travelgirlut Posted February 5, 2014 Share Posted February 5, 2014 I am finding plenty of resources for the castle/knight portion of the Middles Ages, but I would love to see some suggestions for the other time periods studied in SOTW 2. For example: India, China, Japan, Vikings, Russia, Explorers, etc. I'm looking for hands on activities, not necessarily books, but a fun book, like Castle by Macaulay, would be okay. This is for a 3rd grade boy and 5th grade girl. Thanks for any help you can give! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PinkyandtheBrains. Posted February 5, 2014 Share Posted February 5, 2014 I am finding plenty of resources for the castle/knight portion of the Middles Ages, but I would love to see some suggestions for the other time periods studied in SOTW 2. For example: India, China, Japan, Vikings, Russia, Explorers, etc. I'm looking for hands on activities, not necessarily books, but a fun book, like Castle by Macaulay, would be okay. This is for a 3rd grade boy and 5th grade girl. Thanks for any help you can give! There are Ancient China and VIking Treasure Chests. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ByGrace3 Posted February 5, 2014 Share Posted February 5, 2014 We made a Viking Ship that was one of the highlights of the year. http://onemagnificentobsession.blogspot.com/2012/10/fun-with-vikings.html We made Samurai swords when studying Japan. http://onemagnificentobsession.blogspot.com/2013/03/a-week-with-biblioplan.html Ramadan Lanterns from the Middle East http://onemagnificentobsession.blogspot.com/2012/09/sinbad-spoon-puppets-and-ramadan.html Explorer puzzle ship for Explorers (Santa Maria) http://www.amazon.com/Santa-Maria-Christopher-Columbus-Puzzle/dp/B003O5IMVW Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Susie in MS Posted February 5, 2014 Share Posted February 5, 2014 Build the Great Wall of China with anything: sugar cubes, Legos, dirt, etc Paint Matryoshka dolls. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nerdybird Posted February 5, 2014 Share Posted February 5, 2014 Here are some themes that you could do instead of castles and knights. Vikings (an awesome theme) Robin Hood (kind of castle and knight related but is a much more interesting take on it, imo) Islamic/Arabian culture had a lot going on during the Middle Ages. Books I recommend Vikings Viking Ships at Sunrise (Magic Tree House series) DK Eyewitness Viking Rolf and the Viking Bow Beorn the Proud Viking Tales The Vicious Vikings (Horrible Histories series) Beowulf: A New Telling D'Aulaire's Norse Myths Robin Hood You Wouldn't Want to Be a Crusader! (Kind of fits here. I included it with our Robin Hood unit, fwiw.) Robin Hood (there are several versions to choose from) Crispin: Cross of Lead (Screen for content if your children are sensitive to violence. We listened to the audio version along with DS1 and DD who are 10 and 7 and had no major issues.) Good Masters! Sweet Ladies!: Voices from a Medieval Village (This book is not really a book; it is a collection of monologues that are meant to be read aloud. We don't do them all at once. I assign them periodically for fun and also so my oldest can work on his speech skills.) Lamb's Tales from Shakespeare (this is not era-appropriate but I am glad I decided to include it this year because my kids have liked our Shakespeare readings so far. Even though it takes forever due to DS1 wanting re-read parts of the tales over and over again.) I don't have any suggestions for projects, really. Other than these: Lego Kings Castle (My kids are Lego-addicts. So is DH. This was a family project for us in the fall.) Lego Drawbridge Defense (DS1 is currently working on this one) Lego Mill Village Raid (This is the next project on DS1's list. It's currently sitting in the Christmas Closet along with about 5 other sets he received for Christmas.) I'm not the arts and crafts, let's-bring-history-to-life type, lol. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cottonwood Posted February 5, 2014 Share Posted February 5, 2014 We also enjoyed Great Medieval Projects You Can Build Yourself. There is a lot of info in the book as well as projects. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Meriwether Posted February 6, 2014 Share Posted February 6, 2014 http://forums.welltrainedmind.com/topic/503663-non-castleknight-activities-for-middle-ages/ and http://www.amazon.com/Marguerite-Makes-Getty-Trust-Publications/dp/089236372X/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1391646753&sr=8-1&keywords=Marguerite+writes+a+book for studying Illuminated Manuscripts. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
idnib Posted February 6, 2014 Share Posted February 6, 2014 There's a Macaulay book "Mosque" which could be interesting but it's not hands-on like the above suggestions. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Plink Posted February 6, 2014 Share Posted February 6, 2014 Here is what I did with my Medieval survey class last year - Ignore the wacky formatting. I cut & pasted my info and it isn't letting me go back to fix anything. Byzantine Empire & Islam (324-1453 AD/CE) Looked at Byzantine clothing & dressed paper dolls Added to our Medieval notebook Traveled on our own pilgrimage in the direction of Mecca Wrote our own Justinian Code combining several different sets of laws Created a Byzantine mosaic Studied the pillars of Islam: Faith, Prayer, Giving, Fasting, & Pilgrimage Read portions of Muhammad and Islam by Kerena Marchant Usborne Medieval History: p. 12-15, 20 Barbarian Invasion& the Vikings (400-1000 AD/CE) Built a Viking longboat Added to our Medieval notebook Played the viking game Kubb Studied maps of scandinavia Discussed misconceptions about Vikings Read “Yo, Vikings†by Schachne Viking Ships at Sunrise (Magic Tree House #15) by Mary Pope Osborne (96p.) Adventures with the Vikings by Linda Bailey (48p.) Fun online Viking activities - www.bbc.co.uk/schools/primaryhistory/vikings/ Usborne Medieval History: p. 6-7, 16-18 Charlemagne & the Franks (764-814 AD/CE) Added to our Medieval notebook Created our own pillows with pockets (Charlemagne kept a writing slate under his pillow) Studied maps of the Frankish empire Played a trial game & Discussed trial by jury vs. trial by ordeal Read portions of “The World in the time of Charlemagne†by Fiona Macdonald online videos re: Charlemagne - http://sotw-videolinks.blogspot.com/2012/02/sotw-2-chapter-13-great-kings-of-france.html online videos re the Franks - http://sotw-videolinks.blogspot.com/2012/02/sotw-2-chapter-11-kingdom-of-franks.html Usborne Medieval History: p. 24-27 King Arthur, Knights & Chivalry (500-1500 AD/CE) Added to our Medieval notebook Role played chivalrous behavior Made our own swords and tabards learned about the process of knighthood Enjoyed swordfighting listened to portions of The Kitchen Knight: A Tale of King Arthur by Margaret Hidges (32p.) Video Disney’s The Sword in the Stone Usborne Medieval History: p. 22-23, 28-33, 45 Daily life in the Middle Ages, the Feudal System (500-1400 CE) Created our own feudal system economy using M&Ms and trading cards Played with “walking boards†to demonstrate the advantage of working together like a guild Added to our Medieval notebook Read portions of If You Lived in the Days of the Knights by Ann McGovern Looked at antique pots and pans to learn about how they were made and how they were used Adam of the Road by Elizabeth Janet Gray (317p.) Castle Diary: The Journal of Tobias Burgess (128p.) Usborne Medieval History: p. 20 William the Conqueror and the Battle of Hastings (1066 AD/CE) Studied the Bayeux Tapestry while sitting in our own castle Created our own large rag tapestry Added to our Medieval notebook Read portions of The Bayeux Tapestry by Norman Denny and Josephine Filmer-Sankey Watched animated portions of the Bayeux Tapestery at: http://www.cosmolearning.com/videos/bayeux-tapestry-animated-version/ Castle by David Macaulay (78p.) David Macaulay’s Castle video - sotw-videolinks.blogspot.com/2012/03/sotw-2-chapter-16-england-after.html Usborne Medieval History: p. 19, 34-39 Monasticism, Cathedrals and the Power of the Catholic Church (269-1350 AD/CE) Briefly reviewed the growth of Christianity from Christ through the Middle Ages Discussed the many differences between monasteries and cathedrals Created our own stained glass windows using shrinky-dinks Added to our Medieval notebook Wrote like monks Read “The Clown of God†by Tomie Depaola and discussed religion in the middle ages You Wouldn’t Want to Work on a Medieval Cathedral by Fiona Macdonald (32p.) Usborne Medieval History: p. 52-73, 76-85 Advances throughout the world (501-1600AD/CE) Created our own metal maps and discussed the custom of putting Europe in the center. Mapped the many changes happening around the globe during this period including the invention of 0, paper money, etc. Added to our Medieval notebook Watched a video about eurocentrism: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QV7CanyzhZg Set off mini firecrackers commemorating the Chinese invention of gunpowder Read portions of Around the World in 1200 by Alexandra Service Usborne Medieval History: p.42-43 The Crusades (1095-1250 AD/CE) Added to our Medieval notebook Created a large timeline indicating the timing of the crusades Discussed the terms jihad and crusade Read portions of “You Wouldn’t Want to be a Crusader†by Fiona MacDonald The Minstrel in the Tower by Gloria Skurzynski (64p.) Big John’s Secret by Elanore M. Jewett (207p.) online videos - http://sotw-videolinks.blogspot.com/2012/04/sotw-2-chapter-18-age-of-crusades.html Usborne Medieval History: p. 44 Black Death (Plague) (1348-1350 AD/CE) Discussed the various methods used to “cure†the plague Mixed up some of our own cures and tasted our creations. Discussed the cycle of the plague Added to our Medieval notebook Read Run Far, Run Fast by Timothy Decker (40p.) Usborne Medieval History: p. 86-89 Ideas and Inventions of the Renaissance (1300-1517 AD/CE) Assembled and printed using our own moveable type Read portions of Johann Gutenberg, Master of Modern Printing by Michael Pollard Explored Renaissance leisure activities and practiced walking on stilts Discussed the time consuming process of creating machines by hand Added to our Medieval notebook Ink on His Fingers by Louise A. Vernon (127p.) Usborne Medieval History: p. 21 Joan of Arc, 100 Years War (1337-1453 AD/CE) Created our own coat of arms & standard Added to our Medieval notebook Read Joan of Arc by Diane Stanley (48p.) Joan of Arc cartoon biography by Nest Entertainment: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kgbu1bvmWgk Printable activity book - http://www.dscl.org/kids/JoanOfArc.pdf Usborne Medieval History: p. 74-75, 90-91 Voyages of Exploration in the Middle Ages (1418-1600 AD/CE) Created our own passports Built our own compass and used it to find north Completed our Medieval notebook Watched a documentary about the age of exploration: http://history.docuwat.ch/videos/?alternative=2&channel_id=0&skip=0&subpage=video&video_id=365 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Plink Posted February 6, 2014 Share Posted February 6, 2014 And on a completely unrelated tangent - I hate the way "cut and pasted" sounds. There has got to be a better way to put that into the past tense. You may now return to the original topic. Thanks for listening to my rant. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Irishmommy Posted February 6, 2014 Share Posted February 6, 2014 We read this book and made illuminated books. http://www.homeschoolshare.com/marguerite_makes_a_book_unit.php Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
travelgirlut Posted February 6, 2014 Author Share Posted February 6, 2014 Thank you all for the fantastic ideas! I already have almost all of the books you suggested on my list, but I've added lots of activities! I think I may have too much now. :) Here are some of the things I've added: Viking ship kit Samurai cardboard armor and swords Mosque book Mosaic supplies Tapestry coloring book (and maybe making real ones) Fireworks in honor of gunpowder Explorer ship puzzle Joan of Arc book Design your own coat of arms Paint matryoshkas (though this is probably not in the correct time period, it sounds like fun anyways!) I'm still trying to decide on how I want to approach some things, like illuminated manuscripts. Make them, color them, look at them? So many choices!! I'd also like to find an easy way to implement printing in association with Gutenberg and the printing press. Maybe linoleum prints? But that's a bit too overachiever for me. I need a nice kit! I love all the ideas you've given. Please keep them coming! Thanks!!!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Plink Posted February 6, 2014 Share Posted February 6, 2014 The printing press doesn't need to be complicated at all! The entire point is to just realize how tedious the process of piecing together the letters is. We used a stamping kit like this one. Easy peasy. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
travelgirlut Posted February 6, 2014 Author Share Posted February 6, 2014 The printing press doesn't need to be complicated at all! The entire point is to just realize how tedious the process of piecing together the letters is. We used a stamping kit like this one. Easy peasy. That's just what I needed and didn't know!! Thank you!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Meriwether Posted February 7, 2014 Share Posted February 7, 2014 For the illuminated manuscripts, we made ink and used quills to trace the letters onto vellum. Then they embellished them. Vellum was a nice touch, but markers would be easier. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stutterfish Posted February 7, 2014 Share Posted February 7, 2014 How about making egg tempera with egg yolk mixed with a little water and different coloured pavement chalk ground up with a pestle and mortar. If you want to make it really medieval, use the paint to paint on wooden board (pre-preped with white emulsion or similar) or use to paint a triptych. The colours from this can be really vibrant, quick-drying and long lasting and show why a lot of medieval paintings have lasted. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stutterfish Posted February 7, 2014 Share Posted February 7, 2014 Instead of linoleum you can make great stampers using the polystyrene bases you get with frozen pizzas, or polystyrene plates. Indent a design using a blunt pencil or BBQ skewer then sponge on acrylic paint using cheap kitchen sponges. Really cheap and effective. Alternatively, do some simple 'bookbinding', cutting and folding sheets of parchment paper, punching holes with a darning needle down the spine, and then sew in and out the spine with colored thread. Add a personal cover. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stutterfish Posted February 7, 2014 Share Posted February 7, 2014 We've also made our own 'antiqued' maps and made our own compass using a magnetized needle and cork. Also try making a camera obscure using a Pringles tin (plenty of instructions on internet). You can then use this as an introduction to optics and how the eye works. There are also telescopes, of course, if you have the time to explore those. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stutterfish Posted February 7, 2014 Share Posted February 7, 2014 China/Japan - make an abacus using lolly (popsicle?) sticks, large-hole beads and BBQ skewers. Kites? Investigate firework colours by burning metal powders in gas flame (chemistry flame test) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
happypamama Posted February 7, 2014 Share Posted February 7, 2014 The Secret of Kells! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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