History is my passion; I love history! And yet, I really don't like textbooks. Here are 30+ ways to teach history without a textbook, from books to cooking, and more!
The Thrasher magazine is sometimes referred to as skate culture Bible. Today, if you wear items with the Thrasher logo, it doesn’t necessarily show you’re a skater, but at least that you appreciat...
When I visited Europe as a child, I remember being struck by the Gothic stained glass windows, and particularly the rose windows found in so many cathedrals- for their symmetry and massive scale. So this year as we've been homeschooling through the Middle Ages, I found myself wanting to help my children interact a little with the beauty of Gothic stained glass somehow. I liked the way this project allowed my children to do their own work but create pieces that were unique and presentable. I had envisioned helping them a great deal, but found that the the art mediums at both stages of the project were very forgiving. My six-year-old and four-year-old made their windows almost entirely on their own. I think an older child could include finer detail and could maybe be more creative with the project. Materials: Glass rectangle from a small picture frame Black fabric puffy paint with a fine tip Acrylic paints Clear liquid glue Procedure: 1. Find a simple outline of a rose window online (a google image search produces lots of options), resize it to fit your glass rectangle, and print onto paper. 2. Place the paper with the outline underneath the glass rectangle. Trace the outline of the rose window onto the glass using the black puffy paint. There will probably be more detail on the outline than is possible to include in the tracing. I let my six year old decide which lines to trace and which to ignore. If you do a little research you can easily find the technical terms to describe the different kinds of shapes in your particular rose window. For example, my six year old's window included a central roundel, and trefoils around the outside of the wheel. It's ok if your child doesn't have a perfectly steady hand with the tracing or if the lines run together at some places. The black puffy paint looks like lead between the panes of glass, and wobbly-ness is actually a pleasing effect here. Also, you can touch up major mistakes with a paper towel. 3. Allow the puffy paint outline to dry. (At least three hours). Mix acrylic paints with clear gel glue on a palette. There is no exact ratio to follow. The finished color on the glass will be more or less opaque depending on the amount of glue. Different amounts of transparency in the same window can be pleasing. Just make sure the glue is thoroughly mixed with the glue before painting with it. If you paint with a little bit of paint that has no glue mixed in, the finished product will have brush marks instead of the smooth look of stained glass. Make sure all the panes in the window are thoroughly filled with paint for best results. Allow to dry overnight. I love these! They cheer me in my kitchen as the light shines through them on the window sill there. The fact that stained glass is beautiful only when light shines through it reminds me of this fact: "God is light; in Him there is no darkness at all. If we claim to have fellowship with him and yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not live out the truth. But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from all sin."* They are a gentle reminder to me to stay in fellowship with Christ during the day! I John 1:5-7 Get 10% sitewide when you shop at Access Hydroponic. Valid until November 2013!
This ancient Mesopotamian cuneiform activity is a fun, hands-on history experience. Become ancient scribes writing on clay tablets with reeds.
Happy Freebie Friday! This week we are sharing freebies related to geography! If you don’t need geography freebies right now, click here to find freebies
Handy free printable leif erikson for kids worksheet and coloring pages to make into readers to learn about famous early explorer!
Here's a very special Mini Passport Book, which you can print out and assemble with the kids for your learning journey when you travel!
Learners are required to read the passage and then answer the questions that follow. - ESL worksheets
Learn about about 24 greek god and goddesses in this fun, Greek Mythology for Kids printable pdf book filled with Greek myths.
With these worksheets any child can create an artistic masterpiece! These are also a great introduction in art history with a collection of different artists and art movements. WORKSHEETS INCLUDED: 1 - A Sunday Afternoon - Seurat 2 - American Gothic - Wood 3 - Ballet Rehearsal on Stage - Degas 4 - Christina's World - Wyeth 5 - Composition A - Mondrian 6 - Girl with a Pearl Earring - Vermeer 7 - I and the Village - Chagall 8 - Le Portail - Monet 9 - Mona Lisa - da Vinci 10 - Nighthawks - Hopper 11 - Oh Yeah - Rockwell 12 - Pink Tulip -O'keeffe 13 - The Arnolfini Portrait - van Eyck 14 - The Creation of Adam - Michelangelo 15 - The Great Wave off Kanagawa - Hokusai 16 - The Persistence of Memory - Dali 17 - The Scream - Munch 18 - The Starry Night - van Gogh 19 - Three Musicians - Picasso 20 - Washington Crossing the Delaware - Leutze
Hi teacher friends, Ancient Civilizations has to be my favorite curriculum to teach. I find the ancient world fascinating, with all the different traditions, inventions, rituals, building structures, gods and goddesses. I could probably spend the whole year just focusing on Egypt alone, with its pyramids, their social hierarchy with pharaohs, and interesting
This step-by-step tutorial for How To Make Easy Paper Mosaics for Kids is amazing! Let's make beautiful, custom DIY paper mosaics today.
In European history, the Middle Ages, or Medieval period, lasted from the 5th to the 15th century. Click for even more facts or download the worksheets.
I have to be honest with you. I am not a history buff. I find it fascinating and interesting and I truly am learning more than I ever did when I was in school. However, I’m still not good at remembering dates and timelines. But that doesn’t mean I don’t teach them to my children....
These latitude and longitude posters are a cute addition to any classroom and will help your students remember the difference between latitude & longitude. And they are FREE!
Integrating art and content in the ELA classroom. Tips and resources.
Kids will have fun practicing math and literacy skills while learning about the Vikings for Kids with these FREE Vikings Worksheets!
Everyone is familiar with Georgia O'Keeffe's larger then life flowers, and if they are not, they should be! She was an amazing artist: at the forefront of the American Modernism. Her art career spans decades and is as fascinating as the woman herself. ***This page contains affiliate links.*** When it came down to doing an
Do you know these paintings or who painted them? Guess and discuss. This conversation worksheet with 10 photos of paintings and 9 conversation questions can be used as a basis for an informal discussion about art, paintings, museums and more. It can be used for Internet research and/or giving short presentations as well. Teacher notes included. - ESL worksheets
ALL ABOUT EARTH Get ready for a month filled with so many fun activities to teach your kiddos all about our planet Earth . I teach this unit in April so it coincides with Earth Day. I’ve loaded up this blog post post with read aloud book ideas, free videos you can share with your students,
This free Earth template is perfect for kids crafts and activities. This PDF is perfect for learning about space or as an Earth Day activity.
Visit the post for more.
This soldier template comes in 5 different sizes - from the smallest pictured below, to an XL soldier that spreads over 4 pages. We've kept the outline as simple as possible while still providing the traditional "Tommy soldier" silhouette.
Free 13 colonies map worksheet and lesson (New England, Middle, and Southern). Perfect resource for 5th, 6th, 7th, and 8th grades
Last year I posted a similar project...but wanted to show you the new version my 2nd graders created. This year we drew with pencil, traced...
Free essays, homework help, flashcards, research papers, book reports, term papers, history, science, politics
What is in your closet? The number of clothing we have today is massive compared to the limited wardrobes in the 1940s. With smaller incomes, higher quality clothing, less variety of clothing, and more home sewing skills, the pre-fast fashion years were one of careful planning and dedication to wearing clothes out completely. So, what
What makes a good leader? Take an honest look at your career history. There are hidden signs that you will make a better leader than you think. #1, You...
Hi Everyone! I hope everyone is having a FANTASTIC summer. If you are anything like me, you spent all of June telling yourself summer would last forever, and all of July eyeing everything at the Target Dollar Spot, wondering just HOW much money is too much money to spend there… Well, my classroom is receiving […]
Australia Animals Coloring Page
Remember, your own history will eventually become family history! Record these 16 things about yourself to preserve your life story for future genealogists.
February is Black History month. There are so many wonderful leaders and and “ordinary people” that you can teach children about. Today I have some Black...
If you are looking for Anne Frank quotes to start the day, you're in the right place! Here are more than 80 quotes that you will love.
Practice various skills with these Ancient Egypt Worksheets. Egyptian printables explore pyramids, sphynx, mummies, pharoahs, and more!
