History Happenings in November

Slaves and Swashbucklers:   This week we studied about the slave trade and pirates.  Definitely not a highlight of our past history.  For fun, Jen found a site where the kids responded took a questionnaire and then it generated a pirate name for them.  Delaney's name was Dread Pirate Kidd.  I remember mine was something like Mad Bess Cash. Many of the names were derived from real and famous pirates.

We were quite sobered by the statistics and facts of the evil slave trade.  We did enjoy watching a video or LDS member, Alex Boye, he's an amazing singer.  Alex sang his song while on the shores of (I believe), Kenya. This was one of the leading harbors where many dear ones were enslaved and taken to the West Indies or North America.

The Classical Period in Arts and Music:   I wasn't here for this day of learning, however I know that they read about different artist from the Classical period.  Here, they were painting after the manner of Thomas Gainsborough.  Thomas was an English painter of landscapes and portraits.  He was the leading portrait painter in England throughout his life time..  Gainsborough preferred to pain what might be called fancy landscapes, that is, landscapes that are more ideal and imaginary than real.  He would often include the portraits of people as part of the fancy landscape.  To explore Gainsborough's style of fancy landscapes mixed with portraits, our young artists painted imaginary landscapes then glued cut-out portraits that they created into the scenery.  Cailin was the only Hale present. (The rest of us were having fun with Bwennen and Wogan, as Liam calls them!)  She painted a lovely scene and then added portraits of her beloved guinea pigs, Fiona and Melody.

The French and Indian War:  
While the older kids went downstairs to discuss what they have previously read and researched about the French and Indian war, the younger kids learned more about Indian ways and customs.  We read a story about dream catchers and then made one using yarn, beads and paper plates.

The older kids put on a shadow puppet show of George Washington and the Indian Chief prophecy of his greatness.  There were many times, during one particular battle where many arrows should have hit George, but they didn't.  The Indian chief said that the Great Spirit was protecting him for a future great work.  Yes, indeed we know that he was blessed and protected.

The cast!!