• Facebook
  • Pinterest
  • Instagram
  • YouTube
  • LinkedIn
  • Skip to secondary menu
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer

Tina's Dynamic Homeschool Plus

Activity, Change, Progress

  • HOME
  • How to
    • Preschool
    • Kindergarten
    • Middle School
    • High School
  • Planner
  • Lapbooks
    • Trioramas
    • History Games
  • Shop
  • GET STARTED NOW!
    • Learning Styles
  • 7 Step Planner
    • DIY Best Student Planner
    • Free & Easy DIY Home Management Binder
  • Unit Studies
    • Creation to Ancients
    • Middle Ages to Reform
    • Exploring to Revolution
    • World Wars to Today
    • Science
    • Free Art Curriculum Grades 1 – 8
  • Curriculum
    • More Unit Studies
    • Geography
    • Writing PreK to 12th
    • Geronimo Stilton
  • BootCamp
    • Resources
      • Dynamic Subscriber Freebies
      • Exclusive Subscribers Library
      • Ultimate Unit Study Planner

Geography Based

Pioneer Living and Cloth Dyeing (Hands-on History)

December 22, 2016 | 4 Comments
This post may contain affiliate links. For more information, please see my full disclosure policy.

If you’re learning about pioneer living or westward expansion, you’ll love this cloth dyeing hands-on history activity. Also, look at my BEST Westward Ho Unit Study and Lapbook.

I wanted to focus on a science activity that pioneers living during that time would do, which is cloth dyeing.

Pioneer Living and Cloth Dyeing (Hands-on History)

Pioneer living and cloth dyeing go hand in hand though I’m sure pioneers of that time weren’t too concerned about many different colors in their clothes.

They normally just had a few pieces of clothing.

However, when they did want color, they knew a lot about nature and how to get the colors they wanted.

Pioneer Living | Hands-on History

Pioneers and Native Americans living on the frontier knew about insects, flowers and vegetables that could be cooked up and used for color.

This method of dyeing cloths has been used from ancient civilizations down to modern times.

In our Ancient Civilization unit study (studying Pirates) we learned about how Phoenicians used a shellfish, called a Murex to make purple dye.

The name Phoenician comes from a Greek word that means purple men. Purple has come to symbolize wealth, royalty and high office.

Pioneer Living and Cloth Dyeing (Hands-on History)

Also, though when we lived in South America, we learned about natural dyeing when we took a family field trip to a family owned weaving and dyeing business.

It is always a fascinating project to learn about and we thought we would try it again with some things we had in our refrigerator and one or two things we bought (I can’t stand beets – yuck) to experiment with.

Pioneer Living and Cloth Dyeing (Hands-on History)

Look at what we gathered up.

  • Walnuts. Since we’ve done this before, we wanted to experiment with a different color than black from the opened hull. So we added whole walnuts to some cracked hulls and got a really pretty golden color.
  • Kale. This was the first time for this and we loved the lighter color and wonder what we could have added to make it brighter or maybe boiled it longer.
  • Onion skins. We used a red onion because we had them and it made an orange-ish color.
  • Beets. We loved the lighter color.
  • Blackberries. We added salt and vinegar to it to get a more vibrant color.
  • Old or new diaper. Clean of course (wink). We used an old one to cut up into blocks for fabric swatches.
Pioneer Living and Cloth Dyeing (Hands-on History)

Then we added water to four pots or pans and brought it to a boil.

After it boiled, we turned the burner down and let it simmer for about an hour on real low.

More Pioneer Living Crafts

  • National Prairie Day Easy Popsicle Stick Wagon Craft
  • Dried Apple Crafts: Hands-on Fun Shrunken Head Apple Craft for Kids
  • 7 Educational Movies for Kids About Westward Expansion
  • Pioneer Peg Dolls For Kids Westward Expansion Hands On Activities
  • No Sew Pioneer Rag Doll For Kids Westward Expansion Activity
  • 10 Westward Expansion History Fun Coloring Pages
Pioneer Living and Cloth Dyeing (Hands-on History)

We’re thinking, the longer it simmers, the darker the color after we read about how Native Americans did it.

Then we soaked the cotton fabric in the solution overnight.

There is no limit to natural materials you can use to explore and have fun with. We really had a lot of fun with this.

Pioneer Living and Cloth Dyeing (Hands-on History)

And, we found inspiration from this post on Pioneer Thinking: Making Natural Dyes from Plants, which categorizes colors by natural material to use. It is a great post to get some ideas and tips from.

Too, you may want to check out my post that goes great with this unit study, which is How To Make An Easy Ink pot & Quill Pen with Berry Ink.

I think all of your kids will love this activity and especially if you let them pick out the flowers, nuts and vegetables they want to use and do some color mixing too.

This is such a great open ended exploration activity to include all ages.

Hands-on History. Cloth dyeing has been used since ancient civilization through to frontier living @ Tina's Dynamic Homeschool Plus

Don’t forget to follow BOTH of my Pinterest accounts for AWESOME pins.

Visit Tina Robertson’s profile on Pinterest.


Visit Tinas Dynamic Homeschool ‘s profile on Pinterest.

4 CommentsFiled Under: Geography Based, Hands-On Activities, History Based, History Resources, Science Based Tagged With: hands on history, hands-on, hands-on activities, handson, handsonhomeschooling, history, history resources, homeschoolhistory

Homeschool History Copywork – William B. Travis Quote

November 9, 2016 | Leave a Comment
This post may contain affiliate links. For more information, please see my full disclosure policy.

Homeschool History Quote by William B. Travis for studying Texas or The Alamo Unit Study @ Tina's Dynamic Homeschool Plus

Today, I have the first activity to go with our Texas theme which is homeschool history copywork, a William B. Travis quote.

Copywork is a valuable skill way beyond the elementary years and I have continued copywork for my boys all the way through middle and high school.

Even at the middle and high school years, it’s still important to model writing that stirs the emotions. So copywork is not just for struggling writers.

The value of copywork goes beyond just copying the words, but it is memory work, learning history through sayings from people of the past and comprehending important events from the past.

In other words, if I can tie in memory work, history and language arts to a topic, it makes our unit study more complete and appealing.

For an older kid, copywork shouldn’t take the place of a well-researched essay, but it can be a segue to it. For my boys, copywork can be a brainstorming session and every good writer wants an abundance of brainstorming ideas.

As long as you don’t make copywork babyish, teens normally end up still enjoying it.

Using a cursive font for older kids is another way to have them practice and read cursive.

Today, Tiny read The Travis Letter – “Victory or Death” and then did some easy copywork.

Grab this first activity for our newest homeschool history unit study – The Alamo below.

Copywork William B. Travis quote for a Texas or Alamo Unit Study

Also, grab Homeschool History The Alamo – 17 Free Resources.

Hugs and love ya,

Signature T

Don’t forget to follow BOTH of my Pinterest accounts for more AWESOME pins.

Visit Tina Robertson’s profile on Pinterest.


Visit Tinas Dynamic Homeschool ‘s profile on Pinterest.

Linking up @ these awesome places

Leave a CommentFiled Under: 1. My FREE Learning Printables {Any Topic}, Geography Based, History Based Tagged With: copywork, freecopywork, freeprintables, Texas, The Alamo

World War II Homeschool History: Life During the War & Pearl Harbor Minibook

September 8, 2016 | 1 Comment
This post may contain affiliate links. For more information, please see my full disclosure policy.

I have World War II homeschool history life during the war and Pearl Harbor.

Making ration cakes wasn’t the only activity we have done to study about the affects of rationing during our World War II homeschool history unit study.

The other thing I did was to use something unique we have in our family to help Tiny understand what his great-grandparents went through during wartime.

Making ration cakes wasn’t the only activity we have done to study about the affects of rationing during our World War II homeschool history unit study. The other thing I did was to use something unique we have in our family to help Tiny understand what his great-grandparents went through during wartime. Grab these free minibooks: Life During the War & Pearl Harbor | Tina's Dynamic Homeschool Plus.
ration-book-tinas-dynamic-homeschool-plus

Besides, making history relevant is key to making it captivating. So I ask my mom to dig out the couple of World War II ration books from Tiny’s great-grandfather, which has been passed down to her.

After reading them and looking through the old books, Tiny was able to understand better what it meant to ration and to live during that lifetime.

Inspired by looking over a part of our family’s history though that time period, I created two minibooks for Tiny.

One minibook, which is Life During the War gives your child a place to write about life during wartime. The other minibook, which is about Pearl Harbor gives a few quick facts about it.

Both books are also done in cursive as I’m always looking for ways for Tiny to keep his cursive reading skills up and too this is a middle and high school level unit study.

More World War II Unit Study Hands-on Activities

  • Free World War II Unit Study Ideas and Fun Lapbook
  • World War II Hands-On History – Make Ration Cakes
  • World War II Hands-On History – Make a Secret Message Deck
  • 8 World War II Historical Fiction Books for Middle School
  • World War II Free Resources For a Middle School Unit Study & Make Victory Garden Soup
  • World War II Manhattan Project,Vocabulary & A. Frank
  • World War II: Life During the War & Pearl Harbor Minibook
  • World War II: Minibooks Causes & Great Depression
  • World War II Homeschool History: Staged For War & Quick Facts Minibooks & Links
  • World War II Homeschool History Free Unit Study and Lapbook

The more the world goes digital and tries to tell me that we don’t need to read and write cursive, the more fixated I get on being sure my kids and your kids keep that skill alive. (okay, just had to say).

But back to what I saying, like most all of my minibooks, each book comes with two choices. Use the book premade with a few facts or use the blank book where your child adds his own.

Because we do our unit study and lapbooks too as we plod along, I never have lapbooks in one giant download.

I also do it this way so that you can grab just the parts you need instead of downloading minibooks you may not need.

World War II lapbook and homeschool history unit study.

Hugs and love ya,

Signature T

Don’t forget to follow BOTH of my Pinterest accounts for more AWESOME pins.

Visit Tina Robertson’s profile on Pinterest.


Visit Tinas Dynamic Homeschool ‘s profile on Pinterest.

1 CommentFiled Under: 1. My FREE Learning Printables {Any Topic}, Geography Based, History Based, History Resources, Lapbook Tagged With: freeprintables, lapbook, lapbookresources, printable, world war II

Medieval Chemistry and Homeschool History – Fun Hands-On Activity

June 22, 2016 | 19 Comments
This post may contain affiliate links. For more information, please see my full disclosure policy.

Medieval chemistry and homeschool history is about hand on today. Medieval Chemistry had early beginnings although we don’t always think about the medieval period as that time. Also, look at my free 4 week Middle Ages Unit Study for more fun.

I shared Medieval Homeschool History – 4 Surefire Ways to Beat a Boring Study when we started using Beautiful Feet living history books.

Medieval Chemistry and Homeschool History. Alchemy was a 'science' back in Medieval times. Look at this fun hands-on activity over @ Tina's Dynamic Homeschool Plus

We have been loving reading about the Middle Ages, but I wanted to add some science in with our history and reading.

Although the Middle Ages is not really known for its scientific discovery, the ‘science’ of alchemy was a popular idea.

The Forerunner of Chemistry in the Middle Ages

Trying to turn different base metals into gold I’m sure kept early alchemists busy discovering new things.

Today, I thought I would do some basic chemistry with Tiny so that he understands how early alchemist felt.

Alchemical_Laboratory

Alchemy was probably the forerunner to chemistry today.Though Tiny now knows that he can’t turn egg yolks into gold, he used to think about that.

However, he is always up for some fun chemistry.

Medieval Chemistry and Homeschool History

Look at this easy hands-on activity to do when learning about Medieval history. Color changing is about as close to gold changing as we get to today.

Grab these items.

  • 5 small jars
  • 1/2 head of red cabbage
  • sprite or I used diet 7up
  • cream of tartar
  • baking soda
  • vinegar
  • lemons or lemon juice
  • big microwavable bowl
  • colander
  • pitcher
Medieval Chemistry 1 @ Tina's Dynamic Homeschool Plus
Medieval Chemistry 2 @ Tina's Dynamic Homeschool Plus

After Tiny grabbed everything, I used half of a head of red cabbage and put enough water to cover it somewhat.

Medieval Chemistry 3 @ Tina's Dynamic Homeschool Plus
Medieval Chemistry 4 @ Tina's Dynamic Homeschool Plus

Then, we put  the bowl in the microwave for about 10 minutes.

While the cabbage is in the microwave, Tiny put a 1/2 tablespoon of vinegar in one jar, 1/2 tablespoon of lemon juice in one jar and we repeated this for each item.

One ingredient in each jar.

Medieval Chemistry 5 @ Tina's Dynamic Homeschool Plus
Medieval Chemistry 6 @ Tina's Dynamic Homeschool Plus

When the time was up for the red cabbage in the microwave, I used a colander to put on top of the pitcher and strained the juice. (Whoops, ignore my morning glass of cold iced coffee. I do love my coffee. )

Since the water is hot, it makes it easier to experiment if your kid can pour it into each jar using a small pitcher.

Because the cabbage juice is a ph balance indicator, each ingredient will turn different colors depending on it’s acidity or alkalinity.

Water has a ph balance of 7 and acids will have a lower number and alkaline items will have a higher number.

Medieval Chemistry 7 @ Tina's Dynamic Homeschool Plus
Medieval Chemistry 8 @ Tina's Dynamic Homeschool Plus

For example the lemons have a low number and the baking soda turned blue-ish because it has high alkaline.

Look at this nifty scale for understanding about ph balance.

Medieval Chemistry and Homeschool History - Fun Hands-On Activity

You can experiment with more ingredients. Just remember this is chemistry so be sure you know what you’re doing because it can be dangerous combining ingredients.

I felt pretty comfortable with these things because I did them with my oldest kids.

However, there is nothing like your youngest child being able to do the things he had just watched his older siblings doing when he was little.

Besides, this fun activity helps Tiny to get into the spirit of discovery like they did in the Medieval times.

We used Beautiful Feet’s Medieval history because we love living literature!

Medieval Chemistry and Homeschool History - Fun Hands-On Activity

Can you add a bit of chemistry to your study of Medieval history?

Also, look at Medieval History for Homeschool Middle School.

Hugs and love ya,

Signature T

Look at how we used Beautiful Feet before in When We Used Beautiful Feet Books as our History Spine and also look at How to Use a History Spine to Build Your Study of History.

19 CommentsFiled Under: Geography Based, Hands-On Activities, History Based, History Resources, My Unit Studies {Free Printables & Hands-on Ideas} Tagged With: hands on history, hands-on, hands-on activities, handson, handsonhomeschooling, history, homeschoolhistory, medieval homeschool history

22 Free Lewis & Clark Activity Posters (You Don’t Want to Miss These)

June 1, 2016 | 11 Comments
This post may contain affiliate links. For more information, please see my full disclosure policy.

I love free awesome printables. So when I found these 22 free Lewis & Clark activity posters, I just had to let you know about them.

22 Free Lewis & Clark Activity Posters. You don't want to miss these awesome free downloads to help with a plant study. Grab them at Tina's Dynamic Homeschool Plus

Lewis & Clark Free Unit Study

When I shared my Lewis & Clark – Ultimate Guide, I left these printables off below.

It wasn’t because they weren’t awesome, but quite the opposite. We have been so captivated learning with them, I wanted to be sure they didn’t get overlooked.

The printables make for a great plant study because each free download has 3 native plants and 3 invasive plants and are in pencil line drawing.

Books about Lewis and Clark

First, look at these Lewis and Clark books for kids.

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.

The copyright information says its for educational use only, so be sure you use them like that.

In addition to having a poster about the historic site with a journal entry, they have descriptions on the download.

Beside a historic place download is a game of word scramble to find the plant words in the puzzle.

Did I mention they are such high quality that the kid who loves to color can do so?

Also, I love the fact that the original spellings or should I say misspellings like ‘pirimids’ were incorporated into the lessons.

The misspellings on the site are not a blunder, but rather an integrity to the original form.

22 Awesome Lewis & Clark Plant Study Guides

Each game download gives the description and color of the native plants.

We even researched some of these plants online so we could see a color picture of them although the author’s description and background information is so very helpful.

Here are the printables from Explore Your World With Lewis and Clark.

Scroll to the very bottom of that page to grab each download. Click on the poster for the historic site, then click on the games beside it to grab both downloads on each line.

Lewis and Clark on Bountiful Plains of the Missouri : Games

Lewis and Clark sighted by the Assiniboine Indians : Games

Lewis and Clarks Quandry at Decision Point : Games

Re-discover nature at Rainbow Falls : Games

Lewis and Clark at Gates of the Rocky Mountains : Games

William Clark and his scouts at Two Camp : Games

Lewis and Clarks vista point at Pompeys Pillar : Games

A look back at the Missouri Headwaters : Games

Lewis and Clark Reunion at Camp Fortunate : Games

Lewis and Clark at the Tower Creek Pirimids : Games

Lewis and Clark along the river near Travelers Rest : Games

Don’t forget to follow BOTH of my Pinterest accounts for more AWESOME pins.

Visit Tina Robertson’s profile on Pinterest.


Visit Tinas Dynamic Homeschool ‘s profile on Pinterest.

Save

Save

11 CommentsFiled Under: 1. My FREE Learning Printables {Any Topic}, Geography Based, History Based, History Resources Tagged With: freeprintables, hands-on, hands-on activities, handsonhomeschooling, history, history resources, lapbookresources, lewis and clark, lewisandclark, printable

  • « Go to Previous Page
  • Page 1
  • Interim pages omitted …
  • Page 4
  • Page 5
  • Page 6
  • Page 7
  • Page 8
  • Interim pages omitted …
  • Page 17
  • Go to Next Page »

Primary Sidebar

Footer

Privacy Policy | About Me | Reviews | Contact | Advertise

Categories

Archives

Tina Robertson is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to amazon.com. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.

Copyright © 2025 · 5 TNT LLC · Log in · Privacy Policy