Cabot, Cartier, Drake, Hudson, and Astronomy Homeschool Lesson

1. Stretch. Pray. Discuss Psalm 19:1-2.

2. Review continents and oceans and sing continent song (sung to tune of "Love & Marriage" 2x):

North America, South America, Europe, Asia, Africa
Don't Forget Antarctica
Or way down under in Australia
Atlantic Ocean, Pacific Ocean, Indian, Arctic, They're both oceans
North Pole, South Pole, Equator
I know all about maps and globes

3. Discuss types of navigation focusing on celestial navigation.

4. Read Starry Sky by Kate Hayden or Zoo in the Sky: A Book of Constellations by Jacqueline Mitton.

5. Make Constellation Bar Cookies. *We will divide up into 4 groups. Each group will make the below recipe.

Constellation Bar Cookies
1 1/8 cups all purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup butter, softened
1/4 + 1/8 cup sugar
1/4 + 1/8 cup firmly packed brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 egg
2 cups (a 12-oz. package) chocolate chips
1/2 cup chopped nuts (optional)
Preheat oven to 375F. In small bowl, combine flour, baking soda and salt; set aside. In large bowl, combine butter, sugar, brown sugar and vanilla extract; beat until creamy. Beat in eggs. Gradually add flour mixture. Stir in nuts and chocolate chips, reserving 1/2 cup to make
constellations. Spread into greased 9x9 baking pan. Smooth top. Arrange 1/2 cup of reserved chocolate chips to make constellations of the
season. Bake at 375F for 20-25 minutes. Cool; cut into 2" squares or divide by constellations.

TEACHER/PARENT 1: YOU WILL NEED: 2 teaspoons baking soda, 2 teaspoons salt, 1 1/2 cups sugar, 1 1/2 cups brown sugar, 2 teaspoons vanilla extract, non-stick cooking spray, 9x9 baking dish, measuring cups and spoons, mixing bowl, mixing spoon
TEACHER/PARENT 2: YOU WILL NEED: 3 (12-oz) packages semisweet chocolate chips, 9x9 baking dish, measuring cups and spoons, mixing bowl, mixing spoon
TEACHER/PARENT 3: YOU WILL NEED: 4 1/2 cups flour, 9x9 baking dish, measuring cups and spoons, mixing bowl, spoon
TEACHER/PARENT 4: YOU WILL NEED: 2 cups butter or margarine (4 sticks), 4 eggs, 9x9 baking dish, measuring cups and spoons, mixing bowl, mixing spoon

6. Discuss how the North Star moved using umbrella and chalk. Children stand under the unbrella as you twirl the unbrella around them.
TEACHER/PARENT 1: YOU WILL NEED: 1 large umbrella with a white chalk dot inside

7. Look at constellations in book and discuss how they could have been used to guide sailors at night.

8. Make a star finder. Instruct the children on how to fold this and use it.
TEACHER/PARENT 2: YOU WILL NEED: 14 copies of the starfinder sheet (Pre-fold & then unfold 3 for the youngest kids.)

9. Put on a pirate hat if you have one. Briefly discuss Sir Francis Drake using a picture book. Point out Drake's route on a map.
TEACHER/PARENT 2: YOU WILL NEED: pirate/tricorn hat & map

10. Briefly discuss the Northwest Passage and show on a map.

11. Briefly discuss John Cabot using pictures from a book. Point out Cabot's routes on a map.

12. Briefly discuss Jacques Cartier using pictures from a book. Show the picture of Cartier planting a cross in Canada. Select one child to be Cartier. Put a "French explorer hat" on a child's head and hand him/her a large cross. Select two other children to be Cartier's sailors and give them 2 hats to wear. Select 3 children to be Iroquois and give them towels to tuck between their legs and tuck into the front and back of their pants. Cartier will march up to the front saying, "Long live the king of France!" and "plant" the cross at the front of the room as his sailors watch. The "Iroquois" will shout a bit and chance them away.
TEACHER/PARENT 3: YOU WILL NEED: a French explorer hat (two sagging pillows with a long feather stuck between them), a large cross that says "Long live the king of France!" (a figurine if you have one & you can tape on those words or just make one out of construction paper), 2 sailor-type hats, 3 towels

13. Briefly discuss Henry Hudson using pictures from Beyond the Sea of Ice: The Voyages of Henry Hudson by Joan Elizabeth Goodman. Show children his routes on a map.

14. Made Henry Hudson snowflakes. Give each child a piece of paper and scissors and show them how to fold the paper and then cut it at various places to make a paper snowflakes. This should remind them of Hudson's cold expeditions.
TEACHER/PARENT 4: YOU WILL NEED: a paper snowflake example, 12 pieces of paper, 12 pairs of scissors

15. Sing The Northwest Passage Song by Kyle Hall.

The Northwest Passage Explorers Song by Kyle Hall
(to the tune of "Alouette")
CHORUS:
French and English explorers
Wanted to find Asia,
Using a Northwest Passage
Through America!
1. Giovanni Caboto
Sailed for England as John Cabot;
He discovered Newfoundland - 1497!
CHORUS
2. Verrazano claimed land for France;
He discovered the Hudson River,
Be - fore Hud - son - 1524!
CHORUS
3. Jacques Cartier named Montreal,
And he named a river:
St. Lawrence River, Cartier - 1534!
CHORUS
4. Champlain found three Great Lakes;
He's called the Father of New France;
He found-ed Quebec - 1608!
CHORUS
5. Henry Hudson discovered a bay,
And a river, and a strait;
They were all named after him - 1609 and 1610!
CHORUS
ENCORE!! Cabot - Newfoundland;
Verrazano - Hudson River;
Cartier - St. Lawrence River;
Champlain - Quebec;
Hudson - Hudson Bay;
Oh - oh - oh - oh,
CHORUS
(end with "Wooo!")

TEACHER/PARENT 3: YOU WILL NEED: Words to the song written in big words

16. Eat piece of bar cookie & drink water
TEACHER/PARENT 4: YOU WILL NEED: 14 paper napkins and 14 small cups for water. Possibly 14 sandwich bags to take home extra.

17. Review information needed for Explorer Night. Review "Continent Song", "Spanish Explorers", and "Northwest Passage" songs 2x each.

18. 5 Minute Review of what we learned.

Konos Curriculum
I use Konos Curriculum as a springboard from which to plan my lessons. It's a wonderful curriculum and was created by moms with active boys!

Konos Home School Mentor
If you're new to homeschooling or in need of some fresh guidance, I highly recommend Konos' HomeSchoolMentor.com program! Watch videos on-line of what to do each day and how to teach it in this great hands-on format!