Tina's Dynamic Homeschool Plus

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History Resources

Mythological Map – Marco Polo Unit Study

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

We started our next unit study, which is Marco Polo and a study of the Mongolian Empire.

It seems like history books are sometimes focused so much on the conquest of Alexander the Great and don’t realize that Genghis Khan created an empire from China to the Adriatic Sea in Europe. Massive and impressive!

Creating a mythological map for our Marco Polo unit study was just the perfect start to exploring this empire.
I really don’t teach myth when we do history, but just introduce it to the boys.

This was such a perfect time to talk about the myths that existed in the time of Marco Polo because basically the world was unexplored.

They had parts charted like Africa and then because Marco Polo lived in Venice, he was familiar with the Mediterranean Sea and then the rest of the world was unknown.

Hands-on History: Mythological Map – Marco Polo Unit Study

Some of the mapmakers would put warning signs on maps and fill them with mythological creatures because the land was uncharted territory and they thought the rest of the world was filled with dragons and such.

Of course Tiny thought this was way beyond cool and I found the activity to create a mythological map in the book Marco Polo for Kids: His Marvelous Journey to China, 21 Activities (For Kids series) which sparked our creativity.

Look at this short list of materials needed to create this fun and aged map.

  • Paper size of your choice. We had regular old paper.
  • Permanent Marker
  • Coffee and coffee grounds
  • here.

Have those things in your house?

Another reason why this is such a fun project is that there was very little known of the world and so most of the map can be made up from imagination.
A short geography project is a win-win. No moaning when mapping out mythological and unexplored areas.

Tiny just drew Africa, labeled the Mediterranean Sea and filled in the rest with creatures and monsters and added in his own warning.

I grabbed some left over coffee and a soft rag.

Next, he crumpled up the page and wadded it up real good (he loved that part) and laid it back out again. This helps it to look worn.

The coffee grounds were a must too.

He add in a few of those over some holes he made on the map and it started to take shape. We both wished he had added a bit more coffee grounds over it to mimic aged spots.

Then he took his soft rag and used the old coffee to soak  the map.

Be careful to not tear the page, though you do want some of the edges torn. Add a few torn edges.

Then I stuck it in the oven on the lowest heat and dried it for about 5 minutes.  Take it out and be careful because now you have an old and brittle map.

Here are a couple of other books, we have for this unit study too that we will be using.

We can’t wait to do our next hands-on activity and oh yes, I have printables coming on this unit study too! Have you studied about Marco Polo yet?

Hugs and love ya,

Marco Polo Unit Study, Lapbook, and Hands-on Ideas

Also check out:

Easy Hands on Homeschooling Ideas When You’re Not the Bomb Mom

Hands-on History Activities for Learning about Ancient Civilizations

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

You’ll love these hands on history ancient civilizations activities. Also, you’ll love my pages Ancient Civilizations and Ancient Civilization II.

Many things we use today come from the powerful empires of the past, but ancient history can sometimes be a challenge when teaching our kids.

Making a connection to the past through hands-on learning helps a child to not only remember what he has learned, but helps him to develop critical thinking skills. By doing this instead of just memorizing, a child interacts with the past and this cements learning. CLICK here to grab an idea or two for Hands-on History Activities for Kids for Learning about Ancient Civilization!!

Making a connection to the past through hands-on learning helps a child to not only remember what he has learned but helps him to develop critical thinking skills. 

By doing this instead of just memorizing, a child interacts with the past and this cements learning.

HANDS-ON HISTORY CONNECTING TO THE PAST

Do not feel intimidated either if you are not the crafty artsy type of person because hands-on history activities for learning about ancient civilizations do not have to be complicated.

Grab a few of these ideas.

 Mesopotamia

mesopotamia alphabet

Draw the ABC’s of Mesopotamia.This is just way too cool and it’s a language arts lesson too.

The pictures are water color pencil with marker outline.

Carve a cuneiform cylinder seal using clay or play the royal game of Ur.

cuneiform-cylinder-seals-slide      Game of Ur
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Draw a ziggurat or build a ziggurat and hut.

And I love this hands-on geography, history and map curriculum I used because it fits hands-on learning at any age!

ziggurat-drawing    hut
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Include some easy notebooking about Ancient Sumeria.

The Indus Valley

(Modern Day Pakistan)

Do a connect the dots of Mohenjo-Daro or build the city of Mohenjo-Daro.

Mohenjo_Daro_connect_dots
Mohenjo-Daro

Ancient China

Grab these paper dolls or make some terracotta warriors.

china
soldiers

Build a pagoda or make Ming plates.

build-a-pagoda-slide    MingPlates1
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Also, we love, love the activities from Home School in the Woods.

Hands-on History Activities for Learning about Ancient Civilizations

Read here about the hands-on activities for 14 great empires or you can look at the guide we used.

Phoencia

(Modern day Lebanon)

Ancient Phoenicia Craft Roundup

Check out my post about making a boat, creating some purple dye or learning the Phoenician alphabet.

Hands on History Ancient Civilizations Activities

Next, here are more hands-on history ancient civilizations activities.

Assyria and Ancient Babylon

(Modern day Iraq or northern part of Mesopotamia)

Be sure to check out how to teach history in 14 lessons. You’ll love this curriculum if you need to teach history in broad strokes!


Also, read Why I Love and Use BrimWood Press History here.

And here is my hanging gardens of Babylon craft.

        hanging gardens of babylon
                                               

Ancient Greece

Create a playscape or ancient world and have a Greek feast.

greekworld    greek-feast
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Play a Greek mythology matching card game or make a Grecian urn.

Greek Mythology Matching Game_General    grecian urn
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Do a paper model of the Parthenon or make an ancient Greek water clock.

paper-parthenon_clip_image002    How to Make a Water Clock
                                                           

Ancient Egypt

 Use a shoebox to make a mini Egyptian Sarcophagus or mummify a rubber chicken.

king-tut-sarcophagus-
rubber chicken

   

Go from paper plate to creating an Egyptian collar or make a minibook printable on the Pharaohs crown using this free .pdf.

from paperplate to egyptian necklace    double crown
                                                          

Include a sugar cube pyramid, cookie map or make yummy mummy hot dogs or make papyrus.

Ancient-Egypt-Activities--1024x1024   papyrus
                                                                         {source}

Grab the Ancient Egyptian printable game I created or grab this free printable maze.Ancient-Egypt-Collage-Snake-Game-        akhenaten-maze-m
                                                                                    {source}

Ancient Rome

Make a styrofoam Colosseum or dig for the city of Pompeii.

the-colosseum        Digging-up-Pompeii
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Make an easy peazy Roman costume or build an Roman aqueduct.

How to Make an Easy Peazy Roman Costume    aqueduct

Make an easy Roman mosaic.

mosaics

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Hands-on History Activities for Learning about Ancient Civilizations

And don’t forget, I created a lapbook about Ancient Civilizations. It is more like an overview on them.

Do you see anything to get you your kids inspired about learning about the Ancient Civilizations while keeping history hands-on?|

100 BEST Hands-on Free Native American Resources

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

Today I have a round up of 100 free Native American resources.

We are fascinated with learning about so many different regions of the Native Americans as well as their proud past, fascinating hands-on activities, and understanding their language.

I have divided this page by learning category to make it easier for you to locate the kind of activity you are looking to do.

100 BEST Hands-on Free Native American Resources

Check out my round up and I hope a few of these ideas spark a creative touch for you when it comes to learning about Native Americans.

Native American Arts, Crafts, and Activities

There’s no doubt that much of the focus on doing a Native American unit study should be hands-on activities. This round up of arts, crafts, and activities covers a bit for each age.

 Also, you’ll love these other unit studies to go with this study of the Native Americans. The NaturExplorers science series are for multiple ages and gives you several topics to choose from. We loved the the fruits and nuts.

Our Journey Westward

In addition, you’ll love these books about Native Americans. Some are about the Trail of Tears and a few others we loved.

 Books About Native Americans

Books About the Trail of Tears

Furthermore incorporating a living books approach to geography by Beautiful Feet brings learning about this time period alive.

You’ll love this learning Geography through Literature approach when learning about Native Americans.

Furthermore, adding a few clip art sources and some coloring pages allows you to add these resources for a unit study or just as enrichment in your study.

Clip Art about Native Americans

Native American Coloring Pages

Native American Dioramas

Then have you seen this unit study at Home School in the Woods?

This unit study that would compliment the Native American unit and it is a Colonial Unit Study and Lapbook over at Home School in the Woods which is one our favorite hands-on history programs.

Native American Lapbooks

Our Journey Westward

Too, I have included some lesson plans below in case you want to study another topic or use it for a jumping off point.

 Native American Lesson Plans

HOW TO EASILY BRING HISTORY ALIVE

Also, coloring is an easy way to bring any subject alive. You may love history coloring pages.

Here is what the 10 page download contains.

I put a few key words to explain each picture on the page. This way you can use the coloring pages as title pages too.

Page 3:  Native American on horseback,
4: Lewis and Clark Trek,
5: Lewis and Clark and The Piegan,
6: Lewis and Clark Exploring Rivers,
7: The Plains Indians,
8: Pioneer Life,
9: Moving West, 10: Westward Ho,
11: Settlers, and
12: Fur Trappers and Mountainmen

Grab your fun copy below!

Science, Sign Language, Folks Tales, & MORE!

Native American Printables for Kids

Native Americans Recipes

Teacher’s Guides For Studying Native Americans

Native American Unit Studies

You Tube, Media, Interactive

What do you think?  I think I will keep adding to this growing list as I discover new gems for studying about Native Americans.

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. Click the image below to visit all the other blog articles from the homeschool moms of the iHomeschool Network.

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Gifts For Kids Who Are Wild About History

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

Whether you want to keep history hands-on, are wanting to hook your children on history or you have a budding history buff, here are some ideas for gifts for kids who are wild about history.

Gifts for Kids Who Are Wild About History | Tina's Dynamic Homeschool Plus


1. BrainBox for Kids – World History Card Game

Though we don’t play the 10 minute version and changed this game around a bit, this is a great way to add to your history program or just to include all ages.

How many details can you remember?

2. Greeks (Ancient Civilisations Pop-Ups) A pop up book for the big kids too. With all the intricate detail, this will keep your child entertained for hours.

And though we don’t have this book, The Pompeii Pop Up, it is one we want.

3. Time For Kids: Benjamin Franklin: A Man of Many Talents (Time for Kids Biographies)

This is another series of books that has kept my boys loving history because the focus is on understanding some of the great minds behind history and not boring dates.
There are many to choose from too.




4. Educational Trivia Card Game – Professor Noggin’s Ancient Civilizations

This series of trivia card game has bailed me out on more than one occasion when our time spent doing history was going flat. Though it says it is for 7 years of age and up, we used our games for much longer.

Can you really know all there is to know about history? Check out the other games on history too.




5. Horrible Histories Special: Cruel Kings and Mean Queens If you want to capture your child’s love for history by laughter, he may like this series of books.


6. And don’t forget, history is all about studying fashion of a time period too. Check out the Project Runway History of Fashion Workbook. Your girls might love it.

And for goodness sakes if you ever get to get your hands on a history treasure chest (swoon), new OR used (in good condition) made by Running Press many years ago,  it is the best money I ever spent on feeding my boys’ love of history.

I do believe (blush) we have every history treasure chest they made.

Check out some more ideas to keep history fun!

30 Fun Resources for Learning About Daniel Boone

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

Today, I have rounded up 30 fun resources for learning about Daniel Boone.  He straddles quite a few epoch time periods in American history.

Learning About Daniel Boone

Planning on updating more of my unit studies, even though being patient is not part of my personality, I hope to slowly share them with you throughout the year.

30 Fun Resources for Learning About Daniel Boone

Look below at these ideas for studying about Daniel Boone and about the colonial and frontier time periods.

Language Arts Ideas for Learning About Daniel Boone

Read this short story Daniel Boone’s Dear from American Folklore.  Use it to write a longer story or rewrite it. Read the Obituary on Daniel Boone and describe an American Folk Hero.

Copywork. Grab some quotes from here about Daniel Boone for copywork.

Also, look at these classroom activities.

Life During the Colonial Period and on The Frontier During the Life of Daniel Boone

Daniel Boone’s father was a blacksmith. Download a free .pdf which lists the different jobs during the colonial period. Also, learn about the food eaten during the colonial period.

Too, grab a huge 205 page free download about Women on the Frontier. 

I have not read all the way through it, but it has some great pictures and stories. Sometimes in teaching my sons about explorers, I overlook just how resourceful woman had to be too. This .pdf is a nice reminder full of stories.

Free printable lesson plan about the frontier and frontier life.

Free lesson plan for directions on making a colonial recipe, an activity for quilting and dyeing fabrics with household fruits and vegetables.

You’ll love learning more about American History with these fun hands-on units from Home School in The Woods.

Geography Ideas for Studying About Daniel Boone.

  • Research the history of Pennsylvania.
  • Research about the Appalachian Mountains. Read about the Appalachian Mountains here in the free .pdf publication.

Free Maps of the Cumberland Gap Area/Wilderness Road.

Wilderness Survival Skills

Next, you can’t lean about Daniel Boone without learning about wilderness survival skills. Watch this YouTube video about How to Navigate the Wilderness. Also, look at Fire Starting with Sticks. 

Learn about how to tan deer hides and small fur skins.

Too, download this Wilderness Survival workbook. And this fun freebie too which is Outside Survival.

Events During the Life of Daniel Boone

And if you want to learn about the colonial period you’ll love this fun hands-on resource from Home School in the Woods.

In 1755, Daniel Boone went to fight in the French and Indian War. You’ll love my French and Indian War lapbook.

French and Indian War Free Lapbook

Also, he also lived through the American Revolutionary War.

American Revolution Lapbook

Grab my free American Revolution War lapbook.

Hands-On Activities for Learning About Daniel Boone

How to Build a Fort Build a Fort
(Pic. attribution: megahowto)

Build a Fort. Really cool project for those that take their fort building serious.

Next, make a fringed hunting shirt. It is important to be sure we teach our kids accurate clothing of the time period. 

30 Fun Resources for Learning About Daniel Boone
(Pic. Attribution: vaporofcolor)

So this site, N. Hurst Historic Tailoring, has a very helpful .pdf with pictures that explains how it was done.  Click on Fringe on the American Hunting Shirt pdf.

Also as shown from the picture above, you can make an easy fringed shirt. In addition, look at this site to show the large lapels on Daniel Boone’s clothing. Lots of good pictures here to show time period clothing and their history.

Play games children would have played while living on the frontier.

How to build a log cabin diorama– YouTube video.

Grab a free minibook at Practical Pages. Nadene has a page about a spinning wheel to describe the steps on how to spin.

Media about Daniel Boone

History of the Early American West – The Frontier (part 1) YouTube. Here is the description: In this mini-documentary, historian Darren R. Reid (University of Edinburgh) explores the development of the frontier in the years leading up to the American Revolution. From Daniel Boone’s exploration of Kentucky in 1769 to the outbreak of Dunmore’s War in 1774, this video is the perfect introduction to the early American west.

A History of the Early American West – The Frontier (part 2) Time: 10:41

Watch National Geographic: Appalachian Trail on Netflix. 50 minutes. “National Geographic straps on the boots to explore the splendors of the Appalachian Trail, the longest marked trail in the United States.”

Books and Fun Resources To Learn About Daniel Boone

Then, you’ll love these books and fun resources to round out your study about the life of Daniel Boone.

 

30 Fun Resources for Learning About Daniel Boone

Finally, we loved learning so much about Daniel Boone that I created a lapbook.

30 Fun Resources for Learning About Daniel Boone

Also, you may love these other fun resources:

Hugs and love ya,