Videos and Projects for Heroes and Happenings Volume 1

Videos and Projects for Heroes and Happenings Volume 1 by Amy Lykosh

Please note I have not had time to watch all the movies and listen to the full audiobooks as of yet. Please let me know if you find any broken links or if you notice any errors or typos. 

Chapter 1: The Explorer

Videos

A 45-minute video documentary about Vikings

A full-length cartoon movie about Leif Ericson (has a lot of sensitive moments, especially in the first 15 minutes, and some references to Viking mythology, so use with caution with sensitive children) 

Audiobooks of books listed at the end of the chapter (where available) 

The book listed at the end here is already included in Sonlight’s HBL C program. 

Coloring Pages (I will try to offer a couple of different pictures for each chapter, so you can choose one that fits your child best. I will try to include at least one more detailed and one less detailed if I can find them)

Leif Ericson

Viking Longboat

A detailed picture of Vikings building a boat (scroll down just a little)

Simpler picture of a cartoonish Viking

Crafts

Multiple Viking project ideas

Activity pages

Free Viking Printable Worksheets

Lapbooks

Free Viking Lapbook printable (scroll down)

Extra Books

You Wouldn’t Want to be a Viking Explorer (for younger and older children)

The Story of Rolf (grade 4-6 reader)

“Paper Doll” style printables

Viking Longboat paper model

Viking male and female outfits and dolls to put them on (scroll down for multiple options)

Snacks and Recipes

Viking hat/house-shaped lunch idea

This website is listed as a “How to Train Your Dragon Party” but has many good ideas for Viking crafts and snacks. 

Actual Viking-inspired meal ideas

Chapter 2: The Sailor

Videos

Rent Christopher Columbus: An Animated Classic for $3.99 from amazon video (full 1 hour 32 minutes). https://amzn.to/32aNghY. It also looks to be free here

Shorter 30-minute cartoon version, but it has more sensitive spots as far as I’ve seen so far. 

Audiobooks of books listed at the end of the chapter (where available)

Columbus by Ingrid and Edgar Parin D’Aulaire-currently unavailable

Follow the Dream by Peter Sis

Encounter by Jane Yolen

Pedro’s Journal-didn’t include it because it will be used in HBL D.

Coloring Pages

Easy Picture of Columbus’s Ships

Easy Color-By-Number Picture of Columbus’s Ship (1-10, on the last page of the booklet)

Easy/Medium level picture of Columbus

Detailed/Hard picture of Columbus

Crafts

Cute and Easy Handprint Ship (no instructions included, but it looks pretty basic)

Interesting activity of painting ships using spices

Variety of Columbus-themed crafts all in one spot. The ship-in-a-bottle one looked especially fun. 

Activity pages

Notebooking pages

Variety of Columbus-themed worksheets

Lapbooks

Columbus Lapbook

Extra Books

You Wouldn’t Wait to Sail with Christopher Columbus

Step Into Reading: Christopher Columbus (Level 3)

“Paper Doll” style printables

The website for these is broken, but the pictures are still available, so I will link them separately.
https://i.pinimg.com/564x/ce/5d/e6/ce5de65e8f8bb2ece80d6036c44fcc18.jpg

https://i.pinimg.com/564x/58/07/dd/5807dde99bbac089027016e5ecaff30e.jpg

https://i.pinimg.com/564x/b3/3b/c5/b33bc51a691805d4ec72eb3c39c77d9b.jpg

https://i.pinimg.com/564x/fc/e3/a3/fce3a3c78b02749a2d8e0afb02618093.jpg

Snacks and Recipes

I have found a bunch of snacks like this but using different items. I saw waffle bases, apples with cheese banners, and even an entire pirate/Columbus-style boat made out of watermelon. 

Chapter 3: The Interpreter

Videos

Squanto: A Warrior’s Tale can be rented from Prime Video for $2.99. (affiliate link) movie review

Not Squanto, but related, on William Bradford and the First Thanksgiving

Pocahontas: Animated Hero Classics

Audiobooks of books listed at the end of the chapter (where available)

Squanto’s Journey by Joseph Bruchac

Squanto: Friend of the Pilgrims by Clyde Robert Bulla–included in HBL D 

Pocahontas and the Strangers by Clyde Robert Bulla included in HBL D 

A Lion to Guard Us by Clyde Robert Bulla–included in HBL D

Coloring Pages

Variety of easier/medium coloring pages (keep scrolling down)

Crafts

It was far harder to find some culturally appropriate, easy, limited supply crafts that were easy to make and look great as an outcome without focusing more on Pilgrims and Thanksgiving rather than Squanto and friends. If you have any ideas, this area is seriously lacking. Here are some corn-related activities. 

https://www.3dinosaurs.com/wordpress/index.php/corn-is-maize-yarn-corn-activity/

https://www.3dinosaurs.com/wordpress/index.php/fingerprint-corn/

Activity pages

https://kidskonnect.com/people/squanto/

Lapbooks

Lapbook about Squanto

$3.00 lapbook about Pilgrims and Squanto and Thanksgiving

Extra Books

https://coolmompicks.com/blog/2015/11/21/childrens-books-about-thanksgiving-from-native-perspective/

“Paper Doll” style printables

https://i.pinimg.com/564x/7a/a3/14/7aa314381d959f28b159c429ef53d8af.jpg

Snacks and Recipes

Snack based on lesson Squanto taught.

Here’s a little more creative twist on that idea. 

Chapter 4: The British Acts, et. al. 

Videos

Liberty’s Kids Episode 101: The Boston Tea Party

Liberty’s Kids Episode 102: The Intolerable Acts

Liberty’s Kids Episode 103: United We Stand (Discussing the Acts)

The next episode covered by HBL K is 105, so you might also wish to watch
Liberty’s Kids Episode 104: Liberty or Death

Audiobooks of books listed at the end of the chapter (where available)

Can’t You Make Them Behave, King George by Jean Fritz–this is included in HBL D, but it’s pretty short and easy, so I’ll add the audiobook here as well, complete with a teaching guide

Johnny Tremain by Esther Forbes–this is a VERY long book included in HBL D, so I am not including the audiobook. 

Coloring Pages

Stamp Act Coloring Page (medium/hard)

Boston Tea Party Coloring Page (easy)

Boston Tea Party Coloring Page (hard)

Crafts

I can’t find any good crafts, but I had my own idea, so I’ll put it here.

Give your child a pile of coins. Pennies, dimes, etc. Just a small pile. Then tell them they are invited to a tea party after school. During the day, begin passing a series of ats. So, first, you pass the Stamp Act. Every time you need to use a book or workbook, you charge them a coin for that book. Even if they don’t want the book, they need it, so they have to pay the tax.

At random times during the day, walk around and tax your child for everything glass and everything painted. Glass windows, painted walls, etc. They will see their pile of money start to dwindle.

Next, have a tea party together, again taxing anything made of paper and each cup of “tea” they drink. Try to use up as much of their pile of money as you can. Don’t forget to tax any special snacks you have that use sugar or molasses in honor of the sugar act. 

If they whine or complain that their money is dwindling, enforce the Intolerable Acts by punishing them by making new taxes.

At the end of the day, discuss how it felt to have all of their money taken away for taxes they weren’t expecting and if they can understand why people were so upset over time. 

Lapbooks

Includes File Folder Game

Extra Books

You Wouldn’t Want to be at the Boston Tea Party

Chapter 5: The Shot

Videos

Liberty’s Kids Episode 105

Liberty’s Kids Episode 106

Coloring Pages

Easier page

Medium Difficulty

Activities

Interactive Game to Learn about Taxation

Timeline project of the Revolutionary War

Crafts

Paul Revere Lanterns

Games

An online game where you can choose which side of the battle you wish to be on

“Paper Doll” style printables

Paper Dolls for a variety of ages, but including some for the Revolutionary War

Snacks and Recipes

https://allthingsliberty.com/2013/05/family-dinner-soup-molasses-bread-jeffersons-meringues/

Chapter 6: The Bookseller

Videos

Liberty’s Kids Episode 107

(Episode 108 kind of goes with the next chapter, but can be watched here instead)

Liberty’s Kids Episode 109

Coloring Pages

It’s quite hard to find a great coloring page for this topic without being too violent, so I choose a picture of Molly Pitcher, who I don’t believe is mentioned in the book. 

Harder picture of the capture of Fort Ticonderoga

Because of this chapter’s topic, I could not find a lot of projects and hands-on activities to go with it. I did not want to include activities that included children acting out war. 

Chapter 7: The Polymath

Videos

Liberty’s Kids Episode 108

Liberty’s Kids Episode 111 (episode 108 might have been watched in Chapter 6, 110 will be scheduled in Chapter 9)

Animated Hero Classics

Audiobooks of books listed at the end of the chapter (where available)

What’s the Big Idea, Ben Franklin

How Ben Franklin Stole the Lightning

Glass harmonica playing

Coloring Pages

Easy

Medium

Activity pages

$4.00 pack

Lapbooks

$4.00 lapbook (not the same as the activity pages pack)

Extra Books

Now and Ben

The Remarkable Benjamin Franklin

Snacks and Recipes

http://www.benjaminfranklinentertains.com/2018/02/top-ten-franklin-foods.html

Chapter 8: The Plan

Videos

Liberty’s Kids Episode 112

Liberty’s Kids Episode 114 (some places reverse 113 and 114)

Schoolhouse Rock 

A song about the constitution

Video about creating a song to memorize the preamble, with lots of detail

This is America, Charlie Brown: The Birth of the Constitution

Audiobooks of books listed at the end of the chapter (where available)

A More Perfect Union

Coloring Pages

Easy

Easy/Medium

Easy/Medium

Hard

Crafts

https://www.dltk-kids.com/usa/mdeclaration.htm

Chapter 9: The President

Videos

Pretty much from this point on, all the rest of the Liberty’s Kids Episodes happen in a very short time period and very quickly outpace the book. So, watch the rest, including Episode 110 and Episode 113, which were skipped earlier, and then picking back up with Episode 115 and continuing until episode 140 over the next few weeks. 

Dear America: The Winter of Red Snow

Animated Hero Classics

Audiobooks of books listed at the end of the chapter (where available)

George Washington’s Breakfast

George Washington’s Teeth

The House that George Built

Revolutionary Friends

Coloring Pages

Variety of options at different levels (scroll down) 

Crafts

Six crafts to choose from 

Activity pages

Maze

Word Search

Snacks and Recipes

Washington’s Favorite Foods

Washington S’more Cookies

Chapter 10: The Astronomer

Videos

Benjamin Banneker TedED

A movie I can not find online and have not watched but sounds interesting, at least for adults, is Benjamin Banneker, the Man Who Loved the Stars (1981). 

Audiobooks of books listed at the end of the chapter (where available)

Dear Benjamin Banneker

Coloring Pages

Medium

Crafts

Stargazing crafts

Snacks and Recipes

Can’t find the recipe to go with this, but it looks like sugar cookies (or cookie of your choice) with decorations

Chapter 11: The Diplomat

Videos

Quite a few of the Liberty’s Kids videos tie in here as well, so if you are watching the rest, they do tie in nicely, although at a swift pace. 

Audiobooks of books listed at the end of the chapter (where available)

Thomas Jefferson Grows a Nation

Worst of Friends

Thomas Jefferson: Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Everything

Coloring Pages

Wide Variety of Choices

Chapter 12: The Duel

Videos

Disney Plus has a “more child-friendly” version of the movie Hamilton

Audiobooks of books listed at the end of the chapter (where available)

Aaron and Alexander by Don Brown

Coloring Pages

Easy/Medium

Crafts

No instructions are included, but this idea looks easy enough. 

“Paper Doll” style printables

Hamilton and Burr paper dolls (From the movie, not real life)

Chapter 13: The Silversmith

Videos

A documentary that isn’t too boring for kids (PBS)–There is some talk about war, with pictures of people with guns, talk about the trail of tears, etc., but most of the worst of it are glossed over. It just says things like “thousands of people died.”

Audiobooks of books listed at the end of the chapter (where available)

Sequoyah by James Rumford

Coloring Pages

Sequoyah

Activity pages

Practice using the Cherokee alphabet.

Snacks and Recipes

Several Cherokee recipes

Chapter 14: The Socialite

Videos

Mini-Bio

Mini-Documentary on Dolley saving the portrait

Coloring Pages

Looks like a medium but is actually hard

Looks like hard, but I think it’s actually more medium.

“Paper Doll” style printables

https://marlendy.wordpress.com/2013/04/21/colonial-characters-paper-dolls/

Snacks and Recipes

https://www.tasteofhome.com/collection/presidential-desserts-inspired-by-dolley-madison/

Chapter 15: The Flagmaker

Videos

Reenactment of Mary Pickersgill laying out the fabric to create the flag

A little more about the last few chapters and Francis Scott Key

Star-Spangled Banner

Coloring Pages

Mary Pickersgill (on page 16/22) (pages 17-18 also apply)

Crafts

30 Flag crafts to pick and choose from

Snacks and Recipes

A Variety of Flag-related food ideas for kids

Chapter 16: The Educator

Videos

Drive-Thru History (the segment about Webster begins around 18:52)

Audiobooks of books listed at the end of the chapter (where available)

An Inconvenient Alphabet by Beth Anderson

Coloring Pages

Not exactly Webster, but close enough for an easy page

Hard

Crafts

Help your child create their own dictionary of hard vocabulary words, spelling words, or whatever you want.

Activities

Lots of activities from Sonlight’s Jimmie Quick

Snacks and Recipes

Not exactly a food idea, but you can explore the grocery store and try to find foods for each letter of the alphabet.

Chapter 17: The Potter

Videos

Pictures of some of Dave’s pottery with a short video at the bottom

Audiobooks of books listed at the end of the chapter (where available)

An excellent reading and discussion of the book Dave the Potter, read by the illustrator.

Crafts

The most obvious craft here would be to make your own pots out of clay or play-doh.

Snacks and Recipes

While I don’t think there are many meals attributed to Dave himself, if you have any pottery at home, you can look at and discuss it, or have a meal cooked from clay pots/jugs, enjoy drinks stored in ceramics, or use pottery to eat off of. 

Chapter 18: The Ornithologist

Videos

Winged Migration–a full-length movie about birds; keep in mind as a nature show, there are a few scenes in which predators attack birds….as action goes, it’s not exciting, as it’s mostly just watching different birds, but it is beautiful. 

Audubon, the movie–I haven’t had a chance to watch this yet….

Audiobooks of books listed at the end of the chapter (where available)

The Boy Who Drew Birds

Website mentioned in the book with the drawings from James Audubon himself

While not the entire book of Look Up! Bird Watching in Your Own Backyard, there is a video series by the author where she talks about her book, bird watching, and how to draw birds for kids. Here is part 1 in the series. 

Coloring Pages

https://www.birdwatching-bliss.com/bird-coloring-pages.html

Crafts

A plethora of activities to choose from, including my favorite, making birds from hand and footprints.

Activity pages

Learning to Identify Birds worksheets (your child will likely need help but can draw and answer the questions orally. 

How to Draw a Baby Bird

For more advanced artists, how to draw different birds.

Lapbooks

https://www.homeschoolshare.com/backyard_birds_lap_n_note.php

Snacks and Recipes

Twigs and Berries

Bird Nests

Penguins

Owl Smores

Spaghetti Nests

Chapter 19: The Storyteller

Videos

I would strongly advise against watching the stop-motion video of Mark Twain for kids without first watching the 40-minute to about the 45-minute mark. I don’t think this section belongs in a child’s movie.

However, your child might instead like the mini-series Roughing It. It’s a reenactment of his semi-autobiographical book. It starts out relatively slow, but it goes back in time to when he was young and exploring the west. 

Mark Twain and Me is another choice. 

Tom Sawyer movie

Huckleberry Finn movie

Coloring Pages

Younger Clemens

Older Clemens

Assorted Tom Sawyer images

Crafts

Build a raft

Snacks and Recipes

I had trouble finding one that looked more like a raft, but these look fun, easy, and healthy. 

Chapter 20: The Gold Rush

Videos

The Gold Rush with Charlie Chaplin; silent movie 1925

Coloring Pages

Assortment of pages

Crafts

Paint your own gold, then go panning

Golden Glitter Slime

Snacks and Recipes

Gold Nugget Candy (Caramel popcorn would produce a similar effect)

Chapter 21: The Doctor

Videos

5-minute biography

Audiobooks of books listed at the end of the chapter (where available)

Who Says Women Can’t Be Doctors?

Coloring Pages

http://www.supercoloring.com/coloring-pages/elizabeth-blackwell

http://doonething.com/heroes//colorme/pdf/colorme-blackwell-elizabeth.pdf

Crafts

Doctor/nurse kit

Snacks and Recipes

A few fun ideas for medical-themed snacks

Chapter 22: The Illustrator

Videos

Randolph Caldecott: The Man Who Could Not Stop Drawing

List of Caldecott Winners

Activity 

Hold a Caldecott award ceremony, having your child vote on the best-illustrated book they’ve read this year. This PDF is long but contains many easy ideas and possible worksheets you might like to use.

Snacks And Recipes

I think the popcorn and candy go a little better with a movie award theme, but the star-shaped cheese and crackers look fun. One could also add certain veggies (cucumbers, etc.) that are reasonably easy and deli meats to make it more of a full meal.

Chapter 23: The Conductor

Videos

Animated Hero Classics

Audiobooks of books listed at the end of the chapter (where available)

Moses by Carole Boston Weatherford

Before She was Harriet

Coloring Pages

http://www.supercoloring.com/coloring-pages/harriet-tubman

http://www.supercoloring.com/coloring-pages/harriet-tubman-0 

Crafts

Triarama

Activity pages

Harriet Tubman Activity pages

“Paper Doll” style printables

Harriet Tubman and Sojourner Truth

Snacks and Recipes

Harriet Tubman Cornbread (from “The Historical Cookbook of the American Negro” by the National Council of Negro Women, compiled in 1958 from older recipes, this one from a recipe called “Aunt Harriot’s Favorite Dish”)

Chapter 25: The Emancipator

Videos

Animated Hero Classics

This is America, Charlie Brown: The Smithsonian and the Presidency (covers Washington, Lincoln, and Roosevelt). Look for episode 7. 

Audiobooks of books listed at the end of the chapter (where available)

Looking at Lincoln

Abe Lincoln: The Boy Who Loved Books

Lincoln and Grace

How Kate Warne Saved President Lincoln

Abraham Lincoln Comes Home

Coloring Pages

Assorted Coloring Pages

Crafts

Paper plate craft

Snacks and Recipes

Lincoln Cookies or cupcakes

Link is not working, but these log cabins look easy.

Chapter 26: The Editor

Videos

Who Do We Thank for Thanksgiving

Sara Josepha Hale

Audiobooks of books listed at the end of the chapter (where available)

Thank You, Sarah

Coloring Pages

Mary Had a Little Lamb

Crafts

Scroll Down to Chapter 7, for hat activity

Snacks and Recipes

Any fun Thanksgiving food will do

Chapter 27: The Suffragist

Videos

There is a movie coming out, and you can see clips from it here.

Audiobooks of books listed at the end of the chapter (where available)

Elizabeth Leads the Way (typo in the book)

I Could Do That

Coloring Pages

http://www.supercoloring.com/coloring-pages/elizabeth-cady-stanton

Crafts

Make Suffragette Rosettes.

(Thank you, Hayley!)

Snacks and Recipes

The suffrage movement started with a tea party, so have a tea party of your own, and talk about issues you’d like to see changed (either in your home, your neighborhood, or even changes your child would like to see in the world)

Chapter 28: The Railroad

Videos

I don’t know many movies about the Transcontinental Railroad that are child-friendly; however, there is a Disney movie (which I have not yet watched) called John Henry about some of the railroad builders. I can not currently find a free version to watch, but it is available on Amazon to purchase. 

Audiobooks of books listed at the end of the chapter (where available)

Coolies

Coloring Pages

http://www.usa-printables.com/Events/19th_century/1800-events-027.htm

Crafts

Have a railroad building contest. Divide into two teams. If your child is an only, you will be on one team and them on the other. Don’t worry about them being equal. Starting on opposite sides of the room and decide a middle point. Glue popsicle sticks in a railroad shape on pieces of construction paper and lay them out on the floor. See who can reach the middle first. 

Snacks and Recipes

Variety of train-themed snacks.

Chapter 29: The Ensemble 

Videos

First Recorded Song

Audiobooks of books listed at the end of the chapter (where available)

A Band of Angels

Crafts

Even though the Fisk Jubilee singers were singers and only one musician, it’s hard to come up with crafts just for singing. But, music is music, so here is a list of musical instruments your child can make (and play!)

Snacks and Recipes

Piano sandwiches

Drumsticks

Chapter 30: The Cordwainer

Videos

Video on how shoes are made with a regular last

A modern shoe-making process using a modern, lasting machine. (I wanted a video of one similar to the one in the book but couldn’t find one). 

Crafts

A shoe-making activity

Snacks and Recipes

Sandals (the third one down looks the easiest)

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