Evan-Moor History Pockets, A Review
Each of our three school-aged children has expressed an interest in Indians. Following their interest, we set aside plans to finish Story of the World 1, and instead started a journey through the tribes of North America.
To help us explore, I purchased an Evan Moor product for the first time. Â I’ve heard such positive reviews about their products from the ladies over at Homeschool Share for years. Â Last week we started the Evan Moor History Pockets for Native Americans, grades 1-3. Â I bought the ebook version so that I can print off only what we actually use.
I’ve enjoyed everything about this purchase. Â I can’t say that about too many products out there, I usually spend half my time thinking of how to fill holes.
There are two activities per tribe and they are easy to accomplish but still fun.
Nez Perce Decorations for the Appaloosa Horses
Character Qualities of Chief Joseph from the Nez Perce Indians
Tlingit Potlatch Masks
A map of the tribes along with picture cards to create a Native American dictionary are included.
My 4 1/2, 7, and 9 year old have all been engaged in this unit, an unexpected bonus for me.
With the Evan Moore pockets, the only extra resource I recommend is the library. Â But even if you don’t have that, a short booklet is included for each tribe(it’s helpful and will do the trick, but it’s not like having some great pictures and read-alouds.) Â I’ll continue to update the book list at the end up this post, as we continue through the tribes.
I truly haven’t looked for other supplements, though a few have walked into my email via rss feeds, like this igloo below. Â And the new information we’ve been learning has inspired lots of creative play. Â Think Inuit animals bundled in baby sister’s winter clothes and tied onto a ladder as a sleigh.
Note: I purchased this product for our family homeschool, I received no money to review this product.
Suggested Booklist
The Inuits
Call me Ahnighito by Pam Conrad
The Year of Miss Agnes by Kirkpatrick Hill(CB)
The Three Snow Bears by Jan Brett
The Tlingit
The Tlingit by Raymond Bial
The Frog Princess Tlingit Legend from Alaska by Eric A Kimmel
Nez Perce
Thunder Rolling in the Mountians by Scott O’Dell(CB)*
The Nez Perce by Virginia Driving Hawk Sneve
Chief Joseph Boy of the Nez Perce’ by Olive W. Burt(CB)*
The Nez Perce by Sharlene and Ted  Nelson
The Maidu
Home to Medicine Mountain by Chiori Santiago
Other Indian Read-Alouds
Caddy Woodlawn(CB)
Tree in the Trail by Holling C. Holling
Pocahontas by Ingri and Edgar Parin d’Aulaire
CB-Chapter Book
*This book was checked out by our family, by we didn’t get a chance to read it.
Holiday Book Basket-All Wrapped Up
Most of you know that we have a tiny, barely noticeable, really-we-could-give-it-up-anytime, passion for books in our family. Last year we put together a winter basket of our favorite books, which gave us countless hours of cozy couch time. Â This year we’re continuing the tradition with an added tint of pleasure.
I came across the idea to choose 24 books, wrap each book, and add a number tag to each package. Â Suddenly our winter book basket is an advent countdown. Â Last night Mr. Darcy and I sat up wrapping packages, and I said “Honey, you are so crazy and sweet to be sitting here doing this with me instead of telling me I’m nuts.” I should mention it was the far side of midnight and the night before he’d been at the E.R. with our 9 year old. Â He replied smilingly, “Honey, we’ve been married for ten years, I know all about your ideas.”
We’ve been adding a christmas book here and there for 9 years so we happen to have more than 24 books. Â However, you may be be at the beginning of your collection. Â Try scouting out thrift stores and used bookstores, look for special seasonal sales, or get really thrifty and wrap up a new batch of christmas library books each week.
To further your christmas journey into books check out Crafty Crow’s great book/advent post. Â I’ll be adding several of hers to our library list.
We also enjoyed this lapbook/unit study, The Legend of the Candy Cane a few years ago, free at Homeschool Share.
For more great ideas about reading and advent, head to Real Learning.  After enjoying her links, scroll down and look in the left sidebar for a list of great christmas books.  This post includes a review of family favorites.
Happy Holiday Reading!
Sam Sat on Mat
I love that I get to be the person who teaches my children how to read. Â I love being there for the first word, the first sentence, the first Dr. Seuss book, and the first time they read a chapter without giving up. Â It’s like watching their minds open a little wider with each step, a gateway to stories and information.
Even though I would never give up this un-paid gig, it hasn’t been an easy task.
“I can’t do it,” with a huff.
“You read it mommy.”
“I can’t do it!” with a loud siren sound.
With our first child, the path to reading was completely new territory for her and for me(learning for her, and teaching for me). The right books, curriculum, style of teaching, all of these seemed mysterious and I knew there must be one right answer. Â Now I know, of course, that there are many right ways to go down this path, but at that point I hadn’t walked with a child to the other side. Â I wondered if I’d chosen the correct tools and even more, I wondered if she would even learn to read at all.
My eldest learned with Sing, Spell, Read, and Write. Â She grasped the phonics rules quickly, appreciating their neat and tidy rules. Â The next daughter didn’t care much for the tidy rules and clear boudaries(and yes that trait does flow in the rest of her life as well). Â Once she got past the basic letter sounds, she complained her way through the phonics lessons for the length of kindergarten. Â In the summer, when we offered her some reading incentives, she leapt up several levels by sheer force of will. And followed suit again the next summer. Â Just don’t ask her the “I before E except after C” rule.
The next child to enter the reading gates is The Boy. Â I haven’t been in a hurry to teach him this skill. Â After schooling his sisters, I had an advantage. Â I knew the question wasn’t if he would read, it was simply of a matter when. Â This knowledge makes for a much more relaxed teacher mama. Â Until recently he’s been the snuggly little brother who follows around after the girls. Â He been mommy’s little boy. Â But lately he’s been coming into his own and one way is his readiness for new skills. Â Â He started by pointing to specific words in books, “What’s that word mommy?” I told him the word. “And this word?” Â And it went on like this with me convinced that he would get bored, and him still asking two pages later.
Drawing letters, playing alphabet games, surprising me with the letter sounds, and then, two days ago, he read his first book. And for the third, and no less exciting time, I sat with one of my children as they experienced reading for the first time. For all of the activities and practice, the beginning of reading still feels like magic.
Some of the tools we’ve used:
Melissa and Doug’s Alphabet Puzzle
Melissa and Doug’s Alphabet Magnets
Blowing Fall Trees
I’m falling in love with That Artist Woman, a art website overflowing with great seasonal ideas. Â Truth be told, I’d like to sift through the site and choose some projects for myself if I had the time. Â Yesterday we painted fall trees, different than the typical trees ideas I’ve seen before, that look remarkably like the trees in our backyard. Â Her instructions are detailed and all of my children we’re able to follow the steps with great results. Okay, I had a great time with the straw and paint as well, but I forgot to take a picture of mine.
If your kids have a sense of mixing colors, let them take the lead in creating the fall colors for the background. Â My 7 and almost 9 year old created the colors for our project.
Jellybean, Age 7
Mookie, age 9 in 11 days
The Boy, age 4 1/2
Crafting with The Book of Days
Just in time for Autumn we’ve discovered the Book of Days. Â The Book of Days is a wonderful publication by a talented and warm-hearted mom who writes and illustrates each issue. Â The monthly email book is full of seasonal cooking, playing, exploring, and savoring. Â So far I’ve found the acitivies from Autumn 1, the latest edition, to use mostly household items and a sense of wonder.We’ve made pumpkin butter and kettle corn, played acorn jacks and today we made leaf prints.
As much as we like art around here, we’ve never made these simple leaf prints. Â Our 4, 7, and 9 year old(okay, and me, too) found it easy to do, as long as you’re willing to get a little messy with the paint. Â Here’s what we did to make ours(check out the Books of Days for more instructions and other great nature fun). Â We printed our leaves onto notecards, which we’ll wrap with twine and give to friends.
Step 1-Paint your leaf(we used craft acrylics)
Step 2-Turn leaf, paint side down, onto notecard
Step 3-Place piece of paper over leaf and gently press
Step 4-Remove paper and leaf, admire beautiful work
Step 5-Stop at this point, or after your cards dry, you can add accents with letter stamps, scrap papers, or your own creative idea. Â If you have more printing left in you, go ahead and print on the envelopes too.
Note: If you are crafting with younger ones(such as my 4 year old) you’ll want to give guidance for the first few cards and continue to give some helpful encouragement-if you want recognizable leaf prints. Â I found, though, that it’s my younger ones that surprise me with their freedom and inspire me to brake out of that “perfect” idea in my head.
The Sweet ABC’s
I happened across this idea sunday night and just knew J would enjoy this game. Â Learn with a game and some leftover candy from the holdiday weekend? Â He did enjoy it and once he went through his candy, he asked if he could play again, this time with his sister’s. Â See more details here.
Welcome to the Adventure
Five years into our homeschooling adventure and we still feel the Lord leading us down this road of simultaneous  miracles and pitfalls. I’ve experienced homeschooling just one child, then two, then added in a fidgeting toddler, several months of mommy sick on the couch, and now we have three schooling and one smiling baby in the boat.  Some days are filled with math epiphanies and writing breakthroughs.  Other days we make it to a nature trail.  Then there are the days we don’t talk about when I just try to make it to a starbucks and leave all the kids in the principal’s office.  Still, I can’t imagine it any other way. We would be a different family, I would be a different person, if we changed the past half decade.  We’ve chosen learning as a part of a bigger world, academics along with a greater book(the Bible), lessons not limited by the boundaries of a school building.
Welcome to our adventure.
The Principal-Mr. Darcy, lover of movies, ice cream, making fresh pasta, and baking up a sweet surprise, oh, and he’s a graphic designer.
The Head Explorer-Aimee, lover of books, chocolate, writing, Mr. Darcy, and 4 addictive kids.
Mookie-almost 9 year old 3rd grader, lover of books, drama, swimming, girls scouts, and friends.
Jellybean-7 year old 2nd grader, lover of frogs, handwriting, swimming, and playmobiles.
The Boy-4 1/2 year old preschooler, lover of cooking, helping, doing school, and finding adventure in every moment.
Sparkles-almost 8 month old baby girl who makes the whole family walk around with goofy faces just to get one sweet smile.