History Masters Class Week 1

 

History Masters Class - Week 1

This week we will be reading and discussing this book:

This book is SO skinny! So readable! and it's told in a story format so its interesting and fun to read as well. I can't wait to hear how you think this book ties into life mission. How this book applies to you right now in your current circumstances. We're going to have an awesome book discussion about this one. As always there will be stickers and treats and maybe a jaunt to somewhere beautiful for our book discussion, so you wont want to miss out! Remember, if you read on Audible you still need to take notes. I want to have specific quotes you can share, things you would have underlined if you had read the paperback book. 

After reading this book I want you to take your very favorite quote and make it pretty and put it in your commonplace book :) 

American History, Week 1, Apprentice

 

You guys are in luck! I don't have my notecards ready for the school year yet. So no notecards to study this week. 
Write in your miracle journal everyday this week. What can you do to help you remember and create a habit? Do your best, anyone that comes to class with 6 entries (one for each day, not 6 all on one day) will earn some vanbucks. I will not be giving $$ for this every week so now is your chance :)

Study/Learn:

1. Read Chapter 1 in The 7 Miracles that Saved America
2. Read Pages 32-37 in DK Encyclopedia 
3. Watch "The Hand of the Lord" and "The Miracle that was John Howland" and "Pilgrims and Native Americans"  at www.thepilgrimhypothesis.com (you will need to give them your email and register for a free account to watch these videos).

Know/Understand:

We will be doing a YEAR LONG project for history this year with a chance to put it on display at the end of the school year for your families to see and appreciate. I'm actually super pumped about this project because it will give you a chance to take one of your interests/talents and dig deep in learning more or applying those interests/talents to the time period we are studying. Each week you will be asked to spend 1 1/2 hours on your project, so by the end of the school year this will be a 9 hour project that you have completed. So I anticipate that they will be pretty awesome :D 

The first step for this week will be brainstorming project ideas, selecting a project and coming up with a baby step list of all you will need to do to complete the project.

I have created this handy list of all the ideas that came to me as I studied American History this summer -- you do not have to choose one of these ideas and more than one of you could choose the same idea. Ideally I would like this to be an individual project, but if you have an idea you're dying to implement with a sibling or friend then contact me for approval. Talk this project over with your parents, they will need to help potentially with resources or other aid so they need to be on board as well. 

IDEAS LIST:

• Research the history of quilting and historical patterns and sew a quilt
• Learn about the fashion of the era and create a period costume. Be prepared to explain why/why not aspects of your period costume are authentic. 
• Create a piece of art from an event you have researched or in the style of a famous early American artist that you have researched.
• Learn the music of the era and be able to sing/perform it on an instrument.
• Learn about the history of medicine in America, what can you create as you learn about their healing techniques during this time?
• Write and perform a play
• Learn the skills of a tinsmith or a blacksmith or a weaver, etc -- what trades existed in early America and can you create something like they would have.
• Embroidery -- what did they embroider, who did it and why. Create your own embroidered project or clothing.
• Learn about the advent of cameras in this time period. Create a photojournalism project after studying Civil War photos or come up with a creative way to display what you learned.
• Learn to knit or crochet or other yarn arts. Create a project and learn what early Americans would have used their skills to create.
• Learn how to make homemade candy without a thermometer. Learn about the popular candies made during this time period and duplicate them.
• Learn the skill of whittling and carve toys or useful items from wood. What was whittling used to create during this era?
• Choose an era and study the fashion, understand what lines, patterns and colors would have been popular. Create fashion sketches that demonstrate what you know.
• Learn all about native american art/food/history (we won't have a chance to cover this in depth so if this interests you then this would be a good project). What can you create from what you learn?
• Try recipes from the era and compile and create a cookbook of early American foods.
• Write and illustrate a picture book about a story from history (bonus points if it's a miracle story ;)
• Write and create a stop motion video about a miracle story from history or an important event. 
• Topics that could inspire a project: Seafaring/explorers, Native Americans, life in Colonial America, battles of Revolutionary war or Civil war, Lewis and Clark, early naturalists, writers, muscians and artists, inventions that changed the nation, womens suffrage, pioneers, the gold rush, slavery, famous people and their contributions. 

Still not sure? What is something you love to do or to learn about? (art, science, math, crafts, cooking, building, war, fashion etc!) Then ask yourself HOW can I take that interest and learn more about it in the early American history era? Finally, ask yourself what can I CREATE with my talent and the knowledge I will gain. 

This week I want you to choose your project and spend time planning out what supplies you will need, what steps you need to take to complete the project and any help you might need to accomplish the project. Get your mom's ok on the project before coming to class because you may need her help with buying supplies and such. 

I want each of you to share your project idea in class so be prepared! 

This year we will be making a timeline each week of history class. You can make one large timeline or you can chunk it up by week. My only requirements are that your timeline include:

• All the important dates you are asked to put on the timeline
• A visual to go with each date
• A description to go with each date and visual. 
• The timeline must be pretty.

Yes, pretty is in the eye of the beholder but I can promise you, pen and pencil lines in your commonplace book will not qualify as pretty. There must be color and effort made. Here are some examples of what I consider to be a pretty timeline (notice, they are not all a long numbered line, you don't have to use a long numbered line) Also, I recognize that some of these are elementary examples, obviously they are just a starting point for inspiration at your skill level:

(this one below is a template from Canva.com, if you absolutely hate lettering/coloring/doodling then no problem! Use the computer to make it pretty! Please note, if you use a computer you may not copy and paste text from the web for your descriptions.

So your assignment for this week is to create your timeline and put these dates on there: 

1492 - Columbus lands in West Indies

1585- First attempt to colonize Roanoke Island

May 14, 1607 -Founding of Jamestown

Nov. 11 1620 - Pilgrims sign the Mayflower Compact

Dec 1620- Pilgrims found Plymouth

October 1621- First Thanksgiving

1754- French and Indian war begins

*Remember, you must write your own description for each of these events on your timeline*

Become/Serve:

Watch "What is Your Mayflower?" at www.thepilgrimhypothesis.com

This video talks a lot about heeding God's call and living life mission and he uses the examples of the pilgrims as someone who heard the Lord and stayed and heeded their call even when it was incredibly hard and they could have gone back to comfort.

HOW do YOU Hear Him? In order to heed the call you need to HEAR the CALL. Journal about how you have heard the Lord in your life. How does God communicate with you?  Have you had an experience where you have clearly heard Him? 

American History, Week 1 - Journeyman

Welcome back, everyone!

I hope you had a fabulous summer and are now ready
to buckle down with some fabulous U.S. Geography.
What an awesome opportunity we have to study the history and geography
of this wonderful Promised Land given to us by Heavenly Father.
I hope you will join me for History Journeyman each month
and have a great time learning about U.S. Geography.

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GAME PLAN FOR THIS YEAR:

1.)  Focus on learning the name of EVERY state, including their state capitals.

2.)  Focus on learning the locations of EVERY state, using maps and games.

3.)  Focus on learning a little bit of trivia and extra details about these states.

4.)  Play some games and have a little fun.

5.)  Mini projects that will help to give context, personal meaning, and experience to the things we are learning.

Thumbs up??
HERE WE GO!

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STUDY & LEARN

Assignment #1:
Find one of those cheesy, goofy, fun songs that will help you to learn the names of all the 50 states and their capital cities.  I have included links to a few videos here, but you are welcome to find something that you love, or at least something that you can tolerate for the year. ;-)

Fifty Nifty United States
50 States and Capitals (New)
50 States and Capitals (Old)
50 States and Capitals Song
The 50 States Song
Sing the States - Jack Hartmann

Please be serious about this assignment.  Week 6 will be a fun day of challenges after all our learning, to establish our KING/QUEEN OF GEOGRAPHY.

But you will need to learn the information and practice it throughout the year in order to do well with those challenges and win the title.  You don't have to use a cheesy video to help you memorize, but please establish your own process for learning the state names and capital cities and practice it on a regular basis, not just once a month on History weeks.  Maybe,.... Practice them while you do your push-ups each morning?  Say them while you wash your hands or do the dishes for your sweet, angelic mother?  Or go for a walk and say one state and its capital for every two steps you take....?  That's only 100 steps!  Easy Peasy!


Assignment #2:
Watch these two short videos to learn more about the Original 13 Colonies.

Assignment #3:
Complete this worksheet, finding the information online, in the videos you just watched, in an encyclopedia, an atlas, from your Great Aunt Agatha or Uncle Bob - from whatever source has the most up-to-date and accurate information.






Assignment #4:
Print out this blank map and write in the state names and capital cities, being careful to spell everything correctly.

YOU WILL NEED TO SHOW ME
THESE TWO PAPERS IN ORDER TO ATTEND CLASS,
SO PLEASE HAVE THEM READY AT THE START OF CLASS.

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KNOW & UNDERSTAND

Assignment #5:
Please complete AT LEAST ONE of the following items to bring to class and share with us all.  You can do more than one, if you'd like.  I will give out a Vanbuck for every one that you DO complete, so do as many as you'd like or have time to do.

I KNOW THIS LOOKS LIKE A LONG LIST!
But you only need to complete ONE of the following options.

1. If you have visited one of the states that we are studying this week and have pictures of cool places you've been while there, please bring 1-3 pictures to class and be prepared to tell us about your visit.  What awesome scenery did you see?  Which landmarks did you visit?  Why were you there?  (Vacation, choir tour, a funeral, flea market, you won a trip on The Price is Right, etc.)
   
   
2. Do some family history research to learn about any ancestors you have who came from one of the states that we are studying this week.  Tell us about them!  What were their names?  In what town were they born or buried?  How many children did they have?  Did you find a cool story about them that you can share with us.
   
   
3. Pick ONE of the states that we are studying this week that is home to one of the U.S.A.'s 63 National Parks (look them up!).  Research this National Park and come prepared to:  a) Tell us the name of the park.  b) Show us a picture of it.  c) Tell us why you think it is so cool.
   
   
4. Pick ONE of the states that we are studying this week and find an awesome tourist attraction found there (preferably a natural physical feature or something more interesting than Disneyland or Disneyworld!).  Research it and come prepared to:  a) Tell us the name of this attraction.  b) Show us a picture of it.  3) Tell us what is so awesome about this place.
   
   
5. Print a blank map of the area/region we are studying this week and mark it with all of its physical features - mountain ranges, lakes, rivers, volcanoes, deserts, forests, etc.  Add all the state names and capitals for this area/region.  Add a compass rose to the map.  Color the map well and make it artistic.
   
   
6. Pick ONE of the states that we are studying this week and find a prominent historical person from this state.  Do a little research about this person and come to class prepared to tell us why their life is notable - something they did to contribute light and goodness to the world.
   
   
7. Print a blank map of the area/region we are studying this week.  Add all the state names and capital cities, as well as the 2-letter abbreviation for each state and its State Nickname.  (For instance, Utah's nickname is "The Beehive State," and its 2-letter abbreviation is UT).
   
   
8. Find a Commemorative Quarter for each state on the list this week, or as many as you can find.
   
   
9. Memorize all of this week's states and their capital cities and be prepared to recite them for us from memory - ALPHABETICALLY BY STATE NAME!
   
   
10. Cut up a map of the states that we are studying this week, carefully cutting out each state to preserve its shape.  Write the names of the states and their capital cities on the appropriate pieces.  Do a little research to find the size of each state in square miles, and write that on the piece.  Then, glue or tape the pieces onto a sheet of paper in the order of their size, from smallest to largest.
    
    
11. A project of your own that will help you to learn more about one of the states we are learning about this week.  I will give you TWO Vanbucks for this option, if your project makes sense and you've carried it out well.
    
    

AND ONE LAST THING.....

Complete this short questionnaire to let me know you will be in Journeyman class!

HAPPY STUDYING!!

I hope to see you in class!