Using BFB's Early American History

Today Jessica from jessicalynette.com updates us on how things are going with our Early American History for Primary grades! Love this window into their homeschooling experience. Check it out! 

It’s been a while since I posted about our journey through Beautiful Feet Books for our history. I didn’t mean to take such a long break, it’s just that when you are a part of the journey – living very much in the moment of it – it can be hard to sit back and reflect upon the journey. Especially when Spring is in the air and our history involves sitting in the sunshine, reclining in a hammock, and delving into beautiful stories that feed the soul and imagination – all while educating the mind. It doesn’t feel like work.

{term 1 with Beautiful Feet books and Term 2 with BFB can be read following their respective links – this is a combo of term 3 and 4}

There is something about this gentle manner of learning that makes it hard to talk about … As if any embellishments on my part might complex the wondrous beauty and simplicity that BFB has pulled together. We have, and are, thoroughly enjoying this journey through early American history with our new found friends – Grimalkin the cat, the brave boy from The Matchlock Gun, little George whom wished to know what George Washington ate for breakfast (a fantastic story!) and many others.

Beautiful Feet Books for Early American History has been a wonderful fit for us – and it has been so neat to see the history we read “come to life” around us through various events.

I have been thankful for other tools that have helped to reinforce the learning – while we aren’t quite at the civil war we were able to watch a reenactment of Sherman’s march. And weeks ago while in Savannah we saw a rail tie like what Sherman was doing to the tracks – Sherman’s Bow tie as they are famously called. These visuals will be powerful learning aids when we reach this part in history.

Layers and layers and layers – that is (in my opinion) a wonderful way to learn. And these BFB give such a deep layer of character and, when the books are illustrated, beautiful visuals, too.
More layers – they learned how girls would roll bullets during the revolutionary war; 

They got to see the actual canons George Washington gifted the city of Savannah: 

Last week we had a particularly windy day. I brought out our kite and as we were struggling to get it up in the air (we never did succeed) my nine year old commented that he wished he had a key. And then he bemoaned the fact that, even if he had a key, there was no lightening flashing across the sky. It made me laugh (and make a mental note to closely supervise kites and stormy weather) – but Benjamin Franklin made his mark in the minds of two boys. 

Thank you Jessica! Love how your travels and adventures are lining up with what you're learning. So fun when that happens. 

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