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French Revolution Unit Study + Beheaded. The Guillotine Mini Book

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

French Guillotine 1 French Guillotine| The French Revolution| Tina's Dynamic Homeschool Plus

Tiny was all ears or is that all heads up (ha ha corny, I know I am a geek) when we studied the next sub-topic in our unit study.  When it comes to gore, why are our kids so heads up about topics like this?

Well it’s no doubt this topic was fascinating, but at the same time it would make quite the essay for a high school topic on capital punishment.  We touched on some of that in our school day, but mainly we focused on some of the science and history behind the guillotine because of Tiny’s age.

A lot of our facts and reading came from the Learning Through History magazine which is not printed anymore, but you can still buy the cds.  We have the issue on the French Revolution and it had some note worthy facts about the guillotine.

Here are a few:

  • The machine weighed around 1300 pounds or about the weight of a small car.
  • The guillotine metal blade weighed 88 pounds.
  • The height of the guillotine was around 14 feet tall or about the top of a basketball goal.
  • The falling blade had a rate of speed of about 21 feet/second, faster than a fastball thrown in a baseball game.
  • The beheading took 2/100 of a second, quicker than you blink.
  • The time for the guillotine blade to fall down to the victim took 1/70 of a second, quicker than you can say guillotine.

Because the guillotine remained the official French form of execution until 1981, when the death penalty was abolished, there is some footage about guillotines on YouTube.  At least one of them is real.

I really did not see the learning value of allowing Tiny to watch them, so I am not listing any here.

I focused more on the facts stated above.  There is a book that is for ages 12+ that was recommended in the magazine if you want to look at it.  We had enough information with the magazine, but it certainly is worth a look at the history of it and if you want something more age appropriate.

The guillotine is a noteworthy invention by the France to a terrible problem of how people were executed.  Prior to the guillotine, people were burned at the stake, drawn and quartered or pulled apart by horse or oxen.

I think that is enough to introduce at Tiny’s age and since I wanted him to focus on some of the science or facts behind it, it allowed us to study this topic and it not be all about the French terror.

Download the The French Guillotine minibook here.

Soon, I will be showing you the placement of the minibooks on the file folder.

Are you caught up with us yet?

Hugs and love ya,

2012Tinasignature How To Shop For History Curriculum at a Homeschool Convention + Printable Cheat Sheet

See more of our posts about the French Revolution!

Free Printable Minibook–Timeline of Events Leading Up to the French Revolution

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

I am going to keep plugging along on our unit study as long as we can.  I won’t stop on them until we have a firm date on our move.

So I have the next minibook ready today.  It is a minibook based on events leading up to the French Revolution.  Basically, it is a mini timeline.

Free Printable Minibook–Timeline of Events Leading Up to the French Revolution

Like a lot of my minibooks in which I am not testing my children’s scissor and cutting skills, this one is no different. 

So the first version has the pictures and information with the key dates already in it.

Because I do test my children on recall of information we have been reading together, I have a second version of this minibook that does not have any information filled in. 

It can be filled in with their own well researched facts.

You decide which version to use with your crew.

French Revolution Lapbook Minibooks

Next, look at the minibooks which come in this free download.

  • Beethoven and the Revolution
  • The Guillotine – The French Terror
  • Timeline of Events Leading up the French Revolution
  • 3 Estates – French Society
  • Causes of the French Revolution layered book
  • Queen Marie Antoinette and King Louis XVI
  • What is the Directory, What is the Reign of Terror and What is the Sans Culottes

How to Get the Free Lapbook

This is a subscriber freebie.

That means when you sign up to follow me, you get access to my subscribers library and this freebie.

However, not all my freebies are in the library (wink).

I like to keep up to date with what is valuable to you so I can give you more.

So, some freebies you must sign up again on the form below even if you are already a follower.

Sign up again like you’re resubscribing, but you’re not. You get the freebie instantly when you’re a confirmed follower.

It’s the only way I have of freely delivering them to you. Just follow the steps below if you’re not a follower.

► 1) Sign up on my list.
► 2) Go to your inbox and confirm your email from the automatic reply I sent you. 
 ►3) Last step. look for my reply AFTER you’ve confirmed your email.

If you missed the other posts in this series, you can grab them below.

Free Printable Minibook–Timeline of Events Leading Up to the French Revolution
Free Printable Minibook–Timeline of Events Leading Up to the French Revolution
Free Printable Minibook–Timeline of Events Leading Up to the French Revolution
Free Printable Minibook–Timeline of Events Leading Up to the French Revolution
Free Printable Minibook–Timeline of Events Leading Up to the French Revolution

Beethoven & The French Revolution Minibook (Music Unit Study)

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

French Revolution & Beethoven Collage

So you know we have been trying to get one more unit study in before we have to think about moving. {I think we can, I think we can.}

Zeezok Publishing Review

But, one thing I have not told you about yet that we love, is that I have been reviewing The Music Appreciation Collection by Zeezok Publishing.

Before I say anything else, let me just pause and say “Wow”!  I had no idea that we would love it so much and that it would be so extensive with background information on the life of each music composer and not just music CDs.

Zeezok Publishing Review Beethoven Lapbook and Reader

Though I do say it from time to time, I want you to know too that I do not accept every offer made to me for free curriculum to review.  But, when I do accept I am thinking it would make a great fit for our family and this curriculum is no exception. 

It tops the favorites list too and we are not finished with it yet.   One thing that appealed to me right away are the lapbooks on each composer as well as the beautiful readers.

Zeezok Publishing Review Activity Book

(activity book with a variety of extensive activities)

I won’t be posting the review until next month, but just wanted you to get a sneak peek.

Because we have been learning so much from it, I wanted to share a connection to our French Revolution unit study and that is about Beethoven. 

We were delighted to know that our composer study lined up with our unit study.  I had no way of knowing that of course when I accepted the offer.  So this was a nice surprise.

Though I recalled the time period that Beethoven lived in, I knew he was not from France.  But, after using Zeezok’s Music Appreciation activity book we realized that the French Revolution did affect Beethoven. 

Sure he knew about the French Revolution because it was a significant event of that time period, but I didn’t really know any details.  The activity for the lesson pointed out that he could not travel to Vienna because the city was not safe because of the uprising.

Too, he very much was affected by the bombing of Napoleon Bonaparte.  Though technically, Austria was bombed when Napoleon Bonaparte was emperor, it had its roots in the French Revolution.

French Revolution & Beethoven @ Tina's Dynamic Homeschool Plus

Because we are doing a full lapbook from Zeezok on Beethoven coming up next month, I created this free minibook to go with our current unit study about the French Revolution. 

We are using it to note a few facts about Beethoven so that Tiny remembers he lived during this time period.

Download the free minibook on Beethoven here.

I love it when we discover an unplanned music tie in to our unit study.  Do you seize those moments too?

Grab these other fun things

Hugs and love ya,

French Revolution Unit Study + Free Copywork

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

Today, I have free copywork for the A Tale of Two Cities.

We are moving along slow, but sure on our French Revolution unit study. Trying to pack and declutter the house to get ready to move has taken priority.  I knew it would this month.

A Tale of Two Cities Free Copywork - French Revolution Unit Study

Just in case you don’t know Jim Weiss, he is the best storyteller in the homeschool world. Through the years, he has read many stories to us. 

He has available so many classics and history stories that are worth every dollar that I have spent on them.

He and his wife, Randy are great persons too.  For two years in a row at one convention, me and Kelley’s booth was right next to their booth.

Kelley of New Bee Homeschooler and Randy at Greathall Productions

So we got to visit with them and know them a little better.  I took this picture real quick of Randy and Kelley before the show started.

Jim’s voice is so unique and soothing and the way he can change it too amazes me. We all get lost in his storytelling.

Though I loved the free reading of A Tale of Two Cities, this was one story we just had to hear from Jim Weiss.  So I went ahead and purchased it.

The boys are almost finished listening to it. So I went ahead and prepared some copywork for Tiny.

French Revolution Unit Study + Free Copywork

Copywork is not just for young kids, but it has restorative value through all their years.  Sure, it is about learning to write when they do it in the early years.  In the later years, penning and storing beautiful words in their mind and heart is about treasuring those words from great literature.

We like it a lot in our home and I always tend to make my own copywork.

Today, I have copywork from the first paragraph of A Tale of Two Cities for the famous opening lines.

Download A Tale of Two Cities Copywork Here.

Also, I created the copywork with a little older child in mind because there is always oodles of stuff for the real young child, but not much that is not so babyish for the older elementary child.

Whether you have younger children or older you can use the 4 pages in several ways.  One way is to do the pages in cursive like we do and do 2 pages one day and the other 2 pages the next day.  Another way for a younger child is to simply print the text as shown and do a line or two a day.

Whatever you do, go your child’s pace and keep it fun.

Next, grab the free French Revolution Lapbook.

More French Revolution Activities

6 Books For Kids About or Set in the French Revolution Time

Although the French Revolution is not easy to learn about, great books can bring a subject to life.

The Scarlet Pimpernel by Baroness Orczy

The novel is set during the Reign of Terror following the start of the French Revolution. The title is the nom de guerre of its hero and protagonist, a chivalrous Englishman who rescues aristocrats before they are sent to the guillotine. Sir Percy Blakeney leads a double life: apparently nothing more than a wealthy fop, but in reality a formidable swordsman and a quick-thinking master of disguise and escape artist. The band of gentlemen who assist him are the only ones who know of his secret identity. He is known by his symbol, a simple flower, the scarlet pimpernel.

A Tale of Two Cities: (150th Anniversary Edition) (Signet Classics)

A Tale of Two Cities is Charles Dickens’s great historical novel, set against the violent upheaval of the French Revolution. The most famous and perhaps the most popular of his works, it compresses an event of immense complexity to the scale of a family history, with a cast of characters that includes a bloodthirsty ogress and an antihero as believably flawed as any in modern fiction. Though the least typical of the author’s novels, A Tale of Two Cities still underscores many of his enduring themes—imprisonment, injustice, social anarchy, resurrection, and the renunciation that fosters renewal.

In Search of Honor

In Search of Honor is historical fiction by Donnalynn Hess set in the late 1700s during the violent days of the French Revolution. This Christian fiction for teens tells of young Jacques Chenier who is trapped in a
prison stronger than the Bastille, a prison of bitterness. Jacques wants revenge for his father, his mother, his fellow artisans, and for himself. But escaping from a prison of the heart is no easy task. In Search of Honor is the story of this young man’s struggle for justice and truth.

Scaramouche

Set in 17th century Italy, it tells the story of a young man who is driven to seek justice against a powerful and oppressive oppressor. Through thrilling twists and turns, Scaramouche must confront his own inner demons and risk his life to save his people. With thrilling action, a compelling hero, and a deep exploration of justice, Scaramouche is a must-read for fans of historical fiction. Featuring Sabatini's signature swashbuckling style and vivid writing, Scaramouche is sure to captivate readers and leave them with a lasting impression of its timeless themes.

In the Reign of Terror: A Story of the French Revolution (Dover Children's Classics)

Return to the tumultuous days of the French Revolution with this captivating tale of adventure and courage. Join Harry Sandwith, a young Englishman, as he accepts a job as a companion to the sons of a French marquis. Follow Harry and his aristocratic friends as they're swept from their idyllic life at a country estate to the riotous streets of Paris and the very gates of the Bastille. Can Harry rescue the marquis' family from imprisonment and certain death at the hands of the merciless mob?Author George Alfred Henty specialized in creating novels for young readers that blend authentic historical facts with exciting fictional characters. Famed as "The Prince of Storytellers," Henty wrote more than 140 books. Generations of schoolchildren have thrilled to his vivid novels, which continue to fire young imaginations with their spirited tales of adventure amid exciting historical eras.

The Lacemaker and the Princess

ELEVEN-YEAR-OLD ISABELLE IS A LACEMAKER IN THE TOWN OF VERSAILLES. One day as she delivers lace to the palace, she is almost trampled by a crowd of courtiers -- only to be rescued by Marie Antoinette. Before Isabelle can believe it, she has a new job -- companion to the queen's daughter. Isabelle is given a fashionable name, fashionable dresses -- a new identity. At home she plies her needle under her grandmother's disapproving eye. At the palace she is playmate to a princess. Thrown into a world of luxury, Isabelle is living a fairy-tale life. But this facade begins to crumble when rumors of starvation in the countryside lead to whispers of revolution. How can Isabelle reconcile the ugly things she hears in the town with the kind family she knows in the palace? And which side is she truly on? Inspired by an actual friendship between the French princess and a commoner who became her companion, Kimberly Brubaker Bradley offers a vivid portrait of life inside the palace of Versailles -- and a touching tale of two friends divided by class and the hunger for equality and freedom that fueled the French Revolution.

French Revolution Lapbook Minibooks

Next, look at the minibooks which come in this free download.

  • Beethoven and the Revolution
  • The Guillotine – The French Terror
  • Timeline of Events Leading up the French Revolution
  • 3 Estates – French Society
  • Causes of the French Revolution layered book
  • Queen Marie Antoinette and King Louis XVI
  • What is the Directory, What is the Reign of Terror and What is the Sans Culottes

How to Get the Free Lapbook

This is a subscriber freebie.

That means when you sign up to follow me, you get access to my subscribers library and this freebie.

However, not all my freebies are in the library (wink).

I like to keep up to date with what is valuable to you so I can give you more.

So, some freebies you must sign up again on the form below even if you are already a follower.

Sign up again like you’re resubscribing, but you’re not. You get the freebie instantly when you’re a confirmed follower.

It’s the only way I have of freely delivering them to you. Just follow the steps below if you’re not a follower.

► 1) Sign up on my list.
► 2) Go to your inbox and confirm your email from the automatic reply I sent you. 
 ►3) Last step. look for my reply AFTER you’ve confirmed your email.

South America Unit Study–Vocabulary & Copy work

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

Today I have the next part of our unit study on South America ready.  I have vocabulary words and copy work.

South America Unit Study–Vocabulary & Copy work

Because I had to get so many last minute details done for the party and because I have been working with Tiny on composition this year, I wanted to keep the vocabulary words fun too instead of listening to the whining and moaning doing lots of writing.

Vocabulary Words South America Unit @ Tinas Dynamic Homeschool Plus

So I made the words to be used in one of two ways. You can cut them out, fold in half, glue and use like flash cards. The word is on the front and the definition is on the back. Or, you can cut the strip in half and do a mix/match where you have them match the word to the definition. Either way is a lot more fun than writing, which right now Tiny has an aversion to.

Letter by Simon Bolivar South America Unit @ Tinas Dynamic Homeschool Plus

Today, he will be doing some easy copy work. We read a short passage or a letter, a primary source, written by Simon Bolivar about how he wanted to unite South America. So it was perfect to use for our copy work.

You know I told you that I have all my boys do copy work for a long time, even into high school and that I sneak some in too for myself at night.  I am a true believer and fan of copy work because you can just concentrate on the beauty of words or ideas at the moment and can either be inspired or not. There is no analysis or etymology, it is just you and the delight of words. It’s a way too of igniting a love of writing and vocabulary for a victim of burnout.

Enjoy the newest printables for our unit study. I will be working on getting my photos together of our graduation party so I can share with you and getting my house whipped back into some kind of shape today.

South America Printable Minibooks

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

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

More South America Unit Study Resources

Ocean Currents and The Galapagos1

How to Get the Free South America Printable Lapbook

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

That means when you sign up to follow me, you get access to my subscribers library and this freebie.

However, not all my freebies are in the library (wink).

I like to keep up to date with what is valuable to you so I can give you more, some freebies you must sign up again on the form below even if you are already a follower.

And it’s the only way I have of freely delivering them to you. Just follow the steps below.

► 1) Sign up on my list.
► 2) Go to your inbox and confirm your email from the automatic reply I sent you. If you’re already a confirmed subscriber, you will not have to do this. You’ll receive the freebie instantly.
 ►3) Last step. look for my reply AFTER you’ve confirmed your email.