We have been studying the colonies in our American History studies this year. We have been taking each colony one at a time and fairly in-depth. We have yet to get to the southern colonies, but I am ready to wrap up this time in history. Because our studies have been so drawn out (and interspersed with weeks of World history) I want to review what we’ve covered and concisely cover the rest. Life in Colonial America a Project Pack from In the Hands of a Child has been just the thing our family needs.
This project pack is for grades 3-8. We have been using it with our 6th, 4th and 3rd grade girls. My 1st grade son has been tagging along with me doing most of his writing. He just loves lapbooks and history so wouldn’t be left out. Doing it with his older sisters has been fine, but I definitely agree with the suggested age range.
No study in our homeschool is complete without adding in library books. Thanks to the included list of Related Resources and other related books we found, we had a box full of books to choose from. One of the favorites of my daughters – Meet Felicity of the American Girl Series. We did not need to add in these extra books – a great study guide with all the information needed is included.
Life in Colonial America is focused on daily life during the colonial times. The colonial times is generally considered 1600-1776. The timeline begins with some of the early explorers, but the study itself begins with the Lost Colony of Roanoke.
We looked at types of homes colonists lived in and how they differed depending upon where they lived. We studied what kinds of work they did – both as a trade and what it took to survive. We made a journal entry as an apprentice. Many different things served as currency in colonial times and we looked at many of them.
We talked about the religion — not everyone was a Puritan. What might happen if you fell asleep during a church service? (It wasn’t pleasant!) We talked about the government and some of the things that led to independence. We looked at a horn book and talked about school.
We talked about holidays and some foods and crafts made. For my girls, this was their favorite part. They love getting a taste of whatever we study. There is a recipe included for corn pudding. My son’s favorite was talking of Muster Day and playing colonial games.
This study has been easy to implement thanks to the 12 day schedule. We worked on vocabulary words daily, read from the study guide and a library selection and then completed the mini-book. When one of the mini-books needed some preparation a day before using it, the guide noted that. I really appreciate these small details that make utilizing this study so much easier.
We love using lapbooks in our homeschool. We use them to complement what our regular studies are (as in this case), to provide the basis for a subject (Operation: English Grammar) and just for fun as a break from our regular studies. I’ll be turning my girls loose on The American Girl (1764-1864) project pack at the end of our spring studies before jumping into our new year.
How would you like to win your own copy of Life in Colonial America? In the Hands of a Child has generously allowed me to give one of my readers a copy. Simply use the Rafflecopter below to enter.
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Thank you In the Hands of a Child for providing our family with this lapbook at no charge for the purpose of review. I was not required to write a positive review; I have given our honest opinions.