Gideon, Samson and Samuel

{GIDEON}

Gideon by Carine Mackenzie
Hurray for the Lord's Army by Mary Manz Simon
The Man Who Won without Fighting by Yvonne McCall
Men of the Bible by Duncan McLaren

* Read the story of Gideon from the Bible or your favorite collection of Bible stories.
* Act out the story of Gideon.

{SAMSON}

Samson by Jerry A. Novick
Samson and Delilah by Darcy Weinbeck
Samson and Delilah and Other Old Testament Stories by Victoria Parker
Samson and His Strength by Alice Joyce Davidson
Samson's Secret by Loyal Kolbrek
Son of Samson and the Judge of God by Gary Martin

* Read the story of Samson out of the Bible or your favorite collection of Bible stories.  Then read one of the Son of Samson books and discuss whether the book gave you any theoretical insight into Samson's story.
* Get haircuts!

{SAMUEL}

A Baby for Hannah by Patricia L. Nederveld
Samuel, Samuel by Patricia L. Nederveld
God Speaks to Samuel by Penny Frank
Samuel God's Helper by Julie Smith

* Read the story of Samuel out of the Bible or your favorite collection of Bible stories.
* Talk about (and perhaps journal) all the different ways you can sense the reality and presence of God.  Can you hear, taste, smell, see. . . ?

The Legend of the Trojan Horse

{FINE ARTS and LITERATURE}

Home in Ithaca by Ernest Gabirelson
The Trojan Horse by Justine Korman
Voices of the Trojan War by Kate Hovey

* If you are very ambitious, make a papier-mache Trojan Horse.  Maybe make it a pinata and have a little sweet fun.
* Act out the story of the Trojan Horse together.

{HISTORY and GEOGRAPHY}

Did Greek Soldiers Really Hide Inside the Trojan Horse? by Carol M. Scavella Burrell
Trojan Horse by David Clement-Davies
The Trojan Horse by Emily Little
The Trojan Horse by Albert Lorenz
The Trojan War by Olivia E. Coolidge

* Find the locations of Ancient Greece and Troy on a map.
* For discussion:  Do you think the Legend of the Trojan Horse is a realistic possibility? 

{MYTHOLOGY}

The Aenid for Boys and Girls by Alfred J. Church
The Clay-footed SuperHeroes by Rose Williams
The Gods and Goddesses of Olympus by Aliki
Tales of Troy by Andrew Lang
The Trojan Horse by Gilly Cameron Cooper
The Trojan Horse by Lisa Greathouse
The Trojan Horse by Warwick Hutton
The Trojan Horse by Justine Fontes
Wooden Horse by Geraldine McCaughrean
The Wooden Horse of Troy by John Malam

* Delve into some of the other Ancient Greek myths.
* Read about the gods and goddesses of Ancient Greece.  Make a poster of these gods and goddesses that includes a drawing of each with their names and some characteristics of each.
* Make your own Trojan Horse comic strip.

Tutankhamun

{FINE ARTS and POETRY}

Ralph Masiello's Ancient Egypt Drawing Book by Ralph Masiello
The Tomb of the Boy King by John Frank

* Draw some pictures using The Ancient Egypt Drawing Book.

{HISTORY and GEOGRAPHY}

Akhenaten and Tutankhamen by Susanna Thomas
Ancient Egypt by George Hart
Ancient Egypt by Jane Walker
Ancient Egypt by Ruth Akamine Wassynger
Egypt by Shirley J. Jordan
If I Were a Kid in Ancient Egypt
King Tut by Jackie Gaff
Tutankhamen's Gift by Robert Sabuda
Tutankhamun by Demi
Tutankhamun by Robert Green
Tutankhamun by David Murdoch
Tutankhamun by Zahi A. Zawass
Who Was King Tut? by Roberta Edwards

* Make an Ancient Egypt fact notebook.  Fill it with the facts (and drawings) of things you find the most interesting.
* Write (or draw) a story about how you believe King Tut died.

{SCIENCE}

Archaeologists by Brian M. Fagan
Archaeology by John Orna-Ornstein
Archaeology for Kids by Richard Panchyk
The Best Book of Mummies by Philip Steele
Discovery Plus: Pyramid Builders by Anita Ganeri
Egyptian Mummies by Henrietta McCall
In Search of Tutankhamun by Giovanni Caselli
Inside the Tomb of Tutankhamun by Jacqueline Morley
King Tut's Tomb by Doering Tourville
Mummies and Pyramids by Mary Pope Osborne
Mummy by James Putnam
The Mystery of the Egyptian Mummy by Joyce Filer
Secrets of the Mummies by Harriet Griffey
Tutankhamen's Tomb by Jen Green
Tut's Mummy by Jude Donnelly
The Valley of the Kings by Stuart Tyson Smith
You Wouldn't Want to Be Tutankhamen! by David Stewart

* Complete an activity from Archaeology for Kids.
* Mummify a chicken!
* Make mud bricks and, when they are dry, build a pyramid with them.

Israelites ~ Slavery and Freedom

{JOSEPH}

Egypt: The Years from Joseph to Moses by Anne de Graaf
Joseph - God's Superhero by Kay Arthur
Joseph and the Hebrews in Egypt
Joseph and the King of Egypt by Penny Frank
Joseph and the King of Egypt by Tim Wood

* Read and illustrate stories about Joseph from the Bible.
* Make a coat of many colors like Joseph's.

{MOSES}

The Life and Times of Moses by Jim Whiting
Miriam and Her Brother Moses by Jean Marzollo
Moses by Leonard Everett Fisher
The Moses Basket by Jenny Koralek
Old Testament Days by Nancy I. Sanders

* Read and illustrate stories about Moses from the Bible.
* Complete an activity or two from Old Testament Days.

{PLAGUES and THE EXODUS}

Exodus by Brian Wildsmith
The Jewish Children's Bible: Exodus by Sheryl Prenzlau
Moses the Leader by Carine Mackenzie
Moses and the Plagues by Catherine Storr
Plagues in the Palace by Bradley Booth
The Ten Plagues of Egypt by Shoshana Lepone

* Make a Ten Plagues poster or notebook together.
* Act out the story of the Passover.

Abraham, Isaac and Jacob

{ABRAHAM}

Abraham - God's Brave Explorer by Kay Arthur
Abraham, Sarah and Isaac by Joanne Bader
Abraham's Big Test by Becky Lockhart Kearns
Abraham's Search for God by Jacqueline Jules
Count the Stars by Patricial L. Nederveld
Sarah Laughs by Jacqueline Jules
God Calls Abraham. . . God Calls You by Melinda Kay Busch
Old Testament Days by Nancy I. Sanders
Sarah and Abraham by Mackenzie Carine
Why Did Sarah Laugh? by Pauline Youd

* Read from the Bible some of the stories of Abraham.
* Complete a project from Old Testament Days.
* Sit out and star gaze tonight.  See if you can count the stars in the sky.

{ISAAC}

Drink of Cold Water by Betty Smith
Isaac Blesses Jacob and Esau by Stephanie Hovland
The White Ram by Morticai Gerstein

* Read from the Bible some of the stories of Isaac.
* Act out the story of Abraham almost sacrificing Isaac.

{JACOB}

Jacob and Esau by Mary Auld
Jacob and Esau by Penny Frank
Jacob's Dream by Bryan Davis
Jacob's Ladder by Sekiya Miyoshi
Jacob's Ladder by Virginia Mueller

* Read from the Bible some of the stories of Jacob.
* Make some of Jacob's Red Stew.
* Make a ladder with sticks and twine as a reminder of the story of Jacob.

Stonehenge

{FINE ARTS}

Stonehenge by Rachel Lynette
Stonehenge by Shawndra Shofner

* Have your kids make their own miniature stone structure with rocks from the yard or a nearby field.

{FOLK AND FAIRY TALES}

Celtic Fairy Tales by Joseph Jacobs

* Have your kids illustrate a Celtic fairy tale as you read it to them.

{HISTORY and GEOGRAPHY}

Circle of Stone by Penelope Dyan
From Totem Poles to Trilithons by Romy Wyeth
Solving the Mystery of Stonehenge by Nancy Lyon
Stonehenge by Matt Doeden
Stonehenge by Wendy Mass
Stonehenge by Q. L. Pearce
Stonehenge by Catherine M. Petrini
Stonehenge by Kate Riggs

* Have each child write (or draw) a story of how they believed Stonehenge was built.

{WORLD RELIGIONS}

Sacred Places by Jane Yolen

* Take the weekend to make your own "sacred place" in your yard or home.  Use this spot as a place for family members to come for quiet moments with God.

Sumerians

{FOLK TALES and FINE ARTS}

City of Rainbows by Karen Polinger Foster
Hands-On Ancient People, Volume 1 by Yvonne Y. Merrill
Lugalbanda by Kathy Henderson

* Read a folk tale and have the kids illustrate it themselves before showing them the picture.
* Complete a Sumerian art activity from Hands-On Ancient People, Volume 1.

{HISTORY, GEOGRAPHY and CULTURES}

Ancient Egyptians and Their Neighbors by Marian Broida
The Sumerians by Elaine Landau
The Sumerians by Pamela Odijk
The Sumerians by Jane Shuter
You Wouldn't Want to Be a Sumerian Slave by Jacqueline Morley

* Locate the modern day country that sits where the ancient Sumerians used to live.
* Complete an activity or two in Ancient Egyptians and Their Neighbors.

{SCIENCE and MATH}

Archaeology for Kids by Richard Panchyk
The History of Counting by Denise Schmadt-Basserat
Hubert Invents the Wheel by Claire Montgomery
Science in Ancient Mesopotamia by Carol Moss

* Do a simple expirament.  Have the kids pull a heavy load around the yard on their sled.  Have them go up hills and over rocky terrain if possible.  Next, have them pull the same load in a wagon.  See if they think the wheels help make the load easier to transport.
* Complete an activity or two from Archaeology for Kids.

Dinosaurs

{BIBLE and RELIGION}

The Answer Book for Kids, Volume 2 by Ken Ham
Dinosaurs of Eden by Ken Ham
Dinosaurs for Kids by Ken Ham
Dinosaurs by Michael W. Carroll
Dinosaurs by Design by Duane T. Gish
The Great Dinosaur Mystery and the Bible by Paul S. Taylor

* Discuss your beliefs about Creation vs. Evolution and the existence of dinosaurs.

{FINE ARTS and LITERATURE}

1-2-3 Draw Dinosaurs and Other Prehistoric Animals by Freddie Levin
All about Drawing Dinosaurs and Reptiles by Diana Fisher
Draw 50 Dinosaurs by Lee J. Ames
Draw Dinosaurs by D. C. DuBosque
The How Do Dinosaurs. . . series by Jane Yolen
How to Draw Dinosaurs by Michelle Roberts
How to Draw Dinosaurs by Fiona Watt

* Bring in a civics lesson with a How Do Dinosaurs. . . book.
* Spend some time sketching your favorite dinosaurs together.

{HISTORY}

The Dinosaur Museum by Sebastian Quigley
Dinosaurs by Will Osborne
The Great Dinosaur Mystery Solved by Ken Ham
My Visit to the Dinosaurs by Aliki
What Really Happened to the Dinosaurs by John D. Morris

* Discuss what you think happened to dinosaurs.  This would also be a good open-ended writing assignment for older children.
* Visit a museum and look at the dinosaur displays.

{SCIENCE}

Digging Up Dinosaurs by Aliki
Fossils Tell of Long Ago by Aliki
Dinosaur Detectives by Judith Bauer Stamper
Fossil by Paul D. Taylor
The Magic Schoolbus Flies with the Dinosaurs by Martin Schwabacher
The Magic School Bus in the Time of the Dinosaurs by Joanna Cole

* Make your own fossils.
* Go for an arcaological dig in your backyard or sandbox.
* Dissect the scientific meaning of various dinosaur names.

{LOVELY CHRISTMAS BOOKS}

Dinosaur's Night Before Christmas by Jim Harris
The Dinosaurs' Night Before Christmas by Anne Muecke
Merry Christmas Princess Dinosaur by Jill Kastner
Tyrannoclause by Janet Lawler

* Make your own fossils using Christmasy things like holly, pine and bells. . . Be sure to poke a hole in each.  When they have dried, paint them Christmas colors and hang on your tree.

Creation Stories and the Theory of Evolution

{BIBLICAL CREATION}

The Creation Story for Children by Helen Haidle
God's Amazing Creation by Kay Arthur
God Gave Us the World by Lisa T. Bergren
God's Mighty Acts in Creation by Starr Meade
The Real Story of the Creation by Paul L. Maier

* Study Genesis 1-3 over the course of several days.
* Make a creation time line or pie chart that the kids decorate themselves.
* OR Have each child make their own creation book.

{EVOLUTION}

Beginning by Peter Ackroyd
The Best Book of Early People by Margaret Hynes
The Birth of the Earth by Jacqui Bailey
Charles Darwin by David C. King
Early Humans by Philip Wilkinson
Evolution by Linda Gamlin
The Human Story by Christopher Sloan
The Kingfisher Book of Evolution by Stephen Webster
To the Beginning of Time by Nicholas Harris
The Tree of Life by Charles Darwin

* Make a timeline of the order of evolution, beginning with the Big Bang and moving forward through "pre-history."
* Make a chart comparing the theory of evolution with the Biblical story of creation.

{FINE ARTS and LITERATURE}

All Things Bright and Beautiful by Cecil Francis Alexander
The Creation by James Weldon Johnson
Creation by Gerald McDermott

Tree of Life by Peter Sis
The Tree That Time Built by Mary Ann Hoberman

* Find a picture of the creation from the Sistene Chapel and study it with the kids.
* Sing (or listen to) All Things Bright and Beautiful.  Have the kids begin learning it to sing at the next big family gathering.
* Have the kids begin memorizing James Weldon Johnson's The Creation.

*Draw your own poster of the evolutionary process.
*Visit a museum to see the pre-history display.

{FOLK and FAIRY TALES}

American Indian Myths and Legends by Richard Erdoes
The Blessing Seed by Caitlin Matthews
Creation by Ann Pilling
The Earth Made New by Paul Goble
The Everything Seed by Carole Martignacco
The Fire Children by Eric Maddern
Five Heavenly Emporers by Song Nan Zhang
Head, Body, Legs by Won-Ldy Paye
How Tiny People Grew Tall by Nancy Wood
How the World Began by Paul Dowswell
In the Beginning by Virginia Hamilton
Lord of the Animals by Fiona French
The Origin of Life on Earth by David A. Anderson
The People with Five Fingers by John Bierhorst
The Star-Bearer by Dianne Hofmeyr
When Woman Became the Sea by Susan Strauss

* Make a poster or notebook containing various creations stories from different cultures.  Compare your own beliefs about the beginning of the earth to these other beliefs.

{SCIENCE}

The Bearenstain Bears Discover God's Creation by Stan Berenstain
The Complete Zoo Adventure by Gary Parker
Genesis for Kids by Doug Lambier
Have You Ever Seen an Elephant Sneeze? by Bernadette M. Snyder
I Wonder Why Kangaroos Have Pouches by Jenny Wood

The Beast in You by Marc McCutcheon
Darwin and Evolution for Kids by Kristan Lawson
I Wonder Why Fish Grew Legs by Jackie Gaff
Mammals Who Morph by Jennifer Morgan
Our Family Tree by Lisa Westburg Peters
Super Crocs and Monster Wings by Claire Eamer

* Go on a nature hike with your nature journal.  Sketch your favorites of God's creations.
* Go on a trip to the zoo.  Afterwards, over a treat, discuss your favoriets of God's creations.
* Complete an activity or two from Genesis for Kids.

* Compare your various body parts to those of other animals, fish, birds. . .  Why are we all different?
* Draw an evolutionary family tree.
* Draw the evolutionary process of a couple of your favorite animals.
* Complete an activity or two from Darwin and Evolution for Kids.

Egypt

{FINE ARTS}

Ancient Egyptian Art by Susie Hodge
Arts and Crafts of Ancient Egypt by Ting Morris
Egyptian Crafts from the Past by Gillian Chapman
Egyptology Code-Writing Kit by Emily Sands
Hieroglyphics by Richard Platt
Hieroglyphs by Joyce Milton
How the Sphinx Got to the Museum by Jessie Hartland
Make History: Ancient Egypt by Nancy Fister
Ralph Masiello's Ancient Egypt Drawing Book by Ralph Masiello
Touch the Art: Tickle Tut's Toes by Julie Appel

* Write with Hieroglyphics.
* Choose a craft project from one of the bold, brown titles.

{FOLK and FAIRY TALES}

Casting the Gods Adrift by Geraldine McCaughrean
Cry of the Benu Bird by C. Shana Greger
The Egyptian Cinderella by Shirley Climo
Egyptian Myths by Jacqueline Morley
Gift of the Nile by Jan M. Mike
The Golden Flower by Janet Palazzo-Craig
The Golden Slipper by Saviour Pirotta
The Shipwrecked Sailor by Tamara Bower
The Star-Bearer by Dianne Hofmeyr
Tales of Ancient Egypt by Roger Lancelyn Green
The Well of Truth by Martha Hamilton
The Winged Cat by Deborah Nourse Lattimore

* Read one of the tales to the kids and have them illustrate it before showing them the pictures from the book.
* Add Egyptian creation stories to your creation stories poster or notebook.
* Compare the Egyptian Cinderella story with the traditional story.

{HISTORY, GEOGRAPHY and CULTURES}

Ancient Egypt by George Hart
Ancient Egypt by Andrew Haslam
Ancient Egyptians and Their Neighbors by Marian Broida
The Cat of Bubastes by G. A. Henty
Cleopatra by Peter Vennema
Cleopatra VII by Kristiana Gregory
Curious Kids: Ancient Egypt by Philip Steele
The Curse of King Tut's Mummy by Kathleen Weidner Zoehfeld
Day of Ahmed's Secret by Florence H. Parry
Great Ancient Egypt Projects You Can Build Yourself by Carmella Van Vleet
If I Were a Kid in Ancient Egypt by Cobbleston Publishing
Mummies and Pyramids by Mary Pope Osborne
Mummies in the Morning by Mary Pope Osborne
Mummies Made in Egypt by Aliki
The Pharaohs of Ancient Egypt by Elizabeth Ann Payne
Pyramids! by Avery Hart
Secrets of the Pyramids by Graham White
Tutankhamen's Gift by Robert Sabuda
Tut's Mummy by Jude Donnelly
Who Was King Tut? by Roberta Edwards
You Wouldn't Want to Be Cleopatra! by Jim Pipe
You Wouldn't Want to Be an Egyptian Mummy! by David Stewart
You Wouldn't Want to Be a Pyramid Builder! by Jacqueline Morley

* Pick an activity or two from one of the bold, brown titles above.
* Make a chronoligical poster or notebook of the pharaoh's of Ancient Egypt.

{SCIENCE}

Ancient Egypt by Judith Crosher
Cat Mummies by Kelly Trumble
The Egyptians by Richard Platt
Pharaoh's Boat by David Weitzman
Prehistoric and Egyptian Medicine by Ian Dawson
Science in Ancient Egypt by Geraldine Woods
Technology of Ancient Egypt by Leslie C. Kaplan

* Refer to the bold, brown titles in the History portion of this unit for activities that tie into the science theme.  Look particularly for activities involving the mummification process and / or the building of the pyramids.

China

{FINE ARTS}

Ancient China by Dale Anderson
Architecture of Ancient China by Zhu Kang
Arts and Crafts of Ancient China by Ting Morris
Chinese Brush Painting by Caroline Self
Everyday Life by Tricia Morrissey
A Girl Named Faithful Plum by Richard Bernstein
Houses of China by Bonnie Shemie
The Kids' Multicultural Art Book by Alexandra M. Terzian
Kites by Demi
The Magic Horse of Han Gan by Jiang Hong Chen
Making Chinese Paper Cuts by Robert Borja
My First Book of Chinese Calligraphy by Guillaume Olive
Young Painter by Chen-Sun Cheng

* Using any of the bold red titles in this post, try a Chinese art or craft activity.
* Using recycled cardboard boxes, build a Chinese doll house in the style of a real Chinese home.
* Watch some Chinese dance on the internet
* Try your hand at Chinese brush painting and / or calligraphy.
* Make your own kite.
* For older kids, try some Chinese paper cutting.

{FOLK AND FAIRY TALES}

The Ch'i-lin Purse by Linda Fang
Chinese Children's Favorite Stories by Mingmei Ye
The Dragon King by Laurence Yep
The Empty Pot by Demi
The Greatest Power by Demi
Liang and the Magic Paintbrush by Demi
Favorite Children's Stories from China & Tibet by Lotta Carswell
The Five Chinese Brothers by Claire Huchet Bishop
Grandfather Tang's Story by Ann Tompert
Lon Po Po by Ed Young
The Magical Monkey King by Ji-Li Jiang
The Monkey King by Aaron Sheperd
The Seven Chinese Sisters by Kathy Tucker
The Silk Princess by Charles Santore
Stone Soup by Jon J. Muth
Stories from the Silk Road by Cherry Gilchrist
Tales of a Chinese Grandmother by Frances Carpenter
Throw Your Tooth on the Roof by Selby Beeler
Tikki Tikki Tembo by Arlene Mosel
Two of Everything by Lily Toy Hong
Where the Mountain Meets the Moon by Grace Lin
Yeh Shen by Ai-Ling Louie

* Read a folk tale or two to have your children illustrate before you show them the storybook illustrations.

{HISTORY, GEOGRAPHY and CULTURES}

Any childrens' book about China with good pictures and captivating text.
Adventures of Marco Polo by Russell Freedman
Confucius by Russell Freedman
Daughter of the Mountains by Louise S. Rankin
Day of the Dragon King by Mary Pope Osborne
Dragon of the Red Dawn by Mary Pope Osborne
The Emporer's Silent Army by Jane O'Connor
Hidden Army by Jane O'Connor
A Grain of Rice by Helena Clare Pittman
Great Ancient China Projects You Can Build Yourself by Lance Kramer
The Great Wall of China by Leonard Everett Fisher
Homesick by Jean Fritz
The House of Sixty Fathers by Meindert Dejong
Lady of Ch'iao Kuo by Laurence Yep
Look What Came From China! by Miles Harvey
Marco Polo for Kids by Janis Herbert
Moonbeams, Dumplings & Dragon Boats by Nina Simonds
The Mountains of Tibet by Mordicai Gerstein
Ruby's Wish by Shirin Yim
You Wouldn't Want to Work on the Great Wall of China! by Jacqueline Morley
Yung Fu of the Upper Yangtze by Elizabeth Foreman Lewis

* Do a project or two from one of the titles in bold red above.
* Celebrate a Chinese holiday.
* Draw or print a large map of China and fill it with facts about the country.
* Go out for or make your own Chinese dinner.
* If it's summer, and you have access to a pool, play Marco Polo!

{PHYSICAL EDUCATION}

The Boy Who Conquered Everest by Katherine Blanc
Chinese Jump Rope by Anne Akers Johnson
Chinese Jump Rope by Sheree S. Marty
Climbing Everest by Audrey Salkeld
Kite Flying by Grace Lin
Tai Chi for Kids by Jose Figueroa
The Top of the World by Steve Jenkins
To the Top! by Sydelle Kramer
To the Top by Stephen Venables
You Wouldn't Want to Climb Mount Everest! by Ian Graham

* Buy or make a Chinese jump rope and teach your children how to use it.
* Go kite flying!
* Find a local climbing wall and go "mountain climbing" together.
* Using a book or video, do some basic tai chi with your kids.

{SCIENCE}

The Chiru of High Tibet by Jacqueline Briggs Martin
How Many Baby Pandas by Sandra Markle
Made in China by Suzanne Williams
Panda Kindegarten by Joanne Ryder
Panda Rescue by Dan Bortolotti
Panda's Earthquake Escape by Phyllis J. Perry
Sagwa, the Chinese Siamese Cat by Amy Tan
Science and Scientists by Kang Zhu
Science in Ancient China by George Beshore
Sparrow Girl by Sara Pennypacker
The Story of Paper by Ying Chang Compestine

* Look up, on the internet, pictures and videos of any animals studied.
* Make your own paper.

{WORLD RELIGIONS}

Drawn by a China Moon by Dave Jackson
Eric Lidell by Janet Benge
Gladys Aylward by Janet Benge
Hudson Taylor by Janet Benge
Eric Lidell by Ellen W. Caughey
Eric Lidell by Renee Meloche
Gladys Aylward by Renee Meloche
Hudson Taylor by Renee Meloche
Lottie Moon by Renee Meloche
On the Clouds to China by Cyril Davey
The Gods and Goddesses of Ancient China by Leonard Everett Fisher

* Choose a famous Christian missionary to China to study.  Or assign different missionaries to different children.
* Make a poster of the different gods and goddesses of ancient China.