Florida Field Trips #1: Historic St. Augustine

Dear friends,

I'm starting a new monthly series on this blog of field trips in the state of Florida.  Most of them will be near Orlando and low or no cost.   For example, next month I'll photoblog about Big Tree Park, and I foresee other posts about Leu Gardens, the Orlando Science Center, and maybe even the Orange County Regional History Center.  Even if you don't live in this area, this might give you an idea of what to look for in your own town.

For this first post, we're venturing about two hours northeast to St. Augustine, the oldest continually inhabited city in the United States.  Come along!

There are so many other things to see in this beautiful city with a rich history, though, such as the Oldest Schoolhouse, the Lightner Museum, the St. Augustine lighthouse, Ponce de Leon's "Fountain of Youth" exhibit, or if you are in a bizarre mood, the Ripley's Believe It or Not Museum.  Thad and I honeymooned in St. Augustine 25 years ago, splurging on one night in a romantic bed & breakfast before moving over to a more affordable motel for the remainder of the week.  We've enjoyed going back as a couple and strolling through the quaint gift shops, eating at the Columbia restaurant, and browsing in the art galleries.  So whether you're going as a family or "just the two of us" there is something for everyone in St. Augustine.

For this trip, since my husband wasn't feeling well and we still have young children, we had only two destinations for  the day: Castillo de San Marcos (a massive fort built by the Spanish in the 1700's) and the Colonial Spanish Quarter.  This fits in well with our current unit study on early colonial history.  We had just studied St. Augustine the week before!

Admission at Castillo de San Marcos is $6 for adults and free for kids age 15 and under. Our visit lasted just under two hours, which is how long the parking meters will let you go on one feeding of four quarters, and which is just about right for our family.

We arrived just as this guide was finishing up describing how the Spanish defended their fort from the Englsh. It's one of my favorite stories about the Castillo, and I wish my kids had heard the whole thing. But you can read about it here: Covering Your Coqina: How to Withstand Enemy Book.

We watched a short film about cannons and muskets,

including a segment on how they drilled to train for using it.

These next several pictures were taken on the top level of the fort,

which overlooks Matanzas Bay and the distant lighthouse.

Is this cannon making a face at me?

Naomi is not in the cannon -- she's behind it!

I search out beauty and art wherever they can be found, even if on the barrel of a cannon!

A tower at one corner -- they could shoot out of the gun holes.
Our kids all had on their red American flag T-shirts which makes them easy to spot. 
I like to have them wear these whenever we take a family field trip.
I couldn't find Melody's though, so she just wore a red T-shirt.  She's not in the picture below.

Thad had quite a time keeping track of 5 year old Melody.

She didn't quite "get" this fort stuff, but she did like to run and climb!

St. Augustine and Castillo de San Marcos have been under Spanish, British and American control during their long and colorful history...

  

Our helpful guide took us on a tour of the lower level.

Native American culture is also featured...

 Steps to the upper level from the inner courtyard...

Picnic lunch under a palm tree, and then time to run around.

Our next stop -- the Colonial Spanish Quarter -- is just a couple of blocks away from Castillo de San Marcos, so we left our van there and fed more quarters into the meter.

There is an entrance fee of about $7 for adults, $4.25 for kids or $20 per family. Hours are 9 AM - 4:45 PM. We were here for two hours.  You can find more information (rates may be obsolete) here: http://staugustinegovernment.com/visitors/spanish_quarter.cfm

The carpentry shop...

A typical home, simple and charming.

I love the shelf hanging over the table -- more handy storage!

At the leather shop, this crafter was drinking lemonade from a leather tankard he had made.

It is waterproofed with a coating of beeswax, so he can't use it for hot drinks.

We were very impressed with this man's presentation because he was really trying to draw the kids in to the conversation.

The man at the blacksmith shop also explained his job well.

No matter where we are, we can't resist taking nature photos!

Hibiscus

Crowing rooster on the fence

Spider on a web

Well, that's about it for the field trip we took last month, but I wanted to give you a taste of the Lightner Museum, too.   I visited there with my daughter Rachel and her friend Cassidy in January.  I think I paid $5 admission (which is half price) with my Florida Parent Educators Association membership card.  This museum may be of less interest to elementary age children, but I loved all of the Victorian era curiosities.  These pictures are just a sample of the sumptuous feast for the eyes!

Giant clam shells?

Automated musical instruments -- a whole room of them!
The guide demonstrated most of them for us.

Vintage dolls, clothes, cut crystal, furniture, vases and other pretty and/or funky things

OH, I can't write about St. Augustine without mentioning Don Oja Dunaway.  He's been singing folk music (much of it original) at the second story Milltop Cafe for decades.  Thad and I met him on our honeymoon, and Rachel and I saw him again in January.  When we were passing by a few weeks ago, we could hear him warming up.  Sweet memories!

Take a trip to St. Augustine!

P.S. If you are my Facebook friend, you can see more photos of St. Augustine on-line!

Blessings,

Virginia Knowles

http://www.startwellhomeschool.blogspot.com/

Taming the Fidgets While You Read to Your Kids

Busy Hands: Taming the Fidgets While You Read to Your Kids

by Virginia Knowles

One of the main reasons we decided not to continue in our home school co-op after four years was because I really craved the opportunity to read aloud to my own kids for a significant amount of time every day.  We have hundreds (maybe thousands) of kids books in the house, and I wanted to fill their hearts and minds with great literature, fascinating history and wonder-building science.   My only problem with this is that my five younger kids, ages 5-13, tend to be fidgets!  The excess movement invariably caused distractions and even conflicts as someone would fling a pillow across the room or hang over the edge of the couch upside down.  

My friend Debbie, whose daughter attends a Montessori school where hands-on education is a key component of their program, suggested that I give them something to do with their hands while I read.  So the next morning I announced that they were welcome to go find something small to do with their hands as long as they didn't move around too much.  Naomi instantly thought of pipe cleaners.  She braided hers while Micah turned his into a small pipe cleaner family of people.   The next day, she brought out some modeling clay (not play dough, which is more messy) and started crafting a miniature bedroom set.  Micah has started making clay spiders and origami dinosaurs.   One of my adult daughters, Rachel, taught Naomi to knit, so I'm going to buy her a pair of needles and skein of yarn.  Imagine how many projects she could make just during our read aloud time each morning!

Has it solved the fidget and interruption problem?  Not entirely -- but it sure has helped!  Then I let them run around outside for a little while like active kids love to do.

Give it a try! 

P.S. Here's something I won't let them do in the living room since it's too messy -- those are pretzels nibbled into letter shapes!

More on reading aloud? 

• 
  

  Read for the Heart: Whole Books for Wholehearted Families book review

• 
  

  What We're Doing for School Next Year (The Big Switch!)

• “When Mother Reads Aloud” poem

What do you do with your kids to help them settle down so you can teach them?  Leave a comment with your ideas!

Blessings,

Virginia Knowles

www.startwellhomeschool.blogspot.com

Home School Rules

These are some habits we are working on developing at our house.  You would think we would already have them down pat after nearly 20 years of home schooling! 

Home School Rules


1. Always follow Mom's instructions right away.
2. Ask questions if you don't understand something.
3. If you can't get help right away, keep busy until you can.
4. Work hard and get everything done on the day assigned.
5. Do an excellent job.
6. Be quiet so others can work, too.
7. Put your name and date on all of your papers.
8. Make sure you keep all of your papers in your notebook.
9. Clean up after yourself as you go.
10. Enjoy learning with your family!


What are your family's rules?  How are they working out for you?  Do you have any great tips for the rest of us in actually carrying them out?  Do tell!

Virginia Knowles
http://www.startwellhomeschool.blogspot.com/

Favorite Books for Teaching American History

FAVORITE BOOKS FOR TEACHING AMERICAN HISTORY
by Virginia Knowles

Favorite Series Fiction 

• American Girls series -- elementary level fiction about seven young ladies from different eras, such as Colonial Williamsburg, the Civil War, immigrant pioneers, etc. Each girl has six books which give a fascinating flavor of typical lifestyles. There are supplemental craft, cooking, and drama titles for each character, as well as the dolls, accessories and trading cards.
• The Little House books by Laura Ingalls Wilder -- the classics for a study on pioneers. Look for other spin-off books (cooking, crafts, etc.) and easy readers.
• The American Adventures series by multiple authors such as Norma Jean Lutz -- 48 novels, covering time period from 1620-1945 (these may be out-of-print but you can find them on-line or in used bookstores)
• Christian Heritage series by Nancy Rue -- novels covering Colonial period until World War II, for ages 8-12. (Bethany House / Focus on the Family)

Favorite Biography & Other Non-Fiction  

• If You Lived... series published by Scholastic Books -- easy books which tell about daily life, especially for children, during various historical eras
• Meet George Washington and other Step-Up biographies (early elementary)
• Childhood of Famous Americans -- series of easy biographies covering the early lives of dozens of the greats. See related blog post by Cheryl Bastian.
• Pocahontas, George Washington, Abraham Lincoln, Benjamin Franklin and other books by Ingri and Edgar d’Aulaire -- highly illustrated, but lots of text
• Cornerstones of Freedom series -- focuses on key events and landmarks in American history, such as the California Gold Rush or the Statue of Liberty.
• Where Was Patrick Henry on the 29th of May?, George Washington’s Mother and other history books by Jean Fritz -- written with a tongue-in-cheek style
• The Thanksgiving Story and The Fourth of July Story by Alice Dalgliesh (early elementary)
• In God We Trust: Stories of Faith in American History by Timothy Crater and Ranelda Hunsicker (published by Chariot) -- short, readable biographies of American’s Christian leaders, all in one volume. This is a must have book!

Favorite Historical Picture and Easy Read Books 

• Samuel Eaton’s Day and Sarah Morton’s Day by Kate Waters (early colonial, picture books)
• Squanto, Friend of Pilgrims and A Lion to Guard Us (about Jamestown) by Clyde Robert Bulla -- early elementary
• The Courage of Sarah Noble by Alice Dalgliesh -- easy novel, early pioneer times in Pennsylvania
• A Picture Book of Paul Revere and other books by David Adler -- you should be able to find these in your public library
• The Cabin Faced West by Jean Fritz -- a sweet tale, based on a true story, about living in Western Pennsylvania in the 1700s (easy novel)
• The Blue and the Gray by Eve Bunting -- two modern friends, one black and one white, looking back on a Civil War battlefield (picture book)
• Growing Seasons by Elise Lee Splear, paintings by Ken Stark -- farm life around 1906 (picture book with lots of informative text)
• Benjamin West and His Cat Grimalkin by Marguerite Henry -- picture book story of the famous artist
• Lights on the River by Jane Resh Thomas (picture book about migrant workers)  

Favorite Historical Novels for Upper Elementary and Middle School 

• The Witch of Blackbird Pond by Elizabeth George Speare (Puritan era) See my free study guide here: http://continuewellhomeschool.blogspot.com/2009/08/witch-of-blackbird-pond-study-questions.html
• Johnny Tremain by Esther Forbes (Revolutionary War) See my free study guide here: http://continuewellhomeschool.blogspot.com/2009/08/johnny-tremain-study-guide-by-virginia.html
• Caddie Woodlawn by Carol Ryrie Brink (pioneer times)
• Across Five Aprils by Irene Hunt (Civil War)
• Turn Homeward, Hannalee and Be Ever Hopeful, Hannalee by Patricia Beatty (Civil War and Reconstruction as told from perspective of young displaced Southern girl
• Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry by Mildred Taylor (racism in 1930s Mississippi -- part of a series)
• Words by Heart by Ouida Sebestyen -- another book about racism, and a young girl with Scripture tucked into her heart to help her through tragedy and forgiveness -- you can also get the DVD
• Rascal by Sterling North (the story of a raccoon and a boy in the early 1900s)

Note: Our family has accumulated hundreds of American history resources. To keep track of them, I created a spreadsheet chart. I include the unit study number (1 - 6), book or video title, author, grade level, specific time period, genre (fiction, photographic reference, biography, picture book, poetry, etc.), and a comment on the specific topic if it isn't apparent from the title. If there is a story, article, or poem in an anthology (such as William Bennett's Book of Virtues or The Moral Compass), I list the title of the piece along with the page numbers. The same goes for chapters in history text books, such as A Beka, which we also use as needed. So when I get ready for teaching a particular time period, I just need to consult my chart and look for the books. This isn't too hard, because I organized my school bookcases so that all of my American history books are clustered on about 6 shelves, roughly in order by time period.

This list is a companion article to Weekly Grading and Lesson Planning.  I'll try to update it as I think of other books, so check back!

Blessings,
Virginia Knowles
http://www.startwellhomeschool.blogspot.com/

American History Unit Studies at Our House

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American History Unit Studies at Our House
by Virginia Knowles
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My younger five children, ages 5-13, are studying American history with me this year.  For the past four years, we have been enrolled in a large home school co-op, but this year we're on our own again, and I'm really enjoying it. I love this opportunity to spend the better part of each morning directly teaching my own kids Bible, literature, history, and science before they go off for their individual assignments. Here are some ideas I have developed over the last 20 years of home schooling about how to teach history.

Younger elementary: History should focus on those last two syllables of the word history: STORY! In my opinion, little children are just not ready to memorize oodles of names and dates. How much of these will they remember? Complicated scenarios of what caused this or that, abstract principles of philosophy -- save them for much later! I’ve been all too guilty of trying to cram complex facts and theories into my young children’s heads, usually when I was attempting to pull off a grand multi-level unit study on a topic that couldn’t reasonably be stretched to meet the needs of preschoolers and middle schoolers. The results: boredom and frustration! If you take the time to know your child, you will discern what he is ready to comprehend with interest. I find that young children appreciate simple books, easy craft and cooking projects, lively music, and anything else that involves their senses or imaginations.  For this reason, my kindergartner is not required to participate in our regular morning history time, though she usually hangs around anyway.  I don't expect her to get much from it at this point, so I do other things with her, like reading picture books with historical stories. 

• American Pioneers and Patriots by Christian Liberty Press is a great example of history for younger children -- easy stories, a few activities and questions 
• Least of All by Carol Purdy is a very sweet picture book about a little girl in a farm family way back when who teaches herself to read -- and then teaches the rest of the family!  One of my favorites!

Time period unit studies: This year, I decided to teach American history in six units, each lasting up to six weeks long. After each unit, we take a week off, which gives me time to prepare for the next one. We started school in early July so we can spare the weeks off. Our time periods this year are Explorers (only 4 weeks, due to our extended American history field trip), Early Colonial, The Revolutionary Era, Pioneers, Civil War/Slavery, and the 20th Century (World Wars, the Great Depression, Civil Rights Era, modern technology and government). To plan for the year, I created a spreadsheet with the week number, date, history unit study topic, and science topic. This way I can know when I will need resources for that time period. 

• A Pioneer Sampler: The Daily Life of a Pioneer Family in 1840 by Barbara Greenwood is a like a unit study within a book. It follows the story of a pioneer family, and gives abundant supplementary information at the end of each chapter on topics such as beekeeping, home building, recipes, farming methods, making fabric, etc.  Read a detailed review at http://www.educationworld.com/a_books/books069.shtml

Hiistorical fiction and biographies: I love teaching history through literature; one of my main goals is to use true or realistic stories to impart life lessons to my students about courage, justice, liberty, diligence, resourcefulness, loyalty, and compassion. I want my kids to kids think deeper about these themes and how they can apply to our 21st century lives. (At the Finish Well conference this fall and at the Books & Beyond conference next year, I hope to do a new session on "With Literature and Justice for All.") Many of the great historical titles, including many Newbery award winners, can be found in your public library. You can also scout around for vintage out-of-print books in used bookstores or on-line. My dad's step-father, Dr. Howard R. Driggs, was born in the 1870's (he was much older than my grandmother). He was a pioneer historian and prolific author, so I have quite a collection of his books on the Pony Express and other frontier topics.

Scripture and God's Providence: I also like to relate events and people to the principles of Scripture. What would the Bible have to say about what happened? If this or that person had followed these truths, how would history have been different? Along with this, how has God's providential hand been seen in turns of events in history? For example, the pilgrims were blown off course by a storm, so they settled in Massachusetts, out of range of the legal charter that would have bound them in Virginia -- thus the opportunity for an experiment in self-government!

History notebooks: Whether or not you give lots of written assignments, do help your child set up a history and geography notebook. This could include quotes from famous people, timelines, maps, pictures that your child draws, copy work and dictation exercises, history-related spelling lists, creative writing attempts, photocopies of information from books, clipped magazine articles, and so much more! This notebook could be a lifetime treasure!



Music: pieces for each time period, such as from the CD and book Celebrate America! by Twin Sisters. Your home school support group could put on a whole concert of patriotic and folk songs, as ours did many years ago. Learn the stories behind the songs, too! Why were they written? Here are several to get started: 

• "This Land is Your Land"
• "America the Beautiful"
• "My Country 'Tis of Thee"
• "The Star-Spangled Banner"
• "God Bless America"

Poetry: I always include poems written by people who lived "back then" or by modern poets reflecting on history.  These are easy to find on the Internet! Some of my favorites:

• "Columbus" by Joaquin Miller
• "The Midnight Ride of Paul Revere" and "The Village Blacksmith" by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow
• "Barbara Frietchie" by John Greenleaf Whittier (Civil War)
• "The New Colossus" by Emma Lazarus (inscribed at the base of the Statue of Liberty"
• "Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening" by Robert Frost
• "I Am an American" by Elias Lieberman

Art appreciation & history: drawings, paintings, sculpture, folk art, etc. In the pictures, notice what people are wearing, what tools they are using, and what their homes and gardens look like. Also, study the works of American artists such as Gilbert Stuart, Rembrandt Peale, Benjamin West, Grandma Moses, Grant Wood ("American Gothic"), Louis Comfort Tiffany, etc. I found lovely hardback art books for these last two artists on the Books-A-Million $1 bargain cart! Go see the art up close in a museum if you can, such as at the National Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C. or a local museum. In Orlando, we have the Morse Museum (http://www.morsemuseum.org/), which features art by Louis Comfort Tiffany, who was famous for his stained glass work.

Arts & crafts projects: sketching, painting, historical crafts (such as quilting, candle making), making period costumes, etc. This year, I bought the book Draw and Write Through History: Pilgrims, Pirates, and Patriots by Carylee Gressman and Peggy Dick for my 6th grader who likes to draw. It has detailed pictorial instructions for sketching full-color scenes about Columbus, Australia, Pilgrims, Pirates, and the American Revolution. These are definitely more advanced than the popular Draw-Write-Now series that we also enjoy.

Cooking and baking with historical recipes: you can find historical and regional cookbooks in your library, such as The Little House Cookbook . The Cooking Throughout American History series includes such as Food and Recipes of the Revolutionary War (j641.597409). See related blog posts here:  

• A Farmer Boy Lunch
• Reading Aloud Is as Easy as Apple Pie 
• My Scrapple Experiment (family heritage cooking)

Field Trips: Take longer trips or even just local museums or sites. There have been two times (in 2000 and 2010) that our family has taken a longer trip to visit American history sites in the eastern United States.  

• A Tour Through Liberty (a very informational blog post about places we visited in September 2000)

      Photo albums from 2010 trip:

• Monticello (Thomas Jefferson's estate in Charlottesville, Virginia):
• Historic Philadelphia (Independence Hall, the Liberty Bell, etc.)
• Valley Forge (Revolutionary War encampment site near Philadelphia)
• The National Zoo

Virtual field trips: educational web sites are the next best thing!

Videos and DVD's: especially the NEST animated history DVD's about American heroes such as George Washington, Alexander Graham Bell, Harriet Tubman, Thomas Edison, etc. This year, I also ordered a DVD called Saints & Strangers about religious influences in America from the time of the Mayflower until the Great Awakening, including the Church of England, the Puritans, Baptists, Quakers, and others. I really appreciated the balanced approach, since it didn't gloss over conflicts or problems with each of the churches. (It also gave me a renewed respect for Roger Williams and his fight for religious liberties in the colonies.)

National documents: The Mayflower Compact, the Declaration of Independence, the Constitution, the Bill of Rights, the Emancipation Proclamation, etc. What do they say? What do they mean to us today?

Speeches: Lincoln's Gettysburg address, Patrick Henry's "Give Me Liberty or Give Me Death" speech, etc. Listen to audio dramatizations as you read them. Ask your kids to recite them in their best dramatic voices.  

• "Give Me Liberty or Give Me Death" - a historian recites the famous speech!
• Dr. Martin Luther King's "I Have a Dream" (see text, video, and my free study guide)

Quotes from famous people: Use these for copy work and dictation and be sure to talk about what they mean and what the historical context was.

Great American communicators: I taught a series on this in our co-op classes. I featured about a dozen men and women who had made significant contributions to American communications either by what they spoke or wrote themselves, or what they did to improve communication for others. Some of them included Benjamin Franklin (statesman, newspaperman, inventor, library and college founder, etc.), Thomas Jefferson (author of the Declaration of Independence and 3rd president of the USA), Alexander Graham Bell (inventor of the telephone and teacher of the deaf), Sequoyah (inventor of the Cherokee syllabary for written language), and Phillis Wheatley (slave poet).  

• Great American Communicators: Thomas Jefferson
• Great American Communicators: Benjamin Franklin 
• Great American Communicators: Sequoyah
• Phillis Wheatley

Time lines: Make a simple time line using heavy paper or cardstock. Draw or paste on small illustrations of key people and events. You can even buy time line kits. Just don’t make it too complex!

Geography and history of regions and states: landforms, habitats, plants, and wildlife (such as desert region for southwestern U.S. or forests for New England). For each American history unit, we will also cover Florida state history, starting with the explorer Ponce de Leon and the later founding of St. Augustine, which is the oldest continually inhabited city in the United States.

"History threads": Trace a single topic throughout several time periods, such as the history of American clothing, medical practices, home building methods, food, recreation, education, weapons, etc. Show lots of pictures, or go to a museum and see old things! Check out library books such as: Everyday History series by Rupert Matthews, including Cooking a Meal (j641.509), Keeping Clean, Sending a Letter, and Toys and Games.

Reasons and results: As you study an event, try to determine why it happened -- the reason for it. What led up to this? If you are studying history chronologically, this will make more sense. This led to this led to this led to this... That chain of events, like a domino effect, also leads us to results. This event, which was caused by something previous, also may become the trigger for something that follows it. For example, the invention of new manufacturing machinery ushered in the Industrial Revolution, which in turn drew workers from rural areas to the cities, and shifted the economy away from family-based cottage industries.

Different perspectives: There is always more than one side to a story, and it's only fair to get as many perspectives as you can. Usually, there is at least some truth to each version of it. Teach your children how to evaluate the credibility of a source. Was the person an eyewitness? Was he or she known for integrity or deceit? Did this person have a motive for reporting the details as they did? What is the demographic background of the person -- and how did that affect his or her viewpoint? If the work is a piece of fiction, what world view did the author hold, and what was the aim of the story? When we study the Civil War and slavery, I generally teach from the northern/abolitionist perspective. However, I have ancestors who fought on both sides of the war; one of my great-great grandfathers was a Confederate sharpshooter from Louisiana. I realize that the issues aren't all cut and dried, so I like my children to hear from the southern point of view as well. The children's novels Turn Homeward, Hannalee and Be Ever Hopeful, Hannalee by Patricia Beatty are told from perspective of young displaced Southern girl, showing the disruption that the war and Reconstruction era caused her family. Or, when we study about the early explorers, such as Christopher Columbus, we read books that discuss his great accomplishments and his heart for spreading God's word, but also ones that acknowledge the faults he had in allowing or even causing mistreatment, enslavement and even massacre of native Americans. It is refreshing to read a library book called We Asked For Nothing: The Remarkable Journey of Cabeza de Vaca by Stuart Waldman about one explorer who learned to respect them, and in the end, courageously defended their freedom and safety at the ultimate cost of his own.

HERstory: Speaking of perspectives, don't forget to include the accomplishments of American women! Abigail Adams, Susan B. Anthony, Harriet Tubman, Harriet Beecher Stowe, Clara Barton, Helen Keller, Jane Hull, Amelia Earhart, Sally Ride... You go, girls!

Genealogy and family history: Look for copies of family records (we have books from several segments of our family tree) and ask older relatives for their recollections. Who were your ancestors? When did they come to America, and under what circumstances? Did they fight in any wars?  Be sure to record your own family history for future generations. See here for examples of how you can do this:

• Tribute to My Grandfather, Henry Edward Hess, Sr. (In His Final Days)
• Honoring the 100th Birthday of My Grandpa, Jack Quarrier
• American Revolution stories from our family history
• Hess family heritage

Holidays: Discuss the history and significance of Columbus Day, Veteran's Day, Thanksgiving, Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, Presidents' Day, Memorial Day, Independence Day and other patriotic holidays as they occur throughout the year. Many books are available, such as The Thanksgiving Story and The Fourth of July Story by Alice Dalgliesh (early elementary).

Around the World: When you are studying your nation's history, be sure to relate this to what else is going on around the world, and how this affects your own history. Genevieve Foster has written a series of books that put American history into a global context.

• The World of Capt. John Smith by Genevieve Foster
• George Washington's World by Genevieve Foster 
• Abraham Lincoln's World by Genevieve Foster

History fairs: You can do this in your own family or, for even more fun, in a home school support group. Each child is invited to set up a project display, and everyone mills around oohing and aahing over the exhibits. Our family has invested in some tri-fold display boards that we use from year to year. Also at the fair, we might have a special speaker; one year it was a Civil War re-enactor, and once we had a Native American from a Florida tribe.

How do you teach history?  Leave a comment!

Would you like to see a list of books we like for American history?  Read this companion post!
Favorite Books for Teaching American History.

Blessings,
Virginia Knowles
http://www.startwellhomeschool.blogspot.com/