On to explorers as we take a trip through Canadian history! First up Vikings!
There are so many great books and resources..
Here's what we did:
1. Read some books together.
2. Watched some short videos.
3. Each kidlet had a historical fiction book to read on their own.
4. Some fun activities.
5. Sweet Pea included a notebooking page in her Canadian History notebook, Goober did some mini books for the explorers lapbook he is putting together.
6. Watched a fun completely non historical movie with popcorn!
The book I'm using as a spine is The Story of Canada.
As well as, The Kids Book of Canadian Exploration.
We read these books together.
From the cover:
" Leif is a
sturdy, blond-haired Viking boy who crosses uncharted seas to an unknown
land with his father. Written in the spirit of the ancient sagas and
rich in color and detail, Leif the Lucky is a fascinating biography of the young Viking explorer."
From the cover:
"Craig Moodie's finely crafted adventure novel tells the story of
twelve-year-old Finn, who stows away to search for his lost father and
brothers. It's a journey that brings storms, shipwreck, tense encounters
with the inhabitants of an unexplored continent -- and a coming of age
for Finn, who will in the end, face his father as a young man and a
Viking."
There are some great Viking videos..
as always we love anything Crash course...
And an oldie from the National Film Board- The Vinland Mystery
Goober (age 8) had these books on his list.......
From the cover:
"Since discovering the Canadian Flyer, a magical time-traveling sled, in
Emily’s attic, Matt and Emily have met fearsome pirates in Frobisher
Bay, outrun dinosaurs in the Alberta badlands, and panned for gold in
the Yukon. In Yikes! Vikings!, Emily and Matt have the incredible
experience of joining Eriksson and his crew on their historic journey to
Vinland in the year 1001. Almost 500 years before Columbus, Viking Leif
Eriksson was the first European to set foot on North American soil. But
will the kids’ ingenuity save the day when a crew member gets lost in
the new land?"
Sweet Pea's (age 11) list included...
From the cover:
"Keira, kidnapped from Ireland by Vikings, is a slave living in legendary
Vinland. Two native bands, the Beothuck and the Thule, are also
fighting over the land, thrusting the Norsemen into war. While the
Vikings search for a new home, an accident at sea leaves Keira
miraculously saved by a Beothuck warrior. Keira settles into the
Beothuck way of life, learning their customs and coming to care for
them. But she dreams of risking everything in order to find a way home.
Ultimately, she is torn between the cultures in which she has livedher
homeland, the Viking world in which she was welcomed, and her new
Beothuck family. This is a thrilling adventure and an exciting
introduction to the history of Canada."
We found notebooking elements and mini books from a couple different places...
Tina's dynamic homeschool plus blog- She has a great Viking unit including free printable lapbook!
The Last Viking Returns- I found some great Rune worksheets on this page!
Homeschool share- Great lapbook templates, we used a file folder type in this unit.
The kidlets also found Norse Mythology fascinating in this unit...
so we added some of that in as well!
Goober loved this book...
Usborne Illustrated Norse Myths (message me if you are looking for a copy!)
Sweet Pea enjoyed this one...
and then she really got into this series....
From the cover:
"Magnus Chase has always been a troubled kid. Since his mother’s
mysterious death, he’s lived alone on the streets of Boston, surviving
by his wits, keeping one step ahead of the police and the truant
officers. One day, he’s tracked down by an uncle he barely
knows—a man his mother claimed was dangerous. Uncle Randolph tells him
an impossible secret: Magnus is the son of a Norse god. The
Viking myths are true. The gods of Asgard are preparing for war. Trolls,
giants and worse monsters are stirring for doomsday. To prevent
Ragnarok, Magnus must search the Nine Worlds for a weapon that has been
lost for thousands of years.When an attack by fire giants forces
him to choose between his own safety and the lives of hundreds of
innocents, Magnus makes a fatal decision.
Sometimes, the only way to start a new life is to die . . ."
Sometimes, the only way to start a new life is to die . . ."
They also enjoyed this audiobook...
From the cover:
"Odd meant the tip of a blade and it was a lucky name. In a
village in ancient Norway lives a boy named Odd, and he’s had some very
bad luck: His father perished in a Viking expedition; a tree fell on and
shattered his leg; and the endless freezing winter is making villagers
dangerously grumpy.
Now Odd is forced on a stranger journey than
he had imagined—a journey to save Asgard, city of the gods, from the
Frost Giants who have invaded it. It’s going to take a very
special kind of twelve-year-old boy to outwit the Frost Giants, restore
peace to the city of the gods, and end the long winter.
Someone cheerful and infuriating and clever . . .Someone just like Odd . . ."
To finish off this unit, we curled up on the couch with some popcorn and watched How to train your dragon.... which is totally not related, except they call themselves vikings :)
The kidlets had way too much fun pointing out all the inaccuracies... but a great end to our unit!
