Vikings Unit Study

The girls thought our Knights and Castles unit was the bomb-diggity.  However, it looks like Vikings are a big hit as well.  Alas, if only there had been some pillaging and plundering to go along with the study.

We all enjoyed reading about Eric the Red and Leif the Lucky.  The girls wouldn’t let me stop mid-book during any of the read alouds in this unit.  Needless to say we have a few late night reading sessions.

We learned about the housing, food and clothing of the Vikings.  We also studied Scandinavia, Greenland and Iceland.  The girls learned to tell sagas, spell in runes and name various parts of a Viking longship.  My husband was stunned to learn that Leif Ericsson landed on North America long before Columbus.

I took the components of two different websites and combined them to make one very large lapbook.  Homeschool Share had a great Viking lapbook and unit study, but my library didn’t have the required books…so I fudged it.  I also found some great resources and free printables at Dynamic 2 Moms.  They even have a free Viking lapbook!

As you can see, these hands on projects take over our house as we’re working.  When the kitchen table is full we move to the sunporch, grins.

We made a totally cool longship too.  My husband was in charge of designing and building the longship with the kids.  It was a bit more involved than he had originally planned.  Once the pieces were cut out, the girls painted, glued, taped  (and, yeah, he should have stopped them on the tape).

Apparently, there was SOME pillaging and plundering along the way. I’m quite certain these young ladies were abducted by the Norsemen.

Books we used:
Eric the Red; by Neil Grant
Eric the Red, The Vikings Sail the Atlantic; by Dr. Anne Millard
Eric the Red and Leif the Lucky; by Barbara Schiller
Before Columbus, The Leif Ericsson Expedition; by Elizabeth Cody Kimmel
First Facts About the Vikings; by Jacqueline Morley
Back to Basics, The Vikings; by Anne Mcrae
Everyday Life In Viking Times; by Hazel Mary Martell
Myths and Civilization of the Vikings; by Hazel Mary Martell
Vikings, Facts, Things to Make, Activities; by Franklin Watts
Vikings; by Fiona Macdonald
Vikings, Come and Discover My World; by Peter Chrisp