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ancient civilizations

Free Ancient Greece Go Fish Game – Ancient Greece Unit Study

March 12, 2024 | 29 Comments
This post may contain affiliate links. For more information, please see my full disclosure policy.

Today, I have a free Ancient Greece Go Fish Game. There’s not a better way to start back to our Ancient Greece unit study than playing a game. Also, look at my second free Ancient Greece Lapbook and you’ll love my page History Games for more fun ideas. This is my first Ancient Greece lapbook and unit study.

Because there is so much to cover about Ancient Greece, I have now created Ancient Greece Lapbook 2 and this game is part of that free download.

Free Ancient Greece Go Fish Game - Ancient Greece Unit Study

So, today I am sharing my free Ancient Greece go fish game.

I have created some history cards to play Go Fish! Want to play?

But first, look at some of these books about Ancient Greece.

A book and a game and you’re set for the day.

Kids Books about Ancient Greece

Besides when you add living books it can make history come to life.

8 Living History Books about Ancient Greece

You'll love this roundup of living history books about Ancient Greece.

D'Aulaires' Book of Greek Myths

In print for over fifty years, D'Aulaires Book of Greek Myths has introduced generations to Greek mythology—and continues to enthrall young readers. Here are the greats of ancient Greece—gods and goddesses, heroes and monsters—as freshly described in words and pictures as if they were alive today. No other volume of Greek mythology has inspired as many young readers as this timeless classic. Both adults and children alike will find this book a treasure for years to come. “For any child fortunate enough to have this generous book . . . the kings and heroes of ancient legend will remain forever matter-of-fact; the pictures interpret the text literally and are full of detail and witty observation.”—The Horn Book

Ancient Greece for Kids Through the Lives of its Philosophers, Lawmakers, and Heroes (History for Kids - Traditional, Story-Based Format)

The suggested reader age for this book is 8 to 14 years old. To write this book, I went back to Herodotus, Plutarch, Diogenes Laertius, and other ancient sources of biographical anecdotes, and extracted from them the stories that will be most memorable to a modern kid. I retold them without adding any fictional color. I have omitted some things, however. Anything gruesome or seriously cruel is not included. Anything off-color, or outside traditional-family-friendly morality is not included. I have included only accounts of the most major battles, and without much detail. Battles are important, but as a kid - maybe as a girl - I was falling asleep over the ancient battles. Politics: Again, I have included only major turns of events.

I wove the information about the social order and geography of Ancient Greece into the stories of the era's historical figures. So, no worries, the kid will learn about the Agora and Acropolis of Athens, the city-states of Corinth and Sparta, daily life in an Ancient Greek household, the major Greek temples, and the three orders of Ancient Greek architecture. This book is richly illustrated. I don't agree that if you are 13 or 16 you should be content with pages and pages of text and no pictures. Illustrations help both kids and grownups to visualize - and therefore to remember - events and descriptions. I have illustrated the book mostly with paintings portraying historical figures or everyday life in classical Greece. Whenever I could, I chose late 19th century and early 20th century art over the older neoclassical paintings for a more accurate representation of the Ancient Greek costume and environment.

The Iliad for Boys and Girls

The Iliad is typically described as one of the greatest war stories of all time. Set during the Trojan War, this timeless poem vividly conveys the horror and heroism of men and gods wrestling with towering emotions and battling amid devastation and destruction. Homer's tale is a compassionate view of human life lived under the shadow of suffering and death in the face of an often uncaring divinity.

Archimedes and the Door of Science (Living History Library)

Jeanne Bendick, through text and pictures, admirably succeeds in bringing to life the ancient Greek mathematician who enriched mathematics and all branches of science. Against the backdrop of Archimedes' life and culture, the author discusses the man's work, his discoveries and the knowledge later based upon it. The simple, often humorous, illustrations and diagrams greatly enhance the text.

The Great Philosophers: Socrates, Plato & Aristotle - Ancient Greece - 5th Grade Biography - Children's Biographies

You have probably heard about Socrates, Plato and Aristotle. When it comes to ancient minds who created foundations in philosophy, science, and math, these three names would automatically come up. But what exactly did they do to warrant immense respect and admiration? Well, your fifth grader will soon find out from this biography book.

Marathon Looks on the Sea

Illustrated by Erwin Schachner. The story of the Battle of Marathon and how it determined the future of Athens.

Life in Ancient Athens (Picture the Past)

What was it like to live in Ancient Athens? All the people who lived in ancient Greece spoke the same language and worshipped the same gods and goddesses. But they all lived in different city states a city and the land around it that it controlled. These city states were all run differently, and there were often fights between them. Despite their differences, there were things that united the city states. Find out more in this exciting title.

Growing Up In Ancient Greece (Growing Up In series)

Describes daily life in ancient Greece, discussing life in the city, life in the country, school, ceremonies and festivals, food, and other aspects

Ancient Greece Go Fish Game

You know how I feel about hands-on history. If there is a way to learn history that way, I’ll teach it that way.

The cards have more facts about Ancient Greece that I want Tiny to know.

Games are so much more engaging than a worksheet (uggg).

Don’t get me wrong, I believe worksheets have a place, but a game makes facts fun and easy to remember.

Too, though Mr. Awesome 2015 never minds playing with Tiny, he won’t always be around.

Free Ancient Greece Go Fish Game - Ancient Greece Unit Study

Hands on History

So in adapting this and upcoming games for an only child, this game can be played like memory match up, simple memorization or I can even play with Tiny.

Besides, these game cards can be added to our lapbook.

Also if you love hands-on learning don’t forget that Home School In the Woods have some beautiful units.

I’ll probably end up making a pocket for the cards. Do you want one to store them in? I am thinking yes.

Don’t forget too that this is my third time around studying Ancient Greece, so grab my first lapbook here and Ancient Civilization here .(Minoan and Mycenaean civilization)

Hope you luv this hands-on fun and printable game.

Free Ancient Greece Go Fish Game - Ancient Greece Unit Study. Download this FREE Go Fish Printable Card game to teach your kids about Ancient Greece. It’s a fun hands-on history printable game. When finished playing, add to their Ancient Greece Lapbook. Gab the Ancient Greece Lapbook too. CLICK HERE to download it!

More Ancient Greece Hands-on Activities

  • Fun Ancient Greece Homeschool Unit Study and Lapbook. Lapbook 1
  • How to Make a Trojan Horse Craft | Fascinating Trojan Horse History
  • Geronimo Stilton Race Against Time And Make Pottery Like Ancient Greeks
  • Free Greek Mythology Unit Study and Greece Lapbook & Fun Hands on LEGO Zeus
  • Geronimo Stilton The Race Against Time Build a Fun Greek Water Clock
  • Easy Hands-on Fun Ancient Greek Games for Kids DIY Knucklebones
  • Ancient Greece Unit Study.Play Stomachion Like Archimedes {Explore Geometry}
  • Hands-on Activity Ancient Greece Chariot
  • Hands-on Activity Refraction
  • Cursive and Free Greece Copywork Poetry
  • 9 EASY and Fun Hands-on Ancient Greece Kids Activities
  • Hands-On Ancient Greece Study: Politics and Pottery

How to Get the Free Ancient Greece Lapbook 2 & Go Fish Ancient Greece

Now, how to grab the free lapbook and Go Fish Ancient Greece Game. 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.

1) Sign up on my email list.

2) Grab the freebie.

3) Last, look for all my emails in your inbox. Glad to have you following me!

Free Ancient Greece Go Fish Game - Ancient Greece Unit Study. Download this FREE Go Fish Printable Card game to teach your kids about Ancient Greece. It’s a fun hands-on history printable game. When finished playing, add to their Ancient Greece Lapbook. Gab the Ancient Greece Lapbook too. CLICK HERE to download it!

You’ll love these other posts:

  • 20 Ancient Civilization History Coloring Pages
  • Ancient Civilization History Living Books
  • Ancient Civilizations II Lapbook and Unit Study
  • Hands-on History Activities for Learning about Ancient Civilizations
  • 9 EASY and Fun Hands-on Ancient Greece Kids Activities
Free Ancient Greece Go Fish game

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29 CommentsFiled Under: 1. My FREE Learning Printables {Any Topic}, History Based, History Resources, Subscriber Freebies Tagged With: ancient civilizations, Ancient Greece, hands on history, hands-on, hands-on activities, handson, handsonhomeschooling, history, history resources, historyspine, homeschool, homeschoolhistory, unit studies

Free Ancient Greece Lapbook

March 11, 2024 | 17 Comments
This post may contain affiliate links. For more information, please see my full disclosure policy.

Today, I finally have the rest of the minibooks for the free Ancient Greece lapbook. This is my second free Ancient Greece lapbook. Look at my first Ancient Greece Lapbook and Unit Study here. Also, look at my pages Best Homeschool Unit Studies and Lapbook Ideas.

In addition, there are many topics and subtopics to cover about Ancient Greece that you can easily do two full lapbooks like we did.

Free Ancient Greece Lapbook

Also, I have some living books about Ancient Greece which you can add to this unit study.

I love to add living history books then reference books depending on the topic of the unit study.

Ancient Greece Living Books for Kids

8 Living History Books about Ancient Greece

You'll love this roundup of living history books about Ancient Greece.

D'Aulaires' Book of Greek Myths

In print for over fifty years, D'Aulaires Book of Greek Myths has introduced generations to Greek mythology—and continues to enthrall young readers. Here are the greats of ancient Greece—gods and goddesses, heroes and monsters—as freshly described in words and pictures as if they were alive today. No other volume of Greek mythology has inspired as many young readers as this timeless classic. Both adults and children alike will find this book a treasure for years to come. “For any child fortunate enough to have this generous book . . . the kings and heroes of ancient legend will remain forever matter-of-fact; the pictures interpret the text literally and are full of detail and witty observation.”—The Horn Book

Ancient Greece for Kids Through the Lives of its Philosophers, Lawmakers, and Heroes (History for Kids - Traditional, Story-Based Format)

The suggested reader age for this book is 8 to 14 years old. To write this book, I went back to Herodotus, Plutarch, Diogenes Laertius, and other ancient sources of biographical anecdotes, and extracted from them the stories that will be most memorable to a modern kid. I retold them without adding any fictional color. I have omitted some things, however. Anything gruesome or seriously cruel is not included. Anything off-color, or outside traditional-family-friendly morality is not included. I have included only accounts of the most major battles, and without much detail. Battles are important, but as a kid - maybe as a girl - I was falling asleep over the ancient battles. Politics: Again, I have included only major turns of events.

I wove the information about the social order and geography of Ancient Greece into the stories of the era's historical figures. So, no worries, the kid will learn about the Agora and Acropolis of Athens, the city-states of Corinth and Sparta, daily life in an Ancient Greek household, the major Greek temples, and the three orders of Ancient Greek architecture. This book is richly illustrated. I don't agree that if you are 13 or 16 you should be content with pages and pages of text and no pictures. Illustrations help both kids and grownups to visualize - and therefore to remember - events and descriptions. I have illustrated the book mostly with paintings portraying historical figures or everyday life in classical Greece. Whenever I could, I chose late 19th century and early 20th century art over the older neoclassical paintings for a more accurate representation of the Ancient Greek costume and environment.

The Iliad for Boys and Girls

The Iliad is typically described as one of the greatest war stories of all time. Set during the Trojan War, this timeless poem vividly conveys the horror and heroism of men and gods wrestling with towering emotions and battling amid devastation and destruction. Homer's tale is a compassionate view of human life lived under the shadow of suffering and death in the face of an often uncaring divinity.

Archimedes and the Door of Science (Living History Library)

Jeanne Bendick, through text and pictures, admirably succeeds in bringing to life the ancient Greek mathematician who enriched mathematics and all branches of science. Against the backdrop of Archimedes' life and culture, the author discusses the man's work, his discoveries and the knowledge later based upon it. The simple, often humorous, illustrations and diagrams greatly enhance the text.

The Great Philosophers: Socrates, Plato & Aristotle - Ancient Greece - 5th Grade Biography - Children's Biographies

You have probably heard about Socrates, Plato and Aristotle. When it comes to ancient minds who created foundations in philosophy, science, and math, these three names would automatically come up. But what exactly did they do to warrant immense respect and admiration? Well, your fifth grader will soon find out from this biography book.

Marathon Looks on the Sea

Illustrated by Erwin Schachner. The story of the Battle of Marathon and how it determined the future of Athens.

Life in Ancient Athens (Picture the Past)

What was it like to live in Ancient Athens? All the people who lived in ancient Greece spoke the same language and worshipped the same gods and goddesses. But they all lived in different city states a city and the land around it that it controlled. These city states were all run differently, and there were often fights between them. Despite their differences, there were things that united the city states. Find out more in this exciting title.

Growing Up In Ancient Greece (Growing Up In series)

Describes daily life in ancient Greece, discussing life in the city, life in the country, school, ceremonies and festivals, food, and other aspects

Next, look at the topics covered in this free lapbook.

Look at these minibooks that I have today.

  • Ancient Greece Athens and Sparta and go fish pocket
  • Ancient Greek and Latin Root Words
  • Birthplace of Western Civilization
  • Why Study About Ancient Greece
  • Ancient Greeks about Greek
  • Famous Greeks and their Contributions minibook.
  • Greece – The Birthplace of Western Civilization
  •  Free Go Fish Ancient Greece game. Read about the Go Fish Ancient Greece game here which is included in this download.
  • Ancient Greece Can You Answer True or False minibook. Since this is a worksheet, fold it like a minibook. I show you how on this post How to Turn Boring Worksheets into Fun Minibooks – From Boring to Interactive.
  • Also, for outside covers on the lapbook be sure you grab the free Ancient Greece Lapbook 1.

Free Ancient Greece Lapbook

Ancient Greece Cover second lapbook
Ancient Greek and Latin Root Words

Then, I have a minibook on Ancient Greek and Latin root words. The instructions are on the book and so are the answers.

Ancient Greeks about Greek
Why Study About Ancient Greece

Then I did a flip book (left) that has quotes by Greeks about Greeks. It just gives Tiny some beautiful food for thought to put in his brain and shows what Greeks thought about their every day life.

Too, a quick Why Study About Ancient Greece reminded Tiny about the huge impact Ancient Greece has on American culture.

I don’t have an insert for this minibook because it is a little research project on the internet about why it is important to study about Ancient Greece.

Ancient Greece Athens and Sparta and go fish pocket

Then the next two printables are a pocket and mini two tab book that compares two famous city-states, Athens and Sparta.

The pocket is for the Ancient Greece Go Fish, that I shared earlier.

The Athens and Sparta minibook has a page where your child can glue a few of the facts given about how each city-state is different under the tab, or research and add his own.

Don’t forget too that since this is my third time around studying Ancient Greece with my children that I have two other lapbooks to go with this one.

One lapbook is Ancient Greece and the other Ancient Civilizations II.

More Ancient Greece Hands-on Activities

  • Fun Ancient Greece Homeschool Unit Study and Lapbook. Lapbook 1
  • How to Make a Trojan Horse Craft | Fascinating Trojan Horse History
  • Geronimo Stilton Race Against Time And Make Pottery Like Ancient Greeks
  • Free Greek Mythology Unit Study and Greece Lapbook & Fun Hands on LEGO Zeus
  • Geronimo Stilton The Race Against Time Build a Fun Greek Water Clock
  • Easy Hands-on Fun Ancient Greek Games for Kids DIY Knucklebones
  • Free Ancient Greece Go Fish Game – Ancient Greece Unit Study
  • 9 EASY and Fun Hands-on Ancient Greece Kids Activities
  • Hands-On Ancient Greece Study: Politics and Pottery
  • Ancient Greece Unit Study.Play Stomachion Like Archimedes {Explore Geometry}
  • Hands-on Activity Ancient Greece Chariot
  • Hands-on Activity Refraction
  • Cursive and Free Greece Copywork Poetry
Free Ancient Greece Lapbook

How to Get the Free Ancient Greece Lapbook 2 & Go Fish Ancient Greece

Now, how to grab the free lapbook and Go Fish Ancient Greece Game. 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.

1) Sign up on my email list.

2) Grab the freebie.

3) Last, look for all my emails in your inbox. Glad to have you following me!

Free Ancient Greece Lapbook
Free Ancient Greece Lapbook
Ancient Greece
Free Ancient Greece Lapbook
Free Ancient Greece Lapbook
Free Ancient Greece Lapbook
Free Ancient Greece Lapbook
Free Ancient Greece Lapbook
Free Ancient Greece Lapbook
Free Ancient Greece Second Lapbook @ Tina's Dynamic Homeschool Plus

17 CommentsFiled Under: 1. My FREE Learning Printables {Any Topic}, Ancient Civilizations, Hands-On Activities, History Based, History Resources, Lapbooks, My Unit Studies {Free Printables & Hands-on Ideas}, Subscriber Freebies Tagged With: ancient civilizations, Ancient Greece, hands-on, hands-on activities, handson, handsonhomeschooling, lapbook, lapbookresources, middleschool

Free Ancient China Lapbook for Kids Who Love Hands-on History

February 25, 2024 | Leave a Comment
This post may contain affiliate links. For more information, please see my full disclosure policy.

Today, I have a free Ancient China lapbook with some hands-on history ideas. Also, you’ll love my other Homeschool Lapbook Ideas on my page.

I’m sharing my complete lapbook Ancient China lapbook along with some hands-on history ideas.

I had a few minibooks already, so I incorporated them into this unit.

And learning about ancient civilizations makes for interesting segues into your history day.

Free Ancient China Lapbook for Kids Who Love Hands-on History

When you focus on an ancient civilization like Ancient China in depth it makes history much livelier.

Besides whom wants to just color maps.

When learning about the culture, flora and fauna and history of the people, children can connect with history.

Ancient China Books for Kids

Also, I used living books as much as possible so kids can learn about history in a story form.

In addition, we use reference books to help us locate geographical features and learn other things about an area.

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

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

Zheng He, The Great Chinese Explorer: A Bilingual Story of Adventure and Discovery

In the West, legendary explorers like Christopher Columbus, Ernest Shackleton and Sir Edmund Hillary are a recognized part of our history. But in China, that legend belongs to the great explorer Zheng He (1371–1433), who lived during China's renowned Ming Dynasty. Zheng He, the Great Chinese Explorer is a bilingual (English and Chinese) tale of his adventures.

When he was a child, Zheng He dreamed of foreign lands, his imagination was inspired by the travels of his father and grandfather and the wonderful items they brought back from trading trips to the West. A simple but exotic porcelain vase in cobalt, a color not found in China at the time, drove Zheng He to discover the origins of this unique color—and become one of the most famous explorers in China's history.

Chee-Lin: A Giraffe's Journey

Eighty years before Columbus, China sent ships to explore the world.The Chinese discovered many marvelous things, but one discovery stood out above the others: the chee-lin.This chee-lin was just a giraffe, but to the Chinese it was an omen of good fortune so rare that it had appeared only once before—at the birth of Confucius.

Where the Mountain Meets the Moon

A Time Magazine 100 Best Fantasy Books of All Time selection!​A Reader’s Digest Best Children’s Book of All Time​!This stunning fantasy inspired by Chinese folklore is a companion novel to Starry River of the Sky and the New York Times bestselling and National Book Award finalist When the Sea Turned to SilverIn the valley of Fruitless mountain, a young girl named Minli lives in a ramshackle hut with her parents. In the evenings, her father regales her with old folktales of the Jade Dragon and the Old Man on the Moon, who knows the answers to all of life's questions. Inspired by these stories, Minli sets off on an extraordinary journey to find the Old Man on the Moon to ask him how she can change her family's fortune. She encounters an assorted cast of characters and magical creatures along the way, including a dragon who accompanies her on her quest for the ultimate answer.Grace Lin, author of the beloved Year of the Dog and Year of the Rat returns with a wondrous story of adventure, faith, and friendship. A fantasy crossed with Chinese folklore, Where the Mountain Meets the Moon is a timeless story reminiscent of The Wizard of Oz and Kelly Barnhill's The Girl Who Drank the Moon. Her beautiful illustrations, printed in full-color, accompany the text throughout. Once again, she has created a charming, engaging book for young readers.

Science and Scientists (True Stories From Ancient China)

Ancient China has a long history of scientific excellence. Learn more about some of China’s greatest scientific wonders and the scientists who studied them. Features stories about astronomy, seismology, mathematics, calendar-making, and geography.

The Warlord's Beads (Warlord's Series)

Clever Chuan devises a simple way for his father to quickly and accurately count all the warlord's treasure.

The Five Chinese Brothers (Paperstar)

The classic picture book about five clever brothers, each with a different extraordinary ability, has been in print for almost 80 years."An original nonsense tale told with...spirit and gusto." -- The Horn Book

The Great Wall Of China (Aladdin Picture Books)

Angela FIsher's The Great Wall is an "awe-inspiring, impressive, black and gray illustrations set the tone for this history of the building of the Great Wall of China." (School Library Journal)

The Story about Ping

No one can deny the appeal of the book's hero, Ping, the spirited little duck who lives on a boat on the Yangtze River. Ping's misadventures one night while exploring the world around his home form the basis of this timeless classic, which is brought to life by Kurt Wiese's warm and poignant illustrations.

In the Forbidden City (We All Live in the Forbidden City)

Serving as the seat of imperial power for six centuries, the Forbidden City is one of China's most famous and enigmatic landmarks. Accompanied by a mischievous cat, readers will tour this colossal architectural structure, discovering the secrets hidden inside the palace walls. They will encounter the people who have walked through its halls and gardens, including emperors, empresses, and rebel leaders, and hear exciting tales about the power struggles and intrigues of everyday life.This large format book conveys the grandeur of the Forbidden City through highly detailed line drawings of its buildings, gardens, and courtyards with numerous fold-out spreads. Each page is populated by a large variety of characters and peppered with entertaining anecdotes. Every book includes a plastic magnifying glass for looking at the drawings more closely."Readers receive a lavish tour of the Forbidden City, once home to Chinese emperors and now a museum, courtesy of Chiu and the Design and Cultural Studies Workshop, which he founded. Delicate line drawings highlight the architectural intricacies of the nearly 178-acre complex (several foldout spreads emphasize its size) while Chiu examines the Ming and Qing dynasties in thorough detail, along with major events in the palace's history. (In one foldout scene, 24 emperors offer pithy, even brusque notes on their reigns — "I was entirely unaccomplished," says Emperor Longqing.) A magnifying glass is wisely included to help readers appreciate the wealth of visual detail." — Publishers Weekly

The Emperor Who Built The Great Wall

DID YOU KNOW that China was named after its first emperor – the brilliant, all-powerful emperor who built The Great Wall? In this book, discover why he started building the Wall, how he made China the biggest country on earth, and what treasures he hid in his secret tomb. Find out how he became one of the most important people in the history of China. Read all about the first emperor’s fascinating life in The Emperor Who Built The Great Wall.The simple language and beautiful illustrations make this book a wonderful reader or bedtime story. It is suitable for all ages, but children aged six to twelve years will especially enjoy reading this book.~ About the ONCE UPON A TIME IN CHINA… Series ~China has a long history, but its many stories are often too complex for children. In this series, Jillian Lin retells China’s best historical tales so they are easy and fun to read. Children will embark on a journey through time where they will get a glimpse inside the colorful lives of famous Chinese figures. Beautiful illustrations, gripping stories, and fascinating facts make these books wonderful readers or bedtime stories for ages six and above. Other titles in this series include:The King Without A Throne (Confucius)The Mountain Man Of Music (Zhu Zaiyu)The Miracle Doctor (Hua Tuo)The Girl Who Became Emperor (Wu Zetian)The Dreamer Of Stars (Zhang Heng)The Greatest Explorer In The World (Zheng He)The Pirate King (Koxinga/Zheng Chenggong)

Where Is the Great Wall?

More than two thousand years ago, with his land under constant attack from nomads, the First Emperor of China came up with a simple solution: build a wall to keep out enemies. It was a wall that kept growing and growing. But its construction came at a huge cost: it is believed that more than a million Chinese died building it, earning the wall its nickname--the longest cemetery on earth. Through the story of the wall, Patricia Brennan Demuth is able to tell the story of China itself, the rise and fall of dynasties, the greatness of its culture, and its present-day status as a Communist world power.

DK Eyewitness Books: Ancient China: Discover the History of Imperial China―from the Great Wall to the Days of the La

A spectacular and informative guide to the history of the great Chinese empire and the customs and traditions of its people.  Stunning real-life photographs and lifelike models offer a unique "eyewitness" view of life in imperial China, from its earliest beginnings in the Bronze Age to its final years in the early 20th century. See the stunning bronze work of the ancient Chinese and the beautiful techniques used for Chinese calligraphy. Learn why the First Emperor created the Terracotta Army, what kinds of goods were carried along the Silk Route, who invented paper, and much, much more. 

Facts About Ancient China

  • Han Chinese were the original people of China.
  • The oldest religion in China is ancestor worship but there were other religions too like Confucianism based on the teachings of Confucius. Taoism is another religion.
  • Next the cultivation of silkworms to obtain silk for weaving.
  • At first silk was expensive and only the wealthiest wore it. But about 200 B.C. soldiers and other people were wearing silk. And then even poor people wore silk.
  • Then ancient Chinese wrote on bamboo and wood, then silk. Paper was invented in China about 105 A.D.
  • Education was important in Ancient China. Boys usually went to school at the age of seven. If their parents were rich, they hired a tutor. They learned to write 20 Chinese characters a day.
  • Girls were not usually sent to school. They learned to spin, weave, and embroider. They helped their mothers at home.

Children learn to write calligraphy. It was a great art because there were thousands of symbols each representing a different idea.

Chinese writing has hardly changed over 2,000 years.

More Homeschool Lapbook Ideas

  • Marco Polo Unit Study and Lapbook
  • Ancient Greece
  • 18 Colorful and Free Lapbooks for History Unit Studies
  • Fun Pharaohs and Queens Ancient Egypt Lapbook and Activities
  • Ancient Civilization Lapbook
  • French Revolution 1789 – 1799 Lapbook
  • American Revolution Lapbook 1775 – 1783
  • Medieval Japan Unit Study and Lapbook
Free Ancient China Lapbook for Kids Who Love Hands-on History

In addition, look at this Ancient Chinese inventions on hub page to see what they invented.

Moreover, look at these other ideas for hands-on history.

Hands-on History for Kids Learning About Ancient China

  • How To Make The Great Wall Of China Out Of Paper
  • 8 Ancient China Activities For Kids | How To Make An Abacus
  • Kids Ancient China Activity | How To Make a Simple Ming Dynasty Craft
  • Quick and Easy Ancient Chinese Paper making for Kids
    Free Ancient China Lapbook for Kids Who Love Hands-on History

    Topics in Free Ancient China Lapbook

    Look at these minibooks which are included in the free download.

    Use them all or mix/match with other activities your child wants to include in the lapbook.

    • Early Chinese Dynasties
    • History of Silk
    • Where the Ancient Chinese
    • Did You Know . .
    • Growing Up in Ancient China
    • Shang Warrios
    • Shang Script
    • Food of Ancient China
    • Confucius

    How to Get the Free Ancient China Lapbook

    Now, how to grab the free lapbook. 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.

    1) Sign up on my email list to get my emails in your inbox AND this freebie.

    2) Grab the freebie.

    3) Last, look for all my emails in your inbox. Glad to have you following me!

    Leave a CommentFiled Under: Lapbooks Tagged With: ancient, Ancient China, ancient civilizations, Ancient HIstory, hands on history, hands-on, hands-on activities, handson, handsonhomeschooling, history, history resources

    Ancient Japan for Kids: Fun and Simple Handwriting Activity

    February 11, 2024 | Leave a Comment
    This post may contain affiliate links. For more information, please see my full disclosure policy.

    I have an Ancient Japan for Kids handwriting activity. Also, look at more ideas on my page Medieval Japan Unit Study and Lapbook 1185 – 1600 A.D.

    We have studied the Ancient Greeks, Ancient Romans and Ancient Egyptians off and on for more than four years.

    My children are natural historians, and love to imagine themselves as mini-Indiana Jones type archaeologists.

    Ancient Japan for Kids: Fun and Simple Handwriting Activity

    As I planned our studies for this school year, I wanted to incorporate this natural and significant interest into our approach.

    Then, my oldest expressed an interest in learning Japanese to meet his foreign language requirement and the answer became clear. I began to pull together ideas and resources to study ancient Japan.

    Japanese Ancient History

    I am almost ashamed to admit how little I learned in school about this amazing country, much less its history. (I always say that I am learning as much as my boys are in this homeschooling journey!)

    The vast timeline of Japanese Ancient History continues up until 538 AD. For thousands of years, Japanese culture experienced its own iron age and classical expression.

    During this period, the first known written reference to Japan was recorded in the Chinese Book of Han in the first century AD. Then, between the fourth century and the ninth century, Japan’s numerous kingdoms and tribes gradually came to be unified under a centralized government, controlled by the Emperor.

    The pottery of this same time period and the historical record itself details the evolution of the Japanese language and the development of not one, not two, but THREE different Japanese alphabets.

    Ancient Japan for Kids: Fun and Simple Handwriting Activity. Your kids will love learning about Japan through Kanji. It was used to represent Japanese words with the corresponding meanings. Click here for this fun kids learning activity!

    It was actually the Chinese practice of character writing that  had a huge effect on the development of the written language of ancient Japan. Chinese characters became the Kanji symbolic alphabet  in Japanese. ( Incidentally, written Chinese is one of the world’s oldest active, still in use, writing systems.

    Many current Chinese characters have been traced back to the Shang dynasty about 1200–1050 BC, but the process of creating characters is thought to have begun some centuries earlier.)

     Ancient Japan for Kids

    Kanjiwas first introduced to ancient Japan in the first half of the first millennium AD. At the time, Japanese had no universal writing system, so Kanji were used to represent Japanese words with the corresponding meanings.

    Later years would bring the Japanese phonetic alphabets, Hiragana and Katakana.

    (Yes, you read that correctly. The pottery of the time period and the historical record itself details the evolution of the Japanese language and the development of not one, not two, but THREE different Japanese alphabets.)

    Ancient Japan for Kids: Fun and Simple Handwriting Activity | Tina's Dynamic Homeschool Plus

    Next, add some books to round out the study of Japan.

    11 Books and Resources for Studying About Japan

    You'll love these resources and books for studying about Japan. Add them to my Medieval Japan Unit Study or just fun for the day.

    Samurai: An Illustrated History

    This Japanese history book traces the story of a unique historical phenomenon: a period of 700 years--equivalent to the entire stretch of Western history between the reigns of the Crusader king Richard the Lionhearted and of Queen Victoria at the height of the British Empire--during which an enclosed civilization was dominated by a single warrior caste.

    The historical narrative of samurai history is supported by explanations of samurai armor, weapons, fortifications, tactics, and customs, and illustrated with nearly 800 fascinating color photographs, maps, and sketches, including ancient scroll paintings and surviving suits of armor preserved for centuries in Japanese shrines.

    Samurai Arms, Armour & the Tactics of Warfare

    Part of the acclaimed Book of Samurai series, which presents for the first time the translated scrolls of the historical Natori-Ry samurai school of war, this volume offers an exceptional insight into the weaponry and armour of the samurai era, as well as tactical advice for use on and off the battlefield.

    Life in Old Japan Coloring Book

    More than 40 handsome, ready-to-color illustrations depict samurai warriors, the imperial villa at Kyoto, a Shinto shrine, a tea ceremony, a Noh play, a typical city street, a restaurant, music makers, more. Introduction and detailed captions describe Japanese culture and provide detailed information on art, government, costume, and daily life.

    Japanese Picture Dictionary Coloring Book: Over 1500 Japanese Words and Phrases for Creative & Visual Learners of All Ages

    Learning a new language is a new way of meeting new people, opening doors in your professional career and attracting fresh opportunities when traveling around the world, as you may know. The great thing is - whether you want to learn Japanese to visit Japan’s precious historic landmarks, watch anime and movies or simply meet wonderful Japanese people - we’ve got you covered!

    All About Japan: Stories, Songs, Crafts and Games for Kids

    A cultural adventure for kids, All About Japan offers a journey to a new place--and ways to bring it to life! Dive into stories, play some games from Japan, and learn some Japanese songs.

    The Inch-High Samurai

    The brave little boy who sailed to the Capital in a teacup and fought a demon with a needle to win the love of a Lady is a Japanese cousin to Tom Thumb.

    The Crane Girl

    In this magical retelling of a Japanese folktale, a mysterious girl weaves silk to help repay the kindness of a boy and his father until the father's greed finally exposes her secret.

    While gathering firewood, Yasuhiro comes upon an injured crane hidden in the snow. He rescues and comforts the bird, then watches as it flies away over the wintry hills.

    The next night, a mysterious young girl arrives at Yasuhiro's home seeking shelter from the cold. The boy and his father welcome the girl, named Hiroko, to stay with them. When Hiroko notices that Yasuhiro's father is struggling to earn money, she offers to weave silk for him to sell. After the fabric fetches a good price, the boy's father becomes impatient for more silk, and his greed has a life-changing effect on them all.

    Lyrical storytelling deftly interwoven with original haiku create a magical adaptation of a popular Japanese folktale--an inspirational story of friendship and the power of kindness to transform lives.

    Commodore Perry the Opening of Japan (Landmark Series, #56)

    For more than 200 years Japan had isolated herself from the world - now Commodore Perry, representing the US government had arrived on the shore of Japan. Perry's mission was to open a door into Japan so US ships might stop for fuel & water on their route to China.

    3D Puzzle Wooden Craft Kits DIY Model Building Kit

    This 3D wooden Puzzle is the oldest tower in Japan and one of the iconic buildings, ancient and elegant.

    Japan Tokyo Skyline Famous Architecture Model Block Set

    The iconic landmark you love,Build this detailed Japan skyline model!Features an elaborate façade with Tokyo Tower,Tokyo SKYTREE, Mount Fuji,Sensoji Temple,Osaka Castle and more.

    Japanese Flower Pavilion Cherry Blossom Bonsai Tree Bricks Kit

    Japan Sakura Tree House Building Set consists of 1810pcs + mini-blocks. It includes detailed step-by-step color instructions, and exquisite details of various sizes and color componentsand.

    Hands-On Learning: Ancient Japan

    In my years of homeschooling, one thing that I have learned is essential for our learning to be retained and, if I am honest, enjoyed, is that hands-on activities make all the difference for my two growing boys.

    Because I wanted to bring the rich history of Japan alive for my boys, I knew I needed to include a hands-on activity in our study.

    Because the three alphabets factoid stunned us all, I decided to challenged them to replicate Japanese Character Writing or Kanjii.

    Ancient Japan for Kids: Fun and Simple Handwriting Activity | Tina's Dynamic Homeschool Plus

    What You Will Need For This Activity:

    • Free Japanese Symbolic Writing Printable included in this post.
    • Brush Pens (if available – it not, any thick marker will do)
    • Cardstock

    Ancient Japan: Hands-On Learning Activity

    After learning that the name of the Japanese symbolic alphabet is the Kanjii Alphabet and that it naturally flowed from the Chinese alphabet, we got to work.

    One: Print printable (available for free with this post) and use as reference.

    Two: Take the brush pens and practice brush strokes first. (This was an important step as none of us were accustomed to using this type of pen!)

    Ancient Japan for Kids: Fun and Simple Handwriting Activity | Tina's Dynamic Homeschool Plus

    Three: When comfortable with the brush pen, try your hand at a Kanji character.

    Ancient Japan for Kids: Fun and Simple Handwriting Activity | Tina's Dynamic Homeschool Plus
    Ancient Japan for Kids: Fun and Simple Handwriting Activity | Tina's Dynamic Homeschool Plus

    Four: Once everyone is comfortable with creating the characters, ask your child to choose the top 3 symbols that are meaningful for his life and interests.

    Five: Using the card stock, draw the three selected symbols.

    Ancient Japan for Kids: Fun and Simple Handwriting Activity | Tina's Dynamic Homeschool Plus

    Six: Label the characters in English.

    Ancient Japan for Kids: Fun and Simple Handwriting Activity | Tina's Dynamic Homeschool Plus

    Seven: Because this alphabet also looks like beautiful art, hang on the fridge or even frame your child’s historic creation!

    I have to say, this is more difficult than it looks! Brush pens are obviously much different than the pens we use everyday and the slant of many of the symbols can be difficult to replicate.

    In fact, if you are completing this activity with a young child, or one that struggles with fine motor skills, I highly recommend encouraging them to choose symbols that are less intricate to begin with. (For example: the symbol for dog is blissfully simple for the younger learner.)

    Overall, expanding our ancient history study to include Japan has been a great success.

    Not only have we moved into an area of the world that we are all less familiar with, but we have also found the differences in Japanese art, culture and yes, alphabets, to be fascinating.

    Ancient Japan for Kids: Fun and Simple Handwriting Activity. Your kids will love learning about Japan through Kanji. It was used to represent Japanese words with the corresponding meanings. Click here for this fun kids learning activity!

    If nothing else, you can remind your child when she is complaining about handwriting practice that in Japan, children learn three alphabets as opposed to our one!

    How to Get the Free Japanese Handwriting Form

    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. If you’re already a follower, re-enter your email because your email IS your password.
    2) Download the printable.
    3) Last, look for my emails in your inbox as a follower. Glad to have you.

    You’ll also love these other resources for learning about Japan.

    • Medieval Japan Lapbook for Kids and Fun Hands-on Ideas
    • Celebrate Arbor Day With A Fun Flowering Cherry Tree Activity

    Leave a CommentFiled Under: Ancient Civilizations, Hands-On Activities Tagged With: ancient, ancient civilizations, Ancient Japan, hands on history, hands-on, hands-on activities, handson, handsonhomeschooling

    Amazing Hands-on History Activities for 14 Ancient Empires (free notebook cover too)

    February 10, 2024 | 3 Comments
    This post may contain affiliate links. For more information, please see my full disclosure policy.

    You’ll love these hands-on history activities for ancient empires. Also, there are more Ancient Civilization hands-on ideas on my page.

    Over the years I have shared my passion for hands-on history activities.

    They breathe life into lifeless events of the past.

    Amazing Hands-on History Activities for 14 Ancient Empires (free notebook cover too)

    So when planning our year end history co-op, I decided to use the Great Empires Activity Study.

    It is an activity study by Home School in the Woods.

    Why? Because of the scope of empires that the Great Empires Activity Study covers.

    Your kids will love these hands-on history activities for 14 Ancient Empires.Great Empires Activity Study by Home School in the Woods covers fourteen empires:

    I was given this product for free. ALL opinions are my own and I will always tell you what is on my mind. When I do accept a product it’s because I’m giddy to tell you about it. Read my full disclosure here. Now on to the fun stuff!

    Hands-on History Activities Ancient Empires

    • Ancient China
    • Ancient Egypt
    • Ancient Greece
    • Ancient Rome
    • Arab-Muslims,
    • English Empire
    • French Empire
    • German Empire
    • Japanese Empire
    • Mongols
    • Russian Empire
    • Spanish Empire
    • United States and
    • Viking.

    I decided to cover a little about each of these empires through hands-on projects.

    Organizing and assigning hands-on projects for our Great Empires co-op was easy.

    The information is laid out simply. After reviewing the download, you’ll see the files organized by master, texts and projects.

    Amazing Hands-on History Activities for 14 Ancient Empires (free notebook cover too)

    The projects page for each empire, I found extremely useful in wading through all of the excellent material.

    The project page is like your weekly lesson plan at a glance page.

    And the master is your lesson plan for the day. The master pages include a helpful teacher’s key reference. It is a map marked with key areas, boundaries and other helpful features for each region covered by that empire.

    Ancient Empires Study for Kids

    Glancing at the project page, we could select all the hands-on activities that we wanted to do.

    Then find them among the 107 master pages.

    Too, background information on each empire is vital in covering the topics like we did because we wanted to savor a morsel of each empire. The text pages for each empire are 2-3 pages. However, one gem about the text pages is that they cover the empire at its height.

    Non-history loving folks are turned off by many details. A quagmire of details drains the life out of learning history.

    Unsure of which invention, event or key point to highlight, a budding history buff may come away more confused.

    Amazing Hands-on History Activities for 14 Ancient Empires (free notebook cover too)

    However, the text pages by Home School in the Woods shaves off non-essential details for the elementary age child but builds appreciation by covering key events that are significant for each civilization.

    If you are a give-me-the-facts-only type of person, you will enjoy reading about each empire in the condensed text because you won’t come away feeling overwhelmed.

    Ancient Empires Study for Kids

    Beyond covering key events for each empire or covering significant inventions, the text unifies the past to the present.

    Your child comes away with a better understanding of the impact previous civilizations made in today’s world. Keeping it simple without being boring makes the text a nifty feature.

    However, if you already have a basic framework of history knowledge and want to explore beyond that foundation, you will enjoy the additional reading suggestions in each projects page and the extensive links found in the text which directs you to a website page at Home School in the Woods.

    Easily, you could spend a week on each empire.

    Amazing Hands-on History Activities for 14 Ancient Empires (free notebook cover too)

    Because the Great Empires Activity Study is about exploring, discovering and hands-on learning, you will find plenty of activities for each empire from making scones when learning about the English empire to making an Egyptian cartouche.

    Activities vary with each empire from learning about history through cooking, painting pottery like the Greeks and printing minibooks about famous people to Japanese kiragami.

    Amazing Hands-on History Activities for 14 Ancient Empires (free notebook cover too)

    You will not find cheesy analogies of history clip art in this product.

    All of the clip art, projects and pictures have amazing detail. If you are a non-artsy person you will enjoy assembling the easy to do projects because a lot of them are printable.

    You decide if you want to color or not.Here is what I find most appealing about this product:

    Hands-on History Projects

    • The scope of empires covered. If you have been lagging behind in covering history topics or are trying to follow the 4 year cycle used by a lot of homeschoolers and it is going slower than you would like to, using Great Empires Activity Study would be a useful tool if you want a bird’s-eye view.
    • It can be a stand-alone history curriculum. You have the option with additional reading material listed in the projects pages and links provided by Home School in the Woods to extend each empire. With the abundance of reading recommendations and because we love history, I personally would take two weeks to cover each empire if I were using this as a stand-alone curriculum. Doing one hands-on activity per week would not be overly time consuming and you could easily end up with a year’s worth of history.  What a bargain for the price and you are using it for all of your children.
    • Adding in an activity to enrich your reading. Then Great Empires Activity Study would be a nice fit.
    • Great Empires Activity Study allowed a lot of room for flexibility in our co-op setting because it allowed each family to focus on the topic that interested them.
    • History clip art matters to me because pictures are important in history. The fine detail and high quality pictures can be used for a timeline, history notebook or to add to a lapbook.
    • Many of the creative activities can be printed. They do not involve a lot of teacher supervision or tons of crafty artsy items on hand to do them.
    • The constant in all the empires is the beautiful teacher’s key map. Providing a key map for each empire is like having a mini geography curriculum as a bonus.
    If you’re wanting to breathe life into homeschool history, your kids will love these hands-on learning history activities for studying 14 Great Empires! CLICK HERE to look at these fun and engaging hands-on ideas!

    I feel that persons can vary tremendously on what each one thinks is a disadvantage in a product. I prefer using the word considerations because it gives you pause for thought to see if your circumstances fit that product.

    Ancient Empire History Projects

    Considerations for this product would be:

    Amazing Hands-on History Activities for 14 Ancient Empires (free notebook cover too)
    • There is not a lesson planning guide or checklist for each day’s activities. For some homeschoolers that may feel like freedom to explore and breathe but for others having a to-do checklist each day may feel a bit more secure.
    • Some of these activities are ones that history lovers may have already done. However, the product is aimed at elementary age..

    How to Get the Free History Notebook cover

    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.

    You know I have to organize most products I get and this one was no different. I have created a printable for you to use as cover page for your binder when covering these empires.Home School in the Woods is an excellent example of showing how history does not have to involve a textbook or always acquiring random uninteresting facts.

    With background information on each past civilization and several creative activities you won’t be disappointed with Great Empires Activity Study.

    Whether you are studying about the legends of Crete or are exploring the adventures of Captain John Smith, adding in hands-on history along with a huge dose of field trips and a history co-op or two is a sure way to making learning about the past meaningful.

    If you’re wanting to breathe life into homeschool history, your kids will love these hands-on learning history activities for studying 14 Great Empires! CLICK HERE to look at these fun and engaging hands-on ideas!

    You’ll also love these other helpful posts with activities:

    • Hands-on History Activities for Learning about Ancient Civilizations
    • 20 Ancient Civilization History Coloring Pages
    • 100 Easy & Fun Ancient Civilization Hands-on Projects

    3 CommentsFiled Under: Ancient Civilizations, Hands-On Activities, History Resources, Homeschool Curriculum Review, Product Review, Teach Homeschool History Tagged With: ancient civilizations, hands on history, hands-on, hands-on activities, handson, handsonhomeschooling, history, history resources, historyspine, homeschoolhistory

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