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hands on history

How To Use A Homeschool Notebook | Zoology Unit Study

May 28, 2025 | Leave a Comment
This post may contain affiliate links. For more information, please see my full disclosure policy.

A homeschool notebook is your best tool to explore zoology.

So, whether you’re learning about insects, mammals, birds, or reptiles, a zoology notebook is a fun way to keep all the information organized.

Too, a notebooking page can be done by any age. It makes a great tool for storing the information your child is learning.

How To Use A Homeschool Notebook | Zoology Unit Study

And a notebook can be anything like a spiral, file folder or 3 ring binder. Learners can add minibooks or write reports, draw or illustrate and label pictures to show what they have learned.

Basically, it’s a place where your children can keep all the things they are learning.

Additionally, it has several advantages than just doing worksheet pages. Like a fun scrapbook, each learner can make their notebook and notebooking pages unique.

It works well for learning any topic and today we’re doing one for studying zoology.

BOOKS AND RESOURCES TO USE FOR ZOOLOGY NOTEBOOK

In addition, we use living books for our notebooks.

Too, a reference book is a good science spine.

8 Resources for Multiple Ages Who Love Learning About Zoology

I have listed curriculum help to fun hands-on manipulatives for little kids to games and books which even older learners will enjoy.

Realistic Mini Zoo Animal Figurines

This jungle animal figures set was made by hand painted with high realistically detailed appearance, cute face and childish eyes. Their uniquely molded textures and richly painted details make the animals vivid. Children would like to spend more time to observe and play with them.

Safari Ltd. Nature TOOB

THE BEST OF NATURE: Bring the wonder of the great outdoors into your home with the Nature Toob! Including a rabbit, beaver, doe, cardinal, gray wolf, fox, raccoon, black bear, moose, mountain lion, bald eagle, and a bison, this Toob has all kinds of unique animals that fly, hop and saunter!

Professor Noggin's Wildlife of North America Trivia Card Game

FUN FACTS: Journey through the Wildlife of North America discovering facts about our continent’s most interesting animals. From Polar Bears to Pronghorns, from Alligators to Bald Eagles, this game is perfect for young nature lovers.

Professor Noggin's World of Pets Trivia Card Game

Use Professor Noggin Pets card game as a fun way to learn about animals and as an opportunity to discuss the responsibility of owning a pet.

Books and

Photo Credit: campfirecurriculums.com

Through the Eyes of | A Zoologist

A unit study done really well if you want something put together.

All About Oceans - Marine Biology Handbook: 350 Activities - A Creative Unit Study Science, Research, Geography, Drawing & Language Arts

For kids interested in Marine Biologist and learning about interesting sea creatures like the Brittle Stars and aquatic mammals like the Fur Seal.

Endangered, Extinct & Legendary Animals | A Science & Research Handbook: Zoology & Cryptozoology

This is a creative research handbook for students ages 8-17 and up who love earning about extinct, endangered, and mysterious animals. This curriculum handbook is designed to help students study each animal using books, videos, internet, encyclopedias, and any other parent-approved learning tool.

The 100 Series: Biology Workbook—Grades 6-12 Science, Matter, Atoms, Cells, Genetics, Elements, Bonds,

Give your students the reinforcement they need with the 128-page comprehensive Biology Workbook for grades 6–12. Designed to aid in the review and practice of biology topics such as matter and atoms, cells, classifying animals, genetics, plant and animal structures, human body systems, and ecological relationships, this book includes realistic diagrams and engaging activities to support practice in all areas of
biology.

Also, look at more zoology activities to add to your zoology homeschool notebook.

MORE ZOOLOGY ACTIVITIES

  • How to Create a Homeschool Zoology Unit Without a Curriculum and Cute Fox Craft (notebooking pages)
  • How Animals Survive Harsh Winters Fun Blubber Activity
  • Easy Hands-on Science: Animal Camouflage Activity Hunt
  • Bird Unit Study and Lapbook And Fun Edible Bird Nests
  • How Animals Cope With the Cold 
  • Animals of the Galapagos Islands
  • 6 World Wildlife Day Activities to Learn About African Lions
  • Egg to Sea Turtle Lesson Plans & Lapbook
  • Horse Unit Study for Your Horse Loving Kids
  • Deer Unit Study & Notebooking Pages
  • Black Bear Unit Study and Fun Edible Bear Poop
  • Free North American Robin Bird Lapbook and Fun Homeschool Unit Study Ideas
  • Toad and Frog Lapbook and Fun Homeschool Unit Study Ideas
  • Ocean Lapbook and Fun Homeschool Unit Study Ideas
  • Beautiful Bald Eagle Fun Facts And Torn Paper Bird Craft
How To Use A Homeschool Notebook | Zoology Unit Study

Also, look at these homeschool notebooking pages.

I cover history, science and even geography with some of our notebooking pages.

HOMESCHOOL NOTEBOOKING PAGES

  • Edible Rock Cycle Fudge | Hands-on Rock Activities & Free Notebooking Pages
  • History Makers Notebooking Pages – Famous Persons from Ancient to Modern – Set 2
  • Free Printable Strawberry Notebooking Pages
  • How To Make Puffy Paint Planets And Free Notebooking Pages
  • 2 Fun Chemistry for Kids Experiments & John Dalton Notebooking Pages
  • Fun Kids Dandelion Flower Unit Study and Easy Tea Recipe & Notebooking Pages
  • 9 Free South America Country Reports for Kids Notebooking Pages
  • Grades 1 to 8 Free Homeschool Art Curriculum and Printable Notebooking Pages
  • How Do Sharks Float STEM Activity Free Shark Unit Study & Notebooking Pages
  • Learn About Daniel Boone Hunting With a Fun Deer Unit Study & Notebooking Pages
  • George Washington Carver Fun Peanut Quick Unit Study & Notebooking Pages
  • Easy and Fun Who Is Geronimo Stilton Rodent Notebooking Page
  • 22 Famous Texans Notebooking Pages (editable) For a Fun History Study

Finally, look at how easy it is to get started.

HOW TO MAKE A HOMESCHOOL NOTEBOOK FOR YOUR ZOOLOGY UNIT STUDY

First, you will need these following supplies.

  • A notebook- lined, unlined, whatever
  • Reference books and our favorite at the moment, Anthology of Intriguing Animals
  • Pencils,crayons, colored pencils etc.
  • Stickers, magazine pictures, photographs

Next, let your child decorate their notebook on the outside, giving it a title, drawing pictures, using stickers, magazine cut outs or prints of their favorite animals from the web.

This gives them ownership over their notebook and infuses it with their personality.

How To Use A Homeschool Notebook | Zoology Unit Study

Then, grab your reference book and then use the internet to find whatever other facts you need.

Now the rest is up to you, decide what your child puts in their notebook based on their age and ability but I am going to give you a lot of ideas to help you get started.

Actually, I recommend creating a baseline of information you would like them to include and have them repeat the same format for every animal.

  • Write the animals name.
  • Draw the animal.
  • Draw its footprint.
  • Kingdom, phylum, class, order, genus, family, and species.
  • Food chain/web
  • Habitat
  • Lifespan
  • Endangered, vulnerable, extinct
  • Is it predator, prey, or both? 

Furthermore, include photos you take on field trips, printed images of the animals, you can type your required headers and let your child fill it out and then glue it in.

How To Use A Homeschool Notebook | Zoology Unit Study

This is just a starting point; it can be as simple or as involved as you like.

Encourage your child to get creative and use color, make sections for different information, and include lots of details.

This will go far in helping your learner remember all the information they are taking in.

Further, if you are using markers make sure your notebook has a thicker paper or keep a thick piece of paper between the page you are working on and the one behind it so it doesn’t bleed through.

The Anthology of Intriguing Animals was such a lovely resource, we enjoyed the realistic photos and the vintage feel of the book.

Leave a CommentFiled Under: Hands-On Activities Tagged With: hands on history, hands-on, hands-on activities, handsonhomeschooling, life science, notebooking, science

Easy Mexican Crafts: How to Make a Taco Craft

May 20, 2025 | Leave a Comment
This post may contain affiliate links. For more information, please see my full disclosure policy.

I have some easy Mexican crafts. Too, we’re making a fun taco craft but this would really be fun if you could make it a fun cooking day. Also, look at my pages Mexico Unit Study for more hands-on ideas.

Too, you will find more hands-on history on my page Meso-America Free Unit Study and Lapbook.

We’re learning about where tacos come from and learning some things about Mexican culture.

Easy Mexican Crafts: How to Make a Taco Craft

One of the most important and fun things to know about delicious tacos is that you eat them with your hands. It’s like a fold up sandwich.

Just grab and go. And tacos can be eaten anywhere or for any meal, even for a dessert.

First, add some fun books about Mexico to your craft day.

BOOKS ABOUT MEXICO FOR KIDS

Sneak in a bit of learning while the kids are playing.

I always prefer living books first if I can find them.

10 Mexico Books & Resources For Kids Who Love Reading and Being Read To

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

The Underdogs: A Novel of the Mexican Revolution (Penguin Classics)

The Underdogs is the first great novel about the first great revolution of the twentieth century. Demetrio Macias, a poor, illiterate Indian, must join the rebels to save his family. Courageous and charismatic, he earns a generalship in Pancho Villa’s army, only to become discouraged with the cause after it becomes hopelessly factionalized. At once a spare, moving depiction of the limits of political idealism, an authentic representation of Mexico’s peasant life, and a timeless portrait of revolution, The Underdogs is an iconic novel of the Latin American experience and a powerful novel about the disillusionment of war.

Stories from Mexico

Tales from Mexican folklore including The Palace of Canela, In Through the Window, The Coyote and the Sheep, The Cu Bird, and SenÄor Coyote and Juan's Maguey.

Adelita

Hace mucho tiempo—a long time ago—there lived a beautiful young woman named Adelita. So begins the age-old tale of a kindhearted young woman, her jealous stepmother, two hateful stepsisters, and a young man in search of a wife. The young man, Javier, falls madly in love with beautiful Adelita, but she disappears from his fiesta at midnight, leaving him with only one clue to her hidden identity: a beautiful rebozo—shawl. With the rebozo in place of a glass slipper, this favorite fairy tale takes a delightful twist. Tomie dePaola's exquisite paintings, filled with the folk art of Mexico, make this a Cinderella story like no other.

Hill Of Fire (I Can Read, Book 3) (I Can Read Level 3)

Every day is the same for Pablo's father. Then one afternoon the ground growls, hisses smoke, and swallows up his plow. A volcano is erupting in the middle of his cornfield!

Mexico in Story and Pictures

Imagine

Have you ever imagined what you might be when you grow up? When he was very young, Juan Felipe Herrera picked chamomile flowers in windy fields and let tadpoles swim across his hands in a creek. He slept outside and learned to say good-bye to his amiguitoseach time his family moved to a new town. He went to school and taught himself to read and write English and filled paper pads with rivers of ink as he walked down the street after school. And when he grew up, he became the United States Poet Laureate and read his poems aloud on the steps of the Library of Congress. If he could do all of that . . . what could you do? With this illustrated poem of endless possibility, Juan Felipe Herrera and Lauren Castillo breathe magic into the hopes and dreams of readers searching
for their place in life.

Old Ramon

Fun novel combining Mexico and California cultures where a young boy learns about life and growing up.

The Princess and the Warrior: A Tale of Two Volcanoes

In the picture book Princess and the Warrior: A Tale of Two Volcanoes, award-winning author and illustrator Duncan Tonatiuh brings a cherished Mexican legend to life.A Pura Belpré Illustrator Honor BookALA/ALSC Notable Children’s Book! “A palette of earthy, evocative colors .

. . A genuine triumph.” ―Kirkus Reviews (Starred Review)“Use this Aztec legend to inspire readers while teaching a bit about dramatic irony.” —School Library Journal Izta was the most beautiful princess in the land, and suitors traveled from far and wide to woo her. Even though she was the daughter of the emperor, Izta had no desire to marry a man of wealth and power. Instead, she fell in love with Popoca, a brave warrior who fought in her father’s army—and a man who did not offer her riches but a promise to stay by her side forever. The emperor did not want his daughter to marry a mere warrior, but he recognized Popoca’s bravery. He offered Popoca a deal: If the warrior could defeat their enemy, Jaguar Claw, then the emperor would permit Popoca and Izta to wed. But Jaguar Claw had a plan to thwart the warrior. Would all be lost? Today two majestic volcanoes—Popocatépetl and Iztaccíhuatl—stand overlooking Mexico City. They have been admired and revered for countless generations and have formed the basis of many origin and creation myths.

Growing Up In Aztec Times (Growing Up In series)

Describes the daily life of the Aztecs, discussing life in the city, life in the country, education, food and drink, and other aspects.

The Tale of Rabbit and Coyote

Poor Coyote! What’s he doing, hanging upside down in the farmer’s house, next to a pot of boiling water? How’d he wind up underneath the jicara tree, getting bonked by rock-hard fruit? Who tricked him into whacking a wasps’ nest with a stick? And why is he always howling at the moon? Because of Rabbit, that’s why! Longtime collaborators Tony Johnston and Tomie dePaola look to the folklore of Oaxaca, Mexico, for this nutty, naughty tale of trickery and hijinks. Written with sly humor and illustrated in the vibrant golds, blues, and reds of the Southwest, this is a story with a flavor as distinctive as chile peppers.

Next, look at these easy Mexican crafts.

EASY MEXICAN CRAFTS

  • 5 Mexico Crafts For Preschoolers And Free Activity Pages
  • How to make paper rosettes and Señoritas 
  • Mexico Unit Study and Make a Fun Easy Floral Headband
  • I Spy Cinco de Mayo Free Printable
  • When Were Mayans Alive | The Vanishing Mayan Civilization Free Printable
  • Mexican Mirrors
  • Cardboard Box Guitar Craft for Kids
  • Maracas Craft

Then, look at some of these facts about tacos.

FACTS ABOUT MEXICAN TACOS

  • First, tacos come from Mexico but from a long time ago.
  • The ancient Aztecs, who were from Mexico, used flat corn tortillas to hold their food.
  • The word taco means light meal, plug or a wedge or wad.
  • Tortillas can be made from flour or corn but traditionally from corn.
  • Then the filling can be an endless list of delicious ingredients like meat, beans, eggs and even vegetables. Some love rice in them too as part of the filling.
  • Next, there is just as long list of toppings like cheese of your liking or Mexican cheese, sour cream, avocado, black olives, lettuce, tomatoes, onions, cilantro and don’t forget the salsa.
  • And like most countries where food differs from each region, tacos vary from region to region.

For example, there are tacos al pastor, tacos de carnitas, tacos de pescado (fish) and taco de barbacoa.

Easy Mexican Crafts: How to Make a Taco Craft

Finally, look at this fun craft you can add to your study of Mexico or you can for go it and make some right now.

HOW TO MAKE A FUN MEXICAN TACO

First, look at this easy list of supplies.

  • 1 paper plate
  • Yellow paint and paintbrush
  • Construction paper (green, red, yellow)
  • Scissors
  • Glue
Easy Mexican Crafts: How to Make a Taco Craft

 Fold a paper plate in half like a taco shell.

 Paint the outside of the folded plate yellow. Let it dry completely.

Easy Mexican Crafts: How to Make a Taco Craft


  Cut out your taco fillings from construction paper.

Lettuce: Cut green paper into leafy shapes.

Cheese: Cut yellow paper into small rectangles or strips.

Tomatoes: Cut red paper into circles.

Easy Mexican Crafts: How to Make a Taco Craft

 Open the folded paper plate slightly.

And glue your “lettuce,” “cheese,” and “tomatoes” along the inside edge of the back side of the plate, so they stick out when the plate is folded.

Easy Mexican Crafts: How to Make a Taco Craft

Seal the taco.  

Easy Mexican Crafts: How to Make a Taco Craft

Apply glue along the inside edge of the front flap and press the two sides of the plate together to seal your taco.

Leave a CommentFiled Under: Hands-On Activities Tagged With: hands on history, hands-on, hands-on activities, handson, handsonhomeschooling, history, mesopotamia, Mexico

How To Create An Engaging Desert Sensory Bin For Hands-On Play

May 19, 2025 | Leave a Comment
This post may contain affiliate links. For more information, please see my full disclosure policy.

A desert sensory bin is a fun way to introduce your toddlers and preschoolers to desert animals and the characteristics of the desert.

A sensory bin is like a buildable interactive diorama for younger children that lets them explore their senses and whatever the topic is you have chosen for them to learn about.

In this case it is a desert sensory bin to discover the dry, sandy climate and some of the animals that make their home there.

How To Create An Engaging Desert Sensory Bin For Hands-On Play

During the day, the desert sun is very strong, and it gets super-hot.

But when the sun goes down at night, the desert can get very chilly.

So, the animals and plants have to be ready for big changes in temperature. It’s like two different worlds in one amazing place.

BOOKS ABOUT THE DESERT FOR KIDS

Too, look at these books about the desert.

When possible we prefer learning through living books so I add them as I find them.

18 Desert Books & Resources for Kids Who Love Reading and Being Read To

Add some of these living books and references books about the desert to your library.

The Seed & the Giant Saguaro

Children's reader on the subject of deserts and what lives there Large book with very large kid friendly illustrations

Cactus Hotel (Rise and Shine)

It is another hot day in the desert. Birds and other animals scurry about looking for food. When they get tired they stop to rest at a giant cactus. It is their hotel in the desert!Many different animals live in the cactus hotel. It protects them; and they protect it, by eating the pests that could harm the cactus.The cactus grows larger and larger and will live for about two hundred years. When one animal moves out, another moves in. There is never a vacancy in the cactus hotel.This story--about a desert, a giant cactus, and the animals who live in it--is one that even the youngest child will understand and enjoy.

Desert Giant: The World of the Saguaro Cactus

A venerable saguaro cactus stands like a statue in the hot desert landscape, its armlike branches reaching fifty feet into the air. From a distance it appears to be completely still and solitary--but appearances can be deceptive. In fact, this giant tree of the desert is alive with activity. Its spiny trunk and branches are home to a surprising number of animals, and its flowers and fruit feed many desert dwellers. Gila woodpeckers and miniature elf owls make their homes inside the saguaro's trunk. Long-nosed bats and fluttering white doves drink the nectar from its showy white flowers. People also play a role in the saguaro's story: each year the Tohono O'odham Indians gather its sweet fruit in a centuries-old harvest ritual.

Where Is the Sahara Desert?

Imagine over three million square miles of sand dunes that are as tall as a ten-story building. That place is real -- it's the Sahara Desert! Vast, yes! And home to fascinating creatures such as ostriches and fennec foxes as well as amazing plant life. The shallow roots of the mesquite tree can grow almost 200 feet across to absorb water. Readers will also learn about the famous trade routes of the past with caravans of up to 10,000 camels, European explorers to the region (some very unlucky ones), and native populations like the Berber and Tuareg, the faces of the men are blue from the dye in the veils they always wear.

Where Is Antarctica?

Antarctica, the earth's southernmost continent, was virtually untouched by humans until the nineteenth century. Many famous explorers journeyed (and often died) there in the hope of discovering a land that
always seemed out of reach. This book introduces readers to this
desert--yes, desert!--continent that holds about 90 percent of the
world's ice; showcases some of the 200 species that call Antarctica
home, including the emperor penguin; and discusses environmental dangers to the continent, underscoring how what happens to Antarctica affects the entire world.

A Desert Scrapbook: Dawn to Dusk in the Sonoran Desert

In the early morning hours, an artist stirs. Gathering her paints and notebook, she heads into the Arizona Sonoran Desert to explore its treasures. Sketching, painting, and writing, she records all that she sees and as night falls, she spreads out her pictures to make this scrapbook of her day, from dawn to dusk.

This Place Is Dry: Arizona's Sonoran Desert

Surveys the living conditions in Arizona's Sonora Desert for the people and unusual animals that live there. Also describes the engineering accomplishment of Hoover Dam.

Desert Solitaire

In Desert Solitaire, Edward Abbey recounts his many escapades, adventures, and epiphanies as an Arches National Park ranger outside Moab, Utah. Brimming with arresting insights, impassioned arguments for wilderness conservation, and a raconteur’s wit, it is one of Abbey’s most critically acclaimed works.   Through stories and philosophical musings, Abbey reflects on the condition of our remaining wilderness, the future of a civilization, and his own internal struggle with morality. As the world continues its rapid development, Abbey’s cry to maintain the natural beauty of the West remains just as relevant today as when this book first appeared in 1968.

Coyote Raid In Cactus Canyon

While the rest of the animals hide from view from a group of rambunctious coyotes, the fearless gang takes full advantage of the open space of Cactus Canyon and participates with great zeal in an array of nighttime activities, but an unexpected encounter with a rattlesnake quickly puts an end to the coyotes fun as they are sent running for cover, too!

Roxaboxen

Marian called it Roxaboxen. There across the road, it looked like any rocky hill—nothing but sand and rocks, and some old wooden boxes. But it was a special place. And all children needed to go there was a long stick and a soaring imagination.

Why Oh Why Are Deserts Dry? All About Deserts

n this latest installation of the Cat in the Hat's Learning Library, the Cat takes Sally and Dick to explore different kinds of deserts around the world,  from the hot, dry Sonoran and Mojavi to the bitter cold Gobi and Antarctica. Young readers learn why deserts are dry, and how plants and animals—including cactus, kangaroos, camels, penguins, roadrunners, and many others—have adapted to survive the unforgiving climate. Also included: how sand dunes are formed; the reason we see mirages, and how shallow water beneath the surface of the ground can create an oasis. Fans of the new PBS preschool science show The Cat in the Hat Knows a Lot About That! (which is based on the Learning Library series) won't want to miss this hot new addition to the series!

One Day in the Desert

‘A wounded mountain lion moves from his mountain habitat to a Papago Indian hut in Arizona’s Sonoran desert during a record-breaking July day. All creation adapts to the blistering heat until a cloudburst causes a flash flood. With a measured yet vivid style, this introduction to desert ecology makes a memorable impact."

Deserts

This intriguing yet simple description will captivate young readers who have an interest in the unfamiliar.

A Walk in the Desert (Biomes of North America)

Take a walk through the desert. This hot, dry biome of the southwest is full of life. How do plants and animals of the desert live? As you wander through the desert, discover how each and every plant and animal relies on the others to live and grow.

Wildlife of the Southwest Deserts

Learn about the fascinating creatures of the desert Southwest including: Venomous Animals Insects and Arthropods Rattlesnakes, Lizards, Desert Tortoise The Roadrunner and other Birds Bighorn Sheep, Kit Fox, Coyote.

Indian Uses of Desert Plants

Now in its fourth edition, this is a beautiful book with both historical and contemporary images showing the most important plants used by Native Americans. Medicinal, food resources, tools and shelter are just some of the uses discussed. Plants shown and described are among the most widespread plants in the desert Southwest.

Desert Snakes

Learn all about desert snakes with the beautiful book by James W. Cornett.

The Namib Desert

An excellent introduction to the natural history of the Namib Desert of southwest Africa. At its heart, second only to the Atacama Desert of Chile and Peru as the driest place on Earth. Also, it is the oldest desert on our planet and the only desert with a megafauna including elephant, giraffe, and rhinoceros. The lofty orange dunes, highest in the world, are also shown and discussed.

Also, many animals make their home in the desert. Some animals, like camels, are big and strong.

Others, like lizards, are small and speed, they all have special ways to stay cool and find food in the desert.

 Let’s learn about some of these “cool” desert animals

DESERT ANIMALS

CAMELS

  • Often called “ships of the desert” due to their endurance.
  • Humps- Store fat reserves for energy, not water. Enables survival during limited food.
  • Long Eyelashes- Protect eyes from sand, maintaining visibility in dust storms.
  • Wide Feet- Improve movement on sand by distributing weight and preventing sinking.

LIZARDS

  • Prefer sun exposure and basking on rocks.
  • Scales: Provide protection, thermoregulation, and camouflage.
  • Tail: Some can detach their tail as a defense mechanism; it regenerates.
  • Food: Diets vary, including insects, plants, and small vertebrates.

SNAKES

  • Move via slithering.
  • Skin: Scaly, shed periodically for growth and repair.
  • Tongue: Used as a chemosensory organ for detecting stimuli and prey.
  • Food: Varying diets, swallowing prey whole.

SCORPIONS

  • Possess an exoskeleton and venomous stinger.
  • Claws-Used for prey capture.
  • Stinger- Used for venom injection in predation or defense.
  • Nighttime-Mostly active at night to avoid heat.

VULTURES

  • Vultures are big birds that help keep the desert clean. They eat animals that have died.
  • Wings-They can fly very high in the sky and can see far distances.
  • Heads-Their bald heads help keep them clean when they eat.
  • Groups-Vultures often fly in groups called kettles.

MEERKATS

  • Food-Opportunistic omnivores, eating insects, small vertebrates, and plants.
  • Live in social groups called mobs or gangs.
  • Group Living- Enhances predator detection, defense, and offspring rearing.
  • Lookouts- Individuals act as sentinels, surveying for threats.
How To Create An Engaging Desert Sensory Bin For Hands-On Play

Then look at these activities to learn more about the desert.

DESERT ACTIVITIES AND RESOURCES

  • Check out these 8 Desert Craft Ideas | How To Make Egg Carton Cactus to focus a bit on the flora of the desert biome.
  • Get little ones active while still on theme with these Desert Themed Yoga ideas.
  • 7 Desert Crafts For Kids: How To Make A Clay Cactus Jewelry Holder
  • Watch the video What Animals Live in the Desert? To learn more about some of the most common creatures who live there.
  • Exploring Edible Cactus: Hands-on Learning (The Desert)
  • Build fine motor skills while you work on bending and folding paper with Scorpion Origami.
  • The book based Camel Race STEAM Activity Inspired by The Wooden Camel gets kids thinking critically.
  • Easy Desert Animal Crafts And A Scorpion Creation
  • Memory games are great for strengthening various cognitive skills, including memory, attention, focus, and problem-solving. Here are Free Printable Shape Matching Games for Desert Theme that also incorporate early math.
  • Explore 3 completely different desert habitats and learn How to Make A Desert Triorama About the Gobi, Sahara, & Antarctica to display the flora and fauna of each.
  • While you are learning about snakes of the desert here is a fun craft Celebrate Snakes | How To Make A Fake Snakeskin Snake Craft Preschool to learn about this aspect of snakes.

 

Of course a good reference book nearby is important as well. Both Nature Anatomy and Wildlife Anatomy are a treasure trove of information for little learners on up to upper grades.

HOW TO CREATE AN ENGAGING DESERT SENSORY BIN

I recommend including your child in the creation of the sensory bin from the start so you can talk about the characteristics of each element as you put them in place.

You will need:

  • Safari Desert Animals
  • Sensory Bin Tub
  • Play Sand
  • Small pebbles
  • Air dry clay, paint

Start with a good sized bin.

You can use anything you have on hand but I really like to use stackable sensory bins like those I listed above.

You can put a variety of base filler like sand, rice, pebbles, and more, leaving them to be turned into an amazing themed sensory bin.

Add sand until it’s about halfway full.

How To Create An Engaging Desert Sensory Bin For Hands-On Play

You can leave it just sand or add some small pebbles or rocks to give it more texture and of course sorting possibilities.

How To Create An Engaging Desert Sensory Bin For Hands-On Play

If you would like to add a few cactus plants you can make some with air dry clay ahead of time and paint them green, add some broken toothpick pieces for spikes.

How To Create An Engaging Desert Sensory Bin For Hands-On Play

Set a few cacti in place.

How To Create An Engaging Desert Sensory Bin For Hands-On Play

Place plastic desert animals in the sensory bin.

How To Create An Engaging Desert Sensory Bin For Hands-On Play

Other items I like to include with a sensory bin are small cups or bowls, slotted spoons, small strainers, and even flash cards with animals related to the topic.

How To Create An Engaging Desert Sensory Bin For Hands-On Play

Finally, look at a few more sensory bins.

SENSORY BINS

  • Sensory Play Made Easy: Crafting a Community Helpers Sensory Bin
  • How To Create An Engaging Cranberry Sensory Bin
  • 10 Kindergarten Sensory Bin Ideas | How To Make A Summer Sensory Bin
  • Discover The Magic Of Nocturnal Creatures | Nocturnal Animal Sensory Bin
  • How to Make a Watermelon Sensory Bin for Play and Learning
  • 9 Hands on Weather Activities for Kids and Awesome Weather Sensory Tray
  • Fun Corn Life Cycle Preschool Sensory Bin and Printable Lifecycle Foldout

Leave a CommentFiled Under: Hands-On Activities Tagged With: desert, earth science, hands on history, hands-on, hands-on activities, handsonhomeschooling, history, homeschool, life science, science

When Were Mayans Alive | The Vanishing Mayan Civilization Free Printable

May 15, 2025 | Leave a Comment
This post may contain affiliate links. For more information, please see my full disclosure policy.

When were Mayans alive and why did the ancient civilization Mayan disappear? This is what we’re studying today. Also, look at my page Meso-America Free Unit Study and Lapbook.

And I have a 7-page free printable The Vanishing Mayan Civilization, a historical mystery.

The ancient Mayan civilization was very advanced. They built pyramids, had one of the most accurate calendars in the world and developed their own writing system.

When Were Mayans Alive | The Vanishing Mayan Civilization Free Printable

The Mayan lived deep in the jungle of Central America. And they built massive cities like Tikal, Copán, and Palenque.

Their society was organized into powerful city-states, each ruled by kings

But there was a sudden decline. Just what caused it?

BOOKS ABOUT MESO-AMERICA

First, look at some of these books to include with your study of the Mayan.

I try to include living books when you can.

5 Resources for Learning about Meso-America, the Aztec, Inca, and Maya

Add some of these books to your unit study about Meso-America.

DKfindout! Maya, Incas, and Aztecs

This fun, fact-filled book for kids ages 6–9 is the ultimate guide to three great civilizations of the American continents—the Maya, Incas, and Aztecs. Entertaining and educating young readers through a combination of close-up images, quirky trivia facts, quiz questions, and fascinating tidbits,
it’s the perfect book for any kid who can’t get enough of ancient history.

DK Eyewitness Books: Aztec, Inca & Maya: Discover the World of the Aztecs, Incas, and Mayas―

Journey back in time to experience the rise and fall of the Aztecs, as well as other Mesoamerican peoples, including the Incas and Mayas. You’ll explore their vast empires and lost worlds in spectacular detail, and meet their gods and goddesses and marvel at their precious stones. Join them farming and hunting, team up for sports and games, taste the food and drink, and dance at their celebrations. Then, after centuries of growth and progress, discover how the Spanish conquest
brought these civilizations crashing to their knees.

Llamas and the Andes: A nonfiction companion to Magic Tree House #34: Late Lunch with Llamas

Track the facts about llamas and other animals of the Andes in this nonfiction companion to the bestselling Magic Tree House series!When Jack and Annie came back from their adventure in Magic Tree House #34: Late Lunch with Llamas, they had lots of questions. Why do people raise llamas? What are llamas' closest relatives? How tall are the Andes mountains? What other animals live there? Find out the answers to these questions and more as Jack and Annie track the facts about llamas and the Andes.

Secret of the Andes (Puffin Newberry Library)

An Incan boy who tends llamas in a hidden valley in Peru learns the traditions and secrets of his ancestors. 

Incans Aztecs Mayans

Fascinating account of three major civilizations that existed in the New World before Europeans arrived. How did they live? What did they achieve? What happened to them? Seeks to interpret history from a biblical perspective.

Also, look at some of these activities to pair with our research on when were Mayans alive and how they lived.

HANDS-ON ACTIVITIES ABOUT THE ANCIENT MAYAN CIVILIZATION

  • Geronimo Stilton Back in Time Second Journey Through Time and Fun Mayan Mask
  • Geronimo Stilton Adventure The Journey Through Time #2: Back in Time (Mayan LEGO Temple of Kukulcan Craft)
  • Ancient Maya Unit Study + {Notebooking Pages printable}
When Were Mayans Alive | The Vanishing Mayan Civilization Free Printable

However, around 900 CE, many of the major Maya cities in the southern lowlands were abandoned.

WHEN WERE MAYANS ALIVE

Actually, the Mayan civilization lasted thousand of years.

And today millions of Maya still are alive in countries like Mexico, Guatemala, Belize, Honduras and El Salvador.

The Mayan changed and adapted and the last Mayan kingdom fell in 1697.

And they suddenly declined and abandoned their cities. Although we never knew why.

You’ll love these free printables to go with your study of the ancient Mayan civilization.

HOW TO DOWNLOAD THE FREE HISTORICAL DETECTIVE – THE VANISHING MAYAN CIVILIZATION

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 instantly.

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: hands on history, hands-on, hands-on activities, handson, handsonhomeschooling, homeschool

How To Draw A Pharaoh Step By Step Easy Tutorial

May 13, 2025 | Leave a Comment
This post may contain affiliate links. For more information, please see my full disclosure policy.

Here is a how to draw a pharaoh step by step easy tutorial to use along with an ancient Egypt or more specific study on pharaohs. Also, look at Fun Pharaohs and Queens Ancient Egypt Lapbook and Activities for more ideas.

Of course, I am also rounding up some other Pharaoh crafts and activities.

And then providing you with plenty of information to share on the subject with your learner.

How To Draw A Pharaoh Step By Step Easy Tutorial

Pharaohs were the rulers of ancient Egypt.

People thought they were both kings and gods, they had lots of power and were very important to the Egyptian culture.

They wore fancy crowns, beautiful jewelry, and carried symbols of power, like the crook and flail. They meant the pharaoh was both a protector and a ruler.

ANCIENT EGYPT BOOKS FOR KIDS

Next, look at these books about ancient Egypt that I think you’ll love.

I use living books when I can find them.

17 Ancient Egypt Books & Resources for Kids Who Love Reading and Being Read To

Add some of these books to your home library and use them for a day of learning or for unit studies.

The Egypt Game

The first time Melanie Ross meets April Hall, she’s not sure they have anything in common. But she soon discovers that they both love anything to do with ancient Egypt. When they stumble upon a deserted storage yard, Melanie and April decide it’s the perfect spot for the Egypt Game. Before long there are six Egyptians, and they all meet to wear costumes, hold ceremonies, and work on their secret code. Everyone thinks it’s just a game until strange things start happening. Has the Egypt Game gone too far?

Tales of Ancient Egypt (Puffin Classics)

These stories include the great myths - of Amen-Ra, who created all the creatures in the world; of Isis, seaching the waters for her dead husband Osiris; of the Bennu Bird and the Book of Thoth. But there are also tales told for pleasure about magic, treasure and adventure - even the first ever Cinderella story.

The Pharaohs of Ancient Egypt (Landmark Books)

For more than 3,000 years, Egypt was a great civilization that thrived along the banks of the Nile River. But when its cities crumbled to dust, Egypt’s culture and the secrets of its hieroglyphic writings were also lost. The Pharaohs of Ancient Egypt explains how archaeologists have pieced together their discoveries to slowly reveal the history of Egypt’s people, its pharaohs, and its golden days.

The Buildings of Ancient Egypt

Uses archeological evidence to describe the construction, decoration, and furnishings of ancient Egyptian tombs, pyramids, and homes

Science in Ancient Egypt (Science of the Past)

Discusses the achievements of the ancient Egyptians in science, mathematics, astronomy, medicine, agriculture, and technology.

Great Ancient Egypt Projects: You Can Build Yourself

From reed boats, papyrus, and amulets, to pyramids, pharaohs, and mummies, Great Ancient Egypt Projects You Can Build Yourself explores the fascinating lives of ancient Egyptians through more than25 hands-on building projects and activities. Great Ancient Egypt Projects You Can Build Yourself gives readers today a chance to experience how the ancient Egyptians lived, cooked, worked, worshipped, entertained themselves, and interacted with their neighbors through building projects that use common household supplies.Detailed step-by-step instructions, diagrams, and templates for creating each project are combined with historical facts and anecdotes, biographies, and trivia for the real-life models of each project. Together they give kids a first-hand look at daily life in ancient Egypt.

The Cat of Bubastes: A Tale of Ancient Egypt (Dover Children's Classics)

Chebron, the young son of an Egyptian high priest, and Amuba, a young slave in the boy's household, are close friends; but their lives are greatly altered when Chebron accidentally kills a cat, an animal held sacred by the ancient Egyptians. Forced to flee for their safety, the boys and their companions begin a long and dangerous journey. A thrilling adventure story, this is also a tale packed with historical facts. Among other fascinating details, young readers learn about the Egyptian religion and geography, how the Nile was used for irrigation, and how the Egyptians made war and were prepared for burial. A captivating book that accurately describes life in a once magnificent civilization, this volume will especially appeal to youngsters fascinated by the life and customs of ancient Egypt.

A History of Ancient Egypt: From the First Farmers to the Great Pyramid (A History of Ancient Egypt, 1)

The ancient world comes to life in the first volume in a two book series on the history of Egypt, spanning the first farmers to the construction of the pyramids. Famed archaeologist John Romer draws on a lifetime of research to tell one history's greatest stories; how, over more than a thousand years, a society of farmers created a rich, vivid world where one of the most astounding of all human-made landmarks, the Great Pyramid, was built. Immersing the reader in the Egypt of the past, Romer examines and challenges the long-held theories about what archaeological finds mean and what stories they tell about how the Egyptians lived. More than just an account of one of the most fascinating periods of history, this engrossing book asks readers to take a step back and question what they've learned about Egypt in the past. Fans of Stacy Schiff's Cleopatra and history buffs will be captivated by this re-telling of Egyptian history, written by one of the top Egyptologists in the world.

Boy of the Pyramids

The pictured wall of an Egyptian tomb supplied the inspiration for this unusual story, which takes place during the building of the Great Pyramid of Khufu more than 4,000 years ago. Kaffe and Sari, an Egyptian noble's son and a slave girl from the nomadic Sand People of the Sinai region, help solve a troublesome mystery and trap its culprit. All told against a colorfully detailed backdrop of ancient Egypt.

The Golden Goblet

Ranofer wants only one thing in the world: to be a master goldsmith like his beloved father was. But how can he when he is all but imprisoned by his evil half brother, Gebu? Ranofer knows the only way he can escape Gebu's abuse is by changing his destiny. But can a poor boy with no skills survive on the cutthroat streets of ancient Thebes? Then Ranofer finds a priceless golden goblet in Gebu's room and he knows his luck−and his destiny−are about to change.

Seeker of Knowledge: The Man Who Deciphered Egyptian Hieroglyphs

In 1802, Jean-Francois Champollion was eleven years old. That year, he vowed to be the first person to read Egypt’s ancient hieroglyphs. Champollion’s dream was to sail up the Nile in Egypt and uncover the secrets of the past, and he dedicated the next twenty years to the challenge.James Rumford introduces the remarkable man who deciphered the ancient Egyptian script and fulfilled a lifelong dream in the process. Stunning watercolors bring Champollion’s adventure to life in a story that challenges the mind and touches the heart.

The Egyptian Cinderella

This Egyptian spin on the classic Cinderella tale was initially recorded in the first century by a Roman historian and is retold here by folklorist Shirley Climo.

Poor Rhodopis! She has nothing—no mother or father, and no friends. She is a slave, from the far-off country of Greece. Only the beautiful rose-red slippers her master gives her can make Rhodopis smile.

So when a falcon swoops down and snatches one of the slippers away, Rhodopis is heartbroken. For how is she to know that the slipper will land in the lap of the great Pharaoh himself? And who would ever guess that the Pharaoh has promised to find the slipper’s owner and make her queen of all Egypt?

Augustus Caesar's World

In her unique approach, Foster weaves a story of the world around her central character; rather than focusing exclusively on geo-political events, as most textbooks do, she includes stories of scientific discovery and invention, music, literature, art, and religion. Her keen intuition for stories will especially delight and amuse youthful readers. In Augustus Caesar's World, Foster traces the seven major civilizations of Rome, Greece, Israel, Egypt, China, India, and Persia from 4500 B.C. to the time of Augustus Caesar in 44 B.C. and culminating in 14 A.D. Within this timeframe readers will learn not only the stories of Julius Caesar, Cleopatra, and Marc Antony, but also the historian Livy and how Virgil came to write the Aeneid. Foster will then take her readers all over the world to learn what was happening at this same time in China, Persia, India and so on. Foster's detailed pen and ink drawings are fresh and appealing, and her illustrated timelines give a clear sense of chronology, enriching the engaging text.

The Lost Queen of Egypt: The Tomb of Nefertiti

For professor of Egyptology Henry Markham, this would be the crowning glory of his career: an intact tomb of Nefertiti, the great royal wife of Akhenaten and the heretic pharaoh of eighteenth dynasty Egypt, whose bust of exquisite beauty resides in the Berlin Museum, which he had searched for the last ten years. He had an unspoken passion for her only excelled by his young assistant, Steven Sinclair, whose visions and dreams of her haunted him, much to the annoyance of Helen Carter, the freelance journalist on-site who, with her business partner Mike Mitcham, the digs photographer, saw Nefertiti as a rival for his affections. Thanks to a gambling debt, Mike finds himself the proud owner of a large luxury mobile home that four Mossad agents are interested in, along with Emil Brogini, who did a drug deal with two Mossad rogue agents since deceased. The arrival of Henry's estranged sister, Millicent, with her friend Jane Evesham, a gifted clairvoyant, does nothing to improve his temper, especially when Jane tells him they are in great danger. Can the danger come from four renegade Mossad agents or Emil Bratislav Brogini, Mr. Big in Cairo, into every racket going? Jane discovers that Helen has a latent gift of clairvoyance which, with their combined powers in a séance, sends them back to the eighteenth dynasty with Nefertiti, Akhenaten, and danger around every corner as they try to discover who is trying to kill them all using a large band of Libyan bandits. They survive ambushes, assassin's knives, and chariot chases, finally getting back to their own time with Nefertiti.

Pyramid

Pyramid is a strong resource for readers looking to expand their knowledge of ancient Egyptian civilization, history, and architecture.

Award-winning author-illustrator David Macaulay explores the philosophy of life and death in ancient Egypt through richly detailed black-and-white illustrations and clear, concise text.

Though created with middle grade readers in mind, all with interest in the topic will enjoy this impressive look at what many consider to be one of the most awesome of humankind's creations.

Pharaoh's Boat

With poetic language and striking illustrations, Weitzman tells the story of how one of the greatest boats of ancient Egypt came to be built and built again.In the shadow of the Great Pyramid at Giza, the most skilled shipwrights in all of Egypt are building an enormous vessel that will transport Cheops, the mighty pharaoh, across the winding waterway and into a new world. Pharaoh's boat will be a wonder to behold, and well prepared for the voyage ahead. But no one, not even the Egyptian king himself, could have imagined just where the journey of Pharaoh's boat would ultimately lead.

The Winged Cat

Merit is a servant girl in the temple of cat goddesses. In a rage, Waha, the High Priest, kills a sacred car, and Merit sees him do it.But when Merit reports the evil deed to Pharaoh, Waha denies that he is guilty.

Next, look at some facts about pharaoh.

WHO WERE PHARAOHS

  • They were like kings or queens.
  • Egyptians believed they were chosen by the gods.
  • Pharaohs made laws and led the country.
  • They owned all the land.

Some of the more famous pharaohs are…

King Tut

  • His full name was Tutankhamun.
  • He became pharaoh when he was just a boy.
  • His tomb was discovered with many treasures.

Cleopatra

  • She was the last pharaoh of Egypt.
  • She was very smart and powerful.
  • She knew several languages.

Ramses the Great

  • He was a great warrior.
  • He ruled for a very long time.
  • He built many temples and statues.

WHAT DID PHARAOHS DO

  • They made sure Egypt was safe.
  • They collected taxes.
  • They led the army.
  • They built big monuments, like pyramids.
How To Draw A Pharaoh Step By Step Easy Tutorial

HOW DID PHARAOHS DRESS

  • They carried special staffs and scepters.
  • They wore special clothes.
  • They had crowns and headdresses.
  • They had jewelry made of gold and gems.

Additionally, look at these other activities about Egypt and Pharaohs.

PHARAOH CRAFTS AND ACTIVITIES

  • Take a look at this Fun Pharaohs and Queens Ancient Egypt Lapbook and Activities post.
  • Find out Was King Tut Murdered?  CSI Investigation Activity For Kids, what a fun and unique idea for studying history.
  • Get the younger ones involved by making Egypt Crafts For Kindergarten Create a Fun Kid Sized Mummy using their whole body.
  • Ancient Egypt: The Pharaoh Civilization
  • Learn about burial customs through Fun and Easy Hands-On Ancient Egypt Craft: Create Canopic Jars.
  • Make a Pharoah Headdress Printable Craft and find out what it’s like to be Egyptian royalty.
  • A beautiful full color book like A Child’s Introduction to Egyptology: The Mummies, Pyramids, Pharaohs, Gods, and Goddesses of Ancient Egypt  is always a great way to grab a childs attention and keep them interested in a topic.

Finally, look at how to draw a pharaoh step by step easy tutorial.

HOW TO DRAW A PHARAOH STEP BY STEP EASY TUTORIAL

You will need:

  • Mixed media paper
  • Pencils
  • Art eraser
  • Artist markers
  • ruler

First, determine the center of your page and draw a line right down the center using a ruler.

How To Draw A Pharaoh Step By Step Easy Tutorial

Encourage your child to draw a round face shape with a band at the top, striving for symmetry on either side of the line.

How To Draw A Pharaoh Step By Step Easy Tutorial

Next draw the outline of a pharaoh’s headpiece around the face.

How To Draw A Pharaoh Step By Step Easy Tutorial

Draw lines all the way around it to give it some detail.

How To Draw A Pharaoh Step By Step Easy Tutorial

If you like, add a decorative piece to the center like a simple snake.

How To Draw A Pharaoh Step By Step Easy Tutorial

Draw eyes with a bit of the thicker upturned eyeliner look that defines the Egyptians, a nose, and a mouth. Keep it simple.

How To Draw A Pharaoh Step By Step Easy Tutorial

Erase your lines all over the drawing until you just faintly see them. Use a small brush to whisk away all the eraser rubbings left behind.

How To Draw A Pharaoh Step By Step Easy Tutorial

Outline all the pencil lines with a thin black marker.

How To Draw A Pharaoh Step By Step Easy Tutorial

Allow to dry for a few minutes so that your hands do not smear it.

How To Draw A Pharaoh Step By Step Easy Tutorial

Fill in each section to make your pharaoh stand out.

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

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