The kids are older now so we've stepped things up a bit. This study is geared toward upper elementary/early middle school (of course, kids are all different so YMMV).
My kids are very visual so in addition to the readings, we are using a variety of videos, and internet activities. Very few crafts are included in this study but if you're kids are interested, most of the ones from my previous study linked above can be adapted for older kids.
The primary resources I'm using are:
The Usborne Internet Linked Encyclopedia of World History (UILEWH)
(I have this version so that's what the page numbers will match up with)
DK Eyewitness Books - Prehistoric Life (DKPL)
This book was a purchase from BJ's a few years back. It is actually a single volume of four different DK books: Prehistoric Life (2000 version), Early Humans (2005 version), Dinosaur (2008 version) and Prehistoric Life Workbook (2008 version). The information is very similar to what is in the Usborne Encyclopedia and this could be considered an optional resource.
Darwin and Evolution for Kids (DEK)
Many of the activities and readings are from this book. I have not included every activity from the book since there were some that we've already done something similar or my kids would be uninterested.
The rest of the books are basically an assortment of what we already owned and what I could find at my local library. Charlie's Playhouse has a list of suggested readings on evolution that can be used to find other resources.
We will be using quite a few videos from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute. They offersfree DVDs for educators. Many include interactive features and virtual labs to continue exploring the topics.
As we go through each activity (probably starting next week - 4/11/2016) I will post about our activities and link them back here.
My general plan is to do one section a day, starting with reading from the Usborne and DK encyclopedias. We will then explore the online activities or watch videos (we often watch videos during lunch). Then any off-line activities and vocabulary (the kids will keep a notebook with the vocabulary words listed below and any other words they find that they want to include). We will finish up with them reading from the other book selections. Some books may need to be read over multiple days but some can be done in an hour or so.
|
**Please read and check over any links, activities, etc. prior to
giving them to your children.
|
|
Timeline Overview/ Big Bang Theory/Pangea
UILEWH pg 12 – 13, pg 20-23
DKPL pg 10-13
The Birth of the Earth
 Bang! How We Came to Be 
Changing Planet: Past Present Future DVD
Pangea interactive and information: http://www.divediscover.whoi.edu/tectonics/pangea-animation.html
Vocabulary: Big Bang Theory, Eon, meteorites, Pangea, plate tectonics, supercontinent |
|
DEK Chapter 1 (pg 1-11)
Vocabulary: evolution, taxonomy, compromise, fact, theory, belief,
|
|
Evolution Overview/Life Begins/Darwin
UILEWH - pg 18-19, 24-25
DKPL pg 14-17
DEK -Chapter 2 (pg 13-31)
Animated Darwins Theory: http://www.bbc.co.uk/schools/gcsebitesize/science/aqa_pre_2011/evolution/evolutionact.shtml
Vocabulary: proteins, bacteria, algea, stromatolites, atmosphere, naturalist
|
|
Our Family Tree
DEK: Backyard naturalist activity (pg 17)
Vocabulary: theory, geology, extinct, acquired
|
|
One Beetle Too Many
DEK Chapter 3 (pg 33-59)
Mapwork - Trace the journey of the Beetle on a world map
DEK: Tying the Knot activity (pg 43)
Vocabulary: species, botanical
|
|
Fossils
UILEWH pg 14-17
DKPL pg 68-69 Fossils Tell of Long Ago 
Game that discusses what is needed for fossil formation: http://www.bbc.co.uk/sn/prehistoric_life/dinosaurs/burying_bodies/
Road to Fossilization game - found in the Junior Paleontologists Activity Book put out by the National Park Service: We played using a die - even roll move 2, odd roll move 1. http://nature.nps.gov/geology/paleontology/Junior_Paleontologist_Reprint_2011_view.pdf
Dig that Dinosaur game - from Scholastic Quick and Easy Learning Games - Science
(this book is listed for Grades 1-3 so is on the simpler side. But we already have it so we'll play it.) Vocabulary: fossil, strata, sedimentary, barnacle, variation, |
|
DEK: Chapter 4 (pg 61-77)
The Origin of Species DVD
 |
|
DEK: Chapter 5 (pg 79- 89)
Billions of Years
The Making of the Fittest DVD
Vocabulary: Transmutation, competition, natural selection, adapt/ adaptation,
traits
|
|
DEK: Chapter 6 (pg 91-107) Charles Darwin
DEK: The Benefits of Beauty Activity (pg 106)
Vocabulary: camouflage, sexual selection, Igneous, radioactivity |
|
DEK: Chapter 7 (pg 109-127)
Evolution Revolution
Look at DNA online/under microscope
Extract DNA from fruit activity
Vocabulary: genetics, genes, DNA, mutations, genome
|
|
DEK: Chapter 8 (pg 129-) Charles Darwin
DEK: Future Evolution activity pg 140
Vocabulary: biogeography, marsupials, convergent evolution,
adaptive radiation, dominant, recessive, pollinators, co-evolution
|
|
Vendian/Cambrian
UILEWH - pg 26-27
DKPL - pg 20-21
Interactive Prehistory Timeline (can be used for each Era): https://museumvictoria.com.au/melbournemuseum/discoverycentre/600-million-years/timeline/ediacaran/
Cambrian Creature Interactive (include info on other eras too): http://evolution.berkeley.edu/evolibrary/article/3_0_0/cambrian_01
Hallucigenia, trilobites (crafts available with previous Prehistory study)
Charlie’s Playhouse Timeline & Critter Cards
Vocabulary: Burgess Shale
|
|
Ordovician/Silurian
UILEWH-pg 28-31
DKPL - pg 22-25
Interactive Prehistory Timeline: https://museumvictoria.com.au/melbournemuseum/discoverycentre/600-million-years/timeline/ediacaran/
Charlie’s Playhouse Timeline & Critter Cards
Vocabulary: echinoderms, predator, prey,
|
|
Devonian
UILEWH- pg 32-35
DKPL - pg 26-29
Interactive Prehistory Timeline: https://museumvictoria.com.au/melbournemuseum/discoverycentre/600-million-years/timeline/ediacaran/
Cooksonia (activity available in previous study)
Vocabulary: spores, seeds, ozone, amphibian |
|
Carboniferous
UILEWH-pg 36-37
DKPL - pg 30-31
Interactive Prehistory Timeline: https://museumvictoria.com.au/melbournemuseum/discoverycentre/600-million-years/timeline/ediacaran/
Charlie’s Playhouse Timeline & Critter Cards
Vocabulary:
|
|
Permian
UILEWH - pg 38-41
DKPL pg 32-37
Interactive Prehistory Timeline: https://museumvictoria.com.au/melbournemuseum/discoverycentre/600-million-years/timeline/ediacaran/
Vocabulary: reptile, ectothermic, vertebrates,
|
|
Mesozoic – Triassic/Jurassic/Cretaceous
UILEWH - pg 42-55
DKPL - pg 38-47
MSB Dinosaur Detectives
Visit Dinosaur exhibit at our local museum.
Vocabulary:
|
|
First Birds/Mass Extinction
UILEWH - pg 56-59
DKPL -pg 48-49
The Day the Mesozoic Died video
Vocabulary: archaeopteryx, extinction,
|
|
Mammals
UILEWH - pg 60-75
DKPL pg 50-59
Evolution Constant Change and Common Threads DVD interactive
elements
Vocabulary: mammal, monotreme, marsupial
|
|
Ice Age
UILEWH - pg 76-77, 88-89
DKPL pg 60-65
Horrible Histories Who Are You Calling a Woolly Mammoth?
Wooly Mammoth Activities: http://school.discoveryeducation.com/schooladventures/woollymammoth/index.html
Test Ice Age survival skills: http://www.creswell-crags.org.uk/Explore/virtually-the-ice-age/stone-age-people.aspx
Vocabulary:
|
|
Apes/Monkeys/Humans
UILEWH - pg 80-85
DKPL - pg 144-151
Becoming Human Interactive Documentary: http://www.becominghuman.org/node/interactive-documentary
|
|
Human Evolution
UILEWH - pg 86-91
DKPL pg 152-159
Interactive early humans: http://humanorigins.si.edu/research/east-african-research-projects/adventures-rift-valley-interactive
Your Inner Fish DVD
 |
|
Modern Humans
UILEWH - pg 92-99
DKPL pg 160-167 |
|
Field Trip to Museum of Natural History in NYC
|
|
Complete DK Workbook
|
No comments:
Post a Comment