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Quick and Easy Ancient Chinese Paper making for Kids

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This post may contain affiliate links. For more information, please see my full disclosure policy.

You’ll love this quick and easy ancient China paper making activity. Also, look at my post Free Ancient China Lapbook for Kids Who Love Hands-on History.

Did you know that the smooth white paper you write on everyday got its start in Ancient China right around 100 BC during the Han Dynasty?

Prior to the invention of paper as we know it there was papyrus and parchment  that people could write on, but it was expensive and very difficult to make.

In China expensive silk was also used but that was reserved for only the very wealthy.

That means that it was not readily available to everyone.

Did you know that the smooth white paper you write on everyday got its start in Ancient China? Your kids will love this quick and easy Ancient Chinese paper making activity. CLICK HERE to add this fun hands-on history project to your homeschool curriculum!

Its invention meant that people of all economic backgrounds could learn and write.

Because it absorbed ink, forgery was harder and it made carrying a book so much easier! Just a stack of paper sheets is much lighter than carrying a dozen hand chiseled tablets across town. Teachers had to be smart and strong!

Ancient China Paper Making

Plant fibers and rags were soaked in water until they became a pulpy mush then they were mashed and pressed onto screens in different sizes so that the water could drain off.

Once dry the paper was much lighter and easier to use than its heavier ancestor.

Since bamboo and other plant fibers are not as readily available to us as it was in 100 BC we are going to improvise with our own paper making and use supplies that we have on hand so that we can still get an idea of the paper making process.

Chinese Paper Making Activity

For this activity you will need:

  • newspaper
  • art paper or construction paper
  • water
  • Hardware screen/window screen
  • wood/frame
  • a blender
  • plastic tub
Ancient China Paper Making

You can buy paper making screens or you can make a simple one like we did here, by making a simple frame of wood scraps and stapling a square of hardware cloth to the back.

You could also do the same with a piece of window screen and the backside of a picture frame.

Tear your paper into smaller pieces, about 1” square.

Now we are going to hurry along our paper dissolving process by adding water and paper to a blender.

Ancient China Paper Making

Run the blender until you get a nice watery pulp, add water as needed to make sure it purees up well, you can’t have too much water as it will drip off. 

I used white drawing paper and one small piece of blue construction paper to get a very light blue shade.

In ancient China this process would have been done by a long soak of bark, hemp, bamboo, and other plant materials rather than a blender!

Ancient China Paper Making

Lay the frame in a tub large enough to hold it and pour the mixture from the blender onto the screen, flatten it out with your fingers so that it is as smooth as you can get it.

Chinese Paper Making Activity

The trick is to pour slowly and move it rather than pouring a giant pile in the center.

Ancient China Paper Making

Let most of the water drain off your screen until it is just a slow drip then carefully flip your screen to release the paper onto an absorbent surface, I used a sheet of craft felt for mine.

Ancient China Paper Making

Press a stack of several paper towels or napkins on top and press to absorb some of the water.

Place a block of wood on top and press or even stand on it to press it flat and squeeze more water out. Allow your paper to dry completely- it may take a day or two depending on how much water is left in your paper at this point as well as the humidity in your area.

Once your paper is completely dry you can trim it with scissors if you like to make it a more uniform shape. Still not flat enough?

Lay it under a couple of heavy books for a few days and it will be smooth and flat for your writing.

Ancient China Paper Making

Use a small paintbrush to paint a few basic Chinese characters as part of your studies.

Did you know that the smooth white paper you write on everyday got its start in Ancient China? Your kids will love this quick and easy Ancient Chinese paper making activity. CLICK HERE to add this fun hands-on history project to your homeschool curriculum!

Experiment with different types and colors of paper, brown paper bags make a nice parchment style paper, add a little color, and cut some into various shapes.

Ancient China Paper Making

More Ancient China Hands-on History Activities for Kids

Did you know that the smooth white paper you write on everyday got its start in Ancient China? Your kids will love this quick and easy Ancient Chinese paper making activity. CLICK HERE to add this fun hands-on history project to your homeschool curriculum!

Ancient China Paper Making Fun Facts

  • Paper making hasn’t changed much in all these years, basically the process is the same with new technologies and methods added in.
  • China tried to keep the art of paper making a secret but it eventually spread.
  • A Chinese government official, Ts’ ai  Lun, is credited with starting the paper making industry.
  • It was another 1000 years before paper making spread into other parts of Eurasia.
  • The original paper making was originally done with mainly hemp.
  • The oldest record of paper making that we have is dated 105 AD.
  • Combined with the invention of woodblock printing in 600 AD China was able to print its first newspaper in 740 AD.
  • How To Make Paper Look Old Craft With Kids
Ancient China Paper Making

You’ll love some of these other fun hands-on Ancient Civilization kids activities:

Hands-on Ancient Egypt: Israelite Mud Bricks for Kids

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This post may contain affiliate links. For more information, please see my full disclosure policy.

This mud bricks for kids activity is fun. Also, look at my Ancient Civilization page for more Egyptian activities

Stone building was reserved for monuments. But other places the ancient Egyptians wanted to last forever.

However, basic buildings were constructed of brick.

For example,homes, tombs, palaces,and protective walls in Ancient Egypt were constructed of brick.

Hands-on Ancient Egypt: Israelite Mud Bricks for Kids

Prior to making bricks soil was used. However it was not very sturdy.

Back in Ancient Egypt they couldn’t just make a run to the brickyard to pick up a pallet or ten in their trucks.

Brick making was very hard, labor intensive work.

So they used Israelite slaves to first gather the materials, make the bricks, and then use them to build with.

They needed to use resources they had on hand to create sturdy bricks for building walls.

Mud Bricks for Kids

The first thing the Israelites had to do was gather sand, clay, and silt from the Nile.

The soil from the Nile River when dried became a black hard stone like substance, making for sturdy bricks.

Since we are not able to take a trip to the Nile River to gather our supplies, we are going to improvise and use materials that we can easily get our hands on.

You are going to need: topsoil, straw, water, and clay if you can easily get some.

Oh, and something to use as a mold. You can make mini bricks with an ice cube tray if you would actually like to construct a model of something using your bricks.

Hands-on Ancient Egypt: Israelite Mud Bricks for Kids

Or if you want to see a full sized brick you can make molds with wood, as the Israelite slaves did, or use something like a small square or rectangle pans.

We used a silicone soap mold we had from another project for ours.

Ancient Egypt – Israelites Mud Bricks

If your straw is larger you will want to chop it into small bits. Straw was a binder. It made the bricks even sturdier.

This is straw chaff.

I found these little straw bundles at the craft store but you can also find hay or straw at a feed store, or ask a friend with livestock for a a few handfuls.

Hands-on Ancient Egypt: Israelite Mud Bricks for Kids

Sometimes, they even used animal droppings to construct their bricks (we are gonna skip that part with our brick making).

Hands-on Ancient Egypt: Israelite Mud Bricks for Kids

Next, the Israelites had to work the mud and straw together.

They did this by trampling it with their feet to mix it up consistently.

Place your soil, straw and water in a large tub and try to mix it together the same way they did.

Ancient Egypt Kids Activity

Add just enough water so that your soil will hold together.

Hands-on Ancient Egypt: Israelite Mud Bricks for Kids

This will help your bricks dry faster.

 The average size of bricks in Ancient Egypt was 8.7 x 4.3 x 5.5,.

Larger bricks were about 15.0 x 7.1 x5.5.

Hands-on Ancient Egypt: Israelite Mud Bricks for Kids

You can make your bricks any size you like.Remove the mud mixture from the tub and place it in your molds, press firmly into the mold to remove air bubbles.

Then, let it sit in the full sun for 1 day or until it is mostly dry.

At this point they would remove it from the mold and let it finish drying in the sun out of the mold.

Do the same with yours. Israelites left theirs to dry in the sun for 25 days.

Hands-on Ancient Egypt: Israelite Mud Bricks for Kids. Back in Ancient Egypt they couldn’t just make a run to the brickyard to pick up a pallet or ten in their trucks. Brick making was very hard, labor intensive work. So they used Israelite slaves to first gather the materials, make the bricks, and then use them to build with. They needed to use resources they had on hand to create sturdy bricks for building walls. CLICK here to make this fun diy mud bricks!

If you make smaller bricks they will obviously dry much faster.

Later on in history the bricks would be baked in a kiln to hasten drying time.

Once your brick is completely dry it is ready to be used for construction!

Think you could make 1000 to 2000 bricks a day? That is what the ancient Israelite slaves were required to do.

You’ll also love this huge Ancient Egypt lapbook and unit study from Home School in the Woods – one of my favorite hands-on history providers.

It would take an average of 5 days of brick making in order to have enough bricks to construct a small one story home for the worker.

Hands-on Ancient Egypt: Israelite Mud Bricks for Kids

Here are a few more interesting facts about mud bricks and the ancient Israelites…

  • Houses were built using mud bricks. Then, they were whitewashed to help deflect the brutal sun’s rays and keep the inside of the home more comfortable. Windows were placed high rather than lower like in modern homes to keep sand out and covered with reed mats. The roofs were flat.
  • While these bricks were sturdy, they were not able to stand the test of time. And that is why most of the remaining ancient Egyptian buildings that we have been able to study were made from stone rather than these mud bricks which eventually wore away.
  • Mud bricks were stamped with the cartouches of the reigning pharaoh. While many were lost some bricks still bear the stamp.
  • Israelite slave children as young as 4 were used to help make mud bricks.
  • While smaller bricks were more common they have discovered mud bricks that were as large as 1 meter in length.
Hands-on Ancient Egypt: Israelite Mud Bricks for Kids

You’ll love these other hands-on ideas for studying about Ancient Egypt:

Hands-on Ancient Egypt: Israelite Mud Bricks for Kids. Back in Ancient Egypt they couldn’t just make a run to the brickyard to pick up a pallet or ten in their trucks. Brick making was very hard, labor intensive work. So they used Israelite slaves to first gather the materials, make the bricks, and then use them to build with. They needed to use resources they had on hand to create sturdy bricks for building walls. CLICK here to make this fun diy mud bricks!

Hands-on Ancient Babylon: Hanging Gardens Fun Activity

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This post may contain affiliate links. For more information, please see my full disclosure policy.

Known as one of the 7 wonders of the ancient world, the Hanging Gardens of Babylon were thought to have been a showpiece in the capital of the Neo-Babylonian Empire and built by King Nebuchadnezzar.

Also, look at my page Ancient Mesopotamia Fun Facts For Kids Who Love History for more hands-on history ideas.

But there is some debate among scholars if it really even existed or it was just a fable or who actually built it.

Hands-on Ancient Babylon: Hanging Gardens Fun Activity

While some historians believe that the gardens towered hundreds of feet in the air while others believe it was much smaller, there is also some debate on just exactly where the gardens were located.

It is said that the gardens were built to help Nebuchadnezzar’s wife Amytis get over her homesickness.

She was from a region that was green and mountainous and very much unlike the flat land of Mesopotamia. Again, there is some disagreement here.

Some believe that the queen Sammu-ramat who ruled after Nebuchadnezzar was responsible for the gardens instead.

They were built with layered platforms of stone and filled with trees, hanging plants, and flowers.

The gardens are thought to have disappeared during an earthquake and we do not have any physical confirmed evidence of their existence but there are varied accounts of them throughout history and foundation vaults and chambers were located near the palace by archeologists that could support their location.

This is a great hands-on project for children from middle elementary up through high school and can be done while you read about the Hanging Gardens of Babylon. It can be made as simple or as elaborate a project as you wish.

To make your own Hanging Gardens of Babylon you will need the following items:

Hands-on Ancient Babylon Hanging Gardens of Babylon

  • A floral foam block
  • Cream or tan craft paint
  • Play sand
  • Tools-wooden skewer, spoon, wooden craft sticks,etc..
  • Small silk flowers, real flower cuttings, greenery
  • Tacky craft glue
  • Knife/cutting board
  • Paint brush

I was able to pick up all of our items at our local Dollar Tree and some we had on hand with plenty of leftovers for another project. This makes it a really inexpensive way to get some hands-on learning.Hands-on Ancient Babylon: Hanging Garden Fun Activity 1 @ Tina's Dynamic Homeschool Plus

Start by cutting floral foam block into 3 pieces of graduating size, so that your layers when stacked leave a ledge on each one.

Hanging Gardens of Babylon Hands-on History

For little ones you can let them cut their own foam with a wooden craft stick or even a plastic knife (the foam is soft and easy to work with). Press a skewer down through the center to secure them together. We will trim it later.

It is very simple to add foam pieces together and make this project as large as you like. We stuck with a small tabletop version so that everyone could make their own to enjoy looking at.Hands-on Ancient Babylon: Hanging Garden Fun Activity 2 @ Tina's Dynamic Homeschool Plu

Search for photos of the Hanging Gardens of Babylon online to use as a reference and leave it open as your child works.

We looked up several sites to get a clear picture of what they are believed to have looked like.

Use your tools to carve out windows, doors, columns, steps, etc. in the foam, this is a great medium for carving. Our preferred tool was a wooden skewer because it gives great detail.

Hands-on Ancient Babylon: Hanging Garden Fun Activity 3 @ Tina's Dynamic Homeschool Plu

Brush away any excess foam in your carving with a soft paint brush to give it clean sharp lines. If you use something too stiff it will wear away more of your foam.

You could also blow it clean with canned air if you like.

Hands-on Ancient Babylon: Hanging Garden Fun Activity 4 @ Tina's Dynamic Homeschool Plu

Mix cream or tan craft paint with a couple teaspoons of play sand. We are going to create a texture that is similar to bricks or stone on our tower.

Hands-on History: Ancient Civilizations

Paint your structure all over, be sure to get some inside your carved areas. Allow to dry for 2- 3 hours, or until completely dry to the touch.

Hands-on Ancient Babylon: Hanging Garden Fun Activity 5 @ Tina's Dynamic Homeschool Plu

Place on a plate or other flat surface in a small bed of play sand. Lift up your top most layer and snip off the skewer, leaving enough that the top piece remains secured.

Hands-on Ancient Babylon: Hanging Garden Fun Activity 6 @ Tina's Dynamic Homeschool Plu

Begin decorating by laying moss all over the levels, letting it hang down randomly and securing with glue as you go.

Press the plastic end of small flowers, greenery, and even small pieces of aquarium plants into the foam to make your gardens lush and exotic looking.

Secure your plants with glue if you feel like they need a little more anchoring.

Imagine the beauty that must have been there as they walked throughout the various levels, the exotic scents and sounds.

Also, I wanted to let you know about this. If you’re looking for more hands-on history, we love using Home School in the Woods.

Hands-on Ancient Babylon: Hanging Garden Fun Activity @ Tina's Dynamic Homeschool Plu

We added a few blue pebbles at the bottom for water.

This is an ideal time to talk about the watering system they were believed to have used on the gardens- a series of waterways to deliver water to the top that then cascaded downwards, very similar to Archimedes Screw.

Hands-on Ancient Babylon: Hanging Gardens Fun Activity

You’ll love these other hands-on Ancient Civilizations fun activities:

Hands-on Ancient Babylon Hanging Gardens of Babylon. Known as one of the 7 wonders of the ancient world the Hanging Gardens of Babylon, were thought to have been a showpiece in the capital of the Neo-Babylonian Empire and built by King Nebuchadnezzar. CLICK HERE to build this hands-on fun kid’s activity!!
Hands-on Ancient Babylon Hanging Gardens of Babylon. Known as one of the 7 wonders of the ancient world the Hanging Gardens of Babylon, were thought to have been a showpiece in the capital of the Neo-Babylonian Empire and built by King Nebuchadnezzar. CLICK HERE to build this hands-on fun kid’s activity!!

The BEST Viking Unit Study for Homeschooled Kids

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This post may contain affiliate links. For more information, please see my full disclosure policy.

An ancient Viking unit study makes for a fascinating study for kids of all ages. Also, look at my page more Vikings Lapbook Unit Study and Hands-on Activities and my page Best Homeschool Unit Studies.

The fierce Norseman or Vikings came from what we now know as Scandinavia or Denmark, Norway, and Sweden.

Vikings prospered in Scandinavia from about 800 AD to 1066 AD.

The BEST Viking Unit Study for Homeschooled Kids

From their homes in Norway, Sweden, and Denmark, the Norsemen (Northmen) explored much of the northern hemisphere between Europe and North America.

A Germanic people, the Vikings had a great love of adventure.

First, look at some of these living books about the Vikings.

12 Viking Resources & Books for Multiple Ages

Grab some of these books and resources for multiple ages about Vikings.

Ancient Vikings Unit Study

Vikings became infamous for sacking villages and towns, destroying churches, and easily defeating smaller armies in their search for new avenues of trade and the spoils of war.

Fearless warriors and superb shipbuilders, Vikings left their mark on Europe, Asia, Iceland, Greenland, and North America before they were absorbed into European Civilization.

Viking lands

Ancient Vikings Unit Study

Viking civilization began in the Scandinavian countries of Denmark, Norway, and Sweden, but in the nearly 300 years of their power they traveled to and traded with many distant lands.

They also created settlements in England, Ireland, Iceland, Greenland, and other countries.

Ancient Vikings Unit Study

Viking Expansion Watch a short video about Viking exploration.
Viking Settlements Learn which countries the Vikings settled in outside of Scandinavia.
Life in Viking Settlements Learn what life was like in a Viking settlement.
Viking Houses See the types of houses Vikings lived in.

Viking Society

Society consisted of jarls (nobles), karls (middle class freemen), and thralls (slaves).

Ancient Vikings Unit Study

Viking social classes Learn how the classes worked together and how a Viking could up and down in social status.
Viking social classes in Iceland Learn how society differed abroad from Scandinavia.
Gender and age in Viking society Learn the roles of men, women, and children in Viking villages

The BEST Viking Unit Study for Homeschooled Kids. Your kids will love this. Check it out @ Tina's Dynamic Homeschool Plus

Viking warriors Learn what it took to be a warrior, what a beserker was, and the role women played in war

Futhark Learn about the runic alphabet of the Vikings

Viking Mythology

Vikings believed in a pantheon of Gods led by Odin. The pantheon included Thor and Loki of Avengers fame.

Norse mythology Read an overview of Norse mythology along with a brief history of Vikings.
Norse mythology dictionary Learn about Norse mythology with an A to Z listing.
The Nine Worlds A more in-depth look at the worlds of Norse mythology.

Viking Ships

Ancient Vikings Unit Study Ancient Vikings Unit Study
Viking ships were the fastest and sturdiest of the era. The Norse skill in shipbuilding helped enable the exploration and settlement of other lands

Types of Viking ships:

  • Faering
  • Knarr
  • Longship
  • Karve

Viking ships Learn the different types of Viking ships and how they were used.
Vikings at sea Learn more about sailing and ships in the Viking Age.
Navigating the open seas Learn how the Vikings knew where they were going and how to get home.

Viking Vocabulary

Althing Yearly meeting of all Viking tribes to discuss laws and solve disputes
Beserker Warrior who wore a bearskin cloak or shirt and worked himself into a frenzy before battle
Brooch A decorative piece of metal used to hold a Viking’s cloak closed. The more ornate the brooch, the richer and more important the Viking.
Burial Ship Used for the wealthiest Vikings, these ships were filled with the belongings of the deceased and set ablaze or buried under mounds of earth or in underground chambers
Fjord A long, narrow inlet with steep sides or cliffs found along the shores of some Scandinavian countries
Flax Cloth made from the stalks of the flax flower


Futhark The runic alphabet of the Vikings
Jarl A Viking Noble
Karl A middle class, free Viking
Keel The lengthwise timber structure along the base of a ship that supports the framework of the vessel and sometimes extends downward to increase stability
Loom A machine that weaves yarn or thread into cloth
Lyre A string instrument resembling a small, u-shaped harp
Norseman Northman
Pantheon A religion that believes in a group of gods/more than one god
Prow The portion of the front of the ship that is above water
Runes Letters of an ancient Germanic alphabet
Stern The rearmost part of a ship or boat
Strake A continuous line of planking from the stem to the stern of the ship
Thing Local assemblies where all freemen could file complaints and voice opinions
Thrall A Viking slave

Famous Vikings

Erik the Red Viking explorer who discovered Greenland
Leif the Lucky Son of Erik the Red
Harald Bluetooth Viking king of Denmark (also namesake of Bluetooth technology)
Olaf Tryggvason Viking king of Norway
Sweyn Forkbeard Declared King of all England in 1013
Gunnar Hamundarson Icelandic chieftain

Also, we love the hands-on ideas for studying history over at Home School in the Woods.

They cover Vikings in their middle ages lapbook.

 

The BEST Viking Unit Study for Homeschooled Kids

The BEST Viking Unit Study for Homeschooled Kids. Your kids will love this mini unit study about Ancient Vikings. They are truly fierce people of the sea. Click here to grab this AWESOME Vikings Unit Study @ Tina’s Dynamic Homeschool Plus

How to Teach With an Easy DIY American History Timeline

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This post may contain affiliate links. For more information, please see my full disclosure policy.

When my older two sons were in middle school we created an American history timeline.

It was a clip art heavy timeline with lots of coloring, cutting, and gluing.

I’ve been looking for something which is not as craft intensive while still being challenging.

Until now, I couldn’t find an American history timeline curriculum which inspired me to want to do another one with my third son.

How to Teach With an Easy DIY American History Timeline. If you’re looking for a curriculum resource to easily teach American history by using a timeline, you’ll love this one. Not only do your kids cover major historical topics but learn about famous people and events. Because it’s reproducible you can use it for all of your kids. Click here to grab this great resource!

 Too, being an eclectic homeschooler, I want products which make it easy for me to teach in my style and in a way my son understands.

When I got The Giant American History Timeline from Sunflower Education, I was stoked to prepare another timeline in my simple diy fashion.

 I was given this product for free. I was compensated for my time and for hosting the giveaway. However, paid for my time does not mean paid off. ALL opinions are my own and for sure I will always tell you what is on my mind. When I do accept a product it’s because I’m giddy to tell you about it. Read my full disclosure here. Now on to the fun stuff!

How to Rock History Using An American History Timeline

One of the things I find perfect about this two-volume bundle, besides not having to do time consuming coloring or crafts, is that each unit or timeline can stand alone.

We didn’t begin with The Giant History Timeline Book 1: Pre-Colonization-Reconstruction.

We did spend the majority of time in The Giant History Timeline Book 2: 1870s-Present because Tiny was interested in modern American history.

I loved the fact that we didn’t have to start at the beginning and could skip right to the parts that we found fascinating.

For years we’ve covered significant early American history events through our history lapbooks which I share right here on my site Tina’s Dynamic Homeschool Plus.

So, feeling like he didn’t really have a clear outline of major modern historical events, Tiny wanted to delve deeper into modern history.

Another downside to doing clip art based timelines or date only timelines which I found out after doing my first one is that no real connection is made between dates and key historical events.

And timelines can quickly becoming boring if they’re not studied along with the events or the people.

Intriguing events and colorful personalities of significant people of the past and present is what brings history alive.

That is another win for The Giant American History Timeline bundle.

Let me backup first and give you an idea of all the goodies in the The Giant American History Timeline  bundle so you can see how it can be used as a stand alone unit study or to enhance your study of geography, famous Americans, or history.

Look at the historical time periods and units in each book.

The Giant American History Timeline Book 1.

Unit 1: Discovery and Exploration Prehistory-1606
Unit 3: The Revolutionary Period 1765-1783
Unit 5: Expanding the Country 1790-1860
Unit 7: Social Issues 1790-1860		Unit 2: Colonial America 1585-1776
Unit 4: Creating the Constitution 1781-1803
Unit 6: An Age of Advancements 1790-1860
Unit 8: The Civil War and Reconstruction 1850-1877

The Giant American History Timeline Book 2.

Unit 1: Industrial Growth and Technological Advancement 1870-1910
Unit 3: America and the World 1867-1910
Unit 5: The Roaring Twenties and the Great Depression 1920-1940
Unit 7: The Cold War 1940-1990		Unit 2: Big Business and Social Reform 1870-1910
Unit 4: World War I 1910-1920
Unit 6: World War II 1930-1950
Unit 8: The Civil Rights Movement Technology and Terrorism 1954-Present

Look at all the teaching perks in each book.

  1. Teaching notes which contain an overview of key events, suggested focus activities like when we listened to the inspiring I Have a Dream speech by Martin Luther King, Jr., instructions on how to create the timeline, points to teach critical thinking skills, and instructions on how to do the activity sheets.
  2. Six types of activity sheets which contain maps, primary sources, help for comparing and contrasting time periods, biography sheets, a voice from the past sheets and a fun time machine activity page.
  3. One of the parts I loved the best is the variety. In Book 1 there are 126 activity sheets and in Book 2 there are 125 activity sheets. That easily adds up to a huge amount of resources for kids of any age.

The hardest part for us was keeping to a few topics so that we could study it for any length of time.

We had so many choices of time periods, timelines, and topic ideas and couldn’t wait to start piecing the timeline together.

How to Teach With an Easy DIY American History Timeline

Since we moved into our new home, we haven’t really decided on a school area. It wouldn’t really matter anyway because Tiny has almost always taken to the floor to study something like this.

He does best by using the floor to put his events in order and the The Giant American History Timeline gives excellent examples of how to connect the information and events to each other.

Benefits of The Giant American History Timeline

It can be done by event, which is the one we loved, main ideas or sequence of events which is what we’re all familiar with.

Also, another facet of creating an easy diy timeline is storage.

You want your child to engage with the facts and the historical period he is learning, but you need a way for him to come back to them and study it.

However, since we don’t have a huge empty wall like a classroom, we are storing our timeline in a lapbook and doing one for each time period or unit we’re studying.

How to Teach With an Easy DIY American History Timeline

After researching and organizing the material he wanted to study, we reviewed key facts and then organized the material so that we could review in the future.

How to Teach With an Easy DIY American History Timeline

Also, I shared with you how to turn a worksheet into an interactive minibook.

How to Teach With an Easy DIY American History Timeline

So, we applied that same folding technique to our mini-giant American history timeline.

How to Teach With an Easy DIY American History Timeline

One of the best things about using a lapbook besides great storage is that anytime he can take out the lapbook and memorize the significant events that match the dates.

Then because this is a research intensive project, we added a pocket on the back of the lapbook to add the extra activity sheets that he did.

This lapbook fits in well with the other American history lapbooks that we have done.

Did I mention that all pages are reproducible?

For some of the parts, we shrunk the pages when we printed. The other pages are just regular paper size but folded using my special technique that I mentioned earlier.

How to Teach With an Easy DIY American History Timeline. If you’re looking for a curriculum resource to easily teach American history by using a timeline, you’ll love this one. Not only do your kids cover major historical topics but learn about famous people and events. Because it’s reproducible you can use it for all of your kids. Click here to grab this great resource!

American History Timeline Activity Sheets

The Giant American History Timeline may be a good fit for you and your kids if:

  • You have multiple ages you’re teaching, but want one sanity-saving resource.
  • Your kids don’t mind a few hands-on activities like labeling and coloring maps, but prefer straight research on topics.
  • You want a reproducible resource instead of a workbook.
  • You’re thinking about a lapbook or notebooking style of timeline because of a lack of space.
  • Your kids prefer to learn more independently without having day to day lesson plans.
  • You prefer an overview and guideline for topics and events to create.
  • You want flexibility in how you cover topics by choosing ones that interest your children.
  • You want to use timelines as a stand alone unit study topic covering multiple historical topics.
  • Your kids prefer more worksheet and notebooking style pages.
  • You want something faith-free or more secular so you can add your own worldview.
  • You want teacher helps with answer keys.
  • You want one comprehensive resource for teaching American history.
  • You want your children to learn independently.

Look at these other American history lapbooks you’ll love!

How to Purchase It.