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Geography Based

Reliving The Past: Lewis And Clark’s Hands-on Experience With Simple Char Cloth

April 14, 2024 | Leave a Comment
This post may contain affiliate links. For more information, please see my full disclosure policy.

Today, we’re making char cloth. Also, look at my page Lewis and Clark Fun Homeschool Unit Study and Lapbook for more activities.

We looked over the list of supplies that Lewis and Clark took with them on their expedition.

It sparked a few ideas of some hands-on things to make.

Reliving The Past: Lewis And Clark's Hands-on Experience With Simple Char Cloth

First, review the list of Lewis and Clark Expedition supplies here.

Several items looked pretty interesting to attempt to make.

However, but we honed in on the skills and supplies needed to start a fire.

A flint and steel would have been kept handy.

And no doubt some kind of cloth or charred cloth to ignite a spark and start the fire.

But first, look at some books to add to your learning day.

15 Lewis and Clark | Sacagawea Exploration Unit Study Resources

Lewis and Clark is one of the most significant periods in American history and you can spend weeks exploring the lands and people west of the Mississippi with these fun books and resources.

How We Crossed The West: The Adventures Of Lewis And Clark

Appealing art and descriptive text bring Lewis and Clark alive for young adventurers. Carefully chosen text from Lewis and Clark's actual journals opens a fascinating window into this country's exciting history.

National Geographic Readers: Sacagawea

Explore one of the most recognized figures in American history with this biography of Sacagawea. Kids will learn about her crucial role in the Lewis and Clark expedition and her influential legacy.  The level 3 text provides accessible, yet wide-ranging, information for independent readers.

Of Courage Undaunted: Across the Continent with Lewis & Clark

Commissioned in 1803 by President Thomas Jefferson to explore and open up this vast territory, Lewis and Clark felt it was the realization of a lifelong dream. Against the hardships of the wilderness, possible attack by hostile Indians, sudden blizzards and terrifying natural obstacles, these two men led the Corps of Discovery ably and nobly to complete their mission. Their Corps included American Indians from the Sioux, Mandan, Shoshone, Clatsop and Chopunnish tribes. Sacajawea, the only woman on the trip, was a Shoshone woman who contributed invaluable service as interpreter and guide. Daugherty's evocative sepia and black ink illustrations depict individuals of humor, vitality, passion, and strength.

Undaunted Courage: Meriwether Lewis, Thomas Jefferson, and the Opening of the American West

From the New York Times bestselling author the definitive book on Lewis and Clark’s exploration of the Louisiana Purchase, the most momentous expedition in American history and one of the great adventure stories of all time.

The Truth About Sacajawea (Lewis & Clark Expedition)

The only book ever written that tells the eyewitness truth about this famous teenage Indian mother who was indispensable to the Lewis and Clark Expedition.

The Journals of Lewis and Clark: 1805: Volume II

On May 14, 1804, the Corps of Discovery set out from Camp Dubois, Illinois, heading westward under the command of Captain Meriwether Lewis and his Second Lieutenant, William Clark. While Lewis led the group in terms of rank, the two men became de facto equals, giving their names jointly to a journey that would shape the future of the fledgling United States — the Lewis and Clark Expedition. This book presents journal entries taken directly from the expedition.

Sacagawea: American Pathfinder

Describes how Sacagawea found adventure guiding Lewis and Clark to the Oregon coast.

Along the Trail with Lewis and Clark (Third Edition): A Guide to the Trail Today

Take Your Own Journey through History on the Lewis & Clark Trail! Follow the journey of the Corps of Discovery from Thomas Jefferson’s Monticello through the Midwest and the Rockies, to the Pacific Ocean and back with this detailed chronicle of the Lewis & Clark Expedition. This third edition of the classic guidebook features accessible text that combines the historical sites and color maps that merge the past and present in a user-friendly and entertaining way.

What Was the Lewis and Clark Expedition?

When Meriwether Lewis, William Clark, and the "Corp of Discovery" left St. Louis, Missouri, on May 1, 1804, their mission was to explore the vast, unknown territory acquired a year earlier in the Louisiana Purchase. The travelers hoped to find a waterway that crossed the western half of the United States. They didn't. However, young readers will love this true-life adventure tale of the two-year journey that finally brought the explorers to the Pacific Ocean.

The Lewis and Clark Expedition (Graphic History)

In this epic graphic novel, follow the dramatic story of  the Lewis and Clark expedition. In 1804, these two explorers, along with their "Corps of Discovery," traversed the unmapped American West, leading to scientific discoveries, interactions with Native nations, and route to the Pacific Ocean. Dramatic illustrations and fast-paced text provide a "you-are-there" experience. With extensive back matter, including a bibliography, extended reading list, glossary, and further Internet sources, young readers will gobble up this action-packed comic book about one of history's most compelling moments.

The Oregon Trail: The Journey Across the Country From Lewis and Clark to the Transcontinental Railroad With 25 Projects

In The Oregon Trail: The Journey Across the Country from Lewis and Clark to the Transcontinental Railroad, readers ages 9 to 12 can delve into the explorations of Meriwether Lewis and William Clark and other explorers. They can learn about the more than half a million people who followed during the nineteenth century. What challenges did these pioneers face on the 2,170-mile journey? How were Native American tribes and nations affected by this mass migration? Primary sources allow readers to feel like a part of the Oregon Trail experience while biographical sidebars will introduce the compelling people who were part of this time in U.S. history. Investigative, hands-on projects and critical thinking activities such as writing a treaty and researching artistic impressions of the Oregon Trail invite readers to further their understanding of life on the trail, early towns and forts, and the Transcontinental Railroad that followed the wagons into new lands and territories that would eventually become states.

Seaman's Journal

A trade paperback edition of the award-winning tale of the journey of Lewis and Clark. When Seaman, a Newfoundland dog, met his new master in August of 1803, he didn't know that he would spend the next three years on an adventure of more than 8,000 miles to the Pacific Ocean and back. Seaman's Journal is based on actual entries in Meriwether Lewis s journal describing Seaman, and it presents an account of the Lewis and Clark expedition as seen from the viewpoint of Lewis s dog. Join Seaman before the trip as preparations take place. Meet the Native American guides and friends they encountered along the way. And read of Seaman s love for Sacajawea, the Shoshone woman whose husband acted as interpreter and guide. Ages 5-8.

The Lewis & Clark Expedition: Join the Corps of Discovery to Explore Uncharted Territory

Describes the expedition led by Lewis and Clark to explore the unknown western regions of America at the beginning of the nineteenth century.

Lewis and Clark for Kids: Their Journey of Discovery with 21 Activities

Following Meriwether Lewis and William Clark’s Corps of Discovery as they navigate the muddy Missouri River and begin a great adventure, this activity book is set against the background of the vast North American continent. It takes children from President Jefferson’s vision of an exploratory mission across a continent full of unique plants and animals through their dangerous and challenging journey into the unknown to the expedition’s triumphant return to the frontier town of St. Louis. Twenty-one activities bring to life the Native American tribes they encountered, the plants and animals they discovered, and the camping and navigating techniques they used. A glossary of terms and listings of Lewis and Clark sites, museums, and related websites round out this comprehensive activity book.

It's Her Story Sacajawea A Graphic Novel

Sacajawea was a brilliant, multilingual Shoshone girl who was torn from her home at a young age. In 1804, she set out with the Lewis and Clark Expedition, acting as an interpreter and guide across hundreds of miles of unmapped land to reach the Pacific Ocean. Almost 200 years later, she became the first Indigenous woman to appear on a US coin. This is her story.

In addition, look at what is a char cloth.

Making Char Cloth

This was a good definition Wikipedia had of char cloth.

Also called charpaper, charred clothed is a swatch of fabric made from vegetable fiber (such as linen, cotton or jute) that has been converted via pyrolysis into a slow-burning fuel of very low ignition temperature. It can be ignited by a single spark that can in turn be used to ignite a tinder bundle to start a fire.

Our activity today give Tiny some science research.

It got us thinking on the flammability of fabrics, like cotton versus wool and silk and linen.

Too, grab this Great Balls of Fire free pdf download. This gives another hands-on activity to learn about flammability of fabrics.

It just added to what we were learning about today.

Besides, it highlights one of the easiest and natural ways to start a fire.

Also, Tiny did a bit of research on how wood gets charred.

Because we had most of the items in the house for a quick activity, we decided to make easy charred cloth.

Reliving The Past: Lewis And Clark’s Hands-on Experience With Simple Char Cloth

Look at the items we used:

  • Altoid can or other tin can with snug fitting lid
  • Ice pick or knife or some other really sharp object to poke a hole in the lid
  • Fire
  • Cotton (has to be all cotton) cloth. We used cleaning rag remnants.

We tore part of the rag into small pieces of cloth that easily fit into the Altoid can. We had enough room around them so they could breath or have room around the edges.

Then we poked a hole in the top of the Altoid can with an ice pick.

Reliving The Past: Lewis And Clark’s Hands-on Experience With Simple Char Cloth

After putting the cloth in the tin, we set it on a fire.

We used a candle we had and didn’t need. Now, we did school for the day while this stayed on the fire a good part of the day.

Hands-on History Lewis and Clark

A faster way is to put the can in a fireplace inside your home or make a fire outside.

Our weather was nice today, but this easily could be a great activity to do in the winter.

Not only could you use your indoor fireplace, but you could use the charred cloth afterwards to spark a fire.

Anyway, we just placed our can on the candle like I said for most of the day so it would smoke slowly and char the cloth.

Reliving The Past: Lewis And Clark’s Hands-on Experience With Simple Char Cloth

After it completely cools, which is real important otherwise it burns up, open it up to examine the cloth.

Reliving The Past: Lewis And Clark’s Hands-on Experience With Simple Char Cloth

We have several nice pieces of charred cloth to use to ignite a fire.

Besides, you never know when you may be called upon at a moment’s notice to build a fire while on the frontier.

Tiny loves movies about surviving and wilderness living (me too) and so this is just another fun activity we learned about using natural fibers and materials to start a raging fire and no doubt some of the same things that Lewis and Clark had to know.

Here is another good set of instructions from instructables using blue jeans.

GRAB THESE OTHER RESOURCES AND HANDS-ON IDEAS

Reliving The Past: Lewis And Clark’s Hands-on Experience With Simple Char Cloth
Reliving The Past: Lewis And Clark’s Hands-on Experience With Simple Char Cloth
Reliving The Past: Lewis And Clark’s Hands-on Experience With Simple Char Cloth
Reliving The Past: Lewis And Clark’s Hands-on Experience With Simple Char Cloth
Reliving The Past: Lewis And Clark’s Hands-on Experience With Simple Char Cloth
Reliving The Past: Lewis And Clark’s Hands-on Experience With Simple Char Cloth
Reliving The Past: Lewis And Clark’s Hands-on Experience With Simple Char Cloth

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Lewis & Clark hands-on history. Make an easy char cloth @ Tina's Dynamic Homeschool Plus

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Leave a CommentFiled Under: Geography Based, Hands-On Activities, History Based, History Resources, Science Based Tagged With: hands-on, hands-on activities, handson, handsonhomeschooling, history, history resources, homeschoolhighschool, homeschoolhistory, lewis and clark, lewisandclark

Famous and Historic Trees Fun Nature and History Homeschool Unit Study

March 9, 2024 | 7 Comments
This post may contain affiliate links. For more information, please see my full disclosure policy.

The beauty of unit studies is the ability to combine multiple subjects. This famous and historic trees fun study combines nature, history, and geography. Also, look at my other Lapbooks Ideas and my page Best Homeschool Unit Studies. Add in some art and music and it’s a memorable unit study.

So today, I rounded up some fun resources for creating a famous and historic trees nature and history unit study.

Famous and Historic Trees Fun Nature and History Homeschool Unit Study

First, look at this book we fell in love with which gave us the kick start to our ideas.

Celebritrees Historic & Famous Trees of the World states it’s for grades 2 to 4, but this idea can be used for a super great unit study for multiple ages.

Besides, the history and legend of the famous trees in the book gives plenty of chance for a deep unit study.

Famous and Historic Trees Fun Nature and History Homeschool Unit Study
Famous and Historic Trees Fun Nature and History Homeschool Unit Study
Famous and Historic Trees Fun Nature and History Homeschool Unit Study

Next, add in some of these fun books.

9 Tree Books & Resources for Kids Who Love Reading and Being Read To

You'll love using one of these books as a science reference or to use for art to inspire life science lessons.

Celebritrees: Historic & Famous Trees of the World

Some trees have lived many lifetimes, standing as silent witnesses to history. Some are remarkable for their age and stature; others for their usefulness. A bristlecone pine tree in California has outlived man by almost 4,000 years; a baobab tree in Australia served as a prison for Aboriginal prisoners at the turn of the twentieth century; and a major oak in England was used as a hiding place for Robin Hood and his men (or so the story goes…).

The fourteen trees in this book have earned the title "Celebritrees" for their global fame and significance. Both in fact and in legend, these fascinating trees remind us not only how much pleasure trees bring, but what they can tell us about history.

The Busy Tree

Spectacular illustrations rendered in oil paint, and a rhyming text that describes a tree’s activities from its roots to its branches, introduce young readers to the amazing activities that go on in a tree. Acorns nibbled by chipmunks, ants scurrying across a trunk, a spider spinning a web, leaves “breathing out air for all to breathe in”—everything adds up to a “busy tree” for all to “come and see.”

The Tree Book for Kids and Their Grown-Ups

This is a fantastic reference book to have on hand for tree studies.

It has great illustrations and covers everything from how a tree “eats and drinks” to types of trees, seeds, how they change in the seasons, why we need them and more

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

Acclaimed illustrator Julia Rothman combines art and science in this exciting and educational guide to the structure, function, and personality of the natural world.

Trees, Leaves & Bark (Take Along Guides)

An introduction to the world of insects, caterpillars, and butterflies including identification information, educational activities, and fun facts.Invites young naturalists to spot wildlife. 

Tree Full of Wonder: An educational, rhyming book about magic of trees for children

Tree Full of Wonder is a vibrant, rhyming, educational and unique picture book showing the unbreakable bond between people and trees. For children ages 3-8. Kids will fall in love with nature and will become Protectors of the Trees.

The Magic and Mystery of Trees (The Magic and Mystery of Nature)

From the highest branch and leaf down to the complex “wood wide web” of roots, it’s no wonder every part of a tree plays an important role in its own growth and the habitat of the whole forest or woodland. The Magic & Mystery of Trees is a nature book that takes children on a fascinating journey of exploration, showing them just how special these mighty organisms are.

Figurines of Pine, Elm, Juniper, Monkey Puzzle, Topiary, Petticoat, Aspen, Two Maples

Learn and Play: These figurines provide a fun and educational way to learn about different tree species, promoting environmental awareness and appreciation.

Fandex Family Field Guides: Trees

Bringing the world of TREES to your fingertips, FANDEX presents a foolproof field guide. Four visual keys--die-cut leaf, bark pattern, flower, nut or seed, and photo of the full tree--plus descriptions of habitat and more combine to give a complete picture of North America's forest and backyard trees.

In addition, TREES is a cultural history--of the mighty White Oak, California Redwood, Aillanthus, the tree that grows in Brooklyn, and the stately White Ash, as important for the bows of early Native Americans as for the baseball bats of today.

Also, there are plenty of books about the nature of trees and science and even poetry, but we loved learning about the famous trees of the world.

Famous and Historic Trees

Although the book only lists 14 famous and historic trees of the world, you could easily add other features to the search besides the oldest, tallest, or biggest trunk.

Science of Trees

Next, add in a bit of science. How are trees defined? Look below at some of their characteristics.

Trees usually have a single stem, or trunk.Trees are woody plants.
Trees are at least 15 feet tall.Trees have a branched-out top called a crown.

Moreover ,trees clean the air, give shade, cool our house, conserve energy and attract songbirds. Also, trees reduce erosion and conserve energy.

MORE TREE CRAFTS

  • From Forest to Fun: Unique Crafts With Tree Bark
  • Easy Pine Craft Tree Ideas And A Free Life Cycle Printable

Furthermore, look at the information on the historic trees.

Learning about the Methuselah Tree

The Methuselah Tree has lived more than 4,600 years. It is a Bristlecone Pine and it’s located in California.

  • Methuselah Tree Lesson Plan
  • A Bristlecone Pine Named ‘Methuselah’
  • Here is an outline map of California
  • About the Ancient Bristle Cone Pine
  • Read about the Bristle Cone Pine here
  • Learn about California history here

Moon Trees

Stuart Roosa was a former U.S. Forest Service worker who orbited in the command module of the Apollo 14 in 1971. He conducted scientific experiments in lunar orbit.

He put hundreds of tree seeds in a packet and took with him to space.

When he got back to earth, the seeds were germinated and are known as “moon trees” and are found all over the U.S. and the world.

  • Read about the Moon Trees here.
  • Where on Earth Did NASA Plant Moon Trees
  • Moon Trees Stand as Living Testaments to First Voyages to Moon
  • Making of a Moon Tree Map

Famous Scythe Tree

This next tree is in Waterloo, New York and the Balm-of-Gilead stands as living monument to a young soldier that went off to fight in the American Civil War.

  • Scythe Tree
  • Read about the Story of the Scythe tree
  • New York word search
  • Here is a mini unit study too about New York.
  • Why is an Upstate NY historian trying to save a really old tree?
  • Map where some animals live in New York
  • New York Outline Map

Prison Boab Famous Tree

Another tree is the Prison Boab which is located in Australia.

It is a Baobab tree. It has many names. One is the Upside-Down Tree because it’s branches look like roots and it’s also just named Boab.

Famous and Historic Trees Fun Nature and History Homeschool Unit Study
  • Derby Boab ‘Prison Tree’
  • Read here Inventing a Colonial Dark History: The Derby Boab ‘Prison’ Tree
  • Boab Trees YouTube
  • The Boab Prison Tree
  • Hands-On Geography: Australia Awesome and Deadly Animal Art

The Tule Tree

El Árbol del Tule (The Tule Tree) is located in Santa María del Tule, Mexico.

It is a Montezuma Cypress and it’s estimated to be 1,400 years old.

Famous and Historic Trees Fun Nature and History Homeschool Unit Study
  • Read about the Taxodium mucronatum tree here
  • Mexico geography
  • Mexico Lapbook
  • Learn some facts about Mexico from National Geographic
  • Mexico Unit Study and Make a Fun Easy Floral Headband

Chapel Oak Famous Tree

Another famous tree is the the Chapel Oak which is located in Allouville-Bellefosse, France.

It is a huge oak with two chapels inside and a spiral staircase and looks like something out of a fairy tale.

It is one of the biggest and oldest trees in France.

Famous and Historic Trees Fun Nature and History Homeschool Unit Study
  • Read about the Le Chêne Chapelle (The Chapel Oak)
  • The Peculiar Chapel Of Allouville-Bellefosse
  • Look at this France Unit Study
  • The Ancient Oak Tree Chapel as Old As France Itself
  • Learn About the Geography of France by Creating A Solar Oven
  • Mighty Oaks from Little Acorns

Ficus Religiosa or The Bodhi Tree

This is a kind of fig tree in Anuradhapura, Sri Lanka which is sacred to the Buddhists. They believe Buddha gained “bodhi” or enlightenment while sitting under it and meditating.

  • You can read about the fig tree here.
  • Geography for Kids about Sri Lanka
  • Read here about the characteristics of the tree
  • Map of Sri Lanka

The Famous and Historic General Sherman Tree

Famous and Historic Trees Fun Nature and History Homeschool Unit Study

In the Sequoia National Park in California is the General Sherman or a giant sequoia.

The giant sequoias are very special because they are among the oldest and largest living things on earth

. The General Sherman Tree, found in Sequoia National Park, is the largest living thing on earth.

It is 274.9 feet tall, has a circumference (4.5 ft. above the base) of 83.2 feet, a base circumference of 102.6 feet, and a volume of nearly 58,000 cubic feet.

Famous and Historic Trees Fun Nature and History Homeschool Unit Study
  • Read about the General Sherman here
  • 12 page lesson plan
  • Our Giant Sequoia Forests 12 page beautiful download
  • The largest trees in the world
  • The Giant Sequoia curriculum pdf

MORE Famous and Historic Trees of the World

There are other trees to read about like

  • Anne Frank’s Chestnut Tree
  • Isaac Newton’s Apple Tree (Woolsthorpe, England)
  • Dueling Oaks in New Orleans, Louisiana
  • The Major Oak, Sherwood Forest, England
  • and the Emancipation Oak (Hampton, Virginia).

Study Tree Art

Add some beautiful art to your study about historic trees. Read about Joseph Farrington and his The Oak Tree. Read about Paul Cezanne and his Forest art.

Also read about Georges Seurat and The Morning Walk.

Famous and Historic Trees Fun Nature and History Homeschool Unit Study
The Oak Tree by Joseph Farrington
Famous and Historic Trees Fun Nature and History Homeschool Unit Study
Forest by Paul Cezanne

Also, look at Hands-On Literature Nature Study: Simple Tree Craft.

Tree Poetry

Learning and memorizing poetry about trees could also be copywork or to make nature journals.

Loveliest of Trees, The Cherry Now by A. E. Housman

Loveliest of trees, the cherry now
Is hung with bloom along the bough,
And stands about the woodland ride
Wearing white for Eastertide.

Now, of my threescore years and ten,
Twenty will not come again,
And take from seventy springs a score,
It only leaves me fifty more.

And since to look at things in bloom
Fifty springs are little room,
About the woodlands I will go
To see the cherry hung with snow.


Binsey Poplars by Gerard Manley Hopkins

My aspens dear, whose airy cages quelled,
   Quelled or quenched in leaves the leaping sun,
   All felled, felled, are all felled;
     Of a fresh and following folded rank
                Not spared, not one
                That dandled a sandalled
         Shadow that swam or sank
On meadow and river and wind-wandering weed-winding bank.
   O if we but knew what we do
          When we delve or hew—
     Hack and rack the growing green!
           Since country is so tender
     To touch, her being só slender,
     That, like this sleek and seeing ball
     But a prick will make no eye at all,
     Where we, even where we mean
                To mend her we end her,
           When we hew or delve:
After-comers cannot guess the beauty been.
   Ten or twelve, only ten or twelve
      Strokes of havoc únselve
           The sweet especial scene,
      Rural scene, a rural scene,
      Sweet especial rural scene.


The Way through the Woods by Rudyard Kipling 


They shut the road through the woods
      Seventy years ago.
Weather and rain have undone it again,
      And now you would never know
There was once a road through the woods
      Before they planted the trees.
It is underneath the coppice and heath,
      And the thin anemones.

     Only the keeper sees
That, where the ring-dove broods,
      And the badgers roll at ease,
There was once a road through the woods.

Yet, if you enter the woods
      Of a summer evening late,
When the night-air cools on the trout-ringed pools
      Where the otter whistles his mate,
(They fear not men in the woods,
      Because they see so few.)
You will hear the beat of a horse’s feet,
      And the swish of a skirt in the dew,
      Steadily cantering through
The misty solitudes,
      As though they perfectly knew
      The old lost road through the woods.
But there is no road through the woods.

Famous and Historic Trees of the World Lapbook

Too, I’ve created this fun famous and historic trees lapbook to use with this fun unit study.

Awesome features of my lapbooks.

  • Aimed at elementary to high school.
  • This is a .pdf  instant downloadable product and not a physical product.
  • You are paying for the printables, the lapbook.
  • My lapbooks are created for multiple ages. I aimed for elementary to high school for this lapbook. One of my reasons for aiming this lapbook for the upper grades is that I use a cursive font for the minibooks filled in with information.
  • Most of the minibooks have facts which accompany the minibook and a lot of the minibook are offered two ways. One way where your child uses the facts already provided by the minibook filled in and another way where your child can add his own research and not use the inside pages. Blank pages are provided for your student’s research.
  • You can use any reference materials, books, or online resources to complete the lapbook.
  • I don’t provide links in the lapbooks for filling out the information. This keeps my prices low for my products, but I do try to provide free links on my site as I can.
  • Because I have been a working homeschool mom for more of my journey than not, I need flexibility for using lapbooks. Proving a few facts from the main resource I use is one way I have of saving you time and giving you flexibility in how to use the minibooks.
  • Too, some of your kids may be older and you want them to do more research and some of your kids may be reluctant writers so you may want to mix and match pre-filled minibooks with blank minibooks. Flexibility is the key to my lapbooks.
Famous and Historic Trees Fun Nature and History Homeschool Unit Study

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  • Dynamic Famous and Historic Trees Lapbook for Multiple Ages

    Dynamic Famous and Historic Trees Lapbook for Multiple Ages

    $4.00
    Add to cart

Famous and Historic Trees Fun Nature and History Homeschool Unit Study

More Tree Facts

Also, you’ll love these resources for studying about each of these varieties of trees.

  • Where do trees get their mass from YouTube
  • Parts of tree
  • Download tree diversity sheets with some fun fact cards
  • 680 Tree Fact Sheets

You’ll love these other studies:

  • History of the Texas Cowboy, Cattle Drives, and Chisholm Trail
  • 20 Nature-Inspired Kids’ Novels to Nurture Interest In the Outdoors
  • Above & Below: Pond Unit Study, Hands-on Ideas, & Lapbook.
  • Super Seashore Watching Unit Study and Beach Lapbook.
  • Foraging and Feasting Nature Unit Study and Lapbook.
  • Wildflowers Unit Study & Lapbook.
  • From Egg to Sea Turtle Nature Unit Study & Lapbook.
  • Colorful Winter Bird: Northern Cardinal Lapbook & Unit Study.
  • Free Arctic Ground Squirrel Lapbook & Unit Study Resources

7 CommentsFiled Under: Geography, Geography Based, History Based, Lapbook, Lapbooks, My Unit Studies {Free Printables & Hands-on Ideas}, Nature Based Activities Tagged With: geography, hands-on activities, handsonhomeschooling, history, history resources, homeschool geography, homeschoolgeography, homeschoolscience, lapbook, lapbookresources, life science, nature, nature study, science, sciencecurriculum, trees

How to Build the Alamo With Kids And Free Texas Lapbook

February 14, 2024 | 3 Comments
This post may contain affiliate links. For more information, please see my full disclosure policy.

Learning how to build the Alamo was another fun change to our schedule as we have continued in our series of hands-on homeschooling learning. Also, you may love Free Texas Homeschool Lapbook and Fun Homeschool Unit Study Ideas.

We thought it would be fun to sketch a quick layout of the Alamo as we read about it.

How to Build the Alamo With Kids And Free Texas Lapbook

Having studied about the Alamo before, we pulled out The Alamo, An Illustrated History, book by George Nelson.

And the other book, The Alamo, an Illustrated History by Edwin Hoyt to study a bit of the architecture.

We also looked at how to build the Alamo on ehow and Tiny liked that model.

Too, look at more books about Texas

Books About 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.

We gathered a few supplies and needed some more:

How to Build the Alamo With Kids And Free Texas Lapbook
  • 4 sugar cube boxes and we only did the outline of the wall. If you decide to do the interior walls as well, you will need double or triple that depending how thick you want the walls on your model.
  • we used an old pizza box
  • glue gun and glue
  • marker
  • ruler
  • spray paint of your choice
  • couple of straws
How to Build the Alamo With Kids And Free Texas Lapbook

Again, though this project looks easy like simply gluing a bunch of sugar cubes together, but it really did require planning, calculating and deciphering to understand the bell shaped parapet.

How to Build the Alamo With Kids And Free Texas Lapbook

Looking at the pictures The Alamo, An Illustrated History to view old drawings of the Alamo to learning its history helped to get an idea of how to build it.

How to Build the Alamo With Kids And Free Texas Lapbook

Tiny really had fun making this.

We grabbed some Spanish moss and miniature cactus after Tiny painted it and otherwise he really loved the break in our schedule while focusing on understanding the history of the Alamo.

More Texas History Crafts & Activities

  • 8 Insect Fun Facts About Texas For Kids | Easy Dragonfly Craft
  • 25+ Texas History Books For Middle School For a Fun Unit Study
  • 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

I created a Texas lapbook with my older set of boys and it is a subscriber only freebie.

How to Get the Free Texas Lapbook

Just follow the steps below.

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

How to Build the Alamo. Learning about Texas. Grab your free unit study and lapbook @ Tina's Dynamic Homeschool Plus

Hugs and love ya

3 CommentsFiled Under: 1. My FREE Learning Printables {Any Topic}, Geography Based, Hands-On Activities, History Based, History Resources, Lapbooks, Subscriber Freebies Tagged With: geography, hands on history, hands-on, hands-on activities, handson, handsonhomeschooling, Texas, texasunit, The Alamo

How to Make An Edible Geography Model of Tidal Zones

February 2, 2024 | 14 Comments
This post may contain affiliate links. For more information, please see my full disclosure policy.

This edible geography to show sea levels is absolutely fun. Also, you’ll love my free Oceans Unit Study and Lapbook.Too, look at my page Homeschool Geography for hands-on and simple ideas and tips.

How to Make An Edible Geography Model of Tidal Zones

While Mr. Awesome was reading aloud to us about water bodies in our new North Star Geography, I wanted an activity that included both our Ocean Unit Study and to tie in with understanding about water bodies.

Edible Geography – Sea Levels

So I helped him create an edible model of the tidal zones and some of the creatures and plants that live in each zone. 

Too, back on Day 8 of 10 Days of Diving into Unit Studies, I shared part of my Ocean lesson plans with you which included this idea for an edible tidal zone as our unit study opener.

I have some more hands on things we have done too with our North Star Geography that I am going to show you soon too, but I wanted to share our project for edible tidal zones with you today because its something you can do with your younger kids.

Too, edible models are easy to do too because you have a head start on supplies in your house and it makes gathering the rest of them easy. 

And I am sure too we could have waited and bought perfect little molds of star fish instead of forming them by hand with peanut butter dough and freezing them. 

But then we would have almost perfect homeschooling and there is no such thing in this house.

Too, like I shared in the 10 Day of Diving into Unit Studies try to kick off  your unit study with a hands-on project.  It is not necessary that Tiny understands exactly about each zone and creature in the project.  It is all about whetting his appetite for learning.

Edible Geography Sea Levels

Okay, well maybe the candy helped too.  I picked up a tad more candy than we normally keep in the house, which wasn’t a problem for him.

Next, look at some of these books to bring learning to life.

I lean toward living books first then add reference books as we need them.

Books About the Ocean for Kids

16 Ocean Books for Kids Who Love to Read and Be Read To

Choose a few of these ocean themed books to go along with your study of the Oceans. Whether you're looking for a spine for a unit study or literature, you'll love this roundup.

The Burgess Seashore Book for Children in color

Join Danny Meadow Mouse, Jimmy Skunk, and Reddy Fox as they explore the seashore and take a closer look at the habits and habitats of the creatures they find. Discover the Seahorse, Shrimp, Crab, Anemone, Gull, and so many more.

The Burgess Seashore Book for Children is a wonderful way to introduce young ones to the fascinating world beneath us and is a perfect compliment to earlier books in this series, the Bird, Animal, and Flower books.

This edition is complete and unabridged with all of the beautiful illustrations by W.H. Southwick and George Sutton

Seaside Naturalist: Seaside Naturalist

Seaside Naturalist is an illustrated guide to marine plants and animals includes the characteristics of protozoa, arthropods, sponges, mollusks, reptiles, birds, fish, and mammals.

The Big Book of the Blue (The Big Book Series)

The book opens by explaining how different types of animals are able to breathe and survive underwater, and the different families to which they belong. Subsequent pages are dedicated to specific creatures, including sea turtles, whales, sharks, stingrays, and seahorses, and show varied life in specific habitats, such as a coral reef or deep sea bed. The Big Book of the Blue also explores the underwater world thematically, looking at animals in danger, learning how to spot creatures at the beach, and discovering how to do our part to save sea life. Beautiful and filled with fascinating facts, young, curious readers won’t be able to tear their eyes away from the page.

Scott O'Dell Set: Island of the Blue Dolphins + Zia

Island of the Blue Dolphins begins with a young girl named Karana who is living on the Island of the Blue Dolphins (fancy name, right?) with her younger brother, Ramo, and sister, Ulape. One day, a group of Russian hunters (Aleutians) land on the island to hunt for otter. This is when the trouble really begins.

Manfish: A Story of Jacques Cousteau (Underwater Picture Book for Kids)

Once upon a time in France, a baby was born under the summer sun. His parents named him Jacques. As he grew, Jacques fell in love with the sea. He dreamed of breathing beneath the waves and swimming as gracefully as a fish. In fact, he longed to become a manfish. Jacques Cousteau grew up to become a champion of the seas and one of the best-known oceanographers in the world. In this lovely biography, now in paperback, poetic text and gorgeous paintings come together to create a portrait of Cousteau that is as magical as it is inspiring.

Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Seas (Illustrated 1875 Edition):

A beautiful edition with 110 images from the 1875 English edition. Use Amazon's Look inside feature to compare this edition with others. You'll be impressed by the differences. Don't be fooled by other versions that have no illustrations or contain very small print. Reading our edition will make you feel that you are traveling the seas with Captain Nemo himself.

Swiss Family Robinson (Illustrated Classic): 200th Anniversary Collection

More than 100 original illustrations by Louis Rhead. You want to read this book with illustrations.

An introduction by W. D. Howells.

Nicely formatted text in an easy-to-read font.

A beautiful cover from the 1891 edition.

Ocean: A Visual Encyclopedia

Embark on a captivating tour of the waters that cover 70 percent of our planet! See our oceans come to life in mind-blowing detail. This is the ultimate children’s visual encyclopedia about the awe-inspiring blue planet! 

Secrets of the Sea: The Story of Jeanne Power, Revolutionary Marine Scientist

How did a nineteenth-century dressmaker revolutionize science? Jeanne Power was creative: she wanted to learn about the creatures that swim beneath the ocean waves, so she built glass tanks and changed the way we study underwater life forever. Jeanne Power was groundbreaking: she solved mysteries of sea animals and published her findings at a time when few of women’s contributions to science were acknowledged. Jeanne Power was persistent: when records of her research were lost, she set to work repeating her studies. And when men tried to take credit for her achievements, she stood firm and insisted on the recognition due to her.

Ocean Anatomy: The Curious Parts & Pieces of the World under the Sea

Follow Rothman’s inquisitive mind and perceptive eye along shorelines, across the open ocean, and below the waves for an artistic exploration of the watery universe. Through her drawings, discover how the world’s oceans formed, why the sea is salty, and the forces behind oceanic phenomena such as rogue waves. Colorful anatomical profiles of sea creatures from crustacean to cetacean, surveys of seafaring vessels and lighthouses, and the impact of plastic and warming water temperatures are just part of this compendium of curiosities that will entertain and educate readers of all ages. 

The Fascinating Ocean Book for Kids: 500 Incredible Facts!

Do you know a kid who’s captivated by what goes on beneath the ocean’s surface? This amazing entry into ocean books for kids is packed with hundreds of incredible facts for hours of underwater exploration. Pages of full-color pictures feature life in and around the sea including fish, dolphins, and shipwrecks!

All About Bioluminescence: Deep Sea Animals

Dive into the mesmerizing world of bioluminescence with "All About Bioluminescence." In this captivating book, readers embark on a journey through the depths of the ocean to discover the extraordinary glow-in-the-dark creatures that inhabit its mysterious realm. From the enchanting sea angel to the infamous anglerfish, each page is filled with stunning illustrations and fascinating facts about these luminous beings.With a focus on deep-sea dwellers, readers will uncover the secrets behind bioluminescence and learn how these creatures use light to communicate, camouflage, and lure prey. But the adventure doesn't stop there! "All About Bioluminescence" also includes hands-on activities like a glow stick experiment, allowing readers to experience the magic of bioluminescence firsthand.

Treasure Island (Dover Thrift Editions: Classic Novels)

One of the most enduringly popular adventure tales, Treasure Island began in 1881 as a serialized adventure entitled "The Sea-Cook"in the periodical Young Folks. Completed during a stay at Davos, Switzerland, where Stevenson had gone for his health, it was published in 1883 in the form we know today.Set in the eighteenth century, Treasure Island spins a heady tale of piracy, a mysterious treasure map, and a host of sinister characters charged with diabolical intentions. Seen through the eyes of Jim Hawkins, the cabin boy of the Hispaniola, the action-packed adventure tells of a perilous sea journey across the Spanish Main, a mutiny led by the infamous Long John Silver, and a lethal scramble for buried treasure on an exotic isle.

Oceans and Seas!: With 25 Science Projects for Kids

In Oceans and Seas! With 25 Science Projects for Kids readers ages 7 though 10 dive into the underwater world of some of the most amazing landscapes on Earth. On this amazing underwater adventure, kids experience the ocean’s tropical reefs and spot crabs, sea sponges, and thousands of kinds of fish darting in its crags and folds. They’ll meet a giant squid with eyes the size of dinner plates and an mbrella-like bioluminescent jellyfish.

Discover the Oceans: The World's Largest Ecosystem (Discover Your World)

From both a historical and scientific point of view, above and below the surface, this engaging guide brings the world’s oceans to life through fun facts, illustrations, and in-depth information. Interactive activities appear throughout, ranging from making solar stills and simple fishing spears to experimenting with a homemade diving bell and figuring out how much water it really takes to survive. With the oceans being the least explored environment on Earth, this reference illuminates some of the most incredible and surprising plants and animals as well as how to survive and navigate these vast expanses.

Pagoo

An intricate study of tide pool life is presented in text and pictures through the story of Pagoo, a her-mit crab.

Look at what we used:

edible ocean 2_edible ocean 3
  • Peanut butter dough formed our sand or shore.  He just formed it and made it pyramid shape to show the different zones.
Edible Geography – Sea Levels

Hands-on Geography – Sea Levels

  • He also formed starfish out of the peanut butter dough.   We found out that if we stuck the peanut butter dough in the freezer for a bit, they hardened and Tiny could paint them with food coloring.
  • Laffy taffy candy stretched pretty well to form the bladder and channeled wrack and the oar weed.  Peanut butter worked great for smearing on a bit more “ocean sand” and color.
  • We did have yogurt raisins in the house for the “mussels”.
  • Then of course white chocolate and dark chocolate chips make great shells and barnacles.  We always have those in the house.
  • We did pick up some German chocolate frosting when we went to the store because Tiny thought it looked like bits of small plants and animals in the lower shore, which is under the water about 90 percent of the time.
  • We could have easily made blue frosting, but since he wanted the German chocolate frosting, we picked up some sea blue frosting.
Edible Geography – Sea Levels

{Crazy kid. I love teaching him.}

I have several more ideas for hands on for this unit and will be using some of them off my Ocean Unit Study lesson plans. 

Too, I seem to create more ideas as I go along which is the fun part of unit studies.  You can skip ahead to other lesson ideas, leave out some or add other things that interest your children.

My peanut butter loving kid had no problem with our first day of our Ocean Unit Study.  I love it too when things unplanned like using our North Star Geography and our current Ocean Unit Study come together.

You’ll also love these other hands-on activities:

  • 5 Ways to Raise a Natural Geography-Lover 
  • Hands-On Geography Activity: Make a Pangaea Puzzle
  • Ocean Unit Study Language Arts: Message in a Bottle

14 CommentsFiled Under: Geography Based, Hands-On Activities, Science Based Tagged With: hands-on, hands-on activities, handson, handsonhomeschooling, ocean

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

January 22, 2024 | 13 Comments
This post may contain affiliate links. For more information, please see my full disclosure policy.

I am so excited to finally share the free Marco Polo lapbook and unit study. Also, look at my pages Homeschool Lapbooks – Powerful Tools For Mastery Learning and Best Homeschool Unit Studies.

While Marco Polo was growing up in Venice, his father and uncle were exploring and traveling in China.

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

At that time, it was an almost unexplored land.

And they did not come home until he was 15 years old.

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

When Marco Polo heard of their stores about China and the Great Khan, he begged to go.

Two years later he was off on an adventure.

And I have quite a few minibooks that cover a variety of topics.

In addition, look at some of these books about Marco Polo.

Books About Marco Polo

I lean toward living books, then like to add reference books as I come across them.

I know some of these you may like to add to your home library.

10 Marco Polo Books & Resources for Kids Who Love Reading and Being Read To

Add some of these fun books about Marco Polo to your home library or use them in your unit studies.

Marco Polo

The amazing story of a Venetian trader who becomes an aide to the great Kublai Khan comes to life in this retelling for students by Manuel Komroff. Follow along as Marco Polo travels through deserts littered with bones, encounters animals previously unknown to Europeans, and comes to serve in the court of one of the greatest kingdoms ever known.Included is a gorgeous new map tracing his journey, and 29 full page illustrations from an early edition written for adults.The text in this edition is a reprint of the original Messner Biography, a series that was created for students. "Well told and with engaging narratives, they unknowingly flow nicely from story to fact. You will find a plethora of information packed between these pages, not only about the title’s subject, but the subject's time and the world they lived in."

The Adventures of Marco Polo

Was Marco Polo the world's greatest explorer -- or the world's greatest liar? Newbery Medalist Russell Freedman turns his eagle eye on the enigmatic Marco Polo in his most exciting biography yet.

He claimed to have seen rocks burn, bandits command sandstorms, lions tamed with a look, and sorcerers charm sharks while divers gathered pearls on the ocean floor. Marco Polo shook Europe with descriptions of the world he'd seen on his epic journey to the court of Kublai Khan.

But was Marco Polo the world's most accomplished explorer? Had he really seen the "Roof of the World" in Central Asia, and the "City of Heaven" in far-off China? Or was he a charlatan who saw nothing more than the conjurings of his inventive mind? Join Russell Freedman as he tackles a centuries-old mystery.

The Story of Marco Polo

This is volume number 22 in the Signature Books series for young readers. This series, under the general editorship of Enid Lamonte Meadowcroft, provides easy to read, exciting stories based upon the lives of historical figures. A vivid story of the life and adventures of perhaps the most romantic traveler of all time, a man who returned from the East with tales so fantastic that no one believed him until he was vindicated by later travelers.

Animals Marco Polo Saw (Explorer Series)

A continuation of the Explorers series by award-winning author Sandra Markle, Animals Marco Polo Saw brings to life the amazing, exotic animals Marco Polo encountered during his explorations in Asia, how the animals sometimes affected the outcome of the journey, and even helped the explorer survive!

Marco Polo (Junior World Explorers)

Examines the political forces and personal ambition that drove Marco Polo in his explorations.

The Travels of Marco Polo

Marco Polo was the most famous traveller of his time. His voyages began in 1271 with a visit to China, after which he served the Kubilai Khan on numerous diplomatic missions. On his return to the West, he was made a prisoner of war and met Rustichello of Pisa, with whom he collaborated on this book. The accounts of his travels provide a fascinating glimpse of the different societies he encountered: their religions, customs, ceremonies and way of life; on the spices and silks of the East; on precious gems, exotic vegetation and wild beasts. He tells the story of the holy shoemaker, the wicked caliph and the three kings, among a great many others, evoking a remote and long-vanished world with colour and immediacy. He found himself traversing the most exotic lands-from the dazzling Mongol empire to Tibet and Burma. This fascinating chronicle still serves as the most vivid depiction of the mysterious East in the Middle Ages.

He Went With Marco Polo

Cathay is a long way from his home in Venice, but when 14-year-old gondolier, Tonio Tumba receives the chance of a lifetime, he doesn’t say no. Leaving behind his only possession, a shabby green gondola, Tonio eagerly joins Marco Polo on his adventure.

As Tonio and the Polo family travel the dangerous silk road to modern-day China, they encounter many fascinating people and dangerous perils. When Tonio rides into Cathay on one of the Khan’s elephants, he says to his friend, Pietro: “Elephants are grand… but give me a horse any time – unless I could have a gondola. When we get back to Venice, I’ll take you out in mine.”

There are many wonderful sights, amazing inventions and great riches to discover, though Tonio looks forward to getting back home - but many years will pass before his chance to see the canals of Venice again. When so much has changed, will Tonio find anything worth returning for?

Louise Andrews Kent is a master storyteller, weaving historical accuracy and immersive adventure into one epic voyage of discovery.

This new edition features all the original illustrations and clean, readable text. It is a fantastic living book teaching about history and geography, recommended for ages 10 and up.

Genghis Khan and the Mongol Horde (World Landmark Books)

Excellent, historic story well told by Harold Lamb and beautifully illustrated by Elton Fax. Originally published in 1954, this paperback edition was released in 1982.

Marco Polo: Overland to China (In the Footsteps of Explorers)

Relive Italian voyager Marco Polo's adventures in China in1275, including his legendary meeting with Kublai Khan, emperor of the powerful Mongol Empire. This exciting new book separates fact from myth using excerpts from Polo's actual journals and vivid illustrations and photographs to portray Polo himself and his impressions of the unique traditions and customs of the Mongols. A recipe from the period is also included. Topics include - what the Medieval period meant to Europe and exploration - the Silk Road - Marco Polo's service in Kublai Khan's court - life at sea and in the Mongol Empire - Marco Polo's influence on later explorers Teacher's guide available.

Marco Polo: his travels and adventures.

This edition is presented complete and unabridged, with larger text for easier reading by younger readers, and all the original illustrations and decorations.“I have attempted to transform the somewhat dry and monotonous translation of this narrative into an entertaining story, that may engage the attention and the interest of my young readers; for which it certainly presents ample opportunities. If the task is properly done, no one can fail to follow Marco Polo from his Venetian home, across the entire continent of Asia to the court of Kublai Khan, and in his various adventures and journeys while in the far-off Orient, without eager curiosity and ever-deepening interest. The central figure of the story is heroic, for Marco Polo was in all things manly, brave, persevering, intelligent, and chivalrous; and the scenes and incidents in which he was the leading actor were in the highest degree thrilling and dramatic.”-From the Preface by the Author.

Marco Polo Lapbook and Unit Study

First, look at these minibooks that are included in this download.

  • Extend a Timeline Book Printable
  • Along the Journey
  • Lapbook Cover
  • Soldier, Merchant, Prisoner
  • Places outside of China
  • About the Mongols
  • Early Life of Marco Polo
  • Did You Know this
  • Travels
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Free Marco Polo Unit Study, Lapbook, and Hands-on Ideas

Moreover, look at more ideas for your unit study.

Marco Polo Unit Study Hands-on Activities

  • Make a Persian Mosaic
  • Learn how to make the extend a timeline book
  • Make Terra Cotta Warriors
  • Grab these free Notebooking Pages
  • Create this salt dough map of the Travels of Marco Polo and grab the printable map flags.
Free Marco Polo Unit Study, Lapbook, and Hands-on Ideas

How to Get the Free Marco Polo Lapbook

Now, how to grab the free printable. It’s a subscriber freebie.

When you sign up to follow me, you get access to this freebie.

1) Sign up on my email list.
2) Grab the printable.
3) Last, look for my emails in your inbox as a follower. Glad to have you.

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

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

13 CommentsFiled Under: 1. My FREE Learning Printables {Any Topic}, Geography Based, History Based, Lapbooks Tagged With: hands on history, hands-on activities, handsonhomeschooling, history, history resources

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