History PRINTABLES
+Top 10 History FIELD TRIPS

And a bonus…
+Top 10 History for the HOLIDAYS

AND You did it !

Hope you and your family enjoyed this study !

*COMING UP NEXT:

Free Modern American History Curriculum
(Turn of the Century to Turn of the Millennium) ! 

—> Also, be sure to check out my Book List
for Free American History Curriculum (Part 1)
and the  Early American History Pinterest Board

 

If you’re just finding these free history resources, you may also like to check out the Free Ancient World History Curriculum series as well.  It makes a great starting point !
For an explanation and to check out the curriculum,  just click
–>    “Free Chronological World History Plan” .


You can find the daily plans for the following studies as well-

Section 1:  Ancient Civilizations & the Old Testament   &  Book List
Section 2: Ancient Egypt  (includes Ancient China)    &  Book List
Section 3:  Ancient Greece   &   Book List
Section 4:  Ancient Rome   &  Book List
Section 5:  The Middle Ages   &  Book List 

*If you are continuing a chronological history cycle with American History, you can find this series here —>Free Early American History Curriculum    and    Free Modern American History

*Early American History Books & Resources List
*Printable Early American History Cards
*Modern American History Books & Resources List
*Great Books & Resources for American History Unit Studies
(These go along with the American Girl Unit Studies, but have TONS of other resources as well.  You will also find a CHRISTMAS section with some super fun ideas for Holiday Homeschooling!)

You may also enjoy these other
FREE American History Unit Studies !

     

     

     

If you have ANY QUESTIONS  at all, I’d love to hear from you !
You can either comment at the bottom of this post or you can email me at
chenoah@fieldsofdaisies.com

Enjoy !