Knitting Spool

Knitting Spool

Before the power loom was invented, weaving and knitting were slow, tedious tasks. Try hand weaving with your own knitting spool. With a few simple items and some yarn, you can create a knitted tube that you could use as a bracelet, belt, or skinny scarf!
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A Different Kind of BattleField

A Different Kind of BattleField

From World War I

In the early years of WWI, army recruiters mined soccer games and rugby matches for recruits. According to historian Adam Hochschild, soccer games “proved the single best venue for recruiters.” Arriving spectators would see recruiters wearing sandwich boards bearing the message, “Your Country Needs You.” The game would start with a patriotic speech. Players often stepped forward to enlist, and fans quickly followed their lead.

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My World

My World

From Global Citizenship

Through the “My World” Survey, people can identify which of the 17 SDGs matter most to them. At www.myworld2030.org, you can take the survey and select six SDG priority areas. You can also view results by country to see what people care about across the globe.

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Make Your Own Gordian Knot

Make Your Own Gordian Knot

From The Silk Road

One legend says Alexander conquered Asia by solving the puzzle of the Gordian Knot. According to a prophecy, whoever untied this endless knot would rule the continent. Alexander took the direct approach—he cut the knot open with his sword. Today, a “Gordian knot” means an unsolvable problem. No one knows exactly what the Gordian Knot looked like. But you can make a knot called a Turk’s Head appear “endless” by joining the ends after it’s...

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Make a Culture Collage

Make a Culture Collage

From The Renaissance Thinkers

We use the term Renaissance to define the years in Europe from the 1300s through the 1600s. Is there one word or phrase that defines the era we live in right now? Let’s make a Culture Collage and see if we can find one.

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Reviews

School Library Journal
“This title covers 200 years of discovery and innovation with projects to extend learning and generate further interest. Each well-written chapter covers a different aspect of the time period in clear, lively text; small line drawings; intriguing sidebars; and "words to know" defined on the page. Topics include textiles, labor unions, transportation, communication, electricity, and big business. The information is presented in digestible chunks with just enough background to keep readers moving forward. Mooney offers a well-rounded look at the era by presenting the costs (social, economic, personal, environmental) of progress. The 25 projects will indeed bring history alive and provide hands-on opportunities to explore the subjects. Students interested in science or technology might accidentally learn to like history after reading this book.”

The Old Schoolhouse Magazine
“A wonderful book to use as a jumping off point for this time period in history. The information is interesting and the projects add a bit of hands on learning without being overwhelming. I'd recommend this book to anyone interested in the Industrial Revolution.”

Calliope Magazine
“The 25 hands-on projects—accompanied by informative sidebars, illustrations, and wordhelps, are easy to do and include designing a steam ship, making a knitting spool and an electronic telegraph, and weaving on a hand look. You'll enjoy!”

Children's Literature Review
“There is such diversity here that most tweens will find something of interest—including hand looms and oatmeal-honey soap from the early 18th century to recording a radio program or making a pinhole camera from the early 20th century.”

Booklist
“This new entry into the extensive Build It Yourself series gives an overview of the era known as the Industrial Revolution as well as the consequences, good and bad, of each new development upon the average citizen . . . crisp, clear format featuring ample black-and-white sketches and diagrams and a pleasingly arranged text in a large font are in sync with the straightforward text. A helpful timeline is placed front and center while the back matter consists of an extensive glossary (words are also defined unobtrusively throughout the body), an index, and a short list of websites.”

BookLoons
“ Well illustrated with drawings and maps plus simple, understandable instructions for each of the projects, this is a resource book that will pay double dividends down the road. Any way you can engage a child in the study of history and make the subject come alive has to be a major plus. This book shows some of the ways this can be done.”

Detailed Book Description

Imagine a world without brand-name products! Before the Industrial Revolution it was not possible to produce enough of the same item to have a brand, but in 100 years the world changed from make-your-own everything to a society of manufactured goods. The Industrial Revolution: Investigate How Science and Technology Changed the World introduces the dynamic individuals who led this revolution and how their innovations impacted the lives of everyone, rich and poor, city-dwellers and farmers alike. Elements of history, biography, civics, science, and technology combine with activity-driven enrichment projects that kids can do with minimal supervision. Activities include creating a water-powered wheel, designing a steam ship, building a telegraph machine, and making a pinhole camera.

Available In:
Hardcover, $21.95
9781936313815
Paperback, $15.95
9781936313808
Includes: Table of Contents | Timeline | Maps | Glossary | Resources | Index
Specs: 8 x 10 size | black and white interior | 128 pages
Subject: Social Studies
Content Focus: World History

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Timeline

Introduction
Ideas, Invention, and Innovation

Chapter 1
A Revolution Begins with Textiles

Chapter 2
The Industrial Revolution Comes to America

Chapter 3
Birth of the Labor Union

Chapter 4
Transportation

Chapter 5
Communication

Chapter 6
Thomas Edison and Electricity

Chapter 7
Captains of Industry

Chapter 8
Moving into the Twentieth Century

Glossary
Resources
Index