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Welcome

Free Life Cycle of a Mushroom Worksheet & Fun Meringue Mushrooms

August 15, 2023 | Leave a Comment
This post may contain affiliate links. For more information, please see my full disclosure policy.

I have a free life cycle of a mushroom worksheet and a fun edible meringue mushrooms activity. Also, you’ll love this Fun Hands-on Free Mushroom Unit Study and Kids Learning Activities.

Because the growth of mushrooms can be hard for students to understand, illustrating a mushroom life cycle is best.

For example, mushrooms are not plants because they don’t have chlorophyll and can’t use the sun for energy.

Free Life Cycle of a Mushroom Worksheet & Fun Meringue Mushrooms

Too, mushrooms don’t have seeds.

Instead of seeds, mushrooms have spores which drop from their gills.

Mushrooms are a type of fungus. There are many kinds of fungi like molds and crusts.

And mycelium is similar to the roots of plants.

Free Life Cycle of a Mushroom Worksheet & Fun Meringue Mushrooms

Grab a few fun activities below, share some of the fascinating facts, and enjoy nibbling on your own delicious meringue mushrooms to “cap” off your study.

Also, look at more mushroom facts.

5 Mushroom Facts

  1. Mushrooms produce Vitamin D when exposed to ultraviolet light, but they don’t need the light to grow.
  2. Mushrooms grow in all 50 states, even Alaska.
  3. Fungi are the largest life form on earth, the mycelium grows underground for miles.
  4. Mushrooms are actually the fruit of a fungus; they are a product of the fungi growing underground and are a very small part of the plant.
  5. Some mushrooms glow in the dark, they have light-emitting compounds called luciferins that glow and attract insects.

Also, look at some of these mushroom resources and books.

Mushroom Unit Study Books

Grab some of these fun books to learn about mushrooms, the part of a mushroom and the life cycle.

Mushrooms: How to Identify and Gather Wild Mushrooms and Other Fungi

This mushroom foraging book is packed with vital information that will help you identify the exact types of mushrooms you are looking for when you’re out foraging. You’ll learn how to identify the caps, stems and gills, which all have different physical characteristics like shape and texture, and color.From the Neobulgaria pura and the Mitrula paludosa, discover newly-found fungi species and complex ones which can only be viewed microscopically. The detailed illustrations and identification charts will help you name the mushrooms you find or hope to search for. 

Back to the Roots Organic Mini Mushroom Grow Kit

GROW YOUR PLANT ALL YEAR-ROUND: This organic mushroom indoor kit allows you to grow your own crop all-year round; Just place the box near a window with indirect light, mist twice a day, and you'll see delicious, beautiful mushrooms growing within a week; Included in this kit is an organic plant-based soil infused with mushroom spawn and a booklet with instructions

Nature Anatomy: The Curious Parts and Pieces of the Natural World

See the world in a whole new way! Acclaimed illustrator Julia Rothman combines art and science in this exciting and educational guide to the structure, function, and personality of the natural world. Explore the anatomy of a jellyfish, the inside of a volcano, monarch butterfly migration, how sunsets work, and much more. Rothman’s whimsical illustrations are paired with interactive activities that encourage curiosity and inspire you to look more closely at the world all around you.

National Audubon Society Field Guide to North American Mushrooms (National Audubon Society Field Guides)

Featuring a durable vinyl binding and over 700 full-color identification photographs organized visually by color and shape, the National Audubon Society Field Guide to North American Mushrooms is the perfect companion for any mushroom hunting expedition. Each species is accompanied by a detailed physical description, information on edibility, season, habitat, range, look-alikes, alternative names, and facts on edible and poisonous species, uses, and folklore. A supplementary section on cooking and eating wild mushrooms, and illustrations identifying the parts of a mushroom, round out this essential guide.

The Mushroom Fan Club

Elise Gravel is back with a whimsical look at one of her family’s most beloved pastimes: mushroom hunting! Combining her love of exploring nature with her talent for anthropomorphizing everything, she takes us on a magical tour of the forest floor and examines a handful of her favorite alien specimens up close. While the beautiful coral mushroom looks like it belongs under the sea, the peculiar Lactarius indigo may be better suited for outer space. From the fun-to-stomp puffballs to the prince of the stinkers―the stinkhorn mushroom―and the musically inclined chanterelles, Gravel shares her knowledge of this fascinating kingdom by bringing each species to life in full felt-tip-marker glory.

Botanicum: Welcome to the Museum

The 2017 offering from Big Picture Press's Welcome to the Museum series, Botanicum, is a brilliantly curated guide to plant life. With artwork from Katie Scott of Animalium fame, Botanicum gives readers the experience of a fascinating exhibition from the pages of a beautiful book. From perennials to bulbs to tropical exotica, Botanicum is a wonderful feast of botanical knowledge complete with superb cross sections of how plants work.

Ridley's Funky Fungi

FUN FAMILY GAME: See if you have what it takes to be the mushroom master in Funky Fungi from Ridley's Games! In this card-collecting game that will definitely grow on you, forage for the best fungi to be the first player to reach ten points and win the game.

Let's learn about mushrooms

Introduces the characteristics and uses of a variety of mushrooms and discusses some of the beliefs and customs connected with this plant family.

Katya's Book of Mushrooms

Mushrooms are exciting to find, beautiful to look at, fascinating to identify, and delicious to eat. When you know what to look for, a mushroom hunt is as safe and enjoyable as a treasure hunt. Katya Arnold ranges through the world to find hundreds of varieties of mushrooms, as well as fascinating anecdotes and fun facts that make these wonders of nature exciting and immediate. A walk in the woods will never be the same!

Next, look at more hands-ion mushroom activities.

More Mushroom Activities

  • Grow your own mushrooms at home to get a close look at the process from start to finish.
  • Color the mushroom with colored pencils or crayons, older children can fill out the blank one to label the anatomy.
Free Life Cycle of a Mushroom Worksheet & Fun Meringue Mushrooms
  • Take a walk and see what mushrooms you can spot; they love dark damp pasture or woodland areas.
  • Nature Anatomy has several lovely, illustrated pages on mushrooms’ names, their lifecycle, and interesting facts about them.
Free Life Cycle of a Mushroom Worksheet & Fun Meringue Mushrooms
  • Painting a watercolor of a favorite mushroom or one that you found in the wild is a great learning activity. Carry watercolors and paper on your next nature walk and see what you can discover and recreate through art.
Free Life Cycle of a Mushroom Worksheet & Fun Meringue Mushrooms
  • I love to add beautiful art to our walls that also has an educational use to it like this vintage mushroom print.
  • Fun Hands-on Free Mushroom Unit Study and Kids Learning Activities

Life Cycle of a Mushroom Worksheet Meringue Mushroom Activity

You will need:

  • 3 large eggs
  • ¾ cup granulated sugar
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 2 Tbsp. semi-sweet chocolate chips
  • Cinnamon or cocoa powder
  • ¼ teaspoon cream of tartar
  • Oreos-optional
Free Life Cycle of a Mushroom Worksheet & Fun Meringue Mushrooms

First, preheat the oven to 200 degrees.

Line the baking sheet with a silicone mat or parchment paper.

Separate eggs, adding only the whites to a medium-sized mixing bowl.

Free Life Cycle of a Mushroom Worksheet & Fun Meringue Mushrooms

Add in cream of tartar and mix on high until foamy and soft peaks have formed.

Incorporate sugar a little at a time until it is all mixed in.

Free Life Cycle of a Mushroom Worksheet & Fun Meringue Mushrooms

Continue to whip on high for 4-5 minutes until the mixture becomes thick, and shiny, and forms stiff peaks.

This just means that when you lift the beater up or scoop it with a spoon it holds its shape well without dripping.

Free Life Cycle of a Mushroom Worksheet & Fun Meringue Mushrooms

Add just a bit of cocoa powder or cinnamon and mix quickly to add a little color to your mushrooms.

Take a quart-sized sandwich bag and place it in a cup with the top rolled open over the sides.

Free Life Cycle of a Mushroom Worksheet & Fun Meringue Mushrooms

Scoop the meringue mixture into the bag until about ⅗ of the way full and squeeze the mixture down into one corner.

How to Make a Fun Meringue Mushroom Activity

If you have and are familiar with using a piping bag you can just use your favorite bag and tip.

Free Life Cycle of a Mushroom Worksheet & Fun Meringue Mushrooms

Snip off a small corner of the bag with scissors.

Free Life Cycle of a Mushroom Worksheet & Fun Meringue Mushrooms

Hold above the filling and squeeze the mixture out the hole you cut into little round mushroom caps.

Free Life Cycle of a Mushroom Worksheet & Fun Meringue Mushrooms

Then make some strips for the stalk. Don’t worry about making them perfect, they are natural and unique, and we are going to trim them a bit later.

Free Life Cycle of a Mushroom Worksheet & Fun Meringue Mushrooms

Be sure you make an equal number of each, so you have a complete mushroom.

Wet your finger and smooth ridges and points on them.

Free Life Cycle of a Mushroom Worksheet & Fun Meringue Mushrooms

Bake in the oven for 1 hour. Turn off the oven and allow them to sit for another 30 minutes.

Remove and allow them to cool completely.

While waiting for them to cool you can crush some Oreos up in a bag with a rolling pin or toss them in your food processor to create a dirt bed for the mushrooms.

Free Life Cycle of a Mushroom Worksheet & Fun Meringue Mushrooms

Sprinkle on your plate.

Dust the mushroom caps with cinnamon or cocoa powder for a little texture and color.

Cut one end of the mushroom stalk to leave a flat even surface to attach to the cap.

Melt chocolate chips in the microwave until smooth.

Dip mushroom cap bottoms into the chocolate and press the stalk into them.

Free Life Cycle of a Mushroom Worksheet & Fun Meringue Mushrooms

Pop in the fridge to harden for a few minutes.

Free Life Cycle of a Mushroom Worksheet & Fun Meringue Mushrooms

Add the mushrooms to the dirt and enjoy a tasty and educational snack while you learn about the fascinating life cycle and anatomy of this fungus.

How to Get the Free Life Cycle of a Mushroom Worksheets

Lastly, I have four mushroom notebooking pages or worksheet.

The first two pages are the mushroom life cycle. One page is labeled (or with the answers) and the other page is unlabeled.

And the second set of pages is the mushroom anatomy. The same for it too, one page is labeled (or with the answers) and the other page is unlabeled.

Free Life Cycle of a Mushroom Worksheet & Fun Meringue Mushrooms

Now, how to grab the free mushroom notebooking pages. This is a subscriber freebie.

That means when you sign up to follow me, you get access to my subscribers library and this freebie.

 1) Sign up on my list.
2) Grab the freebie.
3) Last, look for all my emails in your inbox. Glad to have you following me!

Leave a CommentFiled Under: Hands-On Activities Tagged With: earth science, earthscience, hands-on, hands-on activities, handson, handsonhomeschooling, homeschoolscience, life science, mushroom, notebooking, science

100 BEST Ideas to Organize Your Homeschool Area – Storage, Spaces, and Learning Places

August 14, 2023 | 3 Comments
This post may contain affiliate links. For more information, please see my full disclosure policy.

I have 100 ideas to organize homeschool area. Also, look at my page The Dynamics of How to Homeschool Easily and Smarter.

Whether you have a large or small learning space, you want to maximize your space and organize your homeschool area. Thinking outside the box is key.

For example instead of looking only at bookshelves designed for an office, look at more inexpensive options that are designed for a dining room area.

Instead of pots for plants, think of them as pots for organizing supplies.

And instead of an over the door shoe organizer for your shores, think of using to organize your supplies.

100 BEST Ideas to Organize Your Homeschool Area – Storage, Spaces, and Learning Places. If you're looking for an out of the box idea, scoot by and grab one or two of these AWESOME ideas!

Too whether you have a dedicated homeschool area, a dedicated close, or homeschool in the open, you’ll love grabbing several of these tips to implement in your learning space.

Homeschool Organization

  • Using a closet for a school room.
  • How to use crates.
  • How to use the back of the laundry room door.
  • Supplies, books, and filing system.

  • A cover to disguise a whiteboard in the living area.
  • How to organize books.
  • Charging station and repurposed changing table.
  • Organize Your Bookshelves.
  • Command center and record keeping.
  • How to organize a homeschool command center.
  • Great Homeschool Organization and Storage Ideas.
  • LEGO Organization and Storage Considerations.
  • How to organize notebooks if you’re a hopeless mess.
  • Organizing craft supplies.

Organizing Tools for Your Homeschool

  • Homeschool Organization – Why You’re Still Drowning in Clutter.
  • Why Too Much Clutter is Hurting Your Homeschool.
  • 5 Ways to Get Organized with Alarms and Timers.

  • Our Ikea and Chalkboard Homeschool Room.
  • Organizing Homeschool Supplies.
  • 9 Night Before Back to School Organization Tips.

  • Homeschool Organization Beyond Stacks
  • My School Area + Learning Area.
  • Homeschool Organization Motivation – 11 Gadgets To Get You Going.
  • Practical Ways To Organize Your Homeschool Space.
  • Inexpensive Bookshelves.

  • Organized Chaos: Our Homeschool Library.

  • Homeschool Room Organizing + Organizing Tools.

5 BEST How to Homeschool Books

I've rounded up some of the best books to help you get started homeschooling.

Homeschooling for New Homeschoolers: When You Don't Know Where to Begin

Homeschooling 31 Day Boot Camp for New Homeschoolers is a real eye-opener on homeschooling. It will alleviate a lot of the anxieties about getting started homeschooling. Reading each chapter’s highlights will give you encouragement, knowledge, guidance, and peace of mind to homeschool with confidence. The best part is that you’ll be educating the person who loves your kids the most in this world--YOU! Armed with the knowledge to make better choices in curriculum will empower you to continue the path of home education. Unlike many books based on one family’s experience, Homeschooling 31 Day Boot Camp for New Homeschoolers is also based on Tina’s many years of mentoring hundreds and hundreds of new homeschoolers at live workshops. When you don’t know where to begin Homeschooling 31 Day Boot Camp for New Homeschoolers equips you to successfully homeschool your children.

The Unhurried Homeschooler

Homeschooling is a wonderful, worthwhile pursuit, but many homeschool parents struggle with feelings of burnout and frustration. If you have ever felt this way, you’re not alone! Most of us need to be reminded of the “why” of homeschooling from time to time—but "The Unhurried homeschooler" takes parents a step further and lifts the unnecessary burdens that many parents place on themselves.

Teaching from Rest: A Homeschooler's Guide to Unshakable Peace

Those who have made the decision to homeschool their children have done so out of great love for their children and a desire to provide them an excellent education in the context of a warm, enriching home.

The Brave Learner: Finding Everyday Magic in Homeschool, Learning, and Life

Parents who are deeply invested in their children's education can be hard on themselves and their kids. When exhausted parents are living the day-to-day grind, it can seem impossible to muster enough energy to make learning fun or interesting. How do parents nurture a love of learning amid childhood chaos, parental self-doubt, the flu, and state academic standards?

Unschooled: Raising Curious, Well-Educated Children Outside the Conventional Classroom

Education has become synonymous with schooling, but it doesn’t have to be. As schooling becomes increasingly standardized and test driven, occupying more of childhood than ever before, parents and educators are questioning the role of schooling in society. Many are now exploring and creating alternatives.

  • 5 Steps To Organizing Your Home Library.
  • Organizing Homeschool in Small Spaces.
  • Even though it’s a craft area, the double desks are a smart idea.
  • Flip Down Wall Art Desk.
  • School Supply Caddy.
  • Small Space Homeschooling.
  • How to Set Up a Reading Nook Kids Love.

  • Organize a shoe storage hanger.
  • School desk makeover.
  • How to Control the Clutter While Homeschooling.
  • DIY Portable Homework Station.

  • How to reduce sentimental homeschool clutter.
  • Re-Organizing Our Homeschool with Daily Worksheet Folders.
  • Make an organized divider for a homeschool space.
  • Organize puzzle pieces in zipper pouches.
  • Store supplies in jars.
  • Kids Homework Station.
  • Homeschooling in the dining room.

Homeschool Organization Ideas

Additionally here are some ideas which work for your books and supplies.

  • Tricks to Organize your Homeschool in Your Dining Room.
  • Color coded library would work great for homeschool.
  • How to organize your small homeschool space.
  • 17 Creative Book Storage Ideas When You Homeschool.
  • An Organized Space for an Unorganized Homeschooler.
  • Use kitchen canisters for crafting supplies.

Homeschool Organization Hacks

  • Construction paper organization.
  • Control flash card clutter.
  • DIY storage ottoman.
  • DIY rotating craft caddy.
  • From guestroom to homeschool room.
  • Using canning jars for organization.
  • How to set up a kids art craft.
  • Each child uses their own magazine holder.
  • Using apple crates for your library.

MORE HOMESCHOOL ORGANIZATION RESOURCES

  • Homeschool Room Organizing + Organizing Tools
  • 100 BEST Ideas to Organize Your Homeschool Area – Storage, Spaces, and Learning Places
  • Best Tools To Organize Homeschool Easily and Stress-Free
  • Free & Easy DIY Home Management Binder
  • Homeschool Organization Motivation – 11 Gadgets To Get You Going

Finally, look at more tips to organize your homeschool area below.

More Organize Homeschool Area Tips

  • Clever DIY Dollar Tree Desk Organizer Back to School Craft
  • Homeschool Organization – 12 Unconventional Ideas for Storage
  • Homeschool Room Organizing + Organizing Tool
  • DIY Homeschool Organizing With Duct Tape
  • Homeschool Organization Where Do You Easily Begin?
  • Must-Haves for the Organized Homeschooler: What to Keep & What to Skip
  • Homeschool Organization Motivation – 11 Gadgets To Get You Going

This blog hop is organized by iHomeschool Network, a collaboration of outstanding homeschool bloggers who connect with each other and with family-friendly companies in mutual beneficial projects.

3 CommentsFiled Under: Homeschool Space, Organization Tagged With: home organization, homeschoolorganization, organization

25+ Texas History Books For Middle School For a Fun Unit Study

August 13, 2023 | Leave a Comment
This post may contain affiliate links. For more information, please see my full disclosure policy.

Today, I have a short list of 25 plus Texas history books for middle school. Also, look at my Free Texas Homeschool Lapbook and Fun Homeschool Unit Study Ideas page.

When studying Texas history, I’ve used many resources but none of them beat a Texas living history book or picture book.

So, although these are only a few of the books we love, they’re enough to round out your study of Texas.

25+ Texas History Books For Middle School For a Fun Unit Study

In addition, I added some books of different levels.

Not all middle school kids are on the same reading level.

Besides, picture books still appeal to even adults.

And they have a way of putting topics in a nutshell especially if you’re building a foundation to begin your study.

Texas History Topics

Next, when you’re preparing a study about Texas, you can use many ways to break down the topics.

For example, here is one of the formats I follow.

  • Early Texas & Native Texans
  • Texas Revolution
  • Republic of Texas
  • Statehood
  • American Civil War & Reconstruction
  • Cowboys, Cattle and Cattle Drives
  • Hurricanes, Oil, and Modern Texas

Begin a study by looking for books about these topics.

25+ Texas History Books For Middle School For a Fun Unit Study

Also, look at these hands-on ideas to add when studying Texas.

More Texas History Crafts & Activities

  • Free Texas Homeschool Lapbook and Fun Homeschool Unit Study Ideas
  • Facts About Wildflowers And a Fun Felt Texas Bluebonnet Craft
  • How Texas Cattle Drives Shaped Its History and Longhorn Craft
  • History of the Texas Cowboy, Cattle Drives, and Chisholm Trail
  • Texas Native American History Quick Unit Study (Middle School)
  • How to Build the Alamo: Hands-on Learning (Free Texas Unit Study)
  • Free Copywork Cattle A Texas Poem For a Fun Unit Study
  • 22 Famous Texans Notebooking Pages (editable) For a Fun History Study
25+ Texas History Books For Middle School For a Fun Unit Study

Look at these editable notebooking pages to include in your Texas history unit study.

  • 0. Westward Expansion History Fun 10 Coloring Pages

    0. Westward Expansion History Fun 10 Coloring Pages

    $1.75
    Add to cart

Furthermore, if you’re learning about the history of cattle, or Texas cattle drives and cowboys you may love my lapbook.

25+ Texas History Books For Middle School For a Fun Unit Study
  • Dynamic History of the Texas Cowboy, Cattle Drives, and Chisholm Trail Lapbook for Multiple Ages

    Dynamic History of the Texas Cowboy, Cattle Drives, and Chisholm Trail Lapbook for Multiple Ages

    $4.00
    Add to cart

Additionally, I have this free Texas lapbook for followers.

25+ Texas History Books For Middle School For a Fun Unit Study

How to Get the Free Texas Lapbook

Now, how to grab the free lapbook. It’s a subscriber freebie. And I have a list of links for this unit study included in the download.

That means when you sign up to follow me, you get access to my subscribers library and this freebie.

However, not all my freebies are in the library (wink).

I like to keep up to date with what is valuable to you so I can give you more, some freebies you must sign up again on the form below even if you are already a follower.

It’s the only way I have of freely delivering them to you. Just follow the steps below.

► 1) Sign up on my list.
► 2) Go to your inbox and confirm your email from the automatic reply I sent you.
►3) Last, look for my reply AFTER you confirm your email.

Lastly, look at these books for the history of Texas.

27 Books For Kids Who Love Reading And Being Read to About Texas

 Forget a boring textbook and add some of these books about Texas to your unit study or add to your learning day.

Susanna of the Alamo: A True Story

Relates the experiences of the Texas woman who, along with her baby, survived the 1836 massacre at the Alamo.

The Boy in the Alamo

The classic story of the siege of the Alamo, as told for young readers. Originally published in 1958, thousands of children each year enjoy this story from the unique point of view of twelve-year old Billy Campbell.

Plains Warrior: Chief Quanah Parker and the Comanches

A biography of the legendary Comanche leader profiles the son of a white woman, who fiercely defended tribal lands against those who tried to seize them and who, after being moved with his people to a reservation, fought for the recognition and decent treatment of his tribe.

A Paradise Called Texas

Searching for a better life, Mina, Papa, and Mama left their German fatherland aboard the brig Margaretha ,bound for Texas. They had been told it was the paradise of North America, but when Mina steps onto the desolate beach at Indian Point on a cold December day in 1845, she wants to go back to Germany and Opa's cozy house in the village of Wehrestedt. But go on they must. In spite of mama's tragic death, Mina and Papa push inland with the Kaufmann family to the Texas Hill Country. There Mina encounters an Indian chief and his young daughter, Amaya, whose help she needs when Papa falls ill. Based on her ancestors' immigration to Texas, Janice Shefelman tells of a journey into the wilderness that is filled with hardship, tragedy and adventure.

The Texans! Tejas to Today

Lessons Taught In Story Form.

Alamo All-Stars (Nathan Hale's Hazardous Tales #6): A Texas Tale (Volume 6)

“Remember the Alamo!” That rallying cry has gone down in Texas history. But what, exactly, should we remember? Who were the ragtag group of adventurers behind the famous slogan, and how did they end up barricaded in a fort against a Mexican army Who survived, who died, and how. In the early 1800s, Native Americans, the Mexican government, and settlers from other areas of the United States were fighting over the territory that would become the Lone Star state. Here, vivid illustrations—rendered in black, white, and shades of gray, with tinges of yellow—and witty text tell the story, from Texas’s near wilderness beginnings to the Battle of the Alamo and General Sam Houston’s ultimate victory over General Antonio López de Santa Anna at the Battle of San Jacinto.

Indians Who Lived in Texas

Briefly describes the environment, daily life, and customs of four Indian groups that lived in Texas--the farmers, the fishermen, the plant gatherers, and the hunters.

Make Way for Sam Houston (Unforgettable Americans)

Colorful Sam Houston leaps to life in the pages of this fresh and funny biography, set against the story of Texas's fight for independence from Mexico.

Wilderness Pioneer, Stephen F. Austin of Texas

I wanted to tell Austin's story so that boys and girls all over the United States would come to know him not as a stuffy figure in a history book but as a man who had a great dream for the welfare of his fellowmen, and in working to make that dream come true met adventure and danger, heartache and happiness.

Caleb's Choice (Puffin Novel)

In 1858 Texas, people are violently divided over a law that makes it a crime to help runaway slaves. Caleb isn't sure how he feels. When an escaped slave saves his life, Caleb knows he has a debt to repay. But should he break the law and risk his life to help two slaves escape?

A Gentle Tour Through Texas History

A guide for teaching Texas History through literature. It is based on a 34-week timeframe and is useful for students in grades K-6/7.

Johnny Texas

In the early days of Texas history, ten-year-old Johann comes from Germany with his family to settle in this vast land and soon grows to love his new home.

Remember the Alamo! (Landmark books)

I love this series of books and this one tends to be fairly accurate.

A Time to Stand: The Epic of the Alamo

The #1 New York Times–bestselling author of The Miracle of Dunkirk tells the story of the Texans who fought Santa Anna’s troops at the Battle of the Alamo. Looking out over the walls of the whitewashed Alamo, sweltering in the intense sun of a February heat wave, Colonel William Travis knew his small garrison had little chance of holding back the Mexican army. Even after a call for reinforcements brought dozens of Texans determined to fight for their fledgling republic, the cause remained hopeless. Gunpowder was scarce, food was running out, and the compound was too large to easily defend with less than two hundred soldiers. Still, given the choice, only one man opted to surrender. The rest resolved to fight and die. After thirteen days, the Mexicans charged, and the Texans were slaughtered. In exquisite detail, Walter Lord recreates the fight to uphold the Texan flag. He sheds light not just on frontier celebrities like Jim Bowie and Davy Crockett, but on the ordinary soldiers who died alongside them. Though the fight ended two centuries ago, the men of the Alamo will never be forgotten.

I Survived the Galveston Hurricane, 1900

More than a century later, the Galveston Hurricane of 1900 is still America's deadliest disaster. Lauren Tarshis's story of one child surviving the horrible event churns with page-turning action and bold hope.

The city of Galveston, Texas, was booming. Perched on an island off the southern coast of Texas, Galveston had been founded in the 1830s. By 1900, it was Texas's richest and most important city. Boats loaded up with American cotton and wheat steamed from Galveston to countries around the world. Arriving ships were crowded with immigrants. The streets, paved with crushed oyster shells, sparkled like they'd been sprinkled with diamonds.

Galveston's Summer of the Storm (Chaparral Books)

When fourteen-year-old Abby Kate boards the train in Austin to spend three weeks with her grandmother in Galveston, she’s full of excitement—about the train ride and the prospect of days on the beach, exploring Galveston with her cousin Jane, family picnics, and her grandmother’s good food. But things go wrong even before she gets to her grandmother’s house. Abby Kate gets off the train briefly in Houston—and the train leaves without her. Stranded in the railroad station, she is befriended by a man traveling with his two sons and eventually reaches Galveston safely.

Texas Rangers: Legendary Lawmen

In the 1820s, the Texas frontier was a rugged, lawless place that needed defending. The men that banded together to protect the citizens of Texas from the threats of bandits and raiding native tribes were known as the Texas Rangers. Since bravery was never in short demand, any unmarried man with a good horse and a sharp shot could be selected to join the ranks. As they roamed the Texas frontier maintaining peace and order, the Rangers were present for many of the most famous moments in Texas's exciting history-they defended the Alamo alongside Davy Crockett and Jim Bowie, spied on the Mexican army during the war for independence, and chased down outlaws in the booming oil towns of the Wild West.

Texas Tomboy

The entire ranch is thirsty—will the rains ever come?

Remember Goliad: Their Silent Tents

Palm Sunday, March 27, 1836, turned out to be the blackest day in the war of independence between Texas and Mexico. Colonel James Walker Fannin Jr. and his men were ruthlessly slaughtered at the Presidio La Bahia near Goliad. The order was given directly by General Santa Anna. The author describes the background leading up to the start of hostilities in October 1835 and the two Mexican armies which threatened to overrun the Texans, with the massacre at the Alamo on March 2 and then the attack on the Presidio La Bahia, which Fannin called Fort Defiance. A description of garrison life and the men under Fannin's command precedes the battle of Coleto Plains, where Fannin's Texans, without an adequate water supply and defenses, were surrounded by General Urrea's army and forced to surrender. One of the more traumatic aspects of the battle and executions involved a group of young soldiers from Alabama, mainly from the same area, whose leader, Dr. Shackleford, was spared to minister to the sick and injured and was forced to witness the deaths of his protégées.

Jane Long Mother of Texas

A biography of the brave wife of General James Long who was the first woman of English descent to enter Texas and bear a child there.

Camel express; A story of the Jeff Davis experiment (Winston adventure books)

Story of a little known chapter in American military history; extensive illustrations throughout book by Joseph C. Camana.

Texas Yankee: The Story of Gail Borden

Famous as a newspaperman and surveyor in Texas, Gail Borden was the discoverer of how to condense milk. 

Tex's Tales

Picked up by a tornado and swept away from his family in nineteenth-century Texas, a dog has some exciting adventures in the frontier wilderness before making his way home again.

Miriam “Ma” Ferguson: First Woman Governor of Texas (Volume 3) (Stars of Texas Series)

Miriam Ferguson was a quiet, private person who preferred to stay home in her big house in Temple, Texas, and take care of her husband, raise her two daughters, and tend to her flower garden. But in 1924 she was elected governor of Texas, the first woman governor elected in the United States.

Texas History for Kids: Lone Star Lives and Legends, with 21 Activities

Encapsulating the 500-year saga of the one-of-a-kind state of Texas, this interactive book takes readers from the founding of the Spanish Missions and the victory at San Jacinto to the Great Storm that destroyed Galveston and the establishment of NASA’s Mission Control in Houston while covering everything in between. Texas History for Kids includes 21 informative and fun activities to help readers better understand the state’s culture, politics, and geography. Kids will recreate one of the six national flags that have flown over the state, make castings of local wildlife tracks, design a ranch’s branding iron, celebrate Juneteenth by reciting General Order Number 3, build a miniature Battle of Flowers float, and more. This valuable resource also includes a timeline of significant events, a list of historic sites to visit or explore online, and web resources for further study.

Make Way for Sam Houston

Colorful Sam Houston leaps to life in the pages of this fresh and funny biography, set against the story of Texas's fight for independence from Mexico. Lively, readable, and solidly researched, this is the kind of biography every child needs. Booklist, starred review Jean Fritz has done it again. Her writing turns this larger-than-life character into a very real person.School Library Journal, starred review ?Young readers will find the book fast-paced and fact-packed. The New York Times Book Review Jean Fritz lives in Dobbs Ferry, New York.

Trail Fever: The Life of a Texas Cowboy

The story of one of Texas's most famous cowboys is filled with cattle drives, stampedes, floods, droughts, freezing desert nights, raiders and bandits, and one man's endurance and love of life on the plains.

Leave a CommentFiled Under: Reading Lists Tagged With: history, history resources, historyspine, homeschoolhistory, homeschoolreading, middle school, middleschool, read aloud, reading, Texas, Texas history, texasunit

Fun Renaissance Unit Study Ideas for Kids and Lapbook Renaissance

August 12, 2023 | 2 Comments
This post may contain affiliate links. For more information, please see my full disclosure policy.

I have some fun renaissance unit study ideas and a lapbook renaissance. Also, you’ll love my page Renaissance 1300 to 1600 unit study and look at the co-op pictures of the Renaissance too for more ideas.

The Renaissance period was a cultural movement that began in Italy and swept through Europe.

Many important and exciting changes were taking place in 16th century England.

Fun Renaissance Unit Study Ideas for Kid and Lapbook Renaissance

There were great advances in the arts and sciences.

The lower classes were becoming more educated, and the entire world was beginning to see England as a real power.

Next, look at these other facts about life during the Renaissance.

Facts about Life During the Renaissance

Traveling. Each knight or justice of the peace was responsible for keeping the roads in good order.
However, it was a very difficult job. The roads were not good, and people traveled only when necessary.

Life as a child. Children were sent to work at an early age. They had a lot of games to play and toys to play with, but illness claimed one in every three or four before the age of 10.

Shopping. There were four ways to shop: markets, fairs, in-town shops, and at home (from traveling peddlers). Members of the upper classes had private tutors, while children in villages and towns were taught at the new grammar schools being started all over the country.

Crafs of the Renaissance. Glass is a material that has been known to humankind for over 5,000 years.

The art of working glass is believed to have begun around 3500 BC in Iran or Iraq.

For example, during the reign of the Egyptian pharaohs, glass was the most precious of all materials. The blowpipe, a Roman invention of around 400 BC, made glass more available and affordable.

Moreover, the hand-blown techniques we use today were developed between 400 BC and the birth of Christ. Glassblowing has never been a “lost art.”

Its history is rich and consistent with centers in Persia, the Islamic countries, Italy, Northern Europe, and France.

Fun Renaissance Unit Study Ideas for Kid and Lapbook Renaissance

Then, the main English contribution was of a truly clear glass during the English Renaissance.

With the recent advent of the “studio art glass movement,” the United States has become a true center of contemporary glass. You’ll love my free Glass Blowing lapbook and unit study.

16th Century Language. Renaissance language was very specific. Elizabethans loved the language. It was both their entertainment and their weapon.

A quick wit was highly prized. Elizabethans would never say in two words what could be said in six or seven. There were different greetings depending on the time of day. Also, etiquette might call for one to ask permission before leaving.

Renaissance Insults and Compliments for Your Lapbook Renaissance

Further, here are some expressions that your children may find funny, and they make for fun copywork.

1.You’re thick-skulled.

2. You’re a coward.

3. You do not ever want to see this person again.

4. You look pretty today.

5. Your voice is beautiful.

6. You are dazzlingly beautiful.

1.Thou knotty-pated fool

2. Thou art lily-livered.

3. Direct thy feet where thou and I henceforth may never meet.

4. Thou art most beauteous this day.

5. Thy voice is sweeter than that of an angel.

6. Thy beauty eclipses the sun.

Also, look at some expressions or words used if you want to have a renaissance feast or co-op.

Fun Renaissance Unit Study Ideas for Kid and Lapbook Renaissance

Have your children practice them

1.Amazing

2.Perhaps

3.Please

4. Come here

5.Where are you going?

6.Where are you from?

7.What is your name?

1.Wonderous

2.Perchance

3.Prithee

4. Corne thee hither

5. Wither geest thou?

6.From whence hail ye?

7.What be thy name?

Music and Clothing of the Renaissance

Of all English Renaissance tunes, Greensleeves which may have been written by King Henry VIII of England
is the most familiar.

However, it was a wildly popular tune in its own day, and was arranged in endless different ways.

Give this one version of Greensleeves a listen – it’s beautiful.

Additionally, clothing made a huge part of life.

Elizabethan women wanted their clothing’ to look much like the men’s with broad shoulders, wide hips, and slim waists.

Women’s dresses were not made all in one piece as they usually are today. Instead, women wore two or more garments as one “dress.”

In Elizabeth’s time men’s clothing was as colorful as the ladies’, but men wanted to look manly, so they wore clothing in the shape of armor, with broad shoulders, broad hips, and narrow waists.

More Ideas For the Lapbook Renaissance

Fun Renaissance Unit Study Ideas for Kid and Lapbook Renaissance

(Our children singing Greensleeves)

Add more of my printables and activities below.

  • Look at our Renaissance Unit Study
  • Kids Free Glass Blowing Lapbook on The History Of Glass Blowing
  • STEM: Build a Da Vinci Parachute Activity
  • Fun Dragon Unit Study Ideas and Salt Dough Dragon Craft
  • The Race Against Time Geronimo Stilton Activity Craft Fun Dragon Eggs
  • The Journey Through Time Book And Knights Armor Engraving Fun Kids Craft
  • Geronimo Stilton Time Travel How to Make a Medieval Stained Glass Craft

Finally, my Renaissance lapbook is HUGE. It is a 49 page download and the minibooks cover many topics from the Renaissance to some on the Reformation.

For instance, look at the topics of the minibooks so you can include them in your unit study.

Topics of the Minibooks for the Lapbook Renaissance

Last, look at the minibooks included in this download.

  1. About Shakespeare. Two minibooks of the same. One for younger children to trace and one for older kids to write facts.
  2. Mona Lisa coloring
  3. King Henry VIII Six Wives trifold book
  4. Leonardo Da Vinci Renaissance Man
  5. Two Pages to Decorate the Outside of Your Lapbook
  6. Important Events of the Renaissance and Reformation
  7. What is the Renaissance layered book – 1 page
  8. Sign triple fold for wheel wright, boot and shoe maker, and nail maker.
  9. What happened to the Castles
  10. Who am I? Major Literary Figures
  11. Leonardo’s Art & Pocket for each piece of art
  12. 4 minibooks of Leonardo’s Invention & Designs
  13. Life of Leonardo Da Vinci Flip Open Book & Timeline
  14. Leonardo Da Vinci and Invention & Designs Text Art Titles
  15. Mirror Writing trifold book
  16. Renaissance King and Queen Flipbook – Add information about your favorite one.
  17. 1 Not Labeled and 1 Labeled Map of Renaissance Europe
  18. Renaissance clip art to decorate outside flaps of lapbook
  19. Blank scroll mini pages to add to any minbook.
  20. Quotes by Shakespeare – blank pages so your child can research and find ones to add
  21. Shakespeare Plays – Blank pages so you child can research and add ones under the correct categories of Comedies, Tragedies, and Histories.
  22. Thy Words – vocabulary words

How to Get the Renaissance Lapbook

Fun Renaissance Unit Study Ideas for Kid and Lapbook Renaissance
  • Dynamic Renaissance Lapbook for Multiple Ages

    Dynamic Renaissance Lapbook for Multiple Ages

    $4.00
    Add to cart

2 CommentsFiled Under: Lapbooks Tagged With: hands on history, hands-on, hands-on activities, handson, handsonhomeschooling, history, history resources, homeschoolhistory, lapbook, lapbooking, lapbookresources, lapbooks, renaissance

How to Make a Knight Templar Helmet for Fun Medieval Times Crafts

August 11, 2023 | Leave a Comment
This post may contain affiliate links. For more information, please see my full disclosure policy.

If you’re looking for fun medieval times crafts, you’ll love this knight Templar helmet. Also, look at my page 4 Week Free Middle Ages Unit Study & Best Hands-on Ideas and How To Upcycle A Monopoly Game History to A Medieval Theme & Free Printables.

Do you have a kid that loves the Middle Ages and medieval times crafts? They are going to absolutely love this one.

We are building a medieval knight helmet.

How to Make a Knight Templar Helmet for Fun Medieval Times Crafts

This style is a crusader helmet/bucket helmet but can be adjusted and you can add more detail as you become comfortable with using cardboard for costumes.

This activity takes any Middle Ages lesson to the next level through research, building creativity, and problem-solving, then ends with a fantastic craft project.

Before you enter into battle with your knight Templar helmet here are 5 mind-blowing facts about knights and their armor to share.

5 Facts about Knights and their Armor

  1. There were two main kinds of armor: chain mail, made up of thousands of little metal rings, and plate armor which was sheets of metal worked together.
  2. The Knights Templar was an order of military monks that provided protection for pilgrims traveling in the Holy Land during the Crusades.
  3. Chivalry was a code of conduct that all knights swore and adhered to.
  4. The boys who trained to be knights were generally the sons of knights or lords.
  5. Some two-handed swords that knights carried were over 5 feet long.
How to Make a Knight Templar Helmet for Fun Medieval Times Crafts

Also, look at some of these resources.

9 Medieval History Books & Resources For Kids Who Love Reading and Being Read To

Add a few of these books to your Middle Ages or Medieval unit study.

King Arthur and His Knights of the Round Table (Puffin Classics)

King Arthur is one of the greatest legends of all time. From the magical moment when Arthur releases the sword in the stone to the quest for the Holy Grail and the final tragedy of the Last Battle, Roger Lancelyn Green brings the enchanting world of King Arthur stunningly to life. One of the greatest legends of all time, with an inspiring introduction by David Almond, award-winning author of Clay, Skellig, Kit's Wilderness and The Fire-Eaters.

A Castle with Many Rooms: The Story of the Middle Ages

This covers people and events and covers a larger period of time.

Days of Knights and Damsels: An Activity Guide

Kids can re-create a long-ago world of kings, castles, jousts, jesters, damsels, magic fairies, and Robin Hood—all they need are their imaginations, materials they can find at home, and the activities in this book. Dressing up in a coat of armor made from plastic milk jugs, whipping up a batch of curds and whey, writing secret messages in invisible ink, and telling time with a sand glass made from soda bottles are just some of the fun projects. Every activity is illustrated, and sidebars highlight colorful facts about life hundreds of years ago.

The Usborne Encyclopedia of World History

This newly updated book will introduce you to world history, from prehistoric times to the start of the 21st century. Find out about dinosaurs, the first humans, Ancient Egypt, the Aztec Empire, Medieval Europe, the First World War and many more fascinating subjects.

The Door in the Wall

Set in the fourteenth century, the classic story of one boy's personal heroism when he loses the use of his legs.

The Kitchen Knight: A Tale of King Arthur

The Knights of the Round Table were in their glory. When an unknown stranger visits the castle and asks Kin Arthur's favor, he is allowed to serve in the kitchen for his meat and bread. Little does anyone suspect that he is of noble blood and will soon be knighted by the famous Sir Lancelot. Lush illustrations bring the reader into the book, as Sir Gareth meets adventures and battles to free a princess from the fearsome Red Knight of the Plain.

Castle: A Caldecott Honor Award Winner

In this 1978 Caldecott Honor Book, award-winning author and illustrator David Macaulay explores the history and construction of castles in a richly illustrated resource for curious young readers. The word itself conjures up mystery, romance, intrigue, and grandeur. What could be more perfect for an author/illustrator who has continually stripped away the mystique of architectural structures that have long fascinated modern man? With typical zest and wry sense of humor punctuating his drawings, David Macaulay traces the step-by-step planning and construction of both castle and town.

The Middle Ages: An Interactive History Adventure

I like to incorporate a wonderful and informational book to support our topic while making it fun and engaging. The Middle Ages, choose your own adventure style book is fantastic for middle elementary.

The Merry Adventures of Robin Hood (First Edition): Illustrated Classics

The Merry Adventures of Robin Hood was written and illustrated by Howard Pyle and published in 1883. It is the best known version of the story of Robin Hood which had been popular throughout the previous century. Pyle popularized Robin Hood, his adventures, and his band of merry men in a way that influenced most later depictions in writing, drawing, and film. The book consists of a series of episodes pitting the outlaw Robin Hood, Little John, Friar Tuck and the rest of his band against corrupt authorities epitomized by the evil Sheriff of Nottingham.

The Middle Ages were dark and often violent but there were many amazing inventions that came out of them, gallant knights, and beautiful architecture.

It is a beautiful and fascinating time to study deeper.

More Medieval Times Crafts

Next, look at more Medieval times crafts.

  • Try this Stick Weaving Tutorial to make a cute and useful medieval bag.
  • For sweet girly royalty you can follow this Medieval Princess Hat tutorial.
  • Medieval History for Homeschool Middle School
  • Free Glass Blowing Lapbook on The History Of Glass Blowing
  • Make an Easy Shield Craft before you send them into battle.
  • Build a Cardboard Medieval Castle for epic adventures.
  • Make a Coat of Arms Activity (Middle Ages History)
  • How To Upcycle A Monopoly Game History to A Medieval Theme & Free Printables
  • How to Make a Medieval Stained Glass Craft
  • Medieval Chemistry and Homeschool History – Fun Hands-On Activity
  • Knights Armor Engraving Fun Kids Craft
  • Middle Ages Hands-on History: Make a Codex Activity
How to Make a Knight Templar Helmet for Fun Medieval Times Crafts

Finally, look at this fun knight Templar helmet.

How to Make a Knight Templar Helmet Craft for Kids

If you are anything like me, you have boxes coming to your house filled with goodies on a regular basis.  So, grab the next large one you get for this really fun project.

You will need:

  • Large cardboard box
  • Silver spray paint
  • Scissors or box cutter blade
  • Hot glue gun/ glue sticks
  • Marker

First, cut your box so that it is one long straight rectangle.

Trim it down to about 8”-10” tall and around 32” long.

Turn the better side of the cardboard down. This is going to be the inside of the helmet; you want the cleaner side to be outside.

Take a straight edge or an open scissor blade and score through the top layer of cardboard only, not all the way through.

Do this from the top to the bottom about ½” apart all the way across.

The purpose of this is to allow your cardboard to bend wonderfully into any shape without creasing it.

How to Make a Knight Templar Helmet for Fun Medieval Times Crafts

The next thing you want to do is decide where the eyeholes should be.

To do that I just rolled the cardboard around the head and made a mark on the inside where the eyes were. Shape and color in your eyes so you know where to cut.

How to Make a Knight Templar Helmet for Fun Medieval Times Crafts

Cut out each eye hole and make adjustments as needed. You could also cut a slit all the way across if you prefer.

How to Make a Knight Templar Helmet for Fun Medieval Times Crafts

Here is where I am going to tell you to learn from my mistake.

We did not cut our mouth area out until after it was all glued together.

 It would have been much easier and much cleaner to cut it out at this point while it is flat.

 So, we are just going to pretend that is what I did okay? Depending on the style you have chosen to make there are different shapes and directions for them.

How to Make a Knight Templar Helmet for Fun Medieval Times Crafts

Now to create the top of the helmet you are going to try the helmet on the noble knight by rolling it into a cylinder, cutting off anything more than 1” excess and tape it to the size you want.

Then trace a second piece of cardboard around your circle.

How to Make a Knight Templar Helmet for Fun Medieval Times Crafts

Start in the center and run a bead of hot glue right at the edge of your helmet several inches long, put the round in place on the hot glue and hold for a minute or two until the hot glue sets.

How to Make a Knight Templar Helmet for Fun Medieval Times Crafts

You can then continue around adding hot glue and rolling it around the circle you cut out until it is done. At the very end overlap your pieces slightly and secure with hot glue from top to bottom.

How to Make a Knight Templar Helmet for Fun Medieval Times Crafts

If you want to be sure it is secure add another bead of hot glue all the way around the top.

How to Make a Knight Templar Helmet for Fun Medieval Times Crafts

Make what looks like welding dots along the edges of your helmet wherever you would like by making little puddles of hot glue, allowing it to harden before you turn it to work on the next section.

These are little rivets that were used to join pieces of metal together.

How to Make a Knight Templar Helmet for Fun Medieval Times Crafts

Trim any rough edges and put on any other design you like with hot glue before the next step.

Finally, take your helmet outside with lots of ventilation and give it a light coat of silver spray paint.

Allow it to dry for 15 minutes and give it another coat.

Let the paint dry completely before using it, here is what we used, it’s hammered silver and we loved the final look.

How to Make a Knight Templar Helmet for Fun Medieval Times Crafts

Leave a CommentFiled Under: Hands-On Activities Tagged With: hands on history, hands-on, hands-on activities, handsonhomeschooling, history, history resources, homeschoolhistory, knight, medieval homeschool history, middle ages history

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