Both Zach and Abby participated in the following units:

• American Revolution
• Continental Congress
• Electoral Process
• Bubbleology
• Chemistry
• States and Regions
• Native American History

They have also studied

• Math
• Spelling
• Grammar
• Composition
• Reading/Phonics
• Handwriting
• Bible
• Music
• Art

The following entries serve as a review of all of our unit studies. Any additional papers/projects will be shown with materials brought to you.

Thanks!

We  started off Konos with bang this year- the American Revolution. It has been a great unit for everyone, although Zach and Abby may tell you differently.

After talking about the various taxes that parliament imposed on the colonists, we decided to step back in time and see what life was like during the 1760's. Actually, I decided. Our "colonists" were not happy. Especially because I was the queen. Our king was out on military manuevers.

As queen, the paper tax, beverage tax (except water), and transportation tax were given out. Being the smart colonists that they are, they thought I was kidding...then they thought I would give the money back... then complained, got angry, incensed and eventually complained to the king(via cell phone) They were sure the king would see the lunacy of these taxes and that all would be back to normal.

Next day, more of the same. More accusations, more disrespect, and more frustration. I even got a few "notes" along the way.

 Zach decided to boycott. However, he needed papers that I had copied for him for grammar. He had to finally give in and pay the paper tax so he could complete his work. He did settle for water where Doodles was willing to pay for milk.

Next day, to their surprise the taxes continued. Not so bad except they needed a ride to church. Transportation tax collected. By this point, Zach was convinced that I was doing this for the rest of the year and he would have no money left. Abby threatened to tell the parents of her friends so they would all be mad at me. They were getting it. They just weren't expressing it.

Finally the next day, with some guided discussion, Zach was able to tell me it wasn't fair because they had no one to stick up for them.

 BINGO!  Taxation without representation. ZAch and Abby were sent off to prepare an "educated argument" as to why the taxes were unfair. They came back shortly telling me that the taxes were unfair because they had been enforced without anyone looking out for their best interest. Not bad.

I did keep the taxes. It would have weakened the value of the lesson to have given them back. We're going to use them to do something for the entire colony (family).

Now what can I do with $0.90 ?!?    

We are completely in the throws of the Revolutionary War.   

Common Sense has been written... 

The "Mohawks" have been rallied in Boston Harbor...

( still can't figure out how to rotate that video    )

Lanterns have been made... 

Battle plans drawn up for Lexington, Concord and Bunker Hill... 

Boston sieged... 

And now... independence has been declared!

According to Zach's newest madlib, America has been liberated from "Oz" and has the right to life, liberty and the pursuit of "bumpy buttocks!"

We also have made a wonderful "Art Gallery" with our timeline. It has really helped everything gel together.

I know I say this every time but this really has been the best unit yet!!

What incredible dreams our founding fathers had for our country. I have been amazed, and saddened at times, at how much I have learned during this unit. I believe, as a nation, we have forgotten so much. We often think we have "new" ideas and they really aren't different from what they were struggling with over 200 years ago.

We wrapped up our American Revolution / Continental Congress / Electoral Process unit last night. This was a very long but valuable unit. We were really able to step back in time and see how the colonists lived and how they thought.

I've already shared about how we learned about King George's taxes. Abby kept confusing Boston with England, so she made her own map to help her. I love the drawings of the two Georges! 

 I've also shared about the Boston Tea party, making lanterns and the seige of Boston. Zach made a map Paul Revere's ride to Lexington. We especially enjoyed learning about him sneaking by the Somerset. 

We also had fun acting out the Boston Massacre with paper snowballs. It was interesting learning the facts  and how over two hundred years ago the political agenda was sensationalized.

Not quite what happened, Mr. Revere!

We all found the Declaration of Independence fascinating. We found a wonderful book The Declaration of Independence: The Words That Made America by Sam Fink. Mr. Fink illustrated every phrase. It made it so easy to understand. Zach and Abby both memorized part of the preamble.

"We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain inalienable rights, that among these are life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness."

We studied many key people : Nathan Hale, Henry Knox, Marquis de Lafayette, Ethan Allen and Benedict Arnold, but Daniel Morgan was one of Zach's favorites. He loved the ideas of using turkey calls to communicate. We even made up a little song to the tune of "Joshua fought the Battle of Jericho."

"Daniel Morgan fought the battle at Freeman's Farm, Freeman's Farm, Freeman's Farm.Daniel Morgan fought the battle at Freeman's Farm when he used his turkey calls."

We made powder horns and ammo pouches that were similar to Daniel Morgan's.

They both have used their pouches. Zach fills his pouch with his knife and survival supplies for when he's outside.

We also read about the first flag that was prescribed. We tried our hands at five point stars. 

We then moved on to Valley Forge. This was a very eye opening time for all of us. We couldn't believe how the colonists treated the Continental Army. It was hard to read about the merchants not accepting the colonial money but working freely with the British Army. We watched The Winter of Red Snow: The Revolutionary War Story of Abigail Jane Stewart, Valley Forge, PA, 1777 . It's an age appropriate portrayal of Valley Forge.  We also studied about Baron von Steuben. Bear really liked him too. We learned how to roll cartidges just like Von Steuben taught the Continental Army.

We kept up with the battles but the one that stood out with Zach was the Battle at Cowpens. Once again Daniel Morgan showed his strategical genius when he set up his troops for battle. The British didn't stand a chance and Zach loved it!

We finally moved on to Yorktown. What an amazing victory!

Throughout this part of the unit we kept up with our timeline 

and our photo gallery

As we saw the country gain independence, we also watched the government unfold. We learned about

• The Articles of Confederation
• The Virginia Plan
• The New Jersey Plan
• The Great Compromise

We learned about the Constitution and how it establishes the three branches of government ,

how representation of the people was such a "tug of war" until the Great Compromise,

and the roles that James Madison, Alexander Hamilton, and Ben Franklin played in the forming of the Constitution. We were amazed at the precautions that the delegates took to have this document worded properly, and to not have it "leaked" to anyone. Bear found it especially amusing that the delegates often "babysat" Ben Franklin to ensure that he didn't spill the beans.

We also learned about

• the states ratifying the constitution
• the rewording of the preamble
• the bill of rights

Zach and Abby also memorized the preamble to the Constitution. We got a little help from

SCHOOLHOUSE ROCK !

 That DVD was a staple in our house these last few months. 

We then moved on to our current electoral process. It was actually tied in with quite a bit of the Constitutional Convention. We made lapbooks of the info we learned.

We learned about the role of the president and what we expect from a president. We also discussed what the bible says about a godly leader.

We then went on to have our own election with another homeschool family. They were vying for the presidency of the Home's Cool Nation. The students were divided into two parties and a candidate was selected from each party.

Zach represented the Declaration Party. The other party was the Eraser Party.

 Zach's mascot was the cheetah.

The Declaration Party built their platform and decided on their cabinet,

 prepared campaign speeches, and then began campaigning. 

The next day we made our voting poll booths. The candidates read their speeches one last time, registered to vote ...

 and then headed to the polls...

This was a great experience. It was a tie with popular vote due to a write in vote. However, Zach won with the electoral process. Each vote was assigned a value based on their age. Youngest groups vote counted as one, oldest group counted as five.

Acceptance and concession speeches were given and then we partied!!!

I highly recommend this unit. They've all been good but this ranks up their as one of the best.

We are done with history for awhile- next stop: bubbleology!

The Creation Museum was amazing. There is soooo much to it. You definitely need a whole day to see everything.

 First stop: Men in White  and Buddy Bell concert

He was wonderful! Everyone enjoyed his show! It was nice to see Zach kick back and enjoy it. 

We also got to see Ken Hamm briefly 

I know the pictures are dark but I wasn't sure of the flash policy and didn't really want to disrupt others.

The museum was very well layed out. It was just amazing the time and thought they put into it.

They compared the Bible to science( Lucy)

Walked through the Bible~

Names of God 

Sin entered the world 

Abby looking at King David 

Looking at a model of the ark

and real life scale

There was a fascinating dinosaur section. I realized as I was showing the pictures to my mom that I had a lot of dinosaur pics. I'll spare you and just show you a few...

We also got to walk to Bethlehem.

First we received coins to pay our taxes.

( I think putting coins on your eyes is a sign of genius, isn' it? )

We had to pay them to the Roman soldiers- this one of the "nicer" looking ones: 

We met a shepherd, Joseph, Mary and baby Jesus 

We also walked through the marketplace

After a great but long day, we headed back to our hotel. It was a great hands on way to experience all that God has done for us!

Both Abby and Zach studied Bubbleology and Chemistry this year. They both have a notebook recording the results of their experiments.

For Abby's chemistry she used My First Chemistry Kit. Her experiments included:

• The Case of the disappearing Powders: identifying liquids/ solids; identify which substances (salt, pepper,sugar, citric acid, and baking soda) would dissolve in water
• Acid, Neutral or Base: identifying characteristics of each, then identifying the solutions from the previous experiment using litmus paper
• Salt in Cold and Hot Water: comparing how much salt will dissolve in cold water vs. how much salt will dissolve in hot water
• Will the Salt Come Back?: Placing cold and hot salt water solutions into respective petri dishes and letting them sit out for a week. Observing results.
• Jiggly Chemistry: Observing the results when a mystery powder (gelatin) is dissolved into hot water

Zach took a different route by using a textbook: Real-Science-4-Kids Chemistry Level 1. Each week he read a chapter, did a review page and completed the corresponding experiment. He has lab that has been completed as well.

Zach's lessons consisted of:

• matter
• molecules
• chemical reactions
• acids,bases and pH
• acid base neutralization
• mixtures
• separating mixtures
• energy molecules
• polymers
• biological polymer,DNA and proteins

One of Zach's favorite experiments is where he made his own litmus paper by boiling cabbage

coating coffee filter strips with the cabbage water 

and then testing different substances

It was interesting watching him predict what would happen to the strips and seeing how long it took each strip to change, if it did.

Spending the day at the WV Capitol Building was an incredible experience. We were able to do some double duty because the Department of Natural Resources was set up there also! We kicked off the day by checking out the different displays and animals provided by the DNR. 

They also had some live animals that you could pet...

and learn about their life cycle, habitat, and food chains.

They also had booths where they could learn about and identify different plant life and wildlife. 

They also played games about clean water, recycling, and animal track identification.

Our day didn't end there though. Soon after seeing all of the DNR displays, we met Mr. Bill Anderson, our Wood County Representative. He gave us a person tour of the house of representatives. He explained the seating chart for the representatives, how committees were formed, parliamentary procedure and voting procedures.

He then took us up to the Speaker of the House's desk and showed us how the electronic voting is displayed. He also explained how the Speaker of the House addresses the members of the House. He also touched on voting ettiquette and differences the two parties have had with each other. 

After the tour of the House of Repesentatives, Mr. Anderson went on to his committee meeting and we went on to the Senate! We didn't get as personal a tour but we were able to talk to two Senators briefly who explained the difference between the Senate and the House. 

This was a great review of our electoral process unit from this fall.

On our way out, we stopped at the Governor's office. We reviewed his role, his powers, and what he has done for our state. Of course, we had to take a photo op from his press release podeum! 

This day turned into a great day reviewing our previous lessons and seeing first hand how the system works. It was also encouraging to see our leaders taking the time to meet with our future.

This has been a very loooong unit, but good none the less. We started off with learning the general regions of the United States: Atlantic States, Southern States, Great Lake States, Midwest States, Rocky Mountain States, Pacific States, and Southwest States. We used different maps and puzzles to accomplish this. 

After learning the general regions, we focused on each region learning about specific facts ( area, population,date of statehood) symbols, state motto, industries and crops. This was a great opportunity for them to learn research skills. We used a state "birth announcement" for each state and they worked together to fill in the blanks of this announcement using library books and websites. Although they found this "boring," they were soon able to complete the "announcements" independently.

We also studied the Native American life of each region. This is where the "fun" began. They learned about daily life, homes, foods, and characteristics unique to each region.

We started with the Plains Indians. They learned how the buffalo was essential to their lifestyle. They were able to identify how various parts ( hide, hair, hoof, heart, brains) were used in daily life. Nothing was wasted. They learned how the hides were tanned and used as clothing and tee pee making. They made their own teepee as well.

Zach measured, cut, and assembled all of the poles. He found it challenging to set it up to have a short steep side to protect against the winds. He also set the poles so the door would face east. 

They decorated the "hide" with pictographs and covered the poles with it.

Once it was completed they were surprised how "roomy" it was. We then reviewed the "layout" of the teepee, identifying different areas i.e. sleeping, cooking, weapon storage.

Of course, no teepee is complete with out a sleepover 

They also learned the history behind vision quests: where a young male would spend three days searching for their spiritual guide. Whatever was gained through the vision quest was then transferred to their sheild and hung on the teepee for spiriual protection.

Abby's:

Zach's:

They also learned the history behind the talking stick and practiced using it during a classroom  discussion.

Next, we moved on to the Northwest/Coastal Indians. This was a great opportunity to discuss the differences in what each group depended on for their livelihood. They talked about how the ocean provide for the Coastal tribes instead of the land. After learning the life cycle of the salmon they discovered how the Indians planned their fishing trips based on this info.

They also had a little fun creating a cartoon of the life cycle of the salmon...

They also learned about clan lineage and chose a clan to represent themselves. Abby chose the raven and Zach, the killer whale. They learned how these symbols were used on totem poles and how each totem pole told a story/history. They both made a totem pole for their clan and then attached them to the "cedar" log homes that they built.

 Zach:                                                                       Abby:

They compared the homes and layout of the tribes of the coastal indians to the plains indians.

They also learned that in the some tribes the lineage was matrilineal instead of patrilineal. They traced the maternal family line back five generations (with the help of grandma) and concluded that if they had been in these tribes their last name would have been KELLY.

Our last stop for this year was the Southwest Indian tribes. Our first step was to identify the geographical differences in the land, identify what a mesa is, and identify canyons, primarily the Grand Canyon. We focused on the Pueblo ( cliff dweller) and Navajo tribes.

With the Pueblo Indians, we took a virtual field trip of Mesa Verde National Park to see the homes of the cliff dwellers. They were able to identify the different levels and functions of each level. They also made a model of the home. 

They discovered what burden baskets were and why they were needed to travel from floor to floor.

They learned about two of their tradtions: pottery and storytelling. They made their own storytelling dolls and identified its significance ( eyes closed, mouth open, holding children).

 Abby's:

Zach's:

While studying th Navajo Indians, they learned about the difference in their homes and how they were constructed. They each made a model of a Navajo Hogan. 

They also learned about the rich tradition of Navajo weaving. They were able to see some rugs during a field trip to "Turquoise Spirit" in Marietta. They were also able to see the different turquoise stones that the Navajo used to create their jewelry.

They also had fun playing the Navajo Moccasin game and learning about the "Code Talkers" During WWII.

This has been a historically interesting unit. It's been very eye opening to see the differences in the regions and and the perspectives on history. It has sparked some very challenging discussions on land ownership, rights, cooperation, and dealing with differences in people.