I’m sure you’ve heard the famous lines: “In an old house in Paris all covered with vines lived twelve little girls in two straight lines…”Madeline by Ludwig Bemelmans is a classic children’s read. If you want to use this classic in your homeschool, this unit study includes science, social studies, language arts activities, and more.
This post is part of the 31 Days of Literature Unit Study Ideas series. You can find the other posts in the series here. You can get this literature unit study as well as 44 others and lots of great literature unit study resources here in my free ebook The Ultimate Book of Unit Studies for Literature Lovers.
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About the book…
The story is set in Paris in a girls’ boarding school. There are twelve little girls under the care of Miss Clavel, a nun. In rhyming words, we learn about the daily lives of the twelve little girls. The smallest one is Madeline.
One night trouble strikes in the middle of the night. Miss Clavel sends for the doctor, and Madeline ends up with her appendix removed. The other little girls miss her and envy her time in the hospital and the gifts given to her by Papa.
The cute rhyming story makes Madeline a good book to read aloud to even young children. And the unique illustrations remind me of an impressionist painting.
Language arts-learn about poetry and rhyme…
- Use some of these fun games to practice rhyme.
- Learn what a poem is and some different types of poetry. Then older kids can practice writing their own poem.
- Have fun with rhyming with these free printable pocket chart activities with nursery rhymes.
- Play online rhyming games on the PBS kids’ website.
Social studies/cultures- learn about Paris…
- Learn about France from this Time for Kids website. You’ll find a sightseeing map, French words, a history timeline, and information about a typical day in the life of a French child.
- Learn more about France and see some pictures of places in France on this site. After kids hear more information about the country, have them write- or dictate- five fun facts about the country.
- Take a virtual tour of Paris with these interactive panoramic pictures.
- One of the most fascinating monuments in Paris is the Eiffel Tower. Learn fun facts about the Eiffel Tower here.
- Print a blank map of Europe. Label France and the city of Paris. You can use this map to help you with the labeling.
Science- learn about the human body…
- Learn about the parts of the body and how they work on this interactive website.
- Check out this website to find detailed information about the human body and how it works. There are photos and videos and all kinds of facts here.
- Older elementary aged kids can have fun playing these online games that teach about the human body.
- Try some of the fun human body science experiments from Enchanted Homeschooling Mom.
- Kids can learn more about the appendix and why it is sometimes removed here.
Hands-on/crafts…
- Use these great templates to make a paper city of Paris. This would be great for having kids recreate the story.
- Try this fun activity to illustrate the makeup of blood.
- Make these life-sized human body maps.
- Make your own Eiffel Tower using an outline and straws cut in various sizes.
- Use the templates here to make your own Madeline.
- Use this recipe to make some basic French crepes.
Other resources…
- Homeschool Share has a free lapbook for Madeline.
- They also have a free lapbook for learning about France.
- And they have a free human body lapbook.
- Madeline, the website, has information about the author and free printable activities.
Booklist…
- This is Paris by Miroslav Sasek
- A Walk In Paris by Salvatore Rubbino
- Come With Me To Paris by Gloria Fowler and Min Heo
- Paris: Panorama Pops by Sarah McMenemy
- Inside Your Outside: All About the Human Body (The Cat in the Hat Learning Series) by Tish Rabe
- Me and My Amazing Body by Joan Sweeney
- Read-Aloud Rhymes for the Very Young by Jack Prelutsky
- Pocketful of Posies: A Treasury of Nursery Rhymes by Salley Mavor
You can get this literature unit study as well as 44 others and lots of great literature unit study resources here in my free ebook The Ultimate Book of Unit Studies for Literature Lovers.
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