hands on history

South America Unit Study–Vocabulary & Copy work

October 15, 2013 | 3 Comments
This post may contain affiliate links. For more information, please see my full disclosure policy.

Today I have the next part of our unit study on South America ready. I have vocabulary words and copy work.

Because I had to get so many last minute details done for the party and because I have been working with Tiny on composition this year, I wanted to keep the vocabulary words fun too instead of listening to the whining and moaning doing lots of writing.

So I made the words to be used in one of two ways. You can cut them out, fold in half, glue and use like flash cards. The word is on the front and the definition is on the back. Or, you can cut the strip in half and do a mix/match where you have them match the word to the definition. Either way is a lot more fun than writing, which right now Tiny has an aversion to.

Today, he will be doing some easy copy work. We read a short passage or a letter, a primary source, written by Simon Bolivar about how he wanted to unite South America. So it was perfect to use for our copy work.

You know I told you that I have all my boys do copy work for a long time, even into high school and that I sneak some in too for myself at night. I am a true believer and fan of copy work because you can just concentrate on the beauty of words or ideas at the moment and can either be inspired or not. There is no analysis or etymology, it is just you and the delight of words. It’s a way too of igniting a love of writing and vocabulary for a victim of burnout.

Enjoy the newest printables for our unit study. I will be working on getting my photos together of our graduation party so I can share with you and getting my house whipped back into some kind of shape today.

South America Printable Minibooks

Also, look at these minibooks which come in the free South America lapbook 27 page download.

Animals of the Galapagos fan book which includes the Giant Tortoise, Lava Lizard, Marine Iguana, Green Turtle, Galapagos Penguins, Magnificent Frigate Bird, Blue-Footed Booby, and Blue-Banded Goby.
Comparing Mountain Climate Zones
Simon Bolivar Copywork
Map of South America to label and one labeled
Machu Picchu – Lost City of the Inca
Negrinho – A dessert from Brazil
How to Memorize the Countries of South America and Dependent
Map Flags to put on your salt dough map
2 – The Galapagos Island layered book. One prefilled with facts and one blank to add your own information.
Vocabulary Pocket and Vocabulary Words

More South America Unit Study Resources

How to Get the Free South America Printable Lapbook

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

That means when you sign up to follow me, you get access to my subscribers library and this freebie.

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How to Memorize the Countries of South America & Mountain Climate Zones Minibooks

October 3, 2013 | Leave a Comment
This post may contain affiliate links. For more information, please see my full disclosure policy.

I went ahead and started planning and arranging the minibooks, that we have so far, on a file folder for our South America Unit Study. Remember these can be glued notebook style too. Nothing babyish about lapbooking or notebooking.

We still don’t glue them in our file folder at this point, this is just a visual so I know where else to place the upcoming minibooks too. We are up to 4 now.

Today, I have minibooks 3 and 4 for you.

Minibook 3 is Comparing Mountain Climate Zones. It is a book I prepared because I wanted us to focus on the climate of the Andes Mountain and compare them for our geography niche on this.

Near the equator the climate at the lowest elevation is tropical. If you were to climb midway up the mountains, you would find a more mild climate and then again at 15,000 feet you would find extremely low temperatures and icy winds.

Facts to Learn About South America

Notice on the book, the cover has 4 different colors so this is a visual to match the accordion fold minibook so that your child understands about each zone. The top part or light purple is the Tierra Helada and the light green is Tierra Fria and etc.

So here are the facts for using in the minibook. I probably should do an answer key to go with the book, but this information really finds it way to my website. So I just add it here for you in case you and the kids want to go ahead and do it.

Frozen Land or Tierra Helada .

Above 10,000 feet
Place for livestock like llamas and sheep

Cold Land or Tierra Fria

6,000 – 10,000 feet
Place for crops: Wheat, apples, potatoes and barley

Temperate Land or Tierra Templada

3,000 – 6,000 feet
Place for crops: corn, cotton, coffee and citrus fruits

Hot Land or Tierra Caliente

Sea Level – 3,000 feet
Place for crops: bananas, cacao, sugar cane and rice.

How to Remember the Countries of South America

Minibook 4 is a book that uses a mnemonic saying to remember the 12 countries and the one 1 French territory. Give me something that doesn’t make sense anytime to remember and that is what I will remember.

Too, help your child to understand that French Guiana is a territory like a state is here to us in the United States. If you don’t live here, then use one of your local provinces to describe a dependent area so they understand that it is not a country.

This came from a neat website called Memorize the World. Here is how it goes: The Biggest Country (Brazil). Arnie Takes his mom Tina to eat Chile. (Argentina and Chile). Cool Vegetable Guy Studies French (Colombia, Venezuela, Guyana, Suriname and French Guiana). Every Person Boils Purple Unicorns. (Ecuador, Peru, Bolivar, Paraguay and Uruguay.) That’s it.

Project and Study Ideas for South America

To flesh out this unit some more, here are more ideas for each subject. There is NO shortage of content or ideas to spur your sparks of creativity. Unit studies have this affect on us.

How to Memorize the Countries of South America & Mountain Climate Zones Minibooks

Nazca Lines – The Monkey

Nazca Lines – The Dog (Pic Attribution)

History

Nazca is the name of the culture that flourished in Peru and also the name of the mysterious lines they created in the Peruvian deserts. These lines, carved into the desert rocks depict huge animals and geometric shapes. No one is really certain about what they mean.

Also, compare and contrast Inca society to Spanish colonial society.

Science

Research the Galapagos Islands and the animals unique to that region.

Math

Why did Ecuador change its currency from sucres to dollars? Also understand some about the metric system since its used there.

Geography

1. Create a travel brochure and map to show what journey you would take if you visited South America. Compare and contrast animals and plants living in the different mountain zones.

2. Also list some of the famous places like Machu Picchu in Peru. Indians build that walled city and for hundreds of years it was hidden from the rest of the world.

3. Famous places. People go to see the Gold Museum in Bogota, Colombia and there are emerald mines nearby too.

4. Quito is one of the highest cities in the world and it in Ecuador. It sits on the side of a volcano and is the oldest capital city in South America.

5. Make a map of South America and focus on the major regions: Andes, Amazon Basin, Guiana Highlands, Orinoco Basin, Rio de la Plata Complex, Brazilian Plateau, Pampas, Patagonia, Llanos, Pantanal, Wet Coast Flatlands, Southern Chile coast and color each a different color or make it different colors using salt dough.

Art

Find examples of the art of Manuel Rendon, Eduardo Kingman and Juan Agustin Guerrero.

Music

Research flutes played by native people from Ecuador. Listen to or watch an Argentinean tango, a Brazilian samba and a Colombia cumbia.

Did I tell you that I grew up dancing the cumbia? BELIEVE me, coordination and grace are not at the top of my skill set, but this dance is so easy and fun.

Look at a few of these videos. I love the first one because you can actually hear the music and watch the partner steps and the second one shows basic steps with no music.

Food

Make Fried Plantain

Colombians often eat plantains in place of potatoes.

(Cesar Vellejo)

Language/Language Arts

1. Cesar Vallego (1892-1938) one of the greatest twentieth century poets focused on poverty and injustice. Study his poems and his life.

2. Learn some Spanish

si = yes

por favor = please

gracias – thank you

de nada – you’re welcome

buenos dias = good morning

adios = good – bye

ayer = yesterday

hoy = today

manana = tomorrow

Como esta usted? = How are you?

muy bien = very well

Donde esta…..? = Where is…?

(quipu. Pic. Attribution)

3. Do some Inca Writing. Find a picture of a quipu, the knotted cotton cords of different lengths and colors with which Incas kept records. Using thick yarn, try to imitate the pattern.

I think we need some vocabulary words and we are going to focus next on some of the animals of the Galapagos.

South America Printable Minibooks

Also, look at these minibooks which come in the free South America lapbook 27 page download.

Animals of the Galapagos fan book which includes the Giant Tortoise, Lava Lizard, Marine Iguana, Green Turtle, Galapagos Penguins, Magnificent Frigate Bird, Blue-Footed Booby, and Blue-Banded Goby.
Comparing Mountain Climate Zones
Simon Bolivar Copywork
Map of South America to label and one labeled
Machu Picchu – Lost City of the Inca
Negrinho – A dessert from Brazil
How to Memorize the Countries of South America and Dependent
Map Flags to put on your salt dough map
2 – The Galapagos Island layered book. One prefilled with facts and one blank to add your own information.
Vocabulary Pocket and Vocabulary Words

More South America Unit Study Resources

How to Get the Free South America Printable Lapbook

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

That means when you sign up to follow me, you get access to my subscribers library and this freebie.

However, not all my freebies are in the library (wink).

I like to keep up to date with what is valuable to you so I can give you more, some freebies you must sign up again on the form below even if you are already a follower.

And it’s the only way I have of freely delivering them to you. Just follow the steps below.

South America Geography Salt Dough Map + Printable Pennants

September 8, 2013 | 19 Comments
This post may contain affiliate links. For more information, please see my full disclosure policy.

Tiny never gets his fill of doing something fun and hands-on when we start a geography unit. We did a salt dough map in our Arctic & Inuit Unit Study and he remembered and ask for it again to start our South America Unit Study. Too, look at my page Homeschool Geography for hands-on and simple ideas and tips.

Why mess with something working? Besides after you make it, you can use it again and again as review during the unit study. It’s so much more fascinating and interactive than a worksheet too.

Before I forget though I want to update the salt dough recipe I had used before because it was wayyy too much. So I cut it in half this time and still had plenty left over.

We tend to use left over pizza box lids as our platform and unless you are going to make your salt dough map giganto, you should be fine with this new recipe. Of course, you can double it if you need more.

So here is the update recipe for you which is all the ingredients cut in half. If you want to see how we create it, look at my post on the Arctic & Inuit Unit Study.

Also, a really good map is needed and we had a big map that pulled out of the center of our atlas. This was really way more helpful than just printing one off the internet.

Since we are working on identifying more of the landforms, we wanted to draw those in and so Tiny use the most complicated tools

—like a toothpick and plastic clay roller —to draw in the political boundaries of each country. Simple I am telling you, so simple to keep it fun.

Remember you have to draw in your land forms and place a toothpick in the holes before it dries overnight.

We also took time to look at the Amazon and some of it’s tributaries and used the toothpick to draw it going through Brazil (top right) and he formed the Galapagos Islands on the left side.

Tiny only put one island there though there are many islands that Charles Darwin investigated. Of course this is why it’s important that he learn to use the map to see that the Galapagos are made up of many islands and not just one.

Then next we went about locating the Andes mountain range.

He had the idea of forming little peaks or mountains down the left side to show the stretch of the Andes mountains. I think they turned out so cute, but he was disappointed. Tiny is like Mr. Senior 2013, he has a high standard for his work and expects perfection. I just expect fun.

Of course after he painted the peaks brown they did look like chocolate kisses which gave me another idea. This map could be made out of sugar cookie dough and use chocolate Hershey kisses for the mountains. Use frosting to decorate each country and make this edible.

Then because we are working on identifying/locating all the countries and one French territory, and Galapagos Islands, I created some country flags or pennants. Not only that, but by him painting each country a separate color, it really has helped to identify each one, which is another objective of mine.

Lastly, he labeled it and added in the equator and showed it running through Ecuador, which in Spanish means “equator”. We still need to add in the Tropic of Capricorn.

Tiny has loved doing these maps each time and it is a great way to bring geography and history alive. I guess you can say we never tire of hands-on geography and fun sets the tone for learning.

More to come as we trek our way through South America.

South America Printable Minibooks

Also, look at these minibooks which come in the free South America lapbook 27 page download.

Animals of the Galapagos fan book which includes the Giant Tortoise, Lava Lizard, Marine Iguana, Green Turtle, Galapagos Penguins, Magnificent Frigate Bird, Blue-Footed Booby, and Blue-Banded Goby.
Comparing Mountain Climate Zones
Simon Bolivar Copywork
Map of South America to label and one labeled
Machu Picchu – Lost City of the Inca
Negrinho – A dessert from Brazil
How to Memorize the Countries of South America and Dependent
Map Flags to put on your salt dough map
2 – The Galapagos Island layered book. One prefilled with facts and one blank to add your own information.
Vocabulary Pocket and Vocabulary Words

More South America Unit Study Resources

How to Get the Free South America Printable Lapbook

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

That means when you sign up to follow me, you get access to my subscribers library and this freebie.

However, not all my freebies are in the library (wink).

I like to keep up to date with what is valuable to you so I can give you more, some freebies you must sign up again on the form below even if you are already a follower.

And it’s the only way I have of freely delivering them to you. Just follow the steps below.

South America Unit Study Resources

September 6, 2013 | 8 Comments
This post may contain affiliate links. For more information, please see my full disclosure policy.

I have many South America Unit Study resources. Grab more ideas on my lapbook ideas, and on my best homeschool unit studies pages.

My first step as far as planning is to determine what I have in my home and what I can find online.

Planning my unit studies is a lot like cooking from scratch.

First, I like to dig out what is in my pantry, then take a look at what others have too in their “pantry”.

Too, at the beginning I decide whether we will do a lapbook or if we will just do some minibooks and keep it notebooking style.

Besides, a lot of our units we do both a lapbook and some notebooking pages.

Also, I decide if our unit study will be just enrichment to what we are doing day to day or if it’s all we focus on for a while.

SOUTH AMERICA UNIT STUDY

My objectives affect how long we stay on a unit.

Next, here is my short list for my objectives in this unit and a few goals.

Comprehensive overview of the physical geography	Focus on landforms like Andes, Machu Picchu and some reminders on the Amazon Rain Forest
Understanding the influence of the Spanish Colonial Empire and the key influence Simon Bolivar had in Latin America’s struggle for freedom	Build appreciation from our prior study of the Amazon that it is a life line for many and essential to our planet
Appreciate a unique design has a Designer by introducing the Galapagos	Allow time to immerse in the culture of people living in South America and the similarities and differences of each country though they are all considered Latin America.

We will be doing a lapbook and notebooking pages. I guess you could say for the first unit of the year, we are going all out.

Basically, South America has 12 countries and 2 dependent territories so we have more than enough to keep us learning for quite a while.

After all, we will spend time looking at what we have covered up to this time, so I can build my unit study on that foundation.

My South America Unit Study Resources

I have a total of 12 notebooking pages right now on my page on the Amazon Rain Forest which I could use in this study.

I have free Rainforest lapbooks too on my site.

However, because I want to focus on the other parts of South America and because the boys are a bit older, I already see that I will need some more printables. So I will be sharing those with you soon too.

After I gathered the books I had on South America which happen to be mostly atlases, I know I need a trip to the library.

However, the library didn’t have as many as I would have wanted in the adult section.

Besides, they had some and that is more than enough to start a good thorough unit study.

SOUTH AMERICA UNITY STUDY ACTIVITIES

In addition, look at the resources and activities I have on my page.

South America Unit Study Ideas to Borrow

Additionally, there are so many talented teachers in the homeschool world, we can see what else we find. I have linked some of my favorite resources here.

1. Heather over at Blog She Wrote starts with a Geography Quest on Brazil. It starts with a treasure hunt and ends in Brazil. Then they did a map of the watershed of the Amazon River.
Geography Quest on Brazil Answers and a video.

2. Jolanthe over at Homeschool Creations has some great stuff too. She has some printables for a country study on Argentina, Chili, Peru and Venezuela.

3. Then of course I always love Amy’s stuff over at Homeschool Share.

4. Heidi over at Homeschool Room has a nice collection of geography resources on studying Brazil. Geography Resources for Studying Brazil

South America Unit Study Resources. I have many South America Unit Study resources. Grab more ideas on my lapbook ideas, and on my best homeschool unit studies pages. My first step as far as planning is to determine what I have in my home and what I can find online. Planning my unit studies is a lot like cooking from scratch. First, I like to dig out what is in my pantry, then take a look at what others have too in their “pantry”. Too, at the beginning I decide whether we will do a lapbook,

HOW TO GET THE FREE SOUTH AMERICA LAPBOOK

Finally, look at how to grab the free lapbook. This is a subscriber freebie.

Note: This is 1 lapbook that you can get on any of my South America posts.

Also, look at these minibooks which come in the free South America lapbook 27 page download.

Vocabulary Pocket and Vocabulary Words
Animals of the Galapagos fan book which includes the Giant Tortoise, Lava Lizard, Marine Iguana, Green Turtle, Galapagos Penguins, Magnificent Frigate Bird, Blue-Footed Booby, and Blue-Banded Goby.
Comparing Mountain Climate Zones
Simon Bolivar Copywork
Map of South America to label and one labeled
Machu Picchu – Lost City of the Inca
Negrinho – A dessert from Brazil
How to Memorize the Countries of South America and Dependent
Map Flags to put on your salt dough map
2 – The Galapagos Island layered book. One prefilled with facts and one blank to add your own information.

1) Sign up on my list and get this freebie at the same time.

2) Grab the freebie now.

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How to Make an Easy Roman Helmet & Shield & A Set of Printable Wings

July 1, 2013 | 6 Comments
This post may contain affiliate links. For more information, please see my full disclosure policy.

How to Make an Easy Roman Helmet & Shield and A Set of Printable Wings was easy to make. Also, look at my Ancient Rome Lapbook for Kids and Fun Hands-on Ideas for more fun.

It has never been a secret that I don’t sew and barely craft.

So when it came time to get Tiny ready for our year end co-op when studying Ancient Civilizations, I turned to cardboard and duct tape.

How to Make an Easy Roman Helmet & Shield & A Set of Printable Wings

Ancient Rome was a powerful civilization, and it influenced many things in our modern world.

And you’ll love how to make an easy Roman helmet doesn’t really take so long.

HOW TO MAKE AN EASY ROMAN HELMET

Supplies List

2 Large pieces of cardboard. I got mine from Target when they were throwing the boxes away. I knew I wanted one piece tall enough to be a shield for Tiny.
Gold and red duct tape or your choice of colors.
Silver Sharpie
1 piece of red cardstock
About 3 pieces of poster board. We chose red color.
1 men’s extra large red t-shirt
Scissors, a hot glue gun and a sharp craft knife like x-acto
We already had brown summer sandals for footwear.
Of course, no kid this age will go without anything under the shirt, tee hee hee and they shouldn’t so a shorter pairs of shorts works.

Just in case all of this gets gibberish sounding and because you know I love a good old picture anytime to explain anything, I put one here for you.

It was all easy to make but like anything it takes a bit of time to put it together.

HOW TO MAKE AN EASY ROMAN HELMET

This took me part of 2 days or one weekend to put this together along with some help from hubby.

Helmet. The helmet was 3 pieces of cardboard, some duct tape, and red cardstock.

One piece of cardstock I measured to go around the head or as a headband.

One to go over the top so the “feathers” can adhere to it and then the front part that was free drawn by hand and then colored with a silver sharpie.

It was glued on the headband.

Then I took the red cardstock and made a crease in the center and then cut it into strips but not cut all the way through.

Then glued it on the top of the cardboard piece of the helmet.

Here is a side angle of it.

After you glue it on the top strip coming over the helmet, just work with the cut strips until you get them to stick up how you like.

KIDS ANCIENT ROME COSTUME WITH CARDBOARD

I cut some up thicker and others thinner to make it more rustic and real looking.

Tiny was pleased with it and we worked next on some “armor” for the shoulders and chest.

Shoulder & Chest Armor. This was quiet a bit easier. I just used soft poster board, duct tape and leather shoe strings. I laid the soft poster board across his shoulders, did an eyeball measure and taped it with duct tape.

It is two pieces after I cut a circle for his head and I taped the back side. I left the front open so he could slip it on.

One view is of the top in the picture above and if you turn it over it didn’t look so hot on the underneath, but hey nobody sees that anyway. I just used more tape to hold it.

This was the very last piece put on so that I could put duct tape around the neck or the other side of the circle.

I used leather shoe strings around a piece of gold poster for his chest armor.

Shield. This didn’t take long either. The hardest part was cutting it. I thought about painting it but didn’t really want to mess with waiting for it to dry.

That was one option though. Instead we just covered it with red poster board and used duct tape to cover the edges.

I think I change my mind but maybe the hardest part was finding a good set of “wings” that were approved by Tiny.

MORE ANCIENT ROME HANDS-ON ACTIVITIES

Ancient Rome 15 step-by-step projects
How to Make a Roman Costume With Kids
Create a Roman Solider Mosaic
Paint a Roman Jester
Make a paper Colosseum

He spent almost an hour on the internet looking for some. In the end I couldn’t find any that were free on line so I made some from our clipart.

You never know when you might need one set of wings, so download here printable wings.

Add a foil covered bowl to the center and we were done.

It was the back that took just a little longer because I made some cardboard holders for him to put his arm through and one for him to hold.

So in all the back had 2 holders to keep up his shield.

Again I lifted the shield and measured about where he would hold it and made some cardboard “holders” and used duct tape to keep them in place.

After that hubby helped to make a sword “holder” out of a left over piece of cardboard and a bracelet or two and we were done.

Helmet, shield, chest armor, shoulder armor and a sword holder. What more could a kid want for his Roman soldier costume? Try one!

hands on history

South America Unit Study–Vocabulary & Copy work

South America Printable Minibooks

More South America Unit Study Resources

How to Get the Free South America Printable Lapbook

How to Memorize the Countries of South America & Mountain Climate Zones Minibooks

Facts to Learn About South America

How to Remember the Countries of South America

Project and Study Ideas for South America

South America Printable Minibooks

More South America Unit Study Resources

How to Get the Free South America Printable Lapbook

South America Geography Salt Dough Map + Printable Pennants

South America Printable Minibooks

More South America Unit Study Resources

How to Get the Free South America Printable Lapbook

South America Unit Study Resources

SOUTH AMERICA UNIT STUDY

My South America Unit Study Resources

SOUTH AMERICA UNITY STUDY ACTIVITIES

South America Unit Study Ideas to Borrow

HOW TO GET THE FREE SOUTH AMERICA LAPBOOK

How to Make an Easy Roman Helmet & Shield & A Set of Printable Wings

HOW TO MAKE AN EASY ROMAN HELMET

HOW TO MAKE AN EASY ROMAN HELMET

KIDS ANCIENT ROME COSTUME WITH CARDBOARD

MORE ANCIENT ROME HANDS-ON ACTIVITIES

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hands on history

South America Printable Minibooks

More South America Unit Study Resources

How to Get the Free South America Printable Lapbook

Facts to Learn About South America

How to Remember the Countries of South America

Project and Study Ideas for South America

South America Printable Minibooks

More South America Unit Study Resources

How to Get the Free South America Printable Lapbook

South America Printable Minibooks

More South America Unit Study Resources

How to Get the Free South America Printable Lapbook

SOUTH AMERICA UNIT STUDY

My South America Unit Study Resources

SOUTH AMERICA UNITY STUDY ACTIVITIES

South America Unit Study Ideas to Borrow

HOW TO GET THE FREE SOUTH AMERICA LAPBOOK

HOW TO MAKE AN EASY ROMAN HELMET

HOW TO MAKE AN EASY ROMAN HELMET

KIDS ANCIENT ROME COSTUME WITH CARDBOARD

MORE ANCIENT ROME HANDS-ON ACTIVITIES

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