Here are some of our pictures from this year’s co-op. We couldn’t include all of them but we just shared a taste of the all day fun we had. We had a backdrop painted by the kids and in the center of our backdrop we had our theme.
This is how we spent our day and the activities included:
Morning
Singing Greensleeves
Performing Robin Hood
Performing Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet
Reciting Poetry
Display of Lapbooks
Afternoon
Renaissance Actors to entertain us
Listening to “Shakespeare”
Learning dances and songs of the era
Watch this beautiful you tube video and the music we follow:
The French and Indian War was between 1754 to 1763.
Note about the paintings The Prize, Frontiersman I and Coming to Trade were all done by artist John Buxton. I have retained permission to use them for this unit study only.Please do not copy and paste them in other places as he makes his livelihood by selling them, but has given permission for us to use them here only for educational purposes.
Please respect his copyright terms with us and the effort and time we have taken to contact him and receive permission by not placing our work on your site but placing a link. His website is buxtonart.com if you wish to purchase any of his beautiful paintings.
French and Indian War 1754 -1763
{The French General Louis Montcalm in discussions with the American Natives}
The Governor of Virginia and the Governor of Canada are quarreling about lands which belong to us and their quarrel may end in our destruction “ – Hendrick, Mohawk Leader
(About the picture on the right: This engraving was sold in London after Hendrick’s death in the Battle of Lake George. He wears the uniform of a British officer and a veil, his customary battle dress. He holds a belt of wampum in his left hand.)
The French and British discovered prior to the French and Indian war that they were claiming lands that were not empty.
The Iroquois had been in the New York State for several hundred years before Europeans arrived. The British and French tried to get different Indian tribes on their side, including the Iroquois.
You can do a unit study on the Iroquois Confederacy or include some of that with this unit. Go hereandhere for our lapbooks.
It was a war to answer the question: which would be the stronger power in North America – England or France?
How many names does this war have anyway?
1. From the British point of view this war became to be known as the French and Indian War 2.Seven Years’ War {Note: Even though the dates given are 9 years, the war didn’t officially start until 1756.} 3. The French who lived in Canada called it the Guerre de la Conquete (War of Conquest). The French saw the British as conquerors who took away their land.
Later U.S. historians named it the French and Indian War.
Background of the War/ Roots in Europe
The Seven Years. War was fought not only in North America but also in the Caribbean, throughout Europe, and in India and Africa. It was part of a wide conflict that began among European powers.
The French were exploring the interior of North America while English colonists were settling the eastern coast. By the late 1600s, French explorers had claimed the Ohio River Valley, the Mississippi River Valley and the entire Great Lakes Region
Warring over land was fairly common. In the 1700’s monarchs ruled Europe. They had split up the continent and their word was law. Rulers obtained land through various means either through marriages or through exploration. They would explore new lands and claim them for their country regardless of the people who were living there.
Explorers from Spain, Portugal, France and England traveled the world. When they came across lands that no other European power owned they would claim them as their own.
What the British and French claimed land, they discovered that not really any of it was empty. Many American Indian nations lived and hunted across North America.
By the mid 1700’s, France and Britain were two powerful empires both wanting claims to the same territory.
About French Trading The French first explored the Mississippi River and eastern Canada. It claimed these lands calling them the New Franc. French traders and trappers traveled over this area and traded with the Indians. They also trapped animal for their furs.
The furs were then sold in Europe to make clothing and hats. Most of the money from this trade was going to the French government.
It wasn’t long before French Traders were looking for new areas to trap and explore. They started looking at the Ohio Territory.
What was the importance of the Ohio Territory?
The Ohio Country was the meeting point of three major rivers. Rivers were major transportation routes. Also rivers were the fastest way to travel through the interior of North America.
This area was rich in natural resources like timber, fur bearing animals and minerals.
By the 1750’s, the French were expanding fur trade with the Indians and began to build a series of forts along Lake Ontario and to the South.
A new governor named the Marquis Duquesne arrived to command New France. Duquesne order a fort to be built at the forks of the Ohio River.
Holding Fort Duquesne {pronounced “doo kane”} on the Ohio River was a key step toward controlling the rivers.
A few of the key players
At 21 years old, George Washington was a surveyor and had enlisted as a major in the Virginia Militia.
He volunteered to deliver a letter from Robert Dinwiddie, Governor of the British Colony of Virginia to the French at Fort LeBoeuf warning them to leave the Ohio Territory that the British had claimed.
He lead many battles during the French and Indian War.
{George Washington}
Major General Edward Braddock. British commander of the first disastrous attack on Fort Duquesne.
{Edward Braddock}
Governor of Virginia {Robert Dinwiddie}
General James Wolfe, British Commander and General Louis Joseph de Montcalm, French Commander killed at the Battle of Quebec. {James Wolfe and Louis Montcalm}
Ottawa Chief who united many Indian Nations to resist British expansion into Indian Lands.
Picture of Lapbook layout
Notebooking Pages.
What we found too is that not a lot exists as far lesson plans and other printables for this time period. We have found some and will link what we find here and too as in all of our units, we revisit them from time to time to add information.
How to Download theFree French and Indian War Lapbook
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Links I like
Educator’s Guide from PBS. This one was the best one. You can use it for your older children to compare Captives/Captors printable above. About Fur Trade. A nice explanation of some of the history of fur trade which was a significant factor in this war.
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It has been tempting to jump ship (hee hee, corny pun) in our ocean unit study and study about all the cool marine life. But I felt like we needed to stay focused just a bit more on the actual geography and science behind how the water moves.
So today I have the ocean currents minibook ready. I wanted Tiny to take time in today’s lesson to think and pause about the wonders below.
It is important to me that Tiny understands that ocean currents are like giant “rivers” of water and they probably could make any mighty river we can physically see as miniature by comparison. You know this is the part of the unit study where I want to build his awe for creation.
I think this part of studying oceanography has to be one of the fascinating parts to understanding the vastness of the ocean.
Bottom line: We are soaking up our study of the ocean and loving it! On the next post on our Ocean Lapbook, I will show you the layout of the minibooks. I normally like to get three or so minibooks made before I show you the layout and oh yes, I have the cover page coming too.
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Yikes, we did it! Our house is finally listed for sale. I thought I would share a few pictures of it because I have been talking about it for months as we have been getting it ready to sell.
You know I like things not so cluttered, but I still had to move out a good amount of stuff for pictures. Plus you know I have been sharing pictures with you as my furniture sells. So I have to constantly rearrange furniture so we can have a place to sit and do school,etc.
I love our saltwater pool with waterfalls. It is a tranquil place outside.
This is part of my front living room area.
I cleared off my kitchen stuff for the picture, but my kitchen is basically open to the rest of the house. Though I don’t know this picture might make it look small, but it is a bit bigger.
I love my office and this is my “sanctuary” and place where I blog to you from. I had to close one shutter because the light was too blinding for the picture, but I LOVE light and I normally have both shutters wide open.
Those are just a few pictures. As soon as I take some more, I will share them with you.
In between getting ready for that and 1001 things you need to do to get ready for a big move, we have been trying to scoot along on our Ocean Unit Study.
I have been determined to school as long as we can because I know we will have one longggggggg interruption and I think I have come to peace with that notion.
Why are we our own worst enemies when it comes to meting out grace for ourselves?
Today, I have vocabulary words ready for our Ocean Unit Study along with a wave pocket.
Remember I try to aim a lot of my lapbooks for about middle school age if I can. It’s so easy to find printables and projects on this subject for the younger grades, but tough to find hands-on things as our kids hit the middle grades to high school. I am determined to keep it both fun and hands-on all the way to high school.
Ocean Unit Study: Vocabulary Words
So I do use cursive font and try to steer away from babyish looking clip art where possible to keep lapbooking likable for the older kids too.
Tiny also decided to do some coloring on this lapbook for a cover page. I will share that in an upcoming post too.
I have been trying to do easy and fun homeschooling projects.
Well that sounds better than saying I’m a bad homeschooling momma because I have done the fun metamorphic edible rocks with my older boys, but not Tiny.
Actually both of those statements are true.
Metamorphic Edible Rocks & Notebooking Pages
You know what I am talking about if you have done a lot of fun hands-on things with your older children and feel that tinge of guilt inspiration to keep it fun for your younger children too.
I will be falling back on some of those ideas as we continue to sell our furniture and downsize.
Talking about downsizing, look what went this week.
The table we used in our formal dining area for our homeschool is now gone.
We will move to our breakfast table for school now.
Actually, doing our hodgepodge school has been a welcomed change since we have to do a lot of start/stops in the day to show people our furniture as they call us.
Keeping it fun and easy is key for right now and making edible metamorphic rocks works today.
Too, this fun and easy recipe is great to do with all your kids even though the older ones may know the basic differences in rocks.
First, look at some of these fun books about rocks.
Books about Rocks for Kids Who Love Rocks
I love living books when I can find them, then add other reference books to our reading diet.
6 Rock Unit Study Books & Fun Resources
Whatever grade you're teaching, you'll love adding one of these books or resources to your day.
From dazzling blue lapis lazuli to volcanic snowflake obsidian, an incredible variety of rocks are showcased in all their splendor. Poetic in voice and elegant in design, this book introduces an array of facts, making it equally perfect for classroom sharing and family reading.
Identify colorful gemstones, sparkly crystals, the toughest rocks, and ancient fossils. Packed with fun facts, information, and extensive photos all about the rocks and minerals that make up the world around us.
Simon Basher is back with another zany primer to science! Following his 3 successful titles on the basics of chemistry, physics, and biology, BASHER SCIENCE: ROCKS AND MINERALS is an in-depth look at the ground beneath our feet. Like his other titles, Basher presents these topics through charming and adorable illustrations and pairs them with basic information told from a first person perspective. He develops a community of characters based on the things that form the foundations of our planet: rocks, gems, crystals, fossils and more. And what's more, he makes it understandable, interesting, and cute. It's not what you expect out of a science primer.
Everybody needs a rock -- at least that's the way this particular rock hound feels about it in presenting her own highly individualistic rules for finding just the right rock for you.
With 3 ingredients, a spoon, a bowl and some waxed paper you probably already have these ingredients on hand.
We absolutely love peanut butter in our house too, but giving you a heads up now that it uses peanut butter in case you have an allergy.
By the way if you try this recipe with a peanut substitute and it comes out good, let me know so I can let my other readers know.
Like the recipe above says, just mix the mini-marshmallows, chocolate chips and enough peanut butter so that it sticks or clumps together.
Metamorphic Rocks Edible Recipe for Kids
We added a tad more because having made these before and because Tiny is a peanut butter addict, we wanted that creamy taste in our “metamorphic rocks”.
Then form the clumps. Oh yes that is right, this is earth science.
So then at this point, just point out that these are “sedimentary rocks” and the sediments of chocolate and mini-marshmallows are cemented together with the mineral peanut butter.
Of course the next point to illustrate is how the rocks change through heat.
So put half of them back into your bowl, zap in the microwave for about 20 seconds to 1 minute depending on the heat level of your microwave. We gave ours a gentle stir.
Then turn the mixture back out onto the waxed paper or drop by globs.
Besides this activity having a great easy wow factor for very little time and effort which is always the best kind of activities for us, they are absolutely delicious too after they cool.
We love to stick our metamorphic rocks in the refrigerator and have them get a bit harder too.
I made a couple of easy rock notebooking pages with answers and a bit of background information to help you or your kids. Download them under the picture below.
Note if you want the recipe: Just right click the recipe picture at the top and “save as” a picture.
Moving on to some more bigger pieces of furniture, we are trying to move faster toward listing our house. I hope I can keep up with it all, but probably not.
So I will just enjoy our different homeschooling things we will be doing until we have our final date for our move.
