This week, my children and I are studying the Erie Canal and oh my it has just been a JOY to study!
Maybe it’s the addition of Bruce Springsteen that has made this such a fun study? I’m not sure. Sometimes you need to spice things up a little, right?!
Keep reading to see how Bruce plays into our Erie Canal study.
Note: This post was originally published in 2013. It was long overdue for a face lift! I updated the worksheets in the download and freshened up the post, while leaving most of the original text in place.
This post contains affiliate links which help support free worksheets and printables at Mama’s Learning Corner. For more info, see my disclosure policy.
The Erie Canal Books We’re Reading in Our Unit Study
The spine of this unit study has been The Amazing, Impossible Erie Canal by Cheryl Harness. It is the perfect book for my 6 and 8 year-olds as we learn about the Erie Canal. This book would be a good fit for 2nd through 5th graders with the sweet spot being 3rd and 4th grades, in my opinion.
The pictures are spectacular and the content is just perfect for this age group. It’s a wonderful account of how “Clinton’s Ditch” was built through much persistence and ingenuity.
Note that the illustrations can be a bit busy, so we have to take them in small chunks at times. Some of my kids have an easier time with busy pictures than others.
We’re also reading a couple of pages from A History of US: A New Nation 1789-1850.
While this book is a bit too old for my 8-year-old to read alone, it makes for a great read-aloud. There are enough pictures sprinkled throughout to keep my 6 year-old interested and the content is just plain interesting!
I scheduled this as a one week unit study, so we will read a bit each day and work on one, maybe two activities each day.
I will choose a selection of the worksheets in the printable packet below and schedule them throughout the week.
Use These Erie Canal Worksheets in Your Unit Study
This is a 6-page worksheet set to use in conjunction with any Erie Canal Unit Study. While I used the books listed in the post above, the information can be found and read in any book of your choosing.
In this worksheet set, you’ll find:
→ Copy of the first 2 verses of Low Bridge Everybody Down! Laminate this and use a small poster in your homeschool space, for further copywork, or for memorizing the song.
→ Question & Answer page related to Low Bridge Everybody Down!
→ Word Search
→ The Erie Canal – What Do the Numbers Mean? – Write a few sentences describing how each number or date relates to The Erie Canal
→ Copywork – elementary and plain lines provided
Download The Erie Canal Worksheets
Just enter your email to get the Erie Canal Worksheets delivered to your inbox!
Make sure you confirm your address, and the download will automatically begin.
You Tube Videos on The Erie Canal
By far, my favorite part of this unit study was this rendition of Low Bridge, Everybody Down by Bruce Springsteen. Whether you’re a Springsteen fan or not, the brass band in this video is amazing.
(As always, use You Tube with your own discretion. I am not responsible for any videos or ads that You Tube might show you.)
This video on How a Canal Lock works was very helpful in visualizing the concept.
Lastly, this video is a time lapse video of several locks along the Erie Canal. Filmed in 2010.
What are your favorite resources for studying The Erie Canal?
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I am so glad your kiddos are around the ages of mine — I love using the printables here at Mama’s! 🙂
I just love when you do these! The YouTube videos, the extra little suggestions – thank you so much, Lauren!
Thank you, Amy! So glad you can use them. 🙂
Hi, I was wondering if this wonderful unit study was still available. I couldn’t see how to download it. Thanks!
Hi Lisa – yes, it is definitely still available! Click on the image at the bottom of the post and the download will automatically start. 🙂
Thank you SO much Lauren 🙂 Kids and I just read this book and completed the worksheets this morning. Of course the You Tube videos were a BIG hit and certainly helped the children visualize how locks work. Of course saying that they enjoyed the song goes without saying.
Thanks again,
Liz
Oh I’m so glad your kiddos had such a good time with it! That book really IS fabulous and the You Tube videos are just icing on the cake! 🙂
Thanks so much for a kind comment. Blessings to you!
I am unable to download your worksheets. Are they still available? Thank you.
Hi Veronica! Yes, they are definitely still available!
I just updated the post so it’s more obvious where the download is. Look directly in the middle of the post, before you get to the videos.
Hope your kiddos enjoy them! This was such a fun study in our homeschool. 🙂
Thank you for putting this together! We are headed to see the Ohio Erie Canal at our local National Park today.
Oh FUN! What a neat field trip! Have a wonderful time!
Thank you! Our neighbor gave us this exact book and I thought it would make a nice unit study for my first grader next quarter. Did a google search on “Erie Canal Kids” and low and behold you created materials on this exact book. Thank you!
Hey Leanne! Oh it is a MARVELOUS book! One of my all-time favorites!
Have a wonderful study!
xo, Lauren