Earth Science - Meteorology - Forecasting - Adding Clouds

The Kids' Book of Weather Forecasting by Mark Breen

Discussion:
Cloud formations and weather predictions

Activity:
Forecasting activities in The Kids' Book...

Medieval Europe - Abelard and Heloise

Peter Abelard by CJ Mews
On Romantic Love - Heloise and Abelard's views

Discussion:
Life of Peter Abelard - popular teacher at Paris
Abelard's personalilty
Love affair with Heloise
Public letters

Activity:
History journal
Chart - compare Abelard's description of the affair to Heloise's

Earth Science - Meteorology - Forecasting - Adding Water

The Kids' Book of Weather Forecasting by Mark Breen

Discussion:
Determining humidity
Dew formation

Activity:
Forecasting activities in The Kids' Book...

Medieval Europe - The University System

What is scholasticism?

Discussion:
Cathedral schools turn into locales of study
Methods of study: trivium and quadrivium
Major universities founded: Paris, Oxford, Bologna
Book production

Activity:
History journal
Map study - locations of learning

Earth Science - Meteorology - Forecasting - Adding Wind

The Kids' Book of Weather Forecasting by Mark Breen

Discussion:
Wind direction plus barometric pressure
Beaufort scale of wind
Wind chill

Activity:
Forecasting activities in The Kids' Book...

Medieval Middle East, Africa, and Europe - Transmission of Learning and Culture

Averroes by Richard Taylor
Maimonides by Charles Manekin
Science and Technology in the Middle Ages by Joanne Findon
The Foundations of Science in the Middle Ages by Edward Grant

Discussion:
Spain during the Reconquista - mix of cultures and religions
Translating Aristotle and other thinkers - reintroduction to Europe
Movement of culture from Middle East to Europe via the Crusades

Activity:
History journal
Map study

Earth Science - Meteorology - Forecasting - Adding Temperature

The Kids' Book of Weather Forecasting by Mark Breen

Discussion:
How to forecast the temperature
Temperature plus barometric pressure
Average highs and lows

Activity:
Forecasting activities in The Kids' Book...

Medieval Middle East and Europe - Knights Templar

The Crusades by Timothy Biel

Discussion:
Founding of the Order
Major locations
Banking and economics

Activity:
History journal
Map study

Earth Science - Meteorology - Forecasting - Barometric Pressure

The Kids' Book of Weather Forecasting by Mark Breen

Discussion:
How barometric pressure relates to weather
Making predictions based on barometric pressure

Activity:
Activities in The Kids' Book...

Medieval Europe, Middle East, World - First Crusade - Battles

Documents relating to battles from The First Crusade by Edward Peters
The Crusades Through Arab Eyes by Amin Maalouf
The Crusades by Timothy Biel

Discussion:
Nicea
Antioch
Jerusalem

Activity:
History journal
Map study
Recreate Siege of Jerusalem with Playmobil people

Medieval Europe and Medieval Middle East - The First Crusade - Journey to the Middle East

Documents relating to Pope Urban II from The First Crusade by Edward Peters
The Crusades by Timothy Biel

Discussion:
Justifications for the Crusade
Waves of the First Crusade - Peter the Hermit, Frankish (French nobles), official contingents
Journey and arrival

Activity:
History journal
Map study - origins of Crusaders, their routes, destinations

Earth Science - Meteorology - Hurricanes

How a hurricane is born - Science of Superstorms - BBC
Raging Planet - Hurricanes

Hurricanes by Seymour Simon
Hurricanes and Tornadoes by DK Eyewitness (Jack Challoner)

Discussion:
How and where hurricanes form
Storm surge
Differences between hurricanes and tornadoes

Activity:
Recreate a storm surge in the sandbox - show what happens when a huge amount of water floods the coast

Earth Science - Meteorology - Tornadoes

Tornado Science
Inside the Tornado
Raging Planet: Tornadoes

Twisters: A Book About Tornadoes by Rick Thomas and Denise Shea
Hurricane and Tornadoes by DK Eyewitness

Discussion:
Causes of tornadoes
Fujita scale
Weird effects of tornadoes

Activity:
Tornado in a bottle

Medieval Middle East - Seljuq Empire and Byzantine Empire

Review Topics:
Geography of the Mediterranean and Middle East
Extent of the Abbasid, Fatimid, and Ummayyad Empires
Eastern Orthodox Christianity and Roman Catholicism - points of difference

Discussion:
Seljuq empire - geography and general overview
Seljuq conquests and wars with Byzantine Empire
Request for assistance from Byzantine Emperor to RC Pope Urban II

Activity:
History journal

Earth Science - Meteorology - Lightning

Lightning Science from the University of Arizona

Lightning by Seymour Simon
Science Experiments: Weather by John Farndon

Discussion:
Causes of lightning
Types of lightning
Thunder

Activity:
Make lightning experiment

Medieval Europe - Feudalism - Knights and Warfare

Medieval Society by Kay Eastwood
Medieval Weapons and Warfare by Paul Hilliam
Castle at War by DK Discoveries

Discussion:
Training to become a knight
Fealty - the lord-vassal relationship
Warfare

Activity:
History journal
Playmobil knights and castle siege

Earth Science - Meteorology - Storm Fronts

Rumble, Boom! A Book About Thunderstorms by Rick Thomas and Denise Shea
Science Experiments: Weather by John Farndon

Discussion:
Development of anvil clouds
Mixture of cold and warm air - supercells
Storm safety

Activity:
Warm and cold front mixture experiment in Meteorology Projects with a Weather Station You Can Build Yourself by Robert Gardner
Observe today's blizzard

Medieval Europe - Feudalism - Cities and Trades

Life in the Middle Ages: The City by Kathryn Hinds
Archers, Alchemists, and 98 Other Medieval Jobs You Might Have Loved or Loathed by Priscilla Galloway and Martha Newbigging
Science and Technology in the Middle Ages by Joanne Findon and Marsha Groves
Medieval Society by Kay Eastwood
Children and Games in the Middle Ages by Lynne Elliott

Discussion:
Trades, guilds, and apprenticeships
Clusters of trades and merchants
City governments

Activity:
History journal
Map study: largest cities in the early Middle Ages

Earth Science - Meteorology - Hail, Blizzards, and Ice Storms

Hail
Sleet vs. Freezing Rain

Whiteout! A Book About Blizzards by Rick Thomas and Denise Shea
Ice Storms by Anne Wendorff

Discussion:
Measuring snowfall
Snow, sleet, freezing rain, and hail - differences

Activity:
Go outside and take a look at last night's ice storm

Medieval Europe - Feudalism - Serfs

Life in the Middle Ages: The Countryside by Kathryn Hinds
Children and Games in the Middle Ages by Lynne Elliott
Medieval Society by Kay Eastwood
Gregory of Tours, History of the Franks, Book 5, Chapter 3
Medieval People by Eileen Power

Discussion:
Daily life for serfs
Serf's yearly calendar
Male/female serfs and their responsibilities

Activity:
History journal

Earth Science - Meteorology - Precipitation

Kids' Book of Weather Forecasting by Mark Breen and Kathleen Friestad
Rain 

Discussion:
Review of the Water Cycle
Types of precipitation
Effects of precipitation (or lack thereof)

Activity:
If it's raining today: What's in Rain, Raindrops
Make rain

Medieval Europe - Feudalism - Religious Life

Medieval Society by Kay Eastwood
Archers, Alchemists, and 98 Other Medieval Jobs You Might Have Loved or Loathed by Priscilla Galloway and Martha Newbigging
Children and Games in the Middle Ages by Lynne Elliott

Richelinde, Cartulary of St. Trond, A Gift of Serfs to the Abbey of St. Trond

Discussion:
Tithing and taxing
Diocese and Monastery - competing interests
Primogeniture: what to do with younger children?

Activity:
History journal
Serf to King activity

Earth Science - Meteorology - Wind

The Kids' Book of Weather Forecasting by Mark Breen and Kathleen Friestad
Weather by John Farndon

Discussion:
Movement of wind
Types of wind - why certain kinds of winds have names
Wind chill

Activity:
Make an anemometer

Medieval Europe - The Feudal System - Rulers and Knights

Raoul de Cambrai
Medieval Society by Kay Eastwood
Archers, Alchemists, and 98 Other Medieval Jobs You Might Have Loved or Loathed by Priscilla Galloway and Martha Newbigging

Discussion:
Hierarchy of the feudal system
Division of land and government
Vows of fealty

Activity:
History journal
Pick a serf-to-king activity

Earth Science - Meteorology - Cloud Types

The Kids' Book of Weather Forecasting by Mark Breen & Kathleen Friestad
National Audubon Society First Field Guide to Weather
The Cloud Book by Tomie de Paola

Discussion:
Types of clouds
Height at which the types form
Forecasting based on cloud types

Activity:
Cloud chart (types and heights)
Go outside and identify clouds

Medieval Europe - Norman Invasion

The story of the Norman invasion as told through the Bayeux Tapestry, evaluating primary sources (where does it come from?  Whose viewpoint is it? Is it reliable?)
Castles of the World by Gianni Guadalupe and Gabrielle Reina

Discussion:
Battle of Hastings
French influence on English language
William builds castles

Activity:
History journal
Map study - the invasion
Re-enactment of Battle of Hastings - Playmobil people

Earth Science - Meteorology - Cloud Formation

The Cloud Book by Tomie de Paola
Clouds

Discussion:
How clouds form
Cloud movement
Height of clouds

Activity:
Cloud in a bottle

Medieval Europe - Anglo-Saxons

Beowulf by Michael Morpurgo and Michael Foreman
The Venerable Bede
Sutton Hoo Slideshow

Discussion:
Anglo-Saxon origins - Sutton Hoo artifacts
Bede and Alfred the Great
Viking influences

Activity:
History journal
Picture study

Earth Science - Meteorology - Heat Waves and Drought

Extreme Drought in Australia - BBC Science
History of the Dust Bowl - America's Heartland 

Sizzle! A Book About Heat Waves by Rick Thomas and Denise Shea

Discussion:
Definition of a heat wave
Definition of a drought

Activity:
Use a heater and humidifier to experience a hot, dry climate and a hot, humid climate

Medieval Europe - Charlemagne

Charlemagne and the Early Middle Ages by Miriam Greenblatt
Einhard and Notker the Stammerer, Two Lives of Charlemagne

Discussion:
Unifying Europe
Changing the nature of the Holy Roman Emperor
Fighting the Vikings

Activity:
History journal
Map activity: Tracing Charlemagne's influence, journeys
Picture study: Charlemagne's throne in Aachen

Medieval Europe - Charles Martel

The Oxford Illustrated History of Medieval Europe by George Holmes, ed.

Discussion:
Review of Ummayad expansion to Spain
Battle of Poitiers
Beginning of the Carolingian era

Activity:
History journal
Map study - Ummayad expansion, Poitiers, Southern France (beginning of unification under Charles Martel)

Earth Science - Meteorology - Temperature

The Kids' Book of Weather Forecasting by Mark Breen and Kathleen Friestad
Meteorology Projects with a Weather Station You Can Build by Robert Gardner

Discussion:
Uneven distribution of the sun's energy - effect on the weather
Fahrenheit vs. Celsius
How a thermometer works

Activity:
Build a thermometer

Medieval Europe - The Papacy

Ubi Caritas by the Cambridge Singers
(it would not have sounded like this in the 9th century, but the text is probably the same)

Loyola Kids Book of Saints by Amy Welborn and Ansgar Holmberg
Charlemagne and the Early Middle Ages by Ruth Greenblatt

Discussion:
Evolution of the papacy
Pope St. Gregory the Great (Gregorian chant), Calendar
Power and influence of the Roman Catholic church

Activity:
History journal

Earth Science - Meteorology - Air Pressure

Meteorology Projects with a Weather Station You Can Build by Robert Gardner
The Kids' Book of Weather Forecasting by Kathleen Friestad and Michael Kline

Discussion:
Warming air vs. cooling air
Changes in air pressure
Movement of air - effects on weather

Activity:
Make a barometer

Earth Science - Meteorology - Atmosphere

Air is All Around You by Franklyn M. Branley and John O'Brien

Vocabulary Added:
atmosphere: vapor-globe
The layers of the atmosphere:

• troposphere: turning-globe
• stratosphere: layer-globe
• mesosphere: middle-globe
• thermosphere: heat-globe
• exosphere: outer-globe

Discussion:
Composition of air
Atmospheric layers
Weight of air

Activity:
Science experiments in Air is All Around You

Medieval Europe - Geography

A Brief Political and Geographic History of Europe by Frances E. Davey

Discussion:
Traditional borders of Europe
Major rivers and mountain chains
General geographic areas (Britain, Scotland, Iceland, Scandinavia, German-speaking regions, Italian-speaking regions, Hispaniola, Slovak-speaking regions)

Activity:
Map study - blank map of Europe with rivers

Earth Science - Water - Rivers and Lakes

Rivers by Andy Owen and Miranda Ashwell
Lakes by Andy Owen and Miranda Ashwell

Discussion:
Origin of rivers
River flow patterns
Formation and types of lakes

Activity:
Create a river and lake in the sandbox.

Medieval Europe - The Vikings - Colonization

The Real Vikings by Melvin and Gilda Berger
The Vikings by Virginia Schomp
D'Aulaire's Book of Norse Myths [read-aloud]

Discussion:
Iceland
Greenland and the Americas
End of the Viking era - minor ice age

Activity:
History journal
Map study: oceanic journeys
Picture study: colonies discovered in the Americas

Earth Science - Water - Floods

Floods 101

Rising Waters: A Book About Floods by Rick Thomas and Denise Shea

Discussion:
Types of floods
Causes of floods
Effects of floods

Activity:
Make a little town in the sand box.  Show what happens when snows melt quickly and rains falls heavily.

Medieval Europe - Vikings - Sea-Faring and Raiding

Mythical Viking Sunstone is Real

The Real Vikings by Melvin and Gilda Berger
The Vikings by Virginia Schomp
D'Aulaire's Book of Norse Myths [read-aloud]

Discussion:
Navigational equipment, sea-faring - long journeys; colonization, boat-building
Why did Vikings raid?
Locations of major raids
Warriors - equipment, fighting methods

Activity:
History journal
Map study: Viking raids and journeys
Build a model Viking ship

Earth Science - Water - Ice Ages

The Ice Ages by Don Nardo

Discussion:
Description of an ice age - how many, how often they occur
Possible causes of ice ages
Plant and animal adaptations in ice ages

Activity:
Draw a schematic of how ice ages happen, listing possible causes

Medieval Europe - Vikings - Social Structures and Lifestyle

The Real Vikings by Melvin and Gilda Berger
The Vikings by Virginia Schomp
D'Aulaire's Book of Norse Myths [read-aloud]

Discussion:
Life on a Viking farmstead
Family life and values
Men's and women's roles, children and childhood
Foods

Activity:
History journal
Viking feast!

Earth Science - Water - Glaciers

Glaciers by Sally M. Walker

Discussion:
Formation and types of glaciers
Glacier movement
Melting glaciers - causes, effects

Activity:
Glacier science experiment

Medieval Europe - Vikings - Religious Beliefs

The Real Vikings by Melvin and Gilda Berger
The Vikings by Virginia Schomp
D'Aulaire's Book of Norse Myths [read-aloud]

Discussion:
"Mortal" gods, monsters
Geography of the spiritual world
Loki and Odin - evil and good struggle

Activity:
History journal
Re-enact Loki and Odin's blood brother story

Earth Science - Water - Snow

The Story of Snow by Mark Cassino with Jon Nelson
Flakes and Flurries by Josepha Sherman and Jeff Yesh

Discussion:
Formation of snow
Types of snow crystals
Types of snowfalls

Activity:
If there's snow, see if you can catch a flake on a slide and look at it under the microscope.
Draw the different kinds of snow crystals.

Medieval Europe - Vikings - Geography

The Real Vikings by Melvin and Gilda Berger
The Vikings by Virginia Schomp
D'Aulaire's Book of Norse Myths [read-aloud]

Discussion:
Base locations of Vikings
Use of waterways

Activity:
History journal
Map Study - major waterways of Europe, Viking territories and routes using this blank European map

Ancient Celts - War, Slavery, and Exile

The Ancient Celts by Patricia Calvert
Read-aloud: The Romance of Arthur: An Anthology of Medieval Texts in Translation by James J. Wilhelm, ed.

Discussion:
Celtic warriors and their accoutrements
Women at war
Why they couldn't beat Rome

Activity:
History journal - three sentences
Playmobil people Celtic wars against Rome

Earth Science - Water - Oceans - Climate and Weather

The Illustrated Atlas of the Sea by Stephen Hutchinson et al.

Discussion:
Ocean weather patterns
El Niño and La Niña
Wind
Production of hurricanes

Activity:
Choose an El Niño project

Ancient Celts - Social Structure

The Ancient Celts by Patricia Calvert
Arthur of Albion: Marvelous Tales of the Round Table by John Matthews and Parvel Tatarnikov
Read-aloud: The Romance of Arthur: An Anthology of Medieval Texts in Translation by James J. Wilhelm, ed.

Discussion:
Family, tribe, roles of women/men - responsibilities
Farming and raising livestock
Buildings - homes, meeting places
Food and entertainment

Activity:
History journal
Celtic feast!

Earth Science - Water - Oceans - Waves and Tides

The Illustrated Atlas of the Sea by Stephen Hutchinson et al.

Discussion:
Tide cycles and effects on sea coasts
Five kinds of waves (capillary, plunging, deepwater, spilling, forced)
Using waves as energy

Activity:
Waves change the shape of the beach

Ancient Celts - Religious Beliefs

If Stones Could Speak: Unlocking the Mystery of Stonehenge by Marc Aronson and Mike Parker Pearson
The Ancient Celts by Patricia Calvert
Arthur of Albion: Marvelous Tales of the Round Table by John Matthews and Parvel Tatarnikov
Read-aloud: The Romance of Arthur: An Anthology of Medieval Texts in Translation by James J. Wilhelm, ed.

Discussion:
Druids
Human sacrifice and other rituals
Stonehenge, sacred groves, and other holy places

Activity:
History journal - three sentences
Use blocks and a compass to recreate positioning of Stonehenge

Earth Science - Water - Oceans - Currents and Circulation

The Illustrated Atlas of the Sea by Stephen Hutchinson et al.

Vocabulary added: 

thermohaline: flow of ocean water based on changes in water density and temperature

Discussion: 

Movement of ocean waters

Composition of currents

The six largest currents and their direction of movement

Activity: 

Science Buddies - Ocean Currents Modeling

Ancient Celts - Geography

The Ancient Celts by Patricia Calvert
Arthur of Albion: Marvelous Tales of the Round Table by John Matthews and Parvel Tatarnikov
Read-aloud: The Romance of Arthur: An Anthology of Medieval Texts in Translation by James J. Wilhelm, ed.

Discussion:
Tribes of the Celts
Distribution across Europe
Major settlements

Activity:
Regions of Europe with their Roman names; ability to map out where various tribes lived; note major rivers and mountain ranges - blank map of Europe

Earth Science - Water - Oceans - Composition

The Illustrated Atlas of the Sea by Stephen Hutchinson et al.

Vocabulary added:
salinity: how much salt is in the water

Discussion:
Salinity - how seas became salty
Variations in salinity
Density, depth, and light

Activity:
Make salt water of varying amounts.  Recreate ocean environments with plant life, mud, sand, and other available ingredients.

Earth Science - Water - Oceans - Geography

The Illustrated Atlas of the Sea by Stephen Hutchinson et al.

Discussion:
Geography of ocean regions (major seas, and rivers that feed oceans)
Sea floor (review) - major points of interest (Mariana Trench, Mid-Atlantic Ridge), continental shelf locations

Activity:
World map for ocean geography study

Medieval Middle East and Africa - Review - History

Empires - give one to two sentences about the following empires: 

• Byzantine 
• Sasanid
• Ummayyad
• Abbasid
• Fatimid
• Ghana/Mali/Songhay
• Benin
• Kongo
• Great Zimbabwe

Art and Architecture - name some distinctive features of the art and architectural styles of each empire.

Social customs - give some examples of what society was like in each empire. 

Religion - briefly describe the religious views of each empire and how tolerant of other religions they were.

Government - describe the nature of governance in each empire.

Decline (if applicable) - explain why each government eventually fell into decline

Earth Science - Water - The Water Cycle

The Magic School Bus: Wet All Over
One Well: The Story of Water on Earth by Rochelle Strauss and Rosemary Woods

Vocabulary Added:
condensation: water vapor turning into liquid water

Discussion:
The water cycle
Water pollution and its effect on the water cycle

Activity:
Create a water cycle experiment
Draw the water cycle on a poster

Earth Science - Water - Properties of Water as Ice

A Drop of Water by Walter Wick
Glaciers by Sally M. Walker
Science Experiments: Water by John Farndon
The Science Book of Water by Neil Ardley

Discussion:
How ice forms
Volume differences between ice and water
Glaciers

Activity:
Various water experiments (see books; student picks activities and there are plenty of interesting ones)

Medieval Middle East and Africa - Review - Islam

History of Islam

• Who were the Quraysh?  Who are the Bedouin?  
• Give a brief overview of Muhammad's life. 
• Why are Mecca and Medina important to the history of Islam?
• How did Islam expand under Muhammad?  Under the first four caliphs?
• Why is there a divide between Shi'ite and Sunni Muslims?

Beliefs of Islam

• What is the Qur'an?
• What are the five pillars of Islam?  Explain what each one means in practice.
• What religious differences are there between Shi'ites and Sunnis?
• How do Muslims settle disputes?

Religious Practice

• What kinds of food/drink restrictions do Muslims practice?  
• Describe Ramadan.
• What is a mosque?  Explain its main features and how it is used.
• What happens on the Hajj?

Medieval Middle East and Medieval Africa - Review I - Geography

Bodies of Water:

• Atlantic Ocean
• Mediterranean Sea
• Black Sea
• Caspian Sea
• Persian Gulf
• Red Sea
• Lake Victoria
• Nile River
• Niger River
• Tigris River
• Euphrates River
• Jordan River
• Niger River
• Zambezi River
• Limpopo River
• Congo River

Regions and Empires:

• Byzantine Empire
• Sasanid Empire
• Ummayyad Empire
• Abbasid Empire
• Ghana, Mali, Songhay Empires
• Great Zimbabwe
• Kongo
• Arabian Peninsula
• Sinai Peninsula

Cities:

• Byzantium (Constantinople)
• Rome
• Mecca 
• Medina
• Damascus
• Baghdad
• Cairo
• Jerusalem
• Gao
• Timbuktu
• Great Zimbabwe

Earth Science - Water - Properties of Water as Vapor

A Drop of Water by Walter Wick

Vocabulary Added:
evaporation: liquid water turning into water vapor

Discussion:
How water becomes vapor
Barometers
Steam power in engineering

Activity:
Various water experiments (see books; student picks activities and there are plenty of interesting ones)

Medieval Africa - Kongo

Kongo Ndongo by Kenny Mann
African Beginnings by James Haskins and Kathleen Benson, and Floyd Cooper
A Brief Political and Geographic History of Africa by John Davenport
Wonders of the African World by Henry Louis Gates, Jr.

Discussion:
Foundation of Kongo after the Bantu expansion
Trade - cloth
Social and government structures

Activity:
History journal
Mapping Kongo
Picture Study

Earth Science - Water - States of Water - Properties of Water as a Liquid

A Drop of Water by Walter Wick
Science Experiments: Water by John Farndon
The Science Book of Water by Neil Ardley

Discussion:
What water is
How it behaves
Surface tension, density

Activity:
Various water experiments (see books; student picks activities and there are plenty of interesting ones)

Medieval Africa - Great Zimbabwe

African Beginnings by James Haskins and Kathleen Benson, and Floyd Cooper
A Brief Political and Geographic History of Africa by John Davenport
Wonders of the African World by Henry Louis Gates, Jr.

Discussion:
Zimbabwean architecture and building techniques
Trading partners - goods (gold, porcelain, glass)
Decline of Great Zimbabwe

Activity:
History journal
Mapping Great Zimbabwe
Picture Study

Earth Science - Paleontology - Fossil Record

Geology by Barbara Murck
Dinosaur Tracks by Susan H. Gray
Eyewitness: Fossil by Paul D. Taylor

Discussion:
The fossil record
How fossils are dated

Activity:
Match fossils to eons and eras on the Geologic Column

Medieval Africa - Western Kingdoms - Benin

African Beginnings by James Haskins and Kathleen Benson, and Floyd Cooper

Benin: Lords of the River by Philip Koslow

Discussion: 

Geography and climate of Kingdom of Benin

Natural resources (bronze, spices, ivory, slaves)

Colonialism and the beginning of the slave trade (decline of Benin)

Activity: 

History journal

Map study

Picture study (Benin...) 

Earth Science - Paleontology - Fossils

Geology by Barbara Murck
Eyewitness: Fossil by Paul D. Taylor

Vocabulary Added:
fossilization: when organic matter is gradually replaced by minerals

Discussion:
How fossils form
Type I and Type II fossils

Activity:
Fossil examination (add to rock collection) and identification

Medieval Africa - Western Kingdoms - Songhay

African Beginnings by James Haskins and Kathleen Benson, and Floyd Cooper

Songhay: The Empire Builders by Philip Koslow

The Royal Kingdoms of Ghana, Mali, and Songhay: Life in Medieval Africa by Patricia and Fredrick McKissack

Discussion: 

Extent of Kingdom of Songhay, inheritance from Mali

Warfare, expanding Songhay influence throughout Western Africa

Colonialism and decline

Activity: 

History journal

Map study

Picture study (The Royal Kingdoms... and Songhay...) 

Earth Science - Geology - Quicksand

Quicksand by Kris Hirschmann

Discussion:
What quicksand is
Where it forms
How to escape/avoid it
Crazy quicksand stories

Activity:
Make quicksand in the sandbox

Medieval Africa - Western Kingdoms - Mali

African Beginnings by James Haskins and Kathleen Benson, and Floyd Cooper

The Royal Kingdoms of Ghana, Mali, and Songhay: Life in Medieval Africa by Patricia and Fredrick McKissack

Discussion: 

Extent of Kingdom of Mali, inheritance from Ghana

Timbuktu, Social structures and rituals, art

Decline

Activity: 

History journal

Map study

Picture study (The Royal Kingdoms...) 

Earth Science - Geology - Cave Features and Formations

Caves and Caverns by Gail Gibbons
Caves by Claire Llewellyn

Vocabulary Added:
stalactite: finger of rock forming from the ceiling of a cave
stalagmite: finger of rock growing up from the ground of a cave
pillar: when a stalactite and stalagmite meet

Discussion:
Cave formations
Dangers of caves

Activity:
Visit Crystal Grottoes Caverns in Boonsboro, MD

Medieval Africa - Western Kingdoms - Geography and Review

African Beginnings by James Haskins and Kathleen Benson, and Floyd Cooper

Discussion:
Climate, geography, natural resources (gold, salt)
Early West African kingdoms - Jenne-jeno
Ghanaian foundation mythology - review of Dinga Cisse

Activity:
History journal
Map study - Niger River, Jenne-jeno, Kingdom of Ghana

Earth Science - Geology - Caves

"Caves" from Planet Earth by the BBC

Caves and Caverns by Gail Gibbons
Caves by Claire Llewellyn

Vocabulary Added:
speleology: study of caves

Discussion:
How caves form
Types of caves
Cave animals' adaptive features

Activity:
Carve a cave out of a soft rock, or build one in the sand

Medieval Middle East, Medieval Africa - Fatimids - Cairo and Governance of Africa

Cairo by Rob Bowden and Roy Maconachie
Islamic Art and Culture: A Visual History by Nasser Khalili

Discussion:
Location and geography of Cairo, Fatimid Empire
Extent of Fatimid rule
Waning of Fatimid empire

Activity:
History journal
Map study - northern Africa and the Fatimid empire

Earth Science - Geology - Metal Production

Smelting Iron from Iron Ore
STEEL: From Start to Finish

Steel by Andrew Langley

Discussion:
Processes of making solid metal from mined rock
Dangers of the job
Technological advances

Activity:
Find things around the house that are made of steel

Medieval Middle East - Fatimids

Islam by Neil Morris
Islamic Art and Culture: A Visual Guide by Nasser Khalili
Cairo by Rob Bowden and Roy Maconachie

Discussion:
Origin of the Fatimds
Foundation of Cairo
Aspects of governance - religious tolerance, meritocracy, Berber military forces

Activity:
Mapping the Fatimid Caliphate
History journal

Medieval Middle East - Abbasid Empire - Science

Islam by Neil Morris
1001 Inventions & Awesome Facts from Muslim Civilization by National Geographic Kids

The Genius of Islam by Bryn Barnard

Islamic Art and Culture: A Visual Guide by Nasser Khalili

Discussion:
Major inventions and discoveries
Branches of learning developed - astronomy, book production, agriculture, medicine
Avicenna

Activity:
Go out at night and see if you can find any of the astronomical bodies with Arabic names
Learn an algebraic equation
History journal

Earth Science - Geology - Mining

Growing up in Coal Country by Susan Campbell Bartoletti
The Great American Gold Rush by Rhoda Blumberg
Copper, Silver, and Gold by Brian Knapp

Discussion:
Mining processes
History of mining, types of mines
Mining culture

Activity:
Draw a schema of a mine

Medieval Middle East - Abbasid and Ummayad Empires - Art and Architecture

Islam by Neil Morris
1001 Inventions & Awesome Facts from Muslim Civilization by National Geographic Kids

The Genius of Islam by Bryn Barnard

Islamic Art and Culture: A Visual Guide by Nasser Khalili

Discussion:
Muslim architecture throughout the Mediterraean
Spanish buildings and fortresses
Mosques, government buildings, palaces, homes
Decorative arts, illuminated Qur'an

Activity:
History journal
Visit the Freer and Sackler Galleries

Earth Science - Geology - Metamorphic Rocks

Extreme Rocks & Minerals by Smithsonian Institution
Let's Go Rock Collecting by Roma Gans and Holly Kelier
First Field Guide to Rocks and Minerals by National Audubon Society

Discussion:
Metamorphic rocks and their formation

Activity:
Collect metamorphic rocks.  Use rock identification strategies to determine type of rock (hopefully).

Medieval Middle East - Abbasid Empire - Food, Music, Festivals

Foods of Iran by Barbara Sheen
Cooking Up World History by Suzanne Marchers and Patricia Marden
1001 Inventions & Awesome Facts from Muslim Civilization by National Geographic Kids

Discussion:
Important religious festivals and traditions
Foods of the region, methods of production and preparation
Music

Activity:
History journal
Listen to music of the Abbasid Empire - Safiy ad-Din et al.
Abbasid Feast! (Make Caliph's favorite pancakes in particular)

Earth Science - Geology - Sedimentary Rocks

Extreme Rocks & Minerals by Smithsonian Institution
Let's Go Rock Collecting by Roma Gans and Holly Kelier
First Field Guide to Rocks and Minerals by National Audubon Society

Discussion:
Sedimentary rocks and their formation

Activity:
Collect sedimentary rocks.  Use rock identification strategies to determine type of rock (hopefully).

Medieval Middle East - Abbasid Empire - Social Structures

Islam by Neil Morris
1001 Inventions & Awesome Facts from Muslim Civilization by National Geographic Kids

Discussion:
Family life, extended family
Life in cities vs. rural areas
Cultural norms for men and women

Activity:
History journal
Picture study: dress, artifacts of daily life from the Abbasid Empire

Earth Science - Geology - Igneous Rocks (Review)

Extreme Rocks & Minerals by Smithsonian Institution
Let's Go Rock Collecting by Roma Gans and Holly Kelier
First Field Guide to Rocks and Minerals by National Audubon Society

Discussion:
Review of igneous rocks and their formation

Activity:
Collect igneous rocks.  Use rock identification strategies to determine type of rock (hopefully).

Medieval Middle East - Abbasid Empire - Cities

1001 Inventions & Awesome Facts from Muslim Civilization by National Geographic Kids
Islamic Art and Culture: A Visual History by Nasser Khalili
Baghdad by Nikki van der Gaag and Felicity Arbuthnot

Discussion:
Centers of activity - mosques, markets, homes, stores, baths
Building materials, methods
Roads, city gates and walls

Activity:
History journal
Build a model of Baghdad ca. 900 CE

Earth Science - Geology - Rock Identification Strategies

How the Earth Works by Michelle O'Brien Palmer

Discussion:
Scratch Test
Streak Test
Magnet Test
Dip Test

Activity:
Learning the different tests of Rock Identification
Field trip to Home Depot to obtain marble, granite, and slate.  Destruction thereof with hammer.

Medieval Middle East - Abbasid Empire - Harun al-Rashid

Wikipedia - Harun al-Rashid (yes, this is the best I could do)

Discussion:
Patron of the arts and sciences - Bayt al-Hikma
Relations with Charlemagne
Governing mistakes
Development as legendary figure

Activity:
History journal
Listening to some poetry and stories from centuries later about Harun al-Rashid (Thousand Nights and One Night, Tennyson, Longfellow, O. Henry, Haroun and the Sea of Stories)

Earth Science - Geology - Mohs Scale of Hardness

Rocks and Minerals by Tracy Staedter (Reader's Digest Pathfinders)
Geology by Barbara Murck

Vocabulary Added:
mohs scale: determines the relative hardness of minerals

Discussion:
Why some rocks are harder than others
Testing for hardness

Activity:
Use rock collection to test hardness of rocks against each other.  Make a chart, putting rocks in order of hardness.

Medieval Middle East - Islam - Abbasids

The World's Greatest Empires by National Geographic (Magazine)
Islamic Art and Culture: A Visual History by Nasser Khalili

Discussion:
Overthrow of Ummayads in the Middle East - fragmented empires
Capital - Baghdad
Effect of widespread peace and order
The "Golden Age of Islam" - art, science, poetry, literature, medicine etc

Activity:
History journal
Map activity: Abbasid Empire - blank map

Earth Science - Geology - The Rock Cycle

Everything Rocks and Minerals by Steve Tomecek
Rocks and Minerals by Tracy Staedter (Reader's Digest Pathfinders)

Discussion:
Rock formation, destruction
Places where rocks form
Pinpointing where rocks are in the cycle at any given time

Activity:
Use rock collection to demonstrate rocks at various points in the cycle

Earth Science - Geology - What is a Rock?

Geology by Barbara Murck
Rocks and Minerals by Ann O. Squire
Extreme Rocks and Minerals by the Smithsonian Institution

Vocabulary Added:
sedimentary rock: formed by water settling grains of quartz in layers
metamorphic rock: changed over time by heat and pressure

Discussion:
What is a rock?
How and where rocks form
The rock cycle

Activity:
Go to rock shop.  Start a rock collection (use cards from How the Earth Works)

Medieval Middle East - Islam - Ummayads

The Venture of Islam by Marshall Hodgson

Discussion:
Expansion of the Caliphate through Spain
Wars with the Byzantine Empire (Greek Fire), Civil Wars (Fitna)
Dome of the Rock

Activity:
History journal
Map activity: expansion of Islam - blank map

Earth Science - Earth Composition - Gemstones II

Everything Rocks and Minerals by Steve Tomecek

Gemstones of the World by Walter Schumann

Discussion: 

How and where semi-precious gems form

Difference between precious and semi-precious gems

Activity: 

View jewelry in house through microscope

Attempt to identify precious from semi-precious stones

Medieval Middle East - Islam - Mosques, Religious Practice, Art

Mosque by David Macaulay
What You Will See Inside a Mosque by Aisha Karen Khan and Aaron Pepis
Islamic Art and Culture: A Visual History by Nasser Khalili

Discussion:
Structure, components, function of the Mosque
Religious art in Islam
Daily prayer, ablutions, occasional prayer (meals etc)

Activity:
History journal
Picture study: mosques around the world, illuminated Qur'an
Visit the Islamic Center of Washington, DC

Medieval Middle East - Islam - Sunni

The Venture of Islam by Marshall Hodgson

Discussion:
sunnah: habit
Importance of hadith
"Rightly Guided" - first four caliphs

Activity:
History journal

Earth Science - Earth Composition - Gemstones I

Everything Rocks and Minerals by Steve Tomecek

Gemstones of the World by Walter Schumann

Discussion: 

How and where precious gems form

Worth of precious gems

Mining, shaping, polishing precious gems

Activity: 

Field trip to Natural History Museum (it was closed for government shutdown; we went to Tiffany's in Bethesda instead)

Medieval Middle East - Islam - Shi'a

The Venture of Islam by Marshall Hodgson

Discussion:
Historical disagreement over succession to the caliphate
Leadership as divinely guided

Activity:
History journal

Earth Science - Earth Composition - Crystals

Crystals by Melissa Stewart

Vocabulary Added:
crystal: natural solid made of atoms that are always arranged the same way

Discussion:
Difference between "mineral" and "crystal"
Kinds of crystals, formation
Uses of crystals

Activity:
Making salt crystals (epsom and table salt)

Medieval Middle East - Islam - First Four Caliphs

A Brief Political and Geographic History of the Middle East by John Davenport

Discussion:
Abu Bakr, Umar, Uthman, Ali
Questions about succession
First Fitna

Activity:
History journal
Map study - founding of major cities, expansion of Islam - blank map

Earth Science - Earth Composition - Minerals

Minerals by Melissa Stewart

Vocabulary Added:
mineral: a natural solid material that is not alive

Discussion:
What is a mineral?  How do they form?
Use of minerals
Eating minerals

Activity:
Finding mineral-based products around the house - distinguishing from plant- and animal-based products

Medieval Middle East - Islam - Mecca and Medina

Saudi Arabia by Ann Heinrichs
Islam by Neil Morris
Muhammad by Demi

Discussion:
Location, climate, historical roots of both cities
Review of Mecca and Medina during Muhammad's life
Importance of Mecca and Medina to Muslims - restrictions for non-Muslims

Activity:
History journal
Picture study: Mecca and Medina

Earth Science - Earth Composition - Elements and Compounds

The Elements  by Matt Mullins
Geology by Barbara Murck

Vocabulary Added:
element: the most fundamental substance into which matter can be separated by chemical means
atom: smallest individual particle that has all the properties of a particular element
compound: when atoms of different types combine
molecule: the smallest individual particle of a compound

Discussion:
classification of elements - periodic table
structure of an atom
molecules

Activity:
Find things around the house containing elements or compounds and identify them (borax, baking soda, carbon dioxide, salt, etc).

Medieval Middle East - Islam - Shari'a

The Venture of Islam vol. I, by Marshall Hodgson, pp. 73-74, 338 (chart, to copy)

Discussion:
Shari'a as undisputed, divine law - sources (Qur'an, Sunnah)
Development after Muhammad's death
qadi: judge, fiqh: interpretation of the law
Five categories of human behavior

Activity:
History journal
Make a chart giving an example of a behavior that would fit in each category

Earth Science - Review I

The student should be able to label correctly a picture of the Earth, from inner core to crust, including the following: inner core, outer core, mantle, mesosphere, asthenosphere, lithosphere, Moho, crust.

The student should be able to answer the following questions:

How do we know that part of the inside of the Earth is liquid?
What is the composition of the mantle and core?
What is a continental plate?  How have they changed positions over time?
Give four explanations that support plate tectonic theory.
Name five kinds of volcanoes and explain the differences among them.
What types of materials do volcanoes release?
What is the difference between lava and magma?
What are convergence, divergence, and subduction?
What is elastic rebound theory?
What is the difference between primary waves and secondary waves?

Explain how a seismograph works.

The student should be able to reproduce the geologic column and label it correctly, explaining how radioactive decay helps determine numerical age of rock strata.

Medieval Middle East - Islam - Five Pillars of Islam

Islam by Neil Morris, "The Basic Teachings of Islam"
Muhammad by Demi

Discussion:
Five pillars of Islam: Shahadeh, Salat, Sawm, Zakat, Hajj (belief, prayer, fasting, giving alms, pilgrimage)

Activity:
History journal
Chart with drawings explaining the five pillars

Earth Science - Geologic Time - Radioactive Decay

Shaping the Earth by DH Patent and William Munoz
Geology by Barbara Murck

Vocabulary Added:
radioactive decay: how chemical elements change the atomic number of their nuclei
half-life: the time it takes for the number of parent atoms to reduce by half

Discussion:
How radioactive isotopes are like clocks

Activity:
Pretend an ice cube is a uranium 238.  Put it on a a plate and let it melt.  Time it till it is half gone.  Now use another ice cube of the same size as a "clock" to time another activity.

Medieval Middle East - Islam - Qur'an

Surah 1:1-7, "All praise be to Allah..."
Surah 2: 1-7, "Alif Lam Mim..."
Surah 3:144, "Muhammad is only a messanger..."
Surah 10:37-40, "This Qur'an is not such a writ..."
Surah 19: 16-36, "Commemorate Mary in the Book."
Surah 20:116-123, "When we said to the angels..."

Discussion:
Qur'an - what it is, how it is organized, need for memorization as Muslim, proper recitation
The collection and transcription of the oral Qur'an - respect for the object
Qur'anic art - illumination, scripts, as source for decoration of buildings and objects

Activity:
History journal
Listening activity: Call to prayer (while reading the alliterative text)
Picture study: Illuminated versions of the Qur'an, and text on objects/buildings

Earth Science - Geologic Time - Geologic Column

Shaping the Earth by DH Patent and William Munoz
Geology by Barbara Murck (see chart, pg. 54)

Vocabulary Added:
geologic column: the chronological order of all known strata
eon: age
Hadean: "Hades"-age
Archean: ancient-age
Proterozoic: early-life
Phanerozoic: visible-life
Paleozoic: ancient-life
Mesozoic: middle-life
Cenozoic: recent-life

Discussion:
Fossils - helping to date rock strata
Divisions of the geologic column: Hadean, Archean, Proterozoic, Phanerozoic (divided into Paleozoic, Mesozoic, Cenozoic)

Activity:
Make a chart of the geologic column, with ages correctly labeled

Medieval Middle East - Islam - Muhammad

Muhammad by Demi

Discussion:
Life up to age 40
Call to prophecy - life as prophet and leader
Battles in the Arabian peninsula - unification
Hajj, Farewell Sermon and death

Activity:
History journal
Map study: major cities and sites in Muhammad's life - blank map

Earth Science - Geologic Time - Stratigraphy

Shaping the Earth by DH Patent and William Munoz
Geology by Barbara Murck

Vocabulary Added:
stratigraphy: studying rock layers
uncomformity: gap in rock strata

Discussion:
Sedimentary rock distribution and formation
Why strata reveal how the Earth moves and changes; relative dating of rock strata
Time gaps in stratigraphy

Activity:
Build layer upon layer of "rock" with quick-hardening materials or foods, like frosting or chocolate shell

Earth Science - Geologic Time - Formation of the Earth

Shaping the Earth by DH Patent and William Munoz
Geology by Barbara Murck

Vocabulary Added:
uniformitarianism: the theory that geologic processes remain the same over time

Discussion:
How the Earth formed
How solid rock, water, and land formed

Activity:
Draw a cartoon strip showing the slow formation of the Earth

Medieval Middle East - Bedouin

Islam by Neil Morris, "Origins of Islam"
Cooking Up World History by Patricia C. Marden and Suzanne I. Barchers

Discussion:
Geography
Lifestyle - nomadic, desert-dwelling, herding flocks
Culture (story-telling) and religious beliefs, foods
Qaysis - descendants of Ishmael

Activity:
History journal
Map study: Arabian peninsula
Pretend to be a nomad - put up a tent, try cooking outside (think about what you could find to eat in the desert), think about the clothes you would want in the heat and cold

Earth Science - Earthquakes - Tsunamis

Sweeping Tsunamis by Louise and Richard Spilsbury
Tsunamis by Margaret W. Carruthers
Naked Science: 10 THINGS YOU DIDN'T KNOW ABOUT TSUNAMIS (Part 2)

Discussion:
Difference between normal waves and tsunamis
Causes of tsunamis (earthquakes, meteors, volcanoes)

Activity:
Tsunami in a bathtub.  Make islands out of floating toys.  Make "earthquakes" and waves.

Medieval Middle East - Byzantine-Sassanid Conflicts

The Byzantine Empire: A Society That Shaped the World by Kelly Rogers
A Brief Political and Geographic History of the Middle East by John Davenport

Discussion:
Locations and periods of major conflict
Prolonged war - consequences

Activity:

History journal

Map study: locate areas of major conflicts and where land changed sides - blank map 

Earth Science - Earthquakes - Famous Earthquakes

Earthquakes and Volcanoes by Lin Sutherland and Thomas Wright
How the Earth Works by Michelle O'Brien-Palmer
Earthquakes by Ker Than
Things You Didn't Know About Earthquakes

Discussion:
After-effects of earthquakes (mudslides, building structural flaws, fires, avalanche, etc)
Things learned from big quakes

Activity:
Shake-A-Quake activity (jello jigglers, marshmallows, toothpicks) from How the Earth Works

Medieval World - Attila the Hun

Priscus at the court of Attila 

Discussion:
Expanding the Hunnic Empire
Major battles and campaigns
Manner and style of Hun warriors

Activity:
History journal
2'x3' Map of Europe/Asia - re-enact Attila's campaigns with Playmobil people

Medieval World - Hun Invasion

Discussion:
Origin(s) - where did the Huns come from?
Base near the Caspian Sea
Attacks on the borders of established empires (Roman, Byzantine, Sassanid)

Activity:
History journal
Map activity: possible routes of the Huns, locations over time - blank map

Earth Science - Earthquakes - Measuring Earthquakes

Danger! Earthquakes by Seymour Simon
Geology Rocks! by Cindy Blobaum
Earthquakes and Volcanoes by Lin Sutherland and Thomas Wright
Geology by Barbara Murck

Vocabulary Added:
hypocenter: location of the earthquake within the Earth
epicenter point on the Earth's surface directly above the hypocenter

Discussion:
Using triangulation to find the epicenter
How seismographs work, generation of seismograms
The Richter scale

Activity:
Scan through I Felt That (app on iPhone), observing types of earthquakes recently recorded, and locations
Make a seismograph - from Geology Rocks!

Earth Science - Earthquakes - Causes

Earthquakes and Volcanoes by Lin Sutherland and Thomas Wright

Vocabulary Added:
elastic rebound theory: idea that the removal of stress allows rocks to snap back to their original size and shape

Discussion:
Plate convergence
Plate movement along faults
Direction of plate movement (horizontal or vertical)

Activity:
Rubber band snapping - demonstrate elasticity and stored energy

Medieval Middle East - Sassanid Empire - Religions

Ancient Iran by Massoume Price
Ancient Persia by Don Nardo
A Brief Political and Geographic History of the Middle East by John Davenport

Discussion:
Multiple religions - Christianity, Judaism, Zorastrianism
Administration of religion
Review of differences in beliefs

Activity:
History journal
Picture study: religious artifacts from different parts of the Sassanid Empire

Medieval Middle East - Sassanid Empire - Geography and History

Ancient Iran by Massoume Price
Ancient Persia by Don Nardo
A Brief Political and Geographic History of the Middle East by John Davenport

Discussion:
Persia - Location of Sassanids - proximity to Byzantine Empire
General overview of history from wars with Rome (Parthians) to tetrarchy
Government structure - bureaucracy and kingship

Activity:
History journal
Map study - location of the Sassanid Empire
Picture study - Sassanid artifacts

Earth Science - Volcanoes - Geysers and Hot Springs

Geysers by Claire Llewellyn

Discussion:
Where and how geysers form
Uses of geysers
Hot springs - differences/similarities to geysers

Activity:
Geyser Riser activity

Medieval Europe - Byzantine Empire - Eastern Orthodox Christianity

The Byzantine Empire: A Society That Shaped the World by Kelly Rogers
Art of Constantinople: An Introduction to Byzantine Art 330-1453 by John Beckwith

Discussion:
Structure of Eastern Orthodox church
Icons, art, and church architecture
Worship
Missionary activity - founding of national Eastern churches (Greek, Russian, Albanian, etc), effect on relationship with Western Church

Activity:
History journal
Picture study - Eastern Orthodox iconography, particularly Eastern saints

Earth Science - Volcanoes - Famous Eruptions

Raging Planet: Volcanoes on Netflix
Earthquakes and Volcanoes by Lin Sutherland and Thomas Wright
Shaping the Earth by Dorothy Hinshaw Patent and William Munoz

Discussion:
Noteworthy eruptions: Thera, Vesuvius, Mt. St. Helens, Pinatubo, Krakatau and others

Activity:
Picture study of famous eruptions and artifacts from them

Earth Science - Volcanoes - Types of Volcanoes

Geology by Barbara Murck
Earthquakes and Volcanoes by Lin Sutherland and Thomas Wright
Volcanoes: Journey to the Crater's Edge by Phillipe Bourseiller
Volcanoes by Elaine Landau

Vocabulary Added:
Volcano types:

• shield volcano
• plateau basalt
• cinder-cone volcano
• stratovolcano
• black smoker

pyroclastic flow: deadly mix of hot material and gas rushing down from a volcano
fissure: long fracture in the earth's crust
Plinian column: very tall pyroclastic eruptions
lateral blast: when a volcano erupts from its side
caldera: circular basin in the center-top of a volcano
crater: funnel-shaped depression in the center-top of a volcano
fumarole: vent for volcanic gas (such as water vapor or sulfur)

Discussion:
Why volcanoes form into different shapes
How each volcano erupts

Activity:
Draw a picture of each type of volcano
Explode a volcano!

Medieval Europe - Byzantine Empire - Art and Architecture

Art of Constantinople: An Introduction to Byzantine Art 330-1453 by John Beckwith

Discussion:
Themes and materials in Byzantine art
Greek Christian iconography
Buildings - structure, purpose, decoration

Activity:
History journal
Picture study

Medieval Europe - Byzantine Empire - From Latin to Greek Traditions

The Byzantine Empire: A Society That Shaped the World by Kelly Rogers

Discussion:
Change of capital: from West (Rome) to East (Byzantium)
Change of language: Latin to Greek
Change of religion: From Greco-Roman gods to Greek Christianity
Why did the Byzantine Empire survive while the West fragmented?

Activity:
History journal
Make a chart comparing the (Eastern Roman) Byzantine Empire to the (Western) Roman Empire

Earth Science - Volcanoes - Volcanic Rocks

The Magic School Bus Inside the Earth by Joanna Cole and Bruce Degan
Earthquakes and Volcanoes by Lin Sutherland and Thomas Wright
Rocks and Minerals by Tracy Staedter and Carolyn Rebbert
Firefly Guide to Minearls, Rocks, & Fossils by Bishop, Woolley, and Hamilton
Geology by Barbara Murck

Vocabulary Added:
magmatic differentiation:  how a single magma can produce a variety of rocks
fractional crystallization: when crystals and liquids are separated from one another

Discussion:
Types of rocks vary due to composition, partial melting, cooling rate, fractional crystallization
Familiar types of volcanic rocks (pumice, obsidian, granite, basalt)

Activity:
Identifying igneous rocks - around the house, garden, in buildings, in stores.  Collect samples if possible.

Earth Science - Volcanoes - Magma/Lava

Danger! Volcanoes by Seymour Simon
Earthquakes and Volcanoes by Lin Sutherland and Thomas Wright
Geology by Barbara Murck

Vocabulary Added:
magma: melted rock inside the Earth
lava: magma that rises to the Earth's surface

Discussion:
Types of magma - difference in silica content
Types of lava flow (aa, pahoehoe)

Activity:
Fun with baking and icing: viscosity adjustment - recreating lava with runny or thick icing

Medieval Europe - Byzantine Empire - Government

The Byzantine Empire: A Society That Shaped the World by Kelly Rodgers

Discussion:
Government structure
The emperor - imperial infighting
Conquering, losing, reconquering

Activity:
History journal
Chart - Byzatine governmental structures, offices, etc

Medieval Europe - Eastern Roman (Byzantine) Empire - Geography and History Review

The Byzantine Empire: A Society That Shaped the World by Kelly Rodgers

Discussion:
Diocletian and the tetrarchy
Extent of the Eastern and Western Roman Empires
Constantine moves the capital to Byzantium (Constantinople)

Activity:
History journal
Mapping the Eastern Roman Empire (ie, the Byzantine Empire) - blank map

Earth Science - Volcanoes - Temperature, Pressure, Gas

Earthquakes and Volcanoes by Lin Sutherland and Thomas Wright
Geology by Barbara Murck

Vocabulary Added:
geothermal gradient: the rate the temperature increases with depth in the Earth
decompression melting: how the melting point changes as the pressure changes

Discussion:
why rocks melt
why the mantle is mostly solid and not melted rock

Activity:
Salt and ice experiment
Recording the boiling point of different liquids

Earth Science - Earth Structure - Microcontinents

The Earth Through Time by H. Levin

Vocabulary Added:
allochthonous: sediment that formed at a location other than its present one

Discussion:
Small bits of continental crust - ability to move vast distances
Methods of movement

Activity:
Use graham crackers and crumbs floating on honey to show how little bits can end up next to or inside of bigger bits

Medieval Europe - Religious Beliefs - Christian Missionaries

Across a Dark and Wild Sea by Don Brown and Deborah Nadel
Picture study: Sts. Cyril and Methodius
Socrates Scholasticus, Ecclesiastical History, Book 4, Chapter 33, Conversion of the Goths

Discussion:
Dangers of missionary work
Conversion through incentives

Activity:
History journal
Think of reasons people today might be persuaded to change religions

Earth Science - Earth Structure - Hot Spots

Shaping the Earth by DW Patent and William Munoz
The Earth Through Time by H. Levin

Discussion:
Movement of the plates and lava hot spots
Example of Hawaii

Medieval Europe - Social Structures - Monks, Hermits, Nuns

Benedict, The Holy Rule of St. Benedict, Chapter 1 and Chapter 6

Discussion:
Styles of religious life

Vocabulary:
monastery, cloister, abbey, abbot, abbess, nun, monk, hermit, novice, postulant

Activity:
History journal
Attempt taking a vow of silence for an hour.
Field trip: St. Anselm's Abbey

Earth Science - Earth Structure - Plate Tectonics

How the Earth Works by Michelle O'Brien-Palmer
Shaping the Earth by DW Patent and William Munoz
The Earth Through Time by H. Levin

Vocabulary Added:
convergence: continents pushing together
subduction: one plate slipping under another

Discussion:
Earthquake activity reveals location of plates
Example of India

Activity:
"Make a Model - Earth's Crust" from How the Earth Works

Ancient Rome and Medieval Europe - Religious Beliefs - Augustine and Jerome

Augustine, Confessions, Book II, Chapter 4
Jerome, Letter 38, To Marcella

Discussion:
Augustine's view of sin - innate to man, need for grace
Jerome's views on women

Activity:
History journal
Propositional Debate: Teacher asks questions, students answers in the mode of Augustine or Jerome

Earth Science - Earth Structure - Sea-floor Spreading

Shaping the Earth by DW Patent and William Munoz
The Earth Through Time by H. Levin

Vocabulary Added:
divergence: continents pushing apart

Discussion:
How upwelling sea-floor lava pushes plates apart, expanding the distance between continents

Activity:
Pour honey between two graham crackers.  Watch them push apart.

Ancient Rome - Religious Beliefs - Christian Disagreements

Athanasius, On the Incarnation of the Word, Chapter 2, 7-8
Ambrose, Exposition of the Christian Faith, Book I, Chapter 19

Discussion:
Who and what is Jesus Christ?
Arian point of view
Council of Nicea

Activity:
History journal
Propositional Debate: Teacher asks student questions about nature of Christ - student answers first as an Arian, then according to the Nicene Creed

Ancient Rome - Religious Beliefs - Christian Martyrdom

Perpetua, Martyrdom of Perpetua and Felicity
Tertullian, Apologetic, Apology, Chapter 10, (Accusations against Christians)
Saint Valentine by Ann Tompert and Kestutis Kasparavicius

Discussion:
Roman charges against Christians
Types of martyrdoms
Why Christians embraced martyrdom

Activity:
History journal
Narration - Perpetua's martyrdom

Earth Science - Earth Structure - Magnetism

Geology: A Self-Teaching Guide by Barbara Murck
The Earth Through Time by Harold L. Levin

Vocabulary:
paleomagnetism: magnetism of ancient rocks, showing continents' previous alignment
apparent polar wandering curves: lines on a map showing how a continent moved

Discussion:
How magnetism reveals where the poles are
How paleomagnetism reveals where the poles were relative to the position of the shifting continents

Activity:
Make a compass

Earth Science - Earth Structure - Continental Drift

Shaping the Earth by Dorothy Hinshaw Patent and William Munoz

The Earth Through Time by Harold Levin (textbook)

Discussion: 

How continents move on the lithosphere
Fossil record - how we can tell continents used to be joined together

Activity:
Draw Pangaea on a paper plate.  Cut into Laurasia and Gondwanaland.  Cut into present-day continents. Show how continents moved to present location.

Ancient Rome - Religious Beliefs - Early Christian Practices

Justin Martyr, First Apology, Chapter 67, "Weekly Worship of the Christians"
Justine Martyr, First Apology, Chapter 61, "Christian Baptism"

Discussion:
Religious practices of early Christians

Activity:
History journal
Compare present-day Christian worship services to Justin's description
Compare present-day baptismal practices to Justin's description

Earth Science - Earth Structure - The Crust

Shaping the Earth by Dorothy Hinshaw Patent and William Munoz

The Earth Through Time by Harold Levin (textbook)

Vocabulary Added:
lithosphere: rock-ring; crust plus the top of the mantle

Moho: Mohorovicic discontinuity; boundary between crust and mantle

Discussion: 

Thinness of the crust relative to the rest of the innersphere
Continental crust and oceanic crust

Faults and folds

Activity:
Use blocks and origami paper to show how faults and folds form
Finish Earth's structure drawing

Ancient Rome - Religious Beliefs - Diaspora Judaism

Bar Mitzvah: A Jewish Boy's Coming of Age by Eric A. Kimmel
What You Will See Inside a Synagogue by Rabbi Lawrence A. Hoffman and Dr. Ron Wolfson and Bill Aron
Babylonian Talmud, Book 8, "A stubborn and rebellious son"

Discussion:
From Mishnah (oral tradition) to Talmud (writing)
Talmud - preserving rabbinic teachings outside of Jerusalem
Study and learning as culture

Activity:
History journal
Visit a synagogue

Earth Science - Earth Structure - The Mantle

Shaping the Earth by Dorothy Hinshaw Patent and William Munoz

The Earth Through Time by Harold Levin (textbook)

Vocabulary Added:
asthenosphere: weak-ring; uppermost part of the mantle
mesosphere: middle-ring; rest of the mantle

Discussion: 

Composition of the mantle, production of magma
Segments of the mantle
Wave behavior in the mantle

Activity:
Continue drawing of Earth's structure

Ancient Rome - Religious Beliefs - Destruction of the Temple

The Story of Shabbat by Molly Cone and Emily Lisker
Josephus, Wars of the Jews, Book 6, Chapter 4, 5-8

Discussion:
Review of Jewish return to Jerusalem after Babylonian exile
Jewish wars against Rome
Destruction of the Second Temple - exile throughout the Mediterranean

Activity:
History journal
Map study of Jerusalem during the second temple period
Bake Challah

Earth Science - Earth Structure - Inner Core

Shaping the Earth by Dorothy Hinshaw Patent and William Munoz

The Earth Through Time by Harold Levin (textbook)

Vocabulary Added:
seismic waves: waves of energy that travel through the Earth's layers
primary waves: seismic waves that vibrate in the direction they are traveling; they arrive first and can pass through liquid; not harmful
secondary waves: seismic waves that vibrate transversely to the direction they are traveling; arrive later, cannot pass liquid, cause damage

Discussion: 

Seismic waves and primary waves reveal the composition of the core

Iron and nickel - high density material

Pressure on the core - liquid to solid

Activity:
Make secondary waves with a slinky 

Refraction experiment - pencil in water, see how the pencil appears to be bent

Ancient Rome - Religious Beliefs - Jesus and the Apostles

The Twelve Apostles by Marianna Mayer
Josephus, Antiquities of the Jews, Book 18, Chapter 1, Chapter 3

Discussion:
Review of first 5 Roman Emperors, Roman religion, structure of Roman Empire
Political context of Jesus Christ in Jerusalem and Roman Empire - Pontius Pilate
The Apostles' message and early travels

Activity:
History journal - three sentences
Map activity - trace routes of Apostles' journeys

Ancient Rome - Religious Beliefs - Judaism at 0 CE

Pirkei Avot, Chapter One, Hillel and Shammai et al.
Gospel of Matthew, Chapter 3, John the Baptist
Dead Sea Scroll 1QS, Manual of Discipline, "Of loving and hating fellow men; and of duty to God"

Discussion:
Sects of Judaism (Essenes, Sadducees, Pharisees, Zealots, and others such as John the Baptist, Jesus Christ)
Public debates about Mosaic law
Schools and their followers - oral traditions
Relationships to Roman authorities

Activity:
History journal
Proposition and debate: teacher gives student a question; student attempts to answer the question in the manner of each sect discussed (ie, who is my neighbor? or, on the Resurrection)

Animals and Plants - Ecosystems - Mountains

"Mountains" segment from Planet Earth, BBC, David Attenborough
Mountains by Seymour Simon

Discussion:
Animal and plant adaptations in mountains

Activity:
Add "mountains" to the ecosystems comparison chart.
Color in mountainland areas on blank map.

Animals and Plants - Ecosystems - Chapparal

The Chapparal: Life on the Scrubby Coast by Salvatore Tocci

Discussion:
Technical definition of "chapparal"
Animal and plant adaptations in chapparal

Activity:
Add "chapparal" to the ecosystems comparison chart.
Color in chapparal areas on blank map.

Animals and Plants - Ecosystems - Temperate Forests

"Forests" segment from Planet Earth, BBC, David Attenborough
Forests by Andy Owen and Miranda Ashwell

Discussion:
Technical definition of "temperate forest"
Animal and plant adaptations in temperate forests

Activity:
Add "temperate forests" to the ecosystems comparison chart.
Color in temperate forest areas on blank map.

Ancient Rome - The Empire - Sack of Rome (410)

Tools of the Ancient Romans by Rachel Dickinson
Religions of Rome Vol. II: A Sourcebook by Mary Beard, John North, and Simon Price

Discussion:
Visigoths - background
Three sieges and the sack
Import of the sack to Romans

Activity:
Review of Emperors Chart
Narration of Emperors from Trajan to Constantine

Animals and Plants - Ecosystems - Grasslands

"Great Plains" segment from Planet Earth, BBC, David Attenborough
Grasslands by Darlene R. Still

Discussion:
Technical definition of "grassland"
Animal and plant adaptations in grasslands

Activity:
Add "grassland" to the ecosystems comparison chart.
Color in grassland areas on blank map.

Ancient Rome - The Empire - Constantine

Religions of Rome Vol. II: A Sourcebook by Mary Beard, John North, and Simon Price
Tools of the Ancient Romans by Rachel Dickinson

Discussion:
Wars - Gauls, Civil war within the tetrachy
Conversion to Christianity and Edict of Milan (religious tolerance)
Founding Byzantium (Constantinople)

Activity:
Add Constantine to the Emperors Chart

Animals and Plants - Ecosystems - Wetlands

Wetlands by Darlene R. Still

Discussion:
Technical definition of "wetland"
Animal and plant adaptations in wetlands

Activity:
Add "wetlands" to ecosystem comparison chart.
Color in wetland areas on blank map.

Ancient Rome - The Empire - Diocletian

Religions of Rome Vol. II: A Sourcebook by Mary Beard, John North, and Simon Price
Tools of the Ancient Romans by Rachel Dickinson

Discussion:
Diocletian comes to power
Tetrarchy
Attempts at reforming religion
Subsequent rulers (to Constantine)

Activity:
Map exercise: divide the empire up under the tetrarchy
Matching exercise: match the Roman emperor to his accomplishments (or nefarious deeds)

Animals and Plants - Ecosystems - Rain Forest

"Jungle" segment from Planet Earth, BBC, David Attenborough
Tropical Rain Forests by Darlene R. Still

Discussion:
Technical definition of "rain forest"
Animal and plant adaptations in rain forests

Activity:
Add "rain forest" to the ecosystems comparison chart.
Color in rain forest areas on blank map.

Ancient Rome - The Empire - Crisis of the Third Century

Tools of the Ancient Romans by Rachel Dickinson

Discussion:
Civil war after Commodus' murder
The empire starts to break apart
The many short-lived emperors (exceptions: Septimus Severus and his son, Caracella)

Activity:
Add "civil war" to List of Emperors
Pattern study: List of Roman Emperors - looking for patterns of behavior, accession, origin, method, etc

Animals and Plants - Ecosystems - Deserts

"Deserts" segment from Planet Earth, BBC, David Attenborough
Deserts by Darlene R. Still

Vocabulary Added:
desert: wasteland (Latin)

Discussion:
Technical definition of "desert"
Animal and plant adaptations in deserts

Activity:
Create an ecosystem comparison chart. Add "desert", listing plants and animals and their taxonomic groups.
Use this blank map of the world to color in where the deserts are.

Ancient Rome - The Empire - Marcus Aurelius

Life in the Roman Empire: The City by Katherine Hinds
Life in the Roman Empire: The Patricians by Katherine Hinds
Religions of Rome Vol. II: A Sourcebook by Mary Beard, John North, and Simon Price

Discussion:
Succession of Marcus Aurelius
Stoicism (wisdom, courage, justice, temperance)
Campaigns in the Eastern part of the empire

Activity:
Add Marcus Aurelius to the List of Emperors.
Narration: Tell the story of the succession of emperors from Octavian to Marcus Aurelius.

Animals and Plants - Ecosystems - Overview

Secrets of Habitats by Andrew Solway
Plants and Plant Life, vol. Plant Ecology by Michael Allaby

Vocabulary Added:
ecosystem: environment-system

Discussion:
Types of ecosystems
Co-evolution of animals and plants

Activity:
Compare and contrast ecosystems of friends and family - how is life different in each place because of the ecosystem?

Ancient Rome - The Empire - Hadrian

Life in the Roman Empire: The Patricians by Katherine Hinds
Religions of Rome Vol. II: A Sourcebook by Mary Beard, John North, and Simon Price

Discussion:
Imperial succession
Hadrian's achievements

Activity:
Add Hadrian to the Emperors Chart
Add Hadrian's wall to the map of the Roman Empire

Plants - Experiments

The student will make a poster presenting one of the plant-based experiments undertaken at the beginning of the unit.  The student can choose which experiment to feature.  The poster should include the following sections of the scientific method:

• Question
• Hypothesis
• Prediction
• Testing
• Analysis
• Conclusion

The poster should have at least two drawings or photographs, depending on the experiment chosen, as well as samples taken from the experiment.

Ancient Rome - The Empire - Roman Provinces

Roman Britain by Ruth Brocklehurst and Stephen Wright
Religions of Rome Vol. II: A Sourcebook by Mary Beard, John North, and Simon Price

Discussion:
Rome's acquisition of provinces
Life in the provinces
Administering the enormous empire

Activity:
Color and label a map of the Roman Empire

Plants - Final Review

The student should be able to place a list of 50 plants in their correct place on a taxonomic tree.

The student should be able to answer the following questions:
What are the three things all plants need?
What is the word that means that plants convert sunlight to food?
What is chlorophyll?
What does it mean to "fix" nitrogen?
What are annual rings?
What is the difference between a spore and a seed?
What are the four parts of a flower?
What is pollination?  Name some pollinators.
How does a flowering plant reproduce?
Why or how do plants go extinct?
What does cooking do to a plant?
What is an invasive species?  Are there any in our yard?  Why are they a problem?

Ancient Rome - The Empire - Trajan

Life in the Roman Empire: The Patricians by Katherine Hinds (primary sources)
Life in the Roman Empire: The City by Katherine Hinds
Rome in Spectacular Cross-Section by Stephen Biesty

Discussion:
Domitian - Nerva - Trajan (line of succession and adoption)
Military achievements
Public works (market, forum, column)
Welfare and infrastructure projects

Activity:
Add Trajan to the Emperor Evaluation sheet
Draw your own Column, putting yourself on the top as a statue

Ancient Rome - The Empire - Gladiators

Gladiators Battling in the Arena by Katherine Frew
A Roman Gladiator by Don Nardo
The Colosseum by Elizabeth Mann

Discussion:
Participants: slaves, criminals, prisoners of war
Ludi - training programs
Types of gladiators and events

Activity:
Correctly outfit our Playmobil Colosseum gladiators with the right trappings for their type of event.

Plants - Dicots Review II

The student should be able to answer the following questions:
Why does mint spread so fast?
What kinds of Lamiidae plants would you find in your spice rack?
Why are daisies sometimes so different from each other?
What kinds of asters can you eat?
Name some uses of sunflowers.

Take the student outside and identify at least 10 plants from these two groups.

Plants - Dicots Review I

The student should be able to describe the distinguishing characteristics of a dicot.

The student should be able to answer the following questions:
Name one of the oldest dicots (magnolia).
Why do leaves change colors?
What does "deciduous" mean?
Why do some plants eat animals?  How do they do it?
Name some Rosidae plants that we eat.

Take the student outside to identify at least 10 different kinds of Rosidae plants.  Extra credit if the student can distinguish among Rosidae, Hamamelids, and Magnolids.

Ancient Rome - The Empire - Colosseum and Circus Maximus

Roman Amphitheaters by Don Nardo
The Roman Colosseum by Elizabeth Mann
Rome in Spectacular Cross-Section by Stephen Biesty

Discussion:
Structure and purpose of the Colosseum/Circus Maximus
When/how the Colosseum was built
Naming the Colosseum (for the statue, not the amphitheater's size)
Events at Colosseum vs. Circus Maximus

Activity:
At last, our Playmobil Colosseum set is used for its intended purpose.  Let the games begin!

Plants - Monocots Review

The student should be able to give the distinguishing characteristics of a monocot.

Take the student outside.  The student should correctly identify at least 10 monocots.

The student should be able to answer the following questions:

Name some monocots we eat (banana, ginger, pineapple, grains, palms).
Name some monocots that grow especially well in or near water (sedge, cattail, rush, reed).
What is the purpose of the bulb in the bulb plants?

Ancient Rome - The Empire - Pompeii, Herculaneum, and Mt. Vesuvius

Investigating the Past: Pompeii and Herculaneum

Bodies from the Ash by James M. Deem

Discussion:
Pompeii - location, geography, proximity to Vesuvius
Archaeological excavations
Beliefs about volcanos
Herculaneum - difference in experiencing the volcano

Activity:
Make a model of Vesuvius, Pompeii, and Herculaneum.  Destroy!

Plants - Primitive Plants Review

The student should be able to describe and identify basic characteristics of:

• algae
• moss
• clubmoss
• fern
• cycad
• gingko
• conifers

The student should be able to answer the following questions:

How does moss absorb water without roots?

What is lichen?

How do ferns reproduce?

Why are cycads different from conifers?

Why were people surprised to discover gingko?

How can you tell cypress from spruce?

What makes a pine tree different from most other conifers?

Ancient Rome - The Empire - Year of the Four Emperors

List of Roman Emperors from Wikipedia

Discussion:
Political Upheaval - comparing/contrasting the Republic and the Empire

Activity:
Add the four emperors (all together) to the Emperors chart
Re-enact Year of Four Emperors events with Playmobil people

Ancient Rome - The Empire - Claudius and Nero

Tools of the Ancient Romans by Rachel Dickinson

Discussion:
Contributions of Claudius
Why was Nero such a bad emperor?  Has he been misjudged, or was he really that bad?

Activity:
Add the two emperors studied to the Emperor Chart

Plants - Embryophytes - Tracheophytes - Angiosperms - Dicots - Asteridae - Compositae II

Classifying Flowering Plants by Francine D. Galko
Plants and Plant Life Vol. 10: The Dicotyledons by Michael Allaby

Discussion:
Familiar edible plants
-artichoke
-lettuce
-sunflower

Activity:
Add artichoke, lettuce, and sunflower to Plant Kingdom tree
Cook a salad with artichokes and lettuce, and sunflower seeds
Try out some different products made from sunflowers
Plant sunflowers in the garden; observe how they turn their heads toward the sun

Ancient Rome - The Empire - Tiberius and Caligula

Tools of the Ancient Romans by Rachel Dickinson

Discussion:
What makes a good ruler?
Advantages of having an emperor vs. having a republic
Disadvantages of having an emperor

Activity:
Add the two emperors studied to the Emperor Chart

Plants - Embryophytes - Tracheophytes - Angiosperms - Dicots - Asteridae - Compositae I

Classifying Flowering Plants by Francine D. Galko
Plants and Plant Life Vol. 10: The Dicotyledons by Michael Allaby

Discussion:
Familiar non-edible plants
-thistles
-gerber daisies
-African daisies
-marigolds
-chrysanthemums

Activity:
Add daisies and thistles to Plant Kingdom tree
Go out in the garden and see how many kinds of Compositae plants we have

Ancient Rome - The Empire - Vergil, Horace, Ovid

The Ancient Romans by Allison Lassieur
Selections from Ovid, Vergil, and Horace
(Opening of the Metamorphoses, Opening of Aeneid, In Praise of My Father from Satires)

Discussion:
Purpose of poetry in Rome
Important topics poets discussed
Poets' relationship with government (Ovid's exile)

Activity:
Listen to the Aeneid in Latin; attempt to find the meter.

Plants - Embryophytes - Tracheophytes - Angiosperms - Dicots - Asteridae

Classifying Flowering Plants by Francine D. Galko
Plants and Plant Life Vol. 10: The Dicotyledons by Michael Allaby

Discussion:
More foods!
-plantains (how are they different from bananas?)
-potato, tomato
-coffee
-olive (and lilac)
And more flowers!
-morning glory
-periwinkle, oleander
-bellflower
-honeysuckle

Activity:
Add potato, coffee, olive, periwinkle and morning glory to Plant Kingdom tree
Go out in the garden and see how many kinds of Asteridae plants we have
Cook with the foods mentioned - Greek omelette breakfast, anyone?

Ancient Rome - The Empire - Octavian

Tools of the Ancient Romans by Rachel Dickinson

Discussion:
Octavian - accomplishments
The Empire vs. The Republic (systems of government comparison)

Activity:
Make an Emperors comparison chart (Name, Year of Death and Cause, Contributions, Grade).  Add Octavian

Plants - Embryophytes - Tracheophytes - Angiosperms - Dicots - Lamiidae

Plants and Plant Life Vol. 10: The Dicotyledons by Michael Allaby

Discussion:
Herbs - growing herbs in a garden

Activity:
Add mint and sage to Plant Kingdom tree
Cook some things using herbs from the Lamiidae family

Ancient Rome - The Republic - Review

The student should be able to identify the following:

• Adriatic Sea
• Tiber River
• Italy
• Rome
• Tyrrhenian Sea
• Sicily
• Sardinia
• Corsica
• Spain
• Gaul
• The Alps
• The Pyrenees
• Rubicon River
• Appian Mountains
• The Po River

The student should be familiar with the following figures and stories:

• The Aeneid
• Romulus and Remus
• The Sabine Women
• The Lares
• Hannibal
• Pyrrhus
• The Gracchi Brothers
• Crassus
• Pompey
• Julius Caesar
• Cleopatra
• Mark Anthony

The student should be able to answer the following questions:

• Why are Roman gods similar to Greek gods?
• Name two gods the Romans had that the Greeks did not.
• Who were the Vestal Virgins?  Why were they important?
• Explain the Roman system of government under the Republic.
• Who were patricians?  Who were plebians?  
• Explain the structure of the Roman army.  
• Name five people or groups who fought Rome and nearly won.
• What was the Conflict of Orders?
• Who was Spartacus? Why is he important? 
• What were some causes of the Social Wars?
• Why did Caesar, Pompey, and Crassus band together as the First Triumvirate?  Why did it break up?
• Why did Mark Anthony and Cleopatra fight Octavian?
• What were some things Octavian did as Emperor?

Plants - Embryophytes - Tracheophytes - Angiosperms - Dicots - Rosidae III

Classifying Flowering Plants by Francine D. Galko
Plants and Plant Life Vol. 10: The Dicotyledons by Michael Allaby

Discussion:
A mixed bag, showing the diversity of Rosidae plants
-roses
-flax
-dogwood, holly
-frankincense and myrrh
-mahogany
-mangrove
-eucalyptus
-ivy

Activity:
Add roses, dogwood, frankincense, mahogany, mangrove, eucalyptus, and ivy to Plant Kingdom tree
Take a walk and identify all the Rosidae plants; see how many you can get.  Reward with equal number of jelly beans.

Ancient Rome - Late Republic - Second Triumvirate

"The Man Who Looked Like Hercules" from The Children's Plutarch: Tales of the Romans by Frederick James Gould, William Dean Howells, and Walter Crane
Queen Cleopatra by Tom Stressguth
Tools of the Ancient Romans by Rachel Dickinson

Discussion:
Second Triumvirate - Octavian, Lepidus, Antony
Battle of Actium
Octavian as Emperor - why he won and Caesar didn't

Activity:
Re-enact the Battle of Actium
Crown Octavian Emperor

Plants - Embryophytes - Tracheophytes - Angiosperms - Dicots - Rosidae II

Classifying Flowering Plants by Francine D. Galko
From Maple Tree to Syrup by Melanie Mitchell
Plants and Plant Life Vol. 10: The Dicotyledons by Michael Allaby

Discussion:
Types of Rosidae plants we eat
-legumes
-cashew, mango
-maple syrup
-tree fruits (apples, pears, citrus, stone fruit, raspberries, blackberries)
-tree nuts (walnuts, hickory, pecans)
-root vegetables (carrots, parsnips, celery, fennel)
-grapes
-pomegrante
What do all these plants have in common?

Activity:
Add apples, oranges, carrots, walnuts, beans, and maples to Plant Kingdom tree
Go through kitchen and pantry, identifying foods that come from Rosidae

Ancient Rome - Late Repulic - Julius Caesar

"Caesar and His Fortune" from The Children's Plutarch: Tales of the Romans by Frederick James Gould, William Dean Howells, and Walter Crane
Julius Caesar and the Roman Republic by Miriam Greenblatt
The Library of Alexandria by Kelly Trumble and Robina MacIntyre Marshall

Discussion:
Life of Caesar
The first emperor
Assassination

Activity:
Playmobil reenactment of Caesar crossing the Rubicon, asking to be dictator, assassination

Plants - Embryophytes - Tracheophytes - Angiosperms - Dicots - Rosidae I

Venus fly trap - The Private Life of Plants - David Attenborough - BBC Wildlife
Poisonous Pitcher plant - The Private Life of Plants - David Attenborough - BBC Wildlife

Classifying Flowering Plants by Francine D. Galko
Insect-Eating Plants by L. Patricia Kite
Plants and Plant Life Vol. 10: The Dicotyledons by Michael Allaby

Discussion:
Why do some plants eat animals?

Activity:
Add venus fly trap to Plant Kingdom tree
Field Trip to United States Botanic Garden

Ancient Rome - Late Republic - First Triumvirate

"The Conqueror of Pirates" from The Children's Plutarch: Tales of the Romans by Frederick James Gould, William Dean Howells, and Walter Crane
Tools of the Ancient Romans by Rachel Dickinson

Discussion:
Pompey, Caesar, Crassus
Crossing the Rubicon

Activity:
Map study - where were the members of the First Triumvirate stationed?
Narration: Life of Pompey

Ancient Rome - Late Republic - Cleopatra

Queen Cleopatra by Tom Streisguth

Discussion:
Review of Egypt - geography, monarchy, religion
Alexander the Great and the Ptolemies
Cleopatra and Ptolemy XIII

Activity:
Mapping Egypt
Picture Study - Ptolemaic Egypt - compare to Old, Middle, New Kingdom art/imagery

Plants - Embryophytes - Tracheophytes - Angiosperms - Dicots - Hamamelidae

Classifying Flowering Plants by Francine D. Galko
Plants and Plant Life Vol. 10: The Dicotyledons by Michael Allaby
Why Do Leaves Change Color? by Betsy Maestro and Loretta Krupinski
First Field Guide: Trees by the National Audubon Society

Vocabulary Added:
hamamelidae: oaks and their relatives

Discussion:
Leaves with net-like veins

Activity:
Go outside.  Identify Hamamelids (oak, beech, chestnut, birch, hazelnut)
Obtain acorns, hazelnuts, beech nuts, chestnuts.  Cook and eat if possible.
Add hamamelidae to Plant Kingdom tree

Plants - Embryophytes - Tracheophytes - Angiosperms - Dicots - Overview

Classifying Flowering Plants by Francine D. Galko
Plants and Plant Life Vol. 10: The Dicotyledons by Michael Allaby
First Field Guide: Trees by the National Audubon Society

Discussion:
Review of Monocots vs. Dicots

Activity:
Add dicots to Plant Kingdom tree
Go outside.  Identify again monocots vs. dicots.

Ancient Rome - Late Republic - Slave Revolt

"The Man Who Loved Gold" from The Children's Plutarch: Tales of the Romans by Frederick James Gould, William Dean Howells, and Walter Crane
Tools of the Ancient Romans by Rachel Dickinson

Discussion:
Spartacus
Crassus

Activity:
Narration - Spartacus vs. Crassus