Free Printables and Unit Studies About the History of Hawaii

Published:
March 29, 2021

Contributor:
Jeannette Tuionetoa

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These free printables and unit studies about the history of Hawaii will help your kids explore the United States of America’s island paradise.

Free Printables and Unit Studies About the History of Hawaii text and image of Hawaii outside

Doesn’t Hawaii just sound perfect right about now? Beaches, luaus, and fun outdoors. Hawaii just happens to be one of those places that I have never heard any complaints about.

I mean, Dog the Bounty Hunter had a good run with criminals there, but even that wasn’t enough to make me think Hawaii was horrible.

Living in the Tongan Islands now, I have found that many Tongan families migrated to Hawaii and now call Hawaii home. 

Hawaii’s brief history:

The first settlers to the Hawaiian Islands were Polynesians via canoe as early as A.D. 400, and just like Captain James Cook was the first European to land on the Tongan Islands, Captain Cook was also the first to land on Hawaii in 1778.

Unfortunately, Captain Cook was killed by Hawaiians on his second visit to the islands.

From 1791-1810, King Kamehameha united the entire archipelago into a kingdom (through conquering other rulers, of course).

In 1820, the very first Christian missionaries arrived, then Western traders and whalers. Sadly, they also unknowingly brought diseases that devastated the native Hawaiian population.

Imagine this for a moment. When Captain Cook first came to the islands, there were about 300,000 natives living there. By the year 1853, the Hawaiian native population was 70,000.

American colonists overthrew the kingdom in 1893 and established the Republic of Hawaii. The U.S. annexed Hawaii as a territory in 1898.

Pearl Harbor

Although difficult to speak about, the history of Hawaii would not be the same without mention of the horrific event in Pearl Harbor that killed over 2,300 Americans. 

On December 7, 1941, the Japanese air attack sank the U.S.S. Arizona with 1,100 men aboard and damaged several other ships. 

This attack inevitably forced U.S. involvement in World War II.

In 1959, Hawaii was admitted to the Union as the 50th state, and the rest is history.

Explore the state flowers, trees, flags, and birds of all 50 states with this U.S. State Study Resource Pack Bundle from Daily Skill Building! 
collage of state flags and flowers Free Printables and Worksheets for Learning About North America

Explore these free printables and unit studies about the history of Hawaii:

FREE! Hawaii Unit Study | Ben and Me

Free Hawaii Unit Study for Grades 3-8

Hawaii Unit Study | Adventures in Mommydom

FREE Hawaii Education Printables | ThoughtCo.

Hawaii State Flag FREE Activity Worksheet | KidZone

State Unit Study – Hawaii | ThoughtCo.

Our Hawaii Unit Study: A Round-up and Resources | Craft Knife

Hawaii Unit Study and FREE Lapbook | Homeschool Helper Online

Fast Facts- Hawaii | Nat Geo Kids

The History of Hawaii | Sutori

Hawaii – Creating the Aloha State | US History Scene

Teaching Hawaiian Statehood | TeachingHistory.org

Hawaii State History | Ducksters

Brief History of Hawaii | Hawaii-Guide

Hawaii History & Growth of A Civilization | Tour Maui

A Brief History of the Hawaiian Islands | Go Hawaii

Hawaii History And Culture Preservation | Hawaii.gov

14 Things You Probably Didn’t Know About The History Of Hawaii | Only in Your State

Free resources and printables about Hawaii:

Tropical and Hawaiian Themed Unit Studies and Printables

Hawaiian and Tropical Themed Unit Studies and Free Printables text and image close up of a hibiscus flower

FREE Map Grid: Hawaii | Education.com

Hawaii Infographic | Maps of World

Explore: USA – Hawaii Printable Pack | From ABC to ACTS

Road Trip USA: Hawaii | Confessions of a Homeschooler

State of Hawaii FREE Coloring Pages | Apples 4 the Teacher

FREE Lesson Plan – Hands-on Guide to Hawaiʻi’s Sandy Shore Habitat | University of Hawaii HILO

Hawaii State Flower FREE Worksheet | Education.com

Across the USA in 31 Days: Hawaii | In All You Do

Hawaii State Flag Coloring Pages text and example of free printables for kids to color

Books about Hawaii to check out of your local library:

Hawaiian Folk Tales & Children’s Books | Pragmatic Mom

Picture Book about Hawaii | Look! We’re Learning

Hawaii State Books for Kids | 3 Boys and a Dog

Children’s Books Set in Hawaii | Kids Travel Books

Videos all about Hawaii’s history will help your visual learners:

Hawaii for Kids – US States Learning Video | Homeschool Pop

Video of Hawaii Facts for Kids – Hawaii Fun Facts | Hey! Guess What

Hawaii History: Timeline Video | Past To Future

Quick History of Hawaii | That Was History

Crafts and activities to add to your History of Hawaii lessons:

50 States Series: Hawaii 

50 States Series Hawaii text and image cut out of orange colored shape of the state of Hawaii

State of Hawaii Crafts and Activities for Kids | Danielle’s Place

Catch The Aloha Spirit With These Fun Hawaiian Crafts And Activities For Kids | Sunshine Whispers

Are you looking for a fun, EASY way to teach U.S. geography that goes beyond states and capitals and helps students develop and sharpen independent learning skills? Check out Daily Skill Building: U.S. Geography. There’s no teacher guide needed, and it includes cheat sheets, fact cards, and more.

Daily Skills Building U.S. Geography Recourse Pack text and example of workbook and printable worksheet pages

Don’t forget to also add some interesting facts about Hawaii in your Hawaiian history lesson. Share some cool facts with your kiddos like:

  • Surfing was invented in Hawaii.
  • You can mail a coconut anywhere in the world from Hawaii.
  • Mount Haleakala in Maui is the largest dormant volcano in the entire world. 
  • Hawaii is the only state with two official languages (Hawaiian and English).
  • Here is the fact my kids found the coolest – Mauna Kea mountain in Hawaii is only 13,796 feet above sea level. However… it extends about 19,7000 feet below sea level in the Pacific Ocean. This means that Mauna Kea is actually the tallest mountain in the entire world (1 mile taller than Everest), but it just happens to be below sea level. Check out more about Hawaii volcanoes here.

Free Printables and Unit Studies About the History of Hawaii text bubble and background image of palm trees outside