Giving Thanks!
Copyright 2003 Amanda Bennett -- All Rights Reserved
This is the time of year that the warm
weather is waning, you begin to notice the smell of burning leaves and
ripening apples. The clear cool breeze is on your face first thing in the
morning, and the children have new energy and interest in the season.
Autumn is here and isn't it beautiful? A time for harvesting, canning,
preserving and getting stocked up for winter -- and the perfect time for
reflecting on the many things for which we should be thankful. I number among these: God,
our family, our home, our love and our great country. We have indeed been
blessed in this country, as were our forefathers and the early celebrants
of that first Thanksgiving in America -- both the Pilgrims and the Indians
that shared the meal and celebration together. At our house, we use this
time of gratitude and counting our blessings to study that first
Thanksgiving as an integral part of our homeschool studies. As with any unit study topic,
I try to pick out all of the important subtopics, crossing the curriculum
spectrum many times. For example, when studying Thanksgiving, there is
plenty of historical information to examine, along with geography (ocean
crossings, continents, climates), science (plant varieties, growth,
propagation, some of the sicknesses of the time, animal life in the
region), art (N.C. Wyeth's paintings, clothing of the time, crafts), and
reading (both fiction and nonfiction books). When I first began preparing
a unit study on Thanksgiving, I had the incorrect notion that my
understanding of that period of American history was fairly complete. I
was certainly proven wrong as we progressed through our study! I had not
realized the extent of the sacrifice made by the Pilgrims over that 13
year period, traveling to Holland for years, and then finally returning
to England to take part in the colonization of America. I never really
knew or understood the origin of the "King James" version of the
Bible and how it was connected to the Separatists. Each year, we focus on
different aspects of the event. This year, we will take a look at what was
involved in their survival in a new land -- when we started making our
list of what we would do if we were the Pilgrims, my son chimed in
"find a Walmart!" The reality of being in the middle of nowhere
to maintain your religious beliefs, giving up what was so familiar and
comfortable to go to an unknown destiny was pretty amazing to them. This
was exactly the concept that I wanted them to understand -- that
sacrifices are oftentimes made for what you believe in, and to trust in
the Lord to lead and protect you. As we work our way through
this study, we have many, many activities and studies that we enjoy. For
example, a popular question has been over the difference in Indian corn
and table corn, as we know it. This opens the door to an opportunity to
help them learn more about the differences in plant varieties and about
the gardening practices of both the Pilgrims and the Indians. Not only are we looking at
some of their survival gardening, we are also trying to get a better
understanding of what types of shelter they built, what kinds of sickness
they had to deal with and why we don't have those illnesses today. There
are many aspects of their daily living that we can't easily relate to from
our own experience, and it is important for the children to
"see" what life was like then, the tools they used, the things
they did without, the responsibilities of each family member, and the
importance of their faith and trust in God to provide for their needs. One of the books that opened
my eyes to a broader view of the politics and history of the Pilgrims'
journeys was Saga of the Pilgrims: From Europe to the New World,
by John Harris (published by Globe Pequot Press). This book, written for
the seventh grade and up, is very interesting reading and certainly
presented a new perspective on these religious outcasts. I recommend that
both parents and the older children read this one -- it is a very
informative and interesting book to share and discuss. For the younger
children, a comparable book might be If You Sailed on the Mayflower in
1620, by Ann McGovern (published by Scholastic). As we study the Pilgrims and
the people involved in this "new beginning", the characters of
the people and some of the flavor of their hopes and dreams, ideas, work
ethic, and humor come to light, and are appreciated by those involved in
the study. When their first winter is reflected upon, one can't help but
feel the loss of so many loved ones on a personal level. The resourcefulness and
foresight of these religious outcasts helped lay some secure and strong
foundations for our country. When they took the time and painstaking
effort to write and bring to acceptance the Mayflower Compact, they
unknowingly developed the long-lasting concept of freedoms and rights that
we Americans enjoy and expect. People tend to develop a much deeper
appreciation of these freedoms when they get some hands-on exposure to
just exactly what prices have been paid to obtain and protect those
freedoms, and it is my goal that this study will help the children develop
a solid understanding and appreciation of these principles and ideals. As you begin a unit study
about Thanksgiving, try to include as many interesting books and
activities as possible. Consider writing to the living history museum,
Plimoth Plantation, for additional materials and ideas. Their address is
Plimoth Plantation, Public Relations Department, P.O. Box 1620, Plymouth,
MA 02360. If you cannot visit Plimoth Plantation in person (some of us
live a bit FAR to do that!), there is a video that many libraries carry
titled: "Plimoth Plantation: A Visit", produced by
VideoTours in their History Collection.
Enjoy this season of giving thanks and bringing the harvest home. There is
so much to be thankful for, and as homeschoolers, we have even more to be
thankful for -- the chance to really know our children and walk the walk
with them, sharing and caring and motivating and learning beside them.
Enjoy the adventure, and may you and your family be abundantly blessed!
Copyright 2005 Amanda Bennett
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