Lincoln's Gettysburg Address

Good Morning!

Today is the 145th anniversary of President Lincoln's Gettysburg Address.

Here are some free resources to learn more about this historic speech.

Lessons:

Absolute English has a short lesson on the Gettysburg Address for grades 9-12.

Drafting the Gettysburg Address, from Education World is another short lesson, for grades 6-12.

Audios:
Homeschool Freebie of the Day issued a challenge to their young readers to memorize the Gettysburg Address. Here are some of the entries.

At FreeAudio.org, you can download and listen to recordings of the Gettysburg Address, the Emancipation Proclamation, Lincoln's second Inaugural Address and Lincoln's Thanksgiving Proclamation of 1863.

Neat website:

Gettysburg National Military Park's Civil War Page For Kids

Free Classic E-books- Early American History

Here are four classic books about early American History.

Homeschool Freebie of the Day has another classic e-book download for us today.
Originally published in 1910, "Mary of Plymouth: A Story of the Pilgrim Settlement" by James Otis, is a story about the pilgrims and Plymouth Colony as told by a young pilgrim girl.
Available today only.

"The Founding of New England" by American writer and historian James Truslow Adams, was originally published in 1921 and won a Pulitzer Prize for History.

"Historic Deeds of Danger and Daring" by Herbert G. Smith, B. J. Fernie and R. S. Blair, tells the stories of Henry Hudson, Myles Standish, Daniel Boone and many more. This was originally published in 1906.

"The Women Who Came in the Mayflower" by Annie Russell Marble, is a memorial to the pilgrim women of Plymouth Colony and reveals glimpses of the communal life during 1621-1623.
This book was originally published in 1920.

Free Educational Resources-Pilgrim Stories Part 3/Pilgrim Audio/Thanksgiving

Pilgrim Stories III: Little Pilgrims & The Red Men is the conclusion of Homeschool Freebie of the Day's three part series of the story of the Pilgrims. In part three, learn how Pilgrim children got along with their Native American neighbors through tales of danger, adventure and friendship!

Included in part three is a Teacher’s Guide to learning more about the Pilgrims through play-acting and other activities.

This and parts one and two of "Pilgrim Stories" will be available through the end of this week.


Also from the Erskines, at Living Books for the Ears, "You Are There: The Sailing Of The Pilgrims". This is a classic radio show that originally aired on December 21, 1947.
Excellent history resource for your Pilgrim studies!



Some Thanksgiving freebies:

Thanksgiving Prayers
Thanksgiving Poems
Thanksgiving Paper Dolls
Pilgrim Paper Doll
Pilgrim "Friends"
Thanksgiving Activities-Pilgrim Themed


Last but not least, here are a couple of funny old-time radio shows about Thanksgiving.

Best of Old Time Radio presents Burns and Allen in Landing of the Indians at Plymouth- George Burns and Gracie Allen
Father Knows Best Thanksgiving- Family show that aired in the 1940's, then became a television show.

Free Educational Resources-Pilgrim Stories Part 2/E-books/Great Sites

Don't forget to get part two of "Pilgrim Stories" from Homeschool Freebie of the Day. This second part tells about the Pilgrims' arrival in the New World and the dangers they faced, the making of new friends and the first Thanksgiving.
This freebie will be available through the end of the week.

I found a couple more e-books about the Pilgrims and Plymouth Colony.

From the Internet Archive, "Little Pilgrims at Plymouth", a classic children's book by Frances A Humphrey, published in the late 1800's.

From Google Book Search, "The Pilgrims in Their Three Homes; England, Holland and America", by William Elliot Griffis, a classic book on the history of the Pilgrims, published in 1898.


And here are some more good websites:

Mayflower Steps-photos and history of Plymouth, past and present
The Avalon Project-Colonial Charters, Grants and Related Documents
The Pilgrims and Plymouth Colony: A in-depth study guide, some lesson plans are included.

Free Educational Resources-Pilgrims

First, from Homeschool Freebie of the Day, the first of a three part serialization of the classic children's book "Pilgrim Stories", by Margaret Pumphrey. Part is entitled "Pilgrim Stories, Book I: From Old Homes to New", and introduces us to the pilgrims and the beginnings of their great journey.
This freebie will be available throught the end of the week.

Next, from Google Book Search, "Mary of Plymouth: A Story of the Pilgrim Settlement" by James Otis, published in 1910. Written from a child's point of view, this classic children's book tells about the joys and hardships the Pilgrims faced the first ten years in the New World.

Who were the first settlers in America?
Here is a database of Pilgrim ship lists from the early 1600's, over 7100 families and 250 ships.

And finally a couple of educational websites about the Mayflower and Plymouth, Mass.
Plymouth: Its History and People
Sail1620

Free Educational Resources- Buffalo Bill Cody

Go back to the old west and learn about one of America's legendary frontiersmen, Buffalo Bill Cody, with these free resources from the web.

Homeschool Freebie of the Day has an exciting radio program for us today, "Frontier Fighters: The Story of Buffalo Bill Cody". This is an episode of the classic old-time radio show “Frontier Fighters”, that tells the story of Buffalo Bill Cody: American plainsman, scout, and showman. Also included is a PDF study guide to use with the audio program as a history lesson.

This freebie is available for today only.

While you're there, check out the great Frontier Fighters audio collection. This collection contains 39 stories and study guides (from Penny Raine!) about America's frontiersmen and pioneers who tamed the old west, plus bonus shows about Lewis and Clark, episodes of the "Six Shooter" with Jimmy Stewart, and an e-book version of Ernest Thompson Seton's classic book, "Two Little Savages". You can get all this for $24! This is a super deal on a great educational resource for learning history.

Please note: this cd is mp3 file format.

(My children love these old history shows, we have several from The Erskine's, and they actually learn something while they're listening. If you have an auditory learner, this would be an excellent addition to your teaching resources. Plus, they're soooo exciting!)

Next, from PBS's American Experience (television's longest-running, most-watched history series), watch a seven part video series on the life of Buffalo Bill. There is also a teacher's guide to go along with the program and kids can take a "Westerner" quiz here.

ThoughtAudio.com has an mp3 audio download of Buffalo Bill's book, "Buffalo Bill Cody: Stories from the Old West", narrated by Michael Scott, as Buffalo Bill Cody.

From Google Book Search you can get an several e-book versions about Buffalo Bill, "An Autobiography of Buffalo Bill", "Life and Adventures of "Buffalo Bill," Colonel William F. Cody", "The Great Salt Lake Trail", and "Story of the Wild West and Camp-fire Chats" (this last one also has stories about Daniel Boone, Davey Crockett and Kit Carson).

And finally, some online history links.

Buffalo Bill Historical Center biography of William Frederick Cody

Buffalo Bill Museum and Grave

Daniel Boone Free E-books

Daniel Boone was born in a log farmhouse east of Reading Pennsylvania on November 2, 1734.


Here are some free e-books for learning more about this great American frontiersman.

"Life and Adventures of Colonel Daniel Boon: The First White Settler of the State of Kentucky",
by John Filson was originally published on Daniel Boone's 50th birthday and claimed to be written in Boone's own words. It was actually written by John Filson, though Boone, himself, noted every word to be true.

"Biographical Memoir of Daniel Boone, the First Settler of Kentucky" by Timothy Flint, is another biography of Daniel Boone, although greatly exaggerated. This book is where the tall tales about Boone come from.

William Henry Bogart chronicled much of Boone's life in "Daniel Boone and the Hunters of Kentucky", originally published in 1854.

The "Boys' Book of Frontier Fighters", by Edwin Legrand Sabin, was originally published in 1919 and contains tales of Daniel Boone, Buffalo Bill, Kit Carson and many other famous frontiersmen.

"Indian Tales for Boys , or The Back-woodsman and True Stories of the Frontier", by Walter Whipple Spooner, is another adventure book written for boys, published in 1883. It contains many stories about Daniel Boone and other frontiersmen in our nation's early Western history.

Homeschool Freebies- Inventors and Electricity

Here are some free classic books on inventors and electricity:

"American Inventions and Inventors" By William A. Mowry, Arthur May Mowry, 1910

"Stories of Inventors: The Adventures of Inventors and Engineers. True Incidents and Personal Experiences" By Russell Doubleday, 1904

"Things a Boy Should Know about Electricity"
By Thomas Matthew St. John, 1900

"The Boy Electrician" by Alfred P. Morgan, 1913

"Harper's Electricity Book for Boys"
By Joseph Henry Adams, Joseph B. Baker, 1907

Free Homeschool Resources- Benjamin Franklin

Today, from Homeschool Freebie of the Day, you can download "How Ben Franklin Learned: Four Short Stories for Young Readers", by Edward Eggleston. This e-book is a delightful collection of stories, originally published in the late 1800's, about young Benjamin Franklin.
This freebie is available today only.

Telltale Weekly has a free audio of Benjamin Franklin's 1786 essay, "The Morals of Chess".

The Benjamin Franklin Tercentenary has 30 lesson plans that expand upon the five central themes highlighted in the international traveling exhibition, "Benjamin Franklin: In Search of a Better World". These themes are Character Matters; B. Franklin, Printer; Civic Visions; Useful Knowledge; and World Stage. These free lesson plans can be accessed at Ben Across the Curriculum.

Homeschool Freebies- Colonial Days

Learn what life was like as a Puritan in the American colonies with this great resource from Homeschool Freebie of the Day.
"Everyday Life in the Colonies", by Gertrude Stone and M. Grace Fickett, has stories about Indian encounters, candle making, Christmas, schooling and many more.
This freebie is available today only.

Another classic book on Colonial times, from Google Book Search, is "Home Life in Colonial Days", by Alice Morse Earle. This e-book can be read online or downloaded for free.


History for Kids Colonial Williamsburg Kids Zone is an interactive site full of fun games and activities.

Homeschool Freebies- Classic Children's Books

Here are some classic children's books on American History, all of them free. :)

Today's free resource from Homeschool Freebie of the Day is "Hero Tales from American History", a collection of essays and stories of American heroes by Henry Cabot Lodge & Theodore Roosevelt.
Remember, this is available today only.

Another classic American heroes book from the Internet Archive is "Stories of Great Americans for Little Americans", by Edward Eggleston, originally published in 1895. This is a collection of stories about great American warriors, statesmen, explorers, scientists, and others from America's past.

Also available from Internet Archive is "Camps and Firesides of the Revolution", by Albert Bushnell Hart.This is an early 1900's reader about America's colonial days and revolution.

Homeschooling Freebies- U.S. Presidents

Homeschool Radio Shows has another "Mr.President" audio for us this week, "Do or Diet, Mr. President!". Which one was it?

There is a ton of little-known facts at Presidential Fun Facts.

Also see 20 Things You Didn't Know About U.S. Presidents for more presidential trivia.

Want to know what ailments George Washington suffered from? Check out Medical History of American Presidents.

Life of George Washington : Written for Children is a classic bioography you can download in e-book format.

Learning Through History has an Abraham Lincoln Mini Unit Study.

Here are some worksheets and printables:
U.S. Presidents Worksheets

President's Word Search

More Free "Presidents" Historical Audios

Listen to or download The Impeachment of Andrew Johnson, at Radio Nostalgia Playhouse.
This is an episode of "You Are There", an old-time radio program that takes you back in history.

Moments in Time, a podcast of historical events that changed the world, you can listen to or download FDR Speaks bout the War Beginning In Europe 9/3/39.

Old Time Radio History Shows has some free historical audio downloads of past presidents' speeches, scroll down the page to listen or download.

Homeschooling Freebies For Noah Webster's Birthday

Noah Webster,"The Father of the American Dictionary", was born 250 years ago today. Here are a some great links for learning more about this famous American educator.

The Noah Webster House Museum has a ton of information, including a children's page with printable activities, a brief history of 18th Century Schooling and Things You May Not Know About Noah Webster.

Encyclopedia of World Biography has a brief biography on Noah Webster here.

Did you know that Noah Webster produced his own modern English translation of the Bible in 1833? Here is the full text of Webster's Preface, and his Introduction.

About.com has a great article, Ten Things Worth Knowing About Noah Webster on His 250th Birthday.

The Blackwell History of Education Museum: Cool Artifacts has pictures of artifacts from the education system during Noah Webster’s time.

Webster's 1828 Dictionary online

Download Webster's 1828 Dictionary

Download Webster's 1857 Spelling Book (The Blue Back Speller)

Printables From Education World
Dictionary Crossword Puzzle
Dictionary Word Search
Answer Keys for Crossword & Word Search

Dictionary Worksheets from TLS Books.com can be found here.

Teachnology has a ton of worksheets here.

And finally...from Journey's Into American History, you can listen to or download "Noah Webster", an episode of old-time radio's Cavalcade of America.

Free Unit Study- "Art and Politics"

CurrClick

CurrClick's freebie for this week is "Art and Politics", a short unit study on the significance of art and politics in history. You can download this freebie here.

Note: You do have to create a free account to download CurrClick's products.

Free Downloads of Old Almanacs

I found some neat sites with old almanacs that have been scanned and made available to download, for free!

The National Library of Medicine of The National Institutes of Health has some old "patent medicine" almanacs, you can find them here.


A Victorian Passage has a scanned 1887 Agricultural Almanac available to download free, get it here.


The Internet Archive has a bunch of old Canadian almanacs:

Canadian almanac and directory (Volume 48, 1895)

Canadian almanac and directory (Volume 22, 1869)

Canadian almanac and directory (Volume 53, 1900)

Canadian almanac and directory (Volume 65, 1912)

The Canadian Almanac 1874

The Canadian Almanac and Directory 1850-1851

The Canadian Almanac and Directory 1897

Canadian Almanac and Repository of Useful Knowledge 1848

An International Harvester almanac:

IHC almanac and encyclopedia, 1911

A Scottish almanac:

Oliver and Boyd's Edinburgh almanac and national repository

A "Family Christian Almanac":

Family Christian Almanac

An old Home Insurance Company almanac:

The Home Almanac (Volume 1893)

An 1842 Boston almanac:

The Boston almanac for the year .. (Volume 1842)

An Illinois almanac:

Wakefield's western farmers' almanac and account book (Volume 1874)

Many more American almanacs:
Farmers' and country merchants' almanac and ready reference book

Chicago daily news national almanac for .. (Volume 1889)

Chicago daily news national almanac for .. (Volume 1920)

Notes on the calendar and the almanac

The American almanac and repository of useful knowledge for the year .. (Volume 7 (1836))

Tables of the moon : constructed for the use of the American ephemeris and nautical almanac

The autobiography of Benjamin Franklin, Poor Richard's almanac, and other papers

The New-England mercantile union business directory, six parts in one. Containing a new map of New-England, an almanac for 1849, a memorandum for every day in the year, and a business directory for New-England

The book of almanacs, with an index of reference, by which the almanac may be found for every year, whether in old style or new, from any epoch, ancient or modern, up to A. D. 2000. With means of finding the day of any new or full moon from B. C. 2000 to A. D. 2000

Homeschool Freebies

Homeschool Freebie Of The Day
Today you can get TWO wonderful e-books, and not just for homeschoolers.Click here to download "The Beginner’s Guide to Coin Collecting" and "The Beginner’s Guide to Stamp Collecting". Thank you, Erskines, for all your great resources!

Archiving Early America
This site is a treasure trove of 18th century American History. There are pictures and scenes taken from original documents, music, short films, a quiz game and much more! Check it out here.