Learn History with the Beatles, Madonna and Lady Gaga

I stumbled across this video at the Why Homeschool blog:



Now, I’m no Lady Gaga fan — but I am gaga over this video! It was produced by a history teacher and a technology specialist. On youtube.com, where they offer over 50 videos, they go by the name historyteachers. Children will have fun learning about the Crusades, the Spanish Inquisition and the Vikings with the oh-so-clever lyrics set to the tune of popular music by the likes of ABBA, Justin Timberlake, Blondie, Britney Spears and more. Hats off to historyteachers — great work!

Black History Month Challenge

Can you match the quote with the person who said it? I found this challenge at Biography.com. That site is brimming with all sorts of resources.

National History Day Contest

It’s all a little foggy, but I do remember a high school history teacher giving an assignment that entailed writing a paper about immigration. I don't recall him ever using the term “History Day Contest,”  but there was an awards ceremony at the local college, and lo and behold, I still have my entry to prove it. What do you say to that? I actually received a superior rating! Well, just barely. Notice how they crossed out “Excellent” and then wrote “Superior”? Looks like I just squeaked by thanks to that 1/2 a point!

   
I DO remember looking for sources in the library, and typing this on my Mom's old typewriter (frustrating!). But mostly I remember what I learned about Savannah, and James Oglethorpe and the debtors who immigrated to England's Georgia colony.

The annual National History Day Contest continues to give children a chance to strive for a superior rating, and mostly a chance to really research and learn about one aspect of history based on a theme. Here’s more information...

What is the 2011 theme? Debate and Diplomacy in History: Successes, Failure, Consequences

What are examples of that theme?
The Iran Hostage Crisis: When Diplomacy Fails
Segregation Debated or Changed: The Little Rock Nine or the Ruby Bridges Story
Debated Diplomacy: The Cuban Missile Crises
Lincoln Douglas Debates: Precursor to War
Irish, Italians, Chinese: Debated Citizenship
Dropping the Bomb: Moral Debate
The Indian Reorganization Debate of 1934: Debated New Deal for Native Americans
Ben Franklin’s Diplomatic Mission to England: Failed diplomacy/successful revolution

What kind of projects can be entered? Entrees can be accepted as either a paper, an exhibit, a performance, a documentary, or a web site.

Who can enter? Middle school aged students compete in the junior division, those in high school in the senior division.

When are entries due? In the spring. If your entry is one of the best in your region, then it will compete at the sate level. Winners from each state go on to compete at the University of Maryland at College Park from June 12-16. Contact your district or state coordinator to find out more.

To give you an idea of what the competition is capable of, take a look at this 2007 group documentary winner (junior division) that I found on YouTube:

BEACH WEEK - D-Day

TITLE: Invasion: The Story of D-Day

AUTHOR: Bruce Bliven Jr.

WHO WAS AT THE BEACH? Allied and German forces

WHAT BEACH AND WHEN? Along a 50 mile stretch of coastline, in the Normandy area of France, on June 6, 1944, the greatest invasion in history was implemented by the allied armies.

WHAT HAPPENED?  Paratroopers were badly scattered on the ground, amphibious vehicles took on seawater faster than bilge pumps could empty them and rifles became clogged with sand. This was a day of tragedies that somehow turned into triumph. That triumph part may well be owed to a handful of infantry men that were very determined to break through the German lines. It's these accounts that make Invasion: The Story of D-Day so interesting. It's a great overview of the battle that changed the tide of World War II. 

Ages 12 and up
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Activity: Try this free online D-Day game.

When Will This Cruel War End?

How would it feel to have your brother, your father and your boyfriend away at war? What would it be like having bands of the enemy army roaming through your property and taking your food supplies? How would you deal with being sequestered to the upper level of your home while enduring the noise and inconvenience of enemy officers using your home’s main floor as their headquarters?

The fictitious Emma addresses all this and more in When Will This Cruel War Be Over?: The Civil War Diary of Emma Simpson, Gordonsville, Virginia, 1864. She reflects at times on her old life with it’s new pretty dresses and fine carriage rides but mostly writes about her current state of affairs, including what she is reading, news about the neighbors, who is sick, how difficult her cousin is being, her visits to the stable, the demise of her home and the arrival of letters from her boyfriend and her father. On Wednesday, November 23, 1864 part of her entry states, “At times I feel like I am a thousand years old—that is what this cruel war has done to me.”

What an excellent choice for entertaining reading that offers insight into the Civil War through confederate eyes. This is one of the many titles offered in the Dear America series. I reviewed another one, Across the Wide and Lonesome Prairie: The Oregon Trail Diary of Hattie Campbell, here.

Ages 9 and up
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Activity: Tea and biscuits with apple butter may have been a typical breakfast for Emma. Use this recipe to make your own apple butter.

Carl’s Cosmic Calendar

Cosmos is the most watched American public television series in history, with over 500 million people having seen it. And you can add four more to that list.  

On these seven DVDs Sagan has intrigued my family as he discusses the origins of life, space, DNA, intelligent design, the diversity of life, the evolution of cities, the speed of light, constellations, terraforming Mars, natural selection and even the early explorers, the Rosetta Stone and the Alexandria Library.

Sagan had a gift for making complex scientific concepts clear, as shown by this explanation of the beginning of the universe to the arrival of humans on this cosmic calendar.




Ages 9 and up
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Flying Through Geography

Maybe it’s because we live in Florida and we don’t have dreary days without end, but my kids do not invest much time in playing board games. Then lo and behold, Ryan got Take Off! out the other day and we were all reminded of what a fun game it is. The object is to be the first to fly your plane through the two hemispheres, landing at airports hither and yon as you go. This is a fabulous way of familiarizing yourself with all the nooks and crannies in this world as you fly across the LARGE laminated map. It's just PLANE fun!

Tales of Castro

Have you ever REALLY wanted to walk out of a bad movie? Or leave a boring class lecture? Or escape the dentist’s waiting room as the sound of the drill looms beyond? Now try to imagine that aching urge to leave being a constant part of your life and that the thing you want to escape is your government.

In Leaving Glorytown: One Boy's Struggle Under Castro, Eduardo F. Calcines recounts his life in Cuba from the time he was five during the Bay of Pigs Invasion until he boarded a plane to Miami when he was 14. I thought his writing a little dry for the first chapter or so, BUT THEN Calcines really hits his stride and all the characters pop. You get to know his family, his friends (some are Communists), his teachers, the intimidating thugs that show up at block parties and the classmate who messes with his mind by telling him his mother is home “turning tricks” while his dad is at work camp. In fact she was home baking vanilla sugar cakes to sell on the black market in order to survive, literally.

His memories of Cuba are of Castro’s voice droning on and on over loud speakers, long lines for rationed food, feeling hungry, soldiers taking his dad away in the middle of the night and being humiliated by teachers who called him a “worm” after his parents applied for an exit visa. But his memories also include the song of birds, the sounds of adults playing dominoes on porches at night, the smell of tropical flowers and Cuban coffee, blue water and the movie house. 

What I really enjoyed about this book was the realistic dialog between characters, the way the author captures his close relationship with his family, in particular his father, and the ANTICIPATION!!! When will the visa approval telegram arrive???? When will they get to America??? I was left with the impression that these are good people, and that Castro’s loss was America’s gain. And I was reminded of another growing up in a Communist country book I reviewed: Mao and Me.

Ages 12 and up
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In order to learn more about Castro I picked up a copy of Fidel Castro: Cuban President and Revolutionary at the library. It was published just last year. Here’s what I learned:

• His father owned a successful sugar plantation
• His mother was his Dad's housekeeper (they weren’t married, but married later)
• He resisted being controlled by authority figures (hmm, then he became one)
• He was involved in the revolution in Colombia
• He earned a law degree
• He detested the Cuban dictator, Batista, who arrested those who opposed him and strictly controlled the government, press and public opinion (hmm, and then he wound up doing those things)
• He served time in prison for trying to overthrow Batista
• He trained for guerrilla warfare in Mexico
• While hiding in the Sierra Maestra hills after another unsuccessful attempt to over throw Batista’s regime Castro was interviewed by the New York Times.
• Castro’s forces grew and Batista fled to the Dominican Republic
• Castro became Commander in Chief and named Judge Manuel Urrutia Lleo president, but over time eased his way into complete power
• He redistributed land, controlled the press, punished those who opposed him and nationalized private industry
• He had a positive impact on literacy and provided free medical care

I also learned about the Bay of Pigs, The Cuban Missle Crisis, the Muriel Boat Lift, his relations with other nations and all things Castro. This book would be real asset for anyone working on a research paper.

Ages 12 and up
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 Activity: Here is a Castro crossword puzzle.

The Origins of Vampires

Inspiration is a miraculous thing. Where does it come from? What inspired the creation of Snow White, Star Wars or Count Dracula? I’m not sure, but according to Vlad the Impaler: The Real Count Dracula, the later was inspired by a Romanian prince with a very unpleasant personality. Although there had been tales of vampires for hundreds of years, it was an Irishman named Bram Stoker who borrowed Vlad Dracula’s name, his castle in the Carpathian Mountains and a bit of his bloody reputation to create the novel titled Dracula in 1897.

Born in 1431, Vlad was named after his father, Vlad Dracul. Dracul was the Romanian word for “dragon.” Vlad Sr. took that as his last name after joining the Order of Dragons. This was a group of 23 royal leaders who vowed to protect the Holy Roman Empire from the advancing Turks. Vlad’s young offspring became known as Vlad Dracula, meaning “little dragon.”

Unlike Count Dracula, Vlad Dracula was not known for sucking blood out of people. But he did seem to thrive on killing people. His preferred method, as you can surmise from the title of the book, was impalement. He held a grudge against the upper crust, so he impaled them. The Germans didn’t hand over his half brother so he impaled them. One woman didn’t sew her husband’s clothes to Vlad’s satisfaction so he impaled her. He displayed the impaled. He dined among the impaled. He reveled in the impaled. One monk reported that he dipped his bread in his impaled victim’s blood before eating it. Yuck! Just to mix things up a bit, he also burned live people to death, hacked people to death and worked people to death. It is estimated that Vlad killed 40,000 all told.

If your child is fascinated by the morbid, than this book is for him/her. And on the positive side they will gain a sense of what life was like in this tumultuous part of the world in the 15th Century. It includes sidebars on Black Death, Constantinople and three empires: Holy Roman, Byzantine and Ottoman, as well as a timeline and glossary. It is a “feels good in your hands” sized book and it's part of Scholastic’s Wicked History series. Other titles in this series include: Genghis Khan: 13th Century Mongolian Tyrant, Ivan the Terrible: Tsar of Death, Mary Tudor: Courageous Queen or Bloody Mary?, Henry VIII: Royal Beheader and Hannibal: Rome's Worst Nightmare.

Ages 12 and up
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Activity: Sink your teeth into a pastry that shares it’s geographic origins with Dracula (though this luscious snack is now associated with Hungary). Rest assured, good things have come out of Transylvania! Here is the recipe for Chimney Cakes. I found it at a National Geographic Travel blog.

SNOW WEEK - Shakleton

Blizzards and Winter Games. The headlines this season got me wondering about historical events that have happened in the snow. Following will be a few reading suggestions for those who haven't had enough of winter yet.

TITLE: Shipwreck at the Bottom of the World: The Extraordinary True Story of Shackleton and the Endurance

AUTHOR: Jennifer Armstrong

WHO WAS WHERE IN THE SNOW? This is the true story of Irishman, Ernest Shakleton's 1914 to 1916 British funded exploration of Antarctica.

AMAZING FACTS ABOUT THIS EVENT: This is one of the greatest tales of survival in expedition history. After the expedition’s ship Endurance became trapped in sea ice, it stayed frozen fast for ten months until it was crushed and destroyed by ice pressure. The crew was forced to abandon ship. After camping on the ice for five months, Shackleton made two open boat journeys, one of which—a treacherous 800-mile ocean crossing to South Georgia Island—is now considered one of the greatest boat journeys in history. Crossing the mountains of South Georgia on foot, Shackleton reached the island's remote whaling station, organized a rescue team, and saved all of the men he had left behind.

I marvel at the fact that not a soul was lost, that they endured two harsh Antarctic winters in wool clothing and that the amazing photos taken during the adventure survived.

Ages 12 and up
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Activity: What would you rescue from the sinking Endurance? Try this link at this NOVA site.

The Great Escape: Tunnel to Freedom

Ryan just spent any available time he had with his nose in The Great Escape: Tunnel to Freedom. He was fascinated by this true story of 200 German prisoners of war building a tunnel and disposing of all the displaced sand right under their guards noses.

I noticed it is a Sterling Point Book. I reviewed another of their books last week, The Stout-Hearted Seven: Orphaned on the Oregon Trail. This publishing house produces a bounty of history titles for children, including Alexander the Great, John Paul Jones: The Pirate Patriot and George Washington: Frontier Colonel.

Since I did not read The Great Escape, I decided to interview Ryan and get his opinion for this post.

Ages 12 and up
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Activity: It's a big job to build a human-sized tunnel. If you have a pet gerbil or kitten, you could build one for them. Tape together the middle section (after you cut off the top and bottom) of plastic liter bottles or the boxes that soda cans come in. Keep in mind that to build a tunnel of comparable length to the one in the book you will need approximately 300 boxes or 600 liter bottles.

ORPHAN WEEK - Surviving Hitler

TITLE: Surviving Hitler: A Boy in the Nazi Death Camps

AUTHOR: Andrea Warren (again)

WHO IS THE ORPHAN? This is the true story of Jack Mandelbaum from Gdynia, Poland. He was born in 1927.

HOW WAS HE ORPHANED? Jack came from a loving family and lived an idyllic childhood. As the Nazis were gearing up to invade Poland he still didn't think of himself as Jewish, probably because his parents did not attend weekly services. Jack was a public school student where he learned prayers from nuns and priests and joined his Catholic friends for Christmas choraling. He thought of himself first and foremost as Polish.

Then Jack's life changed from days of contentment to days of avoiding the Nazis to winding up in a concentration camp, separated from his family. Though he did not know it, he was orphaned during this time. His father died in another concentration camp, his mother and younger brother died in a gas chamber and his older sister was shot by the Nazis.

WHAT WAS ORPHAN LIFE LIKE FOR HIM? Jack recounts what concentration camp life was like (and it isn't pretty). It was filled with tiny scraps of putrid food, work, beatings, lice, filth, disease and near starvation. Friendships with fellow captives and his determination to be reunited with his family, whom he thought still alive, kept him going.

WHAT WAS HIS TURNING POINT? Liberation was an ecstatic time but also heartbreaking as he pieced together what happened to his family.

HOW DOES HIS LIFE TURN-OUT? Jack immigrated to the United States and wound up in Kansas City. He was a successful businessman who married and had seven children. He became active in Holocaust survivor groups but made a point of not allowing himself to be consumed by hate.

“God gave us the power to be good or evil. This is our choice. Because some pick evil, we must work together to recognize and stop it. But while we survivors may lead the charge, we cannot do this alone. It must be the goal of all people.”

This is a hard story to share with children, but they must be made aware of it, so they can be ever vigilant as the future unfolds.

Ages 12 and up

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Activity: How many countries can you name that were invaded by the Nazis during World War II?

Eye Witness to History

The Roman philosopher Seneca wrote of his day at the Coliseum watching the Gladiators. Pliny the Younger recalled in a letter how he barely survived the Pompeii disaster of 79AD. Sadie Frowne told of immigrating to America from Poland and Lady Bird Johnson recorded her memories of the day JFK was shot. All these juicy tidbits from history have been collected at an amazingly well organized site, www.eyewitnesstohistory.com.

Browse fascinating written eyewitness accounts from the making of a mummy to Nixon leaving the Whitehouse. But there are also recorded voices, fascinating photos and amazing videos available too.

Warning...addictive browsing. Very bookmark worthy.

Ages 9 and up
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Celebrate!

There are a dizzying array of celebrations in this world. Some mark a historical event from back in time like the birth of someone special, a temple or a throne being reclaimed or a country gaining independence. Some festivals mark a pattern in time itself like a new year, the harvest, the brightest moon or the shortest day. And there are many more reasons to celebrate: the last hurrah before lent or the first hurrah after fasting, the honoring of family members both present and past, and so on.

Well, I've been away celebrating a couple of these holidays with my husband and children. And now that I'm back and searching for interesting books again, I couldn’t resist Children Just Like Me: Celebrations! As can be expected from DK Publishing, this 63 page volume is chock full of quality photos and interesting information. With each spread you feel like you are meeting a child guide to tell you in their own words about a special holiday in their life. Along with a nearly foot high photo of the child are their quotes and other facts about the featured celebration.

I enjoyed learning about important days in other parts of the world of which I was previously unaware. Like the Zambian harvest festival called N’cwala, and two different dates in Japan. One is centered around girls and dolls, called Hina Matsuri, the other is a boy centered celebration, called Kodomono-hi. And I am totally inspired by a Hindu festival called Raksha Bandhan, that celebrates the love between brothers and sisters. Maybe, I'm thinking, I should get Ryan and Shannon to partake in this August festival. It originated over 500 years ago when sisters tied rakhis on their brothers’ wrists to protect them on the battlefield. On the day of Raksha (meaning “protection”) Bandhan (meaning “bond”), the siblings start out by praying for the safe keeping of each other. The sister blesses the brother with a holy mark. Then she ties the bracelet she has made on her brother's right wrist and he promises to protect her. They next give each other a piece of candy and after that the brother gives his sister a gift.

What a great overview of the world's celebrations!

Ages: 9 and up
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Activity: Print out this 2010 calendar onto a legal size page. Can you correctly color the date of the holiday or the day that longer celebrations begin?

Navajo to the Rescue

Native Americans have saved pale faces from some dire situations a time or two. After all where would the Plymouth Colony have been without the aid of Squanto? Jamestown without Pocahontas? And during World War II, the United States military without the Navajo code talkers?

Code Talker: A Novel About the Navajo Marines of World War Two, is a great source for learning about the later. The voice in this book belongs to a Navajo, Ned Begay, who is telling his grandchildren about his youth at boarding school and then his life as a marine.

Prior to World War II schools were organized to give Navajo children an "American" education. Talking in their native tongue was not allowed, and in fact, evoked severe punishment. The irony is that during the second World War the Navajo language that these children spoke secretly among themselves saved untold American lives.

The Japanese were decoding secret messages easily until the idea was implemented to use the unwritten, isolated Navajo language. Recruits from the southwestern reservation created their own code, substituting Navajo words for the military words they resembled. For instance, the Navajo word for “tortoise” was used in place of “tank” and “dive bomber” was the Navajo word for “chicken hawk.” Or words could be spelled out using the Navajo word for “ant” or “apple” or “ax” for an “A” and so on.

This book not only chronicles the way in which the code evolved, but also the Pacific campaign itself. The main character is involved in the invasion of Bougainville, Guam, Pavavu, Iwo Jima and Okinawa. You get a feel for what the war was like for these soldiers and the unbending determination of the Japanese to NEVER surrender. Also the specific concerns of the more than 400 code talkers; their fears of deep water, dead people and of being mistaken for Japanese, as they shared such similar physical characteristics.

It is an eye-opening book in many ways.

Ages 12 and up
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Activity: Can you break this code using the Navajo code talker's alphabet? TSE-GAH WOL-LA-CHEE CLA-GI-AIH BI-SO-DIH TSAH-AS-ZIH CHA A-KHA DIBEH-YAZZIE YEH-HES BE BE-LA-SANA TSAH-AS-ZIH DIBEH!

Untold Stories Of The Second World War: The Navajo (Part 1)

Untold Stories Of The Second World War: The Navajo (Part 2)

Untold Stories Of The Second World War: The Navajo (Part 3)

Midwife Crisis

When you wake up homeless, penniless, nameless, cold, hungry and alone in a dung heap I guess it's safe to say there is no where to go but up. That's the situation in which the main character in The Midwife's Apprentice found herself. She eventually names herself Alyce and eventually makes her way in the world, but not before being discovered by the unpleasant village midwife who bestows on her the name Beetle (as in dung beetle), and eeks all the assistance out of her she can. On top of that Alyce is subjected to much belittling and bullying by all manner of villagers.

I really enjoyed two things about this book. One was the metamorphosis of Alyce from a weakling into a confident young woman. And the other was Karen Cushman's portrayal of medieval life. For an older child (heed my warning below) studying the middle ages this will provide interesting reading.

Awards: 1996 Newbery Award Winner

Warning: Contains references to adultery and an unmarried young couple's tryst.

Ages 12 and up
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Activity: Here's your chance to play Medieval Midwife. Can you match the herb to the correct labor symptom and pick the best pre-delivery position for the baby?

History Game

Can you place the stock market crash, the start of the civil war and the Wright brothers first flight in the correct years? Give this Timeline Game a try.

Memorizing the Preamble to the Constitution

In lieu of having cable during our children's lifetimes, we've created a little stock pile of DVD's. Out of this collection, the early Andy Griffiths are hands-down our favorites. And here's a scene I found on You Tube that illustrates why. In this episode titled Andy Discovers America from The Andy Griffith Show - The Complete Third Season, Barney Fife "shows off" his ability to recall what he learned in his 8th grade history class. This is a MUST SEE for any child having to memorize the preamble to the constitution. Classic!

3, 2, 1, Blast Off!

Vaguely familiar. That's how I would have described my awareness of:
1. Graphic novels
2. Canine cosmonauts

Then I read Laika and discovered that graphic novels seem like a cross between a book and a movie and that a dog named Laika was the first living earthling to be launched into outer space. After reading about this 1957 Russian endeavor, I can't imagine being introduced to the story of Sputnik 2 in any other genre. Nick Abadzis accomplishes an amazing feat by combining impressive research, lively artwork and effective story-telling. This award-winning book gives insight into the Russian push to excel at space exploration, the bleak Communist lifestyle, and of course the people and the dog involved in this mission. Even though it is not a happy ending, it was a treat to read.

Ages 12 and up
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Reading about Laika brought to mind a movie my whole family thoroughly enjoyed and watched time and again. October Sky is the true story of some West Virginia school boys whose rocket project won the national science fair in the late 50's. In one scene, Homer, the main character is doing what he swore he would never do...going down into the coal mine to work (due to family circumstances). As he is lowered into the mine shaft he sees Sputnik 1 trekking across his last glimpse of sky. The cage begins it's dark descent and an old timer says to Homer regarding his headlamp, "turn your light on boy." We love this line!! My husband and I often tell our son as he is leaving the house for the bus stop on dark winter mornings, "turn your light on boy."

In real life Homer grew up to work for NASA. I highly recommend this feel good, family movie!

Ages 9 and up
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Activity: This is the rocket my son enjoyed building at school. It is only $6.58 and it has earned lots of positive customer feedback.

The Lincolns

I really enjoyed reading about Abraham Lincoln's wife and her dearest friend in An Unlikely Friendship: A Novel of Mary Todd Lincoln and Elizabeth Keckley, by the ever so talented Ann Rinaldi. This well written historical fiction will especially appeal to teenage girls as well as adults with an interest in history.

It is organized in a unique way:
1. The day Abraham Lincoln was shot (starting with breakfast)
2. Mary Todd's upbringing in Lexington, Kentucky
3. Elizabeth Keckley's upbringing as a slave
4. The friendship of these two women.

You could certainly say that Mary and Elizabeth (Lizzy) were opposites. Priviledged Mary Todd grew up waited-on by slaves while Lizzy endured the wretched life of a slave. Mary lost her mother early in life and was then subjected to a loathsome step-mother. Lizzy on the other hand was raised in the company of her mother, the plantation's seamstress. And thankfully, her mother taught her how to sew, a skill that eventually earned her freedom and an introduction to the upper-crust of the nation's capitol.

Readers will come away from this story with empathy for those trapped in slavery and a true sense of what Antebellum life was like. A great read.

Ages 12 and up
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Another Lincoln title caught my eye this week. The Lincolns: A Scrapbook Look at Abraham and Mary is a thick "scrapbook" containing 156 pages of newspaper clippings, photos, political cartoons and letters from the couples lives all arranged in chronological order. It's chock-full of information making for interesting browsing. Here is one of the many little gems it contains...an account of the first time Abraham met Mary:

Tall and gawky, wearing a swallowtail coat that was too short, shabbily patched trousers, and mismatched socks, Abraham made his way to Mary's side. "Miss Todd," he said, "I want to dance with you in the worst way." And, as Mary remembered it, "he certainly did."

Ages 9 and up
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Activity: How well do you know the 16th president? Try this Abraham Lincoln Crossword Puzzle.