Lately, thanks to the film 42, my family has been on a Jackie Robinson kick, and for good reasons too. Jackie Robinson was the first African-American to play in major league baseball. With his faith playing a notable part in his life; Robinson overcame prejudice, broke the color barrier, and became one of the most notable athletes in American history.
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This week I would like to introduce you to Alicia from Vibrant Homeschooling. She is bringing you lots of fun ideas about how her family studied H is for Henry Ford. (I actually went to the museum in Michigan when I was growing up and so wish I had pictures to share with you.)
This week’s study of “H is for Henry Ford” reminded me of the fun (and learning) that can happen when we ask our kids for input and are willing to try some new ways to express knowledge.
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The Great Depression was a time of struggle, homelessness and famine that touched everyone living in America, and subsequently the world, from 1920 until 1940. But, much of our commonly known information are urban legends or falsities.
Most think of the ’30’s with Black Thursday, when a massive amount of shares were sold and five days later when investors discovered they had lost everything; Black Tuesday aka Suicide Tuesday. In school we were taught suicide rates increased as men jumped from high windows but the first suicide to occur after the crash was seen by Winston Churchill and had nothing to do with the stock market. It seems the famous horse riding cowboy, Will Rogers started the “lie” as he meant it to be funny for his newspaper column.
In fact the first suicide because of the crash occurred a week later, by a bank teller who shot himself.
Others often believe that starvation was due to the Great Dust Bowl where all the tilling of farming soil created deadpan and allowed the topsoil to blow and create dust storms across the country. That is true but what many fail to realize is farmers were often too broke to harvest crops from their fields and so crops were left to rot. The same thing happened with dairy farmers. Milk was dumped into ditches and roads since they weren’t able to sell the milk for enough to feed their cows.
Even today we hear about investors & bankers that suffered the most. But, African Americans, Hispanics, women, and Jews were hit the hardest. Women often held jobs as hired help in affluent homes but the first people to loose their jobs when times were hard was to let the hired help go. Nearly all women except those in secretary jobs were let go due to the belief that a man needed that job to feed his family. African American men who previously performed jobs (janitors, street sweepers, etc) considered ‘below’ a white man and were eventually replaced by white men. The Hispanic community suffered especially due to the anti-immigration backlash as race & class was eroded as the need to feed one’s family created humility. As Caucasian families replaced African American families those families replaced Hispanic families, were then often deported without pay.
History is often one sided and often the side that has the money to write the history is the one seen and published. So, I encourage you to look beyond what you know and learn about those outside your race or family history. I adore history and find it fascinating. Below you’ll find a list to some of the books and movies we have read and seen through the years. You may find it odd that entertainment was so popular but Ford encouraged folks to dance to forget their troubles! Distraction was also popular so radio shows, theatre and clubs were easy ways to forget for a few hours you were starving.
And, one of my favorite videos is Clara, an older lady who cooks Depression Era recipes. Many of the recipes she makes are ones I grew up on and still make for my own kiddos! This link will take you over to Amazon where I’ve a list of books over the Great Depression for kids, teens and adults. And, remember, to double check your shipping address! For Christmas I mailed gifts to extended family and left the address only to receive a phone call asking what I was saying by sending an anti-aging skin care line. Oops! 😉
~Honey
This was our 6th installment of the ABC’s of American History series. Please join us next week for H is for Henry Ford!
Welcome to week 6th week of our ABC’s of American History. Jen from Chestnut Grove is back bringing a long list of resources for F is for French and Indian War. Some resources are paid or use affiliate links on Amazon but a majority are free virtual or printables.
This post offers a wide variety of resources, many free, for elementary aged children to learn about the French and Indian War. Included are lapbooks, Field Trip ideas, videos and more! The French and Indian War began in 1754 and was one of the many battles between the British and French.
Most of the resources listed here are for grades 4+, however many are adaptable for younger ages. I just did this unit (using many of these resources*) with my 3rd grader).
Lapbook and Notebooking Pages from Tina’s Dynamic Homeschool Plus
Worksheet – Reading and Questions – for grades 7+
Group activities and script for acting out
Lesson Plan and Activities
French and Indian War Notebook
French and Indian War Internet Activity
The French and Indian War (1754-1763) from Kidport Reference Library
Social Studies for Kids – French and Indian War
French and Indian War Cloze Activity*
French and Indian War Q&A Worksheet
French and Indian War Map Q&A (need FREE membership to access)
French and Indian War Summary and Worksheets (grades 7+)
Hands on Learning Activities and other sources from Lesson Pathways
10 Things you may not know about the French and Indian War
10 Facts about the French and Indian War from Surf Net Kids
French and Indian War Curriculum from Fort Necessity Teaching Resources*
American History (various topics) from Homeschool Share
Free Sonlight History Printables from Practical Pages
French and Indian War Foundation: Fort Loudon, Winchester, VA (Virtual Option in the works)
Fort Frederick, Big Pool, MD
Fort Necessity, Farmington, PA
Fort William Henry, New Harbor, Maine
Old Fort Western, Augusta, Maine
French Creek Watershed, PA
Fort Boonesborough, Seven Years War/French and Indian War Encampment – 4/25/ 2015 to 4/26/2015, RIchmond, Kentucky
Fort Ticonderoga, Ticonderoga, New York
Old Fort Niagra, Youngstown, New York
Fort Wayne, Detroit, MI
French and Indian War Unit
French and Indian War Close Reading and Interactive Notebook
Road to Revolution: Causes of the American Revolution MEGA Bundle! (7+)
Other Teachers Pay Teachers Resources including Power Point Lessons and Printable Lessons
War For Empire Resources List (some free, some paid)
ebook*
A Narrative of the Life of Mrs. Mary Jemison by James E. Seaver. ebook
Brain Pop – French and Indian War (with paid subscription), also has free teaching resources
The War that Made America (PBS) with other resources
The French and Indian War: Causes, Effects & Summary
The French & Indian War Explained: US History Review (YouTube)
French and Indian War Changes Fate of America (YouTube)
French & Indian War (Computer Animation, YouTube)
The impact of the French and Indian War on the American Revolution (3min, YouTube)
French and Indian War (YouTube, High School Mini Doc)
Netflix – Dear America – Season 1, Episode 1, Standing in the Light (see book above). This takes place during the last year of the war.
Guest Post by Jen at Chestnut Grove Academy {This post contains some affiliate links}
She loves being able to share ideas and reviews (and sometimes giveaways) with all of you! She has benefited so much from other bloggers, and hopes that in some way she can do her part to pay it forward! They are studying US History this year and you can find more great resources on her blog! She blogs at Chestnut Grove Academy and has lots of reviews and other resources for babies through Elementary Ages! Thanks for reading!
Did you miss the other posts in this series? Click on the picture to find the other letters.
Come back next week to see what new resources we have to share while we learn all about the letter G during the ABC’s of American History.
Welcome to our fifth installment, E is for Ellis Island, as part of our newest series called ABC’s of American History. Today’s post was compiled by Rebecca Reid from Line upon Line Learning. She is a homeschooling mom of 2.
In 1921 and 1922, Roko and Sabina Benac were living in poverty in what was then Hungary and what is today Croatia. Roko was able to get work in Chicago, so the family decided to immigrate. At this point, Sabina was expecting a child in a few months. The young married couple decided that Sabina must wait behind. Roko continued on to Chicago ahead of the family.
On May 29, 1923, 29-year-old Sabina and 10-month-old William arrived at Ellis Island, ready to meet Roko in Chicago, where he had settled in March of the year before.
William was my grandfather, and he was one of the last to enter from Eastern Europe before the U.S. initiated restrictions on immigration in 1924. Although many fewer immigrant entered the country through Ellis Island after that year, before it was closed in 1954, Ellis Island had been the first stopping point for over 12 million immigrants to America in it opened in 1892.
Studying about Ellis Island is important because it was a landing spot for so many different people. Learning about the blend of cultures that make up America is an important part of understanding the early 1900s. Cultural enclaves appeared in cities around the country, and the traditions and language may have been passed down through the generations.
Here are some ideas for where to look for ideas on learning about Ellis Island.
Official National Parks site for Ellis Island. Plan a trip or learn about the site. Photos and other multimedia are also included. Click on “For Kids” for kids activities and “For Teachers” for lesson ideas.
Passenger Search. Search the records to see if any of your ancestors traveled through Ellis Island.
Ellis Island: Then and Now. A History Channel comparison of the appearance of Ellis Island from the past and again today.
Virtual Field Trip. From Scholastic.
Ellis Island on BrainPop. See the Educators page and the Video.
PBS Kids Adventure in Citizenship. This is topic 2 of episode 4.
Family History Research Questions for kids. From my blog. Although students may not have had ancestors that traveled through Ellis Island, their parents and grandparents may have interesting stories of their own to share.
Note: I have ordered these books from most simple to the most complex.
The Memory Coat by Elvira Woodruff. Fiction Picture Book. A family fleas Russia during a boisterous time, and must past inspection in Ellis Island before they can enjoy freedom in America. Although the reasons for the family’s flight are dire, the positive (and clever!) ending are sure to delight young readers.
Coming to America: The Story of Immigration by Betsy Maestro. Nonfiction Picture Book. Betsy Maestro manages to balance the text with the watercolor illustrations in a nice way. In this book, Ellis Island is just one part of the entire story of immigration.
Ellis Island: A True Book by Elaine Landau. Nonfiction. Books in the True Books series focus on facts and provide photos from history, as well as information feature like charts, diagrams, and timelines to assist in learning.
Letters from Rivka by Karen Hesse. Fiction. Rivka flees the Ukraine with her family in the early twentieth century, hoping to find freedom in America. But when Rivka is found to be ill, she must stay behind until she is better. On the other of her journey is a stay at Ellis Island. Although this is a chapter book, it is short and easily understood. Parents could read it with younger kids. It shows what it may have been like to arrive at Ellis Island.
If Your Name Was Changed At Ellis Island by Ellen Levine. Nonfiction. As a part of the “If you….” series, this book follows a similar format: questions lead the discussion here, and with a table of contents and index, young researchers can find what they are looking for.
What Was Ellis Island? by Patricia Brennan Demuth. Nonfiction. This addition to the “What Was…” series answers the question indicated in the title with plenty of details for the interested child. But despite the subject, it does not get bogged down. The length, writing style, and facts are all well designed for the third or fourth (or older) reader.
At Ellis Island: A History in Many Voices by Louise Peacock. Fiction. Sera fled her native Armenia more than a hundred years ago. Mixed in with her story is that of a child visiting Ellis Island in the present time, as well as quotes from actual immigrants who entered America there. The subjects are a bit more mature, so this is a book for older elementary school students.
Ellis Island: You Choose by Michael Burgan. Fiction. Readers choose the adventure as they read to get to their own, chosen ending to the story. Some of these are sad, and some are happy, and all are realistic.
Have you studied Ellis Island in your homeschool? What were your most useful resources? Have you had an ancestor arrive in America via Ellis Island?
Find out more about Rebecca at www.RebeccaReid.com.
