July 3, 2024 – Let’s Never Forget our Country’s History

Mercy Every Minute

Deborah Wuehler, TOS Senior Editor

I Pledge Allegiance

I pledge allegiance to the Flag of the United States of America

And to the Republic for which it stands

One Nation under God indivisible

With Liberty and Justice for all

When I was a young girl, we recited this in class every morning after prayer. This was a public school in the late 1960s. We have come a long, wicked way from those days. And we have seen the consequences in our country of taking away prayer and patriotism from public institutions. We are raising a generation with no foundations. 

As homeschoolers, we have the freedom to keep prayer and patriotism going strong in our families and groups. We must never forget our country’s history and must teach it correctly with no revisions. Here are a few ideas:

Living History Books: real life stories/biographies of those who were there: Sergeant York, Dietrich Bonhoeffer, Corrie ten Boom, Louis Zamperini, and many more. YWAM’s Heroes of History series is a good resource.

History Timeline: Study a timeline and see what was going on in world history alongside Biblical history. Adams’ Chart of History (based on Ussher’s Annals of the World) is great!

Copywork: copy the Pledge of Allegiance every day until it is memorized. Find the story of the pledge here: www.homeofheroes.com/flag-of-freedom/pledge-of-allegiance/, and a free printable here: pledge-of-allegiance-free-printable-1.jpg (600×895) (homeofheroes.com)

Scripture: “Blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord”(Psalm 33:12).

Because of the freedoms hard won for us all, we still have the freedom to educate our children in a way that is best. May we continue to uphold this foundational freedom of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. And may we teach the next generation to honor and celebrate our Independence and freedoms that have been given through the sacrifice of those who have gone before us. 

 ~Deborah
dwuehler@theoldschoolhouse.com

Listen in to our podcast this week on the same topic. Go to HomeschoolShow.com

Learn about God and First Responders’ work through real calls! 12 units, including practical and spiritual questions, a family of God section and field trips. https://rookierescuer.com

Todd Wilson

Familyman Ministries

Let’s Never Forget Our History

I love history, but I’ll confess that after completing the best public education available, about all I knew was that World War II came after World War I. I was a TV kid after all. And if it wasn’t featured on the Wonderful World of Disney or mentioned on Happy Days or Laverne and Shirley, I didn’t know about it.

My love of history was ignited when I began to study the Bible, but was fanned as we began to read to our children. Ask them about history, and they can tell you about all kinds of Civil War generals, ancient civilizations, and obscure facts in history. I attribute ninety-five percent of all the history they know from reading good ‘story’ books . . . we don’t do history textbooks. The other five percent of history comes from audio CDs that they’ve listened to since they were little critters.

If you want a great list of history books, visit the Sonlight Curriculum website, stop by BooksBloom.com, or start with the Little House on the Prairie series.

 
I’m telling you, it’s all about reading good ‘story’ books. It’s not about memorizing dates or being tested. It’s about immersing yourself in a well-told historical tale and experiencing it.

Now with all that said, some of your children will not get history. They just won’t care for it. My oldest daughter has been reading since she was tiny. She loved stories about horses and relationships between girls and kittens, but cared diddly about history, although she’s visited the battlefields of Gettysburg and Chickamauga, the site of the Johnstown flood, and Edison’s Menlo Park—and that’s okay. 

And here’s the good news for everybody. Even those who don’t get it as a child . . . sometimes get it as adults . . . especially if they homeschool their children.

Be real,

Todd

About the author

Todd Wilson is a husband, dad, grandpa, writer, homeschool conference speaker, and former pastor. Todd’s humor and down to earth realness have made him a favorite speaker all across the country and a guest on Focus on the Family. As founder of The Familyman and The Smiling Homeschooler, his passion and mission are to remind moms and dads of what’s most important through weekly emails, podcasts, seminars, and books that encourage parents. Todd, and his wife Debbie, homeschool four of their eight children (the other four are homeschool graduates) in northern Indiana and travel America in the Familyman Mobile. You can read more at www.familymanweb.com.

 The American Heritage Education Foundation (AHEF) provides FREE, award-winning, downloadable, patriotic K-12 Lesson Plans for homeschoolers on America’s founding documents, history, & philosophy.  Visit www.americanheritage.org.

Diana Waring

dianawaring.com

Importance of History

About the author

Diana Waring is one of the pioneers of homeschooling. For more than three decades, homeschoolers around the world have been encouraged and inspired by her authenticity, transparent stories, and gentle humor. She is the author and publisher of the History Revealed world history curriculum, She has also created, in collaboration with Dr. Kathy Koch, the 8 Kinds of Smart DVD for families. In addition, she teaches students online, blogs, writes occasionally for The Homeschool Minute, sings at the drop of a hat, laughs with her husband, and fervently follows the Lord.

Pillar of Faith

Heidi Mosher

Taking the Big Picture of American History

Gettysburg grabbed me when I was a girl. Viewing the somber battlegrounds was an experience I wanted to supply for my own kids, so when we studied the American Civil War in our homeschool, we traveled to Pennsylvania. It was a heavy field trip, but unforgettable as we considered the cost of war. 

To balance the severity of the subject, I supplied the kids with their own disposable cameras (remember those?) to click 36 pictures each with. They memorized the Gettysburg Address in advance and recited it onsite. They remember these things. 

The three-day battle of Gettysburg was the turning point of the Civil War. A visit there could be a turning point in a child’s understanding of the big picture of American history. 

You could study the war before and after your visit. Find out as much as you can ahead of time, then research whatever piques your kids’ curiosity afterwards. 

If a big field trip like that isn’t in your plans, get close by borrowing the old miniseries The Blue and The Gray from your library. Or live through books like Across Five Aprils or The Perilous Road to experience the complex scenarios of the 1860s and their accompanying emotions.

It is worthwhile to study what led up to the Civil War for a deeper understanding of our nation. Dig way back to the late 1700s when the Constitution was written. Some of our founding fathers sought to abolish slavery already as our nation was being formed. Yet the issue brewed and boiled for generations. 

It is likewise worthwhile to study what happened after the Civil War. Read Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry for an understanding of the issues our nation created and grappled with in the decades that followed. Study Martin Luther King Jr.’s famous speech and note with what dignity he led the Civil Rights Movement. 

As you give your kids the big picture of American history, consider how often and how far our nation has slipped. See our constant and great need for the Lord. Our children need to remember these things.

About the author

Heidi Mosher is honored to write for The Homeschool Minute, as it was a lifeline of her early homeschooling years. She is thankful to be the mother of four—two recent homeschool graduates and two who are currently homeschooled.

Are you a high school student ready to go beyond memorizing historical dates and facts? Enroll in United States History: Exploration to the Present Day and unlock a deeper understanding of the past. This course encourages critical thinking, thorough research, and an immersive exploration of history. Through engaging reading assignments, detailed note-taking, insightful research papers, and interactive activities, you’ll gain a profound appreciation of the events and eras that shaped our nation. Discover your place in history with us!