Civil War Week 1

We started a mini unit on the Civil War this week. I am a little hesitant about teaching this and excited in a way too. Scared due to the fact that I did terrible in school learning about battles and strategies. In school I had some really boring and dry history teachers. They seemed to take the fun out of everything. In many ways I am having to relearn about the Civil War.

I'm excited to learn that to learn that my great-great maternal grandfather fought in the Civil War. He was in the Pennsylvania Artillary Unit. He fought in 12 battles and lived. I'm planning on having the kids write about him.

I have lots of great pictures to share with you this week. After I do some more research on my great-great grandfather I will share a special post on him - hopefully soon.

On Monday the kids and I learned about Maryland. We read books about the Chesapeake Bay and the life cycle of a blue crab. We added a new vocabulary word this week-estuary. An estuary is an area where salt water and freshwater meet. I never knew this nor that the Chesapeake bay is so large and that many islands are part of it. I guess with living on the west coast I have been sheltered from visiting it. One day I'm looking forward to taking our family on a extended visit of the east coast.

Learning about Maryland led into a great segway into our Civil War mini unit since back then there was a dividing line called the Mason Dixon line. An imaginary line was drawn to identify free states to the north and slave holding states to the south. Above is a map the kids colored in.

On Tuesday we learned about South Carolina. I explained to the kids that this state was very important during the event leading up to the Civil War. This was the state where the war began. My children still remember the American Revolutionary War unit we did last year. My son was quick to add "it's like Lexington, MA., right??" Great thinking!! Yes, Lord they are listening!!! I had the kids color the Union and Confederate Flags.

Wednesday was a bit of a catch up day of sorts. I had the kids try on their Civil War uniforms. We didn't have time during this quick unit for them to make or create one of their own. I hit the local thrift store to see what treaures I could dig up. Yes, I scored! I found a great small black sport jacket in my youngest son's size. For my oldest I found a womans gray blazer. This was a great find!

My youngest was begging to be a Union soldier, so I let him. My oldest son was a Confederate soldier and my daughter was a nurse. I found the hats at a local party store here in town. Luckily, we saved our muskets from last year.

Thursday was our co-op day. I hosted co-op this week. Sadly, our co-op has shrunk. We are now down to just two families in all. There use to be four. We originally had 12 kids ranging in age from ages 10 to 2. It was great fun. Life has been busy for many.

For co-op I had the kids make an accordian style book on the road leading to the Civil War and the events that led up to it. Next we learned about Fort Sumter. After reading about it the kids went outside to act it out. This is always great fun for the kids. I caught the whole thing on video. This should be real fun to watch as a family night movie. In the mean time here are a few pix.

After lunch they learned about the life of a Conderate and Union soldier. I had the kids use their backpacks to have a race to pack all their necessary supplies. Next, they learned how to set up a pup tent. This was real fun. After thier tents were inspected they had a soldiers' meal consisting of beans, peas, beef jerky, hard tac and water. Surprisingly they liked it. After a quick rest in their tent they needed to repack and learn about the first battle at Bull Run.

We had fun again reinacting this battle too. It was a fun filled and busy day. God faithfully answered our prayers to hold off the rain. Rain was expected on Wednesday and on our co-op day, Thursday.

For Friday I had the kids play catch up on our state quilt squares. I'm having the kids use fabric markers on white fabric squares. Over the summer we will attempt to sew them together.

The books that we read this week are:

- Welcome to the USA Maryland by Ann Heinrichs

- B is for Blue Crab: A Maryland Alphabet by Shirley Mendez

- Dancing in the Sand: A Story of the Atlantic Crab by Kathleen Hollenbeck

- Waterman' Child by Barbara Mitchell

- If you Lived at the Time of the Civil War by Kay Moore

- Welcome to the USA South Carolina by Ann Heinrichs

- P is for Palmetto by Carol Crane

- Surkey and the Mermaid by Robert D. San Souci

- Marching to the Civil War Drummer Boy by Ann Turner

- Divided in Two: The Road to the Civil War by James Arnold

- You Wouldn't Want to be a Civil War Soldier by Thomas Ratliff