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Hands-On Activities

Free Fall Unit Study Ideas– For Older Kids Too

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This post may contain affiliate links. For more information, please see my full disclosure policy.

I have free fall unit study ideas for older kids today. Also, I have this page Fall Unit Study {Pumpkins, Leaves, Corn, & More} for more fall ideas.

If I close my eyes and wish real hard, cool air may blow into my back yard here in Texas.

Though today is officially the start of fall, the truth of it is that I am sitting here typing this in my shorts and sandals.

However, I’ve rounded up some free fall unit study ideas and some of older kids too.

Whenever cool weather gets here, we always take time to do something special. It could be simple poetry reading or a craft or two.

Last year, heaven forbid, we don’t cover an apple unit before we complete homeschooling, we finally did one.

Free Fall Unit Study Ideas

This year, since we are focused on South America some poetry and delish sounding fall recipes are looking good.

So I decided to round up some free resources and construct a unit study for you.

Too, because there seems to be a gazillion things for preschoolers, (you know I love them) but not many free resources to include the older kids, I have included some ideas for them too.

Even if you aren’t a unit study lover, I know everybody likes to get off the beaten path and this gives some variety and pizzazz to the day when you need it and well, it’s FREE. Have to love that.

Free Fall Unit Study Planning Ideas | Tina's Dynamic Homeschool Plus

Free Fall Homeschool Unit Study Ideas

I am using one of my planning pages from my Unit Study Planner to show you how ideas can be taken from an idea to a study topic.

You can see above at how I fleshed out my thoughts and I still did not have enough boxes to cover a few facts under history too.

More Fall Ideas for Teens

The life of Johnny Appleseed could make for a mini geography report on the states he traveled through without making it babyish.

First, there are many subtopics that can fit under fall and some of them are:

  • leaves,
  • trees,
  • pumpkins,
  • autumn-flowering plants,
  • migration, affect of weather on animals,
  • apples,
  • early time keeping,
  • sundials,
  • fall fruits,
  • even wine making or picking grapes,
  • getting sap from a sugar maple tree; and
  • making syrup.

Sometimes just a fact or two about the subtopics can spur the creative juices in both you and your children. Everybody will want to study something different each year to keep it lively.

Next, look at a few of these quick facts or ideas for each subtopic.

Awesome Autumn Vocabulary

Vocabulary ideas for learning about studying about fall for both younger and older children.

  • equinox
  • conifer/deciduous
  • seasonal growth
  • camouflage
  • sugar maple tree
  • Fall or Autumn?
  • supply/demand regarding farming commodities like corn
  • enzymes
 

Autumn Animal Study/Quick Facts

Some oral narration or a mini report focused on one of these animals would work for your animal lover.

Arctic Fox –  It’s fur is brown in the summer to match its surroundings, but in the fall, it sheds it fur and grows a new white fur for camouflage in the upcoming months.

Frogs – In the spring, they are part of the pond food web. In fall, they move onto land and become part of the meadow food web.

Dormouse – It feeds eagerly in fall to store up body fat for the winter

The Basement Workshop Store

Autumn Tree Study

Coniferous Forests – Pines and firs make up coniferous forests. These trees are evergreen providing shelter for animals all year long.

Deciduous trees – Their leaves fall off, but their berries, fruit and nuts provide food for the animals in the coming winter.

Maple Sugar – How to tap a maple sugar tree for sap.

Fall Flowering Plants

How does a scientist study in the fall? Preserving plants now to study later.

Do a hands on project and some nature art by sketching the plants, then putting them between two white sheets of construction paper and put a heavy weight on it and wait.

Retrieve them in the dead of winter when there are fewer plants to study and observe.

A chrysanthemum is normally a fall flowering plant and the topic could make a plant study.

Look at my Unit Study Historic Trees to put a history slant on studying about trees.

Fungi Great Decomposers

Field mushrooms – During the fall, field mushrooms spring up overnight in damp pastures and meadows.  Great topic for older students.

History in Autumn

The Ford Motor Company introduced the Model T in October, 1908. Check out the free printable and information.

The Panama Canal was turned back over to Panama in the fall. This would make an excellent topic for older students concerning the engineering feat of this project.

Links: Fall Printables & Lesson Ideas

Fall Apple GrowingFall Apple Printing
  • This site, Yakima Valley Museum has a 32 page download A is for Apple with the ideas and information pictured above for an easy craft for the younger kiddos and some for older kids.

One of the links is not working, but the others are on this scavenger hunt around the net about autumn things. The YouTube video is a math rap song by a teacher teaching perimeter. I ‘m impressed. But I am easily impressed because BELIEVE me you don’t want me singing, much less doing a math rap.

Decomposing

The decomposition column looks like a great idea for a fun and easy hands on project too.

Our Journey Westward
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Handprint Autumn Tree Craft
(Photo Credit: Free Kids Craft)
Football Snack Mix
(Photo Credit: Sweet Simple Stuff)

Autumn Music

We love classical music in our home and so we listened to The Four Seasons by Vivaldi on YouTube and that would make a great music focus.

Listen to Autumn at 20:59 or close to that number.

And then finally don’t forget that I have two full page here of free printables.

I have poetry, lapbooks, apples and art.

What do you think? Either you are hungry, ready to be inspired, or exhausted from reading all these ideas.

Winter NaturExplorers 735x1102 (Pinterest)

Do you have some fall activities you are doing or lined up?

Fall Ya'll Ideas for A Fall Unit Study - Ideas for Older Kids too. Click here to grab them!

Look at these other ideas:

Free Fall Unit Study Ideas - For Older Kids Too.

Hugs and tuck this away for when you need it, love ya,

South America Geography Salt Dough Map + Printable Pennants

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This post may contain affiliate links. For more information, please see my full disclosure policy.


Tiny never gets his fill of doing something fun and hands-on when we start  a geography unit. We did a salt dough map in our Arctic & Inuit Unit Study and he remembered and ask for it again to start our South America Unit Study. Too, look at my page Homeschool Geography for hands-on and simple ideas and tips.

Why mess with something working? Besides after you make it, you can use it again and again as review during the unit study. It’s so much more fascinating and interactive than a worksheet too.

Before I forget though I want to update the salt dough recipe I had used before because it was wayyy too much. So I cut it in half this time and still had plenty left over.

We tend to use left over pizza box lids as our platform and unless you are going to make your salt dough map giganto, you should be fine with this new recipe. Of course, you can double it if you need more.

South America Geography Salt Dough Map + Printable Pennants

So here is the update recipe for you which is all the ingredients cut in half. If you want to see how we create it, look at my post on the Arctic & Inuit Unit Study.

South America Geography Salt Dough Map + Printable Pennants


Also, a really good map is needed and we had a big map that pulled out of the center of our atlas. This was really way more helpful than just printing one off the internet.

South America Geography Salt Dough Map + Printable Pennants

Since we are working on identifying more of the landforms, we wanted to draw those in and so Tiny use the most complicated tools

South America Geography Salt Dough Map + Printable Pennants
South America Geography Salt Dough Map + Printable Pennants

—like a toothpick and plastic clay roller —to draw in the political boundaries of each country.  Simple I am telling you, so simple to keep it fun.

Remember you have to draw in your land forms and place a toothpick in the holes before it dries overnight.

South America Geography Salt Dough Map + Printable Pennants

We also took time to look at the Amazon and some of it’s tributaries and used the toothpick to draw it going through Brazil (top right) and he formed the Galapagos Islands on the left side.

Tiny only put one island there though there are many islands that Charles Darwin investigated. Of course this is why it’s important that he learn to use the map to see that the Galapagos are made up of many islands and not just one.

Then next we went about locating the Andes mountain range.

South America Geography Salt Dough Map + Printable Pennants

He had the idea of forming little peaks or mountains down the left side to show the stretch of the Andes mountains.  I think they turned out so cute, but he was disappointed. Tiny is like Mr. Senior 2013, he has a high standard for his work and expects perfection. I just expect fun.

Of course after he painted the peaks brown they did look like chocolate kisses which gave me another idea.  This map could be made out of sugar cookie dough and use chocolate Hershey kisses for the mountains. Use frosting to decorate each country and make this edible.

South America Geography Salt Dough Map + Printable Pennants

Then because we are working on identifying/locating all the countries and one French territory, and Galapagos Islands, I created some country flags or pennants. Not only that, but by him painting each country a separate color, it really has helped to identify each one, which is another objective of mine.

South America Geography Salt Dough Map + Printable Pennants

Lastly, he labeled it and added in the equator and showed it running through Ecuador, which in Spanish means “equator”. We still need to add in the Tropic of Capricorn.

South America Geography Salt Dough Map + Printable Pennants

Tiny has loved doing these maps each time and it is a great way to bring geography and history alive. I guess you can say we never tire of hands-on geography and fun sets the tone for learning.

More to come as we trek our way through South America.

South America Printable Minibooks

Also, look at these minibooks which come in the free South America lapbook 27 page download.

  • Animals of the Galapagos fan book which includes the Giant Tortoise, Lava Lizard, Marine Iguana, Green Turtle, Galapagos Penguins, Magnificent Frigate Bird, Blue-Footed Booby, and Blue-Banded Goby.
  • Comparing Mountain Climate Zones
  • Simon Bolivar Copywork
  • Map of South America to label and one labeled
  • Machu Picchu – Lost City of the Inca
  • Negrinho – A dessert from Brazil
  • How to Memorize the Countries of South America and Dependent
  • Map Flags to put on your salt dough map
  • 2 – The Galapagos Island layered book. One prefilled with facts and one blank to add your own information.
  • Vocabulary Pocket and Vocabulary Words

More South America Unit Study Resources

How to Get the Free South America Printable Lapbook

Now, how to grab the free lapbook. This is a subscriber freebie.

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.

And 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. If you’re already a confirmed subscriber, you will not have to do this. You’ll receive the freebie instantly.
 ►3) Last step. look for my reply AFTER you’ve confirmed your email.

Ocean Currents and The Galapagos1

Review of What Every Child Needs to Know About Western Civilization

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This post may contain affiliate links. For more information, please see my full disclosure policy.

I loved doing a review of what every child needs to know about Western Civilization.

My obsession with wanting to teach history creatively stems from a quote I read by H.G. Wells.

“Narrow history teaching of our school days was mainly an uninspiring and partially forgotten list of national kings or presidents.“

Avoiding uninspiring lists and meeting the challenge of dodging inside-the-box history curriculum has not always been easy.

So I was happy to review What Every Child Needs to Know About Western Civilization by BrimWood Press.

I will just tell you now that I won’t hide my obvious preference for this curriculum.

It fills a much needed niche in the homeschooling community, but it is so much more than a history curriculum. More on that in a minute.

What Every Child Needs to Know About Western Civilization by BrimWood Press

I glanced through all the fascinating and detailed pictures.

The BrimWood press bundle I received included:

  • 1 Guide: What Every Child Needs to Know about Western Civilization.
  • 1 Calendar Quest which is a historical narrative.
  • 1 Color the Western World.

I am especially giddy about this curriculum.

It is the first one that I have used that covers history in broad strokes.

How broad? Well, in just 12 – 14 lessons you cover 5,000 years of history.

Review of What Every Child Needs to Know About Western Civilization by BrimWood Press

I had to read that twice. I might add there are 2 more lessons, but one is an introduction and one is a review.

Details can be fascinating, but they can get in the way too.

Not all details are necessary to understanding and grasping the full picture. Sometimes it just does not matter. I think kids know that too.

Middle School Homeschool History

I have covered history through unit studies, through a four year cycle and through the eyes of individuals that lived in each time period, I couldn’t wait to get started using it.

This teaches a story of how the calendar came to us which is how What Every Child Needs to Know about Western Civilization teaches. Clever.

As the fictional characters, Lindsie and Evan travel through time in a refrigerator box, Tiny eagerly tuned in,

Strangely enough Father Time always seems to be around to explain about how a seven day week came to us or how the constellations were located in the sky.

It didn’t hurt either that Mr. Awesome joined us for this review and read aloud to us. I highly recommend using your highschooler for a read aloud if you have one.

I am happy that my high school teen joined us for this review .

It allowed me to evaluate how extensive it was for him a high school teen.

Homeschool History

With the additional activities listed in the manual that include research, questions concerning worldview, introduction to the traits of each civilization and the contributions made by each civilization, I certainly think that a novice or highschooler could use the manual to discover them.

Too, if you have highschooler who is burned out on history, then using the manual can breathe life back into your day.

The wide scope that it covers keeps it so not intimidating.

As for the reader or Calendar Quest, it is written to an elementary age child. 

However, there were some characters along Lindsie and Evan’s trek that Mr. Awesome and I had obscurely heard of. Discovering those vague history characters was an unexpected benefit of Mr. Awesome reading to Tiny. 

Mr. Awesome claimed the reader was too young for him and it was, but then again, it is right on grade level like the publisher claims for using with a younger child. Tiny enjoyed the humor in the reader and I found a way for my older child to join us.

What I love about What Every Child Needs to Know about Western Civilization.

Like I mentioned before, it is so much more than a history program. Listing both the history features that I loved and the other things, I don’t want to miss giving you any nifty detail.

  • I find the lesson plan layout very useful. You know my obsession with expecting a lot from a teacher’s manual and how some manuals are nothing more than an answer sheet. This is an excellent and well organized manual or guide with practical tips. You see exactly how to cover each lesson.
  • One more significant point about this manual is that it is BOTH teacher and student guide. You use it with ALL of your children. Thank you BrimWood Press for understanding that we are teaching multiple ages of children and that we try to avoid insanity by not using 3 or 4 different teacher’s manuals.
  • Use this one manual for multiple ages of children. By the way when I find a curriculum like this that I can use with multiple ages of children, I try to divide the price by the number of children using it so I can see what I am actually paying for each child per year. Then divide it again into half because it is both teacher manual and student manual to get a true cost. That is how I arrive at the value of a curriculum that I use with multiple children.

Teacher Manual Features

Review of What Every Child Needs to Know About Western Civilization by BrimWood Press
  • I’m not done yet with the manual because it is so comprehensive and I have to tell you about the layout. The first page of the lesson has a box called Teacher Preview and another one called Objectives. Oh YES – I am in organization bliss! Give me a purpose for the lesson and I have a direction for the day.
  • Here is another sweet bite on this program because you know I said it was so much more than a history program.  It has geography and a snip of language arts too. This especially feeds my desire to teach out of the box because I can include any subject I want to and apply those subjects when I teach about a topic. It’s more meaningful to include details when they are wanted.

Teaching Helps

  • The next part of the lesson is called History in a Nutshell. It includes information on the significant contributions of that time period along with instructions on coloring the stickers for the younger kids that are included in this curriculum. Information on filling out the 14 Hats of History which are the 14 periods you are striving to memorize is included in this section. Several lessons include helpful background information of that time period. You do not have to research extra information if you do not want to because it is included. This part appeals to me so that I can determine if those foundational pegs or key events are covered when teaching that time period. This part is the reason I see this manual being practical too for the first time history teacher or student who finds history boring and wants just the general sweeping ideas.
  • Between the stickers and Color the Western World coloring book there is plenty to choose from for both your younger and older children.

History in Broad Strokes

  • Key events that you add on the back of the cards and details that you fill in on the front of each card as you go along help to solidify the timeline of history. We followed along in each lesson plan as you are encouraged by the curriculum to try to put your hats in chronological order. By using both the front and back of the card, your kids come away with a fresh, unique and overall picture of history. Certainly, a doable goal to memorize all 14 time periods. This is a refreshing change from all the details that you may be teaching when using a four year history cycle curriculum.

I won’t be giving up my copy of What Every Child Needs to Know about Western Civilization any time soon as I plan on using this for years to come.

It is a keeper in my home, and I plan on going over it again both as a standalone history curriculum and to use as a review tool.

My boys still need to see the flow of history and a way to tie it all together.

I tend to be organized overboard when it comes to details because we love history, but I restrained myself from delving into them like the curriculum suggested because it defeats the purpose of what I am trying to do.

Don’t pitch your slow moving curriculum, just use What Every Child Needs to Know about Western Civilization when you want to take it up a notch.

Thank you BrimWood Press as I confess my absolute love and bias for a one of kind history program.

Where to Buy What Every Child Needs to Know about Western Civilization and Product Facts at a Glance.

Product Name: What Every Child Needs to Know About Western Civilization, Calendar Quest and Color the Western World.

Ages: 5th – 8th grade, but I see a practical use for highschoolers who struggle with history.

Type of Product:  Physical product.

What Every Child Needs to Know About Western Civilization is an awesome homeschool history program covering history in broad strokes. You’ll love how quickly you can cover 5000 years of history in a few weeks. Check it out at Tina’s Dynamic Homeschool Plus

You’ll love these other history helps:

How to Make an Easy Roman Helmet & Shield & A Set of Printable Wings

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This post may contain affiliate links. For more information, please see my full disclosure policy.

How to Make an Easy Roman Helmet & Shield and A Set of Printable Wings was easy to make. Also, look at my Ancient Rome Lapbook for Kids and Fun Hands-on Ideas for more fun.

It has never been a secret that I don’t sew and barely craft.

So when it came time to get Tiny ready for our year end co-op when studying Ancient Civilizations, I turned to cardboard and duct tape.

How to Make an Easy Roman Helmet & Shield & A Set of Printable Wings

Ancient Rome was a powerful civilization, and it influenced many things in our modern world.

And you’ll love how to make an easy Roman helmet doesn’t really take so long.

HOW TO MAKE AN EASY ROMAN HELMET

Supplies List

  • 2 Large pieces of cardboard. I got mine from Target when they were throwing the boxes away. I knew I wanted one piece tall enough to be a shield for Tiny.
  • Gold and red duct tape or your choice of colors.
  • Silver Sharpie
  • 1 piece of red cardstock
  • About 3 pieces of poster board. We chose red color.
  • 1 men’s extra large red t-shirt
  • Scissors, a hot glue gun and a sharp craft knife like x-acto
  • We already had brown summer sandals for footwear.
  • Of course, no kid this age will go without anything under the shirt, tee hee hee and they shouldn’t so a shorter pairs of shorts works.

Just in case all of this gets gibberish sounding and because you know I love a good old picture anytime to explain anything, I put one here for you.

Easy Peazy Roman Kids Costume How To

It was all easy to make but like anything it takes a bit of time to put it together.

HOW TO MAKE AN EASY ROMAN HELMET

This took me part of 2 days or one weekend to put this together along with some help from hubby.

Helmet. The helmet was 3 pieces of cardboard, some duct tape, and red cardstock.

One piece of cardstock I measured to go around the head or as a headband.

One to go over the top so the “feathers” can adhere to it and then the front part that was free drawn by hand and then colored with a silver sharpie.

It was glued on the headband.

Easy Roman Costume
Easy Roman Shield

Then I took the red cardstock and made a crease in the center and then cut it into strips but not cut all the way through.

Then glued it on the top of the cardboard piece of the helmet.

Easy Roman Shield
How to Make an Easy Peazy Roman Costume

Here is a side angle of it.

After you glue it on the top strip coming over the helmet, just work with the cut strips until you get them to stick up how you like.

KIDS ANCIENT ROME COSTUME WITH CARDBOARD

I cut some up thicker and others thinner to make it more rustic and real looking.

Easy Roman Shield

Tiny was pleased with it and we worked next on some “armor” for the shoulders and chest.

Shoulder & Chest Armor. This was quiet a bit easier. I just used soft poster board, duct tape and leather shoe strings. I laid the soft poster board across his shoulders, did an eyeball measure and taped it with duct tape.

It is two pieces after I cut a circle for his head and I taped the back side. I left the front open so he could slip it on.

Easy Roman Shield
Easy Roman Shield

 One view is of the top in the picture above and if you turn it over it didn’t look so hot on the underneath, but hey nobody sees that anyway. I just used more tape to hold it.

This was the very last piece put on so that I could put duct tape around the neck or the other side of the circle.

I used leather shoe strings around a piece of gold poster for his chest armor.

Shield. This didn’t take long either. The hardest part was cutting it. I thought about painting it but didn’t really want to mess with waiting for it to dry.

That was one option though. Instead we just covered it with red poster board and used duct tape to cover the edges.

Easy Roman Shield
Easy Roman Shield

I think I change my mind but maybe the hardest part was finding a good set of “wings” that were approved by Tiny.

MORE ANCIENT ROME HANDS-ON ACTIVITIES

He spent almost an hour on the internet looking for some. In the end I couldn’t find any that were free on line so I made some from our clipart.

You never know when you might need one set of wings, so download here printable wings.

Easy Roman Shield
Easy Roman Shield

Add a foil covered bowl to the center and we were done.

It was the back that took just a little longer because I made some cardboard  holders for him to put his arm through and one for him to hold.

So in all the back had 2 holders to keep up his shield.

Again I lifted the shield and measured about where he would hold it and made some cardboard “holders” and used duct tape to keep them in place.

Kids Roman Shield from Cardboard

After that hubby helped to make a sword “holder”  out of a left over piece of cardboard and a bracelet or two and we were done.

Helmet, shield, chest armor, shoulder armor and a sword holder. What more could a kid want for his Roman soldier costume? Try one!

Ancient Phoenicia Minibook = Modern Day Lebanon

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This post may contain affiliate links. For more information, please see my full disclosure policy.

The Phoenicians were famous seaman and founded colonies all over the Mediterranean Sea. When we studied the ancients this time, I tried to focus on making it matter by tying it to its modern day location which is Lebanon.  Though the boys enjoyed reading about Beirut and understanding that Beirut is the capital of Lebanon, I think they enjoyed it a little more when we made the glass blowing connection. After we studied it last time, we focused on the Phoenicians craft of glass making.

Because I like to keep my units with some hands-on activities, I collected a few activities about Ancient Phoenicia at the bottom of this post.  That way we both have some resources when we review this again.

Phoenicians Ancient Civilization Collage 6.12.2013 - Copy

Today, I also have the next minibook on Ancient Phoenicia. It is a tab book and I have a map included in this download that glues on the inside and a few facts too if you want to use them.

Download Phoenicians book here.

Ancient Civilization Lapbook Collage 6.2013

It is book 6 and it goes placed at the top right side.  We did revisit our glass blowing lapbook to make it somewhat hands-on.

Ancient Phoenicia Craft Roundup

I rounded up a few other hands-on ideas because it really makes learning about any topic a bit more lively. Even something simple is more memorable than a worksheet.

img_3614

(Pic. Att: Creekside Learning)

Look at this fun boat made by the kids at Creekside Learning. Click here to go there.

img_35111

(Pic. Att: Creekside Learning)

They also made purple dye. Click here to go there.

1008-projects-003

(Pic. Att: Satori Smiles)

Over at Satori Smiles they used an expired bag of frozen blueberries to make the dye. Check out the fun here.

Glass Blowing Lapbook

My glass blowing lapbook ties in with this unit too. Click here to go there.

phoenician464

The Phoenician alphabet. (Picture Att: Design With Type)

I could see making a code of some sort to make this more interactive.

Lovelearnplay

(Pic Att: Love Learn Play)

Over at Love Learn Play there is a 6 page download with resources and some copy work.

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(Pic Att: The Artful Parent)

The Artful Parent has some beautiful ideas for doing some glass activities that would make studying this topic take an art trail. Click here to go there.

Then some links we marked/found helpful.

Reviews & Quizzes for Story of the World Volume 1. A helpful resource that has multiple questions to use for review and that is interactive.

History of the Phoenicians

Quizlet has some flashcards.

I hope some of these ideas help to spark your creative ideas or add to enrich your study about the Ancient Phoenicians.

Hugs and love ya,