Switzerland has four national languages: French, spoken in the West; German, spoken in the largest part of the country; Italian, spoken in the South; and Romansh, which is not an official language as the other three are, but which is spoken in some places in the East of the country.… Continue reading
Chanukah Fever by Mama Doni is a fun and sassy collection of holiday songs for kids. Most of the teachers we know use “The Dreidel Song” every year if they talk about Chanukah in the classroom, but Mama Doni brings us everything from talking blues to disco. There are some… Continue reading
…a what? Long ago, millers were very important people in any village. A mill would take the grain farmers grew and grind it into flour or meal so people could bake with it.This essential step in the progression from raw materials to finished goods makes a good lesson in economics,… Continue reading
Tisquantum, commonly called Squanto, was a Patuxet man who helped the Pilgrims survive in their new home. The Patuxet were members of the Wampanoag Confederation who lived in what is now Plymouth. Nothing certain is known of Squanto until 1614, though some historians believe that Squanto had gone to England… Continue reading
Since we focus on integrated lessons with activities from across the curriculum, there’s history in most of our lesson plans. For your convenience, we’re providing a list here of lesson plans that focus more narrowly on a particular time period. As we add lesson plans, we’ll add to this… Continue reading
“Renaissance” in French means “rebirth,” and the Renaissance was a time of rebirth for the arts and sciences. Signs of Renaissance began in Italy in the 14th century, and the time period is generally agreed to extend to the 17th century. There is of course overlap between the Middle… Continue reading
We were among the first visitors at the Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art. It was actually still under construction, but it was a wonderful field trip. We approached the museum along a half mile Art Trail which has sculptures along it like this one, “Shore Lunch” by Dan Ostermiller.… Continue reading
Kids are interested in food. It’s part of cultures, economies, and daily life. So we have some lesson plans on the subject here at FreshPlans. Food Traditions video Food Traditions Pasta Pizza Sandwiches Football Cake Turkey Candy Chocolate Continue reading
John Muir was an inventor and a rancher by vocation, but he was also a naturalist and a writer, and it was this avocation for which we remember him. During his lifetime, he published 10 books and more than 300 articles of observations about nature. His writings detailed his travels… Continue reading
We went to the Cherokee Heritage Center in Tahlequah, Oklahoma. The museum itself is filled with interesting artifacts. We were most excited about visiting the Ancient Village, which shows what life was like among the Cherokee at the time of the Pilgrim’s Thanksgiving. We gathered under the museum’s clock to… Continue reading
