history
Forty-Niners Rush to MVCS “River” to Pan for Gold
Our little stream was full of Forty-Niners today, panning for gold with dear Mrs. Shedd. Stay tuned for “If I were a Forty-Niner” writing pieces, coming on our blogs soon . . . .
Flag Etiquette
In history, we learned a bit about flag folding etiquette, and we practiced with pillowcases.
Step by Step Flag Folding from the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs
The Preamble to the Constitution
Here are our first two citizens to memorize the Preamble. Huzzah!
Presidential Inauguration
After completing our chapter on the writing of the Constitution, the inauguration this week offered a perfect opportunity to discuss government together. On Thursday and Friday, we enjoyed a broadcast of the inauguration made especially for children, which included side trips to the Library of Congress to view primary documents showing the Presidential oath and the draft of Lincoln’s inaugural speech. We only had time to watch bits and pieces, so the link is here if anyone wants to watch more. We especially enjoyed the music, the National Mall of flags, identifying the branch of government of each speaker, White House pet trivia, and the poetry recitation by the Youth Poet Laureate Amanda Gorman.
Our White House: An Inaugural Celebration for Young Americans
We loved viewing a 1789 copy of the Constitution signed by George Washington. Here is that 1:34 excerpt separated from the big program. Two hundred thirty-two years later, we heard these words again.
Library of Congress Presidential Oath of Office
We noted the great speaking techniques of Amanda Gorman, as we are beginning to memorize a poem for public speaking. We found some interesting parallels between her poem and the speech by Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., that we listened to pieces of on Monday.
“The Hills We Climb” by Amanda Gorman
We also got a bit of a chuckle over the way our Vermont United States Senator Bernie Sanders has been a big news item this week with his chair memes from the inauguration, featuring his warm New England coat and fuzzy, homemade Vermont mittens.
Even Pastor Huebner got in on the fun, with the Huebner’s pet house rooster joining in too.
. . . . And Pastor Goeppner at Riverbank has a new keyboard player!
Virtual Field Trip to Plimoth Plantation
This week in our overview of early United States history, we traveled on a virtual field trip to Plimoth Plantation. The students were fascinated and very interested in the other offerings from the living museum there.
We watched “Pilgrim Village”, but there are also trips to a Wampanoag home, the Mayflower, the feast, and more as Thanksgiving approaches. Here is the link if you want to participate in more!
Romance Points
So the followup on today’s history lesson on Shays’ Rebellion and other events leading up to the writing of the Constitution was to “pretend that you are George Washington. You must leave Mount Vernon and go to Philadelphia. Write about what you will miss.”
All of the letters were wonderful, but these three by third grade young men who shall remain nameless (except to say that Margaret, Alyssa, and Julie owe their husbands big time romance points for their outstanding modeling) left Mrs. Shedd and me in stitches all afternoon.
July 2, 1787
Dear Wife,
I am leaving Mount Vernon. I will miss you and the children. I will stay safe, and the Lord will give me strength. You will always be in my heart.
Love,
George
Dear Martha,
I am leaving Mount Vernon to help my country. I will miss the comfort of home. You I will miss the most. And the wonderful food. The pets. My children. Everything! I am praying for the trip that God will serve me well.
Love,
George Washington
Dear Martha,
I will miss sitting on the couch working and hugging you. I bet my bed at home is much more comfortable than the beds in Philadelphia will be. I will miss you. I promise I will keep writing letters to you, Dear.
Love,
George
Colonial Trades Research
What diligent research has been happening in our history time! Wait until you see these projects later this week when we bring our colonial village to life.
Revolution Brewing
After all Miss Blessing’s ridiculous laws, being taxed unfairly, and much more, these poor second and third graders are feeling a bit revolutionary as they sip their tea!
By Order of the King
As we continue to study the events leading up to the American Revolution, our lesson included a silly simulation of what it feels like to have to follow a king’s rules whether we agree with them or not. A proclamation went forth. “All students must stand when speaking to the king. All students must address their classmates by first and last names.”
If you disobeyed the rules, you had to draw a punishment from the “Bucket of Doom”, such as ten toe touches, blowing the trumpet for King Shedd and King Blessing, or even kissing the king’s ring.
We compared the colonization by William III of England and Louis XIV of France, introduced the French and Indian Wars, and thought about why the colonists might be starting to feel a bit frustrated. Only two students successfully followed the kings’ rules throughout the whole lesson. Hopefully, no revolution will be following this event, or at least not yet. Next week’s lessons will be charging unfair taxes, so we’ll see.
At the end of the day, one of my dear students handed me this. Have I mentioned lately how much I love teaching?
