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World War II Free Resources For a Middle School Unit Study

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

I rounded up some World War II free resources for a middle school unit study because I plan on tackling this tough part in American history soon with Tiny. Also, look at my page homeschool middle school for more fun tips and World War II Hands-On History – Make Ration Cakes.

This certainly is not an easy topic to study with younger kids and it’s still pretty hard with middle and high school kids.

World War II Free Resources For a Middle School Unit Study

However, it is easier to explain the issues and ideology on both sides when your kids are a bit older.

You know too I like having plenty of time to plan, think about some of these activities, and gather them in one place before we start.

World War II Activities for Homeschooled Kids

Look at these ideas for hands-on history, free lesson plans and resources.

World War II Uniforms

(Picture copyright Home School in the Woods and used here for illustrative purposes only.)

Grab the free sample lesson download at the bottom of the page at Home School In the Woods.

It has some soldier paper dolls (for lack of better words) in color showing the soldiers for both sides and I think it’s an easy way of identifying whose who in the war.

Video from NeoK12 about World War II. Letters are read from that time period about how people felt.

These letters or excerpts are a great free primary resource to use.

A free lesson plan on the Navajo Code Talkers.


In 1943 Eleanor Roosevelt helped start a Victory Garden movement that ended up making a substantial contribution to feeding the nation in wartime. You’ll love reading about it here along with learning about period posters.

World War II Victory Soup Recipe

So you could either plant a garden or have a Victory Garden Meal as you studied this topic.

Look at this recipe that I have included below that is in one of our kids history magazine that would make a fun edible project.

Victory Garden

Ingredients.
1 of each of the following:
potato, onion, celery, turnip, tomato
1/2 cup corn
1/2 cup peas
Small amount of any leftover cooked vegetables in your refrigerator
2 Tablespoons flour
2 Tablespoons butter
2 Cups tomato juice
1 Cup water
½ Tablespoon salt
Pepper to taste
¼ Cup small pieces of macaroni or any type you prefer

Directions.

Peel the potato, cut in cube and boil in water for 15 minutes. Peel the carrot and turnip. Chop the onion and celery in small pieces. Slice the carrot.

Dice the turnip and tomato. Mash the potato in the cooking water.

Melt the butter over medium heat in a soup pot. Then, add the onion and celery and cook over low heat for about five minute, stirring frequently.

Next, add the flour and stir for one minute. Add the tomato juice, water, salt, pepper and macaroni. Add the potatoes, carrots, turnips, corn, peas and tomato. Cook over medium heat stirring.

When soup begins to boil, lower the heat and simmer for 20 minutes. During the last five minutes, add any leftover vegetable.

World War II Free Resources For a Middle School Unit Study

The purpose of the study is to identify historic places that best represent the wartime mobilization that occurred  in the United States and its territories and possessions between 1939 and 1945 to assist in identifying whether any of these places should be considered for potential inclusion in  the National Park System.

In other words, it makes a nifty guide for identifying key places and obtaining back ground information.

WWII FashionClosed due to coal shortage World War II
hist_nazi_ideology

Use this Nazi party infographic to help your child understand their ideals.

More World War II Unit Study Hands-on Activities

World War II Free Resources For a Middle or High School Unit Study

Hands-on History for Kids

INF3-104_Food_Production_Lend_a_hand_on_the_land_Whatever_your_front_line_job_Artist_ShowellINF3-118_Forces_Recruitment_WAAF_-_And_help_the_RAF_Artist_Little

Then, some free coloring pages:

spotter_cards2_s
(Picture Attribution Ames History )

Spot an air craft activity. Check out these deck of cards from that time period that has different air craft pictured to learn about.

During war time, kids would spot air crafts and try to identify them.

I have some more ideas for hands-on history that I’ll share when we start our project, but I wanted to share these ideas today so you can starting sorting through them too.

World War II lapbook and homeschool history unit study.
World War II Free Resournces for a Middle School Unit Study

Hands-on History Activities for Learning about Ancient Civilizations

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

You’ll love these hands on history ancient civilizations activities. Also, you’ll love my pages Ancient Civilizations and Ancient Civilization II.

Many things we use today come from the powerful empires of the past, but ancient history can sometimes be a challenge when teaching our kids.

Making a connection to the past through hands-on learning helps a child to not only remember what he has learned, but helps him to develop critical thinking skills. By doing this instead of just memorizing, a child interacts with the past and this cements learning. CLICK here to grab an idea or two for Hands-on History Activities for Kids for Learning about Ancient Civilization!!

Making a connection to the past through hands-on learning helps a child to not only remember what he has learned but helps him to develop critical thinking skills. 

By doing this instead of just memorizing, a child interacts with the past and this cements learning.

HANDS-ON HISTORY CONNECTING TO THE PAST

Do not feel intimidated either if you are not the crafty artsy type of person because hands-on history activities for learning about ancient civilizations do not have to be complicated.

Grab a few of these ideas.

 Mesopotamia

mesopotamia alphabet

Draw the ABC’s of Mesopotamia.This is just way too cool and it’s a language arts lesson too.

The pictures are water color pencil with marker outline.

Carve a cuneiform cylinder seal using clay or play the royal game of Ur.

cuneiform-cylinder-seals-slide      Game of Ur
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Draw a ziggurat or build a ziggurat and hut.

And I love this hands-on geography, history and map curriculum I used because it fits hands-on learning at any age!

ziggurat-drawing    hut
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Include some easy notebooking about Ancient Sumeria.

The Indus Valley

(Modern Day Pakistan)

Do a connect the dots of Mohenjo-Daro or build the city of Mohenjo-Daro.

Mohenjo_Daro_connect_dots
Mohenjo-Daro

Ancient China

Grab these paper dolls or make some terracotta warriors.

china
soldiers

Build a pagoda or make Ming plates.

build-a-pagoda-slide    MingPlates1
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Also, we love, love the activities from Home School in the Woods.

Hands-on History Activities for Learning about Ancient Civilizations

Read here about the hands-on activities for 14 great empires or you can look at the guide we used.

Phoencia

(Modern day Lebanon)

Ancient Phoenicia Craft Roundup

Check out my post about making a boat, creating some purple dye or learning the Phoenician alphabet.

Hands on History Ancient Civilizations Activities

Next, here are more hands-on history ancient civilizations activities.

Assyria and Ancient Babylon

(Modern day Iraq or northern part of Mesopotamia)

Be sure to check out how to teach history in 14 lessons. You’ll love this curriculum if you need to teach history in broad strokes!


Also, read Why I Love and Use BrimWood Press History here.

And here is my hanging gardens of Babylon craft.

        hanging gardens of babylon
                                               

Ancient Greece

Create a playscape or ancient world and have a Greek feast.

greekworld    greek-feast
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Play a Greek mythology matching card game or make a Grecian urn.

Greek Mythology Matching Game_General    grecian urn
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Do a paper model of the Parthenon or make an ancient Greek water clock.

paper-parthenon_clip_image002    How to Make a Water Clock
                                                           

Ancient Egypt

 Use a shoebox to make a mini Egyptian Sarcophagus or mummify a rubber chicken.

king-tut-sarcophagus-
rubber chicken

   

Go from paper plate to creating an Egyptian collar or make a minibook printable on the Pharaohs crown using this free .pdf.

from paperplate to egyptian necklace    double crown
                                                          

Include a sugar cube pyramid, cookie map or make yummy mummy hot dogs or make papyrus.

Ancient-Egypt-Activities--1024x1024   papyrus
                                                                         {source}

Grab the Ancient Egyptian printable game I created or grab this free printable maze.Ancient-Egypt-Collage-Snake-Game-        akhenaten-maze-m
                                                                                    {source}

Ancient Rome

Make a styrofoam Colosseum or dig for the city of Pompeii.

the-colosseum        Digging-up-Pompeii
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Make an easy peazy Roman costume or build an Roman aqueduct.

How to Make an Easy Peazy Roman Costume    aqueduct

Make an easy Roman mosaic.

mosaics

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Hands-on History Activities for Learning about Ancient Civilizations

And don’t forget, I created a lapbook about Ancient Civilizations. It is more like an overview on them.

Do you see anything to get you your kids inspired about learning about the Ancient Civilizations while keeping history hands-on?|

30 Fun Resources for Learning About Daniel Boone

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

Today, I have rounded up 30 fun resources for learning about Daniel Boone.  He straddles quite a few epoch time periods in American history.

Learning About Daniel Boone

Planning on updating more of my unit studies, even though being patient is not part of my personality, I hope to slowly share them with you throughout the year.

30 Fun Resources for Learning About Daniel Boone

Look below at these ideas for studying about Daniel Boone and about the colonial and frontier time periods.

Language Arts Ideas for Learning About Daniel Boone

Read this short story Daniel Boone’s Dear from American Folklore.  Use it to write a longer story or rewrite it. Read the Obituary on Daniel Boone and describe an American Folk Hero.

Copywork. Grab some quotes from here about Daniel Boone for copywork.

Also, look at these classroom activities.

Life During the Colonial Period and on The Frontier During the Life of Daniel Boone

Daniel Boone’s father was a blacksmith. Download a free .pdf which lists the different jobs during the colonial period. Also, learn about the food eaten during the colonial period.

Too, grab a huge 205 page free download about Women on the Frontier. 

I have not read all the way through it, but it has some great pictures and stories. Sometimes in teaching my sons about explorers, I overlook just how resourceful woman had to be too. This .pdf is a nice reminder full of stories.

Free printable lesson plan about the frontier and frontier life.

Free lesson plan for directions on making a colonial recipe, an activity for quilting and dyeing fabrics with household fruits and vegetables.

You’ll love learning more about American History with these fun hands-on units from Home School in The Woods.

Geography Ideas for Studying About Daniel Boone.

  • Research the history of Pennsylvania.
  • Research about the Appalachian Mountains. Read about the Appalachian Mountains here in the free .pdf publication.

Free Maps of the Cumberland Gap Area/Wilderness Road.

Wilderness Survival Skills

Next, you can’t lean about Daniel Boone without learning about wilderness survival skills. Watch this YouTube video about How to Navigate the Wilderness. Also, look at Fire Starting with Sticks. 

Learn about how to tan deer hides and small fur skins.

Too, download this Wilderness Survival workbook. And this fun freebie too which is Outside Survival.

Events During the Life of Daniel Boone

And if you want to learn about the colonial period you’ll love this fun hands-on resource from Home School in the Woods.

In 1755, Daniel Boone went to fight in the French and Indian War. You’ll love my French and Indian War lapbook.

French and Indian War Free Lapbook

Also, he also lived through the American Revolutionary War.

American Revolution Lapbook

Grab my free American Revolution War lapbook.

Hands-On Activities for Learning About Daniel Boone

How to Build a Fort Build a Fort
(Pic. attribution: megahowto)

Build a Fort. Really cool project for those that take their fort building serious.

Next, make a fringed hunting shirt. It is important to be sure we teach our kids accurate clothing of the time period. 

30 Fun Resources for Learning About Daniel Boone
(Pic. Attribution: vaporofcolor)

So this site, N. Hurst Historic Tailoring, has a very helpful .pdf with pictures that explains how it was done.  Click on Fringe on the American Hunting Shirt pdf.

Also as shown from the picture above, you can make an easy fringed shirt. In addition, look at this site to show the large lapels on Daniel Boone’s clothing. Lots of good pictures here to show time period clothing and their history.

Play games children would have played while living on the frontier.

How to build a log cabin diorama– YouTube video.

Grab a free minibook at Practical Pages. Nadene has a page about a spinning wheel to describe the steps on how to spin.

Media about Daniel Boone

History of the Early American West – The Frontier (part 1) YouTube. Here is the description: In this mini-documentary, historian Darren R. Reid (University of Edinburgh) explores the development of the frontier in the years leading up to the American Revolution. From Daniel Boone’s exploration of Kentucky in 1769 to the outbreak of Dunmore’s War in 1774, this video is the perfect introduction to the early American west.

A History of the Early American West – The Frontier (part 2) Time: 10:41

Watch National Geographic: Appalachian Trail on Netflix. 50 minutes. “National Geographic straps on the boots to explore the splendors of the Appalachian Trail, the longest marked trail in the United States.”

Books and Fun Resources To Learn About Daniel Boone

Then, you’ll love these books and fun resources to round out your study about the life of Daniel Boone.

 

30 Fun Resources for Learning About Daniel Boone

Finally, we loved learning so much about Daniel Boone that I created a lapbook.

30 Fun Resources for Learning About Daniel Boone

Also, you may love these other fun resources:

Hugs and love ya,

When We Used Story of the World as our History Spine

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

When we used The Story of the World as our history spine in the younger years, it was one right choice I made for us.

Although loving history, my knowledge included only the history of the United States and it was pretty lame at that.

Because the The Story of the World came out around the time my oldest son was in the early grades and because I had read numerous good reviews, I used it. 

It ended up being a perfect fit for all of my sons.  We did begin with Volume 1 and worked our way through Volume 4, which is the whole series.

When we used The Story of the World as our History Spine

It is hard to find history programs for very young children that are presented in a story format and that make teaching history to young children easy. That is one thing I appreciated about the format.

I think it’s a must to have not only the story book, but the Teacher’s Manual which has the activity pages in them or purchase the activity pages separately for each kid.

STORY OF THE WORLD AS A HISTORY SPINE

The teacher’s manual not only has questions that help you to review the story but it has the answers right there too.  No flipping to another section to find the answers  That is a huge tiny pet peeve of mine about teacher’s manual.

Also, there are plenty of resources listed and choices for extra reading for a variety of ages.

It is a multi-age resource, which is a great find too if you are teaching more than one child.

If you are new to homeschooling or if you don’t have a huge background in history, The Story of the World  makes teaching history painless. It would make a great addition to your curriculum too even if your kids are a bit older. 

If your oldest kid is beginning middle school, I think this curriculum is still doable to teach all your kids if you have that circumstance.

Volume 4 is targeted for grades 4 to 8.  So if you have children in that age range and want to use this, just remember that Volume 1 was written for 1st to 4th grade.  I don’t see any harm in using it for your kids if they are older and can tolerate a bit of the language written in the earlier volumes for younger children.  It sure helps the teacher mom along.

The Story of the World is just an introduction to history and I think it does a fantastic job of hooking your children on history along with the maps and activities laid out in the program.  It helped us to form in our minds some major pivotal history points that the boys still refer to today.

It has slight Christian content, but we always added more.  I have said before I appreciate that fact about curriculum sometimes because we can cover Bible subjects at our pace.

Overall, The Story of the World is a keeper for us because of the ease of use, story format, use for multiple ages, teacher helps and having everything laid out.

On to more history spines we used through the years in my upcoming posts.

Hugs and love ya,

Want to read more?

Review of What Every Child Needs to Know About Western Civilization by BrimWood Press.

How to Use a History Spine to Build Your Study of History

When we used Notgrass World History as our History Spine

8 Ways to Teach Homeschool History Other Than Chronologically

Should Homeschool History Be Covered in Chronological Order?

When we used Notgrass World History as our History Spine

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

When we used Notgrass World History as our history spine in 9th grade for Mr. Senior 2013, I thought I knew what I wanted at the high school level.

Sharing what worked and what didn’t work for us about some of the history spines we have used so far will hopefully help you to make a better choice for your crew.

Too, I try very hard to be objective about the pros and cons about curriculum when telling you about them.  It is of more benefit to tell you about what worked and didn’t work for us and why instead of telling you what I think is a con.

Everybody has different needs at certain times and what may be a con one year may be a blessing the next year.

When we started using Notgrass Exploring World History it was our first official year of high school.  Because I knew that Mr. Senior 2013 and I share a common love of history, I thought the integrated written assignments in the history curriculum was a plus feature.

I liked the fact too that it was written in a story format, similar to what we liked about living books and how we had been covering history before.  Too, the history spine valued Bible history which is another plus for us.

Notgrass History Spine

When Mr. Senior 2013 started using it, he found it very student friendly.  It had a pick up and go style that he liked and he really needed very little input from me.  This was a good thing for me because as you know when teaching younger children, you want curriculum that requires less teacher prep for your older kids.

The other thing that was a draw, for me anyway, was that it included excerpts from primary sources in a book available by Notgrass called In their Words.  It contains original documents, poetry, stories and hymns, which are an important element to studying world history.

However, as with some curriculum you find that after starting it, it requires more work than you want to put into it.

I really didn’t feel like we could cover Bible at a pace that suited me because the whole curriculum felt like a Bible study, which I really didn’t need.  Maybe too because I have been so use to adding our own Bible content for many years, I just felt like it was a bit forced.

In addition, at that time I didn’t know what extra reading was required of him because there really wasn’t a list anywhere.  The reading was folded into each lesson so unless you used the hunt and peck method, it was hard to look ahead and prepare.

Before I posted this today though, I did take a quick glance at the new edition for 2014 and it looks like they updated their curriculum.  A literature list for each unit is now listed in the curriculum.

Something else I realized after getting into was that we wanted a more comprehensive language arts program or at least writing program.

Although Mr. Senior 2013 enjoyed some of the ideas for the topics for writing, he felt like he needed something that was a bit more comprehensive in explaining the mechanics of writing.

It was hard to go from unit studies and living books that we loved in our Beautiful Feet literature to a textbook too.

I could see this program working for a student that maybe didn’t mind a textbook approach and wanted a good overview of history along with Bible study.

Though it wasn’t a keeper for us, I could see that it has real benefits if you use it the way it was intended to be used.  Adding in all the quizzes, writing and reading, it was a rigorous and challenging course.

I hope this gives you a glimpse into our year of using Notgrass because there really is no one program that fits everybody.

Hugs and love ya,

2012Tinasignature Ocean Currents Minibook

Did you miss these posts?

Review of What Every Child Needs to Know About Western Civilization by BrimWood Press.

History Makers Notebooking Pages – Famous Persons from Ancient to Modern – Set 2

How to Use a History Spine to Build Your Study of History

8 Ways to Teach Homeschool History Other Than Chronologically

Should Homeschool History Be Covered in Chronological Order?