We are studying the Revolutionary War in history right now.  I must say that I never really enjoyed history when I was in school.  However, I am loving it the second time around.  I wish I had been able to learn history this way when I was a kid!

 

We are using the Truthquest History Guide titled American History for Young Students, volume 1.  The guides have running commentary as you move through history.  Then, Michelle Miller has listed wonderful 'living book' choices for each segment you work through.  The tough part is narrowing down which ones to read.  I have been able to find more than we can digest at our local library, so there is no need to spend extra money on books.

 

We have been reading about the tensions between the colonists and the British, leading to the Boston Massacre, and the Boston Tea Party.  Lately, we've been focused on Paul Revere and the battles at Lexington and Concord.  The kids are loving it!

 

We're making notebooks for this topic.  I'm blowing up timeline figures and typing up related to captions to create notebook page for the kids to color.  Sometimes, I am able to find a coloring page on the internet.  Sometimes, I scan a picture from a book we've read to jog their memory as they look through their notebooks.  When the notebooks are done, I'm going to take them to Office Depot and have them bound, so each child will have their own official 'book' about the American Revolution that they worked on themselves.  It really helps keep the sequence of events more clear in their minds.

 

Last night we watched a 30-minute video from the library called 'Johnny Tremain:  The Shot Heard Round the World'.  It is an old one from Disney, a spin-off from the Johnnny Tremain movie, I would guess.  It fit in perfectly with all we had been reading.  Again, the kids loved it!

 

Who knew history could be so much fun?

Posted by CTdittmar

Yes, this has been our (or at least my) favorite period to study as well. We read Johnny Tremain last year, and it is a MUST read as your kids get a little older. I can't remember how old yours are, but even my then 5 year old understood it pretty well. History has come alive for me too, since homeschooling. How did (most) schools manage to make it such a drudgery back when I went???

Posted by CTdittmar

Also, a company called Hearts and Hands makes a hands-on colonial box full of activities for this time period. I bought it, and we've really enjoyed the activities.

Posted by Altomommy

I did not like history at all when I was in school. I am enjoying it so much more teaching it to my children - I'm learning right along with them!

Thanks for your comment on my blog. I just *LOVE* your avatar picture with the feet sticking out from the books. That is just adorable!! :)

Blessings to you in your homeschool!

Posted by mamatc

My DD sets her alarm on the days the show 'Liberty's Kids' is on so she can catch every episode. Do you guys get that where you are? It's a pretty good program. I can leave her to watch it and not really worry about the content. It's nice when that happens--it can be rare! I have always loved learning and school but I think you're right. There is something fun and exciting to re-learn and learn more at our age. I am sooooo glad the Lord made a way for me to homeschool!
Keep having fun,
Traci :)

Posted by dawilli

I can comment on this one... not on the notebooking post, or the ten minute tidy post... it only shows me the send to a friend and trackback link...weird... I can see other people's comments, but I can't comment... it doesn't like me or something :-(
Oh well, I may just have to post comments on the wrong posts for a while... we love notebooking here, just starting to do more of it as it was hard for me not to do it all "perfect" for my kids before, I'm such a perfectionist, but trying to overcome that!
Also, we wouldn't survive without several 10 minute tidy breaks, actually, per flylady, ours are 15 minutes, and scheduled into our day... and the children are learning to bear more of the household load, I can't do it all, I just can't, I admit it, I AM NOT SUPERWOMAN!
ali

Posted by dawilli

My boys memorized "Paul Revere's Ride" during our little studies of the American Revolution. We've never covered it in depth in school, we've spent so much time on the ancients... but my kids love Johnny Tremain, the movie and the book, Sam, the Minuteman, and watching Liberty's Kids. One of my sons impressed the relatives with announcing "give me liberty, or give me death!" when asked who said that, without batting an eye "Patrick Henry"... he was 5... how many kindergarteners know that?
The beauty is, I didn't even teach it to him, he just picked it up... The Revolutionary War is just part of my kids' play, and they've learned more from that playing than most kids do studying!
ali

Posted by dawilli

I'm all logged in... I still can't comment on Step by Step Cleaning, or Notebooking... I'm clicking on each post and all I get are Send to a friend and Trackback URL... trying each post this is the first post I can comment on, it's just weird... I can see other people's posts! ugh!
oh well, I'm too sleepy for this, I'll just comment in the wrong spot! he, he, he... it'll just seem really random...
ali