Subsequent territorial acts by the United States Congress reduced the territory of Nebraska until it eventually reached the size it had when the state of Nebraska was formed. The land that formed the Nebraska territory was part of the lands acquired from France in 1802 by the signing of the Louisiana Purchase.

The state of Nebraska ranks 16th in the U.S. in area and 37th in population. The state’s name is derived from the Indian name for the Platte river meaning broad water or flat river.

History
The primary groups of Native Americans living in Nebraska in the 1800s were the Otoe, Omaha, Ponca, Pawnee, Cheyenne, Arapaho, and Sioux. Between 1833 and 1876 the Indians ceded all claims to the land in Nebraska, but some fighting still occurred in the western parts of the state until around 1890.

Preliminary European exploration of Nebraska began possibly as early as 1541 by Spanish explorer Francisco Vasquez de Coronado. In 1720 Spanish explorers who had traveled in an Indian train from Santa Fe into Nebraska were defeated by the Pawnee along the Platte River. French explorers crossed through Nebraska in 1739. Over the period from 1739 to 1803, the territory that included Nebraska was claimed by the French, then the Spanish, then again the French, until finally in 1803 control passed to the United States of America under the Louisiana Purchase.

In 1804, Lewis and Clark traveled up the Missouri River exploring portions of eastern Nebraska. In 1819 Fort Atkinson was established to protect fur trading interests in the area as well as to counteract the influence of the British government. The first permanent white settlement was established in 1823 in Bellevue which is located southeast of the current-day city of Omaha. In 1833 the U.S. government purchased all of the land south of the Platte River from the Pawnee Indians. Also occurring roughly over this same period of time, thousands of settlers crossed the state heading for Oregon, Utah, and California.

On May 30, 1854, the Kansas-Nebraska act was signed into law establishing the territory of Nebraska. Over the next decade settlers flooded the land. With the passage of the Homestead Act in 1862, and the beginning of the Transcontinental Railroad in 1865, which started in Omaha, a state was taking form. On March 1, 1867, the state of Nebraska was admitted into the union.  Shortly after that the capital was moved from Omaha to Lancaster, which was renamed Lincoln.

Growth in the state continued with more settlement in the western portions of Nebraska. This settlement by farmers led to conflicts with open range ranchers and Indians. Most of the armed conflict with the Indians ended by the 1880s, but was replaced with armed conflict between farmers fencing the land and ranchers who wanted the range left open to graze cattle. In 1904 the U.S. Congress passed the Kincaid Act which allowed farmers to homestead the open range land in Nebraska as 640 acre parcels. This ended the conflict by eliminating the open range land. During the next two decades farming boomed as demand for product and prices soared. As with all cycles the good times ended just before the beginning of the Great Depression. Low demand and low prices lead to a period of great hardship for Nebraska farmers. Price stability and farm mortgage relief programs under the New Deal are credited with relieving the plight of Nebraska farmers; but, it took the decade of the 30′s and then World War II before the state’s economy began to improve.

During this period Nebraska also became the only U.S. state to become a unicameral state. The state constitutional amendment that enacted this change, whereby a single house legislature was put into place, also introduced non-partisan elections. A single primary election is held with the top two candidates going to the general election for final voting without any indication on the ballot as to party affiliation.

Other interesting Nebraska tidbits:

• Boys Town was founded in 1917 by Father Edward Flanagan.
• Arbor Day originated in Nebraska City with the first event being held on April 10, 1872.
• Omaha-born Gerald Ford became the 38th president on August 9, 1974 (the only person to have served as President and Vice President of the U.S. without being elected by the Electoral College).
• Kool-Aid was invented in, and is the official soft drink of, the state of Nebraska.

Geography
The state of Nebraska ranks 16th in the U.S. in area. It can be divided into five major topographical regions — the loess region in the east, the central sand hills region, the high plains region to the west, the Pierre Hills region along the northern border, and the alluvial lowland regions lying along the Missouri and Platte Rivers.

Nebraska is divided into two climatic regions, the eastern half of the state being a humid, continental climate and the western half a semi-arid climate. The highest temperature recorded was 118°F in Minden on July 24, 1936. The lowest was -47°F at Camp Clarke on February 12, 1899.

Nebraska’s primary vegetation consists of grass. Vast expanses of prairie cover the countryside with the greatest extent of forestation reaching a maximum of 3% (mostly limited to areas along streams and rivers). The grasses vary from east to west with the eastern portion of the state having tall prairie grasses (big bluestem) and the shorter perennial grasses (grama and buffalo) predominating in the west. Originally animals like the buffalo and beaver dominated the land. Now dominant species include deer, badgers, coyotes, and prairie dogs. Prairie rattlesnakes can be found in the western parts of the state.

Economy
Nebraska’s economy is dominated by agriculture and agricultural products. Crops consist mainly of corn, oats, wheat, alfalfa, and grain sorghum. The livestock industry is large as well, with over half of the gross cash income coming from this industry. Mining production is limited to more local demand with sand, gravel, and limestone production making up the majority of product. Some petroleum and natural gas is produced along the southern border.

By virtue of its central location, Nebraska has always been along the pathway emigrants have traveled from east to west. Many emegrantstraveled across the state by wagon, later replaced by the railways, and then finally by the interstate highway system. Union Pacific’s Bailey Yard located in North Platte is the world’s largest train yard.

Suggestions

• Record high temperatures occurred during the time of the Great Depression in the 1930s. What implications did that have on the state’s economy?
• Study the history behind the Kansas-Nebraska act. Who were the chief advocates for it and why? Who was the opposition and why?
• Find out what the Kincaid Act was and why was it passed. What were the ramifications of this act and how did it relate to the Homestead Act of 1862?
• Label the following on a map of Nebraska (see Notebooking Helps below):
  • The capital of Nebraska
  • Missouri River
  • North Platte River
  • Bordering states
  • Omaha

Further Investigation

Quick Facts

• State Symbols of Nebraska
• State License Plate
• State Flag and State Flag Information
• State Quarter
• State Bird
• State Seal

The History of Kool-Aid
From Hastings, Nebraska.

Nebraska’s State Geography
Just the facts.

Elected Officials
Nebraska elected officials.

Activities

Nebraska Map and Quiz Printout
From EnchantedLearning.com.

U.S. State Template
Make your own state brochure using these suggestions.

USA Map Puzzle
Free download from Owl & Mouse Software.

Interactive Map Maker
Make and label your own map of Nebraska.

Books

My State Notebook
From A Beka. “A basic guide to help students collect and learn the facts that are unique to their state as well as beginning research skills.”

Civics Activity Book
Also from A Beka, but written for a higher level than the above title, this activity book guides state research “in a study of national, state, and local government with a brief overview of the Constitution and a variety of interesting activity sheets. In addition to government, students also study the history, geography, and other characteristics of their state and local areas.” We have enjoyed many of the activities in this book, which include writing letters to state officials, researching the state history and other activities.

The Big Book of the United States by Carson-Dellosa Publishing Company.
If you can find this now out-of-print title, you are in for a treat. Covering each state, nearly 400 pages of information are provided including basic facts, symbols, interesting facts, attractions, cultural events and sites, history, where to write for more information, activities and blackline masters of the state flag and map outline. Excellent help in creating a U.S. notebook.

Units & Lesson Plans

Nebraska’s State Quarter
7-page download with background information, coloring pages, and other activities.

Celebrate Arbor Day Guidebook
24-page download from the Arbor Day Foundation that includes the history of Arbor Day (along with ideas for celebrating the day and activities).

My State – Free Unit Study
A recommended state study unit that covers civics, history, geography, language arts, applied math, science, and art, culminating in a personalized state notebook. We have also included additional go-along resources.

State History Outline & Projects
A wealth of original ideas and projects for making any state study a work of art!

Studying the 50 United States
Suggestions for a unit on any state from LearningTreasures.com.

Notebooking Helps

Nebraska State Maps

• Interactive Physical Map
• Physical Map
• Rivers
• Elevation Map
• County Map
• Federal Lands and Indian Reservations
• Time Zone Map
• Blank Outline Map for Labeling

Nebraska State Facts

• State Flag Sheet
• State Bird & Flower Sheet
• State Flower Sheet
• State Bird Sheet
• State Coloring Page (Combined facts and symbols)

State Facts Notebooking Page
Very nice 2-page download for recording state facts.

U.S. States and Capitals Map
Color Nebraska and write in the capital.

With this in mind, we are adding this rather unique state study outline with projects.  Originally appearing in the Old Schoolhouse Magazine, “Teaching State History: An Outline With Projects” by Rusty and Sandy Sieber offers a wealth of original ideas and projects for making any state study a work of art!

The lesson plan begins with creating a learning web that will be finalized at the end of the study after the research has been completed.  (The sidebar content referred to can be found at the bottom of the article.)

The state outline covers the following areas of study:

• origins of the state
• symbols
• coat of arms
• nickname
• slogans
• Native Americans
• early settlers
• personal family history
• industry
• inventors
• major events
• state or national parks
• state waterways
• cities
• government organization
• historical places
• tourism
• transportation
• war involvement
• famous people
• state science (trees, flowers, and animal studies)

For each area of study, a suggested activity is included.  These activities add real depth to any state study covering projects such as creating maps, writing articles, drawing and illustrating, making banners, creating booklets, and developing charts, along with many, many other well-rounded tasks.

An additional project is also included that uses this state history outline for an in-depth Bible study.

One of the highlights of this project is the fact that it is the student who is doing the work — and therefore the student who will be doing the learning!

This state study outline is a perfect tool for the homeschool handy-mom…and it’s free!

Additional Resources

My State – Free Unit Study
Unit study plan for covering any state with additional helps.

Printable State Maps – Free
Labeled and unlabeled maps available.

Interactive Map Maker – Free
Interactive tool to help a student create, label and print maps including state maps.

Our own state mini-units that can be used as “templates” for your state:

Alaska

Delaware

Maine

Montana

This free 73-page download from Homeschool Helper Online contains blank-line notebooking pages for famous explorers, inventors, missionaries, and American presidents.

Explorers include:

• Leif Ericson
• Erik the Red
• William Clark
• Christopher Columbus
• Captain James Cook
• John C. Fremont
• Meriweather Lewis
• Jacques Marquettte

Inventors include:

• Alexander Graham Bell
• Louis Braille
• Thomas Edison
• Albert Einstein
• Ben Franklin
• Johannes Gutenberg
• Samuel Morse
• Sir Isaac Newton
• Levi Strauss
• Orville Wright
• Wilbur Wright

Missionaries include:

• William Booth
• William C. Burns
• William Carey
• Amy Carmichael
• Adoniram Judson
• David Livingstone
• Mary Slessor
• Hudson Taylor

Presidents George Washington through Barak Obama are included, as well.

This is a handy pack of notebooking pages for the DIY Homeschool Handy Mom to have around — and they’re free!

Alaska

Delaware

Maine

Montana

Need helps for a state not yet posted?

You may find the following resources helpful:

My State – Free Unit Study
Unit study plan for covering any state with additional helps.

Printable State Maps – Free
Labeled and unlabeled maps available.

Interactive Map Maker – Free
Interactive tool to help a student create, label and print maps including state maps.

Looking for more mini-units?

You can browse all of our mini-units or view them by event/date.

An equinox occurs when the earth is such that the sun covers both the northern and southern hemispheres evenly, causing spring in the one and fall in the other. Why does the sun cover both hemispheres evenly only twice a year? The earth is tilted 23.26 degrees on its axis. This tilt is always in the same place regardless of where the earth is relative to the sun. As an example of what this means, take an orange, tilt it, and orbit it around a lamp while keeping the tilt always pointing in the same direction regardless of where the orange is in relation to the lamp. When the earth orbits the sun, the quantity of both the northern and southern hemispheres that is being illuminated changes. The equinox will occur when the sun has reached the same plane as the earth’s equator, as the equator divides the earth in two, causing both hemispheres to be illuminated evenly.

The date for the spring equinox was originally set at March 25th by Julius Caesar when creating his calendar. However, Julius Caesar’s calendar drifted, as it was too long relative to the true length of the year. The result was a drift so large that in the 1500s (according to the Julian calendar) the true equinox was occurring around March 11. In the 1500s Pope Gregory the XIII, created the Gregorian calendar to remedy the problem. To accomplish the elimination of the drift, he removed three days every four centuries by decreeing that leap years on any year ending with two zeros would be canceled unless the first two digits alone were divisible by four. In this new calendar, Pope Gregory the XIII set the date of the spring equinox to March 21st.

The true spring equinox doesn’t necessarily arrive on the “first day of spring,” however. The date of the first day of spring varies from calendar to calendar in any given year — some using March 21st, the day Pope Gregory the XIII used, others using March 20th, or even March 19th depending on the day when the true equinox falls. This shift in dates is due to the fact that the equinox only happens when the sun crosses the celestial equator, the imaginary line above the earth’s equator dividing the sky in two. Because the calendar is not exact, and has corrective leap years every four years except on century years, the equinox falls earlier and earlier. While every leap year helps the equinox to catch up with March 21st, it takes a non-leap-year century year to correct the dates.

Suggestions

• Do the orange and lamp experiment explained above.
• Have your child tell you why we have seasons.
• Have your child tell you everything he can about equinoxes.

Further Investigation

Equinox and Solstice
Moving illustrations that help show what the sun illuminates during an equinox.

The Sun in the sky during the Spring and Fall Equinox
Brief explanation with helpful illustration.

Earth’s Seasons
Table showing when the equinoxes occur each year.

The Equinox
An explanation in more story-like form from PBS.

More About Rotation
More complicated explanations with diagrams.  Follow the “Show Me More” link at the bottom to follow the discussion through equinoxes and to the end of More About Rotation IV.

Activities

Astronomy Connections: Earth in Motion
Interactive multimedia presentation that explains the earth’s tilt and how we get seasons.  Very helpful for understanding the equinox.

Where Is the Sun?
Activity that helps you plot the sun’s movements.  “On March 21, the Vernal (spring) Equinox, and September 21, the Autumnal (fall) Equinox, you will find the Sun in exactly the same position in the sky.”

Making a Shadow Plot
Scroll down for activity.

Books

Elementary Geography by Charlotte Mason
Covers the earth’s rotation, equinox and seasons in Lessons IX, XI, XII, and XIV.

Units & Lesson Plans

A Time for All Seasons
Core Knowledge lesson plan that covers the four seasons by exploring the rotation of the earth and its revolution around the sun.

The Reasons for the Seasons
Lesson plan from Miami University in Ohio exploring shadows, sunrise and sunset, and the earth’s tilt and revolution.

Notebooking Helps

Equinox Worksheet
Diagram perfect for notebook with labeling activity. (You may want to refer to this old example for reference when labeling.)

Story Paper
Space at the top for drawing a diagram of the equinox, and lines below for narrations.

The 1922 Stanford Achievement Test, Advanced Examination, Form A, for Grades 4-8 is available as a free download.

What type of things was an eighth grader required to know?

• paragraph meaning
• sentence meaning
• word meaning
• arithmetic computation
• arithmetic reasoning (word problems)
• nature study and science
  • Who invented the cotton gin?
  • Where do we obtain rubber?
  • What is the function of the lungs?
  • Where is Calcutta?
  • What is a monsoon?
  • What is a fondant?
• history and literature
  • What story does “The Glass Slipper” remind us of?
  • When did Columbus make his voyage?
  • Who wrote Hiawatha?
  • How long were kings supposed to rule?
  • Who slayed Goliath?
  • Who wrote “Uncle Tom’s Cabin”?
  • Who did Robert E. Lee surrender to?
  • What is the number of senators from each state?
  • Who betrayed Jesus?
  • What is the singular of “are.”
• language usage
• how to complete a dictation exercise

Again, we don’t need to have our children take this test and score their results!  (You can read our ideas on evaluating.)  But the test does make enjoyable reading.  It is interesting to see what type of things they were learning in 1922.

There is no answer key, so you’ll have to create your own!

Free eBook:

• Variety of formats

Suggestions

• For a change-of-pace, fun, spring-fever type exercise, use the test as an opportunity for your children to practice their math and language skills.  How far can they get?
• Use the test as an opportunity for your children to research, and find answers to some of the questions they may not already know.

Introduction

The Discovery of Antarctica
As far back as the time of Aristotle unknown lands were theorized south of the known world. These theories eventually led to the assumption of an unknown continent which was given the name Terra Australis Incognita (“Unknown Southern Land”). During the period of the 15th and 16th centuries both the Cape of Good Hope and Cape Horn were rounded by sea thus making it known that a southern land must not be connected to any known land mass to the north. In other words if Terra Australis existed, it must be a continent separated from all others by the vast oceans.

In 1772, British Captain James Cook commanding the ship Resolution led an expedition south. On January 17, 1773, the Antarctic Circle was crossed for the first time. Upon reaching latitude 67° 15′ S the expedition was stopped by pack ice and could no longer go any farther south. With winter approaching Captain Cook made his way north to New Zealand to overwinter in that area. Cook and his ship Resolution made another trip south in late 1773 and 1774. During this expedition Captain Cook and his crew crossed the Antarctic circle two more times reaching as far south as 71° 10′ S on January 30, 1774, the farthest point south ever reached at the time. Cook concluded that if the Unknown Southern Land were discovered it would be almost impossible to reach and of very little economic value.

Finally in 1820, Captain Fabian von Bellingshausen of the Russian Navy, Captain Edward Bransfield of the British Navy, and Nathaniel Palmer, an American sealer, all claimed to have sighted the Antarctica mainland. The next year, on February 7, 1821, crew members from Captain John Davis’s ship, the Cecilia, may have been the first to actually set foot on the southern continent while looking for seals.  In 1909, Ernest Shackleton made the farthest trek to toward the South Pole, the journey ending only 180 km from the Pole.  (He would later return to the continent on board the ill-fated Endurance.)

The Race to the Pole
The stage was now set for the final push to the South Pole. Amundsen’s base camp was 96 km closer to the Pole than Scott’s. Even though Scott reached Antarctica 10 days ahead of Amundsen, the Amundsen expedition had an 11 day head start to the Pole. Amundsen, choosing what some might call primitive clothing and methods of traversing the harsh terrain, continued to increase his lead until finally reaching the South Pole on December 14, 1911, 34 days ahead of Scott.  The announcement was made to the world March 7, 1912.

Scott’s party, though suffering greatly from scurvy and malnutrition, finally reached the Pole on January 17, 1912. On the return journey all five members of Scott’s team died while all of Amundsen’s party returned alive.

It took 45 more years before the South Pole was reached again. On October 31, 1956, US Navy Rear Admiral George Dufek, on board an R4D Skytrain aircraft, successfully landed along with the members of his team at the Pole.

Climate, Flora and Fauna
Antarctica is the fifth largest of the seven continents. Approximately 98% of the continent is covered with ice averaging one mile in thickness. Antarctica is technically classified as a desert, only receiving eight inches of precipitation a year. It is also the coldest continent, having the distinction of the coldest temperature ever recorded on the planet at -89.2° C on July 21, 1983. Temperatures range from -80° C to -90° C in the winter months in the interior of the continent to 5° C to 15° C along the coasts in the summer. The average temperature at the South Pole is a teeth-chattering -50° C.

During the six months of winter the sun never rises nor shines. In the summer the opposite is true; the sun never sets, but simply goes around and around, never disappearing from view.

Overall Antarctica claims the distinction of being, on average, the highest, windiest, coldest and driest of all the continents. It is easily seen that this is an extremely harsh environment, making it very difficult to support life of any kind.

The flora of Antarctica consists of about 125 species of plants known as bryophytes. In addition to these, there are two species of flowering plants which grow only for a very short period during the year. Over 1000 species of fungi are known to exist and over 200 hundred species of algae. Several types of bacteria have been discovered living deep in glacial ice.

There are no large land animals native to the continent. The fauna consists primarily of microscopic mites, lice, and nematodes. Three known species of bird breed exclusively on the continent including the snow petrel. Sea life around Antarctica is quite abundant, with most of the species relying on phytoplankton (either directly or indirectly) for their existence. Types include Antarctic krill, various penguins, whales, seals and squids.

Current Day
Currently Antarctica is used primarily for scientific research and is regulated under the Antarctic Treaty of 1959. The human population on the continent varies from around 1,000 people in winter to around 5,000 people in summer who populate the various scientific research stations. McMurdo Station is the largest of these stations. Maintained by the United States, the station can house up to 1,000 people. Research includes climatological, geological, and other studies.

Conclusion
Throughout history Antarctica or Terra Australis Incognita was thought to exist. Vast resources were put to the task of discovering Antarctica.  Since its discovery very few men have stepped on its shores, but through their efforts the continent has been opened up to research and additional discoveries, some of which may directly affect you.

Suggestions

• Read the accounts of von Bellingshausen, Bransfield and Palmer.  Who do you think made the first sighting of Antarctica?
• Significant differences in the method of travel existed between the Amundson’s and Scott’s parties.  Investigate these differences, and the decisions made by each team.  Write a compare/contrast essay with your findings.
• Make an Antarctica explorer’s notebook with an entry for each exploration team and their contribution.
• Antarctica is primarily used for a variety of types of scientific research.  What makes a good scientist?  Select an area of research currently being conducted on the continent: astrophysics, biology, medicine, earth science, climate, glaciology, instrumentation, or another area of  your choice.  What types of research are being done in your selected area?  Develop general scientific criteria that you think would be required to reach a high standard of scientific research.  Ideas could include:  additional data, amount of time of research, measurement error in collected data, modeling requirements, assumptions made, model validation techniques, biasing, and finding conclusions.  You’ll find helps below.

Further Investigation

Terra Australis Incognita
Thinkquest exploring the continent from its first imaginings.  Follow the links through for the complete history of the exploration of Antarctica.

Antarctica Time Line
Timeline of the major exploration events.

James Cook
Extensive biography

Fabian Gottlieb von Bellingshausen
Extensive biography.

Nathaniel Brown Palmer
Bio from NASA.

Edward Bransfield
Brief biography.

Different Approaches to Antarctic Exploration
Discusses the differences between the Amundsen and Scott expeditions.

Ernest H. Shackleton
Extensive biography.

Robert Falcon Scott
Extensive biography.

Roald Amundsen
Biography from PBS.

Roald Amundsen
Extensive biography.

Cold Facts
Cold, dry, windy, icy, and info on the three South Poles!

Antarctica
Facts and figures from the CIA Factbook.

Virtual Tour – McMurdo Station, Antarctica
A look at Antarctica’s largest community.  Also includes a look at Scott’s hut.

Virtual Tour – Life at the South Pole: Sun!
It rises at one equinox and sets at the other.

Handbook of the Antarctic Treaty System
A system that allows countries to share the continent.

Research Objectives in Antarctica
Summary of the different areas of research and their purpose from NASA.

Emperor Penguin
Facts from Answers in Genesis.

Polar Bear
Facts from Answers in Genesis.

Activities

Webcams from Antarctica
Six to chose from.

The Race to the Pole
Interactive exploring 12 key events.

Antarctica Interactive Map
From National Geographic.

Sizing Up Antarctica
Interactive that compares Antarctica to other countries and continents.

How Does Your State Compare
Comparison chart from PBS.

Witness the Biggest Seasonal Change on Earth
Interactive that explores the expansion of the continent with the ice of winter.

Food From the Freezer
Interactive exploring the Antarctica food chain.

Wind Chill Calculator
Enter the temperature and wind speed to calculate the effective temperature on Antarctica.

Blubber Glove
Experiment to see how animals stay warm in Antarctica.

Antarctic Environment Board Game
To print and play.

Science Adventures in Antarctica
Another board game to download and print.  This time you complete scientific missions.

Antarctica
Experiment from Discovery Channel exploring salt and icebergs.

Crittercam: Virtual Antarctica
Learn about the animals of Antarctica via this interactive from National Geographic.

Learn to Draw a Penguin
Using the grid method of drawing.

Learn to Draw Penguins
Tutorial from Billy Bear.

Books

“The Quest for the South Pole”
A chapter on the exploration of Antarctica from A Book of Discovery by M.B. Synge

The Heart of the Antarctic by Ernest H. Shackleton
Public domain work of his 1907-1909 expedition.  Enjoyable and interesting read.

Mr. Popper’s Penguins by Richard Atwater
Newberry Honor that has more to do with the North Pole than the South, but a fun tie-in nonetheless.

Units & Lesson Plans

Antarctic Schools Pack
Very large download (available in pieces) with a wealth of information, maps, activities, and thinking exercises.  Includes Teachers Notes.

Shackleton’s Antarctic Adventure Teacher’s Guide
Goes with the movie, but it is not necessary to see the movie to use the information, maps, timeline, and six activities.

Putting Antarctica on the Map
Lesson plan on mapping Antarctica from NASA.

Who’s Eating Who
Explores the Antarctic food chain.

Mr. Popper’s Penguins Unit and Lapbook Printables
Unit to go with the book.  Many of the foldables will work well for penguins even if you decide not to include the book.

Notebooking Helps

Descriptio Terræ Subaustralis
Wonderful map of Terra Australis as imagined in 1616.

Map of Antarctica
Suitable for notebook.

Antarctica Lapbook
Foldables and notebooking pages from HomeschoolHelperOnline.

Antarctica Notebooking Pages
Includes an Antarctica cut and staple booklet. (Also includes the Arctic.)

Antarctica Animal Printouts
From Enchanted Learning.

Penguin Shape Book
Notebooking for little ones.

Explorer Notebooking Pages
4-page download to help create an Antarctic explorers notebook.

My Great Maps offers a hands-on way for a student to interactively create a map for his project or notebook.  (And remember, he who does the work remembers the most!)

First, he selects the type of map he will need:

• World Map.  Includes a world map, and maps of the continents, Middle East, Caribbean, Central America and the Atlantic Ocean.
• USA.  Includes a U.S. map, a 13 colonies map, a U.S. regions map, maps for each of the 50 states, and maps for each U.S. region (such as Mid-Atlantic, and Great Lakes).
• Countries.  Maps for several world countries such as France, China, and Canada.
• Flags.  Each of the flags of the 50 U.S. states can be colored and printed, along with flags of several countries.

Next, he is ready to modify the original blackline master.  There are tools that allow him to color, label, draw lines and erase.

There are also symbols that can be added:

• capital
• cities
• major highways
• and other symbols that he can choose and include in the symbol key.

Other nice features include the ability to create his own symbols, add a nice border, and show a directional compass.

When he is finished with his map creation it is time to either save the file as a .png or print.

If he gets stuck, there is a tutorial available.  If you are lucky, he may even give you a turn!

My Great Maps is a must for a notebooking, homeschool handy-mom!

(Sign-up is optional, but does provide access to a note and interactive map function that is otherwise disabled.)

1. Fight fallacies.
2. Plan on ways to get the most out of the literature you read as a family.
3. Visit Mt. Rushmore — virtually — and celebrate its authorization (March 2).
4. Begin a course in Latin.
5. Start thinking about evaluation techniques.
6. Celebrate the first transmission over the telephone (March 10).
7. Begin thinking of fun ways to incorporate geography next year.
8. Watch our country grow!
9. Celebrate Maine becoming a state (March 15).
10. Spring cleaning:  Organize all of those free eBooks!
11. Wear the green during a St. Patrick’s Day unit study (March 17).
12. Plan fun activities with your preschooler.
13. Find time — free!
14. Plan your evaluation interviews.
15. Celebrate the launch of the first Vanguard satellite (March 17).
16. Liven up the place with classical music.
17. Celebrate the birth of Bach (March 21).
18. Develop your young investor.
19. Celebrate the birth of Fanny Crosby (March 24).
20. Think of ways to add music appreciation into the mix next year.
21. Inspire your young children to write — before they can.
22. Celebrate the birth of Edwin Drake and the first oil well (March 29).
23. Learn how to play the harmonica.
24. Visit the Eiffel Tower — virtually.
25. Help them remember to love.

When it comes to geography, this can be a challenge.  Is that the capital of Ecuador or Peru?  Are snow leopards found in Russia or Greenland?  Is that the flag of Norway or Denmark?

Here is a fun and useful supplement to any country study:  Country and Cultures Lapbook Pack from from GuestHollow.com.

The student starts with a 3-page passport complete with realistic graphics.

Once he’s ready to travel he can explore the religion of the country and its prayer needs with a folding-hands foldable.

Next, he can assemble a Facts and Figures Booklet.  This includes a cover, and pages for recording the economy, time zone and landmarks, flora and fauna, and narration pages in the Handwriting Without Tears style or wide-ruled.

Other foldables include:

• flag matchbook,
• highest point flapbook (to record elevation),
• a cute shutterfold menu (for recording the foods of the country),
• popular names booklet,
• original traditional clothing figures in pocket (color or paste clothing and features that represent the country),
• postcard and pocket (pretend you are sending a postcard from the country),
• hexagon foldable for listing the resources found in the country,
• triangle flapbook to list the people statistics, such as population and life expectancy,
• temperature booklet for plotting the average temperature for each season, and
• extendable accordion timeline for recording the major events that occurred in the country.

As you can see, this is a very well-rounded lapbook/notebooking pack and will be a handy supplement to any geography study!

Additional Resources

Teaching With God’s Heart for the World
Free unit study that covers the world with a mission’s focus.

Globalmania
Free seven-month study that walks you and your family through a study of world geography one continent per month, one day per week.

Australia: A Mini-Unit
Our own country mini-unit.