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hands-on activities

How to Make an Amazing Shakespeare Triorama Book Report

January 2, 2025 | Leave a Comment
This post may contain affiliate links. For more information, please see my full disclosure policy.

Turn your favorite Shakespeare play into a triorama book report for a unique project. Also, look at my pages Trioramas: How To Create Engaging Visual Narratives For Kids for more ideas and 4 Week Free Shakespeare Unit Study & Best Hands-on Ideas.

Trioramas are an amazing way to show off whatever topic you are learning about.

They are often done for creating a diorama like a scene of an animal in its habitat or something similar.

But they also make a great backdrop for a book report.

How to Make an Amazing Shakespeare Triorama Book Report

We chose Romeo & Juliet, but you can opt for any of his works you like, giving it a unique design to match the setting and characters.

You can assign this unique style of book report for all of these or even for other popular plays and books.

I will give you a quick rundown on the 3 most popular of Shakespeare’s works, additional activity ideas, and the how to create your own triorama book report.

BOOKS ABOUT SHAKESPEARE

First, look at some of these books about Shakespeare.

6 Books About Shakespeare For Kids Who Love to Read and Be Read To

Add one or two of these books to your unit study or learning day.

Image for A Child's Portrait of Shakespeare (Shakespeare Can Be Fun series)

A Child's Portrait of Shakespeare (Shakespeare Can Be Fun series)

Who is William Shakespeare?" For more than 20 years, Lois Burdett has asked that question of her elementary school students in Stratford, Ontario, Canada, leading them on a voyage of discovery that brings the Bard to life for boys and girls ages seven and up.

A Child's Portrait of Shakespeare, written in rhyming couplets is suitable for staging as class plays as well as reading aloud.

Image for Tales from Shakespeare (Wordsworth Children's Classics)

Tales from Shakespeare (Wordsworth Children's Classics)

Tales from Shakespeare by Charles and Mary Lamb was written to be an 'introduction to the study of Shakespeare', but are much more entertaining than that. All of Shakespeare's best-loved plays, comic and tragic, are retold in a clear and robust style, and their literary quality has made them popular and sought-after ever since their first publication in 1807.

This edition contains the delightful pen-and-ink drawings of Arthur Rackham.

Image for Favorite Tales from Shakespeare

Favorite Tales from Shakespeare

Retellings of the exciting stories of Macbeth, A Midsummer Night's Dream, Romeo and Juliet, Twelfth Night, and Hamlet are augmented by full-color illustrations

Image for Bard of Avon: The Story of William Shakespeare

Bard of Avon: The Story of William Shakespeare

Nobody knows exactly when or why William Shakespeare left his boyhood home of Stratford-on-Avon for the great city of London, but it didn't take long for him to make a name for himself. His plays are now performed almost every day in just about every part of the world; even people who've never seen them use words and phrases he introduced into the English language.

How did a man from an unremarkable family create a legacy that the world, even 400 years after his death, has never forgotten? There will always be unsolved mysteries about Shakespeare, but what we do know of his life, his times, and his theater makes for a very dramatic story.

Image for How to Teach Your Children Shakespeare

How to Teach Your Children Shakespeare

Ken Ludwig devised his friendly, easy-to-master methods while teaching his own children. Beginning with memorizing short passages from the plays, his technique then instills children with cultural references they will utilize for years to come. Ludwig’s approach includes understanding of the time period and implications of Shakespeare’s diction as well as the invaluable lessons behind his words and stories. Colorfully incorporating the history of Shakespearean theater and society, How to Teach Your Children Shakespeare guides readers on an informed and adventurous journey through the world in which the Bard wrote.

Image for Romeo and Juliet

Romeo and Juliet

Joining Bruce Coville's earlier prose adaptations of Shakespeare's plays is this picture book treatment of the Bard's most popular work ever. The tender story of the young star-crossed lovers from warring families, Romeo and Juliet has moved audiences to tears for four hundred years. And Coville tells it in a way that will surely whet the appetite of young audiences, who will then find even greater enjoyment in the original. As with his earlier adaptations, Coville expertly combines his own dramatic language with key lines from the play. Dennis Nolan, who illustrated Coville's version of A Midsummer Night's Dream, contributes stunning paintings, including a gatefold of the famous balcony scene. In addition to A Midsummer Night's Dream, which Publishers Weekly called "A first rate entree to the Bard," Coville also retold The Tempest and Macbeth. Of the latter, School Library Journal said, "Coville's muscular sentences, full of dramatic word choices, make this a good read-aloud." Both Macbeth and A Midsummer Night's Dream were honored as ALA Quick Picks for Young Adults.

And look at these other trioramas.

MORE TRIORAMAS

  • How to Make an Easy Rainforest Triorama With Kids
  • How to Make a Water, Land, and Sky Animal Habitat Triorama
  • How to Make an Amazing Shakespeare Triorama Book Report
  • How to Make a Cool Greek Mythology Triorama With Kids
  • How to Make a Giant Triorama Project About Cherokee Culture
  • How to Make A Desert Triorama About the Gobi, Sahara, & Antarctica
  • Amazing Geography Landforms: An Engaging Triorama Tutorial for Kids
  • How to Make a Triorama Teaching the Primary Colors with Dollar Tree Supplies
  • How To Build A Water Habitat Triorama With Kids
  • How to Craft a Stunning Wolf Animal Triorama
  • How to Make a Biome Triorama That Explores Alaska’s Amazing Features
  • How to Make a Native American Triorama Highlighting Tribes in 3 Regions
  • How to Make A Pyramid Diorama For States Of Matter
  • The Wonders of the Great Barrier Reef: An Ecosystem Triorama

Next, look at some of these works of Shakespeare.

3 POPULAR WORKS OF SHAKESPEARE

This play is a tragic love story about two young people from feuding families who fall in love at first sight.

ROMEO AND JULIET

The story is set in Verona, Italy. And it tells the story of Romeo Montague and Juliet Capulet. Romeo and Juliet are from two families who have been feuding for generations.

Despite their families’ hatred for each other, Romeo and Juliet fall in love and secretly marry.

Their love is forbidden. They must keep their relationship a secret from their families.

However, their love is doomed from the start, and they eventually take their own lives rather than live without each other.

Romeo and Juliet explores a number of important themes, including: The power of love, the dangers of prejudice and hatred, the importance of family, the consequences of rash decisions

It is a timeless story of love, loss, and tragedy.

The characters are relatable and interesting, and the themes are relevant to teens’ lives. Romeo and Juliet is also a great way for teens to learn about Shakespeare’s writing and the Elizabethan era.

MIDSUMMER NIGHT’S DREAM

A Midsummer Night’s Dream is full of humor, romance, and adventure, and it tells the story of four young lovers who find themselves caught up in a magical forest on a midsummer night.

The story begins with Hermia and Lysander, two young lovers who are forbidden from being together by Hermia’s father. They decide to run away together. And they are followed into the forest by Demetrius, Hermia’s former love interest, and Helena, Demetrius’s current love interest.

Once in the forest, the four lovers are caught up in a magical world of fairies and elves.

The fairy king, Oberon, and the fairy queen, Titania, are having a fight, and they use their magic to play tricks on the lovers. The lovers are confused and enchanted. Too, they fall in and out of love with each other.

In the end, Oberon and Titania resolve their fight, and the lovers are reunited. The play ends with a wedding and a celebration.

It explores a number of important themes, including: the power of love, the dangers of jealousy, the importance of forgiveness, and the nature of dreams.

How to Make an Amazing Shakespeare Triorama Book Report

It is a funny, romantic, and exciting play with a lot of magic and adventure. The characters are relatable and interesting, and the themes are relevant to teens’ lives. A Midsummer Night’s Dream is also a great way for teens to learn about Shakespeare’s writing and the Elizabethan era.

JULIUS CAESAR

Julius Caesar is one of William Shakespeare’s most famous plays, and it’s a great introduction to Shakespeare for teens. The play is full of action, adventure, and political intrigue, and it tells the story of one of the most famous assassinations in history.

The story is set in ancient Rome. It tells the story of a group of conspirators who plot to assassinate Julius Caesar, the Roman dictator. Caesar is a powerful and popular leader, but he is also ambitious and ruthless. The conspirators believe that Caesar is a threat to Rome’s democracy, and they are determined to stop him.

Julius Caesar explores a number of important themes, including the dangers of ambition, the importance of loyalty, and the nature of power. The play is also a reminder that even the most

Teens will love Julius Caesar because it is a fast-paced and exciting play with a lot of action and adventure. The characters are relatable and interesting, and the themes are relevant to teens’ lives.

Julius Caesar is also a great way for teens to learn about Roman history and culture.

Also, look at more activities to go along with this Shakespeare triorama book report.

TRIORAMA BOOK REPORT AND OTHER ACTIVITIES

  • 4 Week Free Shakespeare Unit Study & Best Hands-on Ideas
  • Introduce Shakespeare with a Free Escape Room
  • How To Teach Your Homeschooled Children Shakespeare
  • Shakespeare Mixed Media Art Project
  • Shakespeare Unit Study Starters
  • It’s a Bard Knock Life: DIY Shakespearean Collar
  • Amazing Globe Theatre model!
  • How to Draw William Shakespeare

Finally, look at how to make this book report.

AMAZING SHAKESPEARE TRIORAMA BOOK REPORT

You will need:

  • 12×12 color or patterned cardstock
  • White cardstock
  • Craft paint/paint brushes
  • Printed pages of Shakespeare quotes
How to Make an Amazing Shakespeare Triorama Book Report

First, fold cardstock from corner to corner and press the seam tightly.

How to Make an Amazing Shakespeare Triorama Book Report

Unfold and fold it again across the opposite corner.

How to Make an Amazing Shakespeare Triorama Book Report

Open the cardstock and cut up one of the corner creases all the way to the center.

How to Make an Amazing Shakespeare Triorama Book Report

Before we glue the triorama into place it is easiest to draw the design on the backdrop, you can paint or color it before folding or after.

How to Make an Amazing Shakespeare Triorama Book Report

Bend the creases so that one side of the cut flap slides under the other, glue in place.

How to Make an Amazing Shakespeare Triorama Book Report

To create a fun backdrop we typed up some of our favorite Shakespeare quotes.

Then we printed and ripped them into strips as if they were torn from the pages of his play.

How to Make an Amazing Shakespeare Triorama Book Report

Glue them down onto the backdrop of the triorama.

How to Make an Amazing Shakespeare Triorama Book Report

The final piece is to draw out your characters and props on white cardstock, color them in if you wish or leave them as sketches.

How to Make an Amazing Shakespeare Triorama Book Report

Cut each one out, like you would a paper doll but leave a ½” long strip across the bottom.

How to Make an Amazing Shakespeare Triorama Book Report

Fold the strip under and glue it into place on your scene.

Leave a CommentFiled Under: Hands-On Activities Tagged With: book report, hands-on, hands-on activities, handson, handsonhomeschooling, homeschool, shakespeare, triorama

How to Make a Water, Land, and Sky Animal Habitat Triorama

January 1, 2025 | Leave a Comment
This post may contain affiliate links. For more information, please see my full disclosure policy.

I have a unique project for you today, an animal habitat triorama, to showcase 3 different types. Also, look at my page Trioramas: How To Create Engaging Visual Narratives For Kids for more ideas.

Surely you know what a diorama is, but have you ever had your children make a triorama?

It is the same basic principle as a diorama, but it gives you three different sections to work in.

How to Make a Water, Land, and Sky Animal Habitat Triorama

This is a great activity to compare and contrast the differences in whatever your topic is.

Dioramas and trioramas can be adapted for preschoolers through high school teens.

And they are a wonderful hands-on activity that can be used for most subjects and topics of interest.

For today’s activity, we are doing a land, sea, and water animal triorama to learn about their various habitats.

The 8 major habitats are polar, tundra, evergreen forests, seasonal forests, grasslands, deserts, tropical rainforests, and oceans.

You can let your child choose which 3 habitats they highlight and which creature for each one.

Our animal habitat triorama consisted of ocean/coral reef for our sea turtle in the water.

The rainforest in the canopy for our cockatoo in the sky.

And woodlands for our fox on the land.

ALL ABOUT ANIMAL HABITATS

Animals live in all sorts of different places, called habitats.

Their habitat provides them with everything they need to survive, like food, water, shelter, and a place to raise their young.

Some animals live in forests, which are like big, green jungles.

 Forests are home to many kinds of animals, like deer, squirrels, bears, and owls.

Other animals live in grasslands, which are like big, open fields.

Grasslands are home to animals like lions, zebras, elephants, and giraffes.

Deserts are hot, dry places where animals like camels, snakes, and scorpions live.

Tundra is a cold, snowy place where animals like polar bears, caribou, and Arctic foxes live.

Oceans are home to all sorts of sea creatures, like fish, whales, dolphins, and sharks.

Animals have adapted to living in their specific habitats.

For example, polar bears have thick fur to keep them warm in the cold Arctic tundra.

How to Make a Water, Land, and Sky Animal Habitat Triorama

Camels have long legs and wide feet to help them walk through the desert sand.

Marine mammals like whales and seals have streamlined bodies to help them move through water efficiently.

AMAZING RESOURCES FOR YOUR ANIMAL HABITAT TRIORAMA

First watch, All About Habitats: Kids’ Guide to Tundra, Deserts, Grasslands, Forests, and More to help your child better understand the different habitats.

Water

Freshwater habitats are rivers, lakes, streams, ponds, swamps, wetlands, bogs and lagoons.

Marine Habitats include oceans, seas and coral reefs.

  • Ocean Anatomy
  • The Big Book of Blue
  • Ocean Creatures
  • Great Lakes Animals

Land

Terrestrial habitats (or where creatures live on land) include forests, deserts, grasslands, mountain, tundra and polar ice.

  • The Big Book of Beasts
  • Nature Anatomy
  • Rainforest Animals
  • Desert Creatures

Sky

An aerial habitat is a type of habitat that exists in the air, this would include birds, insects, and bats and would be within all of the other habitats.

  • The Big Book of Birds
  • An Anthology of Exquisite Birds
  • Bird Figures

MORE TRIORAMAS

  • How to Make an Easy Rainforest Triorama With Kids
  • How to Make a Water, Land, and Sky Animal Habitat Triorama
  • How to Make an Amazing Shakespeare Triorama Book Report
  • How to Make a Cool Greek Mythology Triorama With Kids
  • How to Make a Giant Triorama Project About Cherokee Culture
  • How to Make A Desert Triorama About the Gobi, Sahara, & Antarctica
  • Amazing Geography Landforms: An Engaging Triorama Tutorial for Kids
  • How to Make a Triorama Teaching the Primary Colors with Dollar Tree Supplies
  • How To Build A Water Habitat Triorama With Kids
  • How to Craft a Stunning Wolf Animal Triorama
  • How to Make a Biome Triorama That Explores Alaska’s Amazing Features
  • How to Make a Native American Triorama Highlighting Tribes in 3 Regions
  • How to Make A Pyramid Diorama For States Of Matter
  • The Wonders of the Great Barrier Reef: An Ecosystem Triorama

Next, look at these fun animal habitat activities to try.

MORE ANIMAL HABITAT ACTIVITIES TO TRY

  • Fun Arctic Habitat Diorama and Fascinating Facts About Walruses
  • Take a look at two very different habitats with the Arctic Animals & Forest Animals: Comparing Animal Habitats.
  • Awesome Serengeti African Savanna Fun Facts | Free Color By Number
  • Enjoy some Hands-on Learning on Animal Habitats for Preschool.
  • See my How To Make A Shoebox Toucan Habitat Diorama With Waterfall for a different style of display like the triorama.
  • Fun Hands-On Bee Activities for Kids Make a Mason Bee Habitat
  • Free Color By Number Penguin And Penguins Antarctica Habitat
  • Learn how animals hide within their habitat with these 8 Animal Camouflage Activities and Resources & Fun Camouflage Art
  • The Wonders of Nature: Free Color by Number Sloth Rainforest Habitat Page
  • 5 Easy Bat Stem Activities and Create a STEM Bat Habitat
  • Simplify and highlight just one habitat by following the tutorial on How to Make an Easy Wetlands Paper Plate Habitat Diorama.
How to Make a Water, Land, and Sky Animal Habitat Triorama

Finally, look at how to make this fun animal habitat triorama.

HOW TO MAKE A WATER, LAND, AND SKY ANIMAL HABITAT TRIORAMA

You will need:

  • Three paper plates
  • Scissors
  • Land, sea, and water plastic animal figure
  • Craft paint
  • Paint brushes
  • Construction paper, rocks, twigs,
How to Make a Water, Land, and Sky Animal Habitat Triorama

First fold your paper plate in half and press across the crease to get a sharp fold.

Open the paper plate and repeat folding it in half in the opposite direction.

You’re going to want to do this three times.

How to Make a Water, Land, and Sky Animal Habitat Triorama

Along the lines cut from the edge of the paper plate to the center.

How to Make a Water, Land, and Sky Animal Habitat Triorama

Bend your paper plate so that the cut section has the two flaps laid one on top of the other, repeat with all three plates.

How to Make a Water, Land, and Sky Animal Habitat Triorama

Then, hot glue your folded plates back to back.

Do this on a hard surface so that the bottom is fairly flat and level.

How to Make a Water, Land, and Sky Animal Habitat Triorama

Now use paint or markers or crayons to color each section to resemble the water and land.

How to Make a Water, Land, and Sky Animal Habitat Triorama

Allow paint to dry.

The next step is to start adding a little more detail to each section.

You can do this by cutting or tearing shapes out of construction paper, cotton balls, for clouds, additional paint, details, small rocks, and small twigs, etc., the skies the limit.

How to Make a Water, Land, and Sky Animal Habitat Triorama

I like to use whatever we have on hand for this project so that means we gathered rocks and twigs from the yard,

How to Make a Water, Land, and Sky Animal Habitat Triorama

Once you have everything glued into place, just add your land and water animal into the proper section and your triorama is ready for display.

Leave a CommentFiled Under: Hands-On Activities Tagged With: habitat, hands-on, hands-on activities, handson, handsonhomeschooling, homeschool, science, triorama

Fun And Easy Spider Craft: Insect Lessons For Elementary Students

December 29, 2024 | Leave a Comment
This post may contain affiliate links. For more information, please see my full disclosure policy.

These fun and easy insect lessons for elementary students are creepy and crawly in all the best ways. Also, look at my page Free Kids Insect Unit Study for more ideas. Too, look at my page How To Homeschool Elementary Students Like A Pro.

And these insect lessons will have your child engaged throughout their lessons.

First let me clarify for the sake of our spider craft today, spiders are not insects.

Rather, they are a different grouping called “arachnids”.

Fun And Easy Spider Craft: Insect Lessons For Elementary Students

Most insects have 4 life stages and spiders have 3-egg, spiderling and adult.

Also, while we are comparing and contrasting, all bugs are insects.

But not all insects are bugs.

True bugs have a mouth shaped like straw or needle to suck juices, mostly from plants and have 3 life stages.

BOOKS ABOUT INSECTS FOR KIDS

Also, look at these books about insects.

When possible, we prefer to read living books.

11 Insect & Bug Books for Kids Who Love to Be Read To and Read

Add one or two of these books to your home library about insects. I love living books but love to add reference books to our day when I find them.

Image for When Insects are Babies

When Insects are Babies

Describes briefly the short infancy of such common insects as the grasshopper, praying mantis, cicada, earwig, and twelve others.

Image for We Like Bugs

We Like Bugs

This illustrated book for children asks the Have you ever seen a doodlebug? A dragon fly? A leafhopper? Find out all about bugs in this book.

Image for Fabre's Book of Insects

Fabre's Book of Insects

Hailed by Darwin as "The Homer of Insects," famed French entomologist Jean Henri Fabre (1823–1915) devoted hours of rapt attention to insects while they hunted, built nests, and fed their families. Working in Provence, in barren, sun-scorched fields inhabited by countless wasps and bees, he observed their intricate and fascinating world, recounting their activities in simple, beautifully written essays.This volume, based on translations of Fabre's Souvenirs Entomologiques, blends folklore and mythology with factual explanation. Fabre's absorbing account of the scarab beetle's existence, for example, begins with the ancient Egyptians' symbolic view of this busy creature, eventually leading to a careful discussion of its characteristic method of rolling a carefully sculpted ball of food to its den. Elsewhere, he discusses with infectious enthusiasm the physiologic secrets behind the luminosity of fireflies, the musical talents of the locust, the comfortable home of the field cricket, and the cannibalism of the pious-looking praying mantis, among other topics.These charmingly related stories of insect life are a rare combination of scientific study and literary classic that will delight entomologists, naturalists, and nature lovers alike.

Image for Children of Summer: Henri Fabre's Insects

Children of Summer: Henri Fabre's Insects

Henri Fabre (1823-1915) was a famous explorer yet he seldom left his own backyard. He spent his whole life discovering the secrets of the insect world. His home and its surroundings served as his laboratory, and his lab assistants were his wife and children. The entire family shared his passion for insects, especially his youngest son, Paul. Follow Paul as he assists his famous father uncover the secrets of his "children of summer"-insects. You'll meet the undertaker beetle that buries dead animals; the acorn elephant beetle, whose snout is so long that it must hold it straight out to keep from tripping over it; caterpillars that spin tents and roadways of silk; red ants that kidnap black ant babies and raise them as slaves; dancing scorpions; dung beetles that get their nourishment from animal droppings; male peacock moths that pay homage to their princess but don't eat a single meal as adults; and many other unusual creatures. On the way, you'll get to know a fascinating scientist widely regarded as the father of modern entomology. Through texts drawn from the beautiful written records that Fabre kept of everything he did and saw, and exquisite illustrations done in close, scientific detail, this enchanting book reaches far beyond the boundaries of its subject to engage even those who didn't know they were interested in bugs.

Image for Creep and Flutter: The Secret World of Insects and Spiders

Creep and Flutter: The Secret World of Insects and Spiders

Acclaimed naturalist and illustrator Jim Arnosky brings out the beauty—and the “wow!” and the “yuck!” factors—of hundreds of insects and spiders. Eight spectacular gatefolds show moths and mosquitoes, butterflies and beetles, spiders and silverfish life-size, up close, and personal!

Image for Insects Do the Strangest Things (Step-Up Books)

Insects Do the Strangest Things (Step-Up Books)

Describes insects that have peculiar and strange characteristics, such as the camouflage of the walking stick, and the driver ants that prefer people to picnics.

Image for Insect Life

Insect Life

Be immersed in the fascinating world of insects as you're taken on a journey observing and learning about the world around you.

This volume teaches about what makes an insect, the parts of a caterpillar, moths, butterflies, beetles, wasps, bees, flies, crickets, grasshoppers and more!

Image for The Big Book of Bugs (The Big Book Series)

The Big Book of Bugs (The Big Book Series)

From moths and beetles to worms and spiders, the world is crawling with fascinating bugs. The Big Book of Bugs is the first fact-filled book for children to explore the vast array of creepy-crawlies that share our Earth.

In the first pages, children learn that bugs live nearly everywhere on the planet and gain tips on how to become a young bug spotter. As the book continues, the scenic compositions on each page are dedicated to key groups of bugs, including beetles, moths, butterflies, bees, snails, crickets, grasshoppers, worms, and spiders. Some spreads approach the world of bugs thematically, such as bugs that come out at night, baby bugs, and life cycles, how bugs hide and show off, and how some bugs love to live in your home. The conversational, funny text is also full of facts that will astonish children and adults, and accompanied by Yuval Zommer’s colorful illustrations. Illustrated in color throughout.

Image for Caterpillars, Bugs and Butterflies: Take-Along Guide (Take Along Guides)

Caterpillars, Bugs and Butterflies: Take-Along Guide (Take Along Guides)

An introduction to the world of insects, caterpillars, and butterflies including identification information, educational activities, and fun facts.Invites young naturalists to spot wildlife. Safety tips are provided and interesting activities are suggested.

Image for The Beetle (Dimensional Nature Portfolio Series)

The Beetle (Dimensional Nature Portfolio Series)

Features the beetle in huge, three-dimensional form. The book consists of an enormous center pop-up and two seven-page books, one bound into each cover, which are full of additional pop-ups, anatomical cutaways and photographs taken through electron microscopes.

Image for The Girl Who Drew Butterflies: How Maria Merian's Art Changed Science

The Girl Who Drew Butterflies: How Maria Merian's Art Changed Science

In this beautiful nonfiction biography, a Robert F. Sibert Medal winner, the Newbery Honor–winning author Joyce Sidman introduces readers to one of the first female entomologists and a woman who flouted convention in the pursuit of knowledge and her passion for insects.

One of the first naturalists to observe live insects directly, Maria Sibylla Merian was also one of the first to document the metamorphosis of the butterfly. 

Richly illustrated throughout with full-color original paintings by Merian herself, The Grew Who Drew Butterflies will enthrall young scientists.

Bugs, of all kinds, were considered to be “born of mud” and to be “beasts of the devil.” Why would anyone, let alone a girl, want to study and observe them? The Girl Who Drew Butterflies answers this question.

Then, let’s compare the similarities and differences of insects vs arachnids.

COMPARING INSECTS VS. ARACHNIDS

Both spiders and insects are arthropods, this means they have an exoskeleton and jointed legs.

Spiders have two body segments- the cephalothorax and the abdomen, while insects have three: the head, thorax, and abdomen.

Legs-Spiders have eight legs, and insects have six.

Wings- There are no spiders that have wings, but many insects do.

Antennae- Spiders do not have antennae, but insects do.

Eyes- Most spiders have six to eight simple eyes, but can have as few as two, while insects have two compound eyes.

The Big Book of Bugs is a must have oversized colorful book for reference for preschool through elementary students.

Fun And Easy Spider Craft: Insect Lessons For Elementary Students

Next, look at these insect lessons for elementary students.

INSECT LESSONS FOR ELEMENTARY STUDENTS

  1. Insect Anatomy.
  2. Let your student create their own entomology display with this Paper Insect Collection Tutorial.
  3. Bugs & Insects Printable Guessing Game takes a basic game like Guess Who and turns it into a fantastic learning game.
  4. Thinking Tree has workbooks for all the subjects on just about every theme children like that you can think of, This All About Bugs Workbook lets them study dozens and dozens of specific bugs from all over the world but also includes geography, art, and more.
  5. The Art of Flying Insects.
  6. Insect homes.
Fun And Easy Spider Craft: Insect Lessons For Elementary Students

And look at more hands-on insect activities.

MORE KIDS INSECT ACTIVITIES

  • Fascinating Insect Incredible Slime: A Kids’ Guide To Nature’s Goo
  • How to Make a Fun Ladybug Watercolor Labeled Picture
  • Fun and Easy Hands-on Life Cycle Butterfly Activity for Kids
  • 4 Cicada Insect Fun Facts For Kids | How to Make A Cicada Clothespin Craft
  • 8 Insect Fun Facts About Texas For Kids | Easy Dragonfly Craft
  • Blue Morpho Butterfly Adaptations In The Tropical Rainforest and Fun Symmetry Craft

Additionally, look at these facts about spiders to help your kids understand the differences.

ALL ABOUT THE SPIDER

Legs

Spiders have 8 legs that are covered with tiny hairs that pick up smells and vibrations, they have 6 joints with 7 segments, giving them 48 knees.

The different legs on a spider are used for:

  • Walking and moving around
  • Climbing surfaces
  • Spinning webs
  • Catching and holding prey
  • Sensing their environment
  • Grooming themselves
  • Defending themselves

Eyes

Spiders use their eyes to hunt, navigate, and avoid predators. They are an important part of a spider’s sensory system and help them to survive in their environment.

They have up to eight eyes, arranged in a variety of ways depending on the species. Some spiders have two large eyes at the front of their head that are used for hunting, while others have four or six smaller eyes that are used for detecting movement.

They  are made up of a lens and a retina, just like human eyes. However, spider eyes are much simpler than human eyes and do not have the ability to focus. Spiders also do not have eyelids, so they cannot blink.

The number and arrangement of spider eyes varies depending on the species. Some spiders, such as jumping spiders, have four eyes that are arranged in a square. Other spiders, such as wolf spiders, have eight eyes that are arranged in two rows.

The different types of spider eyes have different functions. The large eyes at the front of the head are used for hunting.

These eyes are very sensitive to light and can detect movement from a long distance. The smaller eyes on the sides of the head are used for detecting movement and for orientation.

FUN AND EASY SPIDER CRAFT

You will need:

  • Small styrofoam ball
  • Medium Styrofoam ball
  • 4 pipe cleaners
  • Google eyes
  • Craft felt/craft foam
  • Hot glue gun/sticks
Fun And Easy Spider Craft: Insect Lessons For Elementary Students

First paint the styrofoam balls in whatever color they like, spiders come in many colors from brown and gray to iridescent blue and green.

Fun And Easy Spider Craft: Insect Lessons For Elementary Students

Set aside to dry.

Fun And Easy Spider Craft: Insect Lessons For Elementary Students

While the paint is drying, cut the pipe cleaners in half to create 8 legs.

Fun And Easy Spider Craft: Insect Lessons For Elementary Students

Place 6 beads along each pipe cleaner to represent the joints in a spider’s leg, bend each one slightly at the joints.

Fun And Easy Spider Craft: Insect Lessons For Elementary Students

Once the paint is dry push the tip of a hot glue gun into the cephalothorax, the smaller styrofoam ball.

Fun And Easy Spider Craft: Insect Lessons For Elementary Students

And add a little glue, press a leg in and hold until the glue has hardened, repeat until all 8 legs are in place.

Fun And Easy Spider Craft: Insect Lessons For Elementary Students

Cut small fangs from the craft felt or foam and glue into place.

Fun And Easy Spider Craft: Insect Lessons For Elementary Students

Next , attach googly eyes to your spider’s head. Use two bigger eyes for

Fun And Easy Spider Craft: Insect Lessons For Elementary Students

Glue the cephalothorax to the abdomen and your spider is ready to creep and crawl.

Fun And Easy Spider Craft: Insect Lessons For Elementary Students

You can also write the parts of a spider down on pieces of paper and have your child label each part, this can be as simple or as detailed as you like.

Leave a CommentFiled Under: Hands-On Activities Tagged With: crafts, hands-on, hands-on activities, handson, insects, science, spider

Learn US Geography the Fun Way: Free States 3-Part Flashcards

December 28, 2024 | Leave a Comment
This post may contain affiliate links. For more information, please see my full disclosure policy.

To learn US geography, I have some free US State 3-part flashcards. Also, look at my Hands-On Simple And Best Homeschool Geography Ideas & Tips.

Too, I have some other activities to share how to learn all 50 states.

And I will explain what is a 3-part flashcard. They are very flexible to help learners of different ages.

Learn US Geography the Fun Way: Free States 3-Part Flashcards

Besides, learning the states should be fun.

When your child knows where each state is, they can learn about its history and culture.

And when you combine hands-on activities like games, recipes and even music your child learns information in different ways.

This helps learning stick and doesn’t reduce learning to just memorization.

KIDS GEOGRAPHY BOOKS TO LEARN THE UNITED STATES

First, look at this list of books and resources to help children learn about the U.S.

10 U.S. Geography Resources

If you're looking to teach U.S. geography in a hands-on way, you'll love adding one or two of these resources to your day or study.

Image for The Scrambled States of America Game

The Scrambled States of America Game

Quick! Find a state that ends with the letter A. Now find one that borders Tennessee. Have fun learning about the United States in this madcap game of observation and quick reflexes. 

Image for The 50 States: Explore the U.S.A. with 50 fact-filled maps!

The 50 States: Explore the U.S.A. with 50 fact-filled maps!

Explore every state of the USA from Alabama to Wyoming with these 51 charmingly illustrated infographic maps! Includes an expansive guide to the state flags and US presidents.Discover more than 2,000 facts about the people, cities, nature and historic events that have helped make America what it is today. Ghost towns, swamp tours, the center of the universe… bacon donuts, brainy berries, salmon jerky… The French Fry King, The Mother of Oregon, The Queen of Blues… be inspired by the inventiveness, beauty and diversity of our great nation in this curious collection of fact-filled maps.

Image for National Geographic Kids U.S. Atlas

National Geographic Kids U.S. Atlas

 Kids will have fun learning about each and every U.S. state in this amazing 6th edition atlas, packed with maps, stats, facts, and pictures

Image for The U.S. History Cookbook: Delicious Recipes and Exciting Events from the Past

The U.S. History Cookbook: Delicious Recipes and Exciting Events from the Past

Who knew history could be so delicious? In The U.S. History Cookbook, you'll discover how Americans have lived and dined over the centuries. This scrumptious survey of periods and events in U.S. history mixes together a delectable batter of food timelines, kid-friendly recipes, and fun food facts.

Image for The United States in 100 Words

The United States in 100 Words

How do you sum up a whole country in just 100 words? This striking book takes on the challenge! From amendment to Vegas, each of the carefully chosen 100 words has its own 100-word-long description and beautiful illustration, providing a snapshot of what the USA means to people today: its roots, its values, its culture, and customs. Basically, everything you need to know in a nut shell.

Image for Supertoob: USA,Figure Playsets

Supertoob: USA,Figure Playsets

This Toob includes figurines of the Lincoln Memorial, Hoover Dam, Liberty Bell, Alamo, Mount Rushmore, Statue of Liberty, Gateway Arch, U.S. Capital, Empire State Building, White House, as well as a flag and an eagle.

Image for Geographic USA Scrunch Map

Geographic USA Scrunch Map

Easy Storage: Unfold and spread flat when you need it or scrunch it up and store away when you're done. The USA map makes a wonderful addition to your home, office, library, kid's room, classroom or playroom.

Image for States & Capitals Flash Cards for Kids – 50 American State Cards

States & Capitals Flash Cards for Kids – 50 American State Cards

LEARN STATES & CAPITALS IN A FLASH: Get to know each of the 50 states! How well do you know your home state and neighbors? Perfect for all ages

50 FLASH CARDS: Includes 50 educational flash cards for studying important school subjects such as US Geography and History!

9 LEARNING GAMES: Teach and participate in 9 specially made enrichment activities: Name Games, What's the Motto, Heads Up, Region Round-up, State Trivia and more! Fun symbols

Image for 1000-piece USA Map Jigsaw Puzzle & Poster 50 States | Illustrated American Landmarks

1000-piece USA Map Jigsaw Puzzle & Poster 50 States | Illustrated American Landmarks

Test your geography knowledge with Talking Tables beautifully illustrated 1000-piece USA 50 States Map Jigsaw Puzzle & Poster. This USA Map Puzzle features landmarks from across America! Our Jigsaw Puzzles For Adults make for Fun Indoor Activities and can be framed as Wall Art

Image for Geography from A to Z: A Picture Glossary

Geography from A to Z: A Picture Glossary

Have you ever wondered what a badland is? What about a gulch?
Do you know what an isthmus is? Or a seamount? What about the difference between a plateau and a plain, or a knob and a knoll? Well look no further. This broad introduction to the fascinating world around us explores our planet’s physical features from the highest mountain peak to the deepest ocean trench. The team behind Maps & Globes proves that geography can indeed be an adventure.

Also, look at these reasons to use flash cards.

HOW TO USE THE FLASH CARDS FOR LEARNING

First, flash cards make learning active.

Especially, if a child learns independently, self-pacing is a huge motivating factor.

For example, if you have a reader the name of the state can be paired with the state.

Use the set of flashcards with the state name on it to self-check the answers.

Too, when a child uses flash cards regularly they learn through memory.

When memory recall is accompanied by dynamic play you increase your child’s retention of the information.

Next, look at these ways to use the cards.

  • Flash the cards with the state name and shape to introduce the state.
  • Cut the two-part cards on the line to match the name and state.
  • Also, non-readers can match states to state and learn the shape.
  • Use the state cards with younger learners by placing native animals of the state on the state.
  • Encourage your older children to memorize the state capitals.
  • Too encourage your older learner to organize the states by region. For example, group the northeastern states together and the southern states.
  • Also, have your child place the states on the floor and organize them into a “map”. This helps them to learn the geography of the state.
Learn US Geography the Fun Way: Free States 3-Part Flashcards

Next, add more activities to learn about the states.

MORE ACTIVITIES TO LEARN US GEOGRAPHY

Also, look at these fun activities.

  • 100 BEST Books for Kids from all 50 States (Easy Geography)
  • The Benefits Of Using Games That Teach Geography | Review Of Scrambled States
  • Professor Noggin’s Geography of The United States Trivia Card Game
  • American History Game Fun U.S. President Go Fish Unit Study
  • 18 American History Board Games Which Brings History to Life
Learn US Geography the Fun Way: Free States 3-Part Flashcards

Finally, grab the freebie.

HOW TO GET THE FREE PRINTABLE US STATES FLASH CARDS

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.

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!

Leave a CommentFiled Under: Hands-On Activities Tagged With: flash cards, geography, hands-on, hands-on activities, handson, handsonhomeschooling, homeschool, U.S., United States

100 BEST Books for Kids from all 50 States (Easy Geography)

December 27, 2024 | 1 Comment
This post may contain affiliate links. For more information, please see my full disclosure policy.

I have books for kids from all 50 states. Too, look at my page Homeschool Geography for hands-on and simple ideas and tips.

Book lists are a great resource for beginning a homeschool unit study.

Also, this list is great for helping kids learn the geography of the 50 states because they engage children with both visual and textual learning.

Too, they revive learning when you feel the homeschool doldrums, or to use them for a geography unit study when you want to move away from boring textbooks.

And books, especially picture books can have colorful illustrations and maps of the state.

100 BEST Books for Kids from all 50 States (Easy Geography)

Pictures help children cement information about the state.

In addition, state specific books will highlight landmarks, major cities and sometimes famous people.

Additionally, some books are living books which presents facts about the state in a narrative or story form.

Rather than dry reference books, many of the books are about persons who lived in specific states or about events that happened in certain states.

Also, look at more books about the United States.

  • The Benefits Of Using Games That Teach Geography | Review Of Scrambled States
  • Professor Noggin’s Geography of The United States Trivia Card Game
  • American History Game Fun U.S. President Go Fish Unit Study
  • 18 American History Board Games Which Brings History to Life

Today, I rounded up 100 best books for kids from all 50 states.

BOOKS FROM ALL 50 STATES FOR KIDS

Alabama

My Name Is America: The Journal Of Biddy Owens, Birmingham, Alabama, 1948
Who Was Rosa Parks? (Who Was? series)

Alaska

The Adventures of Balto: The Untold Story of Alaska’s Famous Iditarod Sled Dog
Sweet Home Alaska

Arizona

Wright on Time, Book 1: Arizona
Arizona (Lucky Luke)

BOOKS ABOUT THE 50 STATES 

Arkansas

Lost Mines and Buried Treasures of Arkansas
The Fifth Rule

California

By the Great Horn Spoon!
What Was the Gold Rush? (What Was? series)

Colorado

Down the Colorado: John Wesley Powell, the One-Armed Explorer
In the Heart of the Rockies: An Adventure on the Colorado River

Connecticut

The Moffats
The Forgotten Flag: Revolutionary Struggle in Connecticut Paperback

Delaware

The Last of the Mohicans
Dear America: A Light in the Storm

Florida

Because of Winn-Dixie
Defeat of the Ghost Riders (Trailblazer Books)

Georgia

My Brother Martin: A Sister Remembers Growing Up with the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.
Diary of Carrie Berry A Confederate Girl

Hawaii

Shipwrecked!: The True Adventures of a Japanese Boy
What Was Pearl Harbor? (What Was? series)

Idaho

West to a Land of Plenty: The Diary of Teresa Angelino Viscardi, New York to Idaho Territory
High Wind to Idaho

Illinois

DK Biography: Abraham Lincoln
What Was the Great Chicago Fire? (What Was? series)

Indiana

The Bears of Blue River
Oliver’s Travels: An Indiana Adventure

Iowa

Laura Ingalls Wilder: The Iowa Story
Searching for Anne Frank: Letters from Amsterdam to Iowa

Kansas

Prairie Skies: Cabin in the Snow
Moon Over Manifest

Kentucky

Daniel Boone: Young Hunter and Tracker (Childhood of Famous Americans)
Abandoned on the Wild Frontier (Trailblazer Books)

Louisiana

Lorenzo And the Turncoat
Down in Louisiana

Maine

The Sign of the Beaver
Lost on a Mountain in Maine

Maryland

Goliath: Hero of the Great Baltimore Fire
Listen for the Whippoorwill (Trailblazer Books)

Massachusetts

Three Young Pilgrims
What Was the Boston Tea Party? (What Was? series)

Michigan

Brothers of the Heart: A Story of the Old Northwest
Who Was Henry Ford? (Who Was? series)

Minnesota

Farmer Boy Goes West (Little House, Big Adventure)
Wright on Time, Book 5: Minnesota

Mississippi

The Mystery on the Mighty Mississippi (Real Kids, Real Places)
Mississippi Morning

Missouri

The Adventures of Tom Sawyer
What Was the Lewis and Clark Expedition? (What Was? series)

Montana

First Dog: Unleashed in the Montana Capitol
Magpie Treasures

Nebraska

Night of the Twisters
My Face to the Wind: the Diary of Sarah Jane Price, a Prairie Teacher, Broken Bow, Nebraska 1881 (Dear America Series)

Nevada

The Last Stubborn Buffalo in Nevada
The Mystery at Area 51 (Real Kids Real Places)

And if you love learning geography through literature, look at another one of my favorites from Beautiful Feet books which is Geography through Literature.

New Hampshire

The Trouble with Jeremy Chance
A Gathering of Days: A New England Girl’s Journal, 1830-32

New Jersey

The Fighting Ground
Who Was Thomas Alva Edison? (Who Was? series)

New Mexico

The Day It Snowed Tortillas
Loco Dog in the Santa Fe Rail Yard (Historical New Mexico for Children)

New York

Roundup of the Street Rovers (Trailblazer Books)
Who Was Jackie Robinson? (Who Was? series)

North Carolina

The Mystery of the Lost Colony (Real Kids! Real Places!)
The Mystery of Biltmore House (Real Kids Real Places)

North Dakota

The Long Winter (Little House)
Gift Horse: A Lakota Story

Ohio

The Boy Who Saved Cleveland
Who Was Neil Armstrong? (Who Was? series)

From Textbook to Living Book for Homeschool Geography

Oklahoma

Beautiful Land: A Story of the Oklahoma Land Rush
Oklahoma Prairie Tales: Mostly True Stories My Grandma Told Me

Oregon

Attack in the Rye Grass: Marcus and Narcissa Whitman (Trailblazer Books)
Attack in the Rye Grass (Trailblazer Books)

Pennsylvania

The Madcap Mystery of the Missing Liberty Bell
What Was the Battle of Gettysburg? (What Was? series)

Rhode Island

The Art of Keeping Cool (Aladdin Historical Fiction)
The World in One Square Mile: Central Falls

South Carolina

Sylvia and Miz Lula Maye
The Mystery at Fort Sumter (Real Kids Real Places)

South Dakota

Wright on Time: South Dakota
The Mystery at Mount Rushmore (Real Kids Real Places)

Tennessee

Flaming Arrows (Odyssey Classics)
The Perilous Road (Odyssey Classics (Odyssey Classics)

Texas

A Line in the Sand: The Alamo Diary of Lucinda Lawrence (Dear America Series)
What Was the Alamo? (What Was? series)

Utah

The Great Brain
Wright on Time, Book 2: Utah

Vermont

Aaron and the Green Mountain Boys
John and Tom (Vermont Folklife Center Children’s Book Series)

Virginia

With Lee in Virginia
The Mystery at Mount Vernon (Real Kids Real Places)

Washington

The Seattle Puzzle (The Boxcar Children Mysteries)
Exiled to the Red River (Trailblazer Books)

West Virginia

Way Down Deep
October Sky

Wisconsin

Little House in the Big Woods
Caddie Woodlawn

Wyoming

Lost Mines and Buried Treasures of Old Wyoming
Wright on Time, Book 3: Wyoming

100 BEST Books for Kids from all 50 States (Easy Geography)

Also, you’ll love these other books:

  • 8 World War II Historical Fiction Books for Middle School
  • 5 Steps to Choosing Geography Living Books Your Children Will Love
  • 5 BEST Books to Create an Around the World Unit Study (and Hands-on Activities)

This blog hop is organized by iHomeschool Network, a collaboration of outstanding homeschool bloggers who connect with each other and with family-friendly companies in mutual beneficial projects.

1 CommentFiled Under: Geography Tagged With: book lists, books, geography, hands-on activities, handsonhomeschooling, homeschoolanguagearts, homeschoolgeography, homeschoolreading, livingbooks

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