Saturday, September 20, 2014

History plans Grades 6-8 Industrial Revolution through the end of the 21st century

History lesson plans Grades 6-8      Industrial Revolution through end of 21st century including a study of Native Americans
I am currently working on a master’s degree in history.  I wanted an inexpensive program that teaches history utilizing fiction, non-fiction, and biography while exploring maps and projects.  I do recommend getting Christine Miller’s All through the Ages book.
I believe in teaching history chronologically.  I know, you’re looking at this list and going well, the first few weeks are about American Indians and Immigration in the United States.  I know but these are topics that I didn’t think we’d sufficiently covered.  I wanted my kids to have a good overview of different regions of American Indians and also some important treaties, leaders, and wars.  Immigration plays a very important role in the latter half of the 19th century and early 20th century so I included a separate study here.
**My goal is to develop a plan that is inexpensive and utilizing books, lapbooks, notebooking pages, etc that I already have or can purchase inexpensively.  Any books can be substituted out here.  I just list the ones we have for my own records; it doesn’t actually mean that we will use them or even all of them.  Use books from your own shelves or go to the library.  I love history but there are so many books out there that it would be difficult and expensive to have an extensive library at home. 

Week one through week three-Native Americans
This is an overview of the Native American tribes within the United States.  The Northeast, Southeast, Great Plains, Northwest, and Southwest Indians are discussed.
Books used:                       North American Indian Stories by Gretchen Will Mayo
                                                Southwest Indians by Mir Tamin Ansary
                                                …if you Lived with the Sioux Indians by Ann McGovern
                                                …if you Lived with the Cherokee by Peter and Connie Roop
                                                …if you Lived with the Iroquois by Ellen Levine
                                                The Encyclopedia of Native America by Trudy Griffin-Pierce

** I know the If You Lived Series is geared towards younger children but they do have wonderful information for research

See the attached lesson plan called Native Americans grades 6-8

Week four-Immigration

Books used:                       Immigration by Peter Benoit (Scholastic-Cornerstones of Freedom)

Week five-Industrialization Revolution
Week six-Industrial Revolution
Week seven-Topics covered:  Spanish American War, Boxer Rebellion, US President McKinley assassinated, Wright Brothers, Panama Canal, San Francisco Earthquake, Triple Entente
Week eight-Balkan Wars, Russia: October Revolution and Tsar Nicholas II,
Week nine-WWI
Week ten-WWI
Week eleven-WWI
Week Twelve-WWI ends and League of Nations formed
Week Thirteen-US Prohibition, Palestine, Europe: Mussolini, Soviet Union established, West Germany occupation, Stalin rises to power
Week Fourteen-Charles Lindbergh, US stock market crash triggers Great Depression, Pluto discovered
Week Fifteen-Great Depression
Week Sixteen-1920s survey of music, crime….leading up to Al Capone’s imprisonment
Week Seventeen-FDR New Deal, Europe, Hoover Dam
Week Eighteen-Hindenburg, War of the Worlds, WWII begins
Week Nineteen-WWII
Week Twenty-WWII
Week Twenty-one-WWII
Week Twenty-two WWII
Week Twenty-three-US Marshall Plan, NATO, Israel, Germany and Korea
Week Twenty-four-Cold War begins, Korean War
Week Twenty-five-Korean War
Week Twenty-six-Elizabeth II, climbing Mt. Everest, US: Segregation ruled illegal
Week Twenty-seven-Rosa Parks, Warsaw Pact, US Civil Rights struggle in South, US and Russia launch satellites into orbit
Week Twenty-eight-US: Alaska and Hawaii introduced as states, Fidel Castro established as dictator in Cuba, Berlin War, Bay of Pigs
Week Twenty-nine-Cuban Missile Crisis, JFK assassinated, MLK: I have a dream speech, South Vietnamese government overthrown by coup
Week Thirty-Vietnam War
Week Thirty-one-Vietnam War
Week Thirty-two-MLK and Robert Kennedy assassinated, Northern Ireland tensions, space race
Week Thirty-three-space race, Roe v. Wade, Watergate Scandal, St Helens erupts
Week Thirty-four-Space Shuttle’s first flight, Gandhi assassinated, Gorbachev becomes Soviet leader
Week Thirty-five-Challenger blows up, Mir Space Station, Chernobyl explodes, Berlin Wall comes down
Week Thirty-six-Persian Gulf War, Waco Texas
Week Thirty-seven-World Trade Center explodes, Mandela elected president to South Africa, Rwanda
Week Thirty-EU formed, 9/11, tensions in gulf

For a printable version of this go here.

Weeks one through three: Native Americans

Native Americans Grades 6-8
This is an overview of the Native American tribes within the United States.  The Northeast, Southeast, Great Plains, Northwest, and Southwest Indians are discussed.
Books used:                       North American Indian Stories by Gretchen Will Mayo
                                                Southwest Indians by Mir Tamin Ansary
                                                …if you Lived with the Sioux Indians by Ann McGovern
                                                …if you Lived with the Cherokee by Peter and Connie Roop
                                                …if you Lived with the Iroquois by Ellen Levine
                                                The Encyclopedia of Native America by Trudy Griffin-Pierce
** I know the If You Lived Series is geared towards younger children but they do have wonderful information for research

Week one
Vocabulary terms:  treaty, compromise, wampum, clan, surrender, reservation, warrior, squaw
Study the Northeast, and Southeast Indians in detail.  Make notebooking pages or lapbooks answering the following questions:
            What were their traditional dwellings?
            What were their family/clan relationships like?
            What were their clothes like?
            What did they generally eat?
            What were their customs in warfare?
            Name five different tribes that is located in this region

If you have the Enclopedia of Native America read the following:
            Northeast: pages 27-32
            Southeast: pages 49, 55-59
Read aloud: North American Indian Stories
Activities:        Plan a Native American meal
                        Make a cornhusk doll
                        Design a village for the Northeast or Southeast Indians
                       
Week two
Read Aloud:  Soft Rain
Watch:  Dances with Wolves
Study in detail: Plains, Northwest, and Southwest Indians.  Make notebooking pages or lapbooks with details such as
            What were their traditional dwellings?
            What were their family/clan relationships like?
            What were their clothes like?
            What did they generally eat?
            What were their customs in warfare?
            Name five different tribes that is located in this region

Activities:        Make a dreamcatcher
                        Make a diorama of an indian village from one of these regions
                        Make a todem pole



Week three:
Project week!
1. Pick two of the following people and design a notebooking page or poster with information about their lives such as when/where they were born and died, what tribe they were with, what interesting thing they did in history, and any other facts that you find interesting.
                        Tecumseh
                        Crazy Horse
                        Red Cloud
                        Red Eagle
                        Powhatan
                        Pocahontas
                        Squanto
                        Sitting Bull

2.  Pick two of the following wars and write short reports regarding the details of the war, who is was between, the years, the outcome, any treaties that were made as a result, and what eventually happened to the treaty.
           
                        Wounded Knee
                        Red River War
                        US Dakota War
                        Ute War
                        Little Big Horn

Watch:  History Channel Code Talkers

*****When doing research online, DO NOT use Wikipedia.  It is a bad habit to get into. Anyone at any time can go in and change any information that they want on this website.  Colleges generally do not allow usage of this website so do not start using it.  Use websites that are .edu or .gov; .com websites are generally not sourced and not confirmed.  Always be sure to be watching your child while on the internet to ensure that they are not connected to a website that is questionable.
                       
 For a printable version of this Native American study, go here.

Week four-Immigration

IMMIGRATION
Day one
Read Immigration by Peter Benoit (Scholastic-Cornerstones of Freedom) pages 6-19

Day two
Read Immigration pages 21-43
Read about the first person to arrive at Ellis Island  http://www.ellisisland.org/genealogy/Annie_Moore.asp

Day three
Read Immigration pages 45-49

Day four
Watch the virtual field trip of Ellis Island   http://teacher.scholastic.com/activities/immigration/webcast.htm











Notes from the reading and study guide for quiz:
1.       What did U.S. President John F. Kennedy call the United States? ____________________________________________

2.       Define immigrants: ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

3.       Define indentured servant: ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

4.       What were some of the reasons that people immigrated to the United States?

a.       _________________________________________________________
b.      _________________________________________________________
c.       _________________________________________________________

5.       Define ethnic enclave:
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

6.       Define refugee: ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

7.       Which continent has the greatest number of immigrants to the US? ______________________

8.       Why do you think that nation has the largest number of immigrants? ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

9.       Which decade in the 1900s had the most immigrants? _________________________________

10.   Why do you think that is? ________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________________

11.   Why do you think that there was such a decline in immigration during the 1930s and 1940s? ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

12.   Where is Ellis Island located? ______________________________________________________

13.   What was the purpose of Ellis Island? ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

14.   What years did Ellis Island operate? ________________________________________________

15.   How many immigrants were processed during those years? ____________________________

16.   The Statue of Liberty was given to the United States in _________________ by _____________.

17.   Engraved in the base of the statue are lines from Emma Lazarus’ poem “The New Colossus” which reads:

________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

18.   Who was the first person to arrive on Ellis Island?  How old was he/she and where were they from?  ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

19.   What did that person receive when they arrived on Ellis Island? _________________________

20.   In what year was Ellis Island opened as a park? _______________________________________


 For a printable version of week four immigration, go here.

Friday, September 19, 2014

Geography-Travel the World Series

Almost ten years ago was that terrible tsunami in Sri Lanka.  I'm embarrassed to say that my hubby and I huddled around the globe to locate the tiny country that received such devastation.  We had a general idea....but that was it.  

At that moment, I decided that my children would learn better geography skills than I possessed.  So I've come up with this study program for them to do.  The wonderful thing is that this program can/will be used for years as they can do as many levels each month as they wish.  

I have a blank world map hanging on the wall that we use to test with.

Each month, I print out the sheet corresponding to that month's study and then I give them a blank map to fill in themselves.  It gives them ownership of what they are doing.  I designed the program to go over countries, capitals, vocabulary terms, oceans, lakes, rivers, mountains, deserts.  Here's a look at month one and two.  September is a short month because we're getting into the swing of things so that only has two levels.  If your child knows these already you can move onto level two.  I've designed a ten month program.  


Month one
Level one – Back to Basics
North America
South America
Europe
Asia
Africa
Australia
Antartica

Level two
Atlantic Ocean
Pacific Ocean
Artic Ocean
Indian Ocean
Southern Ocean


Vocabulary:
Continent

Island

Ocean



Month two-North America

Level One
Greenland
Canada
United States
Mexico
Cuba

Level Two
Newfoundland
Quebec
Ontario
Manitoba

Level Three
Alberta
British Columbia
Northwest Territories
Saskatchewan

Level Four
Lake Superior
Lake Michigan
Lake Huron
Lake Erie
Lake Ontario


Vocabulary
Bay

Peninsula

Coastline


There is a printable version of this here.

Enjoy!



Wednesday, September 3, 2014

Organization is key

So many of you are talented enough to just go with the flow of the school day and remain calm, cool, and collected.  I would love to be like you.  I am not that way at all.  In fact, when I'm not organized with copies ready to go, lesson check off list printed off for the kids, and my desk cleaned off......well, let's just say it isn't pretty.  I'm not...that is.

I cannot function this way.  Perhaps its because I have so much on my plate between homeschooling, full time college, American Heritage Girls, and Boy Scouts?  Probably not...I've always been this way.  Making lists checking things off.  I've even done things for the day not on the list and then written that item down just so I can check it off.  I know, I'm pathetic.

With homeschooling I struggle to juggle five different levels.  I have two that need one on one time for all their lessons and two that work independently that need one on one time for certain things and one that is almost exclusively independent.  And of course, they are all clamoring for my attention at the same time.

This year I made a very organized detailed schedule.  Listing what happens when and if mom is needed for the lesson.  Now I do answer questions or give directions as needed but the kids know that I am working with someone else and are pretty patient for a few minutes until I get to them.

One saving grace is Homeschool Tracker.  I love that I can plan out lessons for the entire year for each subject and each grade level.  Once the lessons are in, I just use the scheduler button to plan out each week and I can even include a time for the subject to be started and completed.  A lot of times, the girls are done ahead of schedule so they just move onto the next subject. No problem there.  Several times during the day, I grade their work (with the girls its usually after each subject) and mark it completed.  The program records attendence, grades, and books for me.  I have purchased a yearly plan of $60 for the online version.  I used to use the Plus program but when the computer crashes there goes your lesson plans.  I enjoy having access wherever I am at.  It also saves lesson plans for me to use for the kids that are moving up so I don't have to replan or retype or rewrite in plans.  What a blessing!  I can even type in goals if I wish.  I'll do a more in depth post on the tracker program later this week.

On the homefront, I'm canning up a storm.  I did eight quarts of spaghetti sauce, 6 quarts of chili, and 3 quarts of pickles in the past week.  I still have to do relish, salsa, and the carrots.  I've already done the green beans and the apples will be ready in the next week or so.  We still have apple butter left from last year so I'll do applesauce and some apple pie filling recipes.  I'm hoping my friend will let me have access to her pear tree which is loaded with pears and they don't plan to use.  That would be a huge blessing!  And of course, tomatoes are still coming in so I'll be doing more spaghetti sauce and chili.  I already pickled beets for Kevin.  I think they're yucky and so do the kids.  Peppers and onions are all in.  We now have 12 quarts of bread and butter pickles so I'm pretty sure we're set for the year with those.

Have a wonderful week!

Monday, September 1, 2014

School year 2014-2015

Tomorrow starts our new school year.  I will be teaching five different levels.

Monkey-Kindergarten
Sing, Spell, Read and Write Level K
Horizons Math K 
Handwriting without tears
Unit studies and art

Little Miss-Second Grade
Sing, Spell, Read, and Write Level 1
All About Spelling Level 1
Introduction to Science-Elemental Science
Unit studies and art
Saxon Math 2
Explode the Code

Bug-a-Bug-Sixth Grade and Princess-Eighth Grade
Explorer's Bible Study
Sassafrass Science-biology and plant science
Teaching Textbooks
Asst classics to read
All About Spelling
Easy Grammar
IEW-Fables, Myths, and Fairy Tales
History-my own design
Art

TL-Eleventh Grade
Asst Classics
IEW-Elegant Essay
Easy Grammar
Russian (Currclick Live)
Teencoder: Windows Programming and Game Programming
History-my own design
Algebra II
Dive Chemistry
Art

Of course, all four girls are now in American Heritage Girls in four different levels.  Its very exciting.  Monkey is super excited to join her sisters this year.  They also attend the after school program at our church one day a week at which Princess volunteers at.  

The three biggest attend a Friday night program at our church.  TL is also involved in taekwondo and Boy Scouts.  

I hope to get the girls into riding lessons in the spring.  Too cold and snowy here in the winter for that.  They are very excited to start.

Tomorrow I'll have an updated list of books that they will be reading and hopefully first day pics.  

Today we got out the school supplies and set up their desks with the new books, supplies, etc.  They were very excited.  We'll see how that goes at 8:30 in the am.

This week we're only doing half days.  My mom comes next week so we'll be taking that time off.

I'm sorry that I haven't posted in the last month.  With Kevin home we were extremely busy trying to get things done around here.  And now that the garden is really coming in, I've been busy trying to get the canning done!

Prayers for a wonderful week for all!