US history for 3rd and 1st grader: Ideas and resources

[ByGrace3]

I am beginning my planning for next year and would love some ideas. I love what we are using this year, Biblioplan, but looking ahead to next year I think I want more of a US focus in our history studies. I plan to include major world events as well, but I would like to mostly study US history (early modern) in a topical/unit study approach.

 

I have looked at TruthQuest/AJTL resources and Time Travelers and both of those look promising as spines.

 

What I want:

Topical/Unit study approach, a lot of real books (especially biographies), crafts, activities, notebooking, and games

 

Thoughts on using TQ or TT? How does TT work for a spine? A booklist is easy enough, and I really don't need TQ for that. Though I would love to hear your favorite books (fiction and non fiction) for this time period.

 

What about the Betsy Maestro books? They look like they would make a great spine. (though I have read that there is a liberal bias in them?) Thoughts on that?

 

I have a lot of the SL books for Core D and plan to get more. dd will use the readers and I will read many of the read alouds to both.

 

Favorite resources, books???

 

For supplements I am thinking along the lines of:

Wee Sing America, 10 days in the US (anything like this but better for younger ages?), Sequence States and Capitals.

 

I tend to tweak whatever I use but if there is something out there like what I am thinking, and I can start with a better base, lmk! :)

 

Thank you!

[CrystalM]

MFW's Adventures is perfect for your ages. Here's the link http://www.mfwbooks.com/products/M50/40/5/0/1. This includes bible, U.S. History and geography, science, art, music, and read alouds. Just add language arts and math. I'm sure a lot of the books in the book basket list match the SL core D readers and maybe some of the other books you are looking for.

[ByGrace3]

MFW's Adventures is perfect for your ages. Here's the link http://www.mfwbooks.com/products/M50/40/5/0/1. This includes bible, U.S. History and geography, science, art, music, and read alouds. Just add language arts and math. I'm sure a lot of the books in the book basket list match the SL core D readers and maybe some of the other books you are looking for.

 

Thank you. I have looked at Adventures. I really want to do 2 years of US history, adding on some world...attempting to stay within the four year cycle.

 

 

[Jilly]

Have you looked at Winter Promise? My kids and I loved their American Story 1 and 2. The book choices were great.

[kirstenhill]

 

 

What about the Betsy Maestro books? They look like they would make a great spine. (though I have read that there is a liberal bias in them?) Thoughts on that?

 

 

 

We are doing two years of US History starting this year, with resources I selected. I have used the Maestro books as my primary spine so far, and we love them. I am bummed that we are on the last one! I am going to have to slow down if I want to make US History take two years. :-)

 

I don't see them as having a real extreme liberal bias. They are not explicitly conservative though either. To me liberal bias might be something like a statement I read in a book published by National Geographic that said, "most people agree that Christopher Columbus committed genocide," without really giving much explanation or reasoning. I thought the Maestros do a pretty good job of portraying the good qualities of, say, the various explorers and the settlers while also discussing the cruel and unfair ways that Native people were often treated.

 

I made a general outline of my plans here: http://homeschooldiscoveries.com/our-curriculum/united-states-history-year-1/

 

My two primary resources in making my list were Sonlight and All Through The Ages (http://www.nothingnewpress.com/All_Through_The_Ages.html).

 

If you look around on my blog, I've also tried to write somewhat regularly about the books we're reading. I need to put together a post about the revolutionary war unit we just finished...but it's a lot of books to write about!

 

Since we are going faster through the units than I expected (though I think our current one will be longer than I planned), I think my plan will be to cover the Civil War this year, then take a rabbit trail into our state's history to finish out the year.

[ByGrace3]

 

 

We are doing two years of US History starting this year, with resources I selected. I have used the Maestro books as my primary spine so far, and we love them. I am bummed that we are on the last one! I am going to have to slow down if I want to make US History take two years. :-)

 

I don't see them as having a real extreme liberal bias. They are not explicitly conservative though either. To me liberal bias might be something like a statement I read in a book published by National Geographic that said, "most people agree that Christopher Columbus committed genocide," without really giving much explanation or reasoning. I thought the Maestros do a pretty good job of portraying the good qualities of, say, the various explorers and the settlers while also discussing the cruel and unfair ways that Native people were often treated.

 

I made a general outline of my plans here: http://homeschooldiscoveries.com/our-curriculum/united-states-history-year-1/

 

My two primary resources in making my list were Sonlight and All Through The Ages (http://www.nothingnewpress.com/All_Through_The_Ages.html).

 

If you look around on my blog, I've also tried to write somewhat regularly about the books we're reading. I need to put together a post about the revolutionary war unit we just finished...but it's a lot of books to write about!

 

Since we are going faster through the units than I expected (though I think our current one will be longer than I planned), I think my plan will be to cover the Civil War this year, then take a rabbit trail into our state's history to finish out the year.

 

So helpful thank you! Looking forward to checking out your blog! :)

[MissKNG]

We use BJU Heritage Studies. I just have the textbook and add in when I feel like it (or just read from the text and that's it). Very simple.

[3peasinapod]

I was going to suggest WinterPromise's books too. I really liked A Pioneer Sampler and the other books in that series. Bobbie Kalman books for the time periods are really interesting and engaging, and so are the If You... books like If You Lived With the Cherokee, etc.

[Kathleen.]

I'm using Adventures in America with my first and third grader. It includes a state study and reading bookklist. It's easy enough for my first grader and interesting for my third grader. It's easy to implement and requires little to no planning. Check the samples I think at the Elemental Science web site. It's a great light introduction of early American history.

[Jayne J]

Have you looked at Guesthollow's American history curriculum? I am on my iPad and can't hyperlink, but a google search for Guesthollow should bring it up. It is a wonderful program, 2 years long, with book lists, activity suggestions (including the Time Travelers resources) and best of all it is free. I used her framework and we picked and chose the individual books/resources/crafts we wanted. I can't say enough good things about her program.

[hsmom2011]

Have you looked at Guesthollow's American history curriculum? I am on my iPad and can't hyperlink, but a google search for Guesthollow should bring it up. It is a wonderful program, 2 years long, with book lists, activity suggestions (including the Time Travelers resources) and best of all it is free. I used her framework and we picked and chose the individual books/resources/crafts we wanted. I can't say enough good things about her program.

 

 

 

We are also using this. We started with Adventures in America(which is also a great curriculum), but I wanted a little more.

[Farrar]

For crafty activities, I suggest getting or checking out from the library the Laurie Carlson books (like this one), the Great ____ Projects You Can Build Yourself (like this one), and the For Kids series (like this one). I just linked one from each series, but there are more US history titles in each one. I find that that the activities in those are much better than ones I see in most curricula.

 

And I second Guesthallow's lists. We relied on the Betsy Maesto books until they ran out. Also the Brown Paper School Bag USKids History series, which I loved.

[momacacia]

Here's another vote for Guesthollow. It can be one year or two. If nothing else it is a great booklist, but there are also hands-on projects and video suggestions. We loved it and DD now requests "more books about American history" for her own reading. :coolgleamA:

[Sahamamama]

We are studying American History this year (2nd/K) and next (3rd/1st). I decided that instead of buying someone else's plan and using the library for books, I would buy the books and make my own plan. That way, all the books are always here, and the children are able to read them again and again. Also, I don't wear out from running to the library each week. :)

 

At first I wanted to simply shelve the books chronologically and read through them at our own pace, but we got pleasantly side-tracked with History Pockets. I'm glad we did these, though. The girls and I have learned so much from slowing down to study Native Americans. We'll aim to reach 1804 (Lewis & Clark) by the end of this year, and to the present by the end of the following year (we plan to not focus on the wars in the 20th century). Here's the outline for this year:

 

Quarter One

 

Notes: When the entry states "Lesson," this refers to America the Beautiful by Notgrass Publishing. I would probably not recommend ATB as a spine for younger students, but we have it and it's working out okay. It's a bit dull at times, though, and the writing style is somewhat dry.

 

Week 1

¨ America the Beautiful: Lesson 1—God Created America the Beautiful

¨ The Discovery of the Americas (Maestro)

¨ The Very First Americans (Ashrose)

¨ North American Indians (Gorsline)

¨ History Pockets—Assemble our books

 

Week 2

¨ America the Beautiful: Lesson 2—The First Immigrants to America

¨ The Discovery of the Americas (Maestro)

¨ The Very First Americans (Ashrose)

¨ North American Indians (Gorsline)

¨ History Pockets: Introduction to Native Americans

 

Week 3

¨ America the Beautiful: Lesson 2—The First Immigrants to America (Northwest Coast)

¨ The Very First Americans (Ashrose)

¨ North American Indians (Gorsline)

¨ If You Lived with the Indians of the Northwest Coast (Kamma)

¨ History Pockets: Tlingit

 

Week 4

¨ America the Beautiful: Lesson 2—The First Immigrants to America (California Peoples)

¨ The Very First Americans (Ashrose)

¨ North American Indians (Gorsline)

¨ Between Earth & Sky (Locker)

¨ History Pockets: Maidu

 

Week 5

¨ America the Beautiful: Lesson 3—Natives of the Plateau & the Great Basin

¨ The Very First Americans (Ashrose)

¨ North American Indians (Gorsline)

¨ Between Earth & Sky (Locker)

¨ History Pockets: Nez Perce

 

Week 6

¨ America the Beautiful: Lesson 4—Natives of the Southeast Woodlands

¨ Library books about the Seminole

¨ History Pockets: Seminole

¨ Make hominy from pop corn

 

Week 7

¨ America the Beautiful: Lesson 5—Natives of the Northeast Woodlands

¨ North American Indians (Gorsline)

¨ If You Lived with the Iroquois (Levine)

¨ History Pockets: Iroquois

¨ Make “Three Sisters†stew (corn/maize, beans, squash)

 

Week 8

¨ North American Indians (Gorsline)

¨ History Pockets: Navajo

 

Week 9

¨ North American Indians (Gorsline)

¨ If You Lived with the Hopi (Kamma)

¨ Easy Make & Learn Projects: Southwest Indians (several projects)

 

More to come....

[Sahamamama]

Quarter Two

 

Notes: You could easily do fewer History Pockets and shorten the time spent studying Native Americans to nine weeks. My girls just loved the pockets, so we did them all! I would probably eliminate Inuit, combine the Navajo pocket with the Hopi projects/books (or eliminate the Hopi week altogether), and move the Sioux to 1800--1850s. Again, if an entry states "Lesson," this refers to ATB by Notgrass.

 

Week 10

¨ North American Indians (Gorsline)

¨ If You Lived with the Sioux Indians (McGovern)

¨ History Pockets: Sioux

 

Week 11

¨ North American Indians (Gorsline)

¨ Library books about the Inuit

¨ History Pockets: Inuit

 

Week 12

¨ Review—Native American Unit

¨ Review—History Pockets

 

Week 13

¨ Lesson 6—Leif Eriksson & Christopher Columbus (Leif Eriksson)

¨ Saint Brendan & the Voyage Before Columbus (McGrew)

¨ The Discovery of the Americas (Maestro)

¨ Exploring American History, Chapter 1 (McHugh)

¨ Leif the Lucky (D’Aulaire)

 

Week 14

¨ Lesson 6—Leif Eriksson & Christopher Columbus (Christopher Columbus)

¨ The Discovery of the Americas (Maestro)

¨ Exploring American History, Chapter 2 (McHugh)

¨ Columbus (D’Aulaire)

¨ Meet Christopher Columbus (De Kay)

 

Week 15

¨ Lesson 7—Native Americans Meet the Spaniards

¨ Lesson 8—Natives of the Southwest

¨ Exploring American History, Chapter 3 (McHugh)

¨ Exploring American History, Chapter 4 (McHugh)

¨ Exploration and Conquest (Maestro)

 

Week 16

¨ Lesson 11—English Settlements in Virginia

¨ Lesson 12—Pocahontas (optional)

¨ Exploring American History, Chapter 5 (McHugh)

¨ Exploring American History, Chapter 6 (McHugh)

¨ Pocahontas (D’Aulaire)

¨ Pocahontas and the Strangers (Bulla)

¨ A Lion to Guard Us (Bulla)

 

Week 17

¨ Lesson 13—God Created the Great Lakes (optional)

¨ Lesson 14—The Pilgrims Settle at Plymouth

¨ Exploring American History, Chapter 7 (McHugh)

¨ Exploring American History, Chapter 8 (McHugh)

¨ The Landing of the Pilgrims (Daugherty)

¨ If You Sailed on the Mayflower in 1620 (McGovern)

¨ Three Young Pilgrims (Harness)

 

Week 18

¨ Lesson 14—The Pilgrims Settle at Plymouth (Review)

¨ Squanto, Friend of the Pilgrims (Bulla)

¨ Squanto’s Journey (Bruchac)

¨ The Thanksgiving Story (Dalgliesh)

¨ If You Were at the First Thanksgiving (Kamma)

 

Stay tuned...

[Sahamamama]

Quarter Three

 

Notes: When the entry states "Lesson," this refers to American the Beautiful by Notgrass. Here's where we start to incorporate the American Girl books. :)

 

Week 19

¨ America the Beautiful: Lesson 15—The Massachusetts Bay, New Hampshire, Maryland, and Connecticut Colonies

¨ America the Beautiful: Lesson 16—The Rhode Island and Carolina Colonies

¨ Exploring American History, Chapter 9 (McHugh)

¨ Exploring American History, Chapter 10 (McHugh)

¨ Exploring American History, Chapter 11 (McHugh)

¨ If You Lived in Colonial Times (McGovern)

¨ The New Americans (Maestro)

 

Week 20

¨ Lesson 17—The Dutch and Swedes in America

¨ Lesson 18—William Penn, Founder of Pennsylvania

¨ Exploring American History, Chapter 12 (McHugh)

¨ The Matchlock Gun (Edmonds)

¨ If You Lived in Colonial Times (McGovern)

¨ The New Americans (Maestro)

 

Week 21

¨ Lesson 20—God Created Cape Cod, Martha’s Vineyard, and Nantucket (optional)

¨ Lesson 21—Thirteen American Colonies

¨ Exploring American History, Chapter 13 (McHugh)

¨ If You Lived in Colonial Times (McGovern)

¨ The New Americans (Maestro)

¨ Colonial Days (coloring book)

¨ American Made: The Colonial Child of 1740 (Farr)

 

Week 22

¨ Lesson 19—Printing Books in Colonial America

¨ Lesson 22—Colonial Craftsmen and Merchants

¨ Lesson 30—Early American Home Crafts

¨ Early American Trades (coloring book)

¨ Colonial Days (coloring book)

¨ American Made: The Colonial Child of 1740 (Farr)

¨ If You Lived in Colonial Times (McGovern)

 

Week 23

¨ Lesson 23—Trouble Brews Between England & Her Thirteen American Colonies

¨ Exploring American History, Chapter 17 (McHugh)

¨ Exploring American History, Chapter 18 (McHugh)

¨ Struggle for a Continent (Maestro)

¨ The Trailblazing Life of Daniel Boone (Harness)

 

Week 24

¨ Meet Kaya

¨ Kaya’s Escape

¨ Kaya’s Hero

¨ Kaya and the Lone Dog

¨ Kaya Shows the Way

¨ Changes for Kaya

 

Week 25

¨ Lesson 24—Benjamin Franklin, Scientist & Statesman

¨ Benjamin Franklin (D’Aulaire)

¨ Benjamin Franklin of Old Philadelphia (Cousins)

¨ The Remarkable Benjamin Franklin (Harness)

 

Week 26

¨ Lesson 25—Colonial Williamsburg

¨ If You Lived in Williamsburg in Colonial Days (Brenner)

¨ Meet Felicity

¨ Felicity Learns a Lesson

¨ Felicity’s Surprise

¨ Happy Birthday, Felicity!

¨ Felicity Saves the Day

¨ Changes for Felicity

 

Week 27

¨ Lesson 26—From Lexington to Yorktown, Part 1

¨ The American Revolution (Bliven)

¨ Liberty! How the Revolutionary War Began (Recht Penner)

¨ Paul Revere’s Ride (Longfellow)

¨ Sam the Minuteman (Benchley)

[Sahamamama]

Quarter Four

 

Notes: When the entry states "Lesson," this refers to American the Beautiful by Notgrass.

 

I don't think we'll realistically read all this, but it gives me a place to start and move forward. Some books I will just make available for them to read on their own, since I've previewed them all. The important part (for me) was having the books in the house, spending the money on the books, instead of someone else's check-off chart. It's so nice having all our books this year, and we're building a lovely library of children's books that we can read again and again. I also recommend Your Story Hour CDs (some are related to American history/biography), as well as any Great Hall CDs that pertain to your topics. HTH.

 

Week 28

¨ Lesson 26—From Lexington to Yorktown, Part 1

¨ Liberty or Death: The American Revolution (Maestro)

¨ The Fourth of July Story (Dalgliesh)

¨ If You Lived at the Time of the American Revolution (Moore)

¨ Tolliver’s Secret (Wood Brady)

 

Week 29

¨ Lesson 27—From Lexington to Yorktown: Timeline of the Revolution, Part 2

¨ Betsy Ross (Wallner)

¨ Red, White, and Blue: The Story of the American Flag (Herman)

¨ The Revolutionary John Adams (Harness)

¨ Phoebe the Spy (Berry Griffin)

 

Week 30

¨ Lesson 27—From Lexington to Yorktown: Timeline of the Revolution, Part 2

¨ America in the Time of George Washington (Isaacs)

¨ Winter at Valley Forge (Knight)

¨ Exploring American History, Chapter 15 (McHugh)

¨ Exploring American History, Chapter 21 (McHugh)

 

Week 31

¨ Lesson 31—A New Government for a New Nation

¨ Lesson 32—George Washington, Father of His Country

¨ George Washington (D’Aulaire)

¨ Meet George Washington (Heilbroner)

¨ George Washington (Harness)

 

Week 32

¨ Lesson 28—Chesapeake Bay

¨ Lesson 29—Historic Boston

¨ Lesson 33—Historic Philadelphia

¨ A New Nation (Maestro)

¨ If You Were There When They Signed the Constitution (Levy)

¨ A More Perfect Union: The Story of Our Constitution (Maestro)

 

Week 33

¨ Lesson 34—The Appalachian Mountains

¨ Lesson 35—Trappers, Longhunters, and Pioneers

¨ Johnny Appleseed (Lindbergh)

¨ The Cabin Faced West (Fritz)

¨ Sarah Whitcher’s Story (Yates)

 

Week 34

¨ Lesson 36—Thomas Jefferson Sends Lewis & Clark on a Voyage of Discovery

¨ Meet Thomas Jefferson (Barrett)

¨ Thomas Jefferson (Harness)

¨ Naya Nuki (Thomasma)

 

Week 35

¨ Lesson 37—The Corps of Discovery Completes Its Mission & Returns Home

¨ How We Crossed the West (Schanzer)

¨ A Picture Book of Lewis and Clark (Adler)

¨ Seaman’s Journal: On the Trail with Lewis and Clark (Eubank)

 

Week 36

¨ Lesson 38—Natives of the Great Plains

¨ If You Lived with the Sioux (McGovern)

¨ The Girl Who Loved Wild Horses (Goble)

¨ Easy-to-Make Plains Indian Teepee Village (Smith)

[hsmom2011]

Wow Sahamamama, this is awesome! I have thought about purchasing America the Beautiful for my dd next year (she will be in 3rd). I love your schedule!

[ByGrace3]

Wow Sahamamama, this is awesome! I have thought about purchasing America the Beautiful for my dd next year (she will be in 3rd). I love your schedule!

 

 

I agree! Thank you Sahamamama!

 

Loving all the ideas, thanks everyone!

[Sahamamama]

Wow Sahamamama, this is awesome! I have thought about purchasing America the Beautiful for my dd next year (she will be in 3rd). I love your schedule!

 

 

Thank you for the compliment. I hope the lists help someone.

 

About America the Beautiful -- it's okay. The Maestro books are better. The Cheryl Harness books are (IMO) a bit too much for most 3rd graders, but would be great for 5th grade. The "If You Lived With..." and "If You Were There..." books are great for this age level. We also like the "A Picture Book of..." series and the "America in the Time of..." series. We plan to read the American Girl books (except for the Julie series), too. They are surprisingly well-written and beautifully produced.

 

I'm glad we have ATB, because it is a spine that keeps us moving forward. We like certain features, such as the focus on America's natural wonders and the practical things people have made with their hands. But I wish we'd gotten the Abeka history texts instead (or in addition), perhaps History of Our United States for the 2nd grader and Our America for the K'ers. Maybe I'll order them tomorrow, LOL. :) Can't have too many books....

[ByGrace3]

Thank you for the compliment. I hope the lists help someone.

 

About America the Beautiful -- it's okay. The Maestro books are better. The Cheryl Harness books are (IMO) a bit too much for most 3rd graders, but would be great for 5th grade. The "If You Lived With..." and "If You Were There..." books are great for this age level. We also like the "A Picture Book of..." series and the "America in the Time of..." series. We plan to read the American Girl books (except for the Julie series), too. They are surprisingly well-written and beautifully produced.

 

I'm glad we have ATB, because it is a spine that keeps us moving forward. We like certain features, such as the focus on America's natural wonders and the practical things people have made with their hands. But I wish we'd gotten the Abeka history texts instead (or in addition), perhaps History of Our United States for the 2nd grader and Our America for the K'ers. Maybe I'll order them tomorrow, LOL. :) Can't have too many books....

 

 

I am leaning towards using the Maestro books, if you lived, and if you were there books as spines. I will definitely plan to use all the American Girl books that fit in. (What is the Julie series and why will you not read it?) Is something like the Portraits of American Girlhood beneficial or not necessary?

 

Thanks for all this help!

[Sahamamama]

I am leaning towards using the Maestro books, if you lived, and if you were there books as spines. I will definitely plan to use all the American Girl books that fit in. (What is the Julie series and why will you not read it?) Is something like the Portraits of American Girlhood beneficial or not necessary?

 

Thanks for all this help!

 

 

I've heard of Portraits, but don't know anything about it. Someone here recommended using the AG books with girls my girls' ages, and I am glad she did. I was pleasantly surprised at the quality of these books and at the level of writing. Each book has factual information nicely presented at the back of the book, so the books really can stand on their own, I think. And there's a GAME in the sets, LOL. It's simple, but 6 and 8 year olds think it's fun.

 

The Julie series (1974, I think?) has a few elements -- drugs, astrology (not sure?) -- that I'm not sure we want to read when we get there. Maybe I'll read ahead and see for myself. The other factor is that I lived through the 70s, LOL.

 

So our plan when we get to, say, the 1930s is to learn their GRANDMOTHER'S history -- what is her story, what was it like for her to be a girl in the 1940s and a young woman in the 1950s? The 1960s we can skip (only kidding). I can remember what it was like to be a girl in the 1970s and a young woman in the 1980s, so there will be things I can share from my own experience. I would like to do a family timeline/tree with photos from both sides -- the people here in the US, the people from Europe, the people from Egypt -- to show that there was not only one time when people immigrated to the USA. Their grandparents on their dad's side came just 43 years ago! See? We are from Africa, too! :)

 

I think making history personal as we get into the years when people we know have lived through it is a good thing to do with young children. My father (80 years old, born in 1932) remembers some aspects of the Great Depression and even more from WW2.

 

HTH.

[ByGrace3]

 

I've heard of Portraits, but don't know anything about it. Someone here recommended using the AG books with girls my girls' ages, and I am glad she did. I was pleasantly surprised at the quality of these books and at the level of writing. Each book has factual information nicely presented at the back of the book, so the books really can stand on their own, I think. And there's a GAME in the sets, LOL. It's simple, but 6 and 8 year olds think it's fun.

 

The Julie series (1974, I think?) has a few elements -- drugs, astrology (not sure?) -- that I'm not sure we want to read when we get there. Maybe I'll read ahead and see for myself. The other factor is that I lived through the 70s, LOL.

 

So our plan when we get to, say, the 1930s is to learn their GRANDMOTHER'S history -- what is her story, what was it like for her to be a girl in the 1940s and a young woman in the 1950s? The 1960s we can skip (only kidding). I can remember what it was like to be a girl in the 1970s and a young woman in the 1980s, so there will be things I can share from my own experience. I would like to do a family timeline/tree with photos from both sides -- the people here in the US, the people from Europe, the people from Egypt -- to show that there was not only one time when people immigrated to the USA. Their grandparents on their dad's side came just 43 years ago! See? We are from Africa, too! :)

 

I think making history personal as we get into the years when people we know have lived through it is a good thing to do with young children. My father (80 years old, born in 1932) remembers some aspects of the Great Depression and even more from WW2.

 

HTH.

 

 

My dd has already read several of the AG books and loves them, so I know they will be an awesome addition. I am excited to do this time period because dd loves Little House, Sarah Plain and Tall and anything else like that.

 

The family history idea is a great one! My grandparents were immigrants from Italy and came through Ellis island. How fun to study it through their lives! Thanks for the ideas, I am excited!!!

[Sahamamama]

My dd has already read several of the AG books and loves them, so I know they will be an awesome addition. I am excited to do this time period because dd loves Little House, Sarah Plain and Tall and anything else like that.

 

The family history idea is a great one! My grandparents were immigrants from Italy and came through Ellis island. How fun to study it through their lives! Thanks for the ideas, I am excited!!!

 

 

 

We love the Little House books, too. I can't believe I forgot to mention them. I'm overly focused on Part One at the moment. ;) Since you have younger students, you might want to look at the My First Little House books. They are perfect for snuggly read alouds, while reading aloud the longer chapter books. We also LOVE the audiobooks read by Cherry Jones. We have almost all of them and the girls enjoy listening as they fall off to sleep at night.

 

My girls have read all the AG books we have so far -- Kaya, Felicity, Josefina, and Kirsten (getting more for Christmas and birthdays, though, he he). But there's something about reading them with a view to history that I'm looking forward to doing. I think my girls focus mostly on the story -- what the girls in the story do and say, what happens to them, how it turns out. That's great, but we can help them learn history by enjoying that story in a context that we've fleshed out with our other reading and activities.

 

For example, when we did our Sioux History Pocket, we learned about how the women would cut, dry, and pound buffalo meat, mix it with cherries or berries and buffalo fat, then pack it into parfleche bags for storage. The History Pocket information called this mixture wasna. We had fun saying that! Like WUZZUP.... only WASNAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA.

 

Anyway, my oldest remembered a description of this process from reading the Kaya books, but there it was called pemmican. There were other points of connection with the story -- the travois, the horses, the tipis, the clothing, the buffalo hunts, and so on. We could compare and contrast. We could read about the process of preparing this food in two formats -- fictional and non-fictional -- and talk about which is more memorable or easy to understand. We decided to pass on actually MAKING the wasnaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa. I think they will remind me on the next go-around. ;)

 

BTW, I've enjoyed your blog. As soon as I saw that wall of books behind the lovely Christmas tree, I said, "Aha! Her husband must have gone to seminary!" :) Your children are amazingly adorable. :)

[ByGrace3]

 

 

 

We love the Little House books, too. I can't believe I forgot to mention them. I'm overly focused on Part One at the moment. ;) Since you have younger students, you might want to look at the My First Little House books. They are perfect for snuggly read alouds, while reading aloud the longer chapter books. We also LOVE the audiobooks read by Cherry Jones. We have almost all of them and the girls enjoy listening as they fall off to sleep at night.

 

My girls have read all the AG books we have so far -- Kaya, Felicity, Josefina, and Kirsten (getting more for Christmas and birthdays, though, he he). But there's something about reading them with a view to history that I'm looking forward to doing. I think my girls focus mostly on the story -- what the girls in the story do and say, what happens to them, how it turns out. That's great, but we can help them learn history by enjoying that story in a context that we've fleshed out with our other reading and activities.

 

For example, when we did our Sioux History Pocket, we learned about how the women would cut, dry, and pound buffalo meat, mix it with cherries or berries and buffalo fat, then pack it into parfleche bags for storage. The History Pocket information called this mixture wasna. We had fun saying that! Like WUZZUP.... only WASNAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA.

 

Anyway, my oldest remembered a description of this process from reading the Kaya books, but there it was called pemmican. There were other points of connection with the story -- the travois, the horses, the tipis, the clothing, the buffalo hunts, and so on. We could compare and contrast. We could read about the process of preparing this food in two formats -- fictional and non-fictional -- and talk about which is more memorable or easy to understand. We decided to pass on actually MAKING the wasnaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa. I think they will remind me on the next go-around. ;)

 

BTW, I've enjoyed your blog. As soon as I saw that wall of books behind the lovely Christmas tree, I said, "Aha! Her husband must have gone to seminary!" :) Your children are amazingly adorable. :)

 

 

Love that! I am really looking forward to studying like that. We get so much more out of history when we study from literature and draw historical facts and truths out.

 

And lol, thanks. Dh and I both went to seminary..hence the books! ;)

[Sahamamama]

Dh and I both went to seminary..hence the books! ;)

 

 

I graduated from seminary, too! And have the books to prove it, too! Small world.

[ByGrace3]

Oh and we have read all the first Little House books twice. I read them as read alouds and dd read them as readers. I think ds will read them next year. :)