But history isn’t a list of people, dates, and events. History is a story we can bring to life for our elementary kids!

5 Tips to Bring Elementary History to Life

1. Biographies

Don’t teach history to your kids as a long list dates to memorize. Instead introduce your children to the great men and women of history. Learn about Alexander the Great and why he wanted to conquer the known world. Tell them the story of Bucephalus, Alexander’s horse.

Make the people of history real. What was their childhood like? What were their hopes and dreams? And how did they become great men and women of history.

What is their story?

2. Historical Fiction

Historical fiction brings people and places to life. Often kids follow a child as they’re swept away by the events of their time. As you turn the pages of the books, the characters bring to life far off places. You get see why people were willing to fight, to struggle, and to confront the inequities of their day.

Again the goal is to make history real to the kids. These are not just a generic list of events that happened far away from them.

These are events which occurred for a purpose.

3. Fun Books

Fun books also bring the life and times of history to life. For instance you’ll find series which give the gruesome details about the lifestyle which kids find fascinating.

After all kids love to read about different cultures and foods. My own kids spent hours pouring books which went into detail about the foods, customs, and bathing habits of ancient people.

You’ll also find books about clothing through the ages for kids who love fashion. Look for books on armor and weapons for kids fascinated by swords.

Fun books will bring elementary history to life!

4. Create a History Book

Teaching history isn’t just about reading books. Kids tend to forget details, people, and places quickly. You need an easy way to record what your kids are learning. Create a history book with your kids!

Use blank pages for kids to draw illustrations of what they learned with captions below. Use lined paper for kids to write a sentence or paragraph about what they learned or what they found the most fascinating about the people you’re studying.

Collect these pages in a 3-ring binder and you’ll end up with a fascinating book of history.

5. Activities

Use fun activities to bring history to life. Set up tents in the living room and let the kids pretend to be ancient Hebrews living in the desert on manna.

Try your hand at mummifying a chicken to demonstrate the steps involved in Egyptian mummification or build a pyramid out of sugar cubes. Grab clay for kids to make clay pots or stick horses for kids to ride into battle.

Lively history activities will cement people, places, and events into your children’s heads.

With these 5 tips, you’ll ignite a love and passion for history in your kids. They won’t see history as a boring list of people, dates, and events. They’ll know history is one on-going story, and a story they’re a part of.

How do you bring elementary history to life for your kids?

The post 5 Tips to Bring Elementary History to Life first appeared on True Aim.

The other day, President Trump asked the question, “Why did the Civil War happen?” He actually knows what he is talking about, but is so inarticulate that he should have just left it alone. Now, everyone is laughing at him, stating the obvious: the Civil War happened to end slavery.

But did it really? If you feel so confident, please explain it to me because I’m having trouble answering the following questions.

1. If the Civil War was fought to free the slaves, why did Lincoln wait two years after the war started to issue the Emancipation Proclamation?

2. When congress debated the War effort, why didn’t anyone mention slavery?

3. When Lincoln made his first address after the War had started, why didn’t he say anything about slavery being the cause?

4. When South Carolina first seceded from the Union, why did they claim unfair taxation and tariffs were the primary cause?

5. Why did some slave states, like Maryland, Missouri, Delaware, and Kentucky, side with the North?

6. Why did Lincoln exempt the Northern slave states, like Maryland, Missouri, Delaware, and Kentucky, from freeing their slaves after issuing the Emancipation Proclamation, claiming that if the Norther slaves states thought the War was about ending slavery they would change sides and fight with the South?

Look, I take no pleasure in asking these questions. The “history” our government schools spoon fed us about the Civil War was much tastier than the truth. But if we want to teach our children the truth, slavery was not the primary cause of the war.

The post Was Trump Right About the Civil War? first appeared on True Aim.

History Activities for Preschool and Kindergarten

Exploring Art History with Preschoolers – Playground Parkbench

Explore art history, from Modernism in the late 19th century to Pop Art, popular in the 1960s.

Montessori Inspired European Unit Study – The Pinay Homeschooler

Study European history with flags, animals, and landmarks – great for all elementary school students.

The Legend of Horatius at the Bridge – Layers of Learning

Learn about the legend of Horatius with this stanza, coloring sheet, and free printable Roman helmets.

Picture Books for Black History Month – No Twiddle Twaddle

Study black history through literature! Here are 10 great picture books for bringing black history alive.

Ancient Rome Food and Feast – Highhill Homeschool

Fill your tummy with a feast, fit for Ancient Rome. There’s nothing too extravagant about the meal, but elementary kiddos will love this!

Famous Artist Crafts for Kids  – The Crafty Classroom

Recreate the works of famous artists with these tutorials! Learn about them in the process, from Monet to Pollock.

Popsicle Stick Teepees – Glued to My Crafts

Study Native American history by creating these teepees. They’re pretty simple to make, with popsicle sticks being the base.

President’s Day Freebie – Mrs. Ricca’s Kindergarten

Study George Washington and Abraham Lincoln in this freebie for President’s Day.

Roman Numeral Lessons – The Natural Homeschool

Roman numerals are still used today! Introduce your kiddos to Roman numerals with this free printable.

Jackie Robinson Craft – Cutting Tiny Bites

On April 15, 1947, Jackie Robinson made history for breaking racial barriers and becoming the first African American to become a Major League Baseball player.

George Washington Lapbook – Lapbook Lessons

Use this lapbook to learn about our first president, George Washington!

Learn about Martin Luther King Jr – Teach Preschool

Martin Luther King Jr. made great advances for the Civil Rights movements. Learn about his amazing life!

Stonehenge Lesson for Preschool – Adventures in Mommydom

Get hands-on while learning about Stonehenge! It can be adapted for elementary and middle school, and is great for combining history and STEM.

Rosie the Riveter Coloring Page – Education.com

Rosie the Riveter was a classic icon during WWII, inspiring woman to help the war effort by taking up jobs.

Liberty Bell Craft – Mrs. Black’s Bees

Recreate the Liberty Bell while learning about early American history!

Pom-Pom American Flag Painting – Crafty Morning

Celebrate the 4th of July and Independence Day with this American flag painting! It’s simple and costs next to nothing.

Free Ancient Egypt Preschool Worksheets – 123 Homeschool for Me

Learn about ancient Egypt with this math and literacy pack. There are 17 printables, with history activities that can be adjusted for toddlers to 2nd grade.

Fun with Coloring Mixing: A Martin Luther King Jr. Day Craft – MPM Ideas

Learn about diversity and segregation with this bright coloring craft. It works best for large groups, but can be adjusted for smaller groups.

Ancient History: Roman Road – Preschool Powol Pockets

Learn about ancient history with this hands-on craft! Recreate a textured Roman road.

The post History Activities for Preschool and Kindergarten first appeared on True Aim.

We as humans love stories – we love to tell them and we love to remember them. For me, the easiest way to remember history is through stories. For fun facts on the Presidents, I would recommend The Greatest Presidential Stories Never Told, which is a spin off of The Greatest Stories Never Told. In it, include 100 little-known facts/stories about the US presidents, from the presidents before George Washington, to the only president who got a speeding ticket.

For a fun song to remember the Presidents, try this Animanics song to a catchy tune, which also includes little tidbits about each of the Presidents which are easy to memorize. For a more basic version, try this version to the tune of Yankee Doodle. I figured since I often get song lyrics stuck in my head, they might as well be educational.

I am a firm believer history should never be boring, and always memorable. Here are 18 crazy, interesting facts about the US presidents, with a free printable for you to hang in your classroom or homeschool room.

18 Fun, Crazy Facts About the Presidents

1. The teddy bear was named after Theodore Roosevelt. On a camping trip, Roosevelt refused to shoot a small bear cub. The teddy bear was born!

2. Grover Cleveland is the only president to serve two non-consecutive terms.

3. Dwight Eisenhower is the only president to serve in both WWI and WWII.

4. Andrew Jackson had a parrot that was so profane, it had to be removed from Jackson’s funeral for swearing.

5. James Garfield survived an assassination attempt, only to die from blood poisoning after doctors attempted to remove a bullet from his back. It is said Garfield could have survived with the bullet in his back. His assassin, Charles Guiteau, claimed that he didn’t kill the president, the doctors had. He was hanged anyway.

6. Martin van Buren was the first President to be born a US citizen.

7. John Tyler was born in 1790, and still has two living grandchildren.

8. Woodrow Wilson is the only President to have earned a Ph.D. He didn’t learn to read until he was 10 years old.

9. James Madison was the shortest President. He was only 5’4” and never weighed more than 100 pounds.

10. Once, while giving a speech, Teddy Roosevelt was shot. He continued to deliver his speech with the bullet in his chest.

11. William Taft is known as the largest President. Dubbed “Big Bill,” Taft weighed 325 pounds, and often got stuck in the White House bathtub.

12. William Henry Harrison gave the longest inauguration speech – 8,578 words in one hour, 40 minutes. Unfortunately, it was cold outside during his speech, he caught pneumonia, and died exactly one month later.

13. Franklin D. Roosevelt was in office for four terms, from 1933-1945. He served 12 years, 1 month, and 8 days, until dying right before WWII ended. He is the only President to serve more than two terms.

14. George Washington gave the shortest inauguration speech on record – 133 words and less than two minutes long.

15. John F. Kennedy was the first Roman Catholic to be president, the first Boy Scout to become president, and the first president to be born in the 20th century.

16. Abraham Lincoln created the Secret Service hours be

fore his assassination.

17. Calvin Coolidge had a pet pygmy hippopotamus named Billy.

18. During WWII, ten men survived a plane crash after being shot down by the Japanese. Only one was rescued, and the other nine men died at the hands of the Japanese. The lone survivor was George H. W. Bush.

For more non-textbook ways to learn, check out 30+ Ways to Teach History Without a Textbook.

The post The Presidents Unit Study Freebie first appeared on True Aim.

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Free History Resources

5 Things that Make a Great History Curriculum – True Aim Education

Learning about history shouldn’t be a pain. Here are 5 things that make a fabulous history curriculum!

ABCs of the Bible Crafts – Christian Montessori Network

Check out these 26 Bible School (or homeschool) craft ideas. Here is the letter D for David’s Harp!

30+ Ways to Teach History Without a Textbook – Learn in Color

Explore 30+ ways to teach history – without a textbook! A diverse list for learners of all types.

9 Exciting Books You Need to Read to Your Child About Early America – Cornerstone Confessions

Dive into Early American history with these great books!

Wild West Small World Play – Happy Brown House

Bring history to life with this wild west world play! Gather books from the library, and give history a visual for younger kids!

More of my Favorite History Resources:

Free Historical Unit Studies for Kids – Le Chaim (on the Right)

The Revolutionary War Crafts – Carol Hurst

Civil War for Kids – Creekside Learning

Historical Movies for Kids – Le Chaim (on the Right)

Geography and Cultures for Kids – Homeschool Encouragement

WWII Movies to Watch With Your Kids – Adventures in Mommydom

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The post History Resources and Mom’s Library #155 first appeared on True Aim.

I’m so excited to be apart of the Read Around the World Summer Reading Series from the Multicultural Kid Blogs. You can travel around the world through different books and explore different countries and cultures.

We are all different, and the history of our country partially defines who we are – our personalities, opinions, and beliefs. It is so important to me to teach my children about the different cultures of the world through history and geography so they have a better understanding of where they come from and how to relate to all of God’s people.

I’ve chosen a book that combines all of those things; history, geography, and culture and invites the reader to experience it through art!

Artisans Around the World: Northern Asia (affiliate link) is my book.  Each section covers a different region of Northern Asia and includes maps, popular land features, historical facts, and art projects inspired by the culture.  It’s an amazing series of books available for many different countries!

We choose Japan because we love Sushi and Origami!  First we read the section on Japan and practiced identifying it on the globe.  We learned about the ancient culture which is engrossed with nature and religion.  We also learned of it’s modern marvels like the Bullet Train that travels over 168 MPH.

My daughters liked learning about traditional Japanese homes and how they sit on cushions at a low table for meal.

The project that the book provided was to make your very own traditional Shibori floor cushion.  Although we didn’t have time to make it, I’ll definitely keep it in mind for future sewing projects.  It is so easy and you can use fabric markers in place of tie-dye to make the decorative designs the book showcases.

Instead, we created our own Morning Glory Origami.  I love this particular Origami flower because very young children can make it with limited folding steps.

My youngest (4yrs) needed a little help with hers, but with a little practice she’ll be able to do it all on her own. The little Origami flowers make beautiful decorations and mobiles.

And what’s a geography/history lesson without food from the region?  So another day we made Sushi Hand Rolls.  I let my children make their own rolls with just a couple rules.  They have to try at least 1 of everything I put on the table and they have to eat what they take.  I have one child that will take everything and not be able to finish it and the other child won’t take anything.

All of these things were a great little introduction to the country of Japan, but there is so much more to learn!  And so many more places to explore.  I can’t wait to find another great book at Multicultural Kid Blogs.

Do you like Japanese food?

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The post Reading Around the World: Japan first appeared on True Aim.