Tina's Dynamic Homeschool Plus

Activity, Change, Progress

literature

What is the Swiss Family Robinson About | Simple Jeopardy Style Game

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

One way to learn about what is the Swiss Family Robinson about is through a fun and simple Jeopardy Style Game. Also, you’ll love more ideas on my post Swiss Family Robinson Unit Study.

I have gathered some great questions for different categories to use for your game, enough for a full round as well as the big final question.

What is the Swiss Family Robinson About | Simple Jeopardy Style Game

And I have simple directions for putting your reusable board together.

Truly nothing fancy, just a quick trip to the dollar store for 2 items if you don’t already have them on hand and less than 30 minutes to put it all together.

This method of creating a Jeopardy game makes it a great reusable activity that can be used for any topic.

You can create a fun and unique way to reinforce what you have learned.

Too, you can even recreate the game for each chapter of the book using your own questions, make it as large or as small a game as you need.

More The Swiss Family Robinson Activities

What is the Swiss Family Robinson About | Simple Jeopardy Style Game

Also, look at some of these books and resources.

8 Books & Resources for Learning About The Swiss Family Robinson

Add some of these books to your unit study of The Swiss Family Robinson and their adventures on a deserted island.

Next, look at some questions jeopardy style.

Jeopardy Questions

People

  1. This child was the youngest of the Robinson clan. Who is Franz?
  2. The girl who was discovered on the islands is named this.Who is Emily Montrose ?
  3. This couple revealed their engagement near the end of the book. Who are Jenny and Fritz?
  4. The last words the family heard from the crew before they hit the rocks. What is Abandon ship!
  5. These people decide to stay on the island with the family instead of returning with the ship. Who are Mr. Wolston and some of his family.

Animals

  1. The marine arthropod attacked Jack. What is a lobster?
  2. Name 3 different animals that the Robinsons brought to the island from the boat. What is cow, donkey, goats,sheep, ram, pig, or dogs?
  3. The two names of the dogs they rescued. Who are Turk and Juno?
  4. The method that the family used to trick the monkeys into helping. What is throwing rocks at them so they would throw coconuts in return.
  5. The type of animal the family attempted to train to help with hunting. What is a bald eagle?

About The Book/Author

  1. This author wrote the Swiss Family Robinson. Who is Johan David Wyss?
  2. The country that the author was born in. What is Switzerland?
  3. The year that Swiss Family was originally published. What is 1812?
  4. This person served as narrator of the book. Who is ‘father’?
  5. Besides author, Wyss held this position. What is a pastor?

Island Life Skills

  1. The objects that were used to build a raft to get off the boat to land? What are barrels and rope?
  2. This name is what the family dubbed their initial beach home. What is Tentholm?
  3. Oyster shells were used for this purpose. What is making spoons and bowls?
  4. The type of tree the family makes their tree home in. What is a Mangrove Fig Tree?
  5. The subject father used to figure out how to build their treehouse? What is geometry?

Hodge Podge Facts

  1. Fritz initially thought that the ostriches were this. What are men on horseback?
  2. The original destination of the shipwrecked boat. Where is Port Jackson, Australia?
  3. The reason the ship did not completely sink. What is because it was stuck between two rocks.
  4. The number of years the Robinsons were on the island before they were discovered. What is 10 years?
  5. The two sons that decided to leave the island. Who were Fritz and Franz?

Final Jeopardy

On the last visit to the ship father does this at the end. What is blowing it up with gunpowder?

What is the Swiss Family Robinson About | Simple Jeopardy Style Game

Or keep it simple with a free printable Word Search.

Simple Jeopardy Style Game

You will need:

  • Foam Board
  • 55  colored post-it notes
  • Sharpie marker
  • Letter stickers
  • List of questions
  • Buzzer (s) Optional but really fun and adds to the game, especially with multiple kids.
  • Notebook and pen to keep score.
What is the Swiss Family Robinson About | Simple Jeopardy Style Game

First, start by making a Jeopardy heading across the top of your board with letter stickers, print off the computer, or draw it on by hand.

What is the Swiss Family Robinson About | Simple Jeopardy Style Game

Next write your category headings on 5 sticky notes with a black marker.

  • Animals,
  • Island Life Skills,
  • People,
  • About The Author, and
  • Hodge Podge.
What is the Swiss Family Robinson About | Simple Jeopardy Style Game

Now, add 5 rows of posts beneath each heading and write your questions for each category down the row,

What is the Swiss Family Robinson About | Simple Jeopardy Style Game

You can write your questions down before placing them instead if you like. Write the answer (in the form of a question) on the back of it.

What is the Swiss Family Robinson About | Simple Jeopardy Style Game

Use the black marker and write 100,200, 300,400,500 on each set of colors.

What is the Swiss Family Robinson About | Simple Jeopardy Style Game

And then place them over top of the questions in descending order.

To play:

Just like the TV game, your child picks a category and amount.

Pull off the number layer and read the question.

Correct answers are awarded points, but they are deducted from the total for incorrect answers.

While the buzzers are not necessary, they are fun and make it feel more like a real game.

How to Make Adorable Swiss Family Robinson Book Characters Bookmarks

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

Let me show you how to make Swiss Family Robinson book characters bookmarks. Even if you don’t consider yourself an artist, these are easy. Also, you’ll love more ideas on my post Swiss Family Robinson Unit Study.

I am not by any means an artist, especially a portrait artist.

How to Make Adorable Swiss Family Robinson Book Characters Bookmarks

But I thought it would be easy enough to create fun bookmarks.

Draw simple clothing and add in identifiable items from the story.

This hands-on idea is a great way to express yourself a bit.

Imagine what the characters might have worn, or held in their hands, etc while you dive into a character study one each one.

Mother and Father are unnamed in the book but still make an impression on the readers for their strength, faith, and determination to make the best of their lot in life.

The boys each have their own strengths and weaknesses as they grow up on the island.

More The Swiss Family Robinson Activities

Next, look at some of these resources to go with the Swiss Family Robinson unit study and be sure to grab the book too.

8 Books & Resources for Learning About The Swiss Family Robinson

Add some of these books to your unit study of The Swiss Family Robinson and their adventures on a deserted island.

Moreover, look at some of these facts about the characters.

Swiss Family Robinson Book Characters

The characters in the book are unique and contribute to life on the island in their own way.

A character study on a favorite is a great activity while you are reading or after you have completed the book.

Father – Father is not only the head of the family but he is the narrator of the story and the one who leads the family to the safety of the island.

He is well read, kind, and pious, spending much time teaching the boys life lessons as well as botany, animal husbandry, and keeping them civilized even while living in the wilds of the island.

Mother- Mother provides a wealth of knowledge as well as encouragement, life lessons, nurturing, and a feminine touch to their island homes.

She is hardworking and has a vast education of typical feminine skills that are invaluable on the island like cooking, gardening, keeping house, and sewing.

Fritz-Fritz is the oldest son and his father’s right hand man from the very beginning, starting the story at .

How to Make Adorable Swiss Family Robinson Book Characters Bookmarks

About The Characters in Swiss Family Robinson Book

He matures throughout the 10 years on the island into a man the family is proud of years old. Fritz is the one who finds, rescues, and falls in love with Jenny, and ultimately decides to leave the families happy new home on “New Switzerland” to make a life with Jenny in England.

Ernest- Ernest is the second oldest at 12 and loves to read and learn.

He has a knowledge of plants and animals that serves the family well. He has a very scientific analytical mind and loves the island and its possibilities.

Jack- Jack, 10 years old at the start, is flighty and headstrong, not thinking before he runs into situations. 

But he is also the one who most enjoys the activities like fishing and hunting and contributes much to the family like when he came up with the harpoon for catching fish.

By the time the story ends Jack has grown up and matured into a fine young man.

Franz-Franz is the baby of the family and just 6 years old at the start of the story and spends his time playing, exploring, and helping mother with duties around the home.

He is happy, sweet, and even tempered.

By the story’s end Franz is a young man of 16 and decides to leave the island for England with the oldest brother.

How to Make Bookmarks

You can create one or all of the characters from the book to mark your spot as you read and learn about the family.

Supplies:

  • Cardstock
  • markers/colored pencils
  • Single hole punch
  • Paper slicer
  • Twine and yarn
How to Make Adorable Swiss Family Robinson Book Characters Bookmarks

First, cut your cardstock into 2’x6” strips, using a paper slicer is such an easy way to make multiple uniform cuts.

How to Make Adorable Swiss Family Robinson Book Characters Bookmarks

Use a single hole punch to make a hole in the center of one end about ¼” in from the edge.

Draw your character’s clothes lightly in pencil until you are satisfied with how they look.

How to Make Adorable Swiss Family Robinson Book Characters Bookmarks

Use markers, colored pencils, or even watercolors to color in your designs. Obviously the boys will be in pants and button down tops, you can add vests, rope belts, and suspenders to give a bit more detail. 

How to Make Adorable Swiss Family Robinson Book Characters Bookmarks

To make your characters more unique you can add small details like the lobster that Jack caught or a curling tail coming off of Fritz’s shoulder for Knips the monkey he adopted.

To make a tassel wrap the string or yarn around your 4 fingers 10 to 20 times and slip off carefully.

How to Make Adorable Swiss Family Robinson Book Characters Bookmarks

Knot another piece of string close to one end and cut the loops at the other end.

How to Make Adorable Swiss Family Robinson Book Characters Bookmarks

Loop a long piece of string through the hole at the top and pull the two ends through the loop and tighten.

How to Make Adorable Swiss Family Robinson Book Characters Bookmarks

Tie the piece looped through the bookmark through the looped ends of the tassel and knot several times.

For my mother I used a soft pink thread to make it a bit more feminine.

How to Make Adorable Swiss Family Robinson Book Characters Bookmarks

The Swiss Family Robinson Fun and Easy Movie Night Ideas

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

When you get to the end of The Swiss Family Robinson book itself, or to the end of the unit celebrate by having a movie night. Also, you’ll love more ideas on my post Swiss Family Robinson Unit Study.

You could even stay in your pajamas and spend the entire day immersing yourself in a themed sit-down meal, or just make up a tray of treats inspired by their adventures.

The Swiss Family Robinson Fun and Easy Movie Night Ideas

Watching the movie is a great way to help your children develop opinions to compare and contrast the book with the movie and their minds will be searching for discrepancies.

Besides, everybody will have a better opinion, movie, or book (spoiler alert- it’s always the book).

Not to mention it is a wonderful family bonding experience that everyone will remember for years to come.

More The Swiss Family Robinson Activities

The Swiss Family Robinson Fun and Easy Movie Night Ideas

The Robinsons were lucky to not only be able to salvage many food items from the ship but also to find an island that was rich with everything from coconuts to pistachios to fish and lobster.

They were able to plant seeds saved from the ship and make jerky when they built a smokehouse as well as eating plants and animals on the island.

You don’t have to work as hard, just a trip to the grocery store to create a really cool theme for an adventurous night that they will remember forever.

Next, look at these other resources to round out movie learning.

Resources for Learning About The Robinson Family Survived

Adding a book or resource to your movie night your kids will love experiencing first hand how the family survived and thrived.

8 Books & Resources for Learning About The Swiss Family Robinson

Add some of these books to your unit study of The Swiss Family Robinson and their adventures on a deserted island.

Movie Night Food Ideas

If you want to make it more than just a snack here are some tasty recipe ideas for drinks and heartier treats to make together to bring in a tropical island feel.

The Swiss Family Robinson Movie Snack Tray

You can cook an entire tropical island meal or set up a quick and easy snack tray and let everyone enjoy a mini buffet of themed tasty treats while they watch.

Here are some ideas for what you might include on your tray:

  • Pretzels firewood or tree limbs
  • Whoppers-Coconuts
  • Pineapple
  • Fish sticks
  • Blue punch-ocean water
  • Broccoli-treehouse
  • Pistachios
  • Bananas
  • Beef jerky
  • Goldfish

Grab a board or tray and some small dishes, you can find inexpensive disposable ones at Dollar Tree.

You can add a sheet or two of fun patterned paper to give it a more tropical look ( I found these at Hobby Lobby 4/$1).

The Swiss Family Robinson Fun and Easy Movie Night Ideas

Place your book and/or DVD case in the center to make the theme even more obvious.

The Swiss Family Robinson Fun and Easy Movie Night Ideas

Fill up each bowl with a fun snack item from above using items that they ate or fun foods that represent life on the island like broccoli for trees or banana slices.

Add a little greenery to your board to make it even more lush and tropical.

The Swiss Family Robinson Fun and Easy Movie Night Ideas

How to Make a Popsicle Stick Stem Dogsled | Balto Unit Study

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

We’re making a popsicle stick STEM dogsled as we enjoy a ride through the story of Balto. Also, look at my 4 Week Free Alaska Unit Study & Best Hands-on Ideas.

Even though Balto might make you think of simply a literature unit, you can still work in some amazing history, geography, math, language arts, and science.

You have a great choice of activities and resources below.

Also, I have a tutorial for you to build your own dog sled from popsicle sticks. 

How to Make a Popsicle Stick Stem Dogsled | Balto Unit Study

The STEM part of this study can be learned naturally.

For example, your child investigates different methods for creating a sled to make it aerodynamic.

In addition, he learns about friction as it glides or sticks on the path down the ramp, problem-solving, and encourages outside-of-the-box thinking.

Encourage everyone in the family to create a sled and then race.

Ask questions like what made your sleds go faster or slower? What would you change next time?

Facts About the Book Balto

First, if you are not already familiar with the story of Balto let me give you a quick rundown.

It is based on a true story set in Nome Alaska and centers around the dog Balto who is a purebred Siberian husky.

He leads a dog team on a life-saving mission for serum when there is an outbreak of diphtheria.

  • Balto was not the only dog responsible for saving the children of Nome, sled dogs took turns carrying the medicine from Nenena, Alaska to Nome. 
  • There is a statue of Balto that was placed in Central Park, and it remains there, still today.
  • The run by mushers and dogs for the diphtheria serum was also known as the Great Race of Mercy.
  • The trip from Nenena to Nome normally took 30 days for a sled dog team, this time it was done in a miraculous 6 days to deliver the medicine before it expired.
  • A sled dog team is typically made up of a musher and 4 to 6 dogs or a pair and 8 to 12 dogs. This relay included 20 mushers and around 100 to 150 dogs. 
How to Make a Popsicle Stick Stem Dogsled | Balto Unit Study

Next, if your kids love reading books about dogs and dogs stories, look at some of these fun reads.

I lean toward living books to bring unit studies to life.

9 Books and Resources for Kids Who Love Dogs and Sled Dogs

If your child loves books about dogs and sled dogs, grab some of these for a fun unit study.

Additionally, look at some of these unit study facts to go along the popsicle stick stem dogsled.

Balto Unit Study

Don’t just read the book, immerse yourselves in it with fun hands-on activities that cover a wide variety of subjects and ages so everyone in the family is included.

You can widen your unit a bit by incorporating the topics of winter, Alaska, snow, blizzards, and other themes that are prevalent throughout the story.

Math Unit Study Ideas for Balto

Science Unit Study Ideas for Balto

  • Learn about the different wildlife found in Alaska- Caribou, moose, polar bear, bald eagle, Orcas, and more for science.
  • Use a Siberian Husky Figure to reenact the story, use it in a diorama, or as part of a lovely winter sensory bin.
  • Your popsicle stick stem dogsled craft today is a great opportunity for hands-on science. This is a great time to let your child hypothesize and experiment, they will be naturally problem-solving, engineering, and thinking critically along the way.
  • Find out how Inuit of the Arctic: How Animals Survive Harsh Winters Fun Blubber Activity, goes along with this unit very well.

History/Geography Unit Study Ideas for Balto

  • Locate Nome, Alaska on a map or globe. Then locate the starting point in Nenena, Alaska, and track the path with your finger.
How to Make a Popsicle Stick Stem Dogsled | Balto Unit Study
  • Use this stencil of Alaska as a base to create a felt, salt dough, paper, or any other material map to learn the geography of this chilly state.

After finishing the book, watch the animated adaptation of Balto.

Language Arts Unit Study Ideas For Balto

For younger readers, Totally True Adventures, Balto and The Great Race is a wonderful retelling of the story.

  • Provide your child with writing prompts. Encourage them to write or type a paragraph or an entire story from the inspiration.  “As the snow started falling faster my dogsled team and I…” , “ If I could be anywhere during the winter time it would be….”. Or “ Let me tell you about the time I interviewed Balto.”
  • Flip through your copy of Balto ahead of time. Then write down words that your child might not know or might be a challenge for spelling. Use these throughout your study as spelling/vocabulary words.
  • This Snow & Ice Salt Writing Tray is great for prewriting letters. But it is also a really fun sensory activity. For older children they can practice sight words and spelling.

Crafts for Learning About Balto

If you are looking for more ideas like this Balto Unit Study you can work in more winter studies with the 8 Cool Winter Crafts for Middle School | Craft a Snowman Bead Necklace and a list of other great books that fit the theme to get them through winter.

How to Make a Popsicle Stick Stem Dogsled

I am giving you a general how-to make a popsicle stick stem dogsled.

But remember this is a stem project and you may want to try several ways and models to test which one goes faster, holds more weight, etc.

You will need:

  • Popsicle sticks
  • Sturdy scissors or straight edge blade
  • Cardboard
  • Glue gun/glue sticks
  • Paint-optional

If you enjoy doing projects with craft sticks you may want to invest in this tool.

It comes in really handy and makes cutting much easier, especially with angles like I did on the side braces of this.

How to Make a Popsicle Stick Stem Dogsled | Balto Unit Study

First, determine the length and width you would like to make your sled, use scissors or a razor knife to trim pieces for the bottom, side, and front.

First lay out all the pieces to get an idea of where everything goes.

How to Make a Popsicle Stick Stem Dogsled | Balto Unit Study

I used 4 sticks for the base and then secured them with a stick going across at each end, using hot glue.

Cut them slightly short on each side so you have room to attach runners, so it just needs to be the width of one craft stick on either side.

How to Make a Popsicle Stick Stem Dogsled | Balto Unit Study

Hot glue craft sticks that are full size or cut them down to either side of the base to create runners.

How to Make a Popsicle Stick Stem Dogsled | Balto Unit Study

Flip the sled over and begin construction of the front, to keep it light you will want to cut your sticks in half and again cut down a piece for support across the back.

How to Make a Popsicle Stick Stem Dogsled | Balto Unit Study

Glue on side rails and support at an angle to stabilize the whole thing, you can cut angles or leave the ends straight.

How to Make a Popsicle Stick Stem Dogsled | Balto Unit Study

Finally, you can leave your sled unfinished or paint it.

How to Make a Popsicle Stick Stem Dogsled | Balto Unit Study

Create a snowy ramp with a long strip of cardboard painted white.

How to Make a Popsicle Stick Stem Dogsled | Balto Unit Study

Prop it up at varying heights to test its speed.

How to Make a Popsicle Stick Stem Dogsled | Balto Unit Study

How to Make a Fun Mad Hatter Headband Craft in Literature

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

I have a fun mad hatter headband craft in literature. Also, you’ll love this post Hands-On Literature: Make Alice in Wonderland Easy Cupcakes.

Did you know that National Mad Hatter Day is November 6th?

It is the perfect excuse to try my craft in literature idea, a fun mad hatter headband.

How to Make a Fun Mad Hatter Headband Craft in Literature

I created this tutorial out of common craft objects that most of us would have around the house already to make it easy and inexpensive.

You will also find a collection of ideas on how to create a craft in literature for several popular books that we all know and love.

Alice in Wonderland Facts

  • The character of Alice was based on a real-life little girl named Alice Liddell who was the daughter of Carroll’s boss, Henry Liddell, the dean of Christ Church College at Oxford.
  • Lewis Carroll’s real name was Charles Lutwidge Dodgson
  • The book was originally titled Alice’s Adventures Under Ground on the handwritten manuscript. A few more possible titles were Alice’s Hour in Elf Land and Alice Among the Fairies.
  • The phrase “mad as a hatter” started being used because hat makers often got dementia from the mercury used in curing felt. However, Carroll popularized and licensed the phrase.
  • Lewis Carroll suffered from a rare neurological disorder that caused him to have strange hallucinations and affected the size of visual objects, making the objects seem bigger or smaller than they were. Which of course you will see featured throughout the book.

Of course, you want to make sure you have a copy of Lewis Carrol’s classic, Alice In Wonderland.

How to Make a Fun Mad Hatter Headband Craft in Literature

Next, look at these other literature crafts.

Ideas for Crafts in Literature

9 Crafts in Literature Ideas

Here are another 9 great ideas for craft in literature projects to go along with any of your units or just as a fun activity on its own.

Finally, how to make this mad hatter head band.

How to Make a Fun Mad Hatter Headband

Create your own mad hatter headband with things that are probably already in your craft supplies to wear to an afternoon tea party, co-op, book club, or just for fun.

You will need:

  • Black craft foam
  • Headband
  • Ribbon
  • Craft feathers
  • Pipe cleaner
  • Playing card
  • Hot glue gun/sticks
How to Make a Fun Mad Hatter Headband Craft in Literature

You could also add flowers or other little trinkets to make it your own.

First, use a circular object to trace a circle somewhere between 3 ½” -5” across.

How to Make a Fun Mad Hatter Headband Craft in Literature

Cut an 11”x 5” rectangle out of black foam.

How to Make a Fun Mad Hatter Headband

Roll the black rectangle so that one end is narrower than the other, the smaller end should fit on your circle with at least 1” all the way around.

How to Make a Fun Mad Hatter Headband Craft in Literature

Hot glue into place and cut off the ends so they are straight.

How to Make a Fun Mad Hatter Headband Craft in Literature

Wrap the rolled piece of craft foam in ribbon at the smaller end, and line up the seams with the ones on the craft foam, we are going to cover those up in a bit.

How to Make a Fun Mad Hatter Headband Craft in Literature

Trace the wide end on craft foam and cut out the circle to create the top of the hat.

Slip just inside the top of the hat and hot glue a little bit at a time all the way around.

How to Make a Fun Mad Hatter Headband Craft in Literature

Run a thick bead of hot glue around the smaller end with the ribbon and press it into place on the circle that will form the brim, hold it in place until the glue hardens.

How to Make a Fun Mad Hatter Headband Craft in Literature

Create a fun fanciful twist by wrapping a pipe cleaner around your finger.

How to Make a Fun Mad Hatter Headband Craft in Literature

Tuck the twist, and a little white piece of craft foam with 10/6 (the Mad Hatter’s hat size) inside the ribbon, place over the seam, and secure with hot glue.

How to Make a Fun Mad Hatter Headband Craft in Literature

Cut a Queen of Hearts card in half and slip into the ribbon, covering a little more of the seam.

Finish disguising the seam with colorful feathers glued into place over it.

How to Make a Fun Mad Hatter Headband Craft in Literature

Apply a thick puddle of hot glue to the center of the underside of the hat, and allow it to cool slightly, press the headband into glue and hold until dried.

How to Make a Fun Mad Hatter Headband Craft in Literature

Cut a small piece of foam and cover the hot glue puddle if you like.

How to Make a Fun Mad Hatter Headband Craft in Literature