Today's Lesson: Virginia Lapbook

I don't know how the weather is where you live, but today we are having an epic rain, wind and thunderstorm, which is good because we need the rain!  Usually on stormy or snowy day we gather around the fireplace to a read a book, but I thought I'd change things up a bit.  Our lesson on Thomas Jefferson has lasted us all week long due to extenuating circumstances.  We are coming to the end and I thought it would be a great day to make a lapbook on Virginia, home of Jefferson and many others that we have been or will be studying such as Patrick Henry and George Washington.

Here is a list of the materials we will be using and where to get them:

Capitol Classroom:
This site has quite a few different activity books available for free download.  Most deal with Virginia's legislative process but also have some fun state activities as well. Please note page numbers are the book page numbers and will show up differently in PDF.
Your Key to the Virginia General Assembly -  we will be using pages 1, 2, 12-17
The Virginia General Assembly - we will be using pages 2, 20
Virginia House of Delegates Coloring Book - 2-10, omitting some of the content that we are not studying.
Virginia House of Delegates Activity Book -  6-11, omitting some of the content that we are not studying.

Education.com
We used this outlining sheet which we are going to cut up and use for our cover.

-Have Fun Learning!

Today's Lesson: Alexander Hamilton

Those who stand for nothing fall for anything.

Alexander Hamilton

Read more at http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/authors/a/alexander_hamilton.html#x4QrA9sgoV2EWHkK.99

"Those who stand for nothing fall for anything." -Alexander Hamilton 

We are adding this to our ever growing collection,  Alexander Hamilton coloring page.
I also found a coloring sheet with a short biography.   Check out this longer biography and short video.  Have the kids try to figure out this word scramble worksheet.   A Comparison Lesson of Alexander Hamilton and Thomas Jefferson, for middle and high school students, should make for an interesting debate.  Learn more about Hamilton by doing some research to fill out this free printable worksheet I created.

Watch Liberty's Kids episode 20 "American in Paris."

Today's Lesson: John Adams

Keeping with our "Founding Fathers" theme today's quote was one by our second president, John Adams.
"But a Constitution of Government once changed from Freedom, can never be restored. Liberty, once lost, is lost forever." -John Adams 
Here is our coloring sheet of the day.   We are still studying the Declaration of Independence this week so I thought this quote would be fitting. There were 56 people who signed this famous document and two of them (including John Adams) were future presidents.  Here is a short video and biography of John Adams which includes information about the construction of the White House (there is a small link under the video window). About.com has a nice selection of eight different worksheets about John Adams.  Mamaslearningcorner.com has free printable as well.  Kids can have fun with a word scramble, or fill in the blanks of this cloze worksheet.  We are also reading a book Understanding the Declaration of Independence Reading Discovery Level 3 Reader (Fast Fact Book)
Here's a Liberty's Kids episode featuring John Adams "Postmaster General Franklin" (episode 10).

Have Fun Learning!