Unit 26: Preparing

History:  This week we continued our studies of the middle ages. We studied the crusades. This was a dark time in christian history. The stories of the crusaders are not very pleasant ones, but they are a real part of our history. We talked about the dark ages and how so many people were confused and uneducated in those days. Very few could read the Bible. We also talked about the difference between a true born again believer and those who are only "Christian" by title. Our history book claimed that many of the crusaders were not "good Christians, but joined the crusaders looking for adventure and an excuse to rob and plunder."

Sis researched relics. Relics were items that were thought to be holy in the middle ages. People would worship these relics and believed they could do miracles. Often these relics were traded or stolen in a cities efforts to own to best relics. We talked about why as Christians we should not worship relics. We worship the creator alone, not his creation. Relics were a big deal in the middle ages though. For our project we were suppose to make a fake relic. I didn't really feel comfortable making a relic or idol of any kind even if it's just for an art project, so we looked up pictures and had discussions, but skipped the project. It happens to be Easter week though, so instead we dyed eggs for our art project.

Reading: We're still painfully trying to get through "The Door in the Wall." Ok, so one of the reasons that we have loved HOD this year is the great selection of books. We have really enjoyed all of the literature, making reading time the highlight of our day. However, this book is so hard for us to read. First they talk in old English. It's like trying to read a King James Bible. It's hard to understand what they're saying sometimes and this book just seems to be dragging. We really want to be done with it, but we're going to try to get through it. I hate to quit halfway through the story. I now the book won an award and I'm sure it will have a good message, just not a favorite of ours.

Science: We finally finished learning about the heart this week in anatomy. Sis labeled and colored a diagram with the parts of the heart. Then we finished up the chapter with a project. Sis made her own stethoscope. I'm so glad that we chose to purchase the lab kit at the beginning of the school year. It came with all the supplies needed to do the projects. A lot of them like this one, we probably would have skipped because we didn't have the items needed on hand. This one called for a small funnel, long thick tubing, and a balloon. The girls all had fun listening to their heart beat with Sis' stethoscope.