Some Unit Study Goodies...

Oklahoma Homeschool site has LOTS to offer:

• Ancient History Unit Study (in progress)
• Ancient Rome Unit Study w/Timeline (pdf document) and Timeline Pieces (pdf document)
• Archaeology and the Bible Unit Study
• Ben Franklin Unit
• Civil War Unit
  
• Explorers Unit
• Government Unit Study Ideas
• Immigration Unit
• Oklahoma History Online (Fee Charged)
• Pilgrim / Thanksgiving Unit (based on The Checklist)
• Presidents/Elections Unit
• Revolutionary War Unit (Coming Soon!)
• World War I Unit (based on The Checklist) 

Even one for Simple Machines to go along with our upcoming Ancient Egypt fun :o) 


A great set up for The Civil War as well!  It looks like a definite addition to the list here.

Enjoy!

Ignore my Goofiness...post entry dates

I am taking preliminary notes through the Prairie Primer and getting some general links and ideas set up for the various books...and I'm trying to 'save' the other pages and book entries for later publishing.  LOL...but I've posted a couple now instead of later.

They will all be listed in the sidebar under each book and its corresponding week's reading.  There is also a category listing in the first sidebar for you to find things easier.  I am listing everything in several categories to make it all easier to locate when I want it later on.

Please be sure to leave me a comment with any additional notes, book ideas, resources online, crafts, etc that you might have to coordinate with the various books and their weeks.  I will be making additions to the individual posts as needed, so be sure to check them once in a while for anything new.  I want to keep things as fun and as covered as I can, perhaps needing only some additional math work to provide a fairly rounded curriculum around these books.  Of course, everything is just a jumping off point...bunny trails on all these various subjects surrounding science, history and more can really flesh out your schooling.

Little House: Big Woods, Week 3

Nutrition Data on all types of chesses
Honey vs Sugar at Honey Health


Enchanted Learning: The Moon
Google Moon
Space.com's Moon pages
The Moon at NASA


Yellow Jackets information
Yellow Jacket Wasps
anatomy of a wasp drawing
anatomy of bees and wasps


Purdue University: Oats
Oats
History of Oats
Guide to Growing Oats


Straw Hat Making
Family Crafts pages: Making Hats How-To's lots of links
Cousin Ed's Paper Hat


Sumac from The Handmaiden's Kitchen blog...you will learn alot visiting her often! She is learning and sharing a great deal about foraging from the wild and using herbs for medicinal purposes.

Sumac Lemonade from Mother Earth News
Sumac Identification
Sumac Identification at REWILD
Medicinal Herb Info: Sumac



Nevada County GOLD California Gold Rush
Eyewitness to History: The Gold Rush
California Gold Rush Timeline
Gold Rush pages at About.com
PBS Go! Gold Rush pages
The Gold Rush and Native Americans
A Book in Time listing of 1850's American History reading
EasyFunSchool: Gold Rush pages- there are tons of great links to be found here!
Fun Facts of The Gold Rush
Teachers Guide to The Gold Rush 
GoldRush.com's pages on Finding The Elephant 

About Salt 

Little House: Big Woods, Week 2

We will not be getting  into a long study on the Sunday vs Sabbath debate that pulls Christians into dividing camps, but we will look at a few articles in general to get a very basic overview of these two days...please use or ignore this portion of our notes after prayerful discussion with your husband.  I am not promoting either one as that is fully between you, your husband, and God.

Yahweh's Set Apart Days
Reasoning from The Scriptures Ministry
Christian Answers: The Sabbath
Sunday Law Net

Dictionary Skills at eMints contains several links, including this PDF on using a dictionary
The Best Source of Words
How to Use The Dictionary interactive

Maple Syrup PDF file  great information
A good, informative article with lots of links and YouTube clips on maple tapping and syrup making
CTMaple tutorial 
an Illinois home syrup maker
How to Make Maple Syrup tutorial
Maple Tapping tutorial
Minnesota Maple Series: tree identification
Tap My Trees:  Backyard Maple Tapping

Making Hasty Pudding and a history


Video Square Dance Lessons online from Saddlebrook Squares
Open Squares: Basic Figurin' online clips
History of Square Dancing article
Q&A History of Square Dancing

Online Knitting Tutorial
RocketMoms Learning to Knit  links several YouTube clips

Wax Rose Tutorial

Your Skin...from KidsHealth
FactMonster: Your Body Systems
Heath HowStuffWorks: The Skin Channel

Nutrition Data on all types of chesses
Honey vs Sugar at Honey Health

Enchanted Learning: The Moon
Google Moon
Space.com's Moon pages
The Moon at NASA

Yellow Jackets information
Yellow Jacket Wasps
anatomy of a wasp drawing
anatomy of bees and wasps

Purdue University: Oats
Oats
History of Oats
Guide to Growing Oats

Straw Hat Making
Family Crafts pages: Making Hats How-To's lots of links
Cousin Ed's Paper Hat

Sumac from The Handmaiden's Kitchen blog...you will learn alot visiting her often! She is learning and sharing a great deal about foraging from the wild and using herbs for medicinal purposes.
Sumac Lemonade from Mother Earth News
Sumac Identification
Sumac Identification at REWILD
Medicinal Herb Info: Sumac


Nevada County GOLD California Gold Rush
Eyewitness to History: The Gold Rush
California Gold Rush Timeline
Gold Rush pages at About.com
PBS Go! Gold Rush pages
The Gold Rush and Native Americans
A Book in Time listing of 1850's American History reading
EasyFunSchool: Gold Rush pages- there are tons of great links to be found here!
Fun Facts of The Gold Rush
Teachers Guide to The Gold Rush 
GoldRush.com's pages on Finding The Elephant 

About Salt

Little House: Big Woods, Word Studies

We'll be going through several mini word studies as we work through these books, using the short lists within the Primer itself, as well as any words that the youngers might have trouble understanding or remembering.  We have the 1828 Webster's Dictionary here and use it as our main schooling resource and between that, and our Concordance, we'll have our word studies covered I'm sure.

Here is an online version of Noah Webster's 1828 Dictionary for you to use.

Also, there are several online Concordances you can use if you don't have one available at home.  We have an older Strong's on our book shelves, as well as using the e-Sword program on our computers.  There are several wonderful resources for free download at e-Sword, including a great many Bible versions.
Blue Letter Bible
Bible Gateway
Online Bible Net


We plan to out together some spelling and general vocab lists as we go along, using the books themselves, as well as the added studies (such as grizzlies, firearm safety, Louis Pasteur, etc.) and we'll be utilizing our Bibles quite a bit, working on the various character traits of Laura and her family, as well as for the suggested Bible memory -- in this particular book, the Primer suggests Psalm 91, regarding the all encompassing peace and comfort in The Lord:

A great truth laid down in general, That all those who live a life of communion with God are constantly safe under his protection, and may therefore preserve a holy serenity and security of mind at all times.  Matthew Henry Commentary

Some Vocabulary:
trundle bed, leather,venison, lard, metaphor, ravine, gaiters, toxins, meditate, homograph, hearth, callouses, galluses, cholesterol,

Character Issues:  
manners in general, interrupting others (Philippians 2:3-5, Proverbs 18:13),
God's authority umbrella (Ephesians 6:1-3, Proverbs 6-20:21, Proverbs 15:5)
jealousy (Proverbs 14:30, 27:4, 1 Corinthians12:26)
mercy (James 2:13)
fear (Psalm 64:1, 53:5, 73:19, 8:13 Luke 21:26, Ezra 4:4, Proverbs 9-10-11, 16:6, 10:27, 14:27 )
foolishness/fools (Proverbs 22:15, 18:6-7, 26:4, 20:3, 17:21, 17:25, 19:13)
comparing ourselves with others (2 Corinthians 10:12, Isaiah 45:9, Romans 8:19-20, Ephesians 4:29, Job 40, Matthew 19:19)
man's greatness compared to God's (Isaiah 40:6-31)
punishment (Proverbs 22:15, 13:24, 29:15, Hebrews 12:5-11, Hebrews 12:5-11)
Godly attitudes (1 Peter 3:2, Titus 2:4-5)
known by your deeds Proverbs 20:11
shame (Proverbs 10:5)
company of fools (Proverbs 17:12)

We will discuss the various methods we personally use for food preservation, or putting food by, here:  dehydration, canning, freezing, etc. 
As well as the varied uses surrounding our fresh goat's milk, and comparing it to fresh cow's milk, and store-bought commercial milk (homogenized), cheeses, cream, butter making, and so forth. 
We will also look at the varieties of honey available in our area at the store as well as private sources and compare them to other sweeteners.
A good study on herbs and their many uses, both culinary and more importantly, medicinally.

Little House: Big Woods, Week 1

You already know where my favorite resources are for activities using Little House on The Prairie and The Prairie Primer are...
Here are some goodies I'm adding in for our walk through...you might check back later as I will add more if I come across other trinkets worth keeping!

HomeschoolShare pages for Little House in The Big Woods

National Geographic:  Grizzlies article 
Sheppard Software Online: Bears  be sure to check out their many other pages while there!

Animal tracks:  Beartracker's Animal Den
scroll down the page to find plenty of subpages, including making a plaster cast, scat tracks, learn to be a tracker, etc.
Funschool Kaboose:  Animal Track game online
Animal Tracks:  Field Journal

Prisms: Separating light with a prism PDF file
Light-Science site
some YouTube videos on Light and Prisms

How Stuff Works:  Rust
Corrosionist:  What is rust?

Owl Pages
Washington Dept of Fish and Wildlife Owl Pages  They also have a great PDF file
Information on Owls  a great resource
Enchanted Learning:  Owls

brief history of Guns
another history of firearms
About.com's Timeline of Gun History
Firearm Safety  there is a somewhat graphic picture about halfway down...just fair warning

Kidcyber site: My Lungs  geared toward younger children
National Geographic:  Lungs, Breathing  including lung anatomy

CDC pages on Rabies
Indiana State pages on Rabies

Corn Husk Dolls  1  2  3  4

Louis Pasteur

Every Child Should Read...a listing

Found this while hunting something else, thought I'd add it here so I can check it out better.  There are links at the end for the "american" booklist, as well as the 100 picture books for little ones.  This article/post from Chrysalis was shared in March, 2008.

100 Books Every Child Should Read

Recently, the UK's Telegraph newspaper compiled a list of the top 100 books every child should read. Short descriptions of each book are included. The list is divided into 3 age groups: Early Years, Middle Years, Early Teens. Here are approximately half the selections…

Early Years

● The Very Hungry Caterpillar, by Eric Carle
● Where the Wild Things Are, by Maurice Sendak
● The Tale of Samuel Whiskers, by Beatrix Potter
● Yertle the Turtle, by Dr Seuss
● The Cat in the Hat, by Dr Seuss
● Charlotte's Web, by EB White
● The Story of Babar, by Jean de Brunhoff
● Winnie-the-Pooh, by AA Milne, illustrated by EH Shepard
The complete list is here…

Middle Years

● Ballet Shoes, by Noel Streatfeild
● Just So Stories, by Rudyard Kipling
● The Borrowers, by Mary Norton
● Tintin in Tibet, by Hergé
● The Complete Brothers Grimm Fairy Tales
● Old Possum's Book of Practical Cats, by TS Eliot
● The Owl and the Pussycat, by Edward Lear
● The Wind in the Willows, by Kenneth Grahame
● Peter Pan, by JM Barrie

● The Water Babies, by Charles Kinglsey
● A Little Princess, by Frances Hodgson Burnett
● Pippi Longstocking, by Astrid Lindgren
● Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, by Roald Dahl
● The Sword in the Stone, by TH White
● The Chronicles of Narnia Box Set, by CS Lewis
● The Railway Children, by E Nesbit
● The Selfish Giant, by Oscar Wilde
● Black Beauty, by Anna Sewell
The complete list is here…

Early Teens

● The Adventures of Tom Sawyer, by Mark Twain
● Alice in Wonderland and Through the Looking Glass, by Lewis Carroll
● The Wolves of Willoughby Chase, by Joan Aiken
● To Kill a Mockingbird, by Harper Lee
● Great Expectations, by Charles Dickens
● The Hound of the Baskervilles, by Arthur Conan Doyle
● Wuthering Heights, by Emily Bronte
● The Diary of a Young Girl, by Anne Frank
● Roll of Thunder, Hear my Cry, by Mildred D Taylor

● The Hobbit, by JRR Tolkien
● Beowulf, by Michael Morpurgo
● Treasure Island, by RL Stevenson
● Little Women, by Louisa May Alcott
● Anne of Green Gables, by L M Montgomery
● The Song of Hiawatha, by H W Longfellow
● Watership Down, by Richard Adams
● Lord of the Flies, by William Golding
The complete list is here…

Naturally—considering the source—this comprehensive list has an English flavor that our British and Canadian sisters will enjoy. An American version, "100 Best Books" compiled by the NEA comes with useful links for teachers. Don’t miss the New York Public Library’s delightful illustrated list for wee ones, "100 Picture Books Everyone Should Know."

Susannah Wesley...A Godly Mother

Here are Susannah Wesley's methods of teaching and training:

...the devout yet practical manner in which Susannah Wesley brought up her extensive brood - her child-rearing and educational methods. These methods found their roots in her own home background where her father saw the family unit, expressed in modern terms as a microcosm of the church - to quote Dr. Annesley's actual words:  
should not families be as well-ordered (little) Common-wealths, well-disciplined Churches ?
For Susannah this meant firm discipline, good education,  spiritual maturity and an unselfish concern for the well-being of others. In other words the development of a godly and gracious life-style.
To achieve these ends Susannah Wesley firmly believed that the self-will of the child should be broken or conquered as early as possible so that they can learn the importance of obedience to God's will. She didn't mean by this the destruction of a child's will-power so that they are cowed into a fearful submission, and the fact that most of her children developed into fairly spirited and strong-willed men and women, not least John Wesley, bears out her principle.
She also believed in having a systematic and well-ordered routine of eating and sleeping, of learning and exercise, of spiritual instruction including prayer and Bible study. In the spirit of the age she didn't shrink from using corporal punishment but insisted in fairness, honesty and that no child should be punished twice for the same misdemeanour.
In contrast to Samuel who, though basically a kind man could lose his temper, Susannah was herself extremely self-controlled and insisted that  we must correct with kind severity. Whilst she was light-years away from the modern educational philosophy of total self-expressionism, Susannah Wesley a true spirit of independent thought and action in her children. But above all, while she cared both for the physical and moral welfare of her children, she wanted in their hearts a true knowledge of and commitment to the redeeming love of God in Jesus Christ.

From this came her 16 Rules for teaching and training her children:

A Family Home Plan

 

~~Devise a regular routine of living in our lives:

daily family & personal devotions

daily schooling

daily snack & meal time

daily chore assignments

~~Develop consistent & proper study habits

~~Teach proper table manners:

Eat and drink at table, seated properly

Wait for meal blessing quietly

~~Respect for other's property

~~Unfailing courtesy, esp. with siblings

~~You receive nothing you cry or whine for

~~Praises always for obedience and acts of respect

~~Respect the Sabbath/Lord's Day

~~Teach purity of language -- no slang terms

~~Recognize and accept differences in ability & personality

~~Accept that problems and interruptions will occur

~~Assign regular & consistent family chores

~~Maintain proper priority of work & study

~~Accept responsibility for the education of children at home

~~Conquer the Will of your children, not their Spirit

~~Maintain consistent discipline:

encourage open confession & forgiveness of wrongs

praise all acts of obedience

allow no sinful act to go unpunished

never bring up past offenses

accept intention over perfect performance sometimes

maintain priorities

No indulgences of self will can be trivial, no denial unprofitable; Heaven or Hell depends on this alone. A parent who studies to subdue it in his child works together with God in the renewing and saving of their soul. The parent who indulges it does the devil's work, makes religion impractical, salvation unattainable, and does all that in him lies to damn his child, soul and body, forever.

Susanna Wesley

 

 

 

I am not a big fan of Wikipedia, but, here is their link on Susannah Wesley 

Family of Destiny  

A great blog thought on Susannah Wesley...I have not reviewed this blog, only this particular entry I am linking

Seeking God, Susannah Wesley

History's Women, Susannah Wesley, the Mother of Methodism

Worldscope ChurchLink article on Susannah Wesley

Free Sites and a CM link

I like Charlotte Mason.  I don't know that her style and I make a great fit, but it's wearable.  I tend to pick and choose the flowers -- and even grab a few weeds that look pretty -- that suit what we are looking for at any given time.


Unit Studies and Charlotte Mason

Also, here is a PDF of several free sites with various homeschool goodies you might find interesting:


Homeschool Resource Center PDF

Novel Study: Robinson Crusoe

Ok, I admit it.  I've never read all the way through Robinson Crusoe.  I have CliffNote'd it in school, but never taken the book and simply enjoyed reading for the sake of reading.

I'm gathering goodies to use for a novel study with the children.  There was a television series year before last or so based loosely on the book.  We enjoyed the Netflix movies when we got them, but I doubt there is a strong similarity to the actual Defoe novel.

Here's where I'm at so far -- I will  be adding ideas and resources to this same post as I really get into the unit and plan things out more, so check back.  I will link it in the side bar for easier access.

Heart of Wisdom's  Lesson Plans

Robinson Crusoe & Island of Despair mini study

Reading A to Z site's Robinson Crusoe

An Island Survivor unit

Ancient Egypt movies came yesterday

We'll be enjoying some warm, indoor time later today (it's cold cold cold out there...even for a Northern girl like me!) and watching our Netflix movies as we begin studying Ancient Egypt:

Mummies and The Wonders of the Ancient World, parts 1 and 2...
In the land of pharaoh god-kings, where priestesses held sway and people communed with the dead through a bestial creature known as the Sphinx, monuments were erected that awe us still with their sheer magnitude.  But the pyramids, temples, statues, and tombs were not the only wonders left behind by the ancient Egyptians, as this series explores the esoteric hieroglyphs and the amazing riches discovered in the tombs of kings.

Mystery of the Nile, part 1 (IMAX)...
By following the expedition leaders Pasquale Scaturro and Gordon Brown on a grueling 114-day journey down the world's most dangerous river, Spanish filmmaker Jordi Llompart captures the first successful attempt in history to travel the Blue Nile from source to sea...

Mysteries of Egypt (IMAX)...
The Mysteries of Egypt presents a detailed look at the wonders left behind by an ancient civilization...

And Dad has severe tendonitis in his shoulder and is off work, supposedly with the aim of keeping his arm immobile.  I feel it's only right, as homeschool superintendent and sub-teacher, that he offer himself as a living practice to wrapping a mummy...we can keep his arm immobile...where's the ACE wrap???

Down Under Literature site

I downloaded a resource from CurrClick and bunny trailed over to Down Under Literature, an Australian Homeschooling source.  They have some neat offerings, but the one that drew me in today was their listing of World Geography books...

Using these picture books you can travel the world from your couch.

1. World Trip-How to Make an Apple Pie and See the World by Marjorie Priceman ©1996 Ages 5 - 8 years
An apple pie is easy to make...if the market is open. But if the market is closed, the world becomes your grocery store. This deliciously silly recipe for apple pie takes readers around the globe to gather ingredients. First hop a steamboat to Italy for the finest semolina wheat. Then hitch a ride to England and hijack a cow for the freshest possible milk. And, oh yes! Don't forget to go apple picking in Vermont! A simple recipe for apple pie is included.
2. Africa –Beatrice Goat by Page McBrier ©2001
More than anything, Beatrice longs to be a schoolgirl. But in her small African village, only children who can afford uniforms and books can go to school. Beatrice knows that with six children to care for, her family is much too poor. But then Beatrice receives a wonderful gift from some people far away -- a goat! Fat and sleek as a ripe mango, Mugisa (which means "luck") gives milk that Beatrice can sell. With Mugisa's help, it looks as if Beatrice's dream may come true after all.
3. Antartica - Tom Crean's Rabbit: A True Story from Scott's Last Voyage by Meredith Hooper ©2005 Age 3-8
It's very cold in Antarctica, and the "Terra Nova" is crowded with both men and animals. Tom the sailor is looking for a quiet and cozy place for his pet rabbit to have her babies. From high in the rigging to down in the hold, the crewman takes readers all through the ship while he searches for a spot where his rabbit can make her nest.
Based on the diaries of men who sailed to the South Pole on board the "Terra Nova" in 1910 with Captain Robert Falcon Scott, "Tom Crean's Rabbit" introduces the historic voyage to young readers. Kitchen's stunning illustrations capture the magnificence of the Antarctic landscape and notes in the back of the book provide more information about the expedition and detail the adventures of the book's hero.
Ice Trap! Shackleton's Incredible Expedition by Meredith Hooper ©2001 Ages 7-11
In August 1914, during the height of the heroic age of Antarctic exploration, Sir Ernest Shackleton set off from England with a team of explorers to walk across the Antarctic and study the icy depths of this new and forbidding continent. Sailing through some of the most perilous seas, Endurance, becomes trapped in the deadly pack ice of the Weddell sea. When Endurance is eventually crushed between the vast bulk of two floating icebergs, the men are forced to abandon ship and make the dangerous journey across the crushing sea in lifeboats. They reach relative safety on the uninhabited Elephant Island, but an even greater peril faces Shackleton and five other members of the crew. An amazing tale of heroism and ingenuity.
4. America-Amber on the Mountain by Tony Johnston ©1998 Ages 5-8
Amber’s mountain is beautiful, but it is a lonely place—until the day Anna arrives, bringing both her friendship and the will to teach Amber how to read. Suddenly, Amber’s world is filled with a new magic—and new challenges. But when Anna returns to the city, will Amber be able to keep reading on her own?
Who Owns the Sun by Stacy Chbosky ©1987 Ages 5-8 Movie Available.
This story is a powerful plea for freedom. Joshua, a six-year-old son of a slave in the America's south, learns about prejudice, freedom and self-respect.
Owl Moon by Jane Yolen ©1987 Ages 2-8
This touching story of a child and parent finding magic and adventure in a simple, snowy night-time search for the great horned owl .On a winter's night under a full moon, a father and daughter trek into the woods to see the Great Horned Owl. A girl and her father go owling on a moonlit winter night near the farm where they live. Bundled tight in wool clothes, they trudge through snow ``whiter than the milk in a cereal bowl''; here and there, hidden in ink-blue shadows, a fox, raccoon, fieldmouse and deer watch them pass. An air of expectancy builds as Pa imitates the Great Horned Owl's call once without answer, then again. From out of the darkness ``an echo/ came threading its way/ through the trees.''
The Rag Coat by Lauren Mills. ©1995 Ages 5-8
Before Minna can go to school, she needs a winter coat. The Quilting Mothers offer to make her a coat from scraps of quilting cloth, and Minna carefully chooses the pieces that have the best stories behind them. When the new coat is ready, Minna proudly wears it to school, only to be faced with her classmates' jeers of "Rag-Coat! Rag-Coat!" But it is Minna's coat with its stories and memories, and Minna's own thoughtful part in its creation, that allow her to bring friendship to Sharing Day, making her coat the warmest one of all.
Cranberry Thanksgiving ©1990 Written and illustrated by Wende and Harry Delvin Ages 5-8
Grandmother and Maggie each always invite a guest to Thanksgiving dinner. Grandmother isn't very happy when Maggie invites Mr. Whiskers, but she's even more upset when someone steals her secret recipe for cranberry bread. Is the unwelcome guest the culprit? The only thing better than the story is the simple, yet delicious recipe at the end of the book.
5. Australia-Use Australian Book Traveller List
6. Canada-Eskimo Very Last First Time by Jan Andrews ©1985 Ages 5-8 also called Eva's Ice Adventure
Eva lives in an Inuit village in northern Canada. In the winter, people search along the bottom of the seabed beneath a thick shelf of ice for mussels to eat. Eva usually helps her mother, but for the first time, she’s going to go by herself. She soon gathers a pan full of mussels. But then, her candle goes out, and the tide threatens to return! When she is finally safe with her mother, Eva proclaims, “That was my very last first time walking alone on the bottom of the sea.”
7. China-The Story About Ping by Marjorie Flack and Kurt Wiese ©1933 Ages 3-8
Ping, a little duck who lives on a boat in the Yangtze River finds himself in trouble when he hides from his master in order to avoid punishment for being late..
8. England-The Tale of Peter Rabbit written and illus. by Beatrix Potter ©1936 Ages 5-8
The story follows a mischievous and disobedient young rabbit named Peter as he ventures into the garden of Mr. McGregor.
9. European Royalty-The Duchess Bakes a Cake by Virgina Kahl ©1950 Ages 5-8
Told in verse this amusing story tells about a Duchess who doesn't follow a recipe.
10. Europe in wartime-A New Coat for Anna by Harriet Ziefert © 1988 Ages 4-8
"A fresh and moving story of a mother's dedication to acquire a coat for her daughter in post-World War II hard times. Anna's mother decides to trade the few valuables she has left for wool and for the services of a spinner, a weaver, and a tailor."
11. France-The Glorious Flight by Alice and Martin Provensen ©1984 Ages 5-8
This is a biography of Louis Bleriot who built and airplane and flew it across the English Channel in 37 minutes.
*12. India Finders Keepers? by Robert A. Arnett ©2003
Gopal, found a dropped wallet. It contained enough money for Gopal to be set for quite some time, but he not only returned the wallet, he refused a reward.
13. Italy -Venice Papa Piccolo by Carol Talley ©1992 Ages 5-8
Piccolo, the tomcat, leads a life of adventure and possibilities until two homeless kittens adopt him. Piccolo shows boys and girls about sharing their strength with those who are smaller, younger or weaker.
The Gondoliers Cat by William Corlett ©1993(OOP) Ages 5-8
Nini the cat lives with Gino the Gondolier in a house on the Grand Canal in Venice. He longs to win the paw of La Serenissima, the cat of the Doge's daughter. When the Princess is kidnapped, Nini has his chance to prove his courage.
14. Japan-A Pair of Red Clogs by Masako Matsuno ©1960 Ages 5-8
A child's delight in a new pair of shoes is the same all over the world. For Mako, a little Japanese girl, the new shoes were clogs painted with red lacquer that shone beautifully. This is the story of what happened after she cracked the new clogs playing the weather-telling game and so longed for a bright, shiny new pair to replace them that she almost did a dishonest thing.
*15. Korea- New Clothes for New Year's Day by Hyun-joo Bae ©2007
A little Korean girl dresses up to welcome the new year. Simple words and inventively composed pictures depict each step in donning the elaborate, traditional costume, from the wrapped and tied "rainbow-striped jacket" to the silk pouch that brings good luck. Delicate illustrations move smoothly between depictions of mishaps as the child wrestles with troublesome accessories and grand, wordless portraits, often incorporating traditional furnishings and ornamentation that demonstrate pride in cultural heritage.
16. Middle East and Israel -Cleopatra by Diane Stanley; Bible story of Joseph and Moses.
17. South America-Isabella’s Bed by Alison Lester ©1992 Ages 3-8
Our family must have borrowed this book 50 times. We love it! When Anna and Luis stay at Grandmother's house they love to look through her souvenirs from South America. One night they go their on Isabella's bed and they understand new things about their grandmother.
18. Spain-The Story of Ferdinand by Munro Leaf ©1936 Age 3-8
A true classic with a timeless message, The Story of Ferdinand has enchanted readers since it was first published in 1936. All the other bulls would run and jump and butt their heads together. But Ferdinand would rather sit and smell the flowers. So what will happen when our pacifist hero is picked for the bullfights in Madrid?
19. New Zealand-Hairy Maclary - Lynley Dodd ©1983 Ages 2-5.
A little black dog and his canine pals get up to mischief.
*Kiwi Moon - Gavin Bishop ©2006
This is the story of a little white kiwi. When he is born his mother doesn't recognise him because he's not brown. Little Kiwi looks to the moon as his mother instead because it is white and bright and round. In the background of this story we see the changing times of a nearby pa. Through illustrations only we see intertribal warfare, the death of the chief, English soldiers arriving and then the burning of the pa. This fire spreads and the two stories become one as the white kiwi's habitat is razed to the ground.On the surface this is a very simple story but it also contains themes of intertribal warfare, European colonisation of New Zealand, Maori/Pakeha relations, and conservation.
*20. Russia Pictures at an Exhibition by Anna Harwell Celenza © 2003
Modest Mussorgsky and his friends, Victor Hartmann and Vladimir Stasov, dream of showing the glories of Russia in the 1880s to the world. When Victor suddenly dies, composer Modest Mussorgsky is deeply saddened. But, with the help of his friends, and through his own music, Modest finds a way to keep Victor's spirit alive. Children of all ages will enjoy reading the inspirational story behind the composition of Pictures at an Exhibition. Bright, colourful illustrations incorporate elements of Russian folk art and traditional symbols.
21. Switzerland –The Apple and the Arrow by Mary and Conrad Bluff ©1952 Ages 7-15
The year is 1291, and Walter is the twelve-year-old son of William Tell, the greatest bowman in the land of Uri. Walter lives happily in the remote heights of the Alpine Mountains, caring for his family"s goat herd and practicing his marksmanship in the hopes of making his father proud. But as the end of the year approaches, Walter"s peaceful life is shaken as his country enters a revolution, and Walter must carry a secret that could threaten the life of the father he loves so dearly. More than seven hundred years have passed since the day Walter stood in the marketplace balancing an apple on his head while the Austrian tyrant Gessler commanded Walter"s father, William Tell, to take aim at the apple with his great crossbow. The dramatic tale of William"s arrest and escape and the daring revolt of the Swiss against the Austrians has become a legend around the world.
22. Scandinavia-Hans Christian Anderson http://www.gutenberg.org/etext/1597
Viking Tales by Jennie Hall http://www.gutenberg.org/etext/24811

Astronomy...any resources you love?

Simple Window Stars...aren't these neat?  I think when we move along to astronomy, these will definitely be a project we will do.

What are your favorite resources and books for teaching about the stars and such?

The Long Winter...Week 1 Resources

In light of the cold we have, we are reading The Long Winter again (yes, just did this a couple months back...we like winter, what can I say?), and studying the blizzard of 1880-1881 as well as some other notable storms. We pulled the Prairie Primer out this morning, checked the new updates over at the We Love The Prairie Primer blog, and dug in...between feeding the woodstove and cuddling puppies, that is. The Prairie Primer blog has some great YouTube videos we'll be using. She has done a great job of collecting so many things -- what a treasure!

Here are some water cycle ideas, in lapbook form, from Our Homeschooling Expedition.

Indian Tribes of South Dakota page specifically for our study, Sioux and Blackfoot...
fun and informative links with coloring pages, word puzzles and more are here...
with some for Dakota Sioux...
Native American History for Kids pages look promising...
Lakota and Sioux Fact Sheet...
Native America craft ideas 1 2 3 4 5 6

The Battle of/Massacre at Wounded Knee will be a part of our study as well, of course. The Wounded knee Museum pages look good...
Wounded Knee, Last of the Independents pages...
Eyewitness to History: Massacre at Wounded Knee...they have other pages as well covering many other battles and topics in general...
a Google time line of Wounded Knee...
A Massacre Survivor Speaks...
a collection of links and lesson plans on Native American Indians from Teach-nology

Morse Code
A Brush with History from the Smithsonian, Samuel Morse


As a bonus here on the homestead, I have a rogue rooster out there who is really pressing his luck...maybe we'll do some hands-on study with the chicken's digestive system thoughts for week 1!

Just getting things set up here

I have several posts from my other blogs to get moved over here, so things will be sort of chaotic here for a while...sorry about that.

Just enjoy the chaos of a large family homeschool :o)