I am so excited to be taking part in the 30 Days of Bible series on InAllYouDo.net (and don’t miss the giveaway)! The idea of standing in the very spot where history happened has always intrigued me. Living in the northeastern part of the United States, I’ve had the opportunity to connect in that way ... Read More about How to Teach History and Geography with the Bible

We want the best for our kids in every way. But, sometimes we overlook the one best resource that we already own. That resource is the Bible.

Here are 10 tools for teaching geography to keep learning fun - hands-on is the BEST way to learn together!

Visit the post for more.

One of the best known (and go-to) science projects has to be the build your own volcano. Add these volcano activities to your science, geography and ancient history lesson plans.

Have you ever pictured the perfect curriculum, and then searched high and low for it, only to come up with nothing? That was me, looking for a Bible-based, unit study approach curriculum that was Charlotte Mason friendly. There are living book approach curricula out there, but I always look at them and feel SO overwhelmed! […]

An in-depth look at the map of ancient Mesopotamia, as well as other Mesopotamian maps depicting ancient Mesopotamia.

Kids entranced by Little House on the Prairie? This popsicle stick

Medieval Chemistry and Homeschool History. Science wasn't really dead during the Middle Age, it's just people fanaticized about turning items to gold.

History, Historical Fiction, and Literature This list took me for.ever. to put together, but I’m happy to have it all handy in one place. There were many books I didn’t add to the list because it was simply too long! Check your library. Check Amazon. The possibilities are endless. Wahoo!! (By the way, this post contains affiliate links. Thanks to those of you who help support my book addiction!) (Another aside: My boys read. A lot. There is no way I would attempt this list with non-readers. I’d just pick a few of the best for read-alouds and assigned independent reading at appropriate levels, and let the rest go like water off a duck’s back. But I can hardly keep them in books at the moment, so I figure they might as well read books that correspond with our history studies. Only Levi will be reading the more challenging chapter books.) (Oh, and I’ll be keeping track of all the books the boys read in addition to this list over the course of the year in our monthly reports (which are tagged as weekly reports even though they aren’t).) Without further ado, our Medieval/Early Renaissance book lists for this coming year: (Important or favorite books are marked with **) **The Story of the World: The Middle Ages: From the Fall of Rome to the Rise of the Renaissance (Vol. 2) and Activity Guide **The Usborne Encyclopedia of World History and The Kingfisher History Encyclopedia Famous Figures of Medieval Times (movable paper figures to cut, color, and assemble) Poetry memory: St. Patrick’s Prayer (400) May the Strength of God pilot us. May the Power of God preserve us. May the Wisdom of God instruct us. May the Hand of God protect us. May the Way of God direct us. May the Shield of God defend us. May the Host of God guard us. Against the snares of the evil ones. Against temptations of the world May Christ be with us! May Christ be before us! May Christ be in us, Christ be over all! May Thy Salvation, Lord, Always be ours, This day, O Lord, and evermore. Amen. A selection from Beowulf (possibly this one:) Then the minstrel sang Of rousing deeds of old. Like flames in the firelight The heart leapt to hear them. And when he had done And the harp lay silent, the Queen of the Danes spoke out: ’Beowulf, dearest youth, son of most favoured And fortunate of mothers, this your deed is matchless. Greater than all these. In the farthest corners of the earth your name shall be known. Wherever the ocean Laps the windy shore and the wave-worn headland, Your praise shall be sung.’ The Lady of Shalott by Tennyson (set in the time of King Arthur) (this is a long, long poem—we’ll see how far we can get) (Thanks, friends, for the Loreena McKennitt recommendations!) Prayer of Saint Francis of Assisi (1200) Lord, make me an instrument of your peace. Where there is hatred, let me sow love; where there is injury, pardon; where there is doubt, faith; where there is despair, hope; where there is darkness, light; and where there is sadness, joy. O Divine Master, grant that I may not so much seek to be consoled as to console; to be understood as to understand; to be loved as to love. For it is in giving that we receive; it is in pardoning that we are pardoned; and it is in dying that we are born to eternal life. Amen (From Shakespeare’s Henry V. (1400) “Once more unto the breach…”) Heidelberg Catechism (1500) (first question and answer) "What is your only comfort in life and death?" (Answer:) "That I am not my own, but belong--body and soul, in life and in death, to my faithful Savior Jesus Christ. He has fully paid for all my sins with his precious blood, and has set me free from the tyranny of the devil. He also watches over me in such a way that not a hair can fall from my head without the will of my Father in heaven; in fact, all things must work together for my salvation. Because I belong to him, Christ, by His Holy Spirit, assures me of eternal life and makes me whole-heartedly willing and ready from now on to live for him." Shakespeare (1600) (from The Young Person's Guide to Shakespeare: [Book-and-CD Set]): Hamlet, Act III, sc. ii, 1-8 (“Speak the speech, I pray you…”) As You Like It, Act II, sc. vii, 139-166 (“All the world’s a stage…”) Henry V, Act III, sc. I, 1-34 (“Once more unto the breach, dear friends…”) (1400s) Hamlet, Act III, sc. I, 58-90 (“To be, or not to be…” A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Epilogue (“If we shadows have offended…”) Sonnet 60 (“Like as the waves make towards the pebbled shore…”) Death Be Not Proud (or various quotes), John Donne (1610) No spring nor summer beauty hath such grace as I have seen in one autumnal face. No man is an island, entire of itself; every man is a piece of the continent. Classical Conversations: History memory: 24 sentences about Medieval-modern world history (+world history timeline review) IEW’s Medieval History-Based Writing Lessons for Levi and Luke in Essentials Art and Music: Picture That: Knights & Castles (Exploring History through Art) Cave Paintings to Picasso: The Inside Scoop on 50 Art Masterpieces Design Your Own Coat of Arms: An Introduction to Heraldry (Dover Children's Activity Books) What Makes a Bruegel a Bruegel? Pieter Bruegel (Getting to Know the World's Greatest Artists) The Fantastic Journey of Pieter Bruegel (And many books about other Renaissance artists such as Leonardo da Vinci and Michelangelo) Do Re Mi: If You Can Read Music, Thank Guido D'Arezzo (an Italian monk in the 11th century) Science and Math: **The Story of Science: Aristotle Leads the Way **The Story of Science: Newton at the Center (And many books about Renaissance scientists) Faith: Monks and Mystics: Chronicles of the Medieval Church Courage and Conviction: Chronicles of the Reformation Church How the Bible Came to Us: The Story of the Book That Changed the World Literature: (Like Greek Myths and Homer this past year, we are heavy on King Arthur and Shakespeare this year…) **Beowulf the Warrior retold by Ian Serraillier (I adore this verse retelling. It is a fantastic read-aloud.) Beowulf: Dragonslayer retold by Rosemary Sutcliff (This is a great prose retelling for children.) Beowulf: A New Verse Translation by Seamus Heaney (We are listening to the abridged audio version by Heaney. It is fun to hear his voice telling the story.) **Favorite Medieval Tales by Mary Pope Osborne (This collection of retellings includes Finn MacCoul, Beowulf, The Sword in the Stone, The Song of Roland, Sir Gawain and the Green Knight, Robin Hood, and Chanticleer and the Fox (from The Canterbury Tales by Chaucer).) Fairy Tales: Favorite Celtic Fairy Tales Scottish Fairy Tales Favorite Fairy Tales Told in France Favorite Fairy Tales Told in Spain Favorite Fairy Tales Told in Russia Favorite Fairy Tales Told in Germany (And others in the series) Maples in the Mist: Children's Poems from the Tang Dynasty (China) Cool Melons - Turn To Frogs!: The Life And Poems Of Issa (Japan) **Valentine and Orson (retelling of a Medieval French romance, illustrations inspired by the painter Pieter Bruegel, told in Chaucerian iambic pentameter, with appearances by Pepin, King of France and the Green Knight) **Favorite Norse Myths by Mary Pope Osborne Nordic Gods and Heroes by Padraic Colum Myths Of The Norsemen by Roger Lancelyn Green **Sir Gawain and the Green Knight by J.R.R. Tolkien **The Sword in the Stone by T.H. White, illustrated by Dennis Nolan The Boy's King Arthur: Sir Thomas Malory's History of King Arthur and His Knights of the Round Table illustrated by N.C. Wyeth King Arthur and his Knights of the Round Table by Roger Lancelyn Green Merlin and the Making of the King by Margaret Hodges, illustrated by Trina Schart Hyman The Kitchen Knight: A Tale of King Arthur retold by Margaret Hodges, illustrated by Trina Schart Hyman Sir Gawain and the Loathly Lady retold by Selina Hastings Knight prisoner: The tale of Sir Thomas Malory and his King Arthur The Squire's Tale series by Gerald Morris (Levi’s and my favorite series) Saint George and the Dragon retold by Margaret Hodges, illustrated by Trina Schart Hyman Saint George and the Dragon retold by Geraldine McCaughrean **The Questing Knights of the Faerie Queen by Geraldine McCaughrean DK Classics: Robin Hood by Neil Philip **The Adventures of Robin Hood by Roger Lancelyn Green Chanticleer and the Fox by Chaucer, illustrated by Barbara Cooney **Canterbury Tales retold by Barbara Cohen, illustrated by Trina Schart Hyman The Canterbury Tales retold by Geraldine McCaughrean The Apple and the Arrow by Mary and Conrad Buff (the legend of William Tell) Poetry for Young People: William Shakespeare Beautiful Stories from Shakespeare for Children by Edith Nesbit Tales from Shakespeare by Charles and Mary Lamb **Shakespeare Stories by Leon Garfield **Shakespeare Stories II by Leon Garfield Various picture books Various performances Movies (with occasional editing for child-appropriate viewing): Henry V Much Ado About Nothing As You Like It Twelfth Night And others… Jim Weiss Story Recordings: Shakespeare for Children Romeo and Juliet King Arthur and His Knights Three Musketeers/Robin Hood Galileo and the Stargazers Masters of the Renaissance The Queen's Pirate (Queen Elizabeth I and Sir Francis Drake) History: **The Greenleaf Guide to Famous Men of the Middle Ages (short biographies of 40 famous men (plus Joan of Arc) from 400-1400 A.D.) Heroes: Great Men Through the Ages Don't Know Much About the Kings and Queens of England Lives of Extraordinary Women: Rulers, Rebels (and What the Neighbors Thought) Ten Kings: And The Worlds They Rule Augustine, The Farmer's Boy of Tagaste (Augustine of Hippo, 354-430) Across a Dark and Wild Sea (Ireland in 521 A.D., Columcille, writing books by hand) Saint Ciaran: The Tale of a Saint of Ireland The Life of Saint Brigid: Abbess of Kildare Patrick: Patron Saint of Ireland (and other books about Saint Patrick) The Holy Twins: Benedict and Scholastica (6th Century Italy) Who in the World Was The Acrobatic Empress?: The Story of Theodora (Byzantine Empire, Emperor Justinian) Empress of China, Wu Ze Tian: Written by Jiang Cheng an ; Illustrated by Xu De Yuan The Silk Route: 7,000 Miles of History (From the Chinese city of Chang'an to the European capital of Byzantium during the Tang Dynasty (618-906)) Leif the Lucky by the D'Aulaires (and various other books about Leif Eriksson, Eric the Red, and the Vikings) Who in the World Was The Unready King?: The Story of Ethelred Castles (a fantastic over-sized illustrated book by Kingfisher) (and many other books about Knights and castles) Saladin: Noble Prince of Islam by Diane Stanley Saint Francis by Brian Wildsmith The Magna Charta by James Daugherty Joan of Arc by Diane Stanley Marco Polo by Demi **Famous Men Of The Renaissance & Reformation Johann Gutenberg and the Amazing Printing Press Who in the World Was The Secretive Printer?: The Story of Johannes Gutenberg How a Book Is Made by Aliki (modern-day process, but fascinating when learning about the printed word—fun illustrations!!) **The World of Columbus and Sons by Genevieve Foster (a wonderful world history narrative from 1450-1520) Around the World in a Hundred Years: From Henry the Navigator to Magellan by Jean Fritz The Discovery of the Americas: From Prehistory Through the Age of Columbus by Betsy and Giulio Maestro Where Do You Think You're Going, Christopher Columbus? by Jean Fritz Who in the World Was The Forgotten Explorer?: The Story of Amerigo Vespucci Leonardo da Vinci by Diane Stanley Leonardo: Beautiful Dreamer by Robert Byrd Nicolaus Copernicus: The Earth Is a Planet Michelangelo by Diane Stanley Martin Luther: A Man Who Changed The World Sir Walter Ralegh and the Quest for El Dorado William Shakespeare & the Globe by Aliki (love this one!) Bard of Avon: The Story of William Shakespeare by Diane Stanley Good Queen Bess : The Story of Elizabeth I of England Along Came Galileo by Jeanne Bendick Starry Messenger: Galileo Galilei by Peter Sis Historical Fiction: Augustine Came to Kent (Augustine of Canterbury) The Ink Garden of Brother Theophane (picture book, Irish monasteries, writing books by hand) Otto of the Silver Hand by Howard Pyle (Medieval Germany) **Marguerite Makes a Book (picture book, Medieval France) Son of Charlemagne by Barbara Willard The Most Magnificent Mosque (a picture book set during the rule of the Moors in southern Spain) Viking Adventure by Clyde Robert Bulla Beorn the Proud by Madeleine Polland The Story of Rolf and the Viking Bow by Allen French **A Connecticut Yankee In King Arthur's Court by Mark Twain **Sir Nigel by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle **The White Company by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, illustrated by N.C. Wyeth **The Reluctant Dragon by Kenneth Grahame (with an appearance by St. George) A Medieval Feast by Aliki (lovely picture book) The Making of a Knight: How Sir James Earned His Armor (picture book) **Castle Diary: The Journal of Tobias Burgess (picture book, hilarious!) Good Masters! Sweet Ladies!: Voices from a Medieval Village (lovely monologues) Ivanhoe adapted by Marianna Mayer, illustrated by John Rush (picture book) **Ivanhoe by Sir Walter Scott **The Black Arrow by Robert Louis Stevenson Tales of the Crusades by Olivia E. Coolidge The Saracen Maid by Leon Garfield The Secret Shofar of Barcelona (an appropriate picture book set during the Inquisition) Some shorter chapter books (for Luke and Leif): The Sword in the Tree by Clyde Robert Bulla The Minstrel in the Tower The Whipping Boy by Sid Fleischman The Midwife's Apprentice by Karen Cushman The Door in the Wall by Marguerite De Angeli The Great and Terrible Quest by Margaret Lovett The King's Equal by Katherine Paterson Pedro's Journal: A Voyage with Christopher Columbus, August 3, 1492-February 14, 1493 The Kite Fighters by Linda Sue Park (Korea, 1473) The Apprentice by Pilar Molina Llorente (Renaissance Florence) Knight's Castle by Edward Eager (just for fun, during the time of Ivanhoe) Longer chapter books (for Levi): Adam of the Road by Elizabeth Janet Gray Crispin: The Cross of Lead by Avi The Hidden Treasure of Glaston by Eleanore M. Jewett A Morbid Taste for Bones: The First Chronicle of Brother Cadfael by Ellis Peters A Proud Taste for Scarlet and Miniver by E.L. Konigsburg Catherine, Called Birdy by Karen Cushman The Samurai's Tale by Erik C. Haugaard (Japan) Shadow of a Bull (Spain) The Red Keep by Allen French Wulf the Saxon: A Story of the Norman Conquest by G.A. Henty The Boy Knight: A Tale of the Crusades by G.A. Henty Call It Courage by Armstrong Sperry A Single Shard by Linda Sue Park (12th-century Korean potters’ village) The Shakespeare Stealer series by Gary Blackwood (Shakespeare, c. 1600) The Trumpeter of Krakow by Eric P. Kelly (Poland, 1400s) Master Cornhill by Eloise Jarvis McGraw (The Black Plague in 1665 and the Great Fire of London) The Kite Rider by Geraldine McCaughrean (13th century China) The Second Mrs. Gioconda by E.L. Konigsburg (Leonardo da Vinci) I, Juan de Pareja (17th-century Spanish painter Diego Velazquez ) Mary, Bloody Mary by Carolyn Meyer (Mary Tudor, King Henry VIII) The Hawk That Dare Not Hunt by Day by Scott O'Dell (Around the time of William Tyndale) The King's Fifth by Scott O'Dell (Conquistadors) Movies (just for silly fun): A Knight's Tale Ever After - A Cinderella Story The Princess Bride Robin Hood (for teacher research only—ha!) The Secret of Kells (Thanks to the recommendation in the comments—this is PERFECT! It fits wonderfully with the book Across a Dark and Wild Sea, and I’m now inspired to purchase The Book of Kells: An Illustrated Introduction to the Manuscript in Trinity College, Dublin for our family collection.) Any favorites that I missed? Or family favorites from this list? Please share in the comments!

We have been doing some fascinating activities for our Medieval History unit, (Viking Runes, Medieval Illuminations, and our own homemade Medieval Subtleties) but this craft or "craftivity" turned out the most beautiful of all. We created our own stained glass windows! This is an easy activity, especially if you purchase our premade Medieval Window packet which includes 4 possible designs for your students to choose from to make their window. You will also need a transparency sheet (or some recycled flat plastic), a sharpie, food coloring and glue. And some Q-tips. Because we always fall back on Q-tips as an easy go-to paintbrush for these kinds of activities. After drawing the designs on the transparencies with black sharpies, we cut out our window shapes. And we began to fill in the window shapes with our glue paint. To make it easier, we cut out our paper design and taped it, along with the transparency to the table. It kept our image stable while the kids filled in the colors. After the colored glue had dried, we cut out our window edging and glued it over the glass. An optional idea is to go over the top of the sharpie with black puffy paint. This raised black edging makes the stained glass really pop. It feels just like the leaded glass stained windows you might see in an old church or heraldic window. The finished product is tacked to the window so that the light can stream through, just like it streamed through Medieval stained glass windows, many years ago. A beautiful finished product! Check out our packet that includes everything you need to create this craft, here in our store. Reviews "My students were completely engaged and created a great deal of stained glass with this project. We researched how stained glass was made with Medieval techniques (the V&A Museum has a fantastic video!) and then we got to work, having unearthed a box of old transparencies, which I think really makes this project. We also were creating them for our Medieval Faire for our K-3rd graders and they found the stained glass captivating. I would have never guessed they would have looked so good! Excellent lesson!" --- Anne C. "Loved the informational text. It was so helpful. The activity wasn't as engaging as I'd hoped, but it was still worth the purchase." --- Get Schooled "We a learning about the role of churches during the Medieval time period so this is a great supplemental for us and a nice break from the heavy reading and material. The students enjoyed creating these." --- Pham-tastic Teaching "One of the better stained-glass projects I've seen. Worked greatly for my A&H class!" --- Eli Edwards "We used the patterns to make our own stained glass. We used sharpies instead of glue and they came out beautifully." --- Tippecanoe "I used this resource to supplement what we were learning in class. My students loved the activity?" --- Wendy E. "This was a fun activity to do in my summer program during medieval week." --- Karen C. "My students really enjoyed making them, and were so proud of the outcome. We did what someone else suggested and just used permanent sharpies. They look awesome!" --- Randy Bland "My students loved this activity! We completed it in the middle of our Middle Ages reading unit. To make them even more stained glass in appearance, they lightly used a cotton ball to spread vegetable oil on the back to make them translucent." --- Dayna K. Check out our packet that includes everything you need to create this craft, here in our store.

Here is a list of blogs that of I know of that are written by “Early Learning Parents”. These […]

During the ninth archaeological field season, which started in September, the joint Spanish-Egyptian mission at the Temple of Millions of Years of Thutmose III, at Al-Deir Al-Bahari on Luxor's west bank, stumbled upon the tomb of the servant of the king’s house, Amenrenef. The cartonnage mummy [Credit: Egypt Antiquities Department] Mahmoud Afifi, head of the Ancient Egyptian Antiquities Department at the Ministry of Antiquities told Ahram Online that the tomb was uncovered at the southern enclosure wall of the temple and is in a very good state of conservation. A deterriorated wooden coffin was found inside the tomb, he continued, but inside a beautiful and well-preserved mummy cartonnage was found. The cartonnage mummy inside the tomb [Credit: Egypt Antiquities Department] Mission field director Egyptologist Myriam Seco Álvarez said that preliminary study has determined the name and title of the occupant of the tomb, who was the servant of the king’s house, Amenrenef. The tomb can thus be dated to the “Third Intermediate Period” (1070-712 BC). The face of the cartonnage mummy [Credit: Egypt Antiquities Department] Afifi said that in-depth study of the cartonnage is to be undertaken very soon. Álvarez added that the cartonnage includes its almost complete polychrome painted decoration and inscriptions with some of the most characteristic symbols and elements of the ancient Egyptian religion. The tomb dates to Third Intermediate Period and belongs to a man called 'Amn eir nef' who held the title of 'Servant of the royal house' [Credit: Egypt Antiquities Department] Among these inscriptions are solar symbols, the protective goddesses Isis and Nephthys with spread wings, hawks and the four sons of Horus, executed in artisanal quality of the highest order. Author: Nevine El-Aref | Source: Ahram Online [November 13, 2016] Labels Archaeology, Egypt, Near East TANN you might also like Newer Post Older Post

Hello Pinteresters!!! I get a lot of traffic from Pinterest by what I suspect are teachers looking for games to use in their classroom...

When I began homeschooling, I was starstruck by all the classic children's books. I grew up in the public school system with parents who weren't readers themselves. I continued on to college to get a degree in English, mostly because I loved grammar... but of course, soon I found myself reading many classics. So I learned the classic adult books. But I had never been welcomed into the world of classic children's literature. Until I started homeschooling. I hopped full on the train. Found all the best book lists. Borrowed them all from the library. Bought even more of them. And I started Sophie's first year of homeschool, checking off every single book on the list of classics for kindergarteners. But I never really stop researching. And as I continued to research, I would see snippets here and there of people pointing out issues with classics. "This book is so good, but you have to edit while you read because it calls Native Americans 'savages.'" Or, "This book talks about Christopher Columbus like he's a hero and doesn't give an accurate portrayal of the way he treated Natives." I was not educated enough. So I had to read all the comments, click on the links, read the articles. I followed every rabbit trail laid out before me, and soon I found myself in a heap of wreckage. I wouldn't say my history education was very strong, but I certainly thought I knew my stuff. But enough rabbit trails, enough listening, enough reading made me realize that I was given a biased history education. My history was from a white westerner's point of view, and it left out the side of the Native American and people of color. So I left the classics' train. And I jumped on the enlightenment train. Sometimes it still includes classics. But it's a train that is inclusive and seeks to give a full picture of history. Sometimes the train charges full force ahead, and sometimes it has to stop, refuel, backtrack, and correct its path. But I am fully on this train, committed to giving my children an education that is not white-washed or westernized but rather inclusive, diverse, and honest. I am constantly learning and constantly updating my shelves, but I wanted to share my favorite books. At the end of this post, I will share my favorite sources. Don't miss that part! I am only relaying information to you that I got from others, whom I'm so thankful for. If we want to include indigenous people and black people in our history curriculum, we must listen to them. Most of my book ideas were a direct result of listening to them and their recommendations. These are three incredible spines. They are so important. Each book comes in an adult format if you'd like to read those for yourself, but honestly, you could start with these young people versions and learn a shocking amount. All of these focus on different matters and are all important in their own way. If I had to recommend one to start with, though, I'd go with Zinn's. Howard Zinn - A Young People's History of the United States Roxanne Dunbar-Ortiz - An Indigenous Peoples' History of the United States for Young People Ronald Takaki - A Different Mirror for Young People I'm really big on having a spine for history, and then supplementing with biographies and historical fiction. It's hard to find a history spine for young children that isn't white-washed. Betsy Maestro's books are my favorite I have found, though. The spines mentioned above (Zinn, Dunbar-Ortiz, and Takaki) are better to start around 4th grade, I think, so Maestro's books would be good for before that. These books are all just so excellent for learning about the Native Americans before contact. For most of us, and for many curriculums today, America starts when the white settlers came. But that's a false narrative. This land has been here for an incredibly long time with people walking it. And those people (Native Americans) are still amongst us today! The top two books are good for a parent/teacher's own education, and the bottom three books are good to use for a curriculum with children. Catherine O'Neill Grace - 1621: A New Look at Thanksgiving Bill Bigelow - Rethinking Columbus Helen Roney Sattler - The Earliest Americans Charles Mann - Before Columbus Yellowhorn and Lowinger - Turtle Island Picture books are a lovely way to learn about Native Americans - both historical figures as well as legends. Below are some of our favorites. These are a great supplement to a curriculum. Biographies and legends make a curriculum come to life! Robbie Robertson - Hiawatha and the Peacemaker Liselotte Erdrich - Sacagawea S. D. Nelson - Buffalo Bird Girl Joseph Bruchac - Squanto's Journey Tomie dePaolo - The Legend of the Indian Paintbrush Tomie dePaola - The Legend of the Bluebonnet It's fun and important to know how people live. We not only are better able to understand the people but also the land we live on, if we live in the Americas. These are some of my favorite books for learning about the types of homes Native Americans lived in. We personally don't live far from mounds, and it's a really neat place to visit. Bonnie Shemie - Houses of Snow, Skin, and Bone Bonnie Shemie - Houses of Bark Bonnie Shemie - Mounds of Earth and Shell Bobbie Kalman - Native Homes Bobbie Kalman - Life in a Longhouse Village Bobbie Kalman - Native Nations of the Western Great Lakes A few more books about Native American historical figures and legends that we love, and a book to understand that Native people still live amongst us today! Simon J Ortiz - The People Shall Continue Tehanetorens - Legends of the Iroquois (this is a really fun one!) Charles A. Eastman - Indian Heroes and Great Chieftains Joseph Bruchac - Between Earth & Sky Basically anything by Joseph Bruchac is wonderful. He's a good name to know. Both of these books are good ones. Once your children are older, continuing to read biographies and historical fiction is important, but the books will get longer. Joseph Bruchac - Sacajawea Cornelia Cornellisen - Soft Rain Historical fiction is one of our very favorites in our house. Louise Erdrich and Joseph Bruchac are simply the best when it comes to historical fiction about Native Americans. The Birchbark House series is a great series if you're looking for one with a Little House on the Prairie feel but that covers the Native's perspective. Louise Erdrich - Birchbark House series Joseph Bruchac - Children of the Longhouse Joseph Bruchac - The Arrow over the Door I consider all of these good spines to cover black history. James Haskins is an author I like, and his books are the top four, but he has many more as well. These books all cover a time period or different slave accounts rather than one person. James Haskins - Bound for America James Haskins - Building a New Land James Haskins - Following Freedom's Star James Haskins - Out of the Darkness Virginia Hamilton - Many Thousand Gone Kadir Nelson - Heart and Soul Doreen Rappaport is an author I really love, and she has some books not pictured that I would also recommend: No More!: Stories and Songs of Slave Resistance Free at Last! Stories and Songs of Emancipation Nobody Gonna Turn Me 'Round There are a lot of great picture books about different movements of black history, from slavery to emancipation to the civil rights movement. Here are some we love. Andrea Davis Pinkney - Boycott Blues Andrea Davis Pinkney - Sit-In Jacqueline Woodson - Show Way Gretchen Woelfle - Mumbet's Declaration of Independence Scott Russell Sanders - A Place Called Freedom Picture book biographies are simply one of our favorite! Gary Schmidt - So Tall Within Nikki Giovanni - Rosa Doreen Rappaport - Frederick's Journey Doreen Rappaport - Martin's Big Words I truly find that there's nothing like historical fiction to make history come to life! (Thank you Amber from Heritage Mom for so many of these recommendations!) Sharon Draper - Stella by Starlight Patricia McKissack - A Picture of Freedom Brenda Woods - My Name is Sally Little Song Mildred Taylor - Roll of Thunder, Hear my Cry Harriette Gillem Robinet - Forty Acres and Maybe a Mule William Armstrong - Sounder Don't forget to introduce your children to other voices in other subject areas as well! Poetry - Consider Phyllis Wheatley, Langston Hughes, Joseph Bruchac, Louise Erdrich, and Effie Lee Newsome Artists - Consider Jacob Lawrence, Horace Pippin, Henry Ossawa Tanner, Helen Hardin, and Pablita Velarde Music - Consider Scott Joplin, Elizabeth Cotten, Chevalier de Saint-Georges, Duke Ellington, and Robbie Robertson Some of my favorite sources: * Heritage Mom - Amber is simply amazing. As a black mama raising black children, she provides a world of wisdom on giving children a black perspective in history as well as other subjects (composers, artists, fiction, field trips). * The Parallel Narrative - I've gotten a lot of book ideas from this site. She breaks it down by time period and subject area. * Living Books of all People Facebook group - If you're on Facebook, be sure to join this group. People are continually posting new books and resources, and the search bar is great when you need to find information on a specific area. * Oyate - This site has been really informative about Native Americans. They review books and also have a shop with books they recommend broken into different categories. * American Indians in Children's Literature - So many great reviews on this site! * Woke Homeschooling - This is a curriculum thoughtfully put together by homeschooling mama Delina Prcye McPhaull. * A Broken Flute- This is a pricey book. I borrowed a copy from the library, but I will say it's worth every penny should you choose to buy. Doris Seale and her companions go through hundreds of books on Native Americans, reviewing them thoroughly. It gave me a lot of ideas for books to buy but also after reading through it, I began to have a clearer idea of what to look for and what to avoid when looking for books on indigenous people.

Combining a news-writing approach and an SEL problem-solving framework gives students a way to start discussing events like the insurrection in January.

I really want to make the most out of the new CC timeline cards. Rushing through them would be a terrible waste of this beautiful resource (...

The land known as Mesopotamia lies between the rivers Tigris and Euphrates, which flow through modern-day Iraq. Read on to learn more about this ancient civilization.

Many millions of years ago, the world was one. This nifty map shows this Pangea supercontinent overlaid with modern country borders.

Some days you just need a break from the monotony! Preparing for exams, transitioning to a new unit, days when half your students are gone for a basketball tour

Ideas for bookmaking projects come to me in all sorts of places. Last month I was at a talk by Tuskegee Airman James A. Sheppard at the Ne...

These John 3:16 Printable Valentines are perfect for reminding us just how much God loves us! Attach a globe keychain for an extra special reminder!

how to teach kids where in the world they live by using simple circles to show the planet, continent, country, state, city, street, home! free printable.

Dublin’s award-winning animation studio Brown Bag Films has been acquired by 9 Story Media group for an undisclosed sum.

Interactive Notebooks...Who has started? Whose district has required it? Or who is doing them on their own? Why the surge of interactiv...

Resources and Ideas for teaching an Ancient Mesopotamia Interactive Notebook unit, Strategies and teaching tips for social studies.

This Back-To-School Kid-Friendly Slider Recipe is a great way to start the school year. Let the kids pack thier own lunch with this easy slider recipe.

Enjoy these fun and fresh Australia Day Coloring Pages for Kids related to the typical Australia Day celebrations and other entitled include graphics.

People have done it for centuries. Maybe everyone still should.

Show them the world from your classroom.

A teaching blog