History

As I mentioned before, our plan for the year is history and science mini units.  Here are the details for our history mini-units!  I am SO excited about this!  We are notebooking as we go along, and we are just finishing up week 3 right now. Since I wanted to be as stress-free as possible after baby's arrival, I have made all of the copies for our notebook pages for the whole year and filed them according to chapter, made copies of all the activity sheets we will do, and all of the 50 timeline figures we will be adding to our timeline. (More about the timeline at the end of the post.)  Also, if anyone is interested in doing a similar study of early American history using the same books (or not), I would be willing to pass along the timeline figures I have put together to save you some time! Just let me know. :)

So, here goes:

Core Books:

In God We Trust- Stories of Faith in American History by Timothy Crater and Ranelda Hunsicker and

The Light and the Glory for Children and

From Sea to Shining Sea for Children by Peter Marshall and David Manuel, with accompanying activity books (these activity books are really cool and fully reproducible for the entire family!)

I got the recommendation for this book from The Boyers :

This is an AWESOME book for children, and could actually be a stand-alone text, but we are integrating it. American history from a Christian perspective, and with great character lessons along the way. This first one covers up to George Washington, and From Sea to Shining Sea picks up at 1787.

 The Plan:

-Read one chapter per week of In God We Trust, possibly more on weeks with less involved or  with related chapters (there are 50 chapters total)

-Create a timeline figure for each chapter (see pics below)

-Read accompanying section of The Light and the Glory when appropriate

-Notebooking pages for information, activity pages, 
                 coloring pages, copywork and narrations

-Mapwork, where appropriate

-Crafts and Projects for some (like Indian or Pilgrim theme, for example)

-Additional reading/ biographies (on occasion)

-Bunny trails related to chapter, when there is interest (and time)

-“Who Am I?” history cards for review games

TIMELINE

Last year I made a simple timeline, with just one line per 100 years, from creation to present. It worked fine for what we needed, and gave a nice overall picture of time. However, with adding 50+ figures this year from years 1600-1900, well, they weren't going to fit on three little lines!  So, I made a separate timeline just for American history, but I wanted to still tie it in somehow with the original timeline, so they could see the correlation, since they are still little and need that kind of visual help, so this is what I came up with:

The original timeline is on the bottom, with the new one on top:

Then I put a magnifying glass to show what part got magnified, as well as labeling the bottom of the timeline from years 1600-2000 with the same label as I put at the top of the American timeline, so hopefully they can make the connection!

History Plans,  Chapter by Chapter:

The following is a list of the subject of each chapter, with ideas for supplements and enrichment activities. I will likely add to this list as I go along. I know this is more detail than most of you care to know, but just in case anyone else would like to use a similar plan, this might save you some time and searching!
(note: my sil lent me Truthquest after I had already put together the majority of this plan, and I think it is GREAT, but then I got totally overwhelmed with TOO many ideas, so I ended up giving it back after picking out a few nice things.  I did, however, copy a few of the pages of text that I thought would be helpful to read out loud to begin certain units.)

1.     Leif Ericson – AD1000

»Read pg 2 in Truthquest

»Learn something about the Vikings:

»Leif the Lucky (Ingri & Edgar D’Aulaire)

2.     Stephen Langton -1155-1228 –LIGHT WEEK

»Obtain copy of Magna Carta to read and include in notebook

3.     Christopher Colombus -1451-1506

»Independent reading for Joshua: additional bios that we have

»Light and Glory ch 1-2 / coloring page 3-11 and GAME pg 8-9

»Notebooking page available at homeschoolerhelper.com – Colombus ships

»Sower Series biography: Christopher Colombus

4.     Valient Virginians – 1607

»Light and Glory ch 4 / coloring page 17-19

»Mapwork: Virginia

Stories of American History: ch XI

5.     Mayflower Pilgrims -1620 –LOTS! (2 weeks?)

»book: If you sailed On the Mayflower in 1620 by Ann McGovern

»Light and Glory ch 5-6 / coloring pg 20-33

»Pg 19-21 in Truthquest

»Ch 1-2 in Big American Heroes

»Notebook pg at homeschool helper: Thanksgiving Pilgrims

6.     John Winthrop 1588-1649

»Light and Glory ch 7-8 / coloring p 34-42 =Puritans – split up for R.Williams

7.     Roger Williams 1603-1683

»Mapwork: Rhode Island – notebook pg from homeschool share

»Light and Glory ch 9 and continue coloring of Puritans

»Truthquest p 32-33, 37

8.     James Oglethorpe 1696-1785 – LIGHT WEEK- combine w/ ch 9

»Bible verse: James 2:15-17

»Truthquest p. 70

»Mapwork: GA and Stories of Early GA – ch XVI in American History

9.     Calverts 1634 – LIGHT week – combine w/ ch 8

»Mapwork:Maryland

»Light and Glory: ch 3

»Talk about/ pray for persecuted Christians

10. John Eliot 1604-1690

»Bunny Trail: Indians

»Light n Glory Coloring pg 12-13

»Truthquest p 40-41,44

»Notebooking pg at homeschoolhelper: Indian boots

11. Father Jacques Marquette 1637-1676

»Mapwork: Mississippi River

»Light n Glory coloring p 14-15

»Truthquest p. 49

»Stories of American History ch XVIII

»Bunny Trail: Lewis and Clark

12. William Penn 1644-1718

»Bunny Trail: Colonial Life

»Truthquest p 62-63

»The World of William Penn by Genevieve Foster

»Hands-on: Try writing w/ a quill and ink

»Mapwork: Pennsylvania

13. Eusebio Francisco Kino 1637-1675-COMBINE w/ ch 14

»Learn something about the Pima Indians

14. Father Junipero Serra 1713-1784 –COMBINE w/ ch 13

»Mapwork: California – notebook pg from homeschool share

»Bible verse: “No one who has left mother or father…”

15. Eleazar Wheelock 1711-1779- LIGHT week

»Talk about prejudice. Bible verse:

»INSERT about French/Indian Wars also??

16. Jonathan Edwards 1703-1758

»Great Awakening: Truthquest p. 72-73, 81-83

»Light/Glory ch 10

»Trial and Triumph ch 31-35

17. John Witherspoon 1723-1794

»Learn more about the American Revolution: Truthquest p 102-104

»If You Lived At The Time Of The American Revolution (by Kay Moore)

»Coloring pg 46-48

»Big American Heroes ch 4

18. Samuel Adams 1722-1803

»Learn more about the American Revolution cont.

»Coloring pages 49-50

»Big American Heroes ch 5-6

19. Paul Revere 1735-1818

»Learn more about the American Revolution cont: Light/Glory ch 11

»Coloring pages 51-52

»Jean Fritz biography about Paul Revere

20. John Adams 1735-1826

»Learn more about the American Revolution cont-Light Glory ch 12

»Truthquest p 163

»Coloring p 53

21. Patrick Henry 1736-1799

»Notebooking page at homeschoolhelper: Revolutionary war soldiers

»Light and Glory ch 13 AND coloring p 54 and 56

»Stories of American History ch XXIII

22. John Peter Gabriel Muhlenberg 1746-1807-LIGHT week

»Bible verses: Ecc 3- a time for everything

»Big Heroes ch 7-8

23. George Washington 1732-1799

»Book: George Washington’s Breakfast – by Jean Fritz

»Light and Glory ch 14-15 AND coloring p. 55, 57-63, 67

»Notebook pg printed from consumer help web

24. Benjamin Rush 1747-1813-COMBINE with ch 25

»Doctor. Talk about how each one can use his gifts to serve the Lord.

»Big Heroes ch 9-10

25. John Jay 1745-1829 – COMBINE with ch 24

»Learn more about the American Bible Society

»Mapwork: PA and NY

26. James Madison 1751-1836

»Mapwork: Virginia

»Sea to Sea ch 5

»Copywork: quote at bottom of page 109

27. Benjamin Franklin 1706-1790

»book: Benjamin Franklin by Peter Roop and Connie Roop OR

»Benjamin Franklin by Edgar Parin and Ingri d’Aulaire

»Truthquest p 119

»Light and Glory Coloring p 64-66

»Obtain copy of preamble for notebook

»Notebook page at homeschool helper: “We The People”

28. Charles Cotesworth Pinckney 1746-1825 – LIGHT week

»Talk about bribes. Bible verse:

»Mapwork: South Carolina and France

»Big Heroes ch 11-12

29. Abigail Adams 1744-1814

»Talk about what a good wife is/ does

»Bible verses for copywork from text: 1 Kings 3:9 and Luke 19:42

»Sower Series Biography

30. John Marshall 1755-1835

»Talk about what a judge is/ does

»Sea to Sea ch 6

31. Francis Scott Key 1779-1843

»Learn the Star Spangled Banner!

»Sea to Sea ch 7-8

»Big Heroes ch 13-14

32. John Quincy Adams 1767-1848

»Talk about being a pleasing son. Bible verse:

»Mapwork: Europe. Trace their travels there.

»Sea to Sea ch 9

33. Pilgrims of Hawaii 1819-1841- LIGHT week

»Mapwork: Hawaii – notebook page from homeschool share

»Big Heroes ch 15

34. Charles Grandison Finney 1792-1875

»Review the Ten Commandments

»Sea to Sea ch 13

»Mapwork: Ohio

»Big Heroes ch 16

35. Noah Webster  1758-1843

»Learn more about using a dictionary; Practice!

»Talk about the importance of words: Bible verse:

»Big Heroes ch 17

36. Samuel Finley Breese Morse 1791-1872

»Learn more about the morse code. Try it!

»Book we have on messanging:

»Big Heroes ch 18

37. Missionaries on Oregon Trail 1836-1874

»Bunny Trail on Pioneer Life –Truthquest p 169, pg 83 and book: Children of the Covered Wagon by  Mary Jane Carr

»Sea to Sea ch 14, ch 2

»Notebooking page at homeschooler helper: covered wagon

»Trace the Oregon Trail on a map – notebook pg from homeschool share

38. Daniel Webster 1782-1852

»book: If you lived at the time of the Civil War – Kay Moore

»The First Book of the Civil War by Dorothy Levenson

»Copywork: quote on page 157

39. Elijah Parish Lovejoy 1802-1837

»Talk about the many ways we can share our faith

»Talk about suffering/dying for our faith

40. Frederick Douglass 1817-1895 - LOTS (2 weeks?)

»Learn about slavery- Truthquest p. 76

»Light and Glory ch 15

»Sea to Sea ch 1, ch 10-11, ch 16

»If You Lived When There Was Slavery in America (by Anne Kamma)

»Fredrick Douglass : Freedom Fighter by Lillie Patterson

»Notebook pg printed from consumer help web

»Copywork: quote on pg 165 sidebar

41. Sojourner Truth 1797-1883

»The Lord is with us, even in hard times. Bible verse:

»If You Traveled on the Underground Railroad  (by Ellen Levine)

42. Abraham Lincoln 1809-1865

»Read Emancipation Proclamation and include in notebook

»Notebook pg: White House from notebookingpages.com

43. Robert Edward Lee 1807-1870

»Sower series biography OR

»America’s Robert E. Lee by Henry S. Commager

»Notebooking page at homeschooler helper: confederate soldier

44. Clara Harlowe Barton 1821-1912

»Learn more about the Red Cross

»Bible verse: “Inasmuch as you’ve done it…”

45. Hiram Revels 1827-1901

»Mapwork: MS, NC, IN, OH, MD, MO, DC (trace life travels)

»Discuss how blacks rights were limited, even after slavery ended with book: Up From Slavery by Booker T. Washington

46. James Garfield 1831-1881

»Copywork: quote on page 196

47. Frances Elizabeth Willard 1839-1898

»Mapwork :WI, IL

»Talk about liquor and its effects. Bible vs: Prov 23:32

48. Francis Bellamy 1856-1931

»Notebooking page at homeschool helper: flags

»Memorize the Pledge of Allegiance

»Book: The Pledge of Allegiance (we have)

49. Mary McLeod Bethune 1875-1955

»Copywork: quote from pg 209-210 about flowers

»Bible verse: Jn 3:16 “God so loved ALL the world…”

50. Katherine Lee Bates 1859-1929

»Learn to sing America the Beautiful

»Find pictures of Pike’s Peak for notebook

»Mapwork: CO, including Pikes Peak

Lastly, I just wanted to share a couple of wonderful books I found to supplement our studies:

First, a garage sale treasure! An original 1917 publication of stories of American history!

And last but not least, a great little book that I also got from the Boyers about American heroes, many of them children!

It's been a week since Erika's high school graduation open house.  Since I have another one graduating from homeschool next year, I've been thinking about how it all went, and what I might do differently in the future.

What Worked:

• waiting until July -- there are SO many open houses in late May and most of June!  I wanted to be able to go to as many of them as we could.  Plus, I didn't want people to feel forced to choose between "us" and "them"!
• having it from 4-7 p.m.  It was wonderful to have the whole day for all the last  minute preparations.
• ordering Erika a diploma, tassel, invitations and a few little extras from homeschooldiploma.com  Since she didn't get to participate in a "real" graduation, these things really made her feel like she had "finished".  Our order was pretty inexpensive, came in 4 days and was perfect!
• deciding to go with meatballs vs. hot dogs and smoked sausages on the grill.  Way less fussy (no need for condiments, buns, etc.), and lots less work for my hubby, who would have been standing at the grill half the time.
• chopping all the vegetables for the macaroni, potato and broccoli salad on Thursday.  I spent about 1-1/2 hours washing, peeling and chopping and bagging onions, green/red/yellow peppers, celery, radishes and broccoli and another couple of hours boiling/peeling/cubing potatoes, eggs, and pasta.  It was so worth it when I got ready to put together the salads on Friday!  Once the salads were made I put them in gallon-sized ziplock bags.  On Saturday, I filled up the disposable aluminum pans and put the rest of the bags on ice in a cooler under the food table.
• accepting help when it was offered.  My friend made a beautiful, HUGE fresh fruit salad and two of my sister-in-laws brought pasta salad and baked beans.  Between the three of them they saved me hours of work!
• letting Erika put together her "shrine" (what we called her table of memorabilia and pictures!).  I specified a few things that had to be included, but she did the rest, again saving me hours plus she really enjoyed showing people her hand-picked memories.

What Didn't Work:

• the budget.  We figured it would cost around $350.  It ended up being much closer to $500.  Ouch!
• the weather.  It rained.  Fortunately we had 2 canopies and a screen tent, but it was still soggy, and once the rain stopped it was muggy and mosquito-y!  We had to move the "shrine" inside, but we have a big house, so it worked okay.
• using only one invitation for the entire church family, and one for hubby's work.  Some people didn't come because they didn't see the invitation, and a few were offended that they didn't get a personal one.
• estimating how much food we needed.  Actually for the most part, we did okay, but we ended up with WAY WAY WAY too much macaroni salad!!  Note to self: 1/2 bag of pasta from Gordon's will make enough to feed 150 people!!
• the cake.  Don't get me wrong, it was beautiful!  One side had a picture of Erika at age 2 or so, the other side had a graduation picture (both in edible frosting).  I didn't want to cut it!!  However, Erika's colors were black and silver, so the frosting around the edge/bottom of the cake was also.  I can't tell you how many people walked around with purple lips and gray teeth after eating a piece!  (I didn't have any ... LOL!)
• not asking for help with the clean-up.  By 9:30 when the last guests left, we were beat!  We still had to put away all the food, wash all the dishes, clean up all the trash, take down all decorations, tables and chairs (they belonged to the church and had to be back that night).  We left the "shrine" and the canopies for the next afternoon, but it was still after midnight before we could sit down.
• not having extra batteries for my camera.  I had to rely on a couple of relatives to get good pictures for me.  :o(

All in all it was a wonderful day.  It was so enjoyable to see everyone, many whom I haven't seen in years!  Erika came away encouraged and blessed by the many who were there.

Thanks to everything who left encouraging and affirming comments after reading of my encounter with the very rude woman at the grocery store.  There were also some thought-provoking comments as well.

One commenter suggested that the woman's experiences growing up might have informed her opinion of large families, and having thought about it, I agree that's probably the case.  She was an older black woman, and we are in an area that is somewhat "depressed".  It is very common here for people to have large families.  The unfortunate part is that these "families" are not really cohesive families.  Quite a few men may have 7 or 10 children (or more), but rarely that many with one woman.  Likewise, a woman might have five children, with each child having a different father.  Our neighbor is one of at least ten children, but both his mother and his father have multiple children with multiple other people.  So, in that context, a large family might well be a big problem.

Also, clearly the woman grew up in an era much different from ours, and certainly must have had experience with segregation and discrimination. Although racism still exists (and always will, likely, in different forms), society has changed, but she may not have recognized that. 

The more I think about it, the gladder I am that I didn't respond unkindly to her.  Clearly, she was speaking out of some hurt in her own life.  I don't think she was correct in her conclusions about us, but I do think she probably had experiences that made those conclusions reasonable, at least to her. 

   I've just had a call from my Mom. There is a homeschooling family that goes to their small church who have nine wonderful children. Their four year old was running across their wooded lot towards the house and he ran behind his Dad's car as he was backing out down the drive and he was run over!

   He was evidently concious when they headed off to the hospital, but it is really serious. Please pray for this family and especially for little Jesse! Please pray that God spares his life and allows him to return home to his parents loving arms!

   I'll try and keep you all posted as and when I get any further news from Mom. Thanks everyone! We know that prayer changes things - thanks for storming the gates of heaven with us!

Take a peek at this blog post about how our government is giving even more of our tax-payer dillars to Planned Parenthood. This time it's snuck to P.P. through the WIC program (The Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children )! Take a look at what we are funding through the WIC program. Ugh....

As is my usual habit (it may well be a dumb habit), I picked up this book randomly from the library’s new book shelf.  Based on the title, and the summary, I thought it would be interesting.  I realized from the summary that the author certainly held a very, very liberal theology (“bringing back the female side of God”) but I thought there might be a few good points.  I certainly recognize that folks of every stripe have hijacked the name of Jesus to promote their own doctrines, and Christianity is plagued with false teachers, hucksters, and hypocrites.  It was clear that I would end up disagreeing with many of the author’s conclusions.  That is generally not a problem for me, as I love a good debate, even if I’m holding it with a book.  

Unfortunately, what I hoped would be a well thought-out, persuasive, interesting book turned out to be poorly written screed against all things evangelical and conservative.  Mcelvaine either misunderstands or deliberately misinterprets evangelical beliefs and what it means to be a Biblical literalist.  He rightly points out the insanity in certain segments of Christianity which proclaim to the world that “God wants us to be rich!”  He rightly reminds us of the social teachings of the Gospel, a principal one being caring for the poor in a self-sacrificial way.   He is rightly outraged by the hypocrisy of calling something a perversion from the pulpit while engaging in that very behavior in private life.  He is absolutely correct that such things are corruptions of the Gospel.

Sadly, that's as far as reason goes in the book.  The bulk of the book is written with constant, very dull-witted attempts at word play and punning.  He might as well have stamped in red ink “I hate Bush” on every page, for the number of times he manages to work in his disdain for our President (which respectful title is notably missing throughout the book in favor of the sneering ‘George W. Bush’ or ‘thief-in-chief’).  Dr. James Dobson gets similar treatment, oddly (and wrongly) lumped in with televangelist snake-oil salesmen.  Mcelvaine does exactly what he accuses evangelicals of, at the opposite extreme.  His book reads like Anne Coulter’s would if she were liberal instead of conservative.  Grand Theft Jesus is full of the broad-brushed generalizations and name-calling that it condemns from Ms. Coulter and other conservative authors.  He misinterprets (whether it’s intentional or not) beliefs and twists them in order to fit his assumptions of evangelical Christians and social conservatives.  He exaggerates, misrepresents, and denigrates wildly and in many instances undeservedly.  In some cases the book is downright deceptive about the beliefs of certain high-profile Evangelicals.  Anyone who has listened to Focus on the Family or read any of Dr. Dobson’s materials would know that he most certainly does not preach against contraception as a universal evil, and does not believe that women must spend their lives barefoot, pregnant, and miserable.  FotF will not even outright condemn the Pill, asserting that there is no real proof that it is abortifacient (How do I know this?  I emailed and asked them directly)  Yet, reading the book, one would have no choice but to assume that Dobson believes and teaches such things.  

Some of Mcelvaines "facts" are either patent lies or tortuous stretching of the truth.  From reading the book, one might imagine Timothy McVeigh was a fundamentalist or evangelical Christian.  Maggie Gallagher has a good explanation for why that's an untruth.   And even a passing knowledge of McVeigh gives no impression of any kind of Christianity whatsoever.  The statements he made and the literature he was interested in point strongly towards agnosticism.  Likewise, Fred Phelps is presented in the book as only slightly worse than James Dobson, the implication being that Dobson is a quiet but vicious hater, while Phelps takes his hatred to the streets with great noise and gusto. 

Mcelvaine condemns evangelicals for picking and choosing which portions of the Bible they take literally and seriously, while he himself does the very same thing, and worse.  He assumes that “free grace” is “cheap grace” to all of us, and decides that because we believe we cannot be saved by works, we therefore do not believe good works matter at all.  

What I find absolutely fascinating is that Grand Theft Jesus completely ignores some of the most high-profile and well known “name it and claim it” wealth preachers out there.  At first, when I noticed this, I thought, “Surely not!”  I combed through the book, and through the index, looking for names of folks that I know preach that God wants us all to be wealthy.  How odd that I did not see the name of T.D. Jakes, Juanita Bynum, or Eddie Long.  Do you know what the common denominator is?  They’re all “minorities”, or “people of color”.  According to Mcelvaine's definition of “Christianity Lite” these people should be on the top 10 of worst offenders.  Yet somehow, they escape even a mention in the book.  Is Mcelvaine only brave enough to pick on elderly  (in one case, deceased) white males?  Are minorities immune from criticism?  And since he roundly lambasted various right-wing folks for intimating that 9/11 and Katrina might be God’s judgment, why did he not also condemn the Reverend Jeremiah Wright for doing exactly the same thing?  Surely Mcelvaine did not somehow miss the widely broadcast “God #@$% America” sermon from Wright’s pulpit.  

This obvious bias, packaged with the constant forced attempts at humor, twisting of hymns, revision of Scripture (to mirror Mcelvaine’s assumptions of what conservatives believe), and general poor writing made the book not worth reading, unless one likes to chuckle at the literary antics of the ignorant.  Grand Theft Jesus reads more like a series of hate-blog rants than a well-researched and well-considered book.  It’s really a shame, because had Mcelvaine gotten past the fog of his own bias and rage, he could have taken the concept in a very different and much more valid direction.

Can summer reading, you know the romance novel on the beach type book you love to put in the mix of all te homeschool how to books we read, bring a depth to your faith walk? I really love historical fiction and although my favorites tend to be Francine Rivers and Bodie Theon, I have just discovered Liz Curtis Higgs the fiction writer. I love her Bad Girls Bible Studies and am even teacing one of them in the fall. Discovering her fiction Stories and the Online Bible Study that goes with it makes it the perfect Beach book.

So the one I am reading is called "Grace in Thine Eyes". It is set in Bonny Scotland in the year 1808 about a young girl name Davina. So where are the similarities and the Biblical references? This is a modern day story of Dinah, with loads of twists and turns.

On Liz Curtis Higgs Website you can find a downloadable Bible study. Information about the Storyline HERE and a discussion guide for a book club Here

Now I am sure you are wondering why this is my Show and tell. Well, because Mike and I and two of our youngest grandchildren are going camping next week, that is why this is my show and tell. We have found a place that is pretty smokeless and we are taking the current window and heading out to the wilderness. I am bringing this book for my enjoyment! You know that moment when you have hiked as far as one can , climbed every rock in the park ,swam in the icy lake and climbed every tree playing fairies in the glen so that the granddaughters actually take a nap and I can read? Okay so it is a pipe dream, but I am bringing it just incase.

I hope you have a wonderful restful moment atleast once during the summer where you can escape in the pages of a good book. Next week I should have pictures of mine!

Show and Tell is Hosted by CanadaGirl and is one of my favorite times to blog. Canadagirl is just waiting for you to join us, so come on by.We love the company!

Good Morning World!  I had a wonderful night of sleep in my new bed!  Here it is!  Dh installed it last night:

He and a friend pulled all of the wood from the woods around here and built it from scratch.  His friend had built beds like this before, and so taught dh how to do it.  If you remember seeing dd10's bed, the railings in our loft and the railings on our front deck and steps, dh's friend also made these.  Cool, eh?

I hope you enjoyed this show and tell.  You can click on the image above if you'd like to see more similar show and tells.

Resting in His Faithfulness,

Carol