Alexander Graham Bell

PHB  Homeschool Art Contest!!! (2016)

I’m thrilled to announce I’m hosting my third, annual, nation-wide Homeschool Art Contest!   Artwork must be postmarked by Saturday, April 30th!  Click HERE for contest details.

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Week 11: Alexander Graham Bell

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Read K – 1:  Alexander Graham Bell by Nest Entertainment 

2 – 3:  Ahoy, Ahoy! Are you there? – A Story of Alexander Graham Bell by Robert Quackenbush AND (Optional) Alexander Graham Bell by Nest Entertainment 

4 – 6:  Alexander Graham Bell and the Telephone by Christine Webster 

7 – 8:  Who Was Alexander Graham Bell? by Bonnie Bader

 

Discuss:

• When he moved to Boston, what type of school did Bell teach at? (school for the deaf)
• Who was Bell’s assistant? (Thomas Watson)
• What were Bell and Watson trying to invent before inventing the telephone? (harmonic telegraph: able to send many messages over 1 wire) 

Questions for Grades 2 & up:

• What did Alexander’s father invent? (visible speech)
• What was visible speech? (pictures and symbols showing how words are spoken)
• Where was Alexander Graham bell born? ( Scotland)
• Where did he move to when he was 24? (Canada)
• Why? (Brothers had died of Tuberculosis; Parents thought cleaner Canadian air would be good for Alexander)
• What did he teach at the school for the deaf? (His father’s visible speech)
• How did tutoring children actually help him? (He fell in love with a girl he was tutoring and the girl’s father and another child’s parent helped him pay for his experiments)
• What was the 1^st telephone company called? (Bell telephone company)
• T/F Bell invented many other things besides the telephone. (T)
• What was the name of Bell’s wife? (Mabel)

Questions for Grades 4 & up:

• What handicap did Alexander’s mother have? (hearing impaired)
• What special skills did Watson bring to their partnership? (experience working with electrical instruments)
• What was the Centennial Exposition? (Great exhibit of new inventions to celebrate the 100^th birthday of the United States)
• Describe Alexander’s experience at the fair?(At first, no one noticed him.  Then the emperor of Brazil, who had met him at the Boston school for the deaf, noticed him.  He was impressed by his telephone and made sure the other judges saw his display.)
• How did telephones become popular in England? (Bell showed Queen Victoria his telephone.  She was very impressed with it and ordered one.  Many others in England began to order telephones because of her.)

Questions for Grades 7 & up:

• How did Alexander come up with the idea for the telephone? (By reading information about a German scientist’s experiments.  He didn’t understand German very well and thought that the scientist was sending sounds over wires.)
• Did Mr. Hubbard & Mr. Sanders, Bell’s sponsors, like the idea of sending human voice over wires? (no)
• How did Alex come to get the patent for the telephone? (Mr. Hubbard & Mr. Sanders filed for him and just in time.  Another inventor, Elisha Gray, tried to claim the same patent 2 hours later.)
• Did Alexander want to go to the Centenial Exhibition? (no)
• Why? (Busy, knew Gray would be showing off his multiple telegraph invention)
• T/F Once the telephone became popular, many women became telephone operators. (T)
• T/F  Bell had to go to court many times in order to defend his inventions. (T)
• Name some of Bell’s other inventions.  (metal detector, breathing machine, kite that people could glide in)
• What famous magazine did Alex’s father-in-law start that celebrated science & technology? (National Geographic)
• What did Alex believe was his most important work? (working with the deaf)

Activities:

K – 3:

• Color this page: http://www.crayola.com/free-coloring-pages/print/alexander-graham-bell-coloring-page/
• Then check out this poster of how telephones have changed over the years: https://ureadthru.files.wordpress.com/2016/04/b4f0f-timeline-telephone-01.png  Discuss how you think phones might look in the future.

4 – 6: Do the following:

• Check out this poster of how telephones have changed over the years: https://ureadthru.files.wordpress.com/2016/04/b4f0f-timeline-telephone-01.png  Discuss how you think phones might look in the future.
• “Alexander Graham Bell’s telephone made the world a smaller place.”  Do you agree with this statement?  Why or why not?  Write a short essay to defend your answer.

7 – 8:   Write an essay on the one of the following:

• “Alexander Graham Bell’s telephone made the world a smaller place.” Do you agree with this statement?  Why or why not?  Write a short essay to defend your answer.
• View this image of the evolution of the telephone. https://ureadthru.files.wordpress.com/2016/04/b4f0f-timeline-telephone-01.png Write an essay describing the look and features of early telephones, cell phones today, and what you imagine phones will be like in the year 2045.

Copyright April 29th, 2016 by Gwen Fredette

Indians of the Plains & West

PHB  Homeschool Art Contest!!! (2016)

I’m thrilled to announce I’m hosting my third, annual, nation-wide Homeschool Art Contest!   Click HERE for contest details.

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Week 10: Indians of the Plains & of the West

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Read K – 4: Read the information on this site: http://www.fasttrackteaching.com/burns/Unit_2_Westward/U2_Impact_on_Indians.html

5 – 8:  Do the following:

• 500 Nations DVD — Watch Episode 7: Scene 7 “Indian Slavery” to end of scene 14 “Fates of Sitting Bull & Crazy Horse”.  Then watch all of Episode 8.
• And read information on this site: http://www.fasttrackteaching.com/burns/Unit_2_Westward/U2_Impact_on_Indians.html

Discuss:

• What animal did the Indians of the plains hunt? (buffalo)
• What were reservations? (Confined areas for Indians)
• T/F Most Indians were happy to move to reservations.  (F)
• T/F The Government sent supplies of food and other things to reservations.  (T)
• T/F Geronimo was a Native American who led a resistance to the reservation system.  (T)
• What famous American general was killed against his battle with Sitting Bull (& Crazy Horse) at the battle of Little Bighorn? (General Custer)
• T/F The Nez Perce Indians had a reputation for being a war-like tribe.  (F)
• What was the name of the Chief of the Nez Perce Indians during the mid-late 1800’s? (Chief Joseph)
• T/F When Americans fought against Indian tribes, they never killed women and children.  (F)
• T/F  Many Indians were massacred at the battle of Wounded Knee.  (T)

Questions for Grades 5 – 8:

• What was the “sacred possession” of each of the Plains’ Indians? (their horse)
• What caused the flood of immigrants across the plains? (Homestead Act)
• Name 2 Indian chiefs that strove for peace and didn’t fight? (Black Kettle & White Antelope)
• Why did they give up their land? (to protect tribes of women, children, & elderly)
• What happened to Black Kettle and White Antelope’s tribes? (most massacred by American troops while under the protection of the American government;  of the survivors most were annihilated 4 years later by General Custard.
• Were Indians well fed on reservations? (no)
• The American army killed what creature in mass during the 1800’s? (the Buffalo)
• How did this affect the Indians of the plains? (angry, hungry, losing way of life)
• What Indian chief successfully won the battle of the little Bighorn? (Crazy Horse)
• During the Battle of Little Bighorn, what Indian chief stayed at camp to protect the women and children? (Sitting Bull)
• After the attack Sitting Bull moved his tribe where? (to Canada)
• Where did Crazy Horse take his tribe? (to the Black Hills)
• Why did Crazy Horse later surrender? (to save his starving people)
• How did Chief Joseph, leader of the Nez Perce, try to lead his people to safety? (tried to meet up with Sitting Bull in Canada)
• Was he able to reach him? (No, American army attacked them when they were just one day away from Sitting Bull’s encampment.)
• T/F Geronimo’s tribe was sent to a reservation. (F- sent to a prison in Florida)
• What were reservations like? (Barren land, like concentration camps, lived in complete poverty)
• Why were Indian children sent and often forced to go to boarding schools? (to assimilate them into white culture)
• What affect did this have on Indian culture? (Children began to despise their own Indian tribes, families were separated unwillingly from their own children, Indian children were no longer allowed to speak in their native languages, wear native clothes, or eat their traditional food.  Boys bore the shame of having their long hair or braids cut.  When children returned home to tribes after being in school, they could not function well with their people.)

Activities:

K – 2: Indians of the plains often lived in tepees.  Create your own teepee using these instructions and this template: http://www.firstpalette.com/Craft_themes/People/paperteepee/paperteepee.html

3 – 4: Do the following:

• Indians of the plains often lived in tepees.  Create your own teepee using these instructions and this template: http://www.firstpalette.com/Craft_themes/People/paperteepee/paperteepee.html
• Then, click on this website:  http://www.sd4history.com/Unit3/buffalouses.htm  Print out the picture and use it to answer the questions on the attached worksheet, buffalo uses

5 – 6: Do the following:

• Click on this website:  http://www.sd4history.com/Unit3/buffalouses.htm Print out the picture and use it to answer the questions on the attached worksheet, buffalo uses
• Then, click on this website: http://www.historyplace.com/speeches/joseph.htm  Read and then copy Chief Joseph’s famous speech.

7 – 8: Do the following:

• Click on this website: http://www.historyplace.com/speeches/joseph.htm  Read and then copy Chief Joseph’s famous speech.
• Then, click on this website (scroll halfway down the page) : http://www.californiaindianeducation.org/famous_indian_chiefs/  and copy Crazy Horse’s famous last speech.
• Finally, write a few paragraphs describing which speech is more meaningful to you and why.

Copyright April 20th, 2016 by Gwen Fredette

 

 

Cowboys

PHB  Homeschool Art Contest!!! (2016)

 

I’m thrilled to announce I’m hosting my third, annual, nation-wide Homeschool Art Contest!   Click HERE for contest details.

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Week 9: Cowboys

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Read K – 3: Cowboys and Cowgirls: Yippee – Yah!  by Gail Gibbons

4 – 5: Wild West Days by David King (Read all “story” portions of the book)

6 – 8:  Zayda was a Cowboy (Chp 2 – end) by June Levitt Nislick (Point out glossary in back of book to help students with Yiddish words)

Discuss:

• What was a cowboy’s job? (to round up longhorn cattle and bring them many hundred miles to cities where they would be sold)
• Name some important clothes cowboys wore? Why were each important? (Stetson or 10 gallon hat – protected them from the sun and rain, bandana – pulled over mouth to keep out dust, gloves – protected cowboys hands from ropes, spurs- encouraged horse to move)
• What animal did a cowboy always need to help him round up cattle? (a horse)
• Why would a cowboy need to lasso a longhorn cattle? (if it strayed from the group or if it needed to be branded)
• What was branding? (when stamp or symbol was burned onto cattle to prove ownership)
• What food was common for cowboys to eat? (beans, coffee, bread)
• What was the most dangerous thing that could happen while rounding up cattle? (stampede)
• What was a stampede? (all cows are spooked into a panic and start charging at once)
• Once the cattle were brought where they needed to go, what was the first thing a cowboy usually did? (took a bath; they wore the same clothes for months)
• Cattle were eventually boarded onto what vehicle? (a train)

Questions for Grades 6 – 8: 

• What was a “greenie”? (just off the boat, a person who doesn’t know America’s ways yet)
• Why was eating the cowboy food a problem for Zayda? (cooked in pig fat; Jews cannot eat pig meat)
• What made longhorns “tougher” than other cows? (could go days without water, fewer diseases, handled Texas heat well)
• Why did cowboys try to fatten the cattle on the ranch? ( would lose weight during the cattle drive)
• What was one of Zayda’s favorite food treats to eat? (ice-cream soda)

 

Activities:

K – 3: Make a cattle brand using a potato, paint, and directions from this site: http://crafts.lovetoknow.com/cowboy-crafts-kids

4 – 5: Choose any activity to do from Wild West Days by David King.

6 – 8: Write an essay on the one of the following:

• Zayda often felt alone and was not close to most of the other cowboys. Why do you believe this was the case?
• Why did Zayda feel he had to leave Russia? Do you think he made the right decision?
• Of Zayda’s many experiences in coming to and living in America, what do you think would be the hardest? Why?

Copyright April 15th, 2016 by Gwen Fredette

From Old Schoolhouse Store: Free Curiosity Files

PHB  Homeschool Art Contest!!! (2016)

I’m thrilled to announce I’m hosting my third, annual, nation-wide Homeschool Art Contest!   Click HERE for contest details.

_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ 

Free Curiosity Files from Old Schoolhouse Store

Have you heard of the Curiosity Files? They are an amazing series of downloadable e-books that cover all kinds of incredible things the Lord has made! Things like Cave Fish, Zombie Fire Ants, Slime Eels, Red Tides, Whirlpools and much more! There are 18 different e-books! For a limited time we are offering this $125.10 series for FREE!!! That’s right – FREE! Hop over to The Old Schoolhouse Store, type in Curiosity Series and put in code CELEBRATE…then enjoy them on us! Click HERE for a sample of Blue Diamond.

Posted by Gwen Fredette on April 10th, 2016

Immigration (1800’s)

Week 8: Immigration, 1800’s

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Read K – 2: The Long Way to A New Land by Joan Sandin

3– 5: The Long Way to A New Land by Joan Sandin & The Long Way Westward by Joan Sandin

6 – 8:  What was Ellis Island?  By Patricia Brennon Demuth

Discuss:

• Why did many immigrants want to move to America? (not enough food; some were persecuted for race or religion)
• What may have been some of the things immigrants brought with them to America? (quilts, food, pots dishes, tools, rifles, Bible)
• T/F Rich and poor passenger’s rooms on the boat to America were the same. (F)
• Why did it smell bad on the boats? (Many people were seasick; hundreds of people were packed close together)
• Why did doctors check the immigrants? (to make sure they didn’t bring any contagious diseases)

Questions for Grades 6 – 8:

• What are immigrants? (People who leave their homeland behind and come to a new country.)
• A huge wave of immigrants came to America during what time period? (Mid to late 1800’s)
• Why were immigrants tested? (free of disease; to see if they could support themselves)
• Why were there so many Irish immigrants during the mid 1800’s? (Potato famine)
• Why did many Jewish families come to America? (terrorized in Russia)
• Where did immigrants live in the U.S.? (some moved to western plains, some worked on railroad lines, most headed for big cities)
• Did children of immigrants have to work? (yes)
• Why was school such a blessing for many immigrants? (school was only for the rich in their home countries)
• What was the name of the Island thousands of immigrants passed through to come to America? (Ellis Island)
• What is Ellis Island today? (a museum)

Activities:

K – 1: Find and color in the United States and Sweden on this map: https://www.eduplace.com/ss/maps/pdf/world_country.pdf  Then draw a line to show how a ship would sail to get from one country to another.  On the back of this map, draw a picture of immigrants coming to America.

2 – 4:  Do the following:

1. Find and color in the United States and Sweden on this map: https://www.eduplace.com/ss/maps/pdf/world_country.pdf  
2. Then, complete the following worksheets: http://glencoe.com/sites/common_assets/socialstudies/immigration/pdf/Grade_3_CGS_44.pdf
3. AND this one: http://glencoe.com/sites/common_assets/socialstudies/immigration/pdf/Grade_3_RC_37.pdf

5 – 6:   Complete the attached immigration worksheet: immigration worksheet

7 – 8:   Complete the attached immigration worksheet: immigration worksheet  Then pretend you are an immigrant from Ireland, China, or Sweden.  Write a letter to a cousin back in your homeland telling them about the challenges you and your family have faced by coming to America, but why you are glad you have come.  (Hint:  Think about travelling, food, language, work, school, etc.)

Copyright April 7th, 2016 by Gwen Fredette