Okay, so we are reading The Little House in the Big Woods and it’s going swimmingly. We’ve also bought a couple books on Lewis and Clark and we’ve seen the Discovery Channel documentary on them. I realize the Little House books take place in the late 1800s, and Lewis and Clark explored in 1804, but it’s all in the general time period of NO, Big, I Was NOT Alive Back Then. JEEZ.
Anyway.
I, being spectacularly ill-prepared for this level of interest (as usual), would be very grateful for some suggestions of other read-alouds or documentaries or materials or whatever you can think of that would help me flesh out this time period in a more organized way.
I suppose I need to do that thing called “time-lines” I hear so much about. I don’t even know where to start.
All suggestions welcome. My kids are 5 and 7, so materials appropriate to that age group. Nothing too strenuous, I’m not trying to do anything formal, just capitalize on their interest. Thanks so much, guys. I couldn’t homeschool without you.
Eddie, I am really hoping to hear from The Usual Mayhem because I know these books and this time period are right up your alley. Maybe I will get it together enough to participate in The Little House Link Up one of these days!
September 18th, 2012 at 1:20 am
Our family history is fairly well documented, so we did a lot of talking about what great-great-grandma So-And-So would have been doing when Laura was driving the cattle off the sod house roof. They loved it.
Melanie´s last [type] ..Anemone Practices Her Typing
September 18th, 2012 at 6:59 am
Here is a link to a bunch of different timelines http://www.squidoo.com/homeschooltimelines
and one of our favorite books is Understood Betsy, which might have been that time period.
September 18th, 2012 at 9:10 am
Oh dear. I desperately want to recommend some books, but my kids are older and I’m not sure if the titles would fly with littler kids. With that, here are some read-alouds we loved last year (ages 8 & 10 then):
“Justin Morgan Had a Horse” by Henry
“Toliver’s Secret” by Brady
“Carry On, Mr. Bowditch” by Latham
“Johnny Tremain” by Forbes
“The Witch of Blackbird Pond” by Speare
“The Sign of the Beaver” by Speare
I’m thinking “Toliver’s Secret” could work. It’s about a girl who has to go on a spy mission when her grandfather is injured. It’s set a little earlier, during the American Revolution, but it’s a great, suspenseful story with a 10-year old hero.
They’re all fabulous, though, imho.
Check out Sonlight’s reader list for Core D. It covers early American history. Core E covers the Civil War through modern times. The lists include some shorter, more accessible books that your 7-year old might want to read independently.
Here’s a link: http://www.sonlight.com/homeschool-curriculum.html?core=D
I wish I had some titles that I knew would work for sure with your kiddos. Hopefully the Sonlight lists can help! We have loved studying Amer. history last year and this year.
Also, you might like the Ken Burns documentary on Lewis & Clark’s expedition. I believe it’s available on Netflix.
Okay, I’m finished rambling now.
hi kooky´s last [type] ..15
September 18th, 2012 at 4:17 pm
We did the Evan-Moor History Pockets for Colonial America and the kids seemed to like it a lot!
The Fairly Odd Mother´s last [type] ..Getting a Colonoscopy, again
September 18th, 2012 at 9:54 pm
I think homeschoolshare has some Little House lapbooks?
September 19th, 2012 at 11:40 am
Depending on where you are travelling next, you could even visit the home in the book. I can dig out the actual contact info for you if you like. Let me know.
I know that Practical Pages (.net?) has some Big Woods printables, because I remember M making a cover for the unit with the pop-up house she offers.
I’ll email you whatever I have on file as annoying, inbox-clogging attachments. If you haven’t had an email or seven from me by tomorrow morning, please nag me because my senior moments have been frequent lately.
Eddie´s last [type] ..September Virtual Book Club For Kids: Lois Ehlert
September 19th, 2012 at 11:50 am
Also, free timeline printables that fit into a 3-ring duotang or binder (including a boy or girl cover) at guesthollow.com
Eddie´s last [type] ..September Virtual Book Club For Kids: Lois Ehlert
September 19th, 2012 at 1:20 pm
Not at all for the kids, but there is a book for grown-ups called “The Wilder Life” about a lady who re-discovers her love of the Little House series after her mother dies, and goes to visit most of the sites. I found it pretty interesting, and it had a ton of references to other books if you wanted to make the trips yourself, or do some of the crafts or cooking at home (churning butter anyone?
. Wendy McClure is the author.
September 20th, 2012 at 7:20 pm
Farmer boy is a great book for that time. There are also a series of books that are written for kids and tell about different time periods. They are fun and tell things that kids would want to know.Heres the link for one..http://www.amazon.com/If-You-Lived-Colonial-Times/dp/059045160X/ref=pd_sim_b_4…there are more in the middle of page.Here is a site with a lot of activities..hope they help…http://www.easyfunschool.com/article1496.html
September 20th, 2012 at 7:32 pm
Ooops I forgot,You can use the free timeline figures that Eddie was talking about. For a timeline you can use the garland beads like they have for xmas trees, they are only a few bucks on amazon.Each bead can represent a different time period.Put figures on heavy paper or cardstock, and hang using ornament hangers or paperclips.The beads make it easy to go where you need them,
September 20th, 2012 at 11:06 pm
hmmmm..my other comment didn’t seem to go through.We use Story of the World too and love it. It’s a great idea of reading it like a bedtime story.One book your kids might like is Farmer Boy. Also there are some great books by Janette Oke that tell a great story around that time. Some were made into movies, but the books are better.Then there are this series of books that start off with If You…and they deal with different times in history.They are written for kids and are things that would interest a child, lots of info in each one.You can scroll down and see other books in the seriesYou can also look inside to see what book is like. Another thing about books..if you get them at Abebooks,com they are usually a lot cheaper.I have gotten near new books from them for a dollar.Hope this helps…http://www.amazon.com/If-You-Lived-Colonial-Times/dp/059045160X/ref=pd_sim_b_4…there are also this series of books You Wouldn’t Want to Be….they also deal with differnt times in history..http://www.amazon.com/Wouldnt-Want-Sail-Christopher-Columbus/dp/0531160602/ref=pd_sim_b_29