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Category Archives: Unit Study
Valentine’s Day Resource List
Here’s a list of free cross-curriculum Valentine’s Day resources!
Language Arts:
Heart Bordered Notebooking Printables https://www.teacherfiles.com/resources_bp_holidays.htm
Writing Activities and Prompts https://writeshop.com/?s=valentine
Valentine’s Day Vocabulary List, Interactive Word Games, Printables https://myvocabulary.com/word-game-puzzles/valentine-s-day-vocabulary/
How to Say “I Love You” in 20 Languages https://reference.yourdictionary.com/reference/other-languages/how-to-say-i-love-you-in-many-languages.html
Valentine “Would You Rather” Questions https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Valentines-Day-Would-You-Rather-Questions-FREE-1104231
Social Studies
Valentine’s Day History (articles, video, photo gallery) https://www.history.com/topics/valentines-day/history-of-valentines-day-2
Valentine’s Day History, Legends, Traditions http://www.stvalentinesday.org/about-valentines-day.html
Cupid Mythology https://mythology.net/roman/roman-gods/cupid/
Valentine’s Day Traditions Around the World https://traveltriangle.com/blog/valentines-day-traditions-around-the-world/
Math and Science:
11 Valentine Math Lessons https://www.yummymath.com/2019/valentines-day-11-possibilities/
Human Heart Free Resource List https://homeschoolgiveaways.com/2016/02/learning-about-the-human-heart-with-free-printables-and-activities/
Valentine’s Day Chemistry – Cards, Chocolate, Flowers and more https://www.acs.org/content/acs/en/education/students/highschool/chemistryclubs/activities/valentines-activities.html
Electives:
Heart Origami and Craft Activities https://franw.com/2017/02/02/heart-activities/
Draw Animals Using Heart Shapes https://www.artistshelpingchildren.org/kidscraftsactivitiesblog/2010/01/drawing-and-making-cute-animals-out-of-hearts-for-valentines-day/
Bible Verses About “Love” https://dailyverses.net/love
Valentine’s Day Recipes for Kids to Make (not just sweets!) https://www.parenting.com/gallery/easy-valentines-day-recipes-kids?page=0
Romantic Classical Music Playlist
With love,
betty jo
American Flowers Week
These photos are showing a few of the flowers we have growing in our backyard. We’ll be looking at them closely as we venture on to our next summer school study.
American Flowers Week begins June 28th and that’s a wonderful time to begin a summer school study about flowers! Here’s a fantastic list of free cross curricular resources for learning about and with flowers!
“American Flowers Week is the advocacy, education and outreach campaign …” Find out more about the celebration and how to participate at their website! https://americanflowersweek.com/
Photo Gallery of arranged flowers from all 50 states
Free US map of official flowers and each state’s official flower coloring pages
Photo Gallery of Official State Flowers
Free Flower Anatomy Printables
Step by Step Flower Dissection Instructions
Gardening and Flowers Vocabulary List
Wild Flowers Identification Guide
Step by Step How to Draw Flowers
Read Flower Stories, a public domain book from 1903
Video Tips, How To’s, and Projects from Flower Experts
https://www.youtube.com/user/expertvillage/search?query=flowers
Video Math Lesson with Fibonacci Flowers
What flowers do you have growing in your yard to homeschool with?
betty jo
South Korea and the 2018 Winter Olympics
The 2018 Winter Olympic Games have begun! And, Winter Olympics based homeschooling has begun, too! The links below are the cross curricular free resources we’ll be using as we explore South Korea and the 2018 Winter Games.
Brief History, Geography, and Facts of South Korea https://www.ducksters.com/geography/country.php?country=Korea,%20South
https://kids.nationalgeographic.com/explore/countries/south-korea/#south-korea-market.jpg
Printable South Korea Maps – http://www.freeworldmaps.net/asia/southkorea/
Country Notebooking Printables – http://www.notebookingnook.com/freebie-country-study-notebooking-pages/
South Korea Video Tour – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xq5_J9nArE8
Learn Korean Phrases https://www.fluentu.com/blog/korean/korean-travel-phrases/
Korean Food and Recipes http://www.easykoreanfood.com/
Olympic Games Official Website – Sports, Athletes, Photos, News, Schedule, History, and More https://www.olympic.org/
Olympics Themed Math – https://www.yummymath.com/2018/winter-olympics-pyeongchang-february-9-25/
Bible Verse/Winter Olympic Coloring Pages – https://www.childrens-ministry-deals.com/collections/winter-olympics-sunday-school-childrens-church
Bible/Winter Olympic Discussion Questions https://whatsinthebible.com/the-sochi-winter-olympics-2014-five-questions-to-engage-your-kids/
2018 Educational Kit from the Olympic Museum –https://www.olympic.org/museum/visit/schools/teaching-resources/lesson-material/experiencing-discovering-the-og-special-pc2018#
Non- Commercial Use Free Clipart (enter “olympics” into the search bar) http://clipart-library.com/
Music of the Olympics https://learn.musicinourhomeschool.com/courses/15-minute-music-lessons/lectures/1074732#/questions/1
Olympic Themed Interactive Games http://www.primarygames.com/socstudies/olympics/olympics.htm
How to Draw Soohorang (the tiger mascot) video lesson https://www.artforkidshub.com/how-to-draw-soohorang-pyeongchang-winter-olympics-mascot/
Writing Prompts https://theeducatorsspinonit.com/2014/02/winter-olympic-writing-prompts-after.html
https://writingwithsharonwatson.com/olympic-fun/
Olympics Printable Worksheets – Wordsearch, Crossword, Anagrams, True/False Quizzes https://www.historyonthenet.com/worksheets/olympics-worksheets/
Science of the Winter Olympics Video Playlist https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLB6B38A6C0540EEB6
How It’s Made Videos : Skating Rinks
Gold (Au79), Silver (Ag47), and Bronze (Copper-Cu29) Information from this Interactive Element Chart http://humantouchofchemistry.com/pages/periodictable.html
Gold, Silver, Bronze Element Videos http://www.periodicvideos.com/
Winter Olympics Inspired Crafts, Games, and Activities https://tipjunkie.com/winter-olympic-activities-and-crafts-for-kids/
I hope we ‘Win the Gold’ with Winter Olympic learning!
betty jo
Relaxation VS Stress – Resource List
Understanding stress and how to relax are life lessons I want my boys to grasp. According to Special Days in August, the 15th is “Relaxation Day” and the perfect time for us to focus on this topic. I’ve gathered some resources for our homeschooling lessons and want to share them with you.
Free K-12 Teacher Guides – What stress is and how to manage it.
Top Relaxation Techniques for Children
Relaxation Music and Nature Sound Playlist
Articles with Audio for Students:
Five Steps for Fighting Stress
betty jo
The Great American Solar Eclipse
Monday, August 21 is the date of the Great American Solar Eclipse. However, there is much to learn and observe before the event! Below is the collection of online resources we’ll be using for eclipse lessons and to prepare for the viewing.
Everything You Need To Know About the Solar Eclipse – Explanations, Diagrams, DIY Safe Viewing Projects, and more!
Animated and Interactive Eclipse Maps – Find out when and where
Eclipse History – NASA’s collection of historical eclipses starting with about 5000 BC including Chinese, Babylonians, and Greeks to current times.
Ancient People and the Solar Eclipse – Video
Solar Eclipse Folklore, Myths, and Superstitions
A Day With Two Dawns – Free Eclipse Ebook and Resources from Apologia
Eclipse Kit – Resources and STEM activities from NASA
Lapbooking and Notebooking Printables
Eclipse Vocabulary List with Games and Puzzles
Free Eclipse Printables and Resources
Math Lesson – Geometry of a Solar Eclipse
Our town is one of the prime totality viewing spots. We’ve decided to avoid the crowds that are expected at the various events and have our own back yard party.
For the party!
Sun, Moon, and Stars Coloring Sheets (most of these are suitable for teens and adults)
betty jo
History, Fireworks, Food, and Family Fun – A 4th of July Unit Study and Resource List
The 4th of July, America’s birthday, is a fantastic opportunity for family fun, fireworks, food, and summer school learning! I’ve found some great cross curricular and multi level resources to share as we celebrate, explore, create, learn, review, and play through a unit study.
American Revolution Timeline starting with The Stamp Act (1765) and ending with The Treaty of Paris (1783) http://www.ducksters.com/history/revolutionarywartimeline.php
Early America Resources – Documents, Photos, Biographies, and Videos https://www.varsitytutors.com/earlyamerica
Tour Revolutionary War Battlefields http://johnsmilitaryhistory.com/revvirtual.html
‘Revolutionary War’ Famous Paintings http://www.reenactmag.com/7-paintings-define-revolutionary-war/
Museum of the American Revolution – Impressive collection of objects, works of art, manuscripts, and printed works! http://www.amrevmuseum.org/collection
Interactive version of John Trumbull’s famous painting “The Declaration of Independence” http://www.quiz-tree.com/Declaration-of-Independence-Trumbull.html
Guns of the Revolutionary War http://www.reenactmag.com/important-guns-revolutionary-war/
History/Geography/Math Game Printable – “Find the Lost Redcoat” https://www.education.com/activity/article/The_lost_redcoat/
Liberty’s Kids is an entertaining and a favorite video resource for homeschooling families to introduce the events and people of the American Revolution. Here’s the link to the viewers guide for all 40 episodes. http://www.tv.com/shows/libertys-kids/episodes/
And, the link to the Liberty’s Kids Youtube channel and playlist. All the episodes are available to view. https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC5pJi9mLIy38m2e_u3sboKQ
Schoolhouse Rock 4th of July Cartoon https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zmSVnP-oDRs
4th of July Vocabulary List and Word Puzzles https://myvocabulary.com/word-game-puzzles/july-4th-vocabulary/
July 4th Writing Prompts https://writeshop.com/july-4th-writing-activities/
Patriotic Writing Paper Printables http://www.busybeekidsprintables.com/Patriotic-Stationery.html
Calligraphy Resources https://www.franw.com/2015/08/calligraphy-resources.html
Patriotic Quotes https://www.countryliving.com/life/g1841/patriotic-quotes/
How to Speak Like a Colonist http://mrscagle.weebly.com/uploads/2/1/0/6/21062918/talk_like_a_colonist.pdf
Devotions, Quotes, Prayers, and Bible verses for Independence Day http://www.graspinggod.com/4th-of-july.html
Learn about manufacturing the American Flag history and videos https://annin.com/
“Why do we celebrate the 4th of July with fireworks?” According to Slate, that answer is , “Because John Adams wanted us to.” Link here for the full article. http://www.slate.com/articles/life/explainer/2012/07/history_of_fireworks_in_america_why_do_we_celebrate_fourth_of_july_with_fireworks_.html
“Boom Pow Whizz” is an awesome article explaining the history of fireworks with a couple of suggested art and language arts activities. https://antiquitynow.org/2013/07/03/boom-pow-whizzz-the-history-of-fireworks/
Fireworks and Flags Math Activities http://www.yummymath.com/2016/4th-of-july/
Learn about the chemistry of fireworks and use the handy chart of to identify what chemical compounds are used to produce different colors http://www.scifun.org/CHEMWEEK/fireworks/Fireworks2017.htm
And here’s more firework chemistry including a highlighted periodic table http://sciencenotes.org/firework-colors-chemistry/
And to find out more about the elements that make the firework colors http://www.rsc.org/periodic-table
What’s inside a firework and step by step explanation of what happens when lit http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/fireworks/anat_nf.html
How It’s Made – Fireworks https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hatDxw8-GRM
How It’s Made – Sparklers https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8LJ-lAANCw8
Steve Spangler’s – 4th of July Science https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lZp7VTYJvQw
Homemade Fireworks Instructions (advanced and probably dangerous!) https://www.thoughtco.com/homemade-fireworks-projects-607331
BBQ and Grilling Safety Guide with kids https://www.ultramodern.com/how-to-grill-with-kids/
Kids Grilling Recipes and Tips http://www.kids-cooking-activities.com/easy-grilling-recipes.html
How Charcoal is Made Video https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6pFLbB00ZJo
My family’s favorite 4th of July treat is this yummy and easy layered dessert using store bought angel food cake – cut into cubes, blueberries, sliced strawberries, and whipped cream.
Fun Learning Activities http://www.franw.com/2013/06/4th-of-july-americas-independence-day.html
4th of July themed Bible games and activities http://www.christianitycove.com/?s=4th+of+july
4th of July Party Games http://www.rd.com/advice/parenting/4th-of-july-10-fun-party-games/
4th of July themed Interactive Games http://www.primarygames.com/holidays/july4/games.htm
Patriotic Music for Kids http://www.rhapsody.com/artist/various-artists/album/americas-favorite-patriotic-songs-for-kids
And don’t forget to check with your local library! We found these …
And we don’t have to stop this study here! “The Pennsylvania State House bell was rung to summon the people of Philadelphia to gather for the first public reading of the Declaration of Independence on July 8, 1776. Though the bell wouldn’t be called the Liberty Bell until years later, the bell’s message of liberty certainly rang that day.”
The Liberty Bell – Learning Resource List https://stilllearningsomethingnew.com/2013/07/08/the-liberty-bell/
betty jo
The Super Bowl
With a husband and four boys, one would think we’d have a football fan or two around the house. That’s not exactly the case, though. Most of the football season is ignored, however the Super Bowl does spark some interest. And, where there is a spark of interest, there’s learning!
Here’s some resource links for Super Bowl related lessons:
Player profiles, Super Bowl history and more from the Super Bowl Website – https://www.nfl.com/super-bowl
Biblical Truths from Football – http://kidsintheword.net/5-biblical-truths-you-can-teach-your-kids-from-football/
Football Music – lesson plans and songs http://artsedge.kennedy-center.org/multimedia/series/AudioStories/touchdown-songs.aspx
Football Science Video Collection – http://www.nsf.gov/news/special_reports/football/index.jsp
Football Rules – http://www.nfl.com/rulebook/beginnersguidetofootball
Football Vocabulary Word List – https://myvocabulary.com/index.php?dir=theme&file=theme_list&theme_id=51
Football Themed Writing Paper – https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Football-Writing-Paper-370666
Superbowl Related Math Activities for older students or for family math http://www.yummymath.com/?s=super+bowl
Super Bowl Printables, Crafts, and Activities – http://www.dltk-kids.com/searchresults.html?q=superbowl
Super Bowl Word Puzzles and Games – http://www.apples4theteacher.com/holidays/super-bowl-sunday/
Kid Friendly Super Bowl Recipies – http://chefmom.sheknows.com/articles/822383/kid-friendly-super-bowl-foods
Super Bowl Security – https://www.govexec.com/management/2021/02/homeland-security-department-prepares-super-bowl-amid-pandemic/171831/
Super Bowl and Human Trafficking Concerns – https://www.news4jax.com/news/2021/02/04/florida-attorney-general-warns-of-human-trafficking-ahead-of-tampa-super-bowl/
Commercials are a favorite part of the Super Bowl for many viewers. Youtube has several collections of them. I’m not including a direct link to any of them because some of them are not children or family friendly, even though my search term was “super bowl commercials kids and pets”. https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=super+bowl+commercials+kids+and+pets
Write your own commercials with this Persuasive Writing Guide with Printables! https://go.sadlier.com/school/teaching-persuasive-writing-advertising-super-bowl-lesson?utm_campaign=08Q_18_SP_NAT_FB_GfW_Child&utm_source=facebook&utm_medium=paidsocial
Wishing you Super Learning!
betty jo
Penguins
I was going over the Special Days in January list with my boys and J got excited when he saw that “Penguin Awareness Day” was coming up Jan. 20. J is my kid who hardly ever gets excited about anything “school”. I wasn’t planning for a science/research study this week, but his excitement over penguins inspired me to plan a penguin study anyway. Below are the resources we found to incorporate the topic of penguins over several subjects and for all of our learning levels. I apologize for the few links that didn’t highlight in blue. I’m not sure what my technical difficulty is about, but I’m working on getting those fixed. Until then, you will need to copy and paste those links into your browser search bar.
Penguin Vocabulary Glossary – http://www.penguinscience.com/education/glossary.php
Penguin Information, Facts, Conservation, Photos – http://www.penguins-world.com/
Wonderful Mr. Rogers Neighborhood episode where he visits with penguins – http://pbskids.org/rogers/video_penguins.html
Video Footage taken from cameras strapped to the backs of Adélie penguins in waters off the coast of Antarctica – http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-2266392/The-astonishing-penguin-cam-video-reveals-ruthless-hunting-penguins-are.html
Kid friendly list and links to penguins featured in news articles – http://www.sciencebuddies.org/science-fair-projects/search.shtml?v=&s=penguins
Cute Robotic Rovers Disguised as Penguin Chicks – article and video – http://www.livescience.com/48613-cute-robots-spy-on-penguins.html
See What a Penguin Looks Like Inside – skeletal, respiratory, digestive, and circulatory systems – http://www.pinguins.info/Engels/Anatomiemap_eng.html (This is one of the links that didn’t highlight. It’s a great resource and worth the time to copy and paste the link.)
These are our library finds!
Mr. Popper’s Penguins resources – http://www.homeschoolshare.com/poppers_penguins.php
Penguin resources in the Polar Animal Unit Study – http://www.homeschoolshare.com/polar_animals_lapbook.php
More Penguin Resources and Videos – http://www.franw.com/2015/01/penguin-resources.html
Complete Penguin Teacher Guide in PDF – http://www.neaq.org/education_and_activities/teacher_resources/classroom_resources/teacher_guides/penguin_teacher_guide/index.php
Penguin Themed Math Lessons – http://www.mathwire.com/themes/themepen.html
Penguin Activities, Coloring Sheets and Word Puzzle Printables – http://www.kidzone.ws/animals/penguins/activities.htm
Penguin Themed Writing Paper Printables – http://www.teacherfiles.com/resources_bp_animals.htm
http://www.activityvillage.co.uk/penguins-writing-paper
Penguins – Designed by God – article – https://answersingenesis.org/birds/penguins/
Bible wisdom demonstrated by penguins! Ecclesiastes 4:9-10
“9 Two are better than one,
because they have a good return for their labor:
10 If either of them falls down,
one can help the other up.
But pity anyone who falls
and has no one to help them up.”
Doesn’t this passage make you think of Antarctica?
Psalm 147:16-17
“16 He spreads the snow like wool
and scatters the frost like ashes.
17 He hurls down his hail like pebbles.
Who can withstand his icy blast?”
Interactive Penguin Games – http://penguingamesonline.com/
Penguin Jokes and Riddles – http://www.enchantedlearning.com/jokes/animals/penguin.shtml
Step-By-Step How to Draw a Penguin Instructions – http://www.howtodrawanimals.net/how-to-draw-a-penguin
Egg Carton Penguin Craft – http://patchworkparent.blogspot.fr/2013/07/penguins-join-party_8.html
Penguin Cupcakes – http://foodnfemininity.blogspot.com/2011/11/penguin-cupcakes.html
Frozen Banana Penguins – http://spaceshipsandlaserbeams.com/blog/2014/06/party-food/kids-party-food-frozen-banana-penguins
Even though we are just beginning our penguin study , I can tell by the resources and our enthusiasm that it’s going to be great!
betty jo
Resources For Learning About Skyscrapers
“SKYSCRAPERS” is one of the themes for the month of June and September 3 is “SKYSCRAPER DAY”! Below are the links we’ll be following as we learn about skyscrapers. This study will cover the subjects of science, math, language arts, history, geography, literature, and art. Most of the resources will apply to all ages.
Skyscraper Day Information http://www.holidayinsights.com/moreholidays/September/skyscraperday.htm
Fun Facts About Skyscrapers http://www.factmonster.com/spot/skyscraperfacts.html (there’s related links on the right side of the article)
How Skyscrapers Work Articles with Diagrams http://science.howstuffworks.com/engineering/structural/skyscraper2.htm
Time-lapse Construction Video http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hdpf-MQM9vY
Virtual Field Trip – 360 degree Panoramic View from the Empire State Building http://www.nylocations.com/360-panorama/empire-state-building/
Skyscraper Emergency Engineering Lab Interactives http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/buildingbig/skyscraper/challenge/index.html
Videos, Lesson Plans and Printable Resources, and More http://skyscraper.org/home_flash.htm
Video Algebra Lesson http://threeacts.mrmeyer.com/dominoskyscraper/
Window Cleaning Skyscraper Math (multiplication) Interactive Game http://www.multiplication.com/games/play/math-wash
Another math lessons will be skyscraper word problems game. I’ll make up and write some math problems on cards. The kids will be making some too. For example, “If the elevator travels 30 seconds between each floor and does not stop until it reaches the 37th floor. How many minutes will it take to reach the 37th floor from the ground floor?” We’ll each be able to come up with construction time and cost problems too. Once there’s a stack of question cards, we’ll take turns drawing and answering. With each correct answer, the player gets a Lego block. The player with the highest Lego Tower will be the winner.
Skyscraper Building Activity Challenge http://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Skyscraper-Challenge-A-Team-Building-Activity-279407
To add a Bible study to our lessons, I entered “skyscrapers” into the search feature at Bible.org. I was pleasantly surprised to see more than the Tower of Babel to choose from! https://bible.org/gsearch?search=skyscrapers
The Runaway Skyscraper , written by Murray Leinster, is a science fiction novelette , originally published in Argosy magazine (a general-interest fiction magazine) in 1919, now it’s a free read from Project Gutenberg http://www.gutenberg.org/files/17355/17355-h/17355-h.htm
The Two Skyscrapers Who Decided to Have a Child is one of the short stories of the Rootabaga Stories written in 1922 by Carl Sandburg and is a free read here http://www.pbs.org/wnet/americanmasters/episodes/carl-sandburg/rootabaga-stories-the-two-skyscrapers-who-decided-to-have-a-child/2206/
Skyscrapers are tall. “Tall” isn’t a greatest choice of adjectives for describing a skyscraper. Here’s the link to synonyms and words related to “tall” for a grammar, writing, and vocabulary lesson. http://www.thesaurus.com/browse/tall
A Word Mining Game will be another language arts connection. After we have as many words made as possible from the letters in “SKYSCRAPER”, we’ll categorize them into the relative parts of speech they belong to, noun, verb, adjective, etc. Then we’ll try to put those words together for silly sentences.
How to Draw a Cityscape http://www.dragoart.com/tuts/link/4534/1/1/how-to-draw-a-city.htm
Print, Cut, and Fold Skyscraper Models –
- Chrysler Building http://www.papertoys.com/chrysler-building.htm
- Empire State Building http://www.papertoys.com/empire-building.htm
- World Trade Center http://www.papertoys.com/world-trade-center.htm
I’ve been on my local library’s web site and reserved a few skyscraper books to pick up this week and while we’re out, we’ll take a close look at our city’s 2 tallest buildings – 19 stories and 10 stories.
betty jo
Still Learning Something New 
