Master Class, Week 3

 

This week we'll be reading The Holy Invitation by Anthony Sweat. I read this book (and it's companion, "The Holy Covenants") earlier this year and both books really impacted me so I wanted to share them with you! You are at the age to prepare to go through the temple to receive your own endowment so these books are timely and meaningful. 

This book also highlights the need for temples on earth which goes perfectly with what we've been learning about America being a covenant land where the restoration could take place, where religious freedom could flourish and temples could begin to dot the earth. 

After reading this book you can choose one of these two assignments:

First, if you feel like you know very little about the endowment and what it means to receive your endowment in the temple then head here:

https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/temples?lang=eng Spend at least 15 minutes clicking on topics that interest you or that you want to learn more about (such as the endowment, temple clothing, pictures of the inside of temples etc). 

Second, if you feel pretty familiar with what it means to receive your endowment, then listen to this talk by the same author, which talks about the covenants you make in the temple: 

https://speeches.byu.edu/talks/anthony-sweat/we-need-an-endowment/

Text me if you're coming so I can figure out what treat to bring! And if you're all treated out after Christmas feel free to include that in your text so I know 👀

American History: Apprentice Week 3

Reminders: This week only, one Vanbuck for every miracle you record between Thursday, Dec. 29th and Wednesday, January 4th. 

Also: Study notecards!

Study/Learn:

Read DK Book pages 50-53, add notes to your commonplace book from this section.

Read “Shh! We’re Writing the Constitution” add notes to your commonplace book

Read or listen to: The Constitution: A Heavenly Banner, Ezra Taft Benson, BYU Speech

https://speeches.byu.edu/talks/ezra-taft-benson/constitution-heavenly-banner/ -- add notes to your commonplace book

Finally, here are some miracles and Concise history of highlights of convention:https://nccs.net/blogs/articles/the-miracle-at-philadelphia -- add notes to your

commonplace book

NOTICE: Lots of note taking. Writing down what you learn is just another step in helping solidify  information in your brain as you engage another of your five senses. Don't sell yourself short and skim the reading and skip the note-taking. Engage, take notes, bring it up at the dinner table -- then you will be ready to participate in class :) 

KNOW/UNDERSTAND:

• Remember your year-long history project that you have been working on?? You should be making some good progress at this point. I need you to spend 1.5-2  hours THIS WEEK on your history project and come prepared to show or report in during class on how your project is going. 

• Add these dates to your pretty, tidy, illustrated, timeline with a blurb to explain what happened: 

September 17, 1787 - the delegates sign the constitution

June 21, 1788: Constitution is ratified by the final state needed.

September 25, 1789- the first Congress of the United States adopted 12 amendments to the U.S. Constitution—the Bill of Rights—and sent them to the states for ratification

Become/serve: 

Read this scripture: 

D&C  101: 80 - 

80 And for this purpose have I established the Constitution of this land, by the hands of wise men whom I raised up unto this very purpose, and redeemed the land by the shedding of blood.

What is being referred to when it says "for this purpose" -- for what purpose has the constitution been established in the land? Discover from chapter 101 WHY God established the constiution. When you are done offer a thoughtful prayer of gratitude to Heavenly Father for what you learned. Tell Him what you understand about the constitution and what you will do with this knowledge you gained from studying D&C 101. 

American History, Week 3 - Journeyman

 

Hello again, everyone!
I hope you had a simply MARVELOUS holiday break!

We are moving on to the next 9 states to join the Union.

******************************

STUDY & LEARN

Assignment #1:
Maybe you found a little time during the holiday fun to practice with your States video....?  Maybe you've been practicing with it so much that it just pops into your head at random times, and you can't help but burst out into singing it...?

Here are the links to a few of the videos.  You can choose one of these or find one of your own that you like better.  Please find a little time to PRACTICE!

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


Assignment #2:

For the states that we are studying this week, spend some time researching and learning about.....

* The Main Landmarks/Attractions, some of which can be seen HERE.
* The State Flags.
* The State Nicknames.
* The State Population.
* The State Sizes.
* The Bordering States.
* The Rivers, Lakes, or Nearby Bodies of Water.
* Natural Features - such as the ones shown HERE.
* National Parks included in these States, ALL of which are all found HERE.
* The Nearby Mountain Ranges.

Assignment #3:
Complete this worksheet for ALL THE STATES WE'VE LEARNED SO FAR (13 Original Colonies + the 9 states from Week 2 + the 9 new states listed above = 31 states so far), finding the information online, 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 for ALL THE STATES WE'VE LEARNED SO FAR (13 Original Colonies + the 9 states from Week 2 + the 9 new states listed above = 31 states so far), 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.

******************************

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.

PLEASE DO NOT COMPLETE THE SAME ITEM(s)
THAT YOU DID LAST WEEK!
(Unless you are doing them all for maximum Vanbucks...)
Try something new.

1. If you have visited one of the 9 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 9 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 9 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 9 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 9 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. Memorize all of THIS WEEK'S 9 states and their capital cities and be prepared to recite them for us from memory - ALPHABETICALLY BY STATE NAME!
   
   
9. Cut up a blank map of the 9 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.
   
   
10. A project of your own that will help you to learn more about one of the 9 states we are studying 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!

Apprentice Week 2: Build-Up to Revolution and War Begins!

Before we get into the heart of our assignment, here is some things to work on this week:

Remember, Traci promised vanbucks for practicing your instrument for at least 5 minutes each day. Keep a calendar, you won't be able to guess how often you've practiced by the time her class rolls back around!

Remember to study your notecards! We're easing into notecards one lens at a time so for this week just study the HISTORY cards! 

Allssooooo .... It's History Week which means you have the opportunity to earn Vanbucks for miracles! You will get one dollar for every miracle recorded between Friday, October 21st and Wednesday, October 26th! Max of 6 Vanbucks!

Now, without further ado:

Study/Learn:

1. Read DK Book Pages 40-49 - While you read take notes, there will be games with the information on these pages. Because I want you to take notes this part of study and learn should probably take you the longest so do it first ;)
2. This youtube video you'll be watching is from David McCullough, he was one of America's most notable historians. He is famous for his many books on American History and for his work on documentaries and has won some of the highest awards offered in his field. He also wrote the book "John Adams," that was the inspiration behind the documentary series assigned for masters class this week!   That's a little introduction to know who you are listening to and why he is worth listening to as an expert historian. Watch this video about George Washington: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rNFNtBk7Cag
3. Read this article on Miracles in the American Revolution, start at the sub-heading" George Washington and Boston" and read to the end:   https://www.tomorrowsworld.org/magazines/2017/july-august/miracles-of-the-american-revolution
4. Read Chapter 3 of the "7 Miracles" book, "The Miracle of a Summer Fog"

Know/Understand:

Remember your year-long history project that you chose last month?? Time to GET TO WORK. I need you to spend 1 1/2 hours THIS WEEK on your history project and come prepared to show or report in during class on how your project is going. 

Create your second timeline -- can you add this on to your first? Do you need to make a second page? When we are done it will be satisfying to see all 6 weeks of history together so if you're able to continue on to your first timeline go ahead and do that! 

Here are the dates for your timeline, and remember, it must be pretty and it must have a blurb about each date written in your own words:

1764- Sugar Act

1765- Quartering Act and Stamp Act

1767- Townshend Acts

1770-Boston Massacre

1773- Tea Act and Boston Tea Party

1774- Coercive Acts

1774- First Continental Congress

1775- Second Continental Congress

1775- Battles of Lexington and Concord

1776- Declaration of Independence

1781- Surrender of Cornwallis

Become/Serve:

Usually I would assign a church talk or scriptures to read here but I think our reading from above was actually pretty inspiring :) Instead of assigning more reading I want you to take time to think on what you learned and answer these questions (with more than one sentence, put some thought into it!) in your commonplace journal:

Why does it matter to me that I was born in America?
How does learning about American History help me become a better citizen?

Of all the reasons I'm thankful to be an American, what stands out to me the most?

What miracle in this chapter of American History will I never forget, and why? 

American History, Week 2 - Journeyman

Thank you to each of you who attended History Journeyman last month.
It was SIMPLY AMAZING to have so many of you there!
I hope you learned all sorts of new and interesting things,
and I hope you'll choose to be there again this month.

We are moving on to the next 9 states to join the Union.

******************************

STUDY & LEARN

Assignment #1:
I hope you have been able to practice every day with your States video and have been able to use that to help you gradually learn the names of the 50 states.  Keep up the good work!

Here are the links to a few of the videos from last week.  You can choose one of these or find one of your own that you like better.  The important part is to PRACTICE!

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

When I was your age, I was required to practice the piano for 4 hours every day.  That's a lot of practice time that helped me to become a pretty decent pianist!  I don't except you to practice the 50 States for 4 hours every day, but it would be awesome if you could spend at least 5-10 minutes each day on it, maybe just sing through the song or recite the states once per day.  Even just writing out a list of all 50 States each day would be fantastic practice.

After all.....
Persistence Prevails When All Else Fails!

Also.....
Practice Makes Progress!

Assignment #2:
For the states that we are studying this week, spend some time researching and learning about.....

* The Main Landmarks/Attractions (You can peek at my collection of pics HERE.)
* The State Flags
* The State Nicknames
* The State Population
* The States' Sizes
* The Bordering States
* The Rivers, Lakes, or Nearby Bodies of Water
* Natural Features (HERE is my collection of pics for those.)
* National Parks included in these States (Just a few pics HERE!)
* The Nearby Mountain Ranges


The things you learn could help you during our class activity. ;-)

Here are a couple of websites that might be useful to browse:

   The Most Historic Landmarks in Every State

   Top Natural Attractions in Every State

Assignment #3:
Complete this worksheet for ALL THE STATES WE'VE LEARNED SO FAR (13 Original Colonies + the 9 new states listed above), finding the information online, 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 for ALL THE STATES WE'VE LEARNED SO FAR (13 Original Colonies + the 9 new states listed above), 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.

******************************

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.

PLEASE DO NOT COMPLETE THE SAME ITEM(s)
THAT YOU DID LAST WEEK!
(Unless you are doing them all for maximum Vanbucks...)
Try something new.

1. If you have visited one of the 9 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 9 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 9 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 9 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 9 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 9 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 9 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 9 states we are studying 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!

MASTERS Week 2

We will be watching FOUR hours of TV for homework this week. This will probably be the first and last time this type of assignment happens so I hope you enjoy it. 

We will be watching episodes 1, 2, 5 and 6

You will need to rent or buy this movie and your moms have already been warned about potentially PG-13+ scenes to be aware of so make sure to check with your mom before watching the series.

You're going to learn all about the life of one of our founding fathers and I look forward to getting to know him better.

COME PREPARED with TWO DISCUSSION questions to help guide our documentary discussion. Let me know if you're coming ahead of time so I can decide what I want to do for fun with our masters group. 

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 :)