History Group---April

April 1st....

The Trail of Tears...The Indian Removal Act and more of President Andrew Jackson

 While listening to Jim Weiss, who narrates the stories for the Story of the World, we worked on making these dancing jingle rings.....with lots and lots of substitutions.  I had the girls cut out the center of plastic lids (instead of wooden rings)  We used yarn instead of leather. and tissue paper instead of feathers...but I think our musical jingle rings turned out quite nice.

It's a cold breezy April fool's day, but that didn't stop them from going outside to play, play, play, play, and play some more. The kids created a dance to show me using their dancing rings....these three love to move!!!
 We did get math in.  We're close to finishing Life of Fred--Cats.  Today we talked about sets.

April 8th......

April 15th.....

We are studying the time of pioneers.  Today we watched the movie Legacy.   Cailin, Delaney and I have started reading a book together called Bound for Oregon.  I first saw the book on a Sonlight list and we are really enjoying it.  We've had some great discussions that have been inspired by this book.  Today we read how Mary Ellen was quite upset by all the trials, sickness, and deaths that she and her family were enduring.  She couldn't understand why her father took this enormous risk by bringing her family west.
Yesterday Elder Christoffel Golden spoke at our stake conference. He talked about the importance of obedience.  He said the difference between our religion and others is in it's ability to bring about salvation for it's members-- our church asks much of us.  We have been given many commandments.  When we keep these commandments we are then able to feel closer to our Savior, rely upon him more and develop faith strong enough to bring us back home with our Heavenly Father.  I believe the pioneers understood this and were able to obey and follow his commands to move westward--to endure the magnitude of sorrows and trials that they suffered because they loved the Lord and had faith in him.....faith in every footstep.


April 29th....  Westward Bound, the Pioneers on the Mormon Trail.

We are pioneers.....on a trek westward.  Delaney and Janet are the oxen

We loaded our wagon with good things to eat and walked to another park one mile away.

blazing trails....

crossing rivers and streams

Here we are at Nauvoo....a very swampy area (how funny is that that Cailin found a swampy area half way on our path.

"This is the Place!!"  

We spent some time looking for Fibonacci numbers in nature.  I created a little nature book for them to draw and write in.

On our way back towards home and crossing the river again.

It was such a beautiful day that we spent the afternoon just letting the kids play....uh, I mean take part in PE!