Back to American History 2 Books & Resources The Gilded Age 1878-1889 (2 weeks: weeks 9-10)
|
|||
| Resources | Item Type | Weeks Used | |
|
If you’ve already done my first year American history program, you may have already encountered the Buffalo Bill book. If that’s the case, just skip it. I love all the d'Aulaire books. I remember reading some of them as a child and just being enchanted by the illustrations and stories. These are books I'm going to keep on my shelf long after my children have grown up.
|
Fictionalized biography |
9 |
|
This DK book is stuffed full of illustrations and photographs. You can read the main text or just browse all of the captions. The pages are busy so some kids don't like these books, but for many others, they are favorites to thumb through. I like how all of the pictures help you get a real feeling for each book's subject matter. |
Non-fiction
|
9-10 |
|
A Little Prairie House This is a picture book adapted from one of the Little House series books. It has beautiful illustrations and is perfect for a younger sibling or special needs student. |
Picture book
|
9 |
|
A Picture Book of Thomas Alva Edison This is a good book to use for kids who shy away from chapter books, but still want to learn the major highlights about Edison. |
Picture book
|
9 |
|
James A. Garfield: Twentieth President 1881 (Getting to Know the Us Presidents) Otter LOVES these books written and illustrated by Mike Venezia. Even my big kids read them all as older teens because the information is presented in such an engaging and easy to retain style. All of the Venezia books I schedule in are optional for the president's study, but they are so fun, you might want to check out at least a few. Most libraries will have these books, so you probably won't need to purchase any.
|
|
9 |
|
Chester A. Arthur: Twenty-First President: 1881 - 1885 (Getting to Know the Us Presidents) (See above.) |
|
9 |
|
Time For Kids: Thomas Edison: A Brilliant Inventor Otter really likes this series of books (Time For Kids). Each book has lots of illustrations, photographs and non-overwhelming text. Take a look inside this book at Barnes & Noble. (Click "see inside" on the book cover.) There is an optional reproducible you can download and print for this book at Time for Kids.
|
Non-fiction (science)
|
9-10 |
 |
Nikola Tesla and the Electric Fair (free download) Tesla was a close friend to writer Mark Twain and a bitter rival of inventor Thomas Edison. Read about how he was hired to "light up" the Chicago's World Fair in 1893.
|
 Comic book style (science)(free) |
9 |
Just the Facts: The Emergence of Modern America: The Gilded Age "Uncover the reflection of England's Victorian Age in America's own materialistic period, named by Mark Twain."
|
 Discovery Streaming |
9 | |
Horrible Histories: Wild West "A cartoon depiction of the Wild West. Stitch and Mo read between the lines in history textbooks, traveling back in time to reveal the dirty facts about Manifest Destiny!" Our boys love the humorous Horrible Histories movies. Some of the humor may be mildly offensive.
|
DVD or Discovery Streaming |
9 | |
|
PBS: The West: (Portion of DVD: The Geography of Hope 1877-1887) Preview: This series may have material that isn't appropriate for younger viewers. Younger students may also find it to be boring. |
|
9 |
Animated Hero Classics: Thomas Edison and the Electric Light Otter really enjoys this series of movies. |
DVD or Discovery Streaming |
9 | |
| Make a pop-up book about the invention of the light bulb | Printable (free) |
9 | |
|
In the Hands of a Child lapbook: Thomas Alva Edison This Thomas Edison lapbook is rated for grades 3-8. It was a freebie at one time so maybe you have it on hand already! |
$ Lapbook | 9-10 |
|
You Wouldn’t Want to Live in a Wild West Town Reading level: 4.7 These books use humor and silly cartoon illustrations to draw readers in. You can get a feel for the style by looking at some of the free online versions here. Some of the humor (or illustrations) may be mildly offensive. |
|
10 |
|
This very easy picture book tells the story of the Statue of Liberty coming to the United States in 1886. |
Picture book
|
10 |
|
Twenty-one Elephants and Still Standing "After fourteen years of construction, the Brooklyn Bridge was completed, much to the delight of the sister cities it connected: Brooklyn and New York City.
|
Picture book
|
10 |
|
Grover Cleveland: Twenty-Second and Twenty-Fourth President 1885-1889, 1893-1897 (Getting to Know the Us Presidents) Otter LOVES these books written and illustrated by Mike Venezia. Even my big kids read them all as older teens because the information is presented in such an engaging and easy to retain style. All of the Venezia books I schedule in are optional for the president's study, but they are so fun, you might want to check out at least a few. Most libraries will have these books, so you probably won't need to purchase any.
|
|
10 |
| Teacher Tube: Grover Cleveland | Online Video (free) |
10 | |
|
Preview: This DVD may contain material inappropriate for younger viewers. This isn't the best of the PBS House series, but we did find it educational.
|
|
10 |
Rabbit Ears: Pecos Bill "Relates the life and adventures of this Wild West cowboy; who was raised by coyotes and invents the first cattle drive. Music by Ry Cooder; illustrated by Tim Raglin; narrated by Robin Williams."
|
|
10 | |
Time Warp Trio: Hey Kid, Want to Buy a Bridge? "There's no place like home—a hundred years ago?! Joe, Fred, and Sam warp back to the brawling, sprawling city of New York at the end of the nineteenth century to witness the building of the Brooklyn Bridge and help to inspire Thomas Edison in his Menlo Park lab."
|
DVD or Discovery Streaming |
10 | |
| Thomas Edison notebooking pages | Printable (free) |
10 | |
|
Other NON-scheduled resources you can use during this portion of the study: |
|||
is for resources that should be available at most well-stocked libraries. The other icons are explained by the text right next to them.
President book
Reader 
