Tag Archives: history

DIY 50 State Passports…with FREE Printable

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One of the special projects I did when planning our spring break trip was making fun 50 States passports for the kiddos to get “stamped” as we traveled. It wasn’t that hard, and I’ve got a free printable for you if you’d like to try it yourself. I found a lot of ideas and a few awesome templates on Pinterest, but I didn’t want to mimic a real international passport too much. The Ladybug just got back from a mission trip and we spent a lot of time emphasizing (and re-emphasizing!) … Continue Reading…

Visiting Fort Boonesborough State Park in Kentucky

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About 2 weeks before leaving for our road trip, the boys and I watched the premiere of the new Men Who Built America–Frontiersmen series. Episode 1 was about Daniel Boone leading the first group of permanent settlers through the Cumberland Gap into Kentucky. The settlement was called Fort Boonesborough, and it played an interesting role in the Revolutionary War. Since we were getting ready to leave for our trip, and Kentucky was already on our route, we Googled “Fort Boonesborough.” Turns out there’s a state park (with camping!) at the … Continue Reading…

How to Plan a Family Unit Study for Fun Summer Learning

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A book, a movie, and a field trip about the same topic equal an easy summer family unit study!  Summer brain drain–ugh! For 3 months the kids run around from camp to craft to sleepover wanting fun and games and play time all day, every day because SCHOOL’S OUT so we don’t have to do any more of “that learning stuff.” Um…not around here! So what’s a busy, working mom to do besides frantically shuffle the kids from one STEM camp to another and continue to spend her nights tracking … Continue Reading…

Coal Mining Communities Unit Study for Middle Grades (5th-8th)

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Resources for a Unit Study on coal mining communities, including FREE Amazon and YouTube video list, website links, book lists, and templates for student projects and reports. Perfect for grades 4-8, but could easily be aged up or down to suit a general family unit study as well. via Walking in High Cotton

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American Heritage Speeches–Davy Crockett and Laura Ingalls

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Well, it’s been raining for almost 30 hours now. Not much gusting, no downpours. Just constant rain and enough wind to make it blow sideways. I think the worst wind is yet to come, but we’re already pretty soggy. What a blessing that we got all the lambs sold and finished on Friday! 16 animals, gone. That’s a lot less bodies to worry about sheltering! The kiddos and I are home for the day due to the storm and I was really looking forward to a great, extra stay-home day today, … Continue Reading…

Resources and Ideas for a Family Unit Study on Archaeology

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Well, the school year is starting to wrap up. Now that our Spring Break road trip is behind us, I’m focused on pulling together some unit study materials for the summer. Our family topics this year are marine biology and archaeology, and this year we’re really focusing on professions in those fields. We want the kids to start seeing and understanding what following your passion really looks like, day-to-day. What jobs do people do if they love history or ocean animals? Archaeology started out as a bit of a stretch for … Continue Reading…

Visiting the Mariners’ Museum in Newport News, Virginia

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Most of our Christmas/New Year’s holiday this year was kinda drizzly and mucky, so Mr. Fix-It and I decided to take the crew to the Mariners’ Museum one of those last dreary, stir-crazy days. It’s a museum and park with trails and outdoor displays as well, but we stayed inside. The first thing I’ll say (since the majority of my readers are frugally-minded) is that I thought it was a little pricey, and I really think the 3D movie tickets should have been included, or at least discounted with the … Continue Reading…

A New Discovery–The Virginia War Museum

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Remember our summer learning plan? How I had penciled in several museum-type activities that I thought would be fun and educational, both? Well, we were off this past Saturday afternoon to have some fun family time and discovered a hidden treasure–while making a little lemonade from some summertime lemons. Can anyone explain to me why it is that things like museums, farm parks, and the like still open at 9am and close at 5 or 6 pm in the summer when it’s light out from 6 am-9 pm? I’m sorry, … Continue Reading…

John Deere, the American Inventor and the Man Behind the Tractor Company

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We tend to think of John Deere as tractors and green hats and forget that John Deere was an actual person. A person who never built, or even saw, a real tractor in his life. Speedracer had to do a famous American project one year so the whole family got a big dose of John-Deere-the-real-person for a few weeks. It turns out there’s a lot of biographical information available about John Deere, but it can be hard to get your hands on because it’s buried under all the tractor books! … Continue Reading…

Resources for Studying Jamestown

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In honor of Columbus Day, I thought I would share something about explorers, but not at all about Columbus! {smile} We have been reading and studying and talking and learning about Jamestown and early Virginia colonization and woodland Indians for several weeks now. It started this summer when we started reading Blood on the River together as a family read-aloud. I had been collecting Jamestown resources for most of the spring and fall to put together one of our mini unit studies. You know, stalking Amazon for price drops, haunting … Continue Reading…

50+ Resources for Learning About War Dogs and K-9 Heroes

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Have you seen the movie Max, about a Marine Corps dog originally stationed in Afghanistan? As a boy momma, with an equally adventure and animal-loving girl, it was right up our alley for family movie night. We enjoyed it! A little predictable? Yes. But still a quality family movie. And it sparked a lot of interest from the crew about military working dogs. The boys are already crazy about anything military and the Ladybug loves everything dogs right now so this angle on their favorite topics was very fresh for them, … Continue Reading…

Costumes and Cows in the Chicken Coop…Thankful Thursdays #5

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Boy, I’m thankful that lamb harvest for the year is over. We just reduced the amount of mouth to feed over the winter by about 50%! And everyone seemed satisfied with their product and how it went. (Except for the Cowboy who is totally bummed that he missed it all just for school!) And I’m thankful that the weather seems to have cleared up. It’s still a bit soggy, but nothing to complain about since we had a week of steady rain! I’m also thankful to Mr. Fix-It for taking … Continue Reading…

A Few Free Web Favorites

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This weekend we’ve got a lot going on. The Ladybug and I are heading up to Northern Virginia to visit the American Girl Store for her birthday. We’ll be meeting my sister (who is fondly and forever known to me as Cheese) and niece (the Diva), and my mother-in-law (that would be the Mimi) and other niece (whom we’ll fondly call Curls from here on out) for lunch, and shopping, and then dinner at the American Girl Bistro. And my men are going to be staying home and cleaning up … Continue Reading…