Copyright 2009 by Sharon Gibson

All rights reserved.

It is illegal to share or copy any portion of this book.
No portion of this publication may be reproduced or
transmitted in any form (electronic or mechanical,
including photocopying, recording, or any information
storage and retrieval system) without permission.
Home educators who purchase this material may print
student work pages for their personal use only.
If you would like to utilize Once-a-Week Unit Studies in
a classroom or with a co-op please contact us. We are
happy to offer group discounts.
Thank you for your honesty and patronage. I hope you
enjoy this unit study.
Blessings,
Sharon Gibson
Sharon Gibson
Owner and Author | Once-a-Week Unit Studies | Homeschool Legacy

DEDICATION
I dedicate this book to
My son Sheppard
Who encouraged me to do what I love
My son Taylor
Without whose patience, guidance, and extraordinary talents, this project could never
have happened
My husband Jamie
Who loves and adores me and allows me the freedom to go where God leads
And
To my wonderful Lord and Savior
Who has given me all of this and so much more!

Why Once-a-Week Unit Studies?

NO PREP WORK IS REQUIRED - Even the library lists include alphabetically and
numerically arranged Dewey decimal numbers!
They are easily incorporated into your schedule by working through them once-a-week.
Once-a-Week Unit Studies are BIBLICALLY centered.
Once-a-Week Unit Studies are FLEXIBLE enough to compliment any curriculum.
They are COMPREHENSIVE enough to use as your main source of history or science
when mixing and matching four or five different Once-a-Week Unit Studies.
Once-a-Week Unit Studies are Boy Scout & American Heritage Girl friendly! Each
Once-a-Week Unit Study has a corresponding merit badge associated with it. This unique
feature allows scouts to earn merit badges while completing the unit study assignments
with the rest of their family!
Once-a-Week Unit Studies are INTERACTIVE, bringing the whole family together and
allowing everyone to study the same material on their own level: Grades 2 12.
They incorporate a wide variety of subjects while focusing on one particular topic:
Bible
Quality literature
Language
History
Science
Geography

Research
Arts and Crafts
Art Appreciation
Music Appreciation
Life Skills
Field Trip Suggestions

They add FUN, CREATIVITY, and hands-on learning to your homeschool lifestyle.
Once-a-Week Unit Studies increase better retention of the material being learned.
Once-a-Week Unit Studies give you a breather from textbooks.
Once-a-Week Unit Studies are appropriate for all learning styles.
Once-a-Week Unit Studies include weekly FAMILY GAME AND MOVIE NIGHTS
that revolve around your unit study.
Once-a-Week Unit Studies help you build relationships while making family memories.

Table of Contents

Welcome.1

Available Once-a-Week Unit Studies..2

Boy Scout Reading Merit Badge Information..3
American Heritage Girl Book Adventurer Badge Information4
Suggestions for How to Schedule Your Unit Study Time...5

Pick & Choose Read-Alouds for Non-Readers...6

Week 1: The Lost Colony Roanoke, North Carolina...........7

Week 2 The First Successful Settlement: Jamestown, Virginia13

Week 3: Holland18
Week 4: The Pilgrims Plymouth, Massachusetts...24

Week 5: Pennsylvania30
Week 6: New York/ Report on a Colony of Your Choosing.34

Getting the Most Out of Your Once-a-Week Unit Study...39

WELCOME!
Welcome to Homeschool Legacys Once-a-Week Unit Studies!

Once-a-Week Unit Studies are designed to help you inject fun and creative learning
activities into your homeschool lifestyle.

By making learning fun and interesting, you will be creating wonderful memories,
insuring greater retention of the subject matter, providing a quality educational
environment, while also building stronger family relationships.

In creating Once-a-Week Unit Studies, I wanted to offer an easy way for anyone to
incorporate unit studies into their weekly schedule with the least amount of preparation
on their part. With that in mind, I have laid the ground work for you by providing stepby-step instructions and have designed it to be used, as its name implies, only once-aweek.

Once-a-Week Unit Studies are flexible enough to enhance your present curriculum, but
are also comprehensive enough to choose as your main educational source for history and
science.

In designing Once-a-Week Unit Studies, I decided to focus on quality rather than

quantity. Therefore, you will not find frivolous activities, but only those which will
enhance your unit study experience, and provide a classic, quality education while
building warm, family memories.

My hope and prayer is that Once-a-Week Unit Studies will assist you, as they have our
family, in building a wonderful family legacy.

Blessings to you and your family,

Sharon Gibson

Available Once-a-Week Unit Studies (Grades 2-12)

While Once-a-Week Unit Studies are not exclusively for Boy Scouts or
American Heritage Girls, I do keep them in mind when designing each unit
study. This enables both groups to fulfill merit badge requirements while
completing their studies with the rest of their family.
Science Related:
Birds of a Feather BSA Bird Study/AHG Our Feathered Friends Badge
Horsing Around BSA/AHG Horsemanship Merit Badge
Forest for the Trees BSA Forestry Merit Badge
Weather on the Move BSA Weather/AHG Young Meteorologist Badge
History Related:
Knights and Nobles BSA Art Merit Badge
Early Settlers BSA Reading/AHG Book Adventurer Merit Badge
Christmas Comes to America BSA Music/AHG Music Appreciation Merit
Badge
Native America BSA Indian Lore/AHG Native American Merit Badge
Revolutionary Ideas: the Story of the American Revolution BSA American
Heritage Merit Badge/AHG Dawn of Our Country Merit Badge
We the People, Getting to Know Your Constitution BSA Citizenship in the
Nation/AHG Citizenship and Government/AHG Our Flag Merit Badge
Lewis & Clark: From Sea to Shining Sea BSA Nature/AHG Nature &
Wildlife Merit Badge
Westward Ho Part I and Part II BSA Journalism/AHG Our Heritage
For more information about these and newly announced unit studies go to:

HomeschoolLegacy.com
Any four combined Once-a-Week Unit Studies will easily satisfy a full course study of
history or science, if you choose to use Once-a-Week Unit Studies as your main source of
history or science.
All Once-a-Week Unit Studies are appropriate for Grades 2-12, though upper levels will
still need their lab sciences.

Boy Scout Reading Merit Badge

Reading merit badge requirements fulfilled by completing this unit study:
1a
1b
1c
1d
3
4

OYO (On Your Own) requirements necessary to complete the Reading Merit Badge:
2

American Heritage Girl Book Adventurer Badge

Book Adventurer requirements fulfilled by completing this unit study:
1T
2T
7E
8E
9E
15 Pi/Pa
17 Pi/Pa
23 and/or 24
Additional requirements fulfilled by completing Early Settlers Once-a-Week Unit Study:
1T from Dawn of Our Country
7E from Dawn of our Country
(The corresponding AHG badge for Revolutionary Ideas Once-a-Week Unit Study).

OYO (On Your Own) requirements necessary to complete the Book Adventurer Badge:
3T
14 Pi/Pa
16 Pi/Pa

Suggestions for How to Schedule Your Unit Study Time

Monday:
Your regular daily studies
Unit Study reading and Family Read-Aloud
Tuesday:
Your regular daily studies
Unit Study reading and Family Read-Aloud
Wednesday: Once-a-Week Unit Study Day:
Eliminate regular daily studies
Unit study Family Devotional
Unit study reading and Family Read-Aloud
Unit study activities
Thursday:
Your regular daily studies
Unit Study reading and Family Read-Aloud
Friday:
The 3 Rs (including your unit study reading)
Your Family Read-Aloud
Unit Study Field Trip
Family Movie/Game Night
This is merely a suggested schedule. Juggle it to best suit your familys needs, keeping
the idea the same by setting aside one day each week for unit study day.
If you have younger children with shorter attention spans, or an exceptionally busy week
when theres no time for a unit study day, feel free to break up the unit study into bitesized pieces by including a unit study activity each afternoon. Continue with their
Independent Reading and your Family Read-Aloud throughout the week.
By doing this you will have kept up with your unit study and completed those activities
by Thursday, leaving Friday (or Saturday) open for your field trip and family night.
Refer to Getting the Most Out of Your Once-a-Week Unit Study at the back of this book.

Pick & Choose Read-Alouds for Non- Readers

These are great to either read aloud to your non-readers, for young readers, or for young
readers to read aloud to their younger siblings.
E ATK Anne Hutchinsons Way/ Jeanine Atkins
E BRU Squantos Journey: The Story of the First Thanksgiving/ Joseph Bruchac
E GIB The Quilting Bee/ Gail Gibbons
E KRO Oh, What a Thanksgiving!/ Steve Kroll
E NOY Hana in the Time of the Tulips/ Deborah Noyes
E PEA Pilgrim Cat/ Carol Antoinette Peacock
E SHO This is the Feast/ Diane Shore
E STA Thanksgiving on Plymouth Plantation/ Diane Stanley
E VAN Across the Wide Dark Sea: The Mayflower Journey/ Jean Van Leeuven
E WAT On the Mayflower: Voyage of the Ships Apprentice and a Passenger Girl/
Kate Waters
ER BOR Thanksgiving is - / Louise Borden
ER HAY The First Thanksgiving/ Linda Hayward
ER HIL Why We Have Thanksgiving/ Margaret Hillert
J 394.2 G Thanksgiving Day/ Gail Gibbons
J 394.2649 W Thanksgiving Day Alphabet/ Beverly Barras Vidrine

Suggested Items to Accompany This Unit Study:

Peter Marshalls The Light and the Glory for Children and Stories of the Pilgrims by
Christian Liberty Press

WEEK ONE
THE LOST COLONY
ROANOKE,
NORTH CAROLINA

Week 1 Library Reading/Video Choices

Focus: The Lost Colony, Roanoke, North Carolina
An * denotes that it or an equivalent of same subject matter is necessary in order to
complete an assignment.
JB Manteo NC Manteo: First Lord of Raleigh/ Richard Cooper
J 975.6 F The Lost Colony of Roanoke/ Jean Fritz
J 975.6 N The Mystery of Roanoke Island/ Xavier Nix (Graphic Novel)
J 975.6175 M Roanoke: The Mystery of the Lost Colony/Lee Miller*
975.6 M The Search for Virginia Dare/ William MacDougall
975.617 H The Secret of Roanoke Island/ Janet Hubbard Brown
DVD 932 D Digging for the Truth: the Complete Season 2, Disc 2*
(Just the Roanoke part)

Early Settlers
Week 1
Focus: The Lost Colony - Roanoke, North Carolina
Supplies:
3-ring binder with a plastic sleeved cover
Loose-leaf paper
Globe or world atlas
Daily Activities
Independent Reading: Week 1 Library Choices
Family Read-Aloud: Roanoke: The Mystery of the Lost Colony
Once-a-Week Activities
Family Devotional:
What the early settlers undertook was utterly amazing! One cant help but admire their
convictions, fortitude, and faith.

Websters Dictionary defines faith as: 1. A confident belief in the truth, value, or
trustworthiness of a person, idea, or thing. 2. Belief that does not rest on logical proof or
material evidence. 3. Loyalty to a person or thing; allegiance. 4. Belief and trust in God
and in the doctrines expressed in the scriptures or other sacred works; religious
conviction. 5. A system of religious beliefs. 6. Any set of principles or beliefs.
Discuss the above definitions of faith and how they pertained to the early settlers and to
us today.
What and/or who do you put your faith in?
Does the world view faith the same way we as Christians do?
Do your friends and family view it the same as one another?
Would you have been as brave as the early settlers?
How do you think your faith would have held up in the midst of the many circumstances
they faced?
Do you think they had moments when their faith wavered?
What can you do to build your own faith so, when presented with challenging
circumstances, you will prove as strong and brave as they were?
2 Corinthians 5:7 reminds us that we live by faith, not by sight.
Discover Gods Faith Hall of Famers by reading Hebrews 11.
History:
Start a history timeline notebook.
A timeline helps you more clearly connect the dots
of historical time periods, events, and the people
who played a role in them.
Fill a 3-ring binder with paper and design a cover to
your liking. Slip it into the covers plastic sleeve.
Open your notebook so that there are two pages facing you. Those two pages will
represent one hundred years.
Draw a horizontal line through the middle of those two pages. Make five short, equally
spaced vertical marks, perpendicular to your horizontal line on each of the facing pages,
totaling ten vertical marks. Each mark will represent a ten year mark.

Title the top of your first two pages The 1500s A.D., and label the first vertical line
segment 1500.
Approximate where 1587 would fall on your timeline. Label it 1587: The Lost Colony.
Continue titling the sets of pages in hundred year increments until you get to the 1800s.
Record the various people and events as you learn about them over the next few weeks.
Feel free to get creative by drawing your historical figures and events to include some
interesting character traits you learn about them. Keep your figures about 2 tall leaving
plenty of room to add lots of figures to your timeline.
Add more centuries as you go on to study other exciting time periods.
Geography/Math/Language:
Using a globe or world atlas, locate England and North Carolina.
Calculate the distance the settlers sailed from England to North Carolina.
Imagine you were on that voyage. Make a list of things you
would have packed in 1587 for such a long journey.
Geography:
Be a geography detective! Begin a List of Names and Origins.
Its interesting to discover the name origins of our American towns and states.
For instance, did you know that the state of Massachusetts gets its name from the
Massachusetts Native American tribe of that area?
As you learn about the different colonies and their towns, record their names and the
origins of those names on your list. Starting with Roanoke and North Carolina, see how
many you can detect.
Documentary:
Watch Digging for the Truth: the Complete Season 2, Disc 2 (just the Roanoke part).

10

Field Trip:
Take a trip to the library.
In week six of this unit study you will be preparing a presentation on
a colony of your choice. Plan ahead by completing the following
assignments:
Take a tour of your local library. Find out about any programs they
offer to the public. If you have not already done so, apply for a
library card. (AHG Req. 1T)
Learn how to search the library computer by author, title, and
subject. (BSA Req. 1a/AHG Req. 2T)
With your librarians assistance, select six books of four different types (i.e. nonfiction, historical fiction, biographies, poetry, drama/plays, etc.) that you think will be
helpful in compiling your presentation. Discuss how each genre differs from the others.
(AHG Req. 8E)
Ask your librarian to suggest award winning titles for readers your age that might be
useful to your project. Plan to read one of those titles. (BSA Req. 1b)
Find those books on the computer. With the help of your librarian, learn how to locate
them on the shelves. (BSA Req. 1c)
Learn how to request, check out, and reserve books. (AHG Req. 15 Pi/Pa)
Add those selections to your weekly Early Settler Library Reading Lists. Maintain a
bibliography recording each book you read throughout the month. Take careful notes as
you read. Good note taking will pay off when compiling your final presentation.
(BSA Req. 1d)
In preparation for next weeks assignment, discuss with your librarian and parents
safety rules regarding use of the internet. (BSA Req. 3b)

Note to Boy Scouts: See alternate requirement 3a in your Reading merit badge
book, if your parents prefer you not to use the internet.

Community Service:
Plan on spending a minimum of four hours reading some of the books listed in your Early
Settlers Once-a-Week Unit Study to your younger siblings. If that is not possible, you
may do one of the following (BSA Req. 4/AHG 23 and/or 24):
Read to some younger children for a minimum of four hours.

11

 Read to a sick, blind, or homebound person in a hospital or extended care facility for a
minimum of four hours. Pick material you think they would enjoy.
Volunteer at your local library for a minimum of four hours.

Throughout the course of this unit study, maintain a bibliography of

any historically relevant books you read that you think other girls your age might
enjoy. Include the title, author, illustrator, and a brief summary of each book.
Give a copy to each girl in your unit. (AHG Req. 9E)

! Stump Your Dad Trivia:

Q: What was the name of the first English child born in the New World?
A: Virginia Dare

12

WEEK TWO
THE
FIRST
SUCCESSFUL
SETTLEMENT
JAMESTOWN,
VIRGINIA

13

Week 2 Library/Video Choices

Focus: The First Successful Settlement: Jamestown, Virginia
JB Pocahontas Pocahontas/ Ingri and Edgar Parin DAulaire
J DOD Hans Brinker or The Silver Skates/ Mary Mapes Dodge*
J 973.21 S John Smith Escapes Again/ National Geographic and Rosalyn Schanzer
J 975.5 F Jamestown, Virginia/ Dennis Fradin
J 975.5 J The Jamestown Colony/ Brendan January
J 975.501 F The Double Life of Pocahontas/ Jean Fritz

Early Settlers
Week 2
Focus: The First Successful Settlement - Jamestown, Virginia
Supplies:
Large plastic or Styrofoam cup
Hole punch
2 of string or yarn
One 2 x 1 piece of aluminum foil
Pencil
Masking or electrical tape
Daily Activities
Independent Reading: Week 2 Library Choices
Family Read-Aloud: Hans Brinker or The Silver Skates
(This has absolutely nothing to do with Jamestown, Virginia, but it will give you a nice
head start on next weeks trip to Holland. Holland, you say?)
Once-a-Week Activities
Family Devotional:
As we grow in our Christian walk with The Lord, so does our faith.

14

And yet Jesus assures us that even if we have faith as small as a mustard seed we can
accomplish great things.
Read Matthew 17:20-21.
Look in your moms spice cabinet. Examine a mustard seed.
It is one of the smallest of all seeds yet, when planted, can grow up to 15 high!
Research/History/Language:
Research The House of Burgesses OR John Rolfe.
Write a composition on the above subject of your choice.
History:
Update your timeline.
Geography:
Update your List of Names and Origins.
Arts & Crafts:
Make a bilbo catcher.
A bilbo catcher was a popular Early American childrens
toy and was excavated by archeologists in Virginia. The
Early American version was made of wood and clay balls.
Using a hole punch, punch a hole in the side of a plastic cup
just below the rim. Thread the string through the hole, and tie
it onto the cup.
Lay the other end of the string in the middle of your rectangle of tin foil. Crunch the foil
around the string into a tight ball.
With your parents help, heat the end of an ice pick or other pointed metal instrument,
using your stovetop burner. Once it gets good and hot (be careful!), burn a hole in the
center bottom of the cup.
Poke a pencil about 1 up through that hole. Secure the pencil in place with some
masking or electrical tape.
Toss the foil ball up in the air, and try to catch it in your bilbo catcher.

15

Research:
With your parents permission or assistance, locate at least five web sites that will be
helpful to you in preparing your colonial presentation. Record these internet addresses for
future reference (BSA Req. 3).
Vocabulary/Geography:
Using a dictionary, look up the meaning of the words cartography and cartographer.
John Smith made the first American map, The Map of Virginia, as
well as the first English map of New England. So I guess that makes
him Americas first cartographer!
Today you will start to do a little cartography yourself!
Using the map on the following page, begin mapping the
thirteen original colonies by labeling both the Virginia and North
Carolina colonies.
Continue to label the rest of the colonies as you learn about them.

! Stump Your Dad Trivia:

Q: Who did Pocahontas fall in love with and marry?
A: John Rolfe

16

The 13 Original Colonies

Student Work Page

17

WEEK THREE
HOLLAND

18

Week 3 Library Reading/Video Choices

Focus: Holland
JB Rembrandt Rembrandt/ Xavier Nix*
JB Rembrandt Rembrandt/ Mike Venezia*
J 949.2 H The Netherlands/ Ann Heinrichs
J 949.2 N The Netherlands in Pictures/ Visual Geography Series
J Pap DEJ The Wheel on the School/ Meindert DeJong
E NOY Hana in the Time of the Tulips/ Deborah Noyes
759 POORTVLIET Daily Life in Holland in the year 1566/ Rien Poortvliet *
(Excellent paintings of Holland, the people, and their customs)
759.9492 B Vermeer/ Albert Blanket, John Michael Montias, and Giles Aillaud*

Early Settlers
Week 3
Focus: Holland - Lets take a little field trip!
Many people do not realize that the Pilgrims left England to live in
Holland for over a decade before ever coming to America.
Supplies:
Six tulip bulbs (other bulbs if tulips are unavailable)
6 clay or plastic pot
Pebbles
Potting mixture
Windmill cookie cutters (check a kitchen store) or farm animal cutters
Ingredients for the included cookie recipe (p. 22)

*Plan ahead - make the ink (for next weeks unit study day) the day
before so it will be ready for week 4s activities.
Daily Activities
Independent Reading: Week 3 Library Choices
Family Read-Aloud: Finish Hans Brinker or The Silver Skates
19

Once-a-Week Activities
Family Devotional:
The Pilgrims felt led to leave their beloved homeland, relatives, friends, and homes for a
new land, one that offered them freedom from religious persecution.
Holland looked promising.
But as you will discover next week, God had another land in mind.
Compare the word that God gave Abram in Genesis 12:1-3 with the Pilgrims and their
settling of America.
Take this week to read some portions of Stories of the Pilgrims that are applicable to
the Pilgrims in both England and Holland.
Family Discussion:
Once you have finished reading the classic novel Hans Brinker or the Silver Skates,
discuss why it and others like it stand the test of time and why others do not. What
distinguishes a classic from a short-lived, popular literary work? (AHG 17 Pi/Pa)
Research/Geography:
There is a famous Dutch saying that goes like this: God
created the world, but the Dutch created Holland.
Research the geography and windmills of Holland to
investigate the reason for this saying.
Locate the Netherlands, Holland, and Leiden on a globe
or world atlas.
Discover the meaning of Netherlands.

AHG Alternative: Use the internet to look up a Dutch folk tale. As you read it,
see if you can determine the time period it portrays, its purpose, and its meaning.
How does it compare to other folk tales you have heard? Share what you have
learned with your unit. (AHG Req. 7E)

20

Science:
Force some tulips.
The Dutch are famous for their tulips.
Enjoy beautiful, fresh tulips blooming right inside your home, using this simple method.
Is there a holiday coming up? What about a relatives or friends birthday? This would
make a very thoughtful gift.
Place some pebbles in the bottom of a pot for drainage.
Loosely fill your pot about 2/3 full with potting mixture.
Plant your bulbs, flat side down, closely together in a pot. Loosely cover with more
potting mixture leaving the noses exposed. Be careful to leave of space below the
rim of the pot for easy watering.
Water your bulbs.
Provide your bulbs with a cold temperature treatment for
12-13 weeks, making sure they always stay moist. They
can be kept in an outdoor cold frame, an unheated attic or cellar,
or in the vegetable bin of your refrigerator.
If using your refrigerator during this stage, enclose the pot in a plastic bag that has had
holes punched into it for proper ventilation.
If you live in a particularly cold climate and are going to use one of the other methods,
make sure you protect them with a thick layer of mulch to keep the bulbs from freezing.
Record on a calendar the date you planted your bulbs. Calculate 12-13 weeks from that
date.
In 12-13 weeks bring in your bulbs, and place them in a cool, sunny location (50 -60 is
best the first week to get them acclimated).
Keep the bulbs away from direct sunlight.
Once the bulbs are blooming you can prolong the blooming time by moving them to a
cool location at night.

21

*For a continuous show of flowers, you can bring in one pot per week from its cold
climate.
*Forcing bulbs simulates winter and spring but unlike the bulbs that bloom naturally
outdoors, these forced bulbs will be spent and will not successfully bloom again.
Life Skills:
Bake Dutch Windmill Cookies (makes 4 dozen)
Ingredients:
Vegetable oil or cooking spray
1 c margarine or butter
1 c brown sugar
1 egg
2 c all-purpose flour
1 tsp baking powder

tsp salt
1 tsp cinnamon
tsp nutmeg
tsp ground cloves
c sliced almonds, divided

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350.
Lightly coat cookie sheets with oil or cooking spray.
In medium-sized bowl, beat margarine (or butter), sugar, and egg
with an electric mixer on medium speed for 3 minutes, or until fluffy.
In another medium-sized bowl, combine flour, baking powder, salt, and spices.
Using a wooden spoon, combine the dry mixture with the wet mixture until well blended.
Place 1/3c sliced almonds in a zip-lock bag. Close the bag and crush the almonds by
rolling with a rolling pin. Fold this mixture into the cookie dough.
On a lightly floured surface, roll out the dough to thick.
Cut out cookies using your windmill (or farm animal) cookie cutters.
Place the cookies 2 apart on your cookie sheets. Sprinkle them with the remaining sliced
almonds.
Bake 8-10 minutes or until lightly browned.
Cool on cookie sheets for 1 minute before removing to cooling racks.

22

Art Appreciation:
While the cookies are baking, look over some of the beautiful artwork of the time from
Dutch artists Vermeer and Rembrandt (seen below). Enjoy the Dutch culture portrayed in
Poorvliets artwork, as well.

Math:
How many years did the Pilgrims live in Holland before sailing to America?
How old would Rembrandt have been in 1620?
Field Trip:
As a finale to finishing Hans Brinker or The Silver Skates, go ice
skating!

! Stump Your Dad Trivia:

Q: What color clothing did the Pilgrims wear?
A: Red, blue, green, and violet were some of the common colors of clothing. Basically
any color that could be derived from natural dyes is what they used to dye their textiles.
The misconception that Pilgrims dressed in black and white and wore buckles on their
hats and shoes is historically inaccurate.

23

WEEK FOUR
THE
PILGRIMS
PLYMOUTH,
MASSACHUSSETTS

24

Week 4 Library Reading/Video Choices

Focus: The Pilgrims - Plymouth, Massachusetts
JB Squanto Squanto and the First Thanksgiving/ Joyce Kessel
JB Squanto Squanto/ Feenie Ziner
JB Williams Finding Providence: The Story of Roger Williams/ AVI
J BUL John Billington; Friend of Squanto/ Clyde Robert Bulla
J CLA Constance; A Story of Early Plymouth/ Patricia Clapp
J Pap DAU The Landing of the Pilgrims/ James Daugherty
J DEA Dear America: The Journal of Jasper Pierce, a Pilgrim Boy/ Ann Rinaldi
J DEA Dear America: Journey to the New World: The Diary of Remember Patience
Whipple/ Kathryn Lasky
J REE The Mayflower Adventure/ Colleen Reece
J REE Plymouth Pioneers/ Colleen Reece (sequel to the book above)
J 394.109 P Eating the Plates/ Lucille Recht Penner*
J 394.2649 G 1621: A New Look at Thanksgiving/ Catherine ONeill Grace
J 394.2649 K If You Were at the First Thanksgiving/ Anne Kamma
J 394.268 G The First Thanksgiving/ Jean Craighead George
J 970.004 C Squanto and the First Thanksgiving/ Teresa Noel Celsi
J 973.2 C You Wouldnt Want to Sail on The Mayflower/ Peter Cook
J 974.4 F Whos That Stepping on Plymouth Rock?/ Jean Fritz
J 974.4 P Mayflower1620: A New Look at a Pilgrim Voyage/ Plimoth Plantation &
National Geographic (Great Photos!)
J 974.4 S The Plymouth Colony/ Andrew Santella
J 974.4 Y The Mayflower Compact/ Judith Lloyd Yero
J 974.402 P The Pilgrims of Plymouth/ Lucille Recht Penner
J 974.402 W Sara Mortons Day: A Day in the Life of a Pilgrim Girl/ Kate Waters
J 974.48 D Dont Know Much about the Pilgrims/ Ken Davis
J 974.482 S N. C. Wyeths Pilgrims/ Robert D. San Souci
J 974.482 W Samuel Eatons Day: A Day in the Life of a Pilgrim Boy/ Kate Waters
J 974.482 W Tapenums Day: A Wampanoag Indian Boy in Pilgrim Times/ Kate Waters
DVD 917.44 M Massachusetts/ Bennett-Watt HD Productions* (Netflix does NOT have
this DVD, so if you cannot find it through your library system just skip it.)

25

Early Settlers
Week 4
Focus: The Pilgrims - Plymouth, Massachusetts
Supplies:
Large feather from a craft store
Jar of warm water
Sharp scissors
Ingredients for homemade ink (p.28)
Blank paper
Daily Activities
Independent Reading: Week 4 Library Choices
Family Read-Aloud: Eating the Plates
Once-a-Week Activities
Family Devotional:
Read Deuteronomy 31:7-8.
The Pilgrims, like Joshua, would need to be strong and courageous. They were about to
leave civilization as they knew it and sail across a vast and dangerous ocean, to carve out
a life in what seemed to them an unexplored wilderness. Who knew what dangers they
might face?
But He comforted them, in Deuteronomy 31, assuring them that He would never leave
them.
God knew they would encounter hardships. Life has its fair share of bumps and bruises
and is not always easy. But He encouraged them, as He does us, to not be afraid or get
discouraged whatever hardships we might face.
And He is kind to remind us in Luke 12:22-32 to not worry, to have faith, to seek His
kingdom, and He will supply all of our needs.
Take the week to read the portions of Peter Marshalls The Light and the Glory for
Children that are applicable to the Pilgrims.

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History:
Pilgrim children did not enjoy all of the same freedoms you do today.
Practice being a Pilgrim child for a day. See how
you do while following these simple rules:
Speak to an adult only when you are spoken to.
Always say please and thank-you.
Eat with your fingers (forks had not yet been invented).
Because everyone ate with their fingers, an early settler would place a large cloth
napkin over his/her shoulder to wipe their hands. If you dont have a cloth napkin, use a
hand towel.
Stand while you eat. Only the adults were allowed to sit.
Language:
Imagine you are a Pilgrim on board the Mayflower.
Keep a diary for a week about your day-to-day shipboard experiences, your fears,
feelings of leaving your home, family, and friends, what you felt when you first set eyes
on the New World, and your opinion of the Mayflower Compact and what it will mean
for your colony.
Use your homemade quill pen to write in your diary if you like (see the following
instructions).
(This assignment satisfies requirement 7E from Dawn of Our Country, the corresponding
AHG badge to Revolutionary Ideas Once-a-Week Unit Study).

AHG Alternative:
After reading some books from this weeks library list, decide which was your favorite.
Design a poster to include its title, author, and an illustration from the book. Allow
room to briefly describe what it was about and why you liked it. (AHG Req. 1T)

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Arts and Crafts:

Make some homemade ink and a quill pen:
Ingredients for homemade ink:
One old sock
Hammer
Twelve whole walnuts, cracked open
Small sauce pan

1 c water
Small jar with lid
tsp white vinegar

Directions:
Place walnut shells in a sock. Tie it in a knot.
Hammer the sock to break up the shells; the more broken up the better.
Put shells in a small saucepan pan and add 1c water.
Simmer on low heat for 30 minutes (much of it will have cooked down).
Turn off heat, cover, and let the shells soak overnight.
Next day, strain the ink into a small jar. Add tsp white vinegar.
Directions for making a quill pen:
Place the shaft end of a large feather in a jar of warm
water. Let it soak for a few minutes to soften up.
Cut the tip of the feather at a 45 angle.
Make a small slit leading straight up the shaft from the point.
You are now ready to try your hand at writing with a quill pen.
*If the point begins to dull, follow the directions for cutting the quill again.
Geography/History:
Update your 13 Original Colonies Map, List of Names/Origins, and your history timeline.
Documentary: Watch the DVD, Massachusetts.

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Family Night:
Based on what you now know about the Pilgrims and their journey to the New World,
prepare and perform a skit for your family.
(This assignment satisfies requirement 1T from Dawn of Our County, the corresponding
AHG badge to Revolutionary Ideas Once-a-Week Unit Study.)

! Stump Your Dad Trivia:

Q: How many of the one hundred and two original pilgrims survived the first winter?
A: fifty-one
Q: What was the name of the tribe who joined the Pilgrims on that first Thanksgiving?
A: The Wampanoag
Q: Were there more Pilgrims or Indians at the first Thanksgiving?
A: Indians.
Ninety of Chief Massasoits men accompanied him and the fifty-two (including Peregrine
White, the first Pilgrim baby born in the new world) surviving Pilgrims.

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WEEK FIVE
PENNSYLVANIA

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Week 5 Library Reading/Video Choices

Focus: Pennsylvania
JB Penn William Penn: Founder of Pennsylvania/ Steven Kroll*
J SPE The Witch of Blackbird Pond/ Elizabeth George Speare*
J 746.46 S Quilting/ Biz Storms
J 811.54 H A Humble Life: Plain Poems/ Linda Oatman High
J 973.0882 B Amish Home/ Raymond Bial
J 974.8 C The Pennsylvania Dutch: Craftsmen and Farmers/ Eva Deutsch Costabel
680 T Colonial Craftsmen and the Beginning of American Industry/Edwin Tunis*
973.2 T Colonial Living/ Edwin Tunis*

Early Settlers
Week 5
Focus: Pennsylvania
Supplies:
A piece of cardboard
Fabric scraps, batting, and a quilt backing
Needle
Thread
Daily Activities
Independent Reading: Week 5 Library Choices
Family Read-Aloud: The Witch of Blackbird Pond
Once-a-Week Activities
Family Devotional:
America was a vast frontier that offered dreams far beyond anything most settlers could
have hoped for in their homelands.
She offered hope for a new life, one where the people could worship freely, own land,
and dream bigger than they could have ever imagined in 17th century Europe.

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She still offers those same dreams today, more than 300 years later.
God reminded them as He reminds us today in 2 Peter 1:3-11, that He has given us
everything we need to live an abundant and godly life, and points us to the virtues we are
to grow, both as individuals and as a nation, if we are to remain effective and productive.
Romans 12:9-21
Language:
Read a biography or an encyclopedia article about Quaker
William Penn. Write a composition about him and his life.
Research/Geography:
Find out what Pennsylvania means.
What does Philadelphia mean?
Besides the Quakers, the Amish (Pennsylvania Dutch) were another religious group
who settled in Pennsylvania. Find out where each of these groups originated. Locate
those countries on a globe or in a world atlas.
History/Geography:
Update your history timeline, 13 Original Colonies Map, and List of Names/Origins.
History:
The early settlers had to make everything. They couldnt just head down to the local store
for something. They even had to first make the tools necessary in order to make the
things they needed for everyday life!
Look through Colonial Living and Colonial Craftsmen and the Beginning of American
Industry together to admire the ingenuity of the settlers.
Arts & Craft/Life Skills:
Make a quilt.
Early settlers even had to make their own blankets (quilts).
The Amish are known for their beautiful quilts.

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No need to hurry on this project. Depending on the size you choose to complete, it can be
an on-going project. The early settlers would have used evenings and rainy days to work
on theirs.
Use scrap fabric from old clothes like the settlers would have. You can make something
as small as a dolls quilt or pillow to one large enough to fit your bed.
Start by deciding on the size squares you want for your project. Draw that size square
onto a piece of cardboard, adding 1/4 all around, and cut it out. This will serve as the
pattern for you to trace onto your fabric.
If you prefer to sew triangles together, just draw a diagonal line on
your squares and cut into triangles. Pin and sew one piece at a time.
You can either sew your project by hand, as the Pilgrims would
have, or use a sewing machine. Sew a seam, ironing each seam
open as you go.
Continue sewing the pieces together until you arrive at the size you like, fill with batting,
and back it with one piece of fabric (a flat sheet would work well if you make one to fit
your bed).
Field Trip:
If you are a fellow Western North Carolinian, visit Old Salem, North Carolina.
The Moravians were another persecuted religious group who ended up in Pennsylvania as
a part of William Penns Holy Experiment. They later bought a tract of land in North
Carolina and settled a community there.
You can get a feel for what life would have been like in a Moravian community by
visiting beautiful Old Salem, NC.
If that is not convenient to where you live, see if there is another Early American site in
your area that you can visit with your family.

! Stump Your Dad Trivia:

Q: What is the ethnic origin of the Pennsylvania Dutch?
A: German
Pennsylvania Dutch is actually a misnomer. They were not from the Netherlands, and did
not speak Dutch. They were from Europe, and spoke Deutsch, a German dialect.

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WEEK SIX
NEW YORK

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Week 6 Library Reading/Video Choices

Focus: New York/Report on a Colony of Your Choosing
JB Stuyvesant Old Silver Leg Takes Over: A Story of Peter Stuyvesant/
Robert Quackenbush
J 974.702 S The Legend of New Amsterdam/ Peter Spier

Early Settlers
Week 6
Focus: New York/Report on a Colony of Your Choosing
Supplies:
World atlas
Dutch cheeses - Edam and Gouda
Cold cuts
Rustic bread
Daily Activities
Independent Reading: Week 6 Library Choices/ Finish any you chose
from the library to prepare for your presentation (BSA Req. 1d).
Family Read-Aloud: Finish The Witch of Blackbird Pond
Once-a-Week Activities
Family Devotional:
You have learned much about faith from the early settlers and Gods word over the last
few weeks. Faith is essential in our Christian walk.
But Paul reminds us in 1 Corinthians that of faith, hope, and love love is the greatest.
Read 1 Corinthians 13.
Take the week to memorize 1 Corinthians 13:4-7.
Show your family and friends you love them by growing these qualities in yourself daily.

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Language:
Take a large portion of today to prepare a presentation on the colony of your choice. It
may be written or oral. Make it as interesting as possible, using information from both
your library books and the web sites you have researched. Feel free to use some visual
aids, if presenting orally.
Present your report to your family.
Geography/Culture:
The Dutch, who settled New Netherlands (New York), have been making cheese since
400 A.D. They are, in fact, the largest exporter of cheese.
Enjoy two cheeses they are most noted for, Edam and
Gouda, named for the towns where they are made.
Locate the towns of Edam and Gouda, Holland, in an atlas.
If you like, you can even enjoy them as part of a traditional Dutch breakfast alongside
some cold cuts and rustic bread. Serve the cheeses at room temperature.
History/Geography:
Tie up any loose ends including the following
Update your History Timeline.
In addition to including the people you have learned about throughout this unit study,
record the dates that North Carolina, Virginia, Massachusetts, Pennsylvania, and New
York were settled on your timeline.
Using an encyclopedia, look up the settlement dates of the remaining thirteen original
colonies, and record those as well.
Complete your List of Names/Origins.
Label any remaining colonies on your colonial map. Refer to a globe, map, or
encyclopedia if you need assistance.

! Stump Your Dad Trivia:

Q: When the Dutch settled New Amsterdam, they proceeded to build a wall at the end of
their settlement to protect them from wild animals and any unfriendly Indians. What is
the name of the street called where that wall once stood?
A: Wall Street

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Early Settlers (Student Work Page)

Across
1. First American self-governing agreement (2 words)
3. Ship the Pilgrims sailed on to The New World (2 words)
5. Pocahontas married him (2 words)
6. Quaker who founded Pennsylvania (2 words)
7. Name of the baby born on The Mayflower
8. The Pilgrims left England in 1608 for this place
10. The first Americans
11. Name of the Massachusetts Colony
13. Flowers the Netherlanders are famous for
14. Many have come to America to escape this type of persecution
Down
2. Another name for the Roanoke settlement (3 words)
4. Meaning of Pennsylvania (2 words)
6. Now famous street where the protective wall for New Amsterdam once
stood (2 words)
9. These pump water from The Netherlands into the North Sea
12. Name of the first baby born in the New World (2 words)
15. Meaning of the word Netherland (2 words)

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Answers to Crossword Puzzle

Across
1. Mayflower Compact
3. The Mayflower
5. John Rolfe
6. William Penn
7. Oceanus
8. Holland
10. Indians
11. Plymouth
13. Tulips
14. Religious
Down
1. The Lost Colony
4. Penns Woods
6. Wall Street
9. Windmills
12. Oceanus
15. Low Land

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Getting the Most Out of Your Once-a-Week Unit Study

Boy Scouts of America:
Though Once-a-Week Unit Studies are not exclusively for Boy Scouts, they are different
from any other unit studies in that I have designed them to help Boy Scouts fulfill merit
badge requirements while completing the unit study assignments with the rest of their
family. You will recognize each of these requirements whenever you see the fleur-de-lis
symbol.
American Heritage Girls:
Once-a-Week Unit Studies also try to accommodate American Heritage Girls whenever
possible, enabling them to fulfill badge requirements while completing their unit study
assignments with the rest of their family. Those requirements are easily identified by a
hexagonal AHG symbol.
4H:
Are your children in 4H? Why not double dip?
Use Once-a-Week Unit Studies to help your children complete their 4H Project Record.
Have them record their goals by looking over the unit studys reading selections,
activities, videos, documentaries, and field trip suggestions. They can include additional
ideas and photographs to help them better personalize their 4H Project Record.
Can I use Once-a-Week Unit Studies as my main source of science and history?
Absolutely.
Completing any four life science or history-based Once-a-Week Unit Studies will easily
provide your students with the material necessary for a full course credit in those
subjects.
High school students will need to get their lab sciences through some other means,
however.
Scheduling:
Once-a-Week Unit Studies are designed to be used as their name implies, once-a-week.
That way you still have plenty of time the rest of the week to cover the material in your
other curriculum. I always found Wednesday to be a great day for our family, since it
broke up the school week and gave everyone a much needed break from the everyday
work texts.

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Whatever day you choose, make it a day that is convenient for you to drop all other
curriculum, allowing that day to be strictly your unit study day.
The only unit study activities you and your children continue throughout the week, unless
otherwise noted, are their independent reading and your family read-aloud. These are
referred to as Daily Activities.
Field trips are NOT meant to be done on the same day as your unit study day. Our family
always kept Fridays low key, completing only the 3Rs that day. If this suits you, then
Friday afternoons would be a great time to plug in your field trips. Saturdays, as part of a
family day with Dad, would be a great time for field trips as well.
What if you are unable to have a unit study day for some reason? Since there are usually
only four activities on unit study day (in addition to your reading and family devotional),
you can split them up throughout the week, by plugging in an activity each day over four
afternoons.
Writing Assignments:
Writing assignments are listed as a language activity. I often refer to them as
compositions, leaving it up to you to consider your childrens abilities as well as the
given assignment.
A preschooler may dictate the assignment to you, your 1st grader may write a couple of
sentences, your middle-school student may write a paragraph or two, and your older child
may write a full page report in order to complete a particular language assignment. You
are the teacher, and this is your tool. You know and care for your children best. Decide
what you think is appropriate.
Being able to present oneself orally with confidence and clarity is as important as being
able to write well. Therefore, feel free to switch out a written assignment for an
occasional oral presentation.
Lap Booking:
Lap books are an effective learning tool that can easily be used in conjunction with Oncea-Week Unit Studies, especially with younger children. Young children can compile their
lap books while completing their unit study assignments. You can find simple
instructions for making a lap book at YouTube.com.
Research:
As home educators our goal is to teach our children that learning is fun, intriguing, and
lasts a lifetime. We are also teaching them how to learn and retrieve information. That is
why some of your unit study assignments will require them to research information on
their own; encyclopedias and the internet are two great resources. By teaching your

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children in this manner you are better equipping them for college and a lifetime of
learning.
Reading/Video Choices:
Each week is accompanied by a list of quality, library reading selections. To facilitate
your library visit, I have listed the books/videos in numerical and alphabetical Dewey
decimal order for you to easily collect your books and move on with your day.
All books, documentaries, and movies have been thoroughly screened for any
objectionable material.
Dont worry. It is not intended that you and your children read all of the books
listed.
Rather, there are books of varying interest and skill levels listed in order to give you and
your family a wide variety from which to choose. Think of it as a buffet. You and your
children choose the books that appeal to your individual tastes. Only the selections
denoted with an * on your library reading list (or an equivalent of same subject matter)
are required to complete a given assignment.
If you have a high school student, you may want to offer him/her a more accelerated
reading assignment. Look in the adult section of the library under the same Dewey
decimal numbering pattern of that particular subject and focus.
For example, if you are studying Knights and Nobles and the reading list shows several
J398s or J728s for subject matter pertaining to castles, Robin Hood, and King Arthur,
just drop the J (for juvenile) and head to that same number section of the adult library.
Do you have a child who struggles with reading? Have him read to his younger siblings
some of the books from the Pick & Choose Read-Alouds for Non-Readers, and offer
books on CD whenever possible. Feel free to allow children, even those who dont
struggle with reading, to occasionally choose books below their reading level if it is a
book that interests them.
Think of it this way: if you needed to learn how to fix some plumbing at your house, but
you had never done any plumbing before, would you look for a book that an experienced
plumber would use, or would you opt for one you could easily understand that was
written on a more elementary level?
The same is true when it comes to your children. It doesnt matter if they are always
reading at their grade or skill level, as long as they are gathering, learning, and retaining
the necessary information.
What if you dont find some of the books listed? No problem. Simply note the common
Dewey decimal numbers of that weeks focus. For example, if the focus is castles,

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just choose another book on that same subject matter. You can also take advantage of
different libraries and interlibrary loans.
Dewey Decimals are the same at all libraries, except possibly when it comes to videos
and DVDs. If that is the case at your library, search your library catalog according to the
video/DVD title.
My goal is to always include classic and award winning literature, interesting and
informative books, biographies, and classic movies, as well as documentaries, in order to
offer you what I have found to be the best in library resources.
I include Family Read-Alouds no matter the age of your children. You may want to
save the read-aloud for some nice, afternoon R&R and/or at bedtime. Reading aloud to
your children will create a lifetime of precious memories while giving you the
opportunity to expose them to a wide variety of quality literature.
NETFLIX Options:
We have found NETFLIX to be a wonderful and reasonably priced option for DVD
rentals. Check your library for the movies listed first, but if they dont have it, the DVD
plan (the streaming plan is too limited) from NETFLIX will. Many old classics and
documentaries are hard to find. Rather than parading my children past distasteful videos
in the local videos stores, I found NETFLIX a nice alternative.
Co-Op with Some Friends:
Once-a-Week Unit Studies are fun for co-ops too!
Each family works from their own unit study book while coming together as a group on
designated days of the month for field trips, presentations, and pre-selected activities.
Family Devotionals:
Your Family Devotionals will revolve around your unit study. Sometimes they focus on
particular character traits, but often they relate to the general topic being studied. Unless
otherwise noted, all Scripture is taken from the NIV Bible.
How Do I Know They are Getting It?
Are your children able to carry on an intelligent conversation with you and others
pertaining to the information you are covering in your unit study? Is their writing
demonstrating their knowledge of the subject? Yes? Then they are getting it. Its that
simple.
AND because YOU made it fun and engaging, they will retain it and remember all the
fun they had in learning it!

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