Here is a list of free ebooks for your studies in Ancient History. There are links to many authors, including Henty, Synge, Yonge, Balwin, Church and many more.
Blessings, Natalie
Showing posts with label Ancient History. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Ancient History. Show all posts
Marching in the Roman Army - Last Co-op of the Year
We had an incredible co-op yesterday! Thank you so much to the wonderful mom that led us! There was so much to learn as the children made Roman sheilds, learned about Roman armies and practiced Roman formations.
It was a great day!
First the children made amazing sheilds. They used cardboard, red tagboard, cut outs of designs and plastic bowls and foil. It took alot of glue to make it work and we needed a heavy duty glue gun. We tried to make the size of the cardboard as uniform as possible.
They turned out very well! The children looked like they were in a regular Roman Army!
After making their sheilds the children watched this excellent video on Roman Armies.
It really brought to life what they were doing.
After they were finished they took their sheilds and swords (swimming noodles) and we did some formations. This was great. They saw how challenging it was to keep in formation.
They had a great time afterward when the battle was on!
In the afternoon they were ready to settle down and draw and paint a portrait of a Roman god or goddess. This was a wonderful finish to a great year!
Next year on to the Middle Ages! This week we planned out our topics and who was going to lead... it will be so much fun! We will continue on with the art and drama focus in the afternoons. What a blessing! Thank you to all the Mom’s who gave their time and creative energy to lead our children!!
Co-op Day, Olympics, Drama and so much FUN!
On Monday, we had another great co-op day. How blessed we are to have this experience for our children!
This was our last ancient history co-op based on the Greeks. What better project than to have an Olympics! We had an indoor Olympics as the weather was not co-operating. The mom that organized this was so awesome, she prepared for both an indoor and an outdoor Olympics.
First, one of the moms talked to the children about the Olympics and then we watched a short video clip from Discovery Education on the Olympics.
Then another mom helped them make their victory wreaths with fern fonds and pipe cleaners. These got set aside and then the Olympic Games began. We divided the kids up into small groups and they went from one event to another.
We had:
Arm Wrestling
Punching on a punching bag
“Shot Put” with cotton balls
“Discus” with paper plates
“Chariot races” with wooden spoons and rubber balls
The kids has such a great time and were laughing and smiling. The moms all joined in and measured, kept time and judged races.
In the end the kids all got their shoes on and went out side for the torch race and got crowned with their wreaths. What a fun morning!
In the afternoon was a highlight as we had another amazing drama production by our children. They practiced their lines and went through several “dress rehearsals” with all their towels and sheets.
This drama had weaved within it so much information about Greece. The highlight for me was seeing our children working together with joy, really enjoying their characters, taking direction and really listening to what they needed to do to make the drama better. They did such a great job!
We are so blessed to have our writer, director and producer mom!!
Well, next month we are off to Rome on the Roman Road!
Blessings!
Another Awesome Co-op Day - Greece!
Choosing to be part of a co-op is such a joy for me! I get to see my lovely daughter as she interacts with others, and because she is home educating alone most days, these days are extra special!
When choosing your co-op mates, it just seems to me that God brings those with many different skills, talents and strengths to give our children the best of many perspectives, teaching styles, focusses and real variety in projects and interactions!
This is a HUGE blessing! So thank you moms of our co-op who make each month something wonderful! You know who you are!!
This past month we were exploring Ancient Greece. First the children learned greek letters, and made their names from the greek alphabet and a greek sign which the moms needed to figure out. Then they made Greek pendants with air dry clay. They also played “stump the parent” with riddles about Greek Gods and Goddesses. We were very stumped!!
They did an awesome mapping activity where they worked as groups to find out how a greek ship would have traded with other ports of call and how a certain ship would have navigated the waters of the Mediterranean.
They then presented their theory to the group. There were some great theories and various routes on the maps.
In the afternoon our fabulous art teacher took over. The children finished grouting their mosaic pots and did a crayon resist of a Amphora vase. These turned out so well!
Then it was on to the first practice of the next play the that children will be doing. Our daughter just loves the plays that they get to perform! It is such a blessing. Our art teacher writes these plays herself with each of the children in mind. She gives them all their own special part! What a gift to our co-op this is!
We have several more amazing co-ops to come this year as we finish up Greece and travel to Rome. We are already starting to plan for next year - how exciting! Blessings!
Ancient Architecture Co-op
We had another amazing co-op yesterday. We are now studying Greece. I decided to make this month as a study of Ancient Architecture. What a fabulous time it was!!
First I taught the children about architecture through this article.
After we had discussed the types of columns, I had them use this image to colour, cut out and attach to a paper towel roll. This I was hoping would be a reminder for the children to remember the three major types of columns in Ancient Greece.
I went to various books in our library, as well as online and found examples of each type of Architecture in different temples of different eras.
We talked about the amazing abilities of the Greek builders including the bowing of the columns to make them look straight from a distance.
I had sent out a link to Secrets of the Parthenon that the children could watch ahead of time about the work that they are doing on the Parthenon as they restore it. Little One really enjoyed the video. It put the ancient architecture into a modern context.
The greatest part of the day for me was seeing the children using very different mediums to work on creating their own Parthenon’s (or other temples). They all worked collaboratively and it was really special to see their amazing work during both the process and in the end!!
Several boys worked together on Minecraft and created Parthenons. They were very impressive based on the short time that they had to work on them!
Several of the girls worked on a Model Magic Temple of Nike. They then made a spoof from it and modelled the “royal shoe” which was inside the temple - they even had a guard inside to guard the temple.
Another family had been working on their Parthenon before they came and had built it with their Dad and friends. They brought Lego along and set up a scene and performed for us the Battle of Marathon.
Another group of 3 boys did an amazing job of Architecture using cardboard, paper towel rolls and a hot glue gun!
Another group worked on this model Which was quite a challenge! I am looking forward to seeing it next month!!
This was such a beautiful time seeing all the collaboration taking place. I really saw the children problem solving, creating together, supporting each other and above all building each other up!!
Co-ops are such a lovely way for children to learn and share together!! I am so blessed with our group and their commitment! Blessings!!
Passover Seder in December!!
Today we had our last Ancient Egypt Co-op and we decided to celebrate a Passover Seder. It was a great day. Each of the moms brought some aspect of the Seder and I used this Christian Passover Haggadah to guide us. The only thing that I changed was the reference to all being baptized and I chose to have a drummette chicken leg for the shank bone.
It went so well and tied into the afternoon activity of the Exodus play that the children put on.
This is what we did:
First, I went to our local thrift shop and rummaged through the plates until I found enough for the 15 children that attended. I had the children draw on their plates with Sharpie pens. I showed them examples of Seder plates and things that they could put on them. I had some passages of Hebrew writing if that was what they would like to add.
Before they plated their Seder we covered the plates in Saran Wrap as I didn’t feel that Sharpie ink was very food safe!
Then I had the moms add an egg, a dollop of horseradish, a piece of lettuce, a drummette, charoset and matzah crackers. On the tables were bowls of salt water and sugar water. We used grape juice for our wine.
This Seder was participatory on the part of the children so several of them read passages of scripture and participated in some way.
The children had fun with the toasts and with all the aspects of the Seder. Most of the children hadn’t been part of a Seder before.
After the Seder, and we had a potluck lunch the children put on their play. It was a play that had several parts added into it by one of our very talented mothers so that every child had their own character. The children practiced and then put on the play for all of us.
What a great day we had!
Blessings!
Ancient Egypt Study
We have had a great study of Ancient Egypt. We studied Egypt about 4 years ago, using Story of the World. This has been a more in-depth study with a variety of readings. Here is what we did:
We started by reading God King by Joanne Williamson. This was a great way of studying the political structure of Egypt at the time. We enjoyed it and it was great to go back to the bible after and read the passages from the time of King Hezekiah.
We are partially through Mara, Daughter of the Nile, and this book will just have to get finished over the next month, even though we are finished up Egypt. It is a story with lots of twists and turns.
Here are some of our other reads...
On the Shores of the Great Sea by M.B. Synge
This is an excellent book as an option instead of a textbook. It is engaging, including stories amongst the facts of ancient civilizations. It also weaves in our biblical history and puts it into the time frame of the ancients. This volume covers from the Home of Abraham to the Pax Romana. There are a total of four volumes.
Peeps at Many Lands: Ancient Egypt by James Baikie
This book helped in looking at the daily life of the Egyptians, the importance of the Nile, and many other aspects of Egypt that we studied. It was a great addition.
Our daughter used Ancient Egypt History Pockets to do her notebook for the unit. She read from this and did the activities.
We watched The Ten Commandments with Charlton Heston. What an epic that was!! It was a great way to visualize the Israelites in Egypt and the oppression they experienced.
We have had one Co-op so far with two more focussed on Egypt. I will keep you posted on these!!
Our daughter has watched several videos on Egypt from Discovery Education. She especially enjoyed the ones on Egyptian Archeology.
We are off to Greece in a few weeks. We will see you there!! Blessings!!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)