A Giant Horse Stuffed With Miniature Men

The Trojan War has been talked about for centuries. Did it really happen, or is it just a myth? Did Helen of Sparta run away with Paris or was she kidnapped? Can we really know? It is an interesting story with memorable characters. For a long time it has been thought to be a myth or story, but in the 19th century an architect discovered the remains of a city that fit the description of the legendary city of Troy. Could the story be true?
There are many questions to answer regarding Troy and the war fought there. People have often wondered about the famous horse that was presented to the city of Troy as a peace offering. Did they really trust that the horse was given as a sign of friendship? How big was this horse? It must have been fairly large to fit grown men inside, or was it a miniature horse with miniature men inside? Was the city really taken down by itty bitty men inside a small horse? Probably not!


The Trojan War was taking place around the same time as the story of Ruth was unfolding. While Ruth was trying to secure a future for herself and her mother-in-law, the city of Troy was trying to defend itself from attackers. History is full of interesting events!


This week your homework load is light. You are welcome! So far I have been pretty impressed with the quality of homework from you. Some of you are really going above and beyond. Keep it up!

*Also, class got a little too noisy today. I know you all love being together, which I love, but it is hard to talk over you. Let's try minimizing the extra conversations please. You miss out on really great insights when you are too busy talking to hear what is being said, and it makes my voice hurt trying to get your attention. I will make sure to give you time to chat at the end of class. I promise:)

Homework:
1. Read Unit 6
2. Extra credit for your team if you research other events in history happening at the same time, or if you research current events to share.


Have a great week!

How Many Camels Are You Worth?

     It is interesting to think of your worth being measured in camels. You can imagine the conversation between a father and his brother, " So, how many camels is your daughter worth ? My son needs a fair-skinned wife who can bear many children, but she must be worth at least 50 camels." This is not the type of conversation we hear in our time and our country. Our customs are different and rarely do we even see a camel. The Bedouin Tribes of Israel created their own customs as they wandered through the desert in a nomadic lifestyle. They developed their own rituals, rules for marriage, clothing, laws, and practices. As time has moved on, they have assimilated in many ways, but their beliefs are still in tact. They may have purchased cars and televisions, but they still want to know how many camels their woman are worth.


 











     History is fascinating! Learning about different customs and cultures can help you appreciate what you have or aspire to reclaim what has been lost. Through time we see how things have progressed. Some of it is good and some of it is questionable. When you created your own "Tribe" this week, hopefully you thought through the things that are important to you. Did you borrow anything from history? You likely did. If I were creating my own "Tribe", I might desire the women to wear dresses that reached the floor. Why? I don't know. I just love 18th century history and might like to see that fashion in style again. I might find that the gowns are too hot though, or that it would be hard to vacuum in a poofy dress. It is fun to think about though. Many people create Utopian societies when they imagine their own world. There are dozens of books depicting life in a Utopian society. Clearly people are fascinated by the idea.

     This week you will be reading about the Exodus and Esther. I know many of you are ready to move on from Bible history, but we have a few more weeks to go. You do get to study the Trojan War though. Hooray!!! You also have your first test next week. I know you are super excited about that. Seriously though, it won't be that bad. Just study Quizlet, and you will be fine.

Homework:
1. Read Unit 5
2. Research the Trojan War. Write 2 paragraphs about it, OR draw a map showing where it was thought to have taken place with information about it. You can also print or draw pictures of the countries involved and the people. You can be creative here!
3. Study for the test on Units 1-4

Pyramids, Dead People, and "The Room"

Who wants a pyramid when they die? Well, you better get started building then. The Egyptians spent more time planning for their death then they did anything else. Great thought and planing went into building their burial place (pyramid), what riches they would take with them, and how they would preserve their bodies for the after life. Death is an important topic for many cultures, and even more so, the burial. As we discussed today, other cultures even leave the body in their homes for viewing for up to two weeks. We also discovered that in Indonesia they bury people for five years to make sure their spirit is safely in its new place, then they dig the body up and cremate it. There are very interesting rituals among the people of our world.

I loved watching the teams compete to build the most creative pyramid today. That was a blast! Some teams were very serious about it, while others were singing the whole time. It was interesting to learn that Emily used to eat ants, and that they are spicy. I would have never discovered that on my own. Interesting conversations were happening in the midst of this building frenzy. There was also a bit of painting each other, and of course it was the team that sings and eats ants. Go figure!

Casualties of pyramid building

The pyramids turned out amazing! I loved all of them.

But, the judges chose team 3 as the winners! Team 3 now has first dibs on the couches for 4 weeks.

This week you will be reading Unit 4. You will also be creating your own tribe with rules, dress code, responsibilities, and rituals. You can choose any time you want for your tribe. It can be the middle ages, the future, present times, or any other period in time. Be thorough. I want to understand what it would be like to live in your tribe. Will I be on a small island with Grace as the leader, or will I be in a tribe with "The Room" where I could be beaten for doing something wrong? Be very clear, but be creative. What will your tribe wear? What rituals will they have? Will it be a utopian society, a dictatorship, or a democracy? I can't wait to hear what you come up with.

Homework:
1. Read Unit 4
2. Complete Unit project on creating your tribe
3. Study Quizlet for the test in 2 weeks


Have a great week!

Crazy Creation Stories

The story of mankind begins with creation. This creative beginning prepares the way for the Bible's story. In creation, we learn how God prepared a place for us to live, how we came to be, and what our purpose is. Mankind began with one man and one woman, although other creation stories differ on that account. There are many accounts of creation told by numerous religions and cultures. Some have many similarities to the Christian view of creation and some are vastly different. Many of them are wildly amusing and some are completely crazy! I think we all agreed on that!

The Native Americans tell a creation story that involves a Bald Eagle, a man made of clay, a woman formed by a feather, and coyote with an interesting job to do. If you would like to re-read that interesting story, here is the link:
 https://www.americanyawp.com/reader/the-new-world/indian-creation-stories/

This week we will move on to the early civilizations. As you read through Unit 3, you will learn about Sumer, the Egyptians, ancient science and math, Hammurabi and his interesting laws, and the "Land between the Rivers".  Take notes on the pyramids. It might come in handy next week!

Homework:
1. Read Unit 3
2. Create your own hieroglyphs


Have a great week!!!