Lesson plans for both bird unit study and US presidents unit study (through Lincoln)

Here is another entry in some of previous unit study lesson plans I've created. You get two today because the year we did this, I bothered to type it all into the computer instead of leaving it long hand which is what I've done for the last three years. This means I'm just going to copy and paste the whole thing here, dates and all. As you will see, we alternated between doing birds and doing presidents. I also stuck in whatever US history was happening at the time of each president. Also, since I was covering much more than the individual president, we only made it through Abraham Lincoln. 

I also wanted to mention some books that I used, which might not be self-explanatory in my notes. For the bird unit study, I used Ornithology by Ellen Doris as well as Apologia Flying Creatures. (Apologia and I don't always get along, so I am pretty picky about what I use from it.) Along with these two books, I also read from The Bird Watching Answer Book by Laura Erickson and to add some music into our study, we worked our way through Listen to the Birds: An Introduction to Classical Music by Ana Gerhard. For the presidents we used Our Presidents ROCK! by Juliette Turner. When you see the designation EPL next to a book all that means is that it was at our local library, so would be faster to get than a book which needed to come through interlibrary loan (ILL). 

I think that takes care of most of it. I'm realizing as I look through my plans that these days there would be no way I would leave anything hanging. This is because I've learned the hard way that if I didn't plan out each thing in the summer, it would never happen. The other thing I remembered was this was the year we incubated quail eggs and suddenly had a pet quail



One very last thing. I didn't make a list of chapter books, but we read Wesley the Owl by Stacey O'Brien that year and it remains one of our very favorite teatime books. If you need more clarification, let me know and I'll see if I can remember what it was I meant when I wrote something down.


Homeschool Schedule

2016-2017 

Fall

Week 1 – September 6 – 9

Monday, Sept. 5

            Labor Day – Make bird feeders and hang them. Need empty juice bottles

Tuesday, Sept. 6

            Field Trip

Wednesday, Sept. 7

            Trial run of schedule – Explain all the parts of the morning [this was a year which required a very detailed daily schedule so I could be sure to work individually with everyone]

            Read Introduction to US Presidents (USP)

Thursday, Sept. 8

            Read p. 21 in Young Explorers Apologia (YE)

            Read pp. 6-9 in Ornithology

            Make lap book parts

Friday, Sept. 9

            Make birding journals – need photocopied sheets

            Read and listen to The Goldfinch (#1) [This type of entry always refers to the classical music book]

Week 2 – September 12 – 16

Monday, Sept. 12

            Read George Washington section in USP

Tuesday, Sept. 13

            Read p. 22 in YE

            Read Bird Watching with Margaret Morse Nice

Wednesday, Sept. 14

            Read The Story of the US Capitol (interlibrary loan)

            Read George Washington’s Teeth (EPL)

            Watch Bill of Rights Preamble – Schoolhouse Rock

            Discuss first ten amendments

Thursday, Sept. 15

            Read pp. 64-65 in Bird Watching (BW)

            Talk about Project Feederwatch [through Cornell University, you should go check it out]

Friday, Sept. 16

            Read and listen to Spring (#2)

            Make birds on a line thumbprint project [pretty much all craft projects can be found by doing a Pinterest search]

                        Need small canvases

Week 3 – September 19 – 23

Monday, Sept. 19

            Read Dear Benjamin Banneker (EPL)

            Begin What Are You Figuring Now?: A Story About Benjamin Banneker (EPL)

[NOTE: NEED TO COLLECT HARRIS LOAN BOX: BEAKS & FEET] [If you homeschool and live near the Field Museum in Chicago, check out the Harris Loan Box program. It is awesome.]

Tuesday, Sept. 20

            Read pp. 23-36 in YE

            Complete bird part chart (p. 77 Bird Adventures) [I truly do not remember what this book was]

Wednesday, Sept. 21

            Finish Benjamin Banneker book

            Timeline work

                        1789-1797 – George Washington’s term

                        1791 – Vermont statehood

                        1791 – Bill of Rights ratified

                        1792 – Kentucky statehood

                        1796 – Tennessee statehood

Thursday, Sept. 22

            Read pp. 22-33; 36-37 in Eyewitness Birds

            Fill-in worksheets in Bird Adventures

Friday, Sept. 23

            Read and listen to Birdsong (#3)

            Look at Harris Loan Box: Beaks and Feet

Week 4 – September 26 – 30

Monday, Sept. 26

            Read John Adams section in USP

Tuesday, Sept. 27

            Read pp. 2 – 44 in Bird Watching

Wednesday, Sept. 28

            Watch National Geographic: Inside the Whitehouse (60 min.)

                        -ORDER DISK FROM NETFLIX

Thursday, Sept. 29

            Read Lesson 3 in YE

Friday, Sept. 30

            Make feather stamping pictures – need feathers, paper, and good ink pads

Week 5 – October 3 – 7

Monday, Oct. 3

            Begin reading Napoleon: Emporer and Conqueror (Interlibrary loan)

Tuesday, Oct. 4

            Read Feathers: Not Just for Flying (EPL)

            Draw and label parts of a feather

            Make layered book of five types of feathers

            Look at feathers (ordered)

Wednesday, Oct. 5

            Continue reading Napoleon

Thursday, Oct. 6

            Play bird games

Friday, Oct. 7

            Read and listen to Melancholy (#4)

            Read Bird Drawing Basics in Drawing Birds – have sketchpads and pencils, to try drawing one of the birds in the step-by-step portion

Week 6 – October 10 – 14

Monday, Oct. 10

            Finish Napoleon book

(Get Harris Loan Box!)

Tuesday, Oct. 11

            Go to zoo

Wednesday, Oct. 12

            Read Goya book

            Timeline work:

                        1797-1801 – John Adams presidency

                        1799 – Rosetta Stone discovered

                        Add a couple Napoleon dates

Thursday, Oct. 13

            Read pp. 57-60 in YE

            Read Birds: Nature’s Magnificent Flying Machines (EPL)

Friday, Oct. 14

            Read and listen to The Bird (#5)

            Look at Harris Loan Box: Built for Flight

            Watch Flight: The Genius of Birds (Interlibrary loan – DVD)

Week 7 – October 17-21

Monday, Oct. 17

            Read Thomas Jefferson in USP

Tuesday, Oct. 18

            Read pp. 61-70 in YE

            Read How do Birds Find their Way (EPL)

Wednesday, Oct. 19

            Game day – catch-up – President game

Thursday, Oct. 20

            Read pp. 207-232 in BW

Friday, Oct. 21

            Watch Fly Away Home (Netflix DVD)

Week 8 – October 24-28

Monday, Oct. 24

            Read book about Robert Fulton

Tuesday, Oct. 25

            Read Lesson 5 in YE

Wednesday, Oct. 26

            Read Beethoven book

            Listen to Beethoven’s 5th symphony

            Timeline work:

                        1801-1809 – Jefferson’s presidency

                        1803 – Ohio statehood and Louisiana Purchase

                        1804 – Lewis and Clark expedition begins

                        1805 – Battle of Trafalgar

                        1807 – First steamboat

                        1808 – Slave trade ban

Thursday, Oct. 27

            Read The Magpie’s Nest (EPL) and Mama Built a Little Nest (EPL)

            Catch-up with lapbook books

Friday, Oct. 28

            Read and listen to Hens and Roosters (#6)

            Try to build cup nests – find sticks and stuff – make mud

Week 9 – October 31 – November 4

Monday, Oct. 31

            No School

Tuesday, Nov. 1

            Read The Boy Who Drew Birds – Audubon (EPL)

            Look at Audubon’s Aviary (Interlibrary loan)

Wednesday, Nov. 2

            Read James Madison in USP

Thursday, Nov. 3

            Read For the Birds: the life of Roger Tory Peterson (EPL)

Friday, Nov. 4

            Field Museum trip to sketch birds

Week 10 – November 7 – 11

Monday, Nov. 7

            Read Old Ironsides: America Builds a Fighting Ship (Interlibrary loan)

Tuesday, Nov. 8

            Bird games

Wednesday, Nov. 9

            Read Tchaikovsky book

            Listen to the 1812 Overture

Thursday, Nov. 10

            Read ch. 4 of Fastest Things on Wings

            Begin Least of These

Friday, Nov. 11

            Read and listen to Aviary (#8)

            Make paintings from Museum sketches

Week 11 – November 14 – 18

Monday, Nov. 14

            Read By the Dawn’s Early Light (EPL)

            Try singing

Tuesday, Nov. 15

            Finish The Least of These

            Read Maggie: The One-Eyed Peregrine Falcon (EPL)

Wednesday, Nov. 16

            Finish any reading and adding to timelines

Thursday, Nov. 17

            Begin reading Bird Ambulance

Friday, Nov. 18

            Papier Mache birds – begin

Two Week Thanksgiving Break

Week 12 – December 5 – 9

Monday, Dec. 5

            Read James Monroe in USP

            Read A Picture Book of Simon Bolivar (Interlibrary loan)

Tuesday, Dec. 6

            Finish Bird Ambulance

Wednesday, Dec. 7

Thursday, Dec. 8

            Catch-up days – Finish timeline items and lapbook books

Friday, Dec. 8

            Finish Papier Mache birds

Christmas Break

Winter

Week 1 – January 9 – 13

Monday, Jan. 9

            Read The Santa Fe Trail

Tuesday, Jan. 10

            Begin Reading Raptors – Ch. 1

Wednesday, Jan. 11

            Do map work on pp. 6-7; p. 15 of Santa Fe Trail Activity book

Thursday, Jan. 12

            Read Raptors, pp. 43-55

Friday, Jan. 13

            Read and listen to The Swan (#13)

            Dissect owl pellets (need to order!)

Week 2 – January 16-20

Monday, Jan. 16

            Read John Quincy Adams (USP)

Tuesday, Jan. 17

            Read Raptors, ch. 3 & 4

Wednesday, Jan. 18

            Read The Erie Canal by Peter Spier (EPL)

            Add dates to timeline

 

Thursday, Jan. 19

            Read Raptors, ch. 5

            Read American Eagle

Friday, Jan. 20

            Read and listen to Dance of the Little Swans (#9)

            Watch Cruising America’s Waterways: The Erie Canal (Netflix DVD)

Week 3 – January 23 – 27

Monday, Jan. 23

            Read Andrew Jackson (USP)

            Begin What Was the Alamo? (Interlibrary loan)

Tuesday, Jan. 24

            Read Raptors, pp. 15 – 41

            Read California Condor

Wednesday, Jan. 25

            Finish Alamo book

            Add dates to timeline

Thursday, Jan. 26

            Watch Nature: Birds of the Gods (Netflix DVD)

Friday, Jan. 27

            Use sand clay (recipe pinned on Pinterest) to make models of the front of the Alamo

Week 4 – January 30 – February 3

Monday, Jan. 30

            Read Martin Van Buren (USP)

            Begin Amistad

Tuesday, Jan. 31

            Read A Natural History of the Chicago Region pp. 347-352

            Look at passenger pigeons on Google image search

Wednesday, Feb. 1

            Continue Amistad

Thursday, Feb. 2

            Read Dodos (Interlibrary loan)

            Look at Google images

Friday, Feb. 3

            Begin embossed bird project (Pinterest)

Week 5 – February 6 – 10

Monday, Feb. 6

            Continue Amistad

Tuesday, Feb. 7

            Read Watching Water Birds

Wednesday, Feb. 8

            Continue Amistad

Thursday, Feb. 9

            Pelicans (Research book!)

Friday, Feb. 10

            Complete embossed bird project

WEEK OFF - February 13 – 17

Week 6 – February 20 – 24

Monday, Feb. 20

Finish Amistad

Tuesday, Feb. 21

            Read about Flamings (need book)

Wednesday, Feb. 22

            Game Day

Thursday, Feb. 23

            Read about Storks (need book)

Friday, Feb. 24

            Begin Winter Bird pictures (on Pinterest)

ORDER EGGS AND INCUBATOR!

Week 7 – February 27 – March 3

Monday, Feb. 27

            Finish any reading and add dates to timeline

Tuesday, Feb. 28

            Bird games

Wednesday, Mar. 1

            Read William Henry Harrison and John Tyler (USP)

Thursday, Mar. 2

            Read pp. 89-95 in YE

            Read Hatch! By Roxie Munro (EPL)

Friday, Mar. 3

            Finish Winter Bird pictures

Week 8 – March 6 – 10

Monday, Mar. 6

            Learn Morse code

            Do timeline

Tuesday, Mar. 7

            Do egg experiment (p. 95 – YE)

            Do egg worksheet (in unit study book)

Wednesday, Mar. 8

            Read James Polk and Zachary Taylor (USP)

Thursday, Mar. 9

            Read pp. 95-99 in YE

            Work on lap book books

Friday, Mar. 10

            Movie day (Choose fun movie)

Week 9 – March 13 – 17

Monday, Mar. 13

            Read Chopin book

            Listen to Revolutionary Etude

            Add to timelines

Tuesday, Mar. 14

            Games

Wednesday, Mar. 15

            Read Millard Fillmore and Franklin Pierce (USP)

Thursday, Mar. 16

            Read Chick Days: Raising Chickens from Hatchlings to Laying Hens (Interlibrary loan)

Friday, Mar. 17

            Rizzo bird paintings (Pinterest)

Week 10 – March 20 -24

Monday, Mar. 20

            Read A Picture Book of Florence Nightingale (Interlibrary loan)

Tuesday, Mar. 21

            Continue chicken book

Wednesday, Mar. 22

            Finish reading and timelines

Thursday, Mar. 23

            Finish chicken book

Friday, Mar. 24

            Read and listen to The Song of the Lark (#10)

            Recycled bird nest craft (Pinterest)

Week 11 – March 27 – 31

Monday, Mar. 27

            Read James Buchanan (USP)

Tuesday, Mar. 28

            Read That Quail Robert

Wednesday, Mar. 29

            Read Ride Like the Wind: The First Ride of the Pony Express (EPL)

Thursday, Mar. 30

            That Quail Robert

Friday, Mar. 31

            Read and listen to Lark Ascending (#11)

            Quail craft (Pinterest)

Week 12 – April 3 – 7

Monday, April 3

            Read Many Thousands Gone, pt. 2

Tuesday, April 4

            Continue reading That Quail Robert

Wednesday, April 5

            Continue reading Many Thousands Gone, pt. 2

Thursday, April 6

            Continue reading That Quail Robert

Friday, April 7

            Read and listen to Ballet of the Unhatched Chicks (#12)

            Flamingo finger puppets (Pinterest)

Holy Week – April 9 – 16

Spring Break – April 17 – 23

Order Harris Loan Box: A Good Egg

Spring Quarter

Week 1 – April 24 – 28

Monday, April 24

            Read Thee, Hannah

Tuesday, April 25

            Begin watching The Life of Birds (Netflix DVD/3 disks – 3 hours each)

Wednesday, April 26

            Continue Thee, Hannah

            Add to timelines

Thursday, April 27

            Continue The Life of Birds

Friday, April 28

            Read and listen to Toccata with Cuckoo Scherzo (#13)

            Harris Loan Box: A Good Egg

Week 2 – May 1 - 5

Monday, May 1

            Read Abraham Lincoln (USP)

Tuesday, May 2

            Continue The Life of Birds

Wednesday, May 3

            Read Many Thousands Gone, pt. 3

Thursday, May 4

            Continue The Life of Birds

Friday, May 5

            Read and listen to The Cuckoo and the Nightingale (#14)

Week 3 – May 8 - 12

Monday, May 8

            Continue reading Many Thousands Gone, pt. 3

Tuesday, May 9

            Continue The Life of Birds

Wednesday, May 10

            Timelines

Thursday, May 11

            Continue The Life of Birds

Friday, May 12

            Read and listen to The Robin (#15)

Week 4 – May 15 – 19

Monday, May 15

            Begin reading Civil War Diary and Eugene Diven diary [an ancestor of J.'s and whose diary we have access to]

Tuesday, May 16

            Continue The Life of Birds

Wednesday, May 17

            Diaries

Thursday, May 18

            Continue The Life of Birds

Friday, May 19

            Read and listen to 3rd Movement of Concerto #17 (#17)

Week 5 – May 22 – 26

Monday, May 22

            Diaries

Tuesday, May 23

            Continue The Life of Birds

Wednesday, May 24

            Diaries

Thursday, May 25

 

Friday, May 26

            Read and listen to the story of The Magic Flute (picture book and bird disk)

            Papageno and Papagena (#16)

Week 6 – May 29 – June 2

Monday, May 29

            Read and listen to The Raven (#18)

Tuesday, May 30

            Read and listen to Toy Symphony (#20)

Wednesday, May 31

            Read and listen to Dance of the Firebird (#19)

            Firebird craft (Pinterest)

Thursday, June 1

            Construct lapbooks


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