November 19th is the 155th Anniversary of The Gettysburg Address, which President Abraham Lincoln originally gave on November 19, 1863. Educator Larry Ferlazzo has put together a wonderful collection of links to resources, lesson plans, virtual tours and videos in honor of the day on his website. There is loads of great history material here!
CLICK HERE to go to the website!
Two fun interactive history sites for you today, about the settlement of Jamestown:
In 1606, some 105 adventurers set off from England to try and establish the first permanent English colony in the New World. They settled in what is now the state of Virginia and called their colony first James Fort, and then James Towne, in honor of James I, the King of England. The early years of the colony were nearly a total disaster. Almost half of the settlers died due to poor choices in settlement location, management of resources, and quarrels with the indigenous Powhatan Indians.
What if you were the Captain of the Jamestown Colony? In this simple interactive online game, you can make your own decisions and see where they lead you. Can you do any better than the real colonists? You will have a copy of the London Company’s Instructions to help guide you. Also, you can ask your fellow colonists and the Native Americans for advice. Be careful, though, because some advice is better than others!
CLICK HERE to go to the site
ON THE TRAIL OF CAPTAIN JOHN SMITH, from the National Geographic for Kids website, follows Captain Smith and the other settlers as they journey to the new world and found Jamestown. There’s several mini-games and videos about the challenges they faced in this fun interactive adventure.
CLICK HERE to go to the site
Here’s a creative and fun “hands on” unit study on Ancient Greek culture from adventuresinmommydom.org. In this set of studies for younger kids, she offers some great ideas for learning about Greek architecture, the ancient Olympics, Greek mythology, Greek artwork, small arms combat (using Legos) and more. Obviously put together by a mom who loves history, this study has lots of interesting ideas and would be great for primary ages.
CLICK HERE to go to the site!
Mary of Plymouth: A Story of the Pilgrim Settlement by James Otis (PDF ebook)
“My name is Mary, and I am setting down all these things about our people here in this new world, hoping some day to send my dear friend, Hannah, who lives in Scrooby, England, what may really come to be a story… even though the writer of it is only sixteen years old, having lived in Plymouth since the day our company landed from the Mayflower in 1620, more than eleven years ago…”
So begins this excellent book about the pilgrims and the colony of Plymouth, as told through the eyes of a young pilgrim girl named Mary. This classic “living book”, written by James Otis and originally published in 1910, is full of history, fascinating details about the daily lives of the pilgrims, along with plenty of action and adventure. Profusely illustrated and highly recommended. this is back by popular request! Another great story to share with your kids as we draw closer to our own Thanksgiving celebrations!
To download this PDF ebook, RIGHT CLICK HERE and “save” to your computer. Mac users, press the “control” key then click the link and save to your mac.
Richard of Jamestown by James Otis (PDF ebook) – A wonderful, highly readable chapter book by James Otis, chronicling the adventures of Richard, a young boy who sails to the new world with the colonists who founded Jamestown. His stories of the hardships and adventures faced by the Jamestown settlers, told from the viewpoint of a young boy, make this great reading for the Fall season. Don’t miss this!
from the foreword:
The purpose of this series of stories is to show the children, and even those who have already taken up the study of history, the home life of the colonists with whom they meet in their books. To this end every effort has been made to avoid anything savoring of romance, and to deal only with facts, so far as that is possible, while describing the daily life of those people who conquered the wilderness whether for conscience sake or for gain.
That the stories may appeal more directly to the children, they are told from the viewpoint of a child, and purport to have been related by a child. Should any criticism be made regarding the seeming neglect to mention important historical facts, the answer would be that these books are not sent out as histories—although it is believed that they will awaken a desire to learn more of the building of the nation—and only such incidents as would be particularly noted by a child are used.
Surely it is entertaining as well as instructive for young people to read of the toil and privations in the homes of those who came into a new world to build up a country for themselves, and such homely facts are not to be found in the real histories of our land.
To download this PDF ebook, RIGHT CLICK HERE and “save” to your computer!
Today we have for you four mini-ebooks from this classic collection by George Eggleston, featuring remarkable but little known tales from the pages of American History that will fascinate your kids:
“The Jamestown Wife Market”
In our first ebook, learn the little-known story of the Virginia “wife market”, when two shiploads of sweethearts who journeyed to the colony to become wives to the men colonists, and discover the odd prices that were paid for them. To download this PDF file, RIGHT CLICK HERE and “save” to your computer.
“Young Washington’s Perilous Journey”
Follow young George Washington on a perilous journey through the wilderness as he is faced with bitter cold, an ice-choked river, and betrayal by his native guides. To download this PDF file, RIGHT CLICK HERE and “save” to your computer.
“THE CANOE WAR”
The story of the smallest wartime naval battle ever fought in all history, which occurred on the Alabama River on the 13th of November, 1813 — between two canoes. To download this PDF file, RIGHT CLICK HERE and “save” to your computer.
and
“THE BATTLE IN THE DARK”
Great two-part story of how General Andrew Jackson and his rag-tag army took on an overwhelming British force which sought to capture New Orleans in the War of 1812 — in the pitch dark of midnight! To download this PDF file, RIGHT CLICK HERE and “save” to your computer.
Today we are featuring this fascinating vintage comic book biography of George Washington Carver (1860 – 1943).
Carver, the son of a slave, was an American botanist, environmentalist and inventor who actively promoted alternative crops to cotton and methods to prevent soil depletion. While a professor at Tuskegee Institute, he developed techniques to improve soils depleted by repeated plantings of cotton. He wanted poor farmers to grow alternative crops, such as peanuts & sweet potatoes, both as a source of their own food and to improve their quality of life. In an era of very high racial polarization, his fame reached beyond the black community. He was widely recognized and praised in the white community for his many achievements and talents.
This seven page story was originally published in Negro Heroes #1 way back in 1944. The full comic book, along with thousands of other vintage public domain comic books, can be found at the Digital Comic Museum website.
To download this PDF comic book story, RIGHT CLICK HERE and “save link” to your computer. Mac users, press the “control” key, then click the link and save the PDF to your Mac.
From the Jamestown Settlement & American Revolution Museum at Yorktown, create a revolutionary experience in your homeschool using one of these colonial America-related lesson plans and activity guides. Topics include: How do we know about Colonial life? What challenges did the Continental Army face? What was everyday life like in colonial Virginia?
Also on the site are “Anna’s Adventures – Activity Sheets & Videos”, where you can test your success as a colonial farmer, learn how to play the marching drum, download a popular strategy game in colonial times, and even make pickles the old fashioned way!
CLICK HERE to go to the site!
Ever wonder how the ancient Romans fed their armies? What the pioneers cooked along the Oregon Trail? What your great-grandparent’s favorite dessert was? Who invented the potato chip…and why? So do we!!!
Food history presents a fascinating buffet of popular lore and contradictory facts. Some experts say it’s impossible to express this topic in exact timeline format. They are correct. Most foods are not invented; they evolve.
Whether you’re looking for the origin of coffee or hamburgers in America, or want to know who invented Twinkies or Coca Cola, this fascinating food timeline – with hundreds of clickable notes and lots more in-depth information when you want it – makes the history of food both fun and educational.
CLICK HERE to go to the website!
