For about a week and a half, we have done a very light version of Amanda Bennett's Thanksgiving Unit Study.  I was able to request many of the recommended books at the library and the kids really enjoyed our study of the Mayflower, Pilgrims and Indians.  CJ really took an interest and I would catch her reading the books throughout the week - even when it wasn't school time - and request some to be read over and over during our read aloud time.  All 3 kids really liked learning about the voyage on the Mayflower and we counted out 66 days to get an idea of how long they had been on the ship. I caught them actually PLAYING Mayflower without any influence from me.  They all crammed together on the couch(their tight quarters). They pulled out the ice chest and that was their chest to put their belongings.  It was fun to see them try to make decisions about what they could and couldn't take with them to the New World.  Then they would play that one of them was washed off the ship and they would try to rescue the person.  Later, as we read about Squanto's life, they were Indians outside and collecting firewood and planting.  Squanto's life also is such a great illustration that God works all things together for good(Romans 8:28-29) and forgiveness.  He was kidnapped by Englishmen and taken away from his people for 7 years to find they had all died.  But through that he was able to learn English and eventually translate between the Pilgrims and other Indian tribes and assist the pilgrims in learning to live in a new land.  He could have held a grudge against all English people and let them die, but he chose so differently. 

We used Draw Write Now to learn how to draw the Mayflower and CJ spent most of one morning trying to draw everything else in the book!  We also made turkeys using the tracing of their hands and feet.  I printed off some Thanksgiving activity sheets for CJ from Enchanted Learning that she had a lot of fun with, especially the word searches.  I borrowed a video from the library about the Plimoth Plantation and they really enjoyed seeing how the Pilgrims built their homes, made their food,  and how the Wampanoag Indians lived.  It definitely puts things into perspective when you see how common it was for families to lose loved ones, how hard people had to work just to survive and the courage they had to make the journey in the first place and then choose to stay. 

This is the part of homeschooling that I like best - where I learn some of the history that I never really learned in school.  I've really enjoyed the reading too.

This week is the start of our long break from "official" homeschooling since we started in July and now we will be moving just before Christmas(see below). We'll start up again after the New Year.  I have requested from the library many of the books and videos from Amanda Bennett's Christmas Unit Study to continue our read aloud time during the day. 

Tomorrow we are heading up to Northern California to spend Thanksgiving with BW's family and visit with Aunt Kelly.  The kids are very excited.  We bought the Cars movie and borrowed Little Einstein from the library to watch in the car.  (The trip is approximately  2 feature films long - what did people do before movies in the car???)  BW will also be preaching at the church he grew up in at their Wednesday night Thanksgiving service and on Sunday.  Speaking of which, I better get some laundry done and get packing! 

Wishing you a wonderful Thanksgiving weekend!

Give thanks to the Lord for he is good;

his love endures forever.

In my anguish I cried to the Lord,

and he answered me by setting me free.

The Lord is with me; I will not be afraid.

What can man do to me?

The Lord is with me; he is my helper.

I will look in triumph on my enemies.

It is better to take refuge in the Lord

than to trust in man.

It is better to take refuge in the Lord

thank to trust in princes.

I will not die but live,

and will proclaim what the Lord has done.

The Lord has chastened me severely,

but he has not given me over to death.

Open for me the gates of righteousness;

I will enter and give thanks to the Lord.

This is the gate of the Lord

through which the righteous may enter.

I will give you thanks, for you answered me;

you have become my salvation.

You are my God, and I will give you thanks;

you are my God and I will exalt you.

(Ps 118: 1,5-9,17-21,28)

Because of Him,

-J