{Classical Conversations} Cycle 3 | Week 6

We’re really simplifying this year. You can see our Game Plan here. Also check out our U.S. Capitals State Tour.

Here are activities I found when we did Cycle 3 last time. In additional to the books listed, I also suggest checking out the books associated with this week’s Geography here.

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UPDATE: 10/19/11
I just looked ahead and realized that Week 19 has the kids learn the trails in Geography. I will probably push off the Oregon Trail activities until then.

History: Louisiana Purchase (and Pioneers and Westward Expansion)

In an attempt to cover a ton of material in a little time, we are going to do a day on the actual Louisiana Purchase, a day on Lewis and Clark, and a day on the Oregon Trail.  I’m also going to introduce the Little House series around this time.  Laura Ingalls Wilder’s books were my very favorite in Kindergarten and First Grade and I’m so looking forward to experiencing her story with my kids this fall.

Louisiana Purchase

• Intro: Read a book.
• Info and multiple choice quiz.
• Color and label a map of the purchase using this picture and these instructions.
• Webquest. (+)

Lewis and Clark

• Intro: movie.
• Go on a hike pretending like we’ve never seen the area before.  Collect stuff to send to President Jefferson.  We’ll practice using descriptive language since there were no camera’s back then.  Click here and here for more ways to expand this idea. (We’ll probably also go geocaching on our hike just because we can.)
• Add to our Louisian Purchase map using this picture.
• Timeline.
• Cipher activity. (+)
• Webhunt. (+)

Oregon Trail

• Play the game of course!  Try these sites for web-based versions or free trials.
  http://www.kongregate.com/games/MindRevelation/oregon-trail
  http://www.oregontrail.org/download-free-oregon-trail.htm
  http://www.america101.us/trail/Oregontrail.html
• If you don’t want to play the game, you can do this packing exercise here.
• The culminating activity in this lesson plan is also a great idea.

As if we have more spare time, I will also get these books from the library and let PJ pick some things he wants to do that correlate to his time period.  This worked out really well for the Colonial Era and the activities were great for engaging the little kids.

1. Westward Ho!: An Activity Guide to the Wild West (A Kid’s Guide series)
2. Pioneer Days: Discover the Past with Fun Projects, Games, Activities, and Recipes (American Kids in History Series)
3. Great Pioneer Projects You Can Build Yourself (Build It Yourself series)

This is PJ and the drum he made that Revolutionary drummer boys would have used to communicate to the minutemen. He also made a colonial shirt, powder horn, and hunting bag.

 Science: Digestive System

Intro: http://kidshealth.org/kid/htbw/htbw_main_page.html (what else?)

This lesson plan pretty much sums up what we’ll do besides watching The Magic School Bus: Human Body.