Richard, William, and Robert

     Long ago in a far way land there lived three men who fought fiercely for their kingdoms. They were warriors who changed history and endured hardships. King Richard I ( the Lion heart) was crowned the king of England in 1189 at Westminster Abbey. He was a rebellious young man who became a noble warrior fighting in the Crusades. During his reign of 9 years, he spent only 6 months of them in England. Instead of running the country, he was off fighting.
     In another land near by but years later, there lived a warrior named William Wallace. He was a warrior in the Scottish highlands who wanted to win back Scotland's freedom from the British. His reputation was known throughout the land after he killed the English Sheriff of Lanark for killing is sweetheart. A price was put on his head, so he made a bold decision and raised a Scottish army. At Stirling Bridge in 1297, he had an amazing defeat against the English, but that win was short-lived. He lost his next battle and became a fugitive for 7 years. When a "friend" betrayed him to the English, he was tried for treason and was the first man to be hung, drawn, and quartered. As a message to the Scots, his head was placed on the London Bridge, and the fragments of his body were sent to several Scottish cities as reminders on the consequences of revolting against the English.
     Lastly we have Robert the Bruce. Robert picked up where William Wallace left off and fought to gain freedom for the Scots. He changed his allegiance with King Edward I in order to lead the Scots to freedom. After murdering a possible rival for the Scottish throne, he was crowned King of Scotland. While King, he fought in several battles, losing the first two and becoming a fugitive, but later winning at the battle in Bannockburn. Robert remained King until 1329.

Katie, this picture is for you:)

History is an amazing thing. We can look back and learn from those who went before us, and see how their actions affected our world. Every decision they made, battle they fought in, and lives they touched have shaped our world. History is not merely a list of boring facts about people from long ago. It is a collection of stories about the people who changed our world. It is about our ancestors and their bold decisions. It is also God's story and the part they played. My hope is that as we enter into an exciting time in history you will find something that intrigues you and research it for yourself. Find out why things happened the way they did and learn from it. Become an expert!
This week you will get started with that by researching the Renaissance period.

Homework:
1. Read Unit 16
2. Research a famous person from the Renaissance period in either Music, Literature, Art, or Science. Find out what they contributed to their field, where they lived, how it influenced others, and the lasting impact it had. If you choose art, you can paint or draw something from the artist you choose, or create your own art using their techniques. If you choose science, you can recreate a replica of what they invented, or find our more about their contribution to science. With Literature you can read us your favorite passage next week and write about it's impact on the world, and with Music you can bring in a sample of a piece of music from the artist you chose. You do need to have background information on the person you choose. Where are they from, what did they create, what impact did it have, and any information about their life.

Have a great week!