6-8 Year Old
- 3-5 Year Old, 6-8 Year Old, English, Interest Led Homeschool, Preschool, Social Activities, Teaching, the Give Way, Tot School
Tot School: Nursery Rhyme Party
My daughter loves nursery rhymes. Once she learned them, she would say them non-stop. So, of course, since I’m working on interest led/child directed activities, we had to do a theme for nursery rhymes. In searching for activities, I came across a ton of really fun activities that she and her friends would enjoy, so we had to a have a party. 🙂 I typed up nursery rhymes for each station — the goal being to say them as we did them. I left that up to the parents, since none of the kids can read. I also put directions for the stations, so the parents could do whatever the…
- 12-14 Year Old, 3-5 Year Old, 6-8 Year Old, 9-11 Year Old, History/Social Science, Interest Led Homeschool, Science, Social Activities, Teaching, the Give Way, Theme, Unit Study
California History Field Trip: Native Americans and Exploring
My sister-in-law is homeschooling her 4th and 2nd grader. She is not a fan of California history (crazy!), so I offered to try and put together some field trips for the kids. We live in the general LA/San Gabriel Valley area, so you won’t be finding us taking any Sacramento trips. I love my niece and nephew, but I’m definitely not taking them that far. 🙂 For our first trip, we focused on the Native American group in the area (Tongva) and exploration by the Spanish, by means of the LA River and Arroyo Seco. This lesson plan can also be used for any area, you’d just have to find…
- 12-14 Year Old, 15-18 Year Old, 3-5 Year Old, 6-8 Year Old, 9-11 Year Old, Book Focus, English, Historical Fiction Book Lists, History/Social Science, Interest Led Homeschool, Teaching, the Give Way
Historical Fiction: The Civil War
[Part of an ongoing series of historical fiction book lists for students and teachers. For the full list and to see more info, click here.] Civil War Causes and Events Lower Grades (K-3) Abraham Lincoln-D’Aulaire (5.2/1) A. Lincoln and Me-Borden (3.5/0.5) Abe Lincoln’s Dream-Smith (3.0/0.5) Alec’s Primer-Walter (3.4/0.5) Billy and the Rebel-Hopkinson (3.2/0.5) The Blue and the Gray-Bunting (3.3/0.5) Cabin in the Snow-Hopkinson (3.5/1) Cassie’s Sweet Berry Pie: A Civil War Story-Winnick (2.9/0.5) The Cemetery Keepers of Gettysburg-High (4.6/0.5) Civil War Artist-Morrison (6.0/0.5) Civil War Days-Weiss (3.7/1) Civil War on Sunday-Osborne (3.4/1) Dadblamed Union Army Cow-Fletcher (4.0/0.5) Drummer Boy: Marching to the Civil War–Turner (3.8/0.5) Freedom Ship-Rappaport (2.8/0.5) From Slave to Soldier:…
- 3-5 Year Old, 6-8 Year Old, Interest Led Homeschool, Kids' Book Club, Preschool, Science, Social Activities, Teaching, the Give Way, Tot School
Tot School: Fall Party
At the end of our Fall Theme, we had a fall party! We invited a few friends and had a great time. This one cost a little more than the Bear Hunt Party, mainly because I bought pumpkins, apples, squashes, cider and some sensory bin items. But, using a lot of supplies I already had, I was still able to come in under $40. And I have pumpkins and scarecrows as decorations, left over sensory bin items for next year and some apples, squash and pumpkins to eat (which we still have…almost four weeks later 😉 ) This was also going to be a 2 1/2 hour party, so I…
- 3-5 Year Old, 6-8 Year Old, Book Focus, English, Interest Led Homeschool, Preschool, Science, Social Activities, Teaching, the Give Way, Theme, Tot School
Tot School: Book Focus – We’re Going on a Bear Hunt
As I looked for good books and activities for the cave theme I was planning, I came across a lot of fun things to do with the book, We’re Going on a Bear Hunt by Michael Rosen. So, I decided that the last week and a half of the cave theme we’d focus on this book. So we read the book each day (a few days she watched a video of it instead of me reading it to/with her). Sometimes I had her read it to me. One time I acted it out very dramatically. My dramatic “What a beeeeeeaaaauuuutifuuuuuul daaaaaay!” stuck with her, so that’s how she said it from then on.…
- 12-14 Year Old, 15-18 Year Old, 3-5 Year Old, 6-8 Year Old, 9-11 Year Old, Book Focus, English, Historical Fiction Book Lists, History/Social Science, Interest Led Homeschool, Teaching, the Give Way
Historical Fiction: African Folktales
[This is a subtopic of Africa and also part of an ongoing series of historical fiction book lists for students and teachers. For the full list and to see more info, click here.] Lower Grades (K-3) The Adventures of Spider: West African Folk Tales-Arkhurst (4.4/1) The Amazing Tree-Kilaka (3.7/0.5) Anansi and the Box of Stories-Krensky (3.2/0.5) Anansi and the Magic Stick-Kimmel (2.4/0.5) Anansi and the Pot of Beans-Norflolk (2.9/0.5) Anansi and the Tug o’ War-Norfolk (2.7/0.5) Anansi and Turtle Go to Dinner-Norfolk (2.7/0.5) Anansi Does the Impossible! An Ashanti Tale-Aardema (3.2/0.5) Anansi Goes Fishing-Kimmel (2.3/0.5) Anansi’s Party Time-Kimmel (2.0/0.5) Beautiful Blackbird-Bryan (3.7/0.5) Brother to the Wind-Walter (3.4/0.5) Calabash Cat: And His Amazing Journey-Rumford…
- 12-14 Year Old, 15-18 Year Old, 3-5 Year Old, 6-8 Year Old, 9-11 Year Old, English, Historical Fiction Book Lists, History/Social Science, Interest Led Homeschool, Teaching, the Give Way
Historical Fiction: Africa
[This is part of an ongoing series of historical fiction book lists for students and teachers. For the full list and to see more info, click here.] There are a limited amount of English historical fiction books about Africa, so I included some modern and generic ones that help explain the culture, tribal life, animals and geography of Africa. And due to the oral tradition of Africa, I thought that I’d include a separate page for folk tales since they can show the culture and religious beliefs of Africans. Lower Grades (K-3) Africa Brothers and Sisters-Kroll (3.1/0.5) Africa Calling-Alderman (2.5/0.5) Africa Dream-Greenfield (2.5/0.5) An African Princess-Edmonds (3.0/0.5) Akimbo and the Baboons-McCall (5.3/1)…
- 12-14 Year Old, 15-18 Year Old, 3-5 Year Old, 6-8 Year Old, 9-11 Year Old, Book Focus, Historical Fiction Book Lists, History/Social Science, Interest Led Homeschool, Teaching, the Give Way
Historical Fiction: Traveling West
[This is a subtopic of The West and also part of an ongoing series of historical fiction book lists for students and teachers. For the full list and to see more info, click here.] Lower Grades (K-3) The Adventures of Laura and Jack-Wilder (3.5/1) Aurora Means Dawn-Sanders (4.1/0.5) (1800, OH) Black Cowboy, Wild Horses: A True Story-Lester (4.5/0.5) A Book for Black-Eyed Susan-Young (3.5/0.5) The Buffalo Storm-Applegate (4.3/0.5) Chub-Sargent (4.0/0.5) (Santa Fe Trail) Covered Wagons, Bumpy Trails-Kay (2.0/0.5) A Cowboy Named Ernestine-Rubel (4.3/0.5) Diary of a Pioneer Boy-Massie (3.5/1) The Elephant Quilt: Stitch by Stitch to California!-Lowell (3.5/0.5) A Fourth of July on the Plains-Van Leeuwen (4.0/0.5) Going West-Van Leeuwen (3.5/0.5) Going West-Wilder (3.6/0.5)…
- 12-14 Year Old, 15-18 Year Old, 3-5 Year Old, 6-8 Year Old, 9-11 Year Old, Book Focus, English, Historical Fiction Book Lists, History/Social Science, Interest Led Homeschool, Teaching, the Give Way
Historical Fiction: Lewis and Clark/Louisiana Territory
[This is a subtopic of The West and also part of an ongoing series of historical fiction book lists for students and teachers. For the full list and to see more info, click here.] Lower Grades (K-3) Bad River Boys: A Meeting of the Lakota Sioux with Lewis and Clark-Sneve (4.6/0.5) The Crossing-Napoli (3.6/0.5) Mack-Sargent (4.4/0.5) My Name Is York-Van Steenwyk (4.4/0.5) Sacagawea’s Strength-Deutsch (4.6/2) Seaman’s Journal: On the Trail with Lewis and Clark-Eubank (4.4/0.5) Middle Grades (4-8) Bold Journey: West with Lewis and Clark-Bohner (5.5/6) The Codfish Musket-Hewes (7.3/20) Cross-Country with Lewis and Clark-Smith (4.0/3) Girl of the Shining Mountains: Sacagawea’s Story-Roop (5.5/6) John Colter: The First Mountain Man-Boga (3.2/1) The Journal of…
- 12-14 Year Old, 15-18 Year Old, 3-5 Year Old, 6-8 Year Old, 9-11 Year Old, Book Focus, English, Historical Fiction Book Lists, History/Social Science, Interest Led Homeschool, Teaching, the Give Way
Historical Fiction: Texas Revolution/Mexican-American War
[This is a subtopic of The West and also part of an ongoing series of historical fiction book lists for students and teachers. For the full list and to see more info, click here.] Lower Grades (K-3) Grady-Sargent (4.1/.5) Francisca Alvarez: The Angel of Goliad-Egan (5.3/0.5) Middle Grades (4-8) The Alamo Cat-Kerr (4.4/1) All for Texas: A Story of Texas Liberation-Wisler (5.3/5) At the Battle of San Jacinto with Rip Cavitt-Carter (4.1/2) Blood in Water: A Story of Friendship During the Mexican War-Dell (5.8/1) BSpirit of the Cimarron: Bonita-Duey (5.7/3) Clouds over Texas-Matthews (5.2/5) Davy’s Dawg-Matthews (4.9/1) A Fair Wind to Glory-Townsend (5.9/7) The Giant Rat of Sumatra: Or Pirates Galore-Fleischman (4.5/4) Girl of…
- 12-14 Year Old, 15-18 Year Old, 3-5 Year Old, 6-8 Year Old, 9-11 Year Old, Book Focus, English, Historical Fiction Book Lists, History/Social Science, Interest Led Homeschool, Teaching, the Give Way
Historical Fiction: California History
[This is a subtopic of The West and also part of an ongoing series of historical fiction book lists for students and teachers. For the full list and to see more info, click here.] Lower Grades (K-3) Amelia’s Road-Altman (4.1/0.5) Astro: The Stellar Sea Lion-Harvey (4.5/0.5) Barrio: Jose’s Neighborhood–Ancona(5.6/0.5) Boom Town-Levitin (3.7/0.5) Brothers-Yin (3.1/0.5) Calling the Doves-Herrera (4.5/0.5) Chang’s Paper Pony-Coerr (2.8/0.5) Cehlonia: Return of the Sea Turtle-Navarro (4.7/0.5) City of Angels: In and Around Los Angeles-Jaskol (7.9/1) Condor’s Egg-London (3.2/0.5) The Day Roy Riegels Ran the Wrong Way-Gutman (2.5/0.5) A Day’s Work-Bunting (2.7/0.5) Dust for Dinner-Turner* (2.4/0.5) Earthquake in the Early Morning-Osborne (3.3/1) Earthquake! A Story of Old San Francisco-Kudlinski (3.7/1) Fish for Jimmy:…
- 12-14 Year Old, 15-18 Year Old, 3-5 Year Old, 6-8 Year Old, 9-11 Year Old, Book Focus, English, Historical Fiction Book Lists, History/Social Science, Interest Led Homeschool, Teaching, the Give Way
Historical Fiction: Gold Rush
[This is a subtopic of The West and also part of an ongoing series of historical fiction book lists for students and teachers. For the full list and to see more info, click here.] This does not include California’s gold rush, that is under California History. Lower Grades (K-3) Adventure in Gold Town-Hopkinson (3.9/1) Crazy for Gold-Wishinsky (3.5/1) Gold Fever-Kay (2.4/0.5) Gold Rush Winter-Murphy (3.1/0.5) Klondike Gold-Provensen 96.0/1) Sailing for Gold-Hopkinson (3.7/1) Sitka Rose-Gill (4.1/0.5) Stinky-Sargent (4.4/0.5) Middle Grades (4-8) Bonanza Gold-Berton (7.1/3) Fire and Snow: A Tale of the Alaskan Gold Rush-Gunderson (3.2/0.5) Gold Fever Trail-Hughes (4.9/3) Gold in the Hills: A Tale of the Klondike Gold Rush-Ransom (3.6/2) The Gold Miners’ Rescue-Jackson…
