Educating Leaders - No Conveyor Belt Education Here!

September 11, 2008 - Constitution Day - Sept 17

In 1787, the U.S. Constitution was signed. There are so many things you can do to celebrate our US Constitution. Here are a few.

INTERVIEW SIGNERS OF CONSTITUTION

# Introduction: Ask students to name some of signers of the Constitution.
# Divide the class into four groups. Assign each group one of the following signers: George Washington, Benjamin Franklin, James Madison, or Alexander Hamilton.
# Challenge students to imagine that they are newspaper reporters in 1787 covering the signing of the Constitution. They meet with each of the four signers noted above and ask three questions. Have each group brainstorm the questions they would ask each signer.
# Tell students that before they can ask the questions, they must research information about each person and about the Constitution. Have students use various library sources or use the following sites as starting points for their research.
The Signers of the Constitution
The Founding Fathers
Creating a Constitution
A More Perfect Union: The Creation of the U.S. Constitution
The United States Constitution
source: http://www.educationworld.com/a_lesson/00-2/lp2047.shtml

3 BRANCHES OF GOVERNMENT CHART

    * Review the three branches of government. Ask students to define the terms legislative branch , judicial branch, executive branch.
    * Depending on class size, divide the class into pairs or groups of three students. Assign one article to each group.
    * Tell each group to choose one part of the article that describes a structure or function of a branch of government. Have each group create a chart to showing how that structure or function works.
Specifics of lesson plan are found here: http://www.educationworld.com/a_lesson/00-2/lp2051.shtml
Have students present and explain their charts to the class. Have students ask questions of the presenters.

CREATE A NEW AMENDMENT

Note: This lesson might work as a culminating activity for a unit of study on the amendments to the Constitution.

    * Review and discuss with students the important points of the amendments to the Constitution. Discuss the guidelines for adding a new amendment to the Constitution.
    * Tell students to imagine that they have been appointed to committees to create a new amendment. Have students brainstorm ideas for the new the amendment. (If students have difficulty thinking of ideas, start the discussion with a suggestion; for example, an amendment for children.) Write their ideas on the board.
    * Divide the class into small groups. Have each group choose one of the ideas. Students work together to create a proposal for their idea and present it to the class. Variation: If you have access to PowerPoint, have students create their proposals as PowerPoint presentations.
After listening to the presentations, have each student write down the one amendment he or she thinks should be added to the Constitution. Tally the choices and note the top choice on the board.

To get more specific details click here: http://www.educationworld.com/a_lesson/00-2/lp2052.shtml

More on the Constitution: http://www.educationworld.com/a_lesson/lesson/lesson347.shtml

Constitution Worksheets You Can Print
http://www.theteacherscorner.net/printable-worksheets/make-your-own/word-scramble/index.php

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History
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September 3, 2008 - Remembering September 11

I ran across some good ideas to remember September 11. Instead of trying to reprint all of them, just go here :

http://www.educationworld.com/a_lesson/lesson/lesson277.shtml

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History
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June 16, 2006 - Studying the Twentieth Century?

Here's a webpage with resources for studying the 20th century...horse drawn carriages, farm life at the turn of the century, quilting.

http://www.learner.org/exhibits/literature/story/resource.html

Enjoy!
Kerry

category:

History
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February 11, 2006 - Do you remember your past????

A nation which does not remember what it was yesterday, does not know what it is today, nor what it is trying to do. We are trying to do a futile thing if we do not know where we came from or what we have been about. Ours is a rich legacy. Rich but lost.
-Woodrow Wilson (1856-1924)

How True, How True! Our legacy and our history are not important enough to teach to our kids today. Thank goodness for homeschoolers who are reviving the importance of teaching history and our past today!

Kerry

Teaching History

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History
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December 26, 2005 - Boxing Day

Today is also commemorated as an official holiday in Britain (and Canada as my middle daughter told us this morning) as Boxing Day. My kids thought this was a celebration of those who box as a sport. They were surprised at the true meaning of Boxing Day.

On this day boxes of food are to be delivered to the needy, and in days gone by were given to servants from their employers. The spirit of Wenceslaus is demonstrated so that the entire community may celebrate with joy the manifestation of the Good News.

Often churches organize the day to particularly serve the physical and spiritual needs of their neighbors and thus demonstrate that the Scriptural injunctions to exercixse Word and Deed compassion are still in full force.

After reading this account in Christmas Spirit, we were struck with what we want our future church to do on Dec. 26. For all our talk about following historical precedents, I think this is one of those very visible ways to show the true gospel.

Kerry

category:

History
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December 26, 2005 - St. Stephens Day

Today is St. Stephen's Day, in honor of Stephen the first martyr of the Christian faith. This morning we read his story in Acts 6, 7, & 8.

Stephen was killed because of his convictions about the revelationof Christ in the world. Indeed, according to the Book of Acts, he was the very first martyr of the Christian faith. For centuries, Christians have remembered his faithfulness on the day after Christmas, December 26. It is a day for selfless care for the needy, the despised, and the unloved.
taken from Christmas Spirit

Kerry

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History
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December 21, 2005 - Star of Bethlehem Website & Presentations

Over the past few years I have posted each Christmas about a

fascinating presentation of the Star of Bethlehem. My kids

remarked a few days ago that they missed not seeing it this year.

Actually, we are in the process of having it presented in Idaho

next Christmas season. If you have never seen Rick’s Star of

Bethlehem presentation, you MUST go see it. If you are in the

Houston or College Station area, there is still time for you.

Click here to read Rick’s website and get presentation times/dates

Kerry

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History
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December 11, 2005 - History Project with Lion, Witch & Wardrobe

This is part of TOS Unit Study Newsletter. Enjoy!

“Once there were four children whose names were Peter, Susan, Edmund and Lucy. This story is about something that happened to them when they were sent away from London during the war because of the air-raids.”

—The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe, chapter one

Why Were the Children Away from Home?

During World War II, England was faced with war on its doorstep. The advent of fighter planes and bombers meant that civilians were not safe at home while soldiers fought England's enemies in France, Germany, and beyond, especially since part of the strategy of the German army was to attack civilians and thus weaken the morale of Germany's opponents. When England became engaged in the war, this danger was known, and heavy causalities were predicted among the civilian population, particularly in London. As the center of government and the most populous English city, London was often targeted for attack. Though the civilian loss of life was not as great as originally predicted, it was still quite heavy.

On September 1, 1939, two days before war was declared in England, efforts began to evacuate over 1 million children from London and the more populous areas of England. Many were sent to live with relatives or with foster families in the countryside, in Cornwall, and in Scotland. More than 16,000 were sent overseas, though some of these children died in enemy attacks en route. Despite the efforts at evacuation, the war took its ghastly toll. More than one in ten air raid victims were children under the age of 16. Official estimates place the child death toll during the war at 7,736. In addition, 7,622 were seriously wounded in the attacks. Including adults, more than 60,595 civilians were killed by enemy action in Great Britain during the war, with another 86,182 seriously injured.

The fictitious Pevensie children (Pevensie is Lucy, Susan, Edmund, and Peter's surname) were placed with an eccentric but wise professor who lived in a large house in the country. According to Douglas Gresham, C.S. Lewis himself harbored some children during the war effort. In fact, the Professor Digory character (who appears in several Narnian tales) shares many characteristics with Lewis himself.

The study of The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe may be a good opportunity to learn more about the terrible events that surrounded World War II. Perhaps it will even give your children a new perspective on how thankful they should be for our present (though tenuous) level of security. The links below provide good starting places to learn more about the role of children in England during this terrible conflict. If you wish to see another film that depicts this, you may want to rent the recent film version of Five Children and It based on the fantasy classic by E. Nesbit. Though in the book version the children are not evacuated, the film adaptation makes use of this element as part of the plot and gives another touching portrait of the fears and discomforts that the evacuated children endured.

Internet Links:

The Evacuation of Children During World War II (lots of pictures—great site!)
http://www.woodlands-junior.kent.sch.uk/Homework/war/evacuation.htm

The Children's War (a BBC site)
http://www.bbc.co.uk/london/yourlondon/1945/childrens_war.shtml

Excerpts from How We Lived Then: A History of Everyday Life During the Second World War
http://www.johndclare.net/wwii6b_blitz_longmate.htm

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History
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October 26, 2005 - Teaching Truth Quest History to Multi-Ages

I've received a few e-mail about using Truth Quest History with a variety of ages. Here's a response I sent.

I started with the Middle Ages several years ago and we are starting it again this week. I would gear your history towards the 5^th grader and find books to read aloud to the K. The older guides do have some easy books listed. The info in the guide will probably be too much for the K, but he/she can still listen as you read to both of them. At such a young age, I would say that simply reading aloud is as much history as you need in K.

Most of all, teach towards the oldest and read aloud to the younger ones.a

Kerry

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History
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October 25, 2005 - Worldview in History

I was reading some of the principle approach and worldview posts on one of my loops and thought I’d share what has worked for our family.

I have used Truth Quest History for the past 5 or so years. It is an excellent tool to study history chronologically from a Biblical worldview. I have tried several other history curricula, but none of them measure up to the content in TQ. Someone was asking for questions to study the Biblical worldview. I’ll share the questions that I ask my kids as we study societies in history. These are discussed over & over throughout all TQ guides.

Who is God?

Who, then, is mankind?

These are the questions that you can ask of any civilization or society to determine their worldview. We just finished reading about the Roman empire and discussing their Big 2 Beliefs. We saw that the Romans god was the emperor (government). They truly believed that the emperor would save them. You should read the greeting sent to Augustus on his birthday, near the time of Christ. It even uses the words “good tidings”. Because of their belief in the emperor/government, they looked to the government to determine the value of humans. If the government did not value men, then those guys were dispensable. Just look at the gladiatorial games. This is just a very quick summary of the Roman’s worldview. From here, we can compare their worldview with a Biblical worldview.

For me, these two questions help us analyze any time period of history to determine specifics about their worldview. If you want to read my review of TQ, you can see it at Truth Quest History

Kerry

category:

History
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October 3, 2005 - British History Site - Kings & Queens

This site is fabulous. We just finished reading the Ecclesiastical History of England, by Bede. This site is a great visual for the kings of that time.

Plus, you will find the rest of the English Kings & Queens.

http://www.paradoxplace.com/Perspectives/Chronologies/Genealogies/English_Monarchs/English_monarchs.htm
http://www.cidadevirtual.pt/poge/kings/index.html

If you have other history sites, please share!

Kerry

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History
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September 9, 2005 - New Orleans is like Ancient Rome

The first thing we did, academically, on our first day of school is review Ancient Rome. I picked up my TruthQuest History Guide for Ancient Rome and read a few pages that we covered last year. I had not previewed those pages in order to have a discussion. WOW, I was so excited the way God worked out the pages I was reading. Let me tell you about it.

From the "Reality Check-The Poverty of Rome" section of Ancient Rome TruthQuest History guide

...the Romans were becoming quite worldly, thus indebtedness increased, and the huge number of slaves changed teh way Romans lived. . .Too, it was hard for little farmers and businessmen (small businesses) to compete with the nobles who produced goods using cheap slave labor and thus charged lower prices (big business). Skills and productivity dripped away. The Roman people figured that if the government was so rich, it ought to cough up the money to feed and entertain everyone. The people cared less and less about participating in government, especially since their tiny fractional votes were of so little value (sound familiar?)....

...Yes, I did earlier say the Romans started out with a good system of laws. But no legal system can stem the tide of sin if people aren't willing to be self-governing, which means doing the right thing without being forced to , simply because it honors God and is good for others. (beginning to tie into New Orleans)

...And the wrongdoer didn't learn his lesson sice there were no consequences. Thus, without self-government or fear of punishment, the Romans soon become lawless. (Superdome, New Orleans just happened over the weekend) Remember, Romans 13:3-4 tells governments to protect good citizens and punish evildoers. The government of Rome wasn't doing either! (neither was the police force of New Orleans as they were attacked)

You must learn something from this! Whenever bad government is not righted, there are only two eventual outcomes: chaos/anarachy or tyranny/dictatorship. Chaos ususally comes first, then a tyrant takes over, who is tolerated because people can't endure the chaos!

Comments in parenthesis are mine!

WWe discussed this as I read and at dinner last Tuesday night. Now, I was not saying New Orleans would have a dictator soon, but we can easily see the chaos produced from the lack of self-government and the lack of punishment for wrong-doers.

History DOES repeat itself!

Kerry

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History
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September 9, 2005 - First Week of School

Our first week of homeschooling was great. Getting back into the swing of a schedule was easier than we expected. Only my 12yo is having a rough time because he has a latin class MWF and football practice every afternoon at 3pm. The time in between the two is his time to work on his own studies. I think it is excellent training because I was probably too easy on him since he was the youngest. Now he has a male latin teacher at a half-day boys school and a football coach telling him what to do. YEA for men involved in young guys' lives.

I am enjoying my reading with the girls. This week we are reading through Bede. Do you know who he is? Bede wrote a church history of England. He begins his book around 300 and goes to 700ish. It is great because it gives more than just church history. I have learned all sorts of things about Rome and its church, as well as the very early kings of England. I didn't know anything really about Britain's history. It is so fascinating to see how the gospel came to Britain through Augustine's arrival in Kent. From the south of the island it spread to the Northumbrians in the north. Many kings converted to Christianity and one outlawed the worship of idols. I had no idea the kings were so involved in a positive way with the church. Now, I just need to get back into the habit of writing in my reading journal. I'll write about that when it happens.

What are you reading this week?

Kerry

ps. The ice cream sundaes on our first day were terrific. What do you do for your first day of school?

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History
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September 3, 2005 - Art History Anyone?

Here's a great site when you are studying Art History.

http://www.metmuseum.org/toah/splash.htm

You can go to whatever civilization you are studying and pull up art from that period.

Kerry

Teaching History

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History
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September 2, 2005 - Why Study History?

We are bombarded from all sides of a technical society, that history is no longer important. As long as we can solve the technological problems of today, we will be all right. I firmly disagree with this worldview since the lessons of history hugely impact the way we live today and in the future.

In studying ancient history, you may wonder why study history if we do not know exact dates. Records are so sketchy it is difficult to firmly state when events took place. For instance, five historians are presented with a time period to investigate. All are striving for accuracy in their investigation. In the end, they will still disagree on five details about their investigation. Does this mean we should abandon our study of history? No! It's not just about dates & dead people. We need to take a broad sweep of any time period and learn the lessons of the past. Identify specific stories with a moral and philosophical impact to begin your investigation. A detective game can be played and this is what makes history so fun! Begin by hunting clues from these stories. Those clues may lead to a dead, cold trail or a hopping, hot path. Snoop around the documents. Listen to the legends and myths. Sort out what you find. History is not about dates and dead people, but about the good providence of God. As you work through your investigation, you will begin to see how God worked through that time period. He is using people throughout history for His own good and for His own glory. Look to see how the pieces fit together and you will discover God's workings.

God teaches us from the past, giving us the context to see the future and the understanding for the present.

(Above taken from George Grant's talk - Gileskirk tape on Antiquities)

Sounds great! BUT I DON'T HAVE THE TIME TO DO THIS! This is hard work and many homeschool parents do not have the time to investigate history that thoroughly. Fortunately, there are several tools that have done much of the legwork for you.

George Grant's Gileskirk Humanities - Audio or Video lectures from a distinctively Christian worldview. Includes CD-rom with all lessons, tests, projects, reading assignments, recitiations, etc. To read a short review of this program click here, or read more details about each year at Gileskirk. Receive FREE SHIPPING on this product by using the code BECK at this link.

Truth Quest History - One of my favorites. One guide for the entire family!

Each guide takes you on a tour of a specific time period, offering commentary from a Christian perspective. In adddition to the commentary, long lists of books are provided throughout the guide. Each book is labeled by the appropriate reading levels. So, you may use this guide for all different reading levels. Use this link and scroll down to see a review of this program.

Kerry

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History
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August 26, 2005 - What is Humanities?

Our humanities class is a study of a specific time period, not just history but all the aspects one can learn about that period. For instance, we finished antiquities last year. We studied the civilizations of Egypt, Mesopotamia, Israel, Greece and Rome. During each of these civilizations we learned their history, art, music, architecture, literature, businesses, philosophy, science and so on. I have chosen to study humanities when my kids are in high school. We use a core curriculum for humanities called Gileskirk, by George Grant. After listening to the first few lectures a couple of years ago, my husband and I decided that all our kids will go through this 4 year course. My husband usually listens to the audio lectures 2-3 time each year. They are that good. If you want to read more about it HERE

Kerry

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History
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August 26, 2005 - For Fun . . .

"Hey, little buddy!" Gilligan's Island premiered on CBS in 1964 today. It has reportedly not gone off the air since.

Wow!

Kerry

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History
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August 24, 2005 - Today in History

I was surprised to see so many familiar events listed in The Christian Almanac as occurring today, August 24.

1456 - First printing of Gutenberg Bible completed

1524 - Peasant's Revolt in Germany - Peasants lose and have far worse conditions

1572 - Catherine de Medici has Huguenot leader, Coligny, assassinated. St. Bartholomew's Day follows with the slaughter of an estimated 100,000 Huguenots (French Presbyterians).

1682 - William Penn acquires three counties, later becoming Delaware

1759 - Englishman William Wilberforce is born. Wilberforce becomes a Christian in 1784 and works for social reform, eventually becoming a chief spokesman against slavery.

1814 - British set fire to U. S. Capitol and White House

1847 - Charlotte Bronte dispatches Jane Eyre to a publishing house under the pseudonym of Currer Bell

1869 - Cornelius Swartwout received U. S. patent for waffle iron

1932 - Amelia Earhart is first woman to fly nonstop across the United States, from Los Angeles to Newark, New Jersey in just over 19 hours.

1965 - Communist Control Act went into effect, virtually outlawing the Communist Party in the U. S.

Pretty interesting!

Kerry

Teaching History

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History
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August 12, 2005 - Israel Putnam in the Revolution against England

One of our favorite talks at the history conference was about Israel Putnam. Who is he?, you might ask yourself. He was a real man of courage, one of those great men in history that we want our children to emulate. Putnam was a farmer in Massachusetts that immediately left his plough in the furrow, mounted his horse, and left for Cambridge when he received word of the battle at Lexington & Concord. Washington was appointed commanding general and Putnam was one of the four major-generals. Ohhh!! I didn't know that (because we don't really know our own history as well as we think we do).

Israel Putnam made that famous statement, "don't fire until you see the whites of their eyes". You see, the colonists were low on gun powder and needed to conserve until they were sure of defeating their enemy. Israel Putnam was not afraid to face battle, or death. His example sustained his men. His compassion was overwhelming, even in the face of battle. His courage was of a lion - simple, direct, genuine. He truly had a heart of mercy.

Putnam defines courage for us...doing what he is called to do in the face of fear, in the fear of the Lord. Putnam knew whom to fear . . . God!

Kerry

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History
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August 12, 2005 - Teaching History to Our Kids

If we don't tell our kids the stories and history of our American heritage, they won't know it.

This seems so obvious, but is so overlooked. If you and I don't tell our kids our version of history, someone else will tell theirs. Look at the way the US has changed its history over the years to reflect its new beliefs. It has been said that our founding fathers would turn over in their graves, if they knew what was being said about them.

So, why tell your kids the stories of history? That they will know your beliefs and your values.

Growing up, I was taught that the American Revolution was over some tea and taxes. I even taught that to my fifth-graders. Over the last several years I learned that those were only symptoms of the American Revolution. One of the biggest issues in the revolt against England was a Presbyterian revolt.

At Yorktown, all of Washington's colonels (with one exception) were Presbyterian elders. Over half the soldiers in the Continental Army were Presbyterians (and the rest were other kinds of Calvinists). The British army specially targeted Presbyterian churches because they knew that they were in the thick of it. One of the names for the war in England was the "Presbyterian revolt". The single biggest controversy in the colonies before the war was whether or not the king was going to appoint any Anglican archbishop over all the colonies. "No King But Jesus"
(taken from Doug Wilson's notes at Trinity Fest, August 2005)

You see that it does depend on who tells the stories as to what your view of history is. I, for one, want my own kids to have my view of history. . . a politically, incorrect view of history . . . a verifiable view of history.

Kerry

ps. to read and learn more about history see America: First 350 Years.

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History
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About Me

A place to interact about teaching our kids without following the conveyor belt model of the government schools. Think outside the box and provide a leadership education for your children. Other musings are included on a regular basis :-)