Explore the meaning of courage as you begin to understand the steadfastness of a people who would bravely face the unknown and risk their lives in the face of constant and seemingly insurmountable hardships and difficulties.

What are the major history and science topic areas in the Into a New Land unit?

The major history topic areas in Into a New Land are Early American Colonial history - including a study of Jamestown, Plymouth, Massachusetts Bay Colony - and the states of Virginia, Maryland, Massachusetts, and Rhode Island. The major science topic areas in Into a New Land are Insects and Weather.

What are some highlights from this unit?

Studies and activities on: Armstrong Sperry's story of high adventure and suspense, Call it Courage  • Israelites' story as they enter their "new land" of Canaan • Memorize Joshua 1:6-9 • Parts of a book • Synonym banks • Sail into Jamestown harbor with John Smith and the first settlers of Jamestown • Geography terms and concepts • Go "buggy" over insects! • Insect classification, body parts and systems, and life cycles • Insect collections, activities, and experiments • Sticky Feet, Walking in an Insect's Shoes, Molting like Insects, Creep-Crawly Caterpillar Snacks • Wire Sculpture Walking Sticks, Insect Races, Paper Maché Wasp's Nest, What's the Buzz? • Latin and Greek roots • Phrases, clauses, sentences, and paragraphs • Note-taking and writing mini-reports • Historical timeline • Spelling rules and concepts • Baroque art and music • The lives and music of Alessandro and Domenico Scarlatti, Antonio Vivaldi, and Johann Sebastian Bach • Lessons in teamwork and prioritizing • Sample gruel, ship's biscuit and dried beef • Grammar skills and concepts - parts of speech, punctuation, and capitalization • Build a model of Jamestown Fort • Book reviews • Joshua's obedient example - placing our battles in God's hands • Scott O'Dell's book, Island of the Blue Dolphins • Author spotlights and techniques • Pocahontas • Explore Native American Indian Sub-Cultures and compile a Native Americans Notebook of Eastern Woodlands peoples • String Native American beads • Conflicts between European settlers and Native Americans • Memorizing Psalm 27 • State Notebook • History, culture, geography, and government of Virginia, Maryland, Massachusetts, and Rhode Island • Scientific Method • Fact, fiction, and opinion

Marguerite Henry's wonderful tale, Misty of Chincoteague • Fiction and characterization •  Grandpa Beebe's English lessons - Standard and Non-standard English, slang, jargon, and dialect • Sample a tasty piece of Pony-Penning Pot Pie and whip up a batch of Grandma Beebe's Golden Cornbread • Interpret charts • American Colonial art and artists • A creepy, crawly look at spiders, weaving webs, and experimenting with spider behavior • Joshua's legacy • Little Pilgrim's Progress – Helen Taylor's adaptation of John Bunyan's classic • Allegory • Compare and contrast the journey of the Pilgrims to the pilgrims in Little Pilgrim's Progress •  Journey with the Pilgrims to Holland and appreciate the hardships of the Mayflower voyage • Investigate weather in our world • Forecasting and charting weather, atmosphere, air pressure , masses, fronts, and systems • Memorize Psalm 119:105-112 and follow the Lord obediently in the midst of life's struggles • Step out onto Plymouth Rock with the Pilgrims and into a hopeful new life free from persecution • Weep with the Pilgrims in their heartaches and devastating losses, and celebrate with them as they thank God for His faithfulness through it all •  Journaling • Measure weather, temperature, humidity, make weather maps, and watch meteorologists in action • Decide to follow Jesus – with the world behind you, the cross before you, and without turning back

Four Seasons Collage • Written and artistic musical interpretations • Mayflower Compact •  Comparison and contrast of the people of Jamestown and Plymouth • Friendship of the Pilgrims and the Wampanoag Indians • Experiments with the temperature of land and water, evaporation, condensation, and precipitation • "Cloud Around" with fluffy cloud treats and a stand-up cloud project • Celebrate with the Pilgrims as they count God's blessings after their first year in America, and plan your own Thanksgiving Feast • Thanksgiving art and poetry •  Thanksgiving Traditions essay • The Puritans and their vision for their model "City on a Hill" • Native American customs and games • Drips and drops of precipitation - experiments and drippy art designs • Weather Idioms • Classic seasonal poetry – analyzing and interpreting •  Getting "flaky" with snowflakes, playing snowball games, making edible snowballs, ice cream in a bag, and snow ice cream • Wind power - direction, speed, winds of the world, and the Beaufort Wind Scale • Sampling bean porridge and grinding corn into cornmeal • Stirring up a batch of Hasty Pudding and slice • King Philip's War, the Pequot War, and the New England Confederation • Porcupine quill art • Lightning, thunder, and storms in our world • Letters, invitations, and notes • Using an atlas • Sketching portraits • Colonial sandwich cottages •  Early American music • Coloring your world with rainbows • Rainbows in the mist, rainbow treats, the color wheel, and colorful doodle designs • Freezing hail stones • Weather poetry  • Watching dewdrops form, freezing icy treats, and playing the Ice Game!