Tina's Dynamic Homeschool Plus

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History Resources

Plains Indians Free Writing Prompts. For Elementary, Middle and High School Homeschooled Kids

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

Plains Indians Free Writing Prompts.

You know my passion for unit studies and some things like writing, I just taught on the spot and took topics from books or things we were learning about. Isn’t that the best way to teach writing anyway? Also, look at my page homeschool middle school and how to homeschool high school page for more fun tips

Then, writing has a meaningful purpose to either a budding writer or an advanced writer.

So I have started working my way through creating writing prompts and topics for you on each of my unit studies here on my site.

You can look over and grab the first set of ideas for my Ancient Civilization unit study here on 20 Ideas For Bringing Writing Alive Through Unit Studies.

Today, I have created writing prompts from my Plains Indians Unit Study and Lapbook page.

Also, I divided them out by grade level, not that I so believe in grade level, but because I know that like my kids, your kids too are at different levels for their writing ability.

Plains Indians free writing prompts for elementary, middle school and high school homeschooled kids @ Tina's Dynamic Homeschool Plus

This will give you choices for a range of difficulties. Too, I have topics that are both factual and creative depending on what skills you are looking to strengthen in your child’s writing.

Middle to High School Plains Indian Writing Prompts and Topics

(Remember, for some of these topics, you will need to look at my Plains Indians Unit Study and Lapbook Page.)

■When Ten Bears he said he was born on the prairie, do you think he was talking only about his birth?

■How would you feel if you were forbidden to speak in your native language?

■If you were a pioneer traveling West, what Native American tribe would you want to encounter and why?

■Use pictographs and write (draw) a Native American tale.

■Choose one of the tribes from the Plains and write about their life, the food they ate and why buffalo were so important to them. Look here at ledger drawings to understand how they felt about their life on The Plains.

■What are the elements of a myth? Read a myth that the Plain Indians believed in and write about why they believed in it.

■Sign language was invented out of necessity. Was sign language for the Plains Indians for the deaf? Write (and illustrate) about some of the sign language the Indians used.

■Indians used many different kind of wild plants for food. Acorns (shelled and ground into meal) and Sotol and Lechuguilla are plants of the agave family. The bulbs of these plants were cooked and eaten. Write about some of the food that the Plains Indians ate and how they made it. (Include a recipe too.)

■What are two ways that the flat area of the plains affected the Native Americans?

■What are 4 major contributions by the Plains Indians?

■(On my Plains Indian page). After reading the short story about the captivity of Lorinda Bewly with the Whitman group traveling to Oregon, write a brief essay about the meeting of two different cultures? Or were they that different after all? What do you think and why?

■What are two major differences between the Plains Indians and other Native Americans of that time?

■How are Plains Indians making contributions today?

■What was the view of woman during the times of the Plains Indians and compare that to how people feel today?

■Describe the social structure of the Plains Indians.

■In your opinion, did the early American settlers try to help or hinder the progress of Native Americans?

■Describe the art, beading and leather working of the Plains Indians.

■Do you think the Indians should have been paid for their land? Why or why not?

Elementary

■Why was a dog and horse important to the Plains Indians?

■What did the Plains Indians live in? Describe how they decorated their tipis and draw your own design.

■What was winter like on the Plains compared to other Native Americans living at that time?

■What is pemmican and why was it important to the Plains Indians?

■Explain the many uses of the buffalo.

■Do you think the Plains Indians had pets? If so, what kind? How would you take care of a pet when living on the wide open plains?

■What do you think life would have been like in a tipi?

■Describe the life of a hunter and why hunting was important to the Plains Indians

■Why was corn important to the Plains Indians? Look here at my Fall Unit Study page to read about corn.

■Do you think the kids of the Plains Indians did school? How did they learn?

Hope you enjoyed these brainstorming ideas as well as some of the topics we wrote about. I have more free writing prompts coming on my other unit studies soon.

You may also love these other resources:

Hugs and love ya,

Winter Homeschooling – Activities and Free Downloads. 5 Days of Look Alive. Day 4 – Look to Free Unit Studies.

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

5 Days of Look Alive Winter Homeschooling. Day 4 Look to Free Unit Studies. Free Downloads & Activities @ Tina's Dynamic Homeschool Plus

If you missed any days, grab them below:

Day 1. Look to the Sea.

5 Days of Look Alive day 1

Day 2. Look to the Sky.

5 Days of Look Alive day 2

Day 3. Look to Pokemon.

5 Days of Look Alive day 3

Moving on along through our series: Look Alive:Winter Homeschooling Ideas & Downloads, Day 4 is Look to Free Unit Studies.

You know how passionate I feel about unit studies.

No, I didn’t start off my homeschool journey with unit studies.

Back when I started homeschooling, I felt that if we did one, then I would be a rogue homeschooler.  Unit studies were for those “other” homeschoolers.

We all fight being a product of a public institution and our approach to homeschooling can change within the same year or if we add a second child to our year.

Maybe that second child proves to have a very different learning style from the first one which is the case a lot of times.

I have found that regardless of the learning styles of each of my sons, we all benefit from unit studies.

The resources I want to share today are from Homeschool Learning Network.

They have several free unit studies. I happen to like unit studies that are more loosely written with more information and less emphasis on grade level.

What I like most about these is that each unit study contains a lot of useful links which helps to flesh out your study on that topic.

Just to let you know though you do have to fill out some personal information to download them instantly. The form asks for your name, address and email. You do not have to give a phone number.

I usually don’t recommend websites like that unless they have some juicy tidbits that are worth downloading.

The units from Homeschool Learning Network are: The Mayflower – Journey to a New Life, Deserts of the World, Understanding Emotions, The Vikings, Planning Your Music Curriculum, Robert Louis Stevenson, Afghanistan and Greek Literature:Homer and Aesop.

Click here for the page and happy downloading.

You know I heart inspirational quotes. Here is one that I am thinking about today when it comes to facing the feat that your present homeschool approach might not be working.

“To live an extraordinary life, you must resist an ordinary approach.”

~Frank McKinney~

5 Days of Look Alive Winter Homeschooling. Day 1 Look to the Sea. @ Tina's Dynamic Homeschool Plus featured

Hugs and love ya,

Also check out:

Free 27 Week American History Study Through Lapbooking
Toddler to Teen – 100 Free Unit Studies

Free Printable History Board Game American History Through the Life of Wyatt Earp

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

I have a free printable history board game. Also, look at Free American History Lapbook The Old West Through the Life of Wyatt Earp.

Instead of writing about so many events in American history, which can be boring if you are not focusing on some action packed event.

So, I created a free history board game when learning about events through the life of Wyatt Earp.

Free Printable History Board Game American History Through the Life of Wyatt Earp

Of course, when I can’t find exactly what I want, I make it for you and me.

Like I mentioned before in another post, Wyatt Earp has been the perfect American history character to focus on when I needed quite a few events to introduce to Tiny or at least make him aware of them.

Hands-on History

From The Last of the Mohicans by James Fenimore Cooper to The Raven by Edgar Allen Poe to music, from the American Civil War to the First World War, from art to the idea of Manifest Destiny, Earp’s life spanned so many key events in American History.

Game Cards - Pieces - American History through the life of Wyatt Earp @ Tina's Dynamic Homeschool Plus
Playing American History Board Game @ Tina's Dynamic Homeschool Plus

We have literally been overwhelmed with so many rabbit trails we wanted to take.

So just to be sure Tiny has a good introduction to a lot of them, I created the board game along with playing cards.

And as your child plays the game, they are introduced to some events on the board game and others on the playing cards.

If your child lands on the star, then take one of the playing cards, follow the instructions and return it to the deck. If he lands on a yellow space, just follow the instructions.

This is a fun way to introduce a wide range of things that Wyatt Earp would have probably learned about during his lifetime.

Though he has already graduated, Mr. Awesome is still sweet enough to play with Tiny.

Learning American History Game through the Life of Wyatt Earp @ Tina's Dynamic Homeschool Plus

Just don’t do like us. Tiny got so excited that they printed the game off on regular paper instead of card stock paper.

Free Printable History Board Game

Too, like my French Revolution free printable history board game, I made the game really big, BUT you can print it out on regular size paper or print it poster size (4 separate pages under your print settings). We printed it on 4 pages this time.

Here are some of the resources we used too in this unit study.

MORE ACTIVITIES FOR LEARNING ABOUT WYATT EARP AND THE COWBOYS

HOW TO GET THE FREE WYATT EARP LAPBOOK, NOTEBOOKING PAGES & BOARD GAME

Update: The lapbook is now complete. Download all the freebies below.

  • Art cards by Frederic Remington about Wyatt Earp
  • Cover pages for the outside of notebooking pages 1800s and 1900s. Look here how to fold ordinary worksheets to interactive minibooks.
  • 8 Features of the SW United States
  • The 4 Southwestern states
  • American History during the Life of Wyatt Earp 1800s notebooking page
  • American History during the Life of Wyatt Earp 1900s notebooking pages
  • Who was Wyatt Earp
  • Who were the Cowboys
  • Who Was Doc Holliday
  • Gunfight at the O.K. Corral Tombstone, Arizona – About Tombstone – Ed Schieffelin
  • Printable Game with Game Pieces – The Most Famous Shoot Out – Gunfight at O.K. Corral

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

 1) Sign up on my list.

2) Grab the freebie now.

3) Last, look for all my emails in your inbox. Glad to have you following me!

True Heroes History iPad App – Pssst!! Another Sweet Giveaway. Giveaway Closed.

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

This Giveaway is Now Closed. Thank you for scooting by and please visit my other links and stick around! The winners are listed at the bottom.

True Heroes History App Homeschool Review @ Tina's Dynamic Homeschool Plus

I was given a free download of True Heroes History App and I was paid for my time. However, paid for my time does not mean paid off. ALL opinions are my own and for sure I will always tell you what is on my mind. Your experience may vary. When I do accept a review it’s because I am excited to tell you about it. Read my full disclosure here.

When I heard history and interactive, I was excited about Tiny using True Heroes 1781 History iPad App by Jolly Books.

I say it often, but I always want you to know that I don’t accept all the numerous requests for reviews that I get. I have to get giddy and it has to be something you or I will want to take a closer look at.

Okay, it doesn’t hurt either when I can giveaway some sweet things to you too.True Heroes Mystery iPad App @ Tina's Dynamic Homeschool Plus
So for the last couple of weeks, Tiny has been playing True Heroes 1781 History App and the first thing that caught my eye was the year. Tiny, not so much, but that is the beauty of interactive play.

Through the years, I have tried numerous ways of gently introducing key or significant dates to my sons without resorting to humdrum put you to sleep memorization.

Right away, I recognized 1781 as a key year or turning point in the American Revolution. Picture association with a key date helps a visual learner or even history hater to at least be aware of that time period.

History Mystery Interactive iPad App

As home educators we know we have to teach dates, but committing key dates to our child’s memory, not so easy.

Though the app says it is for K-6, you know how I feel about history. It is a content subject and grades can be subjective.

One of the gems that I really liked about the app as we went through it was that the focus was not just on George Washington, but it starts off with stepping back in time and experiencing things that people of that time period experienced.

There is a lot of play time before you even get to the story of George Washington. At first, we were looking too quickly to get to the part about George Washington.

But I had to catch myself thinking that way because really the sequence of events follows the way I think history should be taught, which is to get the full flavor of life at that time period through a character’s eyes.Colonial Village @ Tina's Dynamic Homeschool PlusFirst, you step back in time to a village complete with barn, a colonial house, store, print shoppe (yes, I loved how they used time period spelling), a tailor and an inn to name a few.

Colonial House @ Tina's Dynamic Homeschool PlusYou start off by collecting water, building a fire, planting seeds, gathering your crops and buying a basket.Crops Growing @ Tina's Dynamic Homeschool Plus
Too, I loved the word list definition game because the game not only piques interest for that time period, but it gives a list of words like dishonest, thoughtful and brave to build moral virtues.

I really want to let you know something right now that is a little off the path of what I am talking about because it is important to me and that is the developers are indie app developers.

This stirred me to support them because they can weave things like teaching moral character and values into their apps, something that would probably not be important to a great big huge company.

After playing a game about defining character building words, Tiny used items from the inventory or saddle bag to buy a basket. But first, some math is involved like fractions.

Learning about planting and storing crops in the cellar is a fun part about learning about everyday life. Buy a shovel head and it turns dry corn into corn for the chicken.

Benefits to an Older Child

  • One thing the game touts that also had me hooked was intuitive reasoning.

In other words, not all actions have specific directions and laid out directions. They have to deduce some of the actions through interactive play.

I feel this is a great tool to use for an older child as he investigates and reasons out what he needs to do next.

  • Too, the facts he gathers along the way through hands-on play feeds a budding history buff who may be allergic (okay, okay) to books.
  • I find too that even though girls love this type of play, boys really benefit from the media center.

Did I tell you that Tiny couldn’t resist showing me when he was shooting bottles at a shooting range?

Chicken House @ Tina's Dynamic Homeschool Plus

However, there are some things that I feel may be a bit above a Kindergartner’s head.

The visual layout of doing day to day activities will appeal to the very young, but one part we noticed is where you hear a chicken cluck.

The child knows then to go the barn and is told that chickens need dry corn.

He is then asked, “How will a chicken eat corn that way?”

A child has to deduce that he has to go the store, buy a shovel head and when it’s in his inventory/saddle bag, he has to tap on it and the corn turns into feed.

That part,  I feel is above the way a Kindergartner would reason to find the answer.

Help from an older sibling or mom would help him to get past that part. Then again, some Kindergartners have the patience of Job and might be able to find out quicker by tapping on all the items.

Canning, preserving and even recipes are some of the nifty little things that your child will also learn about. Cutting vegetables are just too cute when you cut them to put them in jars.

There is even an element of mystery to find out who is “Q”.

Baby George Washington @ Tina's Dynamic Homeschool PlusYoung George Washington @ Tina's Dynamic Homeschool Plus

Of course, I don’t want to spoil all the surprises like at the museum or at the end.

History That Sparks a Love for Auditory Learners

There is one part that though we were pleasantly surprised at toward the end when it got to the part about George Washington.

Washing in debate @ Tina's Dynamic Homeschool PlusGeorge Washington @ Tina's Dynamic Homeschool Plus

It switches from an interactive game to an audio story telling mode.

From the time George Washington was born to being the first president, the audio story telling mode is a nice plus if you have an auditory learner like I do.

Tiny really liked sitting back and having the story read to him.

Don’t forget, I have a free American Revolution unit study and lapbook that would fit so well with this app.

Mystery, intrigue, fun in everyday mundane life and absorbing facts about the first president, this sweet little find of an app is a great compliment to any unit study about colonial life, the American Revolution or George Washington and the best part is that you can use it with all of your kids.

Guess what? I love that my sponsors love you and want you to try it out.

So today, I am giving away 3 of these apps. You have a chance to win, so don’t think you won’t win because I have to give them to somebody.

Would you like it?

Look at the details below and don’t forget to connect with Jolly Books because they have another app about Pocahontas coming out soon!

Yippeeeee! Giveaway Details – Easy Rules – 3 Winners

Begins: August 26, 2015.  Ends: September 2, 2015 @ 8:00 a.m. CST

Just comment here on my blog.

3 winners will be selected using random org and will be notified afterwards.

Also, because you can’t be a once a month email reader, if a winner does not respond to my email within 24 hours, I will choose another winner.

1. Open to any resident because this is a download. You will not be shipped anything.

2. You have to be a blog follower.  You can comment twice.

Comment in your first comment letting me how many kids you have that will enjoy this and in your second comment, let me know what you want me to blog more about this next school year. That’s it. Keep it easy, I like easy and uncomplicated. 

Go Down to the Bottom of this Post and leave your comment where it says LEAVE A REPLY.

Let’s get this party started!! Hope You Win.

Connect with Jolly Books

Do you want to know when the Pocahontas app is ready? I do. Sign up for their newsletter at the very bottom of the page.
Pssst! They even have free Colonial life lesson plans on their new blog! Give them some love and follow to get the latest.
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Google Plus: https://plus.google.com/u/0/+Jollybooksfun/posts

Congratulations to the Winners!

Winner 1.  Christina Baxter          Winner 2. Kasha                          Winner 3: Amy s

Winner 1                    Winner 2                                 Winner 3

 Product Facts a Glance1

Company Name: Jolly Books
Website: Jolly Books
Product Name: True Heroes 1781 George Washington App
Grades: K-6
Type of Format: iPad app
Price: $2.99

Hugs and love ya,

Tina Signature 2015c

 All product information is correct and accurate as of the date of this review.

Linking up @ these awesome places:
A Little Bird Told Me|Mommy Solutions|A Little R&R|

10 Ways to Hook Homeschooled Kids On History

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

I have 10 ways to hook homeschooled kids on history.

Though I don’t consider myself a classical homeschooler now, the lure for me to the homeschool classical approach was my never ending thirst for learning history.

Knowing not everybody feels the same way and because I wanted my sons infected with the same passion, I am sharing 10 ways to hook homeschooled kids on history.

Maybe one of these “secrets” will work for you.

10 Ways to Hook Homeschooled Kids on History (Easy. I Promise) @ Tina's Dynamic Homeschool Plus

Besides you can never have enough ideas of out of the box ideas for kids who want to learn out of the box.

10 Ways to Hook Homeschooled Kids On History

1. Hone In on the Conflict

Having boys, I know that it’s important to not just teach about moments but boys want to know about conflicts.

Embrace the Imperfect in History

Conflicts lead to war.

Boys and most kids are interested in war, but this doesn’t mean your focus is about teaching violence or war.

It is about seizing teachable moments to instill essential moral values.

Use events that stir the sense of right and wrong in your child’s heart to develop their love for history.

Check out my World War II Free Resources for a Middle School Unit Study and free lapbooks on the American Civil War.

You can’t find anymore injustices than these two hotly debated topics.

2. Make Art, Drawing and Coloring THE Lesson.
(the activities are not just for little kids.)

Avoid moans and groans that can accompany writing and instead have your child draw or color what he knows about history.

Especially if you have a creative child who may loathe history, having an outlet to showcase their natural talent will help them to give history at least a glance.

And no, drawing is not just for young children.

I am eager for Tiny to try Drawing on History , Pre Civil War- Vietnam 1830s-1970s when he hits the high school years.

This is a high school level art appreciation course with short lessons and another outlet for creativity.

If you do have younger kids, look at Draw and Write Through History. It is a whole series with different periods.

My boys liked this series and opening the history day with a drawing always won them over.

Check out Dover History Coloring Book and Coloring the Story of the World: 60 Coloring Pages inspired by Susan Wise Bauer’s The Story of the World.

And I have 20 Ancient Civilization Coloring Pages to add to your mix.

Then never underestimate the power of childhood games like Gold Fish.

3. Play Board Games for History.

Whether you create them yourself, check out my post 13 Free Printable History Board Games.

Also, look at my page Kids History Games Boosts Learning & Promotes Critical Thinking for more game ideas and free games.

Games are one of the best ways to bring history to life.

We loved the fun and easy distraction to learn history by Go Fish Cards and Book Ancient Egypt by Bird Cage press

Birdcage Press History Game @ Tina's Dynamic Homeschool Plus

. Look at some of Bird Cage press games. Some are available at different times.

Birdcage Press History Game 2 @ Tina's Dynamic Homeschool Plus

Though I don’t have any kids as dramatic as myself (okay, okay) drama and dressing up are equally fun ways to stroke a budding history buff.

4. Mix Drama with History.

Besides, the perfect mix is drama and history.

Learning about Shakespeare was so much more engaging when the kids could do a short drama in a co-op setting.

That is the kind of history that is worth taking time to do because it’s memorable.

Learning history through Drama @ Tina's Dynamic Homeschool Plus

Too, when I first mentioned the idea of learning about period dress or dressing up, my boys were not so interested.

You know, I got the I-really-want-to-roll-my-eyes-but-know-I-better-not look.

By not letting my boys always have the final say on things we did to learn history, dressing up and even drama became some of our fondest memories about learning history.

Check out my article Bring History to Life With Historical Costumes: Fun, Fashion and Unforgettable.

5. Use Living Books.

Living books can seem to make dead people live.

Okay, maybe not so dramatic that living books bring dead people back to life, but they sure make you feel like you have stepped back in time to see events unfold through their eyes.

Living books are one of the best ways to revive a spark for history and the ones I love using are inspired by Beautiful Feet.

We love the series by Genevieve Foster as we learned about George Washington’s World or The World of Columbus and Sons.

Check out my article, When We Used Beautiful Feet as Our History Spine as I share about the value of history living books.

6. Watch a Movie for History.

Pop the popcorn, butter please.

Living in a digital age has advantages and that means movie watching can be instant and it can be cheap.

When I start our unit studies on history, I do look for ways to kick it off by watching an epic movie.

I have a great list if you are studying the ancients. Check out my article Homeschool History – Teaching Ancient History Using Netflix.

Try coaxing your little and maybe not so little homeschooler with a few of these unconventional ideas.

7. Cover History in 14 Lessons.

Next, turning history into an overflowing amount of minute details can turn off even the most intriguing.

So, cover history in broad strokes and be done.

How? Look at my post How to Teach History in 14 Lessons (From Daunting to Doable).

8. Choose a Character to Study History Through.

Also, learning history through the eyes of a famous character brings history to life.

Study the events in the character’s life and things he or she liked or didn’t like.

What food they ate, the homes they made and their surroundings makes for a fascinating study.

For example, look at my study of history through Free American History Lapbook The Old West Through the Life of Wyatt Earp.

9. Study Music for the Music Lover

Additionally, another out of the box way to draw in a child is to study what they love.

I love Music in Our Homeschool to add different periods of music to history periods.

Finally, look at this last way which is lapbooks.

10. History Lapbooks

Lapbooks are products of a child’s work. However, do not make it busy work.

Lapbooks can be as complicated or as easy as your child wants it.

For instance, look at my page Homeschool Lapbooks – Powerful Tools For Mastery Learning.

Who knows maybe you have a hidden history buff in bloom?

Have you been able to hook your homeschooled kids on history?

What other ways do you teach history that are sure to bait a history hater?