Osama bin Laden: 3/10/57 – 5/1/11

Well, no doubt, the subject of Osama bin Laden may come up today. While googling for some child friendly learning opportunities, I uncovered an interesting interview. In it, Omar bin Laden, tells what it was like to grow up with Osama bin Laden as his father. Your children will learn that life with you isn’t so bad after all!

It turns out, Omar, who was 20 on that fateful September day in 2001, has published a book along with his mother titled, Growing Up bin Laden: Osama’s Wife and Son Take Us Inside Their World. Now I haven’t read that one, but I can vouch for The Looming Tower: Al-Qaeda and the Road to 9/11. This was a fascinating, well researched, trip through bin Laden's mind. I reviewed it here along with a children’s book about Al Qaeda.

Great Heights Week: Goliath....and David

While thinking of tall things for this week’s theme, “Great Heights,” the idea of doing a Goliath post came to me. I checked this David and Goliath out from the library because I just love the cover illustration! And on the inside too the illustrations are as big as life....really good. But when Shannon and I read it last night I didn’t enjoy the writing so much.  I mean “old rams skipped and danced in their grave fashion”? It was also annoying how lines were repeated and disturbing how the author included details of David cutting off Goliath’s head at the end. Yuck. Is there a plus side? Well, it is gratifying that the book reeks with the feel and look of life back then. And the fact that there was a conflict at the time of King Saul between the Israelites and the Philistines is certainly substantiated. But best of all, underscored is the lesson that you can conquer any problem if you think smart. 


Ages 6-9
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Activity: Here’s a David and Goliath coloring page.

Feeling a little guilty about not having a better David and Goliath offering, I looked around for some online sources and I may have struck gold for the older kids. During the 7th century a Byzantine artist created a series of plates telling the story of David. Today, most of those plates are on display in the Metropolitan Museum of Art. At the Online Books Page I found a link to a free learning-activity offered by the museum that encourages young people to look more closely at the Museum’s spectacular set of Byzantine silver objects, known as the David Plates. It provides an in-depth exploration of the plates, including their subject—the biblical story of David and Goliath—and essential background information about the culture in which they were made. Also included are maps, teaching strategies, and activities for students. Wouldn’t it be neat to do this activity before a visit to the museum?

A 5,000 Year Old Epic

These stories about a part god/part man king named Gilgamesh are reminiscent of ancient Greek mythology, but they are more ancient. In fact, they were originally written on clay tablets some 5,000 years ago. Ludmila Zeman has taken these older than dirt Mesopotamian tales and created a kid-friendly, beautifully illustrated trilogy. Besides the lessons in friendship, loyalty, leadership, love and good versus evil, readers will also be exposed to what life in the long ago city of Uruk, situated in present day Iraq, was like. Titles in this series include Gilgamesh the King, The Revenge of Ishtar and The Last Quest of Gilgamesh.

Ages 9-12
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Activity: Can you put a story on a clay tablet that someone else can decipher? We started by making our own Mesopotamian Mud (home made play dough). Here is the recipe we used:

1 1/2 cups flour
3/4 cup salt
1 1/2 cups water
1 tb oil
1/2 tb cream of tartar
Food Coloring:
Red: 30 drops
Green: 20 drops
Yellow: 15 drops

Stir ingredients together then cook over medium heat. Stir until liquid ingredients become solid.

Here is Shannon's cuneiform. She wrote about two friends finding a bird's nest containing eggs. I read it without even stumbling!

To see and find out more about cuneiforms check out these sites:
Cornell University, Ithaca, New York
Hearst Museum of Anthropology, Berkeley, California
Horn Museum, Berrien Springs, Michigan
Kelsey Museum of Archeology, Ann Arbor, Michigan
New York Public Library, New York, New York
USC Archaeological Collection, Los Angeles, California
The Walters Art Museum, Baltimore, Maryland

Genghis Khan

Demi's books are a special treat and this one is no exception. It is oozing with gold leaf, prancing Mongolian ponies and insight into how Genghis Khan became the ruler of the largest empire ever created in one lifetime. He lead an adventurous life, even in childhood. He was riding before he could walk, herding camels at age five, hunting by six and the head of his clan by age nine. He was fourteen when he was captured by rivals, and then made a nail-biting escape. My daughter found it disturbing that he put an arrow through his own brother's heart after he discovered him stealing from their own food provisions (and I thought my kids were rough on each other). But the text emphasizes over and over again the trait he admired and expected most: loyalty. Genghis Khan is a beautiful book and a great way to begin to learn about one man that had an enormous impact on history.

Ages 8-12

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Activity: Add your own details to this Steppes picture. A felt yurt is ready to be colored, but can you add horses, goats, camels, Mongol warriors or even Genghis Khan?

The Mongolian Empire

All About Al Queda

Osama bin Laden's head. That's where I have been for the last couple of weeks. I finally finished reading The Looming Tower: Al Qaeda and the Road to 9/11. Wow. The breadth of research and the understandable delivery are beyond impressive. Lawrence Wright apparently interviewed 1,000 people in the Muslim world and it shows. I now know how this terrorist group evolved, starting in Egypt after World War II. It is fascinating how the pieces fit together: the formation of Israel, the sudden vast wealth of Saudi Arabia, the Soviet/Afghan War and the communication breakdown between the FBI and the CIA. Even the influence of the Kinsey report, the Monica Lewinsky scandal...and so much more. I have a clearer understanding of why these Islamic extremists hate America. A highly recommended read for every American adult. "Know thy enemy," as they say.

I became curious about books available for children on this subject. A well written book by Philip Margulies is titled Al Qaeda: Osama Bin Laden's Army of Terrorists. I found it to be organized, with just the right amount of information. And the last chapter is thought provoking.

"One person's terrorist is another person's freedom fighter. After all, the rebellious American colonists were once considered terrorists by the English government."

Margulies raises great discussion questions about the French Resistance in World War II, Hamas in Israel and how terrorists come to be.

Ages 9-12

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