Goodly Parents Teach

I wrote the following for the 2015 round of the annual Family Proclamation Celebration over at We Talk of Christ, We Rejoice in Christ. Now that it's been several months, I'm sharing it here as well.

Copying the Declaration of Independence with quill pens.

Recently I purchased a Book of Mormon to study with the sole purpose of searching for specific guidance relating to parenting and education. I have been color coding verses according to subject and theme. I think it is significant that the most true book on Earth begins with telling us of good parents; Nephi's father taught him what he knew because he was a good parent, the converse being true that because Lehi taught his son, he was a good parent:

"I, Nephi, having been born of goodly parents, therefore I was taught somewhat in all the learning of my father..." (1 Nephi 1:1)

As I studied the family of Lehi anew, and reread of their two return journeys to Jerusalem after fleeing to the wilderness, I paused to consider the reasons for these return trips. The acquisition of the Brass Plates served to preserve a language and provide a record of doctrine and commandments, both necessary for the support, teaching, sustaining and building of this family and their future generations, and also to provide the genealogy of Lehi's family. The convincing of Ishmael and his family to join Lehi's family was for the forming of the most important companionships in this life, those of marrying and making families. These two necessary trips were all about the family! From the dust of 600 BC comes the Book of Mormon version of the Proclamation on the Family.

Juxtaposing this part of the Book of Mormon with the Proclamation, I'd like to suggest what it is that is imperative for parents to teach their children.

Teach them where they come from.

• Teach your children that they are eternal beings. Teach them the Plan of Salvation and that they are children of a loving Father in Heaven.
• Teach your children their family history. More than names and dates, search and study the true life stories that are their heritage. Come to know your ancestors as real people and internalize their trials, triumphs, and testimonies.
• Keep in touch with living relatives. Be diligent in strengthening family relationships. Those who make up the members of your family are not a matter of chance.
• Teach your children the history of your nation and to be patriots. Help them recognize the Hand of God in the affairs of history.

Teach them where they are going.

• Teach them that this life is the time to prepare to meet God. Continually walk with them the path that leads back to Him.
• Demonstrate a love of learning and an appreciation for education and improvement.
• Teach your children to work.
• Teach your children to make and keep covenants both in word and by example. Take your family to the temple. Prepare them for the day when they will marry and begin families of their own. 
• Discuss family life and help your children acquire skills for homemaking and providing, as well as those for nurturing family relationships.

Teach them what you know. 

• Follow the example of Lehi and share your knowledge, your passions, your experiences, and your testimony with your children. Be interested in and an active part of your children's educations.
• Set an example of standing up for what is right. Do not underestimate yourself or your influence. Employ the skills and knowledge you've acquired to bless your children  and guard against any enemy.

Teach them language.

• Don't leave to others the responsibility you have to ensure your children are learning and literate. Read to them, read with them, have them read to you. 
• Create a home environment where record keeping is the norm. Journals, scrapbooks, letters, memoirs, even poetry and creative writing should abound.
• Teach good manners in speech and how to effectively communicate with people, being good listeners as well as strong but tempered speakers.
• Help them learn, recognize, and understand the language of the Spirit.
• Teach them to pray.

Moses counseled, "And thou shalt teach (these words) diligently unto thy children, and shalt talk of them when thou sittest in thine house, and when thou walkest by the way, and when thou liest down, and when thou risest up" (see Deuteronomy 6:7). This means good parents are teaching all the time. 

Children are born into families. They aren't born to governments, to schools, to clubs, or even to churches. The Plan of Happiness--the blueprint for finding and achieving real, lasting happiness--is centered on the family and not any other organization or group. Therefore, the rearing and education of children is both the responsibility and privilege of parents to whom children are born. They may employ the help of others for support, but never should they give up what is both their right and their charge in the teaching of their children.

Lesson Ideas with LDS Perspective on the U.S. Constitution

Going through my shelves of books and resources on United States History and especially the Constitution, I re-"found" the Family Home Evening lesson plans and tools that The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints produced in 1987 for the Bicentennial of the U.S. Constitution. I figured that at this point this fabulous resource had to be available online, and so it is.

Click here for a PDF version of this terrific resource.

A More Perfect Union

A MUST WATCH in American History or Government studies is A More Perfect Union, an exceptional dramatization of the Constitutional Convention of 1787. It is so well done. (Today's Congress would do well to watch and learn.)  This may be viewed online or on television at times through BYU, PBS, and YouTube, but there is also an education package available for purchase. I cannot recommend this highly enough!

A Profusion of Praise for Liberty's Kids

In 2002 PBS began airing a fabulous historical fiction animated series called Liberty's Kids. My children, the oldest of whom were younger then than my youngest is now, and I really enjoyed it. Now, it's available to watch in many ways.  Youtube has LibertysKidsTV, and there are other sites that air it for free also. But Amazon has the entire series on DVD for just $5, and that's my favorite option because then I own it and don't have to worry about links coming and going or buffering, etc., and we can watch it without an internet connection. 

The purpose of the series is to teach the origins of the United States. It is very true to the people, places, and events of the American Revolution, with accuracy and detail. It champions liberty and courage. It also is captivating; my kids, ages 9 to 18, like watching it and they remember what they see. 

The only thing that constitutes fiction in this series are the characters who make up the kids of Liberty's Kids.  But these characters constitute the other valuable part of the series, which is to demonstrate good journalism and the importance of freedom of speech, and freedom of the press; these fictional youth write for Benjamin Franklin's The Pennsylvania Gazette and this allows them to meet the people and observe the events of the Revolution.  The series also champions truth.

Back when we watched this on PBS, we enjoyed all the games and side trivia that took the place of commercials during the programming. The DVDs do not have these, but you can find and enjoy them all on the Liberty's Kids website.

This series is so good, every home should own it and watch it. And at such an affordable price--it's almost free!--there's no excuse not to.  It explores all the ideas and sides and hard questions people faced then (and now) and it encourages people to observe, seek truth, and make their own choices.

George vs. George

It's never a good idea to study just one side of history. In the first place, you're not getting the whole story. In the second, one purpose of studying history is so that we don't repeat its mistakes; human interactions are often as complex as the interacting characters and we cannot avoid their pitfalls if we don't get to know all the players.

A great activity for seeing relationships and listing similarities and differences between people (or events or works of literature, etc.) is to use a graphic organizer like a Venn diagram. There are all sorts of free printable versions, but if you want the activity without the paper trail, I found a dry erase version on clearance that I'm very happy with. 

You can see from the diagram above that George Washington and King George III actually had far more in common than not.  But the "not" made all the difference!  We did the diagram activity together while I read aloud George vs. George, then everyone was let loose to turn their diagram notes into a comparative essay.

Also with this lesson we sang "God Save the King" and "My Country 'Tis of Thee" and compared and contrasted them.

Another great book we added to this lesson was:

The Quill is Mightier than the Ballpoint

Every time I read the Declaration of Independence I get goosebumps--inside and out. I consider it scripture. It is one of the most beautiful and brilliant things ever written... and it was written with a quill pen.

When we began studying early American history and colonial times, my kids were ecstatic to see I had quill pens, ink powder, and 18th century writing paper. They asked to use it EVERY DAY.

I was saving it all for the day we talked about the Declaration, however.  It gave them something to look forward to. On the third of July I pulled it out. Interestingly, they liked writing with quill pens better than modern pens. P1 discovered that he had much better penmanship when using a quill. P2 said that he was going to sign his first baseball contract with a quill pen.

P3 used his quill to do a caricature of Thomas Jefferson, and a funny on dinner;
 it was Jefferson who introduced America to macaroni and cheese,
as well as ice cream, which he had while in France.

From the quill packaging:

"Nothing has so affected our lives as the quill pen. 'These are the times that try men's souls...' 'When in the course of human events...' 'We the People of the United States...'  Stirring words written by courageous, determined men with the one instrument that is mightier than the sword. Quill pens came into use as early as the seventh century and remained the writing instrument for most of the western world for over a thousand years.  This instrument was used to pen great works of literature, books, daily correspondence, and historical documents that changed the world, such as the Magna Carta, the Declaration of Independence, and our Constitution. The best pens were from the flight feathers of geese. The word pen comes from the Latin word 'penna' (feather). To cut the pens, a knife was needed, hence the word 'penknife.' Scribes and stationers carved, sharpened, and shaped the point (nib) for writing...hence the word 'stationery.' No two quills write alike because of the development of the shaft and the carving of the quill maker. Each pen is straight off the goose and is as unique as the writer in that no two are alike. Therefore it was and is today a tedious art to select, clean, prepare and trim each quill."

At first P1's quill wasn't writing well.
He turned his pocketknife into a penknife and got it working just write...er, right.

P2 was disgusted with everyone else's printing and diligent in writing his passage of the
Declaration of Independence in cursive.

This was schoolwork that everyone was happy to do!

A Glorious Mess

What good would a homeschool blog be if it didn't just show it like it is?  This is how my dining room was left today as we dashed off to a softball game.

A disaster? Nah. Even though a bowl of lemon juice was catapulted to the floor; even though a few things caught fire; even though hot wax ended up pooled on the dinette, this mess was just evidence of an afternoon of fantastically fun learning, exploring, and growing.

We recently read about George Washington's terrific network of spies during the Revolutionary War. (Of course, both sides of the war had spies, but Washington, America's First Spymaster, did it smarter and better.) 

Invisible Ink 

We used lemon juice for the ink and heat to bring it out. During the Revolutionary War the British used the more common organic inks (lemon, lime, milk, vinegar) which weaken paper fibers and darken faster than the rest of the paper when heated. They also used some sympathetic inks, chemicals that disappear and require another reactant chemical to make the ink visible again. These methods had even then been around for centuries. Washington had his own unique formula created, calling it, "medicine," and he was sneakier in sending messages, writing with invisible ink in between the lines of an ordinary letter, or writing inside harmless pamphlets or books.

Nothing to see here...

...until...

...voila!

Using the iron was a slow process which didn't heat the paper well.  I decided to switch to an open flame to see if it would speed things up.  Gee Howdy, did it! It was REALLY COOL to watch the ink appear rapidly over the flame.  

P3 created this, calling it, "The many expressions of General Howe."

P2 was a little sassy at first, but he got into it.

Cipher Wheels

We also made our own cipher wheels for coding and decoding messages. It was trickier than everyone thought it would be. The kids discovered measurement would help. They wrote all sorts of messages and gave them to me and to each other to decipher. Some attempts were more successful than others. It took a lot of thinking and attention to detail.

Sealing Wax

Not necessarily a part of espionage, but definitely a part of sending communique, the practice of sealing letters with stamped wax is just cool. I was sure I had a stick of real sealing wax, but it was AWOL so we just used candles. The candle wax wasn't as thick or high quality, but that didn't stop the kids from burning lots of it up.

After returning from the softball game, we cleaned up the house. No reason to come unglued over it--it always stays where we left it and cleans up later as well as sooner.  Days like this are some of my favorite with their freedom to explore and experiment. I'm reminded of the famous words of one of my favorite (albeit fictional) teachers, Ms. Frizzle:  "Take chances! Make mistakes! Get messy!"

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And may I recommend:

Memorizing Maxims

The valuable skill of memorization is going the way of the dodo I'm afraid.  It's more than a shame--it's a tragedy.  The death of memorization is, in some ways, the death of the brain.

When my daughter and I read the entire Little House series, I marveled at the lessons memorized in school in those days.  I'm not sure I know anyone who could commit to memory the things Laura Ingalls Wilder did. It got me to thinking.  I don't believe that strict lesson memorization is the sole answer to education (in fact, I don't believe any method is the sole answer), but I do see value in memorization.

Now, everyone memorizes something.  Hopefully we've all memorized math facts.  Various occupations require or lend themselves easily to the memorization of specific things related to said occupation.  My children memorize entire movies rapidly, as well as song lyrics.  This is not what I'm talking about.  I am talking about purposely memorizing things of wisdom and beauty so as to personally own a cache of goodness that never parts from you; such things can brighten the darkest places and can never be taken away.

It is in this spirit that I required my children to each memorize two quotes from Maxims of George Washington, a book I picked up at Washington's own Mount Vernon some years ago, impressed with the quality and quantity of wisdom and personal writings of one of the people I admire most in history.  (A United States History unit could last years if you wanted to really go in depth.  Deciding what to spend time on and how deep to go on what is another discussion.  Because I have such regard for George Washington and consider him an immensely important figure and role model, I chose to spend some weeks on him alone.)

I allowed each child to choose which maxims he wanted to memorize, my only conditions being that I wanted one of them to have something to do with virtue and character and one to have something to do with politics, government, or liberty.  I also stipulated that they needed to understand the maxim and that it should mean something to them personally.  Today everyone shared their memorized maxims aloud.  As each was recited, we discussed what it meant, citing things we knew from Washington's life and likening the morals and lessons to personal experience.  Here is what the kids shared:

18-year-old P1:
Nature of True Friendship
"...true friendship is a plant of slow growth, and must undergo and withstand the shock of adversity before it is entitled to the appellation."

Human Imperfection
"...It is to be lamented however that great characters are seldom without blot."


16-year-old P2:
The Most Enviable of Titles
"...I hope I shall always possess firmness and virtue enough to maintain (what I consider the most enviable of all titles) the character of an honest man."

Self-Control
"...It is our duty to make the best of our misfortunes, and not to suffer passions to interfere with our interests and the public good."


13-year-old P3:
The Patriot's Offering
"...it is my full intention to devote my Life and Fortune in the cause we're engaged in, if need be."

Morality and Civil Government
"...'Tis substantially true, that virtue or morality is a necessary spring of popular government."


11-year-old P4:
Talents, Without Virtue
"...without Virtue and without integrity the finest talents of the most brilliant accomplishments can never gain the respect or conciliate the esteem of the truly valuable part of mankind."

The Soldier's Motto
"...Perseverance and spirit have done Wonders in all Ages."

Spies
"...Single men in the night will be more likely to ascertain facts than the best glasses in the day."


9-year-old P5:
The Government of the United States
"...That the Government, though not absolutely perfect, is one of the best in the world, I have little doubt."

Freedom of Choice
"...it is really my wish to have my mind, and my actions which are the result of contemplation, as free and independent as the air."

I've read that Washington had a sense of humor, and that he disliked posing for paintings.  With that in mind, I'm going to share something my 13-year-old put together using paintings of Washington, not to be disrespectful, but to be creative and do something different.  I think George might approve.

George Washington and the Scout Law

I love it when things connect!  We are currently studying United States History and, more specifically right now, Colonial Times.  I found a great way to connect the past with the present in George Washington's personal code of conduct.

Even though Washington died long before there was such a thing as Scouting, he personified the Scout Law in a set of rules he created for himself when he was 15 years old:

A Scout is trustworthy.

GW:  "Undertake not what you cannot perform, but be careful to keep your promise."

A Scout is loyal.

GW:  "Be not hasty to believe flying reports to the disparagement of any.  Speak not evil of the absent, for it is unjust."

A Scout is helpful.

GW:  "Wherein you reprove another be unblamable yourself, for example is more prevalent than precepts.  In visiting the sick do not play the physician, if you be not knowing therein."

A Scout is friendly.

GW:  "Show not yourself glad at the misfortune of another, though he were your enemy.  Let your conversation be without malice or envy."

A Scout is courteous.

GW:  "Be not forward, but friendly and courteous, the first to salute, hear, and answer.  Speak not when others speak, sit not when others stand, speak not when you should hold your peace, walk not when others stop, turn not your back to others, especially in speaking; lean not on anyone."

A Scout is kind.

GW:  "When a man does all he can, though it succeeds not well, blame not him that did it."

A Scout is obedient.

GW:  "Honor and obey your natural parents although they be poor.  Strive not with your superiors in argument, but always submit your judgment to others with modesty."

A Scout is cheerful.

GW:  "Speak not of doleful things in times of mirth; nor at the table; put on a cheerful countenance, for good humor makes one dish of meat a feast."

A Scout is thrifty.

GW:  "Let your discourse with men of business be short and comprehensive.  In your apparel be modest, and endeavor to accommodate nature rather than to procure admiration."

A Scout is brave.

GW:  "Fight to keep alive in your breast that little spark of celestial fire called conscience."

A Scout is clean.

GW:  "Use no reproachful language against anyone, neither curse nor revile.  Let your recreations be manful, not sinful."

A Scout is reverent.

GW:  "When you speak of God, or His attributes, let it be seriously in reverence."


I loved finding this little gem of a lesson!  It shows the timelessness of the values espoused by Scouting.  It shows that someone who had a great mission to fulfill, who became one of history's most important and famous figures, started out as a goal-oriented youth.

I also love the language he used; the words and phrases aren't common to today and so this lesson expanded vocabulary and made us think about why Washington would say things the way he said them and what he truly meant.  The language also lifted us from modern, often too casual language to a more refined way of expression. It made for great discussion on the connections between the "Scout word" and the "Washington rule."  Why would he make this or that rule for himself?  And for whomever matched these Washington maxims to points of the Scout Law, why, of all things, would he match "brave" with "Fight to keep alive in your breast that little spark of celestial fire called conscience"?  It's simply terrific.