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My Unit Studies {Free Printables & Hands-on Ideas}

Best Free 4 Week Penguin Study Unit | Fun Study Packet

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I have a free 4-week penguin study unit for kids. Look at these other Best Homeschool Unit Studies for more ideas and topics for hands-on learning.

Also, I have a fun study packet if you want to dive deeper into studying penguins.

With their upright stance and short legs, penguins are recognized by their waddle.

Best Free 4 Week Penguin Study Unit | Fun Study Packet

But what makes them unique is that they are actually birds.

They have wings and are covered with feathers. They lay eggs and are warm-blooded animals.

Too, all penguin species live in the Southern Hemisphere. But they don’t all live in cold climates.

Several species live in tropical areas. For example, the Galápagos penguin is a penguin native to the Galápagos Islands of Ecuador.

It is the only penguin found north of the equator.

Additionally, there are many different kinds of penguins.

Emperor penguins are the largest species of penguin and can grow to be about four feet tall. Some other well known penguins are the King, the Macaroni, and the Adelie.

PENGUIN BOOKS FOR KIDS

Also, grab one or more of these books to your learning day.

I prefer living books when I can find them.

11 Penguin Books & Resources for Kids Who Love to Read and Be Read To

Add some of these books and resources about penguins to your learning day.

Next, look at history and geography penguin unit study ideas.

HISTORY & GEOGRAPHY PENGUIN UNIT STUDY IDEAS WEEK 1

This is the perfect time to explain the differences between the Arctic and Antarctica.

I still see pictures where penguins are in the Arctic. They are not with the Eskimo.

Penguins live in the Antarctica where there are no people albeit researchers and their teams.

NATURE & SCIENCE PENGUIN UNIT STUDY IDEAS WEEK 2

Then, this penguin unit study is obviously a strong slant toward nature and science.

Penguins or marine birds are adapted to living at sea. Some penguins spend as much as 80% of their lives in the ocean.

There are 18 different species of penguins. Look at this list of the names and where they live.

  • Galápagos – Galapagos Islands
  • Humboldt- Coasts of Chili and Peru
  • Southern Rockhopper  -Southern Chili and Southern Argentina
  • Northern Rockhopper-Tristan da Cunha and Gough Island – South Atlantic Ocean
  • Emperor -Antarctica
  • Adélie-Antarctica
  • Chinstrap-Antarctic Peninsula
  • Fiordland-Southwest coasts of the South Island in New Zealand.
  • Snares- Snares Islands south of New Zealand
  • Macaroni-Antarctic Peninsula
  • Gentoo  -Antarctic Peninsula
  • Erect-Crested-New Zealand sub-antarctic- mostly Antipodes and Bounty Islands
  • Royal-Macquarie Island, near Bishop and Clerk Islands in Australia
  • African-Southwest coast of Africa- Namibia to Port Elizabeth
  • Little- Australia and New Zealand
  • Yellow-Eyed-New Zealand
  • King- Antarctic Peninsula
  • Magellanic- Southern coasts-Argentina, Chile, and Falkland Islands.

And baby penguins are called chicks. (Sometimes they are called fledglings.) And learn how penguins care for their chicks.

Best Free 4 Week Penguin Study Unit | Fun Study Packet

Some penguins never build nests. A king or emperor penguin incubates a single egg on the top of its feet. A featherless patch of abdominal skin keeps the egg warm.

MATH & LANGUAGE ARTS PENGUIN UNIT STUDY IDEAS WEEK 3

Also, look at these vocabulary words.

predator — an animal that eats other animals
preen — to clean, arrange, and oil feathers
down — the covering of fine, soft feathers of a young bird; also the soft underfeathers of adult birds.

ARTS & CRAFTS PENGUIN UNIT STUDY IDEAS WEEK 4

Finally, look at these fun penguin arts and crafts ideas.

Next, look at this fun printable themed informational packet.

ABOUT THE PENGUIN STUDY GUIDE FOR YOUNG LEARNERS

This printable packet is a 75 page printable pdf download.

Here are some of the topics included.

  • What are penguins
  • Penguin anatomy
  • Socialization
  • Mating for life
  • Life Cycle
  • Survival
  • Diet
  • Habitat
  • Predator
  • Species
  • Emperor Penguin
  • Adélie Penguin
  • King Penguin
  • Chinstrap Penguin
  • Gentoo Penguin
  • Macaroni Penguin
  • African Penguin
  • Rockhopper Penguin
  • Little Blue Penguin
  • Galápagos Penguin
  • Penguin Quiz fill in the blanks activity
  • Penguin Quiz True or False activity
  • Penguin Quiz Multiple Choice activity
  • Anatomy Game activity
  • Sound Matching activity
  • Conservation Matching Game activity
  • Life Cycle Game activity
  • Penguin Diet Sorting Game activity
  • Penguin Word Search activity
  • Penguin Adventure activity

HOW TO GET THE PENGUIN PRINTABLE INFORMATION PACKET

You can get it now!

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Best Free 4 Week Penguin Study Unit | Fun Study Packet

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Free 4 Week Minn of the Mississippi Unit Study

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I have a free 4-week Minn of the Mississippi unit study for kids. Look at these other Best Homeschool Unit Studies for more ideas and topics for hands-on learning.

I can’t wait to share this free 4-week Minn of the Mississippi unit study with you.

It is full of wonderful geography, science, language arts and more.

Free 4 Week Minn of the Mississippi Unit Study

This children’s book by Holling C. Holling follows the journey of a snapping turtle named Minn as she makes her way down the Mississippi River.

First, Minn’s journey starts at the headwaters of the Mississippi River in Lake Itasca, Minnesota.

Then, her travels continue onto the Gulf of Mexico and she is eventually set free in Bayou Barataria near New Orleans, Louisiana.

The Mississippi River has the third largest drainage basin in the world, exceeded in size only by the watersheds of the Amazon and Congo Rivers.

It drains 41 percent of the 48 contiguous states of the United States.

Another point is that it allows for a great unit study that covers geography like map work and science topics such as animal study, environments like the river basin, ecology, and of course plenty of opportunity for language arts activities. 

Too, you can easily use it as inspiration for art lessons as well.

Also, the book is recommended for ages 8-12 but I think it is very adaptable for a little younger or a little older with a few adjustments.

Living books are still a fantastic resource for your middle school kid, don’t exclude that age just yet.

First, you’ll need to grab your own copy.

Minn of the Mississippi

The book teaches geography, history, and earth sciences through an engaging story.

Then, look at these math and language arts activities.

MATH & LANGUAGE ARTS MINN OF THE MISSISSIPPI UNIT STUDY WEEK 1

Next, this language arts activity is naturally built into the unit, it is simply to read aloud or have your child read the book independently.

Let’s work on print or cursive writing, wherever your child is and practice writing lines from the book.

Additionally, let your child choose a few sentences and use it as copywork.

In addition, review those vocabulary words!

It takes approximately 25 years for the story of Minn from the headwaters to the bayou in a Louisiana swamp.

 For younger children, talk about seasons, how many days in a week, month, year? Weeks in a year, etc…

Have your child look up the definition and copy it down for each of the following vocabulary words below.

  • Suspense
  • Rapids
  • Shimmering
  • Shallow
  • Deserted
  • Have students use the scale on a map to measure distances between key locations along the river. For example, calculate the distance between cities like Minneapolis and New Orleans.
  • For your young learners, have them keep a tally sheet of animals found along Minn’s journey.

SCIENCE MINN OF THE MISSISSIPPI UNIT STUDY WEEK 2

Play Professor Noggins Reptiles and Amphibians, this game is amazing for families to play together as each card offers questions of varying difficulties.

Free 4 Week Minn of the Mississippi Unit Study

Learn more about the Mississippi River by building a river model that includes characteristics unique to the mighty Mississippi.

This activity can be done over the course of a day or the whole week.

Have your child choose a river creature, like one mentioned in the book and research it. They can show you what they have learned via paper, or a diorama like this one about the Everglades.

Free 4 Week Minn of the Mississippi Unit Study

Create a reusable felt food pyramid that can be pulled out and used to demonstrate the food chain in any habitat. For this one we will focus on river creatures. See below for the full instructions.

Free 4 Week Minn of the Mississippi Unit Study

Food chain pyramids are five levels, known as trophic levels.  

SCIENCE WEEK 2

  • Producers: First level, at the bottom which includes pond plants and trees that drop their leaves that break down into the water. For example, trees, lily pads, and underwater plants.
  • Primary consumers:Second level from the bottom is made up of herbivores that eat mainly plants. River primary consumers are freshwater crabs, snails, and insects.
  • Secondary consumers: The third level from the bottom is  carnivores that eat herbivores, in our case frogs, fish, snakes, turtles.
  • Tertiary consumers: The fourth level up, made up of carnivores that eat other carnivores-raccoons and river otters.
  • Quaternary consumers: The fifth and final level at the top is made up of apex predators with no natural predators. For example this includes large predatory fish, alligators, and large birds like Herons.

HISTORY & GEOGRAPHY MINN OF THE MISSISSIPPI UNIT STUDY WEEK 3

Have your child locate and trace the Mississippi River on a map with their finger or a marker. This map of the river with town names gives a great overview of the path.

Or you can trace it along a scrunch map, these come in handy for a simple portable geography resource.

  • Then Build a River Model with the help of this video that demonstrates how water moves along the river system
  • In the story Minn is picked up and looked after by a Chipewa (Ojibwe) child, learn more about them with this book and recreate a wigwam, the style of homes that they lived in.

The headwaters of the Mississippi River start at Lake Itasca in Itasca State Park in Minnesota.

Find Minnesota on the map and have your child research some basic geographical facts about it using books or Google.

  • Abbreviation:MN
  • Capital:St. Paul
  • Biggest City: Minneapolis
  • Nickname:The North Star State
  • State Bird: Common Loon

Learn about what a river is and the parts of a river. A river is a body of water that flows across the land, usually starting from a high point, such as a mountain, and ending at a lower point, such as a lake or the ocean.

HISTORY & GEOGRAPHY STUDY WEEK 3

  • Riverbanks-Riverbanks are the sides of a river. Riverbanks can be made of different materials, such as sand, gravel, or rock.
  • Source-The source of a river is the place where it begins. This could be a spring, a glacier, or a lake. The source is often located at a high point, such as a mountain.
  • Tributaries-Tributaries are smaller rivers or streams that flow into a larger river. Tributaries help to increase the flow of water in the river and can also bring in sediment and nutrients.
  • Main Channel-The main channel of a river is the deepest and widest part of the river. This is where the water flows the fastest.
  • Floodplain-The floodplain is the area of land that is next to a river. The floodplain is often flooded during heavy rains or when the river overflows its banks.
  • Meanders-Meanders are bends in a river. Meanders are formed when the water in a river flows around obstacles, such as rocks or trees.
  • Oxbow Lakes-Oxbow lakes are crescent-shaped lakes that are formed when a meander is cut off from the main channel of a river.
  • Delta-A delta is a fan-shaped area of land that is formed at the mouth of a river. Deltas are formed when the sediment that is carried by the river is deposited in the ocean.
  • Estuary-An estuary is a wide, often funnel-shaped, mouth of a river where the seawater mixes with the freshwater from the river.
Free 4 Week Minn of the Mississippi Unit Study

ARTS & CRAFTS MINN OF THE MISSISSIPPI UNIT STUDY WEEK 4

Draw or paint  a model of a river system with watercolor, markers, or crayons.

A great art and geography as well as science lesson all rolled into one.

Free 4 Week Minn of the Mississippi Unit Study

OTHER BEST UNIT STUDIES

Felt River Food Pyramid

You will need:

  • 5 sheets of felt-various colors
  • Plastic river animals
  • Scissors
  • Glue gun/sticks
  • Ruler
Free 4 Week Minn of the Mississippi Unit Study

First, for the main piece that will serve as a base I recommend using a larger piece of felt , like  the 12×18 sheets.

Measure a triangle 12 in across by 16 to 18 in tall using a ruler and pencil.

Free 4 Week Minn of the Mississippi Unit Study

Cut out the triangle.

To create the different levels of the pyramid layer smaller pieces of felt behind it line them up where you would like them to be in Trace with a pencil.

Free 4 Week Minn of the Mississippi Unit Study

Cut each level out leaving them slightly wider than the base piece.

Hot glue each strip down into its proper position.

Free 4 Week Minn of the Mississippi Unit Study

Flip the entire thing over and trim everything up nicely and evenly with your scissors.

Free 4 Week Minn of the Mississippi Unit Study

Now have your child layer each of the river animals where they fall on the food pyramid using whatever plastic animals you have on hand or you can print animals off the internet, cut out magazines, or use flashcards.

Lewis & Clark Free Mighty Mississippi Book and Easy Sediment Activity

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I have a Lewis and Clark Mighty Mississippi book and hands-on sediment activity. Also, look at Lewis and Clark Fun Homeschool Unit Study and Lapbook and Hands-On Simple And Best Homeschool Geography Ideas & Tips for more ideas.

This past week we have bee reading about the Great River, The Big Muddy, Father of Waters, Old Man River, and an American Treasure otherwise known as the Mighty Mississippi River.

Lewis & Clark Free Mighty Mississippi Book and Easy Sediment Activity

Today, I have the Lewis & Clark – Mighty Mississippi book & sediment activity to tell you about.

After digging into this topic, the Mississippi River alone could be a super fun and awesome unit study on its own. It has just been a fascinating topic and more than I planned for this past week.

Ojibwe – Big Muddy

We got bogged down (corny pun intended) on this study because we just didn’t want to move on too quick.

Mississippi River Guide

What sidetracked us was finding this really super helpful and well-laid out fun downloadable packet from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.

Download this awesome and free 352 page pdf. from the Corps of Engineering. Super resource!

At first glance, it said it is about 5/6th grade level, but after looking at it, there were also activities for lower grades and for 7th to 12th grade.

It is truly a multiple age unit study.

Lewis and Clark Mighty Mississippi @ Tina's Dynamic Homeschool Plus

It is a unit study with science, geography and even history tied in together on this download.

There are game cards, lots of hands-on activities and I love the writing suggestions for high school.

We just couldn’t resist reading over it and doing some of the activities.

Sediment Activity 1 @ Tina's Dynamic Homeschool Plus1Sediment Activity 2 @ Tina's Dynamic Homeschool Plus1
We did this easy activity to show sediment as we talked about hydrologist and what they used to measure water temperature, ph, dissolved oxygen and salinity.

Pretty cool stuff to read about considering I didn’t know there was so much stuff to learn about water.

For the sediment bottle, we gathered sticks, dirt, different size rocks, twigs and even some litter and Tiny made a paper funnel to put it in the bottle.

Add water and shake it well.

We took a picture right after doing the activity and then about an hour afterward, we looked at the bottle again to see the difference.

Sediment Activity 3 @ Tina's Dynamic Homeschool Plus   Sediment Activity 4 @ Tina's Dynamic Homeschool Plus
It was a quick activity for things we had around the house.

And easy as the activity was to do, it really makes the point of helping Tiny to remember how sediment is the stuff that gets swept along by the river and then settles to the riverbed when the flow slows down.

Big Muddy free minibook about the Mississippi River @ Tina's Dynamic Homeschool Plus1Big Muddy free minibook about the Mississippi River 2 @ Tina's Dynamic Homeschool Plus1
Learning about legends surrounding the river, the many people who traveled alongside it and stories told about the Mighty Mississippi, which covers a huge part of the states, it’s a great geography topic to spend some time on.

We stayed on it, like I mentioned, longer than I planned, but then again you know that is why we do unit studies. We don’t want to be told to move on.

MORE LEWIS AND CLARK ACTIVITIES

Next, look at the Lewis and Clark lapbook.

LEWIS AND CLARK LAPBOOK

Lewis & Clark Free Mighty Mississippi Book and Easy Sediment Activity

You can purchase this lapbook now.

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

That means when you sign up to follow me, you get my emails in your inbox and you get this freebie.

HOW TO GET THE FREE MIGHTY MISSISSIPPI RIVER MINIBOOK

1) CLICK HERE ON THIS LINK TO SIGN UP ON MY EMAIL LIST & TO GET THIS FREEBIE.

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4 Week Free China Unit Study & Best Hands-on Ideas

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I have a free 4-week China unit study for kids. Look at these other Best Homeschool Unit Studies for more ideas and topics for hands-on learning.

China is one of the world’s oldest civilizations.

So, this unit study for multiple ages is geared toward Ancient China.

4 Week Free China Unit Study & Best Hands-on Ideas

In addition, we are focusing on China’s rich history, culture, food, animals, inventions, and landmarks.

However, because this is a multiple age study topics like the Opium Wars and the philosophical views of Confucianism, Taoism, Buddhism I feel are for older students.

Too, I will list famous people in history which will give your children a feel for the period.

ANCIENT CHINA BOOKS FOR KIDS

First, living books and picture books bring this period to life.

When possible, I try to always include reading of living books. Then I add reference books to our list.

12 Ancient China Books & Resources For Kids Who Love Reading and Being Read To

Add some of these books to your home library about Ancient China. Also, use them for a homeschool unit study.

Let’s dive into some of the history and geography.

HISTORY & GEOGRAPHY CHINA UNIT STUDY IDEAS WEEK 1

First, here are a few of the major dynasties:

  • Xia Dynasty
  • Shang Dynasty
  • Zhou Dynasty
  • Qin Dynasty
  • Han Dynasty

Besides the many fascinating dynasties that have existed in China, there are many beautiful geographical landmarks.

  • The History Unboxed -Ancient China Unboxed is affordable and includes some really neat information as well as hands on activities like -Coloring the Great Wall, excavate your own ancient Chinese replica artifact, taste an ancient preparation of tea, decorate and fly an ancient style of kite, and making a magnetic compass.
  • Also, for younger kids look at this fun printable All About China book. Scroll to the bottom for the free pdf link.

GEOGRAPHICAL FEATURES OF CHINA

  • Yellow River (Huang He). The second-longest river in China.
  • Yangtze River. The longest river in China and Asia.
  • Great Wall of China. It wasn’t just a wall but a fortification to protect them from invasions.
  • Himalayas. The highest mountain range in the world.
  • Gobi Desert. A large desert in northern China and southern Mongolia.

And here are some historical people to research.

Confucius, Qin Shi Huang, Laozi, Zheng He and although not really ancient, Qiu Jin is celebrated as a heroine.

Marco Polo traveled along the Silk Road in the 13th century and wrote about his adventures in China. We did a whole unit study about him.

NATURE & SCIENCE CHINA UNIT STUDY IDEAS WEEK 2

Another fun topic to discuss about their contributions to inventions.

For example, there is paper, a compass, gunpowder, and silk.

Also, learn about some of the animals and plants and trees in China.

MATH & LANGUAGE ARTS CHINA UNIT STUDY IDEAS WEEK 3

Also, look at these hands-on math and language arts ideas.

  • Build the Wall of China. We did ours with paper. Look at my post How To Make The Great Wall Of China Out Of Paper. But measure the length and width and calculate how long it will need to stretch across your dining room table.
  • Investigate Ancient Chinese currency like the bronze coin and cowry shells.
  • Research about the Chinese calendar which is a lunar calendar and compare with the Gregorian calendar.
  • Read ancient Chinese folktales like The Monkey King and The Legend of Mulan. Look at this Paper Doll Mulan Craft for Kids.
  • Comparing Ancient Chinese and Western Literary works.
4 Week Free China Unit Study & Best Hands-on Ideas

ARTS & CRAFTS CHINA UNIT STUDY WEEK 4

Finally, look at some of these fun arts and crafts to do along your unit study.

A lot of Ancient China then like now is rural.

However, China was home to some of the most advanced cities on earth.

Not only did they excel in architect like the monasteries but their people learned poetry, how to play a musical instrument and performed beautiful dances.

What part of Ancient China are you focusing on?

15 Best Children’s Books About The Trail Of Tears

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I have the 15 best children’s books about the Trail of Tears. Also, look at my Free The Trail Of Tears For Kids Fun Unit Study Ideas And Lapbook for more hands-on ideas.

I have listed some for young elementary, but I feel a middle school student would enjoy them too.

You know that is one reason why I am so passionate about unit studies because you can include all ages.

15 Best Children's Books About The Trail Of Tears

It was hard to find books that hit about middle school for Tiny, but I found a few he liked.

First, the Trail of Tears is a very sad time in American history.

And it’s one best seen through the eyes of those that walked the trail.

Living books bring to life the topic you’re studying.

It certainly is such a sad topic to teach about, but our children need to see the sad and ugly side of history too, which is why I am trying to keep this unit study for upper elementary grades and higher.

TRAIL OF TEARS UNIT STUDY

Also, a couple of the books listed below I am using for information in the lapbook because they have good reference material.

Look at my list and here is my original list, then I added a few more later.

Some are repeats when we studied it again, but added a few more. Besides some books are just worth reading it again ad again.

  • The Trail of Tears (Step into Reading) This is a great book to include your younger kids. I love the fact that at this age, it should not give the ugly side yet of the way the U.S. treated Native Americans.  It should introduce them to a love of the culture.  All three of my boys read this book when they were younger.
  • The Trail of Tears (American Moments) This is one of the books Tiny read, which I feel could be for a middle school kid. The age level says 9 years old, but again, there is so much background information  that enriches this subject that it would be meaty enough for a middle school child. It has a  helpful timeline in the back and lots of pictures.
  • The Trail of Tears: A History Just for Kids  This is another one we have and though it doesn’t give the age, it is jam packed full of information that a middle school child would find interesting.I like how it presents a question for thought, then proceeds to give background information and explain it.
  • Soft Rain: A Story of the Cherokee Trail of Tears A book about a 9 year old little girl that has to move and leave her home. So sad.

BOOKS ABOUT THE TRAIL OF TEARS

15 TRAIL OF TEARS BOOKS FOR KIDS WHO LOVE TO READ AND BE READ TO

Add one or two of these books to your home library or for your unit study about the Trail of Tears.

More Trail of Tears Activities

15 Best Children's Books About The Trail Of Tears
15 Best Children's Books About The Trail Of Tears
15 Best Children's Books About The Trail Of Tears
15 Best Children's Books About The Trail Of Tears
15 Best Children's Books About The Trail Of Tears
15 Best Children's Books About The Trail Of Tears
15 Best Children's Books About The Trail Of Tears
15 Best Children's Books About The Trail Of Tears

HOW TO GET THE FREE TRAIL OF TEARS LAPBOOK

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

1) CLICK HERE ON THIS LINK TO SIGN UP ON MY EMAIL LIST & TO GET THIS FREEBIE.
2) Grab the freebie now.
3) Last, look for all my emails in your inbox. Glad to have you following me!