If you're looking for Pioneer Day Activities, then look no more! Mariah has created a roundup of things to do, including crafts and snacks.
Tons of fun & simple pioneer activities for Pioneer Day including pioneer games, food ideas, books and movies to celebrate Pioneers.
Tons of fun & simple pioneer activities for Pioneer Day including pioneer games, food ideas, books and movies to celebrate Pioneers.
"These are the perfect beginner sewing project for Brownie troops or for young 4-H'ers." In the mid-1980's, when I was a young adul...
Learning activities and free printables for kids based on the first book in The Little House on the Prairie Series. Activities can also be used to celebrate Pioneer Day.
10 Westward Expansion Hands-on Homeschool History Activities
Integrating art and content in the ELA classroom. Tips and resources.
Last week Kenny, Olivia and I completed our last anatomy and physiology lessons on the cardiovascular system.
These pioneer hands-on activities will give teens a sense of life for the American Pioneers. Fun crafts and projects for homeschool history.
It's Pioneer Day again this weekend! For Activity Days tomorrow (I don't know if I've mentioned that's my church calling... again) we're going to be putting together Family Home Evening packets so the girls can present a pioneer themed FHE Monday night. I thought I'd share the simple lesson plan I came up with. My favorite part is the pioneer treasure hunt. I've seen a couple online, but I wanted to do one that was easier and use coloring pictures so the girls can color the pictures on the clues tomorrow at our activity so I whipped one up! Pioneer Family Home Evening Song- Pioneer Children: Children’s songbook p. 214 Click to enlarge, then right click to save and print. Thought- “A dictionary defines a pioneer as ‘one who goes before, showing others the way to follow.’ Oh, how the world needs pioneers today!” ~President Thomas S. Monson Lesson- In February 1846, the pioneers were forced to leave their homes in Nauvoo. The weather was so cold that the huge Mississippi River was frozen solid. The early church members walked on foot and drove their covered wagons across the slippery ice away from their beautiful homes in Illinois. It was not easy to travel this time of year, especially with young children and in the bitter cold. The Saints stopped at many places along the way, including Sugar Creek, Garden Grove, and Winter Quarters where many people became sick and died. These first pioneers traveled over 1,000 miles across the plains, following their leader, Brigham Young, to their new home in the Rocky Mountains. The first group of Mormon pioneers arrived in the Salt Lake Valley on July 24, 1847. We celebrate Pioneer Day every year in July to remember the pioneers who made their way across the plains to their new home in Utah. Activity- Pioneer Treasure Hunt: Make pioneer cookies ahead of time for the treasure... or use another pioneer treat such as root beer barrels or taffy. Click to enlarge, then right click to save or print. Keep clue #1 to start. Hide #2 under your dinner table. Hide #3 in your kitchen sink or somewhere you drink from. Hide #4 under or in a bed. Hide #5 in a clothes closet or dresser. Hide #6 in your bathtub. Hide the treasure in your fridge or food pantry. Refreshments- Pioneer Washboard Cookies 1 cup brown sugar 1 cup white sugar 1 cup shortening 2 eggs 1 teaspoon baking soda 1/4 cup boiling water 1 teaspoon vanilla 4 1/2 cups flour 1/4 teaspoon salt 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder Cream together sugars and shortening and beat in eggs. Dissolve soda in boiling water and add to above mixture. Blend in vanilla. Sift together flour, salt, baking powder, and blend into mixture. Roll dough into balls by hand and place onto greased cookie sheet; flatten with a fork. Bake at 375° for 10-15 minutes. Pull out of the oven when they're barely turning golden. These are easy to overcook. Happy Pioneer Day!
This Rainbow In A Jar Science Experiment is a fun spring science experiment to show density. Perfect to use as a science fair project too!
When it comes to history with kids, it can get pretty dry. Use these hands-on activities for studying the 1800s to spruce up your history lesson plans.
Growing up I loved the Little House books! You know, Laura and Mary, Pa and Ma, Jack and …Pa’s fiddle. My son loved them too (yes boys can enjoy Little House books too). He used to listen to the audio versions at bedtime. Once he got stuck listening to the chapter on losing Jack when they crossed the river. He listened to it night after night and I wanted to tell him that everything would be okay if he’d just move on to the next chapter. But this isn’t a post about those books, even though I’ve rescued copies of every title. This is about two books that can enhance your understanding about Laura’s life and all the Little Houses. The World of Little House Collins, Carolyn Strom. New York: Scholastic, 1996. Laura does a good job describing the homes she has lived in, and yet there’s nothing like being able to see the layout for yourself. This book provides overhead views of all the Little Houses, including the dugout home on Plum Creek and Laura’s Rocky Ridge home (she never wrote about it, but it is where she wrote all the books). The introductory chapter about Laura includes the rare photographs of Ma and Pa and other family members, a map showing all the locations Laura lived (one is in Florida!) and family trees for the Ingalls, Wilders and Quiners (Ma’s family). The next chapters each focus on a specific book and give the floor plan of the Little House, a synopsis of the book, a glimpse at life at that time/location, a Make It Yourself project and a Cook It Yourself recipe. If you were making a unit study of the Little House books, this would be a great source for projects. You can make Almanzo’s favorite Fried Apples ‘n Onions, sew nine-patch quilt squares, or decorate clove apples (Ma’s Christmas gift from her sister). The book ends with a timeline of events from the Ingalls’ and Wilder’s lives as well as important events in history (For example Rose Wilder was born the same year the Statue of Liberty was unveiled in New York harbor) and the addresses to visit all the Little Houses today. Of course, you may not be able to take a whirlwind tour across the Midwest right now—which leads me to the second book of the week.. Laura Ingalls Wilder Country Anderson, William and Leslie A. Kelly. Mexico: Harper Perennial, 1990. Photographer Leslie Kelly has taken all the pictures you need to feel like you’ve visited each Little House—exteriors, furniture, landscapes, etc. Some locations never made it into a book, like the Master's Hotel in Burr Oak, Iowa that the Ingalls managed for a year. In the book you can also find photographs of Ma’s china shepherdess, the china jewel box that Laura got for Christmas at Plum Creek and of course Pa’s fiddle. Mixed in with the modern day color photos are black & white historical pictures and some of the illustrations from the books over the years. This book is mostly pictures with captions –and be sure to read them because they’re fascinating. For example, under a painting done by Laura it explains that her younger sister Grace asked Ma “What is a tree?” She was living in the treeless plains of Dakota and had never seen one. Laura painted trees and waterfalls to show her sister the answer to the question. Among the family portraits, I found Eliza Jane to be quite lovely, not the spinster she was portrayed to be in the TV series. The book ends with a much briefer timeline focusing on the Ingalls family. My son loved studying the floor plans and the timelines while I read. When our co-op read through the Little House series, I took these books in for the discussion days. You can find a list of all my Rescued Books here
Introducing our Animals in Space Fact File and Informational Text Reading Comprehension Activity - an essential toolkit designed to ignite curiosity and enhance reading comprehension skills. Embark on an exciting journey to learn about the remarkable animal pioneers who contributed to humanity's spa...
Family History Ideas for Children and Teens A collection of over 270 articles and blog posts with ideas for teaching, doing, and sharing family history with children and teens. To contribute more i…
Of all the read-alouds I’ve shared with my children, the Little House series, by Laura Ingalls Wilder, has, by far, been our very favorite. Reading it with my children has inspired us to try …
Thaumatropes are a simple craft that kids will enjoy making - and they will be amazed at the visual effects when the spinning pictures merge! The following post contains affiliate links, which means that at no extra cost to you I can make a tiny bit of money to help support this blog. Thank you! Have you ever heard of a Thaumatrope? Here's what Wiki has to say: A thaumatrope is an optical toy that was popular in the 19th century. A disk with a picture on each side is attached to two pieces of string. When the strings are twirled
Using Frayer Models in Interactive Notebooks can provide students with concrete understanding of new words as building a reference for the future.
1-2-3 Come Make a Social Contract & Some Classroom Rules With Me A classroom social contract is quick, easy and fun for your kiddos. By having a say in making up the rules, (even though they will turn out to be the same as a teacher would think of) makes things seem more “fair” and students more accountable. I love social contracts. I made one up each year no matter what grade I taught. I simply listed my rules on a poster. We discussed why they were important. Then I had everyone raise their right hand and say “I promise to obey our rules.” Older students can simply sign another sheet of paper, to be hung up under the poster, but for younger elementary, I liked to have them trace & cut out their hand print, then write their name on top. Promising, and then signing their name, makes students feel important. It also makes them accountable and more responsible for their actions. Promises are big deals to children, so a social contract gives you a lot of behavior modification leverage. All you have to do when a child gets off track and is breaking the class’s terms of agreement, is to ask, “Did you promise not to do that? Did you sign our contract? How should you act? What should you do?" Sometimes I didn’t even say anything. As a gentle reminder, I’d give the “rule breaker” the proverbial “teachers stare”. Once I made eye contact, I’d point to the contract. They’d follow my glance to the poster and I’d simply pat their name. This gentle reminder, worked wonders. I didn’t call attention to negative behavior, the child wasn’t embarrassed, and the gentle reminder got them back on track. Periodically I’d review our contract, especially after long weekends, and vacations. You can have a whole-group discussion, and ask children to reflect on how they think they’ve done, and ask if you should make additions or changes. Because my social contract has been so successful in my classroom, I decided to share it in my latest creation for TpT. The contract snowballed into a 65-page "School Rules Classroom Management" packet. I think you'll find very useful, as it's "kid-tested & teacher approved" so these positive behavior modification techniques really work, plus they're quick, easy & fun for your kiddos. I've included 4 social contract poster options. Choose one & mount the poster on construction paper, glue it to the center of a piece of tag board. Make a frame of student hand prints either with paint, or by tracing & cutting them out., Because accountability is so important, have children write their name over their print. Besides the social contract posters, the packet is chock full of a variety of ideas & activities for your classroom rules, ensuring a safe, warm, and respectful environment, and includes the following: 2, emergent-reader rule booklets (For more personal accountability there's one with girl graphics as well as one for boys, which students enjoy coloring.) A matching social contract mini poster, and personal “I promise” bookmark. 51 pocket chart promise cards, giving you a broad selection of rule cards to choose from. 15 (rule-oriented motivational) posters 3 options for “Ready-Set-Write the Rules” to help reinforce what you’ve just shared. Several notes home from the children. “I promised!” slap bracelets. My kiddos LOVE them! Using a square of Scotch tape, I fasten them on at the end of our day. This is a quick, easy and super-fun way to reinforce the rules, as parents will be prompted to ask: "What did you promise?" “Actions have consequences” bookmarkMindful of our “P’s & Q” poster & writing prompt My personal favorite: "I have rights; I have responsibilities” posters, plus“We’ve got SWAG” posters, along with matching "I've got SWAG" mini ones. Both are suitable for older students. I hope you find this social contract idea and the rule packet as helpful and successful for your class, as it was for mine. In celebration for getting ready to go back to school, the packet is currently on sale in my TpT shop for just $4.95. Click on the link to pop on over. As always, I have not one, but several FREEBIES for you today! I pulled 10 posters from the packet and rolled them into a Back To School Poster Packet for you. Click on the link to grab these fun FREEBIES today. Well that's it for now. Thanks for stopping by. I'll be watching 2 of my grandchildren today (Kaiden 2 & Kaitlyn 8 months) which is such a joy. There's nothing like the awesome enthusiasm of a child and seeing the world through their adventurous and delighted eyes. Wishing you a love-filled day filled with precious moments. "There are not Seven Wonders of the World in the eyes of a child; there are seven million." -Unknown
10 Creative ways to embed social studies into your literacy block. Find fun westward expansion activities that address literacy standards with center ideas.
Constructivism provides students with rich experiences and encourages them to reach their own conclusions.
Pioneer Living and Cloth Dyeing (Hands-on History)
General Conference is only a month a way! How can that be?!? We are still working our way using as many talks as we can for Family Night. It has been such a wonderful experience. I have gained so much rereading and studying these talks from conference. I hope my family has too. Last week we focused on Elder Renlunds' talk Family History and Temple Work: Sealing and Healing. You can find all of the free printables in the download at the end of this post. Here's my outline (these are quotes from the talk) Temple blessing activity. Print and cut apart the list of blessings. Put them in a jar or print and put together this cute temple box found here. I copied and pasted in a word document and sized it to fill the page. Put the slips of paper inside and take turns drawing and reading the blessings. Ask the following question and write in the answers on the page. We keep ours displayed on the fridge. We have younger kids and were still able to come up with a pretty good sized list. Our final activity was was a temple match game. Print both pages on cardstock and have fun. Download your FHE pack here You can find our other General Conference Family Home Evening here. Adorable graphics from Melonheadz, LDS.org, & Mather's Music . Fonts by Hello Literacy
In this hands-on project inspired by Marie Curie's work, kids can explore the principles of X-rays using simple materials.
'Each individual is a species unto him/herself.' ~ Rudolf Steiner From Theosophy: An Introduction to the Spiritual Processes in Human Life and in the Cosmos (1904) Rudolf Steiner was a pioneer in alternative education. He created a movement that saw individuals as spiritual beings rather than economic fodder or shapes for society to mold. According
Whittling is fun. I introduced my little boy to whittling this weekend. He loved it, and compared it to peeling vegetables with a vegetabl...
By Kristen Chase.
Power a digital clock by making a battery out of lemons.
I made this printable word puzzle to be used for the Blue & Gold Banquet. Notice the links below to print out a clear PDF copy. Notice that their is a Red E in puzzle number 7. You will need to print this in color, or use a red marker to fix all of those so it makes it easier for people to get the answer. Answer to #1 - History repeating itself; Answer to #29 - Big Bird. Hope you enjoy this! You can print the: Puzzle by clicking here Blank answer sheet (for everyone to fill out) by clicking here Answer sheet (for you) by clicking here We have more word puzzles, and other kinds of printable puzzles on our blog. CLICK HERE to see this post for a different Rebus Word Puzzle. We have more word puzzles, and other kinds of printable puzzles on our blog. CLICK HERE to see this post for Christmas Songs & Carols. We have more word puzzles, and other kinds of printable puzzles on our blog. CLICK HERE to see all the different posts that have puzzles. I incorporated the puzzle from the top of the page into a placemat shown on the left. For more info, click here To print the new placemat shown below for 2014 with a completely new rebus puzzle, CLICK HERE. Here is the Blank answer sheet for everyone to fill out. At the top of the page is the link for the answer sheet you can print for yourself.
What would I take with me ... if I were going to the Bahamas on holiday, or trekking in the jungle, or travelling to the moon (and back)! You can use this lovely printable frame in so many ways. Younger children can draw or cut and stick, older children can write.
Kids learn how to make a paper airplane and then use that plane to challenge their STEM knowledge by adding weight and flying the paper airplane...
