Astronomy - Space Exploration - Space Probes

The Voyager Probes Boldly Go Where None Have Gone Before

The Kingfisher Space Encyclopedia

Discussion:
Space probes - purpose, design, capabilities, limits
Probes currently operating
(Review of pictures already studied when learning earlier topics)

Activity:
Picture gallery sent back from probes

Medieval Europe - War of the Roses

The Young Oxford History of Britain & Ireland

Discussion:
Re-enactment of the War of the Roses
Attempt not to be completely confused.  Note apparent non-availability of names of English noblemen other than Edward, Henry, and Richard.

Activity:
History journal
(Re-enactment)

Astronomy - Space Exploration - GPS

How Does GPS Work

The Kingfisher Space Encyclopedia

Discussion:
GPS - development
three-dimensional positioning

Activity:
Use GPS on phone to go geocaching

Medieval Europe - 100 Years War - Henry V and Joan of Arc

The Young Oxford History of Britain & Ireland
Joan of Arc by Diane Stanley
Joan of Arc by Josephine Poole and Angela Barrett

Discussion:
Henry V - Battle of Agincourt, premature death
Henry VI - king of England and France (kind of)
Joan of Arc fights for Charles VII

Activity:
Reenactments
History journal

Medieval Europe - Richard II

The Young Oxford History of Britain & Ireland

Discussion:
Richard II - poll tax revolt
Conflicts with the nobility
Henry Bolingbroke - deposing Richard, becoming Henry IV

Activity:
History journal
Monarchy tree

Astronomy - Space Exploration - Satellites

The Kingfisher Space Encyclopedia
Beyond the Solar System by Kay Carson

Discussion:
Types of satellites
Uses of satellites
Sizes, shapes, construction

Activity:
Build a mobile with satellites

Astronomy - Space Exploration - International Space Station

A Cool and Candid Look at the International Space Station Hosted by Astronaut Suni Williams

The Amazing International Space Station by the Editors of YES Mag

Discussion:
Building the ISS
Life on the ISS
Science at ISS

Activity:
Try some of the activities in the book mentioned above

Medieval Europe - 100 Years War - Origin and Early Conflicts

The Young Oxford History of Britain & Ireland

Discussion:
English holdings in France in 1330
Edward III and the Black Prince - claims to the French throne
Battles of Crecy and Poitiers - English victories

Activity:
History journal
Map study
Re-enactments
English succession activity

Astronomy - Space Exploration - Space Shuttle

Space Shuttle Launch NASA Atlantis to the International Space Station
CNN: Challenger Disaster Live on CNN

Space Shuttle Story by Andrew Wilson
The Kingfisher Space Encyclopedia

Discussion:
Purpose of the shuttle
Soviet shuttle plans
Problems with the program

Activity:
Visit the space shuttle at the National Air and Space Museum - Dulles

Medieval Europe - The Canterbury Tales - Tales II

Chaucer's Canterbury Tales by Marcia Williams
Read-aloud: The Canterbury Tales by Geoffrey Chaucer

Discussion:
Read several tales - social rankings, making fun of other professions/pilgrims, sense of humor

Activity:
Draw last 10 pilgrims
History journal

Astronomy - Space Exploration - Moon Landings

Neil Armstrong - First Moon Landing
Apollo 13 re-entry and splashdown as seen on live TV

History of Rockets by Ron Miller
The Kingfisher Space Encyclopedia

Discussion:
The Apollo missions - sending man to the moon
Apollo 13
End of the Apollo program

Activity:
Watch Apollo 13 for movie night

Medieval Europe - The Canterbury Tales - Tales I

Chaucer's Canterbury Tales by Marcia Williams
Read-aloud: The Canterbury Tales by Geoffrey Chaucer

Discussion:
Read several tales - discuss professions, descriptions of pilgrims

Activity:
Draw 10 more pilgrims
History journal

Medieval Europe - The Canterbury Tales - Geoffrey Chaucer

Chaucer's Canterbury Tales by Marcia Williams
Read-aloud: The Canterbury Tales by Geoffrey Chaucer

Discussion:
Chaucer's life
Origins of the tales
The prologue - meet the pilgrims

Activity:
Draw 10 of the pilgrims
History journal
Map/picture study (Canterbury)

Astronomy - Space Exploration - The Space Race

Sputnik 1 CBS News Special Report on TV, October 6, 1957
Glenn Flight Thrills World (1962)
Who Won the Space Race?

The Kingfisher Space Encyclopedia
The History of Rockets 

Discussion:
USA and USSR compete to put people in orbit/on the moon
Types of technology developed
Sputnik and Yuri Gagarin

Activity:
Timeline of major space race events

Medieval Europe - Black Death - Spread and Mortality Rates

Medieval Medicine and the Plague by Lynne Elliot

Discussion:
How the plague spread
Rates of infection
Mortality, affect on burial customs

Activity:
Picture study
History journal
Map study

Astronomy - Space Exploration - Rocket Fuel Types and Payload

A History of Rockets
The Kingfisher Space Encyclopedia

Discussion:
Types of fuel used in propelling rockets
What rockets can carry and how

Activity:
Make a chart listing the uses of different kinds of rocket fuel

Medieval Europe - The Black Death - Origins and Types

Medieval Medicine and the Plague by Lynne Elliot

Discussion:
Origins of the Black Death
Types of infections

Activity:
History journal
Picture study (Oxford Illustrated History of the Middle Ages and Der Schatz des Amplonius)

Astronomy - Space Exploration - Rockets

History of Rockets
The Kingfisher Space Encyclopedia

Discussion:
How a rocket works
Fuel types
Escaping gravity and going into orbit

Activity:
Build and launch a rocket (small, non-gravity-escaping type)

Medieval Europe - The Papacy - Wandering Popes and the Avignon Papacy

Discussion:
Italian political rivalries
Instability in the Papal States
The Pope is forced to leave Rome and then Italy

Activity:
History journal
Map study

Astronomy - Observational Astronomy - Observatories

The Kingfisher Space Encyclopedia

Discussion:
Terrestrial observatories
Space observatories - advantages

Activity:
Field trip to our local observatory (terrestrial, obviously)

Astronomy - Observational Astronomy - Radio Telescopes

The Kingfisher Space Encyclopedia
The Telescope by Tamra Orr

Discussion:
How a radio telescope works
Locations, types of objects/information viewed

Activity:
Picture study - parts of the radio telescope

Feudal Japan - Ninja

Ninjas: Masters of Stealth and Secrecy by Joanne Mattern

Discussion:
Origins of Ninja
Employment by Samurai and other warlords
Training, skills, religious beliefs

Activity:
History journal

Astronomy - Observational Astronomy - Constellations - Perseus Group

Dot to Dot in the Sky by Joan Marie Galat
First Field Guide to the Night Sky by the National Audubon Society

Discussion:
Constellation group of the Perseus story - identification of its constellations and where they are relative to each other

Activity:
Observation

Feudal Japan - Samurai - Bushido

Samurai: Warlords of Japan by Arlan Dean
How to Be a Samurai Warrior by Fiona Macdonald and John James
Read-aloud: Sword of the Samurai by Eric A. Kimmel

Discussion:
Bushido - the Samurai code of honor
Buddhism, Shinto influences
Meditation practices

Activity:
Continue Samurai costume

Astronomy - Observational Astronomy - Constellations - Taurus

First Field Guide to the Night Sky by the National Audubon Society

Discussion:
Recognizing Taurus
Mythology of Taurus

Activity:
Draw Taurus - show how it resembles what it is named for
Explain its location on a diagram of the sky
Identify in sky

Feudal Japan - Samurai - Armor

Samurai: Warlords of Japan by Arlan Dean
How to Be a Samurai Warrior by Fiona Macdonald and John James
Read-aloud: Sword of the Samurai by Eric A. Kimmel

Discussion:
Parts of the samurai armament
Design and construction
Evolution

Activity:
Continue Samurai costume

Feudal Japan - Samurai - Shogunate

Life in Ancient Japan by Hazel Richardson
Samurai: Warlords of Japan by Arlan Dean
Read-aloud: Sword of the Samurai by Eric A. Kimmel

Discussion:
The Genpei War and the beginning of the shogunate
From a temporary to a permanent position
How the shogun controls the samurai and the emperor

Activity:
Continue making Samurai costume
History journal

Astronomy - Observational Astronomy - Constellations - Leo

First Field Guide to the Night Sky by the National Audubon Society

Discussion:
Recognizing Leo
Mythology of Leo

Activity:
Draw Leo - show how it resembles what it is named for
Explain its location on a diagram of the sky
Identify in sky

Astronomy - Observational Astronomy - Constellations - Andromeda

First Field Guide to the Night Sky by the National Audubon Society

Discussion:
Recognizing Andromeda
Mythology of Andromeda

Activity:
Draw Andromeda - show how it resembles what it is named for
Explain its location on a diagram of the sky
Identify in sky

Feudal Japan - Samurai - Origins

Life in Ancient Japan by Hazel Richardson
Samurai: Warlords of Japan by Arlan Dean
Read-aloud: Sword of the Samurai by Eric A. Kimmel

Discussion:
Origins of the Samurai - Asuka and Nara Periods
The Samurai as a part of the army during the Heian Period
The Samurai become warlords

Activity:
Begin making Samurai costume
History journal

Medieval Japan - Heian Period - Fujiwara Clan

Life in Ancient Japan  by Hazel Richardson
Read-aloud: Mysterious Tales of Japan by Rafe Martin

Discussion:
How the Fujiwara clan rose to power
Administrative monopoly
Political intrigue - Sei Shonagun

Activity:
History journal

Astronomy - Observational Astronomy - Constellations - Draco

First Field Guide to the Night Sky by the National Audubon Society

Discussion:
Recognizing Draco
Mythology of Draco

Activity:
Draw Draco - show how it resembles what it is named for
Explain its location on a diagram of the sky
Identify in sky

Astronomy - Observational Astronomy - Constellations - Orion

First Field Guide to the Night Sky by the National Audubon Society

Discussion:
Recognizing Orion
Mythology of Orion

Activity:
Draw Orion - show how it resembles what it is named for
Explain its location on a diagram of the sky
Identify in sky

Medieval Japan - Heian Period - Social Structures

Life in Ancient Japan by Hazel Richardson
Read-aloud: Mysterious Tales of Japan by Rafe Martin

Discussion:
A highly stratified society
Rank and class
Clergy, nobles, commoners, slaves

Activity:
History journal

Astronomy - Observational Astronomy - Constellations - Scorpius

First Field Guide to the Night Sky by the National Audubon Society

Discussion:
Recognizing Scorpius
Mythology of Scorpius

Activity:
Draw Scorpius - show how it resembles what it is named for
Explain its location on a diagram of the sky
Identify in sky

Astronomy - Observational Astronomy - Constellations - Ursa Major

First Field Guide to the Night Sky by the National Audubon Society

Discussion:
Recognizing Ursa Major
Polaris - Ursa Minor

Activity:
Draw Ursa Major - show how it resembles what it is named for
Explain its location on a diagram of the sky
Identify in sky

Medieval Japan - Heian Period - Literature

Life in Ancient Japan by Hazel Richardson
Read-aloud: Mysterious Tales of Japan by Rafe Martin

Discussion:
Invention of the novel - Murasaki Shikibu
Types of poems - Manyoshu (Collection of a Thousand Leaves)
Poetry slam - Sei Shonagun and life in the imperial court

Activity:
History journal
Poetry reading

Medieval Japan - Heian Period - Foundation

Life in Ancient Japan by Hazel Richardson
Japan by Barbara A. Somervill
Read-aloud: Mysterious Tales of Japan by Rafe Martin

Discussion:
Moving the capital from Nara to Heian (Kyoto)
Decline of Chinese influence; increasing imperial isolationist policies
Structure of governance - the capital vs. decentralized rule in the provinces

Activity:
History journal
Map study

Astronomy - Observation - Telescopes II

Beyond the Solar System by Mary Kay Carson

Discussion:
Isaac Newton - improving the telescope
Spectroscopes

Activity:
Split white light using a CD

Medieval Japan - Nara Period

Life in Ancient Japan by Hazel Richardson
Japan by Barbara A. Somervill

Discussion:
Emergence of a centralized, imperial court at Nara; mass conversion to Buddhism
Influence of the Tang Dynasty in contemporary China
Smallpox epidemic

Activity:
History journal
Picture study - Art of the Nara and Asuka periods

Medieval Japan - Geography and History Review

Japan by Barbara A. Somervill
Life in Ancient Japan by Hazel Richardson
Read-aloud: Mysterious Tales of Japan by Rafe Martin

Discussion:
Geography of Japan - major islands, mountains, bodies of water, early sites of civilization
The Yayoi (300 BCE - 300 CE)
The Yamatai

Activity:
History journal
Map study

Astronomy - Observation - Telescopes

The Kingfisher Space Encyclopedia
Beyond the Solar System by Mary Kay Carson

Discussion:
How a telescope works
Galileo and Kepler

Activity:
Build a telescope (see Beyond the Solar System)

Mongols - Imperial China - Marco Polo

Marco Polo: The Boy Who Traveled the Medieval World by Nick McCarty

Discussion:
Working for Kubla Khan
Travels through Southeast Asia
Going home

Activity:
History journal
Map study - tracing Marco's route

Mongols - Imperial China - Kubla Khan

Kubla Khan: Emperor of Everything by Kathleen Krull and Robert Byrd

Discussion:
Extent of Kubla's reign; expansion throughout southern China
Contributions to theater, science, medicine, standardization of services (agriculture, money, postal system)
Wars with Japan, decline

Activity:
Draw a 12-panel comic strip of Kubla Khan's life

Astronomy - Observation - Brief History

Beyond the Solar System by Mary Kay Carson

Discussion:
Early observation - Greek, Arab, Chinese discoveries
Ptolemy and Geocentrism
Copernicus and Heliocentrism

Activity:
Build an astrolabe - note position of stars three nights in a row

Mongols - Imperial China - Conquering

Adventures on the Ancient Silk Road by Priscilla Galloway and Dawn Hunter

Discussion:
The Song Dynasty shrinks to below the Yangtze River
The Mongols take over the Jin
Mongols establish khanate in China

Activity:
History journal
Map study

Astronomy - Universe - Big Bang

The Light from the Big Bang - Everything and Nothing - Preview - BBC Four

Space, Stars, and the Beginning of Time: What the Hubble Telescope Saw by Elaine Scott
The Kingfisher Space Encyclopedia

Discussion:
The Cosmic Egg and the Big Bang
Cosmic background radiation
How does it all end...?  Big rip? Big chill?  Something else?

Activity:
"Balloon-iverse" Experiment from Beyond the Solar System by Mary Kay Carson

Imperial China - Song Dynasty - Science and Technology

The Song Dynasty by Scott Ingram
Made in China: Ideas and Inventions from Ancient China by Suzanne Williams

Discussion:
Major inventions of the Song Dynasty - gunpowder, Su Song's clock, rainbow arch bridges
Improvements to existing industries - iron and steel, silk, ceramics

Activity:
History journal
Picture study: Song Dynasty ceramics
Build a rainbow bridge

Astronomy - The Universe - Overview

Measuring the Speed of Light - Wonders of the Universe w/Brian Cox - BBC

The Kingfisher Space Encyclopedia
The Birth of the Universe by Isaac Asimov

Discussion:
Limitations of understanding and studying the universe

Activity:
Come up with a list of questions about the universe - can they be answered?  Can we guess at possible answers?

Astronomy - Universe - Galaxies - Types of Galaxies

Photographing other galaxies - Horizon - The Six Billion Dollar Experiment - BBC
04 The Universe - Galaxies

The Kingfisher Space Encyclopedia
Galaxies by Howard K. Trammel

Discussion:
Size and estimated number of galaxies
Galaxy shapes
Movement of Galaxies

Activity:
Draw the three main types of galaxies

Imperial China - Song Dynasty - Economic Advances

The Song Dynasty by Scott Ingram

Discussion:
Agrarian reforms lead to creation of wealth in rural and urban centers
Expansion of merchant class and trade
Urbanization/diversification of urban trades catering to merchants and the wealthy

Activity:
History journal

Imperial China - Song Dynasty - Agrarian Reforms

The Song Dynasty by Scott Ingram

Discussion:
Government investment in commoners' lives - increase food supply
Development of the iron industry - mass production of tools
Cash crops rotated with subsistence crops - market economy

Activity:
History journal

Astronomy - Universe - Galaxies - Milky Way Galaxy

Guide to our Galaxy

The Kingfisher Space Encyclopedia
Galaxies by Howard K. Trammel

Discussion:
Placing our solar system within the Milky Way
Age of the Milky Way; solar system's orbit within the galaxy
How we perceive the Milky Way from Earth
The Local Group

Activity: 

Attempt to see the Milky Way (probably not possible from our location)

Draw the Milky Way from two perspectives

Astronomy - Stars - Clusters and Nebulae

The Crab Nebula
M13 Globular Cluster

The Kingfisher Space Encyclopedia

Discussion:
Open clusters and globular clusters
Clouds and dust; formation of nebulae
Structure and shape of various nebulae

Activity:
Picture study: Nebulae photos from the Hubble telescope
Try to find M13 and the Crab Nebula with the telescope

Imperial China - Song Dynasty - Hsin Fa (New Laws)

The Song Dynasty by Scott Ingram

Discussion:
The new scholarly class - tension between conservatives and reformers
Hsin Fa: taxation system, distribution of public money
Reduction of the military

Activity:
History journal

Astronomy - Stars - Binary Stars

The Kingfisher Space Encyclopedia

Discussion:
Binary star orbit patterns
Contact binaries
Planets orbiting in binary systems

Activity:
Draw a typical binary star orbit pattern

Imperial China - Song Dynasty - Foundation

The Song Dynasty by Scott Ingram

Discussion:
Zhao Kuangyin of the Zhou Dynasty in Northern China
Slow re-unification and dismantling of hereditary jiedushi governors
Re-instituting the Confucian examination system (again)

Activity:
History journal
Map study

Imperial China - Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms

Read-aloud: Cloud Weavers: Ancient Chinese Legends by Rena Krasno and Yeng Fong Chieng

Discussion:
Chaos after the fall of the Tang Dynasty
The jiedushi (regional governors) become essentially autonomous
Northern vs. Southern trends (north tended to be ruled by one dynasty at a time, while the south had concurrent rulers)

Activity:
History journal

Astronomy - Stars - Variable Stars

Animation of a variable star

The evolution of the light echo around V838 Monocerotis

The Kingfisher Space Encyclopedia

Discussion: 

Stars that shine unsteadily - variables

Irregular and regular variables: eruptive, pulsating, rotating (pulsars), cataclysmic (novae/supernovae), eclipsing (binary stars passing across one another)

Star shells and spotted stars

Activity: 

Draw types of variable stars

Astronomy - Stars - Quasars and Redshift

Red shift: measuring distance in space - Death Star - BBC Science

Black Holes, Pulsars, and Quasars by Isaac Asimov
The Mysterious Universe by Ellen Jackson and Nic Bishop

Discussion:
How distance is measured in space
Quasar - quasi-stellar radio sources
Time and quasars - a view from the past

Activity:
Draw how redshift/blueshift works

Imperial China - Tang Dynasty - Decline and Fall

Read-aloud: Cloud Weavers: Ancient Chinese Legends by Rena Krasno and Yeng Fong Chieng

Discussion:
An Lushan/An Shi Rebellion - weakening the state
Gradual disintegration of the equal land mandate
Breakdown of the Confucian examination system
Natural disasters
Huang Chao Rebellion and Zhu Wen's takeover

Activity:
History journal
Map study

Imperial China - Tang Dynasty - Art

Discussion:
Woodblock printing - accessibility of texts and imagery
Leshan Giant Buddha
Mogao Cave paintings and murals

Activity:
Field trip to the Freer and Sackler Galleries

Astronomy - Stars - Black Holes

Hypernovas and Black Holes - Death Star - BBC Science
The fate of the galaxy - Supermassive Black Holes - BBC Science

Black Holes, Pulsars, and Quasars by Isaac Asimov
The Mysterious Universe by Ellen Jackson and Nic Bishop

Discussion:
Detection of black holes
The event horizon - force of gravity
Time and light re black holes

Activity:
Draw how a black hole forms

Imperial China - Tang Dynasty - Empress Wu Zetian

Empress of China, Wu Ze Tian by Jiang Cheng an and Xu De Yuan

Discussion: 

Early life of Wu Zetian - nun, concubine

Accession to the throne; handling enemies

Abdication

Activity: 

History journal

Astronomy - Stars - White Dwarf and Neutron Stars, Pulsars

White dwarf stars orbiting and merging animation
Neutron stars - Death Star - BBC Horizon science

The Life and Death of Stars by Isaac Asimov
The Mysterious Universe by Ellen Jackson and Nic Bishop

Discussion:
Star collapse and shrinking - the white dwarf
Giant stars' collapse - neutron star
Pulsars - spinning neutron stars

Activity:
Draw the relative sizes of a neutron star and white dwarf; show how much a teaspoon of material from each would weigh

Imperial China - Tang Dynasty - Chang'an and other major cities

Read-aloud: Cloud Weavers: Ancient Chinese Legends by Rena Krasno and Yeng Fong Chieng

Discussion:
Location, size, and layout of Chang'an under the Tang
Commerce; the Grand Canal; Cosmopolitanism and sumptuary laws
Other major cities: Yangzhou and Laoyang

Activity:
History journal
Map study: Chang'an

Astronomy - Stars - Supernovae

What's a Supernova and Where Can I See One?
Hubble Supernova

The Life and Death of Stars by Isaac Asimov
The Kingfisher Space Encyclopedia

Discussion:
Cause - runaway nuclear fusion, or core collapse
Duration - a few days

Activity:
Study pictures of supernovae

Imperial China - Tang Dynasty - Poets and Poetry

Maples in the Mist: Poems for Children from the Tang Dynasty by Minfong Ho, Mou-Sien Tseng, and Jean Tseng

Discussion:
Tang Dynasty fosters the arts
Major poets of the Tang Dynasty
Poems

Activity:
History journal
Memorize 3 Tang Dynasty poems

Astronomy - Stars - Types of Stars

Star Types & Classifications
The Biggest Stars in the Universe

The Kingfisher Space Encyclopedia
Space, Stars, and the Beginning of Time: What the Hubble Telescope Saw by Elaine Scott

Discussion:
Mass determines type of star, lifecycle
Blue, white; yellow, orange; red

Activity:
Draw the main types of stars

Astronomy - Stars - Formation

Hubble, Journey Through the Orion Nebula

The Life and Death of Stars by Isaac Asimov

Discussion:
Nebulae - stellar nurseries
Formation of stars

Activity:
Draw how a star forms

Imperial China - Tang Dynasty - Foundation

Maples in the Mist: Children's Poems from the Tang Dynasty by Minfong Ho, Mou-Sien Tseng, and Jean Tseng
Read-aloud: Cloud Weavers: Ancient Chinese Legends by Rena Krasno and Yeng Fong Chieng

Discussion:
The Li family overthrows the Sui Dynasty
Continuation of Sui Dynasty reforms
Reopening the Silk Road

Activity:
History journal

Imperial China - Emperor Wen and the Sui Dynasty

I Once Was a Monkey: Tales Buddha Told by Jeanne M. Lee

Discussion:
Emperor Wen reunifies the north, institutes reforms
Emperor Wen conquers the South with a massive military, reunites China
Attempted invasion of Korea and the fall of the Sui Dynasty

Activity:
History journal
Map study

Astronomy - Solar System - Oort Cloud - Comets

Comet Shoemaker-Levy 9 Impacts Jupiter + Animation Reel 1994 NASA
Halley's Comet Armada: "Comet Halley Returns-Voyager Uranaus Flyby" 1986 NASA (just the Comet section, part 1)

The Kingfisher Space Encyclopedia

Discussion:
Composition; Tail
Origin of comets
Shoemaker-Levy 9/Dinosaur extinction comets

Activity:
Draw a schematic of a comet

Imperial China - Southern and Northern Dynasties

The Song of Mu Lan by Jeanne M. Lee
Read-aloud: I Once Was a Monkey: Tales Buddha Told by Jeanne M. Lee

Discussion:
China gradually splits into Northern and Southern dynasties
Constant war; ethnic migration (particularly Han Chinese toward the south)
Weakening of Confucianism; rise of Buddhist and Daoist influences

Activity:
History journal

Astronomy - Solar System - Oort Cloud - Structure and Composition

The Kingfisher Space Encyclopedia

Discussion:
Outermost region of the solar system
Composition of the Oort Cloud

Activity:
Draw the Oort Cloud; explain distance from the Sun

Imperial China - Three Kingdoms

Three Kingdoms Timeline
Read-aloud: Ancient Chinese Legends by Yeng-Fong Chiang and Rena Krasno

Discussion:
The decline of the Han Dynasty
Shu, Wu, Wei territories
Loss of life - war, famine

Activity:
History journal
Map study - three kingdoms

Astronomy - Solar System - Dwarf Planets - The Kuiper Belt

The Dwarf Planets
The Kuiper Belt - Scanning the Skies: The Discovery Telescope

Far-Out Guide to the Icy Dwarf Planets by Mary Kay Carson

Discussion:
The Kuiper Belt
Other dwarf planets besides Pluto
Similarities to Pluto

Activity:
Draw relative sizes of dwarf planets in the Kuiper Belt

Imperial China - Han Dynasty - Art and Literature

The Han Dynasty by Sheila Wyborny
Read-aloud: Ancient Chinese Legends by Yeng-Fong Chiang and Rena Krasno

Discussion:
Materials used in art - bronze, paper (after 100 CE), pottery
Poetry and historical literature
Themes - royalty, peasant life, clothing, buildings

Activity:
History journal
Picture study: Han Dynasty Art

Astronomy - Solar System - Dwarf Planets - Pluto

Pluto: A Dwarf Planet by Ralph Winrich and Thomas K. Adamson

Discussion:
Why Pluto is not a planet
Composition and moons
Orbit and Time

Activity:
Draw diagrams of Pluto's composition and orbit

Astronomy - Solar System - Neptune - Orbit and Moons

Neptune by Isaac Asimov

Discussion:
Time on Neptune - years, days
Orbit
Major moons - composition and activity

Activity:
Draw Neptune's orbit, and Triton

Imperial China - Han Dynasty - Government and Law Review

The Han Dynasty by Sheila Wyborny
Read-aloud: Cloud Weavers: Ancient Chinese Legends by Yeng Fong Chiang and Rena Krasno

Discussion:
Confucianism - basis of Han law
Structure of the government hierarchy; entering civil service
The armed forces - weapons

Activity:
History journal
Picture study

Astronomy - Solar System - Neptune - Composition and Rings

Neptune by Isaac Asimov

Discussion:
Inside Neptune
Atmosphere and storms
Neptune's rings

Activity:
Draw a schematic of Neptune's structure, with rings

Imperial China - Han Dynasty - Social Structures Review

The Han Dynasty by Sheila Wyborny
Read-aloud: Cloud Weavers: Ancient Chinese Legends by Yeng Fong Chiang and Rena Krasno

Discussion:
Confucianism - basis of Han law and Chinese cultural traditions
Influences from Buddhism and Daoism
Social norms for different levels of society

Activity:
History journal
Picture study

Astronomy - Solar System - Neptune - Overview

The Kingfisher Space Encyclopedia

Discussion:
Neptune - named for the Roman god of the sea
Discovery
Visibility/viewing from Earth

Activity:
Chart where Neptune is and if visible, attempt to view it

Imperial China - Geography

The Han Dynasty by Sheila Wyborny

Discussion:
Basic geography review - major rivers, cities, mountains, deserts, regions, bodies of water

Activity:
Map activity - correctly place elements on map with labels

Astronomy - Solar System - Uranus - Orbit and Moons

Uranus by Melissa Stewart

Discussion:
Orbit and time on Uranus
Accounting for Uranus' unusual tilt in measuring time and seasons
Major moons - size, composition

Activity:
Draw Uranus' orbit

Marco Polo - The Silk Road

Adventures on the Ancient Silk Road by Priscilla Galloway with Dawn Hunter

Discussion:
Mongol improvements to safety, infrastructure
Life in a caravan
Deserts, mountains, cities

Activity:
History journal
Map study
Picture study

Astronomy - Solar System - Uranus - Composition and Rings

Uranus by Melissa Stewart

Discussion: 

Inside Uranus 

Temperature

Formation of Uranus' rings

Activity: 

Draw a schematic of Uranus' composition

Marco Polo - Journey to the East

Marco Polo: The Boy Who Traveled the Medieval World by Nick McCarty

Discussion:
Leg 1: Venice to Hormuz
Length of journey - time it will take
Traveling on boat and in desert caravans

Activity:
History journal
Picture study
Map study

The Mongols - Kara-Kitan Khanate

Adventures on the Ancient Silk Road by Priscilla Galloway with Dawn Hunter

Discussion:
Ghaznavids vs. Seljuqs
Kwarezmid Empire
The Mongols take over the Kwarezmids - Kara-Kitan Khanate established

Activity:
History journal
Map study

Astronomy - Solar System - Uranus - Overview

Uranus

Uranus by Melissa Stewart
The Kingfisher Space Encyclopedia

Discussion:
Uranus - named for Greek sky god
Appearance of Uranus from Earth
Visibility of Uranus - need for telescope

Activity:
Use Night Watch by Terence Dickinson to determine when Uranus is visible

Medieval India - Trade Systems and Wealth

Trade from India - raw materials, city locations, weights and measures

Spice consumption costs (see data)

Discussion: 

Maritime trade routes - ports in India

The spice trade

Costs of the journey vs. profits from sales

Activity: 

History journal

Map study - Chalukya spice routes and cities

Astronomy - Solar System - Saturn - Moons and Orbit

Saturn's Largest Moon Titan - A World Much Like Earth

Saturn by Dana Meachen Rau

Discussion:
Saturn's orbit and time on Saturn
Interesting features of some of Saturn's moons
Titan - atmosphere and other features

Activity:
Draw Saturn's orbit
Picture study: Saturn's moons

Medieval India - Islam and the Delhi Sultanate

Islam and the Delhi Sultanate
Read-aloud: Stories from the Silk Road by Cherry Gilchrist and Nilesh Mistry

Discussion:
Mahmud of Ghazni and the Ghaznavids
Muslim conquests of northern India
Establishing the Delhi Sultanate

Activity:
History journal
Map study
Picture study - India by Michael Wood

Astronomy - Solar System - Saturn - Composition, Size, Rings

Saturn by Dana Meachen Rau

Discussion:
Size, density, composition
Temperature
Saturn's rings

Activity:
Draw a schematic of Saturn

Medieval India - Southern Rulers

Southern Rulers
Read-aloud: Tales from India by Jamila Gavin and Amanda Hall

Discussion:
Southern Hindu rulers
Temple building

Activity:
History journal
Map study - southern India
Picture study - India by Michael Wood

Astronomy - Solar System - Saturn - Overview

Saturn - Space School

The Kingfisher Space Encyclopedia

Discussion:
Saturn - named for the Roman god of agriculture and the treasury
Saturn's appearance - gas planet plus giant rings
Viewing Saturn from Earth

Activity:
Observe Saturn in the night sky

Astronomy - Solar System - Jupiter - Orbit and Moons

Jupiter's Moons

Jupiter by Dana Meachen Rau

Discussion:
Jupiter's orbit - time on Jupiter
Moons of Jupiter
Composition of Jupiter's moons

Activity:
Draw Jupiter's orbit

Medieval India - Harsha Vardhana

Harsha Vardhana
Read-aloud: Tales from India by Jamila Gavin and Amanda Hall

Discussion:
Harsha rises to power and reunites northern India
Religious devotion - important advances for Buddhism
Culture and arts

Activity:
History journal
Map study - extent of Harsha's Empire

Astronomy - Solar System - Jupiter - Composition and Size

Jupiter by Dana Meachen Rau

Discussion:
Temperature on Jupiter; its effect on states of gas
Jupiter's composition
Size of Jupiter; gravitational pull

Activity:
Draw a schematic of Jupiter's composition

Medieval India - The Gupta Empire

The Gupta Empire
Read-aloud: Tales from India by Jamila Gavin and Amanda Hall

Discussion:
Further stratification of the Hindu caste system
Advances in science and art, literature - exporting Gupta culture to Southeast Asia
The Hun Invasion, weakening of the government and its collapse

Activity:
History journal
Map study - extent of the Gupta Empire
Picture study: India by Michael Wood

Astronomy - Solar System - Jupiter - Overview

Jupiter: The Largest Planet

The Kingfisher Space Encyclopedia
Jupiter by Dana Meachen Rau

Discussion:
Jupiter - named for the Roman chief god
Jupiter's appearance - swirling clouds, red spot, storms
Visibility of Jupiter - observing from Earth

Activity:
Spot Jupiter in the night sky - pretty easy this time of year

Medieval India - Review of Religious Beliefs and Social Structures

Read-aloud: Tales from India by Jamela Gavin and Amanda Hall

Discussion:
Review of caste system
Review of major Hindu gods and their roles
Review of Buddhism
Review of basic history through Chandragupta

Activity:
(Review is enough; this is a large amount of information to recall)

Medieval India - Geography

India: Enchantment of the World by Don Nardo

Discussion:
Major rivers, mountain ranges, bordering oceans and seas
Regions
Ancient city centers

Activity:
Map study - blank map of India

Astronomy - Solar System - Meteors

Meteor Hits Russia 2013 - Best Footage Collection

The Kingfisher Space Encyclopedia
Asteroids by Isaac Asimov

Vocabulary Added:
meteoroid: rocky or metallic body travelling through space
meteor: a meteoroid caught in gravitational pull and falling toward a planet
meteorite: a meteoroid that has hit the ground

Discussion:
Impact craters - on Earth and other bodies
Meteor showers
Meteorites as sources of iron for early peoples

Activity:
Draw a picture explaining the three stages of the meteor

Astronomy - Solar System - Review of the Rocky Planets and the Sun

Review the major features of the four rocky planets, particularly what they have in common.

Review the Sun.

Visit the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum Planetarium

The Mongols - Genghis Khan

Genghis Khan and the Mongol Empire by Miriam Greenblatt
Chingis Khan by Demi

Discussion:
Youth and rise to power over Mongolian tribes
Conquering northern China; Korea pays tribute
Wars against Khwarazm Empire

Activity:
History journal
Map study
Playmobil re-enactment of battles and sieges

Astronomy - Solar System - Asteroids

Dawn Mission 2007 Asteroid Belt
NASA | Animation of Dawn's Visit to Vesta

Asteroids by Isaac Asimov

Vocabulary Added:
asteroid: planet-like

Discussion:
Origins of asteroids
Asteroid belt between Mars and Jupiter
Trojan asteroids

Activity:
Make asteroids out of playdough

The Mongols - Geography and Overview

Genghis Khan and the Mongol Empire  by Miriam Greenblatt
Barbarians!  by Steven Kroll and Robert Byrd

Discussion:
Mongol way of life
Social structure and religion
Invasion of Central Asia

Activity:
History journal
Map study

Medieval Russia and Central Asia - Early Settlements

Russia: Enchantment of the World by Stillman D. Rogers
Read-aloud: Koshka's Tales: Stories from Russia by James Mayhew

Discussion:
The Rus and the Varangians
Rurik
Kiev and minor princedoms

Activity:
History journal
Map study - Kiev, Novgorod

Astronomy - Solar System - Mars - Orbit and Satellites

Mars by Elaine Landau
Seven Wonders of the Rocky Planets and Their Moons by Ron Miller

Discussion:
Mars' orbit
Time on Mars
Phobos and Deimos - Mars' moons

Activity:
Draw Mars' orbit

Astronomy - Solar System - Mars - Composition and Geography

NASA | Mars Evolution

Mars by Dana Meachen Rau
Seven Wonders of the Rocky Planets and Their Moons by Ron Miller

Discussion:
Mars from the inside out - core to atmosphere
Water
Valles Marineris and Olympus Mons

Activity:
Draw and label a schematic of Mars

Medieval Russia and Central Asia - Geography

Russia: Enchantment of the World by Stillman D. Rogers
Read-aloud: Koshka's Tales: Stories from Russia by James Mayhew

Discussion:
Major rivers, mountains, regions
Climate and habitats (tundra, taiga, forest, steppes)

Activity:
Map coloring and labeling - Blank map of Asia and Europe (print it large)
Picture study - Russia and Central Asian landscape

Medieval Europe - Marco Polo - Childhood and Early Travels

Marco Polo: The Boy Who Traveled the Medieval World by Nick McCarty

Discussion:
Marco Polo grows up in Venice
Marco's father and uncle travel throughout Asia and the Middle East
Why travel took so long back then

Activity:
History journal
Blank map of Europe and Asia (need to print it full size or this is pointless) - mark important stops on Niccolo and Maffeo's trip, and their route from Venice to Mongolia and back; learn/review important regions, rivers, and mountains in northern Asia and the Middle East

Astronomy - Solar System - Mars - Overview

Don't Know Much About the Solar System by Kenneth C. Davis
The Kingfisher Space Encyclopedia

Discussion:
Mars - named for the Roman god of war
Mars' red appearance, from rusty soil
Viewing Mars from Earth

Activity:
Locate Mars in the night sky (have to get up in the middle of the night for this one.  The sacrifices we make for our children....)

Medieval Europe - Italian Maritime Republics

The Oxford Illustrated History of the Middle Ages

Discussion:
Major maritime trading cities in Italy and their shipping routes across Asia and Europe
Goods traded
Conflict against each other and with Holy Roman Emperors, Popes

Activity:
History journal
Map study

Astronomy - Solar System - Earth - What Makes Earth Unique

Seven Wonders of the Rocky Planets and Their Moons by Ron Miller
Don't Know Much About the Solar System by Kenneth C. Davis
Earth by Dana Rau Meachen

Discussion:
Life on Earth
Water and Atmosphere
The Moon and Earth - a "double" planet

Activity:
Make a chart listing Earth's unusual features

Astronomy - Solar System - Earth - Orbit

Earth by
The Kingfisher Space Encyclopedia

Discussion:
Time - years and days
Seasons
Actual length of orbit vs. calendar (necessity of leap years)

Activity:
Draw a schematic of Earth's orbit

Medieval Europe - Frederick II

The Crusades by Timothy Levi Biel

Discussion:
Wars with popes/other entities
Centralization of government; efficient state bureaucracy
Crusade accomplishments through diplomacy

Activity:
History journal

Medieval Europe - Art in the 12th-13th Centuries

The Oxford Illustrated History of Medieval Europe
History of Western Art

Discussion:
Developments in style from post-Carolingian era to post-Dante
Symbolic representations in religious art
Recognizing provenance

Activity:
Field trip to the National Gallery of Art

Astronomy - Solar System - Venus - Orbit and Time

Venus by Elaine Landau
Venus by Dana Meachen Rau

Discussion:
Venus' orbit
Days and years on Venus
Distance from Earth, Sun

Activity:
Draw a schematic of Venus' orbit and relative distances from Earth/Sun

Astronomy - Solar System - Venus - Composition and Geology

Venus by Dana Meachen Rau
Venus by Elaine Landau

Discussion:
Mineral composition of Venus, structure
Atmosphere of Venus, geography

Activity:
Draw and label schematic of Venus

Medieval Europe - Dante Alighieri

Read-aloud: The Inferno, ed. Mark Musa (skip the Florentine bits)

Discussion:
Life of Dante - general mess of Italian political states and the papacy
Divine Comedy - influences from Catholic theology and Scholastic physics
Influence

Activity:
History journal - draw a schema of the Inferno
Maps and Charts about the Comedy, Florence, Aristotelian science

Astronomy - Solar System - Venus - Overview

The Kingfisher Space Encyclopedia
Don't Know Much About the Solar System by Kenneth C. Davis

Discussion:
Venus - named for the Roman goddess of love
Rocky planet with a very hot atmosphere
Viewing Venus from Earth

Activity:
Learn how to recognize Venus in the night sky

Medieval Europe - Albertus Magnus, Thomas Aquinas, Bonaventure

Albertus Magnus - Bartholomew's World
Bonaventure - Bartholomew's World
The Treasury of Saints & Martyrs by Margaret Mulvihill
Loyola Kids Book of Saints by Amy Welborn

Discussion:
Albert as a scientist - experiments
Thomas Aquinas - major contributions
Bonaventure - mysticism and theology

Activity:
History journal
Take a look at Thomas' handwriting - (it's the second one, not the illuminated folio)

Medieval Europe - Scholasticism

Bartholomew's World - What is scholasticism?
Important Authors of the Scholastic tradition

Discussion:
Aristotle, Averroes, and Avicenna
Major western thinkers
Theories of motion, psychology, elements, humors

Activity:
History journal
Draw a map outlining where the interior senses are in the brain, see Algazel on the Interior Senses

Astronomy - Solar System - Mercury - Climate and Temperature

Science Bulletins: MESSENGER Mission to Mercury

Seven Wonders of the Rocky Planets and Their Moons by Ron Miller
Mercury by Dana Meachen Rau

Discussion:
Climate
Atmosphere
Average temperature

Activity:
Learn what Mercury's path across Earth's skies looks like

Medieval Europe - St. Francis and St. Dominic

The Treasury of Saints and Martyrs by Margaret Mulvihill
Read-aloud: Francis and Clare: The Complete Works 
The Illustrated World Encyclopedia of Saints

Discussion:
Effects of the Crusades - poverty and the way of the cross
St. Francis and St. Dominic - radically different approaches to holiness

Activity:
History journal
Visit Franciscan Monastery

Astronomy - Solar System - Mercury - Composition and Impact History

Seven Wonders of the Rocky Planets and Their Moons by Ron Miller
Mercury by Dana Meachen Rau

Discussion:
Composition of Mercury
Craters and impact history

Activity:
Draw Mercury and label its most important geographical/geological features

Astronomy - Solar System - Mercury - Orbit and Time

The Kingfisher Space Encyclopedia
Mercury by Dana Meachen Rau

Discussion:
Mercury's year and day
Elliptical orbit
Temperature on Mercury

Activity:
Draw Mercury's orbit, labeling distance from sun and shortest and longest points

Medieval Europe - Robin Hood and the Charter of the Forest

Bartholomew's World - Robin Hood and Robert Grosseteste
Read-aloud: Robin Hood  by Sarah Hayes

Discussion:
The Saladin tithe and other effects of the Crusades
Royal forest system - Robin Hood as hero
Charter of the Forest

Activity:
History journal
picture study - Robin Hood in the media

Astronomy - Solar System - Mercury - Overview

The Kingfisher Space Encyclopedia
Mercury by Dana Meachen Rau

Discussion:
Mercury - named for the Roman messenger god
Distance from the sun (varies)
Rocky planet (vs. gas planet)

Activity:
Learn when to observe Mercury and why we can't see it today

Medieval Europe - Magna Carta

Bartholomew's World - Magna Carta

Discussion:
Limiting monarchial power
Due process of law
Establishment of individual rights

Activity:
History journal
Reading the Magna Carta

Medieval Europe and Medieval Middle East - The Crusades - Effects of the Crusades on Muslim and Christian States

The Crusades by Timothy Levi Biel

Discussion:
Financial difficulties of European states and citizens
Attitudes of Muslims towards Christians and vice versa
Exchange of information and culture, East and West
Trade routes, rise of trading cities, mercantilism

Activity:
History journal
Map study - trade routes, trading cities

Astronomy - Solar System - The Sun - Solar Cycles

NASA | Solar Cycle

NASA Solar Physics - The Big Questions
The Kingfisher Space Encyclopedia

Discussion:
Difference between Sun Spot Cycle and Solar Cycle
Solar polar reversal
Effects of Solar Cycle on Earth

Activity:
List ways that solar flares and solar cycles affect Earth
Study the 1859 Carrington event

Astronomy - Solar System - The Sun - Sun Spots and Flares

NASA | Magnificent Eruption in Full HD
NASA Sun Earth Day - What are Sun Spots?

The Kingfisher Space Encyclopedia
The Sun by Elaine Landau

Discussion:
Sun spots - cooler areas caused by magnetism
Flares - explosions
Effects on Earth

Activity:
Draw the Sun with sun spots and flares

Medieval Europe - Frederick Barbarossa and the Holy Roman Empire

The Crusades by Timothy Levi Biel

Discussion:
Investiture Controversy - weakening of German influence and power
Italian campaigns
"Holy" Roman Empire established
Third Crusade and death

Activity:
History journal
Map study
Picture study - Cologne Cathedral, reliquary of the three kings, Bust of Frederick

Medieval Middle East - The Crusades - Third Crusade and Richard the Lionheart

Saladin: Noble Prince of Islam by Diane Stanley [Warning: This book is woefully one-sided]
The Crusades by Timothy Levi Biel

Discussion:
Call to the Third Crusade
Saladin's siege of Acre against Guy
Richard's campaigns against Saladin

Activity:
History journal
Map study

Astronomy - Solar System - The Sun - Solar Wind

5 Remarkable Facts About the Northern Lights (Aurora Borealis) - The Countdown #35

Northern Lights by DM Souza

Vocabulary Added:
solar wind: flow of atomic particles from the Sun's surface

Discussion:
Solar wind and the Earth's magnetic field
Creation of auroras
Color in the northern lights

Activity:
Art project - draw a picture of the northern lights

Medieval Middle East - Saladin and the Ayyubids

Saladin: Noble Prince of Islam by Diane Stanley [Warning: this book is woefully one-sided]

Discussion:
Establishment of the Ayyubid dynasty
Saladin's early conquests
Recapture of Jerusalem
*special* evaluating source material for bias

Activity:
History journal
Map study

Astronomy - Solar System - Sun - Composition

The Sun by Elaine Landau
The Kingfisher Space Encyclopedia

Vocabulary Added:
convective zone: section of the Sun where gases allow its energy to travel outward
radiative zone: section through which photons travel
prominence: where the convective zone becomes turbulent
core: center of the sun, where sunlight and other energy are released
photosphere: surface of the sun
corona: (crown), outermost surface area that we can't see except during an eclipse

Discussion:
Composition of the Sun

Activity:
Draw a schematic of the Sun and label its components

Astronomy - The Solar System - The Sun - Overview

Bill Nye the Science Guy on the Sun
If the Moon Were Only 1 Pixel 

The Sun by Elaine Landau

Discussion:
Sun as center of the solar system
Sun's effect on Earth and the other planets
Size, shape, distance from Earth, brightness relative to Earth

Activity:
Make a sun viewer - box with pinhole and paper

Medieval Europe and Medieval Middle East - The Second Crusade

The Crusades by Timothy Levi Biel

Discussion:
Zengi and Baldwin III - Muslim re-conquests
Call to the Second Crusade - Bernard of Clairvaux
Failure of the Second Crusade

Activity:
History journal
Map study

Medieval Europe - The 12th-Century Renaissance

Read-Aloud: The Lais of Marie de France, Arthurian Romances by Chretien de Troyes

Discussion:
"Re-birth" of the arts and sciences in Europe
Flowering of culture, trade, technology
Centralization of government, expansion of cities

Activity:
History journal
Picture study - works from the 12th and 13th centuries, major painters and writers of the era
Recover from medieval feast of last night

Astronomy - Solar System - The Moon - Phases

Mr. Lee - Phases of the Moon rap

The Moon by Isaac Asimov
The Moon by Elaine Landau

Discussion:
Why the moon has phases
What a "blue moon" is
Using the moon as a calendar

Activity:
Draw the phases of the moon and learn their names
Start a moon observation chart, noting the date and the phase of the moon

Astronomy - Solar System - The Moon - Orbit and Effect on Earth

NASA: Lunar Eclipse Essentials
The Moon's orbit around the Earth

The Moon by Elaine Landau
The Moon by Isaac Asimov

Discussion:
Orbit of the moon; eclipse
Gravitational relationship of Earth and Moon
Tides and other effects of the moon

Activity:
Two balls activity - understanding moon's orbit

Medieval Europe - Feasting and Celebrations

A Medieval Feast by Aliki
Food and Feasts in the Middle Ages by Imogen Dawson
Medieval Feasts and Banquets by Tehmina Bhote
The Original Mediterranean Cuisine by Barbara Santich
The Medieval Kitchen by Redon, Sabban, and Serventi

Discussion:
Foods native to Europe
Importance of presentation in banqueting
Foods for special feast days

Activity:
Medieval feast! (greatly reduced)

Astronomy - Solar System - The Moon - Geography

The Moon by Isaac Asimov
The Moon by Elaine Landau

Discussion:
Moon geography
Dark and light side of moon - why

Activity:
Map study: the moon
Observation with telescope

Medieval Europe - Music

On Secular Music and the texts of the songs presented
Read-Aloud: The Lais of Marie de France

Discussion:
Courtly love's influence on music
Types of musicians and music
Performance venues

Activity:
Listening to medieval music

Medieval Europe - Arthurian Romances and Courtly Love

Read Aloud: The Lais of Marie de France, Chretien de Troyes

Discussion:
Courtly love and chivalric ideals
Poetry based on King Arthur and his legends
Ideals of knighthood - modern ideas about the Middle Ages that persist from this time period

Activity:
History journal
Picture study: The Oxford History of Western Art

14th century depictions of Guenevere and Lancelot

19th century representations of courtly love:
John Keats, La Belle Dame sans Merci, and paintings
Leighton, God Speed! painting

Astronomy - Solar System - The Moon - Composition

The Moon by Seymour Simon

Discussion:
Composition of the moon
Natural history of the moon

Activity:
Observation of moon with telescope

Medieval Europe - Henry II and Eleanor of Aquitaine

Don't Know Much About the Kings and Queens of England by Kenneth C. Davis
Read Aloud: The Lais of Marie de France

Discussion:
Marriage as political alliance - France and England
Henry vs. Thomas Becket
Henry and Eleanor's children and their many disagreements

Activity:
History journal
Family tree

Astronomy - Solar System - The Moon - Formation

The Moon by Isaac Asimov, ed. Richard Hantula

Discussion:
How the moon formed

Activity:
Playdough moon formation re-enactment
Field trip to the Udvar-Hazy Air and Space Museum