Davy Crockett Part 1: Tall Tales and the War of 1812

 We followed our normal routine and after reviewing our brave Mountain Men we introduced Davy Crockett.  We used this powerpoint.

A few slides into the powerpoint we read Davy Crockett Saves the World. It's a great example of the many tall tales that have been told about Davy Crockett over the years.

Then we continued the powerpoint.  It includes a link to the  Ballad of Davy Crockett and to Johnny Horton's Battle of New Orleans.

We emphasized many of  Davy Crockett's actual heroic qualities: he was a hard worker, he had great hunting and survival skills, he was a good soldier and even a good politician.  One of my favorite stories about him, however, deals with his integrity.  

When members of the U.S. Congress introduced the inhumane, unconstitutional Indian Removal Act Crockett refused to vote for it.  Even though it was popular and his constituents refused to reelect him because he fought the act, Crockett followed his conscience and stood for what is right.

Afterward, we practiced our sharpshooting skills with nerf guns.  

Hugh Glass and John Colter: Mountain Men, Survival and the American Dream

Mountain Men: True Grit and Tall TalesThe boys will play for 30 minutes.

Then we will record their numbers for their exercises..

We'll then do the Pledge of Allegiance and go over the class rules and affirmations

• I am a warrior
  
• I play hard
  
• I work hard
  
• I respect others
  
• I never quit
  
• I defend those who can't defend themselves
  
• I fight for what is right
  
• I am a son of God
  

We then read from Mountain Men: True Grit and Tall Tales, by Andrew Glass.  This is such a fun book for kids!

First we read about John Colter, who had to run away from the Blackfoot Indians.  After reading and discussing his courage and will to survive, we ran and did 6 laps to get a feel for how he must have felt.  
Then we went back inside and read about Hugh Glass, who survived a bear attack against all odds and crawled back to civilization.  His story was recently depicted on the big screen in the film The Revenant. It’s definitely not appropriate for children!

Afterward we had the boys do their best to crawl around the house before their got a snack.

The two points I wanted to make were about survival and the American Dream.  

These men were survivors when all the odds were against them!  Also, Mountain Men are a great example of individual enterprise.  Many came from nothing and worked hard and took huge risks to make their fortune- the classic rags to riches story.  One great defining characteristic of America is that with hard work and determination, anyone can go far.

For the record, we studied this era again the follwing week.  This time we read about Jedediah Smith.

Lewis & Clark: Teamwork and Respect

We started by having the boys help me with a chore.  They worked as a team to lift some heavy objects and after they were done we talked about how working as a team made the job go faster and it was more fun. 

Then we ended up doing an obstacle course because it was Veterans’ Day and so we wanted to recreate a bit of basic training for the boys.

Then we did burpees and pull-ups since we were short on time for our workout.  All of the boys are improving so much!

We then did the Pledge of Allegiance and went over the class rules:

• I am a warrior
• I play hard
• I work hard
• I respect others
• I never quit
• I defend those who can't defend themselves
• I fight for what is right
• I am a son of God

We then reviewed the Constitution (we didn’t talk very much about last week's hero since we needed to lay the foundation- “What is a law?” “What is the Constitution?”).  We then went to a map to talk about the Louisiana Purchase in order to  introduce our new heroes: Meriwether Lewis and William Clark.

We began by reading selections from How We Crossed the West by Rosalyn Shanzer. This book is awesome!  I highly recommend it.

I tried to emphasize how the Corps of Discovery (the name of their group) worked as a team- so much that they showed great respect for every team member (including Sacajawea and the slave York, both of whom were treated as equals and even given an equal vote when the group made a big decision.)

We were going to watch some of my favorite parts of Ken Burn's documentary, The Corps of Discovery but we ran out of time!  

Concepts that you can learn from these men include but are not limited to the following:

• The group's #1 goal was to find a Northwest Passage.  Though they didn’t find it, that doesn’t make their voyage a failure
• They established good relations with the many, many Native American tribes they encountered as they traveled (with only one violent exception)
• They showed the potential the United States had for equal opportunity and tolerance with the slave, York, and their guide, Sacagawea.

Other activities a group could do would involve climbing (walls or ladders), "portaging" or carrying boats (or other heavy objects- the Corps had to do this a few times), learn how to make a fire or work on other survival skills.

James Madison and the Constitutional Convention: Compromise and Limited Government

We started by playing sharks and minnows to remind the boys of Benedict Arnold “trading teams,” as one boy out it.  They loved it.  Then they played more on the trampoline until it was time for our workout.

Today they did burpees for one minute and pull-ups.  We recorded their numbers. They are getting so much stronger!

We then did the Pledge of Allegiance and went over the class rules and affirmations

• I am a warrior
• I play hard
• I work hard
• I respect others
• I never quit
• I defend those who can't defend themselves
• I fight for what is right
• I am a son of God

We then reviewed last week's hero, Benedict Arnold, before introducing our new hero: James Madison.

We were going to read excerpts from A Picture Book of Dolley Madison and James Madison but it was just too dry for a group with their energy level.  

Instead, I printed off a copy of the constitution and talked about what it was- we started with rules and then laws and then told them it is the Supreme Law of the land.  I’m hopi nvm they can remember what it is and that we need to protect it.

Then we watched Schoolhouse Rock’s song about the Preamble.  The boys didn’t love it but it’s catchy and more engaging than the video I originally intended- Liberty's Kids Episode 140, "We the People."  It’s a great episode but not for a group of boys.  I think parents would have life success with one boy at a time.

These are very difficult concepts for children at this age but they are SO important to hear again and again.   It would be wonderful if the boys learned any of the following ideas:

• James Madison is known as the "Father of the Constitution" because he came up with a plan (the Virginia Plan) on which our Constitution is largely founded.
• It was HARD to get the states to agree and get the Constitution written.  It took a great deal of compromise.
• The Constitution is the "Supreme Law of the Land." It trumps all other laws, was inspired of God, and we should be VERY careful about ignoring it or tampering with it.
• The Constitution was intended to be "chains" on the government- to limit its power and NOT to limit its citizens. (This idea was articulated by Thomas Jefferson.)
• Separation of Powers and Checks and balances
• Federalism- the separation of powers between the state and federal governments.

I intended to use a hot beverage to demonstrate Separation of Powers.  I might do this next week.  We’ll feel how hot it is, then we pour it into three separate cups to demonstrate how power was divided by three branches of government to prevent any one entity from having too much power.

We then played Rock, Paper, Scissors to demonstrate checks and balances.  Without going into specifics, we shared how each branch of government could check or beat the other two branches.  I’m not sure this idea clicked at all but the boys loved it and so we’ll be playing this again as a tournament. 

Benedict Arnold: A Fallen Hero

The boys will play for 30 minutes.

Then we will do some fun relay races.

We'll then do the Pledge of Allegiance.

We'll then go over the class rules and affirmations

• I am a warrior
• I play hard
• I work hard
• I respect others
• I never quit
• I defend those who can't defend themselves
• I fight for what is right
• I am a son of God

We started by reading an amazing story about Sam Whittemore, an elderly patriot during the Revolutionary War who defended his home in an incredibly heroic way.  Here it is from Ron Carter's Unlikely Heroes.  

We discussed what he did that was heroic. 

We'll then review last week's hero, John Paul Jones, before introducing this week's new, fallen hero: Benedict Arnold.  His story is a sad one but a really great cautionary tale.

We'll begin by explaining that Benedict Arnold was a great hero and we'll watch Liberty's Kids Episode 123, "The Hessians are Coming."  This shows his courage and leadership that helped win the Battle of Saratoga, considered the turning point of the Revolutionary War.  It also shows his poor treatment at the hands of Horatio Gates (who took credit for the victory) and Arnold's angry response.

Then we'll discuss the factors that led, ultimately, to his treachery: a shattered leg that took months and months to heal, his inclination to taking offense, his wounded pride from Saratoga, being accused of treachery for petty reasons with little or no evidence, a large debt he was unable to pay, his wife's love of luxuries, and the length of time he went underpaid and unpaid for his service.

Then we will watch Liberty's Kids Episode 132, which shows what happened from this point (his treachery was discovered and he escaped to England.)

After letting the kids know that his name has now become synonymous with "traitor," we will make sure they understand the dangers of pride (being easily offended), grudges, and debt.

The Liberty's Kids Episode also talks about spies during the war, in general, and some of the ways they sent secret messages.  We will show an example of a message and use a decoder to decipher the message.

We were going to play sharks and minnows (a game in which you change sides) but we will end up playing hide and seek, instead.  

Afterward we plan to play a game that demonstrates the difference between muskets (what British soldiers and most men had during the Revolutionary War) and Pennsylvania and Kentucky long rifles, a newer technology that the British soldiers didn't have.  It leveled the playing field for the Americans in many battles.

We'll have the boys throw loose paper balls at each other and then show the difference of rifling- with balls they can throw with greater accuracy.

John Paul Jones and the Revolutionary War: Courage and Patriotism

The boys played for 30 minutes.  (We did relay races outside.)

We then did the Pledge of Allegiance.

We went over the class rules and affirmations

• I am a warrior
• I play hard
• I work hard
• I respect others
• I never quit
• I defend those who can't defend themselves
• I fight for what is right
• I am a son of God

We then reviewed last week's hero, George Washington, before introducing our new hero: John Paul Jones.

We read chapter of Ron Carter's Unlikely Heroes. Here are the pages:

We watched 

Liberty’s Kids  Episode 128, “Not Yet Begun to Fight.”

We talked about some of John Paul Jones' heroic traits.  He was tenacious, courageous, fought for what he knew what was right and never gave up.  His famous quote is, “I have not yet begun to fight!” after all.

We then played Human Battleship (we had the boys lay on the ground and throw "bombs" at each other over a wall).  

George Washington: God Has a Work for You and Being a Gentleman

The boys played for 30 minutes before we got started.

We did our exercises and recorded the boys' numbers.  It is so fun to see them progress.

We then did the Pledge of Allegiance and went over the class rules and affirmations:

• I am a warrior
• I play hard
• I work hard
• I respect others
• I never quit
• I defend those who can't defend themselves
• I fight for what is right
• I am a son of God

We then reviewed all of our heroes with this PowerPoint, which also introduced our new hero: George Washington.  Unfortunately, it isn't working very well in google slides.  If you'd like the powerpoint just message me and I'll send you the file.

We read George Washington and the Power of Attitude. (The truth is we really just summarized a lot of it so I could tell them about the battle of Monongahela.  It's an amazing story.  You can read about it here- 

https://josephsmithfoundation.org/the-bulletproof-george-washington/

We had the boys take turns acting it out and they loved it.  The battle and his preservation convinced a young Washington that God had a purpose for him and he spent the rest of his life discovering and accomplishing that purpose.  I wanted the boys to know that God has a purpose for them, too!  We shouldn't waste our lives but live in a way that God can help us find that purpose.

We were going to watch an Animated Hero Classic about George Washington and  Liberty's Kids Episode 137, "The Man Who Wouldn't Be King."  Unfortunately, there just hasn't been enough time for the videos lately.  But they are both great!

We talked about Washington's heroic traits and had fun looking at some of the Rules of Civility and Decent Behavior that Washington lived by while we ate a snack.  We acted out the dos and don'ts of polite behavior.  

We then cleaned up and let the boys play until the parents came.

Benjamin Franklin and Colonial America: Ingenuity and Problem Solving

We began by having the boys play for 30 minutes upstairs so they could get tired.

Then it was time to start the class.

We gave the boys 1 minute each and recorded how many repetitions they could complete of the following exercises-

• Sit ups
• Pushups
• Squats
• Pullups

We recorded the boys’ numbers.

We then did the Pledge of Allegiance.

We went over the class rules and affirmations

• I am a warrior
• I play hard
• I work hard
• I respect others
• I never quit
• I defend those who can't defend themselves
• I fight for what is right
• I am a son of God

We then reviewed last week's hero, William Bradford, before introducing our new hero: Benjamin Franklin.

We read Benjamin Franklin and the Value of Saving.

Here is a video with photos of the book.

We then watched Liberty Kids Episode 130, "In Praise of Ben."

We talked about some of Franklin's heroic qualities.

Then we gave the boys some time to think of a problem that they could try to solve with an invention.  We had them draw their ideas and explain their solution.  Then we went upstairs and, with various building materials, had the boys come up with a "prototype."  They had duct tape, cardboard, scissors, Legos, various block and building sets, etc.

We then had them clean up and play tag.

Update-

We did not have time to watch the video or to build a prototype.  We did start the class out with a quick PowerPoint that went over all of the heroes we’ve discussed so far and how they relate to each other (historically).

William Bradford and Plymouth: Faith and Individual Ownership

We started with 30 minutes of rough play so they could get tired.

Today's workout was different-

We had the boys compete in relay races with a partner-

• Sprint 
• Bear Crawl 
• Frog jump
• Wheelbarrow
• Crab Walk

All of the moves were done to a cone and back.

We then did the Pledge of Allegiance.

We went over the class rules and affirmations

• I am a warrior
• I play hard
• I work hard
• I respect others
• I never quit
• I defend those who can't defend themselves
• I fight for what is right
• I am a son of God

We then reviewed last week's hero, John Smith, before introducing our new hero: William Bradford.

We read The Story of the Pilgrims by Katharine Ross.  Here is a video with pictures of the book.

We watched another animated Heroes Classic about William Bradford.

We then watched another video called Yours and Mine: The Lesson of 1623, which introduces the idea of the Tragedy of the Commons (it's much easier to understand in the film!- the boys should come away seeing that people behave best when there is individual ownership.)

I then pulled out a toy that looked like one that my son owns.  It was beaten and torn apart.  I told him, "Thank you for sharing this with me!"  As you can imagine he was horrified and very angry that I had treated his toy so poorly.  After talking this through with him for a minute I revealed the truth, that it wasn't his toy at all, and tried to help the boys understand that when we own something (and especially if we've earned it) we have greater incentive to keep it nice and to work hard.

Since the Speedwell sprung a leak before the Mayflower could head to the New World, we had the boys use various materials to build boats and then tried to see which ones floated and which floated the very best in the pool.

After we cleaned up, we let the boys have free time to play dodge ball.

Update- I didn’t show either video (I find the boys don’t want to sit for any screen time- I don’t blame them since school is on a screen!) my boys watched the animated classics video after the class.

The boys LOVED making boats.  We spent probably 45 minutes and could have spent much more time on it. We used cut up pool noodles, rubber bands, duct tape, craft sticks, toothpicks, newspapers, and plastic bags.  

I loved all their creations!

John Smith and Jamestown: Hard Work and The Need for Families

We began by having the boys play for 30 minutes so they could get tired.

Then it was time to start the class.

Today's workout was different-

We gave the boys 30 seconds to complete as many repetitions of the following exercises as they could:

• Sit ups
• Pushups
• Squats
• Pullups

We recorded their numbers.  We will do this fairly regularly so we can keep track of the boys' progress.

We then did the Pledge of Allegiance.

We went over the class rules and affirmations:

• I am a warrior
• I play hard
• I work hard
• I respect others
• I never quit
• I defend those who can't defend themselves
• I fight for what is right
• I am a son of God

We then reviewed last week's hero, Christopher Columbus, before introducing our new hero: John Smith.

We read Captain John Smith: American Hero by Juliana Brennan Rodgers
Here is a video with some of my favorite sections of the book.  It's not narrated but parents who would like to can pause and read the pages.
As we read I used this PowerPoint so the boys had extra images to view while listening to his incredible story.

Believe it or not, John Smith fought in the Crusades and recorded an amazing story about how he won three times in a row while jousting (to the death!)  So we did some "jousting."  The boys took turns.  One would dress as a knight with a hobby horse, holding a paper towel lance (so it would be safe and collapsible.)  Another would sit on our rocking horse holding a diving ring out to the side for the "knight" to aim for with his lance.   Once our cardboard lances gave out we used pool noodles.  

We then watched another Animated Classics video entitled Pocahontas.  I started it at 6:30.

The boys were then sent on a treasure hunt following clues and a map to some chocolate "gold."  They were allowed to eat the gold as soon as we had cleaned up everything.

Materials to gather: Book, pool noodles and/or cardboard to make a lance of some kind, stick horse, knight helmet and armor, tunic, diving ring taped to a stick, rocking horse, treasure hunt map and clues, chocolate gold.

Christopher Columbus and the Age of Exploration: Faith and Perseverance

Note, everything is written in past tense, even though I plan to share this post before I hold the class.  Sooo... I might go in and do a bunch of editing afterward.

Today was our first day.

We began by having the boys play outside on the trampoline for 20 minutes so they could get tired.  After a water break we started class.

We began with our first workout-

• 5 burpees
• 20 jumping jacks
• 5 pushups
• 10 squats

I had planned to do 3 sets of these but the boys were pretty tired after one set.  We'll push them harder next class.

The boys were so rambunctious I was really glad I had a whistle with me so they could hear me.

We then did the Pledge of Allegiance.

We introduced the class rules and affirmations which we will state each day of class:

• I am a warrior
• I play hard
• I work hard
• I respect others
• I never quit
• I defend those who can't defend themselves
• I fight for what is right
• I am a son of God

We then talked about what a hero is with this PowerPoint.

Then we read a book about Christopher Columbus- The Value of Curiosity: The Story of Christopher Columbus.  Here is a  video that has each page so that you can pause and read it aloud to your kiddos if you'd like.  

Then they had a race to find their way through a Columbus maze.  The winner received a treat.

Afterward, we watched a great short movie about Columbus.

Then we talked about some of the traits that made Columbus a hero (i.e. courage, believing in himself, persistence, patience, determination, listening to the whisperings and promptings of the Spirit, the list could go on.)

Afterward, the boys boys helped each other navigate an obstacle course, blindfolded.  (Each boy would have a partner guide him through the obstacle course who would whisper directions.)

At the end they all received a treat after we cleaned up.  We had pumpkin chocolate chip cookies because that was one of the things Columbus brought back to Spain from his first voyage.

One note:  The boys surprised me!  They were more interested in the book than the movie.  I am thinking this may be because they are all doing virtual learning and are not interested in screens anymore...?

Materials to gather: class rules visual, blindfold, objects to block obstacle course, mazes, pens or pencils, treats as a reward, optional pumpkin treat or prize.

Almost a week away!

Okay, folks, we are getting so excited over here for this little course.  Maybe we went overboard...

Here is a climbing wall we just finished for the boys to play on, in addition to our other activities.

Here are the books I plan on using for the first 6 weeks of class.  I am telling you, John Smith is fascinating.  That second book is MADE for little boys (it's pretty unbelievable!)

I am going to start posting what I plan to do in advance so that parents have a chance to gather any desired materials and go over it before sharing what they would like to do with their kiddos.

First up, an introduction to heroes and Columbus!  

Book List

For those who would like to follow along with our course, here is a list of the books we will be reading.  Since some can be more difficult to find I'll list some alternatives here and there.  You'd be welcome to read other books (please send me recommendations, I'd love it!)

Christopher Columbus- 
The Value of Curiosity: The Story of Christopher Columbus.

John Smith- 
Captain John Smith: American Hero by Juliana Brennan Rodgers

William Bradford

·         The Story of the Pilgrims

·
Ben Franklin-

·         Ben Franklin and the Power of Saving, (Other options include Electric Ben, Now and Ben

·         
George Washington- 

·         George Washington and the Power of Attitude

·
John Paul Jones- 

·         Unlikely Heroes

·      

James Madison-

·         A Picture Book of Dolley and James Madison

·        

Lewis & Clark- 

·         How We Crossed the West- Rosalyn Schanzer

·         

Hugh Glass/John Colter-

·         Mountain Men: True Grit and Tall Tales

·         

Davy Crockett- 

·         Davy Crockett Saves the world (Other option: A Picture Book of Davy Crockett by David Adler)

·         

Joseph Smith- 

·         Stories from the Life of Joseph Smith / 

Levi Savage- 

·         Pioneer Children Sang as They Walked

·
Frederick Douglass- 

·         Henry’s Freedom Box  (Other option: Follow the drinking Gourd)

·         

Abraham Lincoln- 
The Power of Trying Again (Other options:  The Value of Respect/ I am Kind: A Little Book about…

·        

Joshua Chamberlain/Robert E Lee

·         Voices of Gettysburg

I'll be sharing links to all of the videos we watch with the weekly blog posts.

Why a boys' course on American heroes?

Is anyone else as worried about our nation's future as I am?  With the fear, ignorance, hate and destruction going on all around us we really need men and women who can discern truth from lies and stand for what is right.  In a world where evil is absolutely being called good and good is being called evil, we need heroes-- warriors who will fight for the truth and for what is good and beautiful.

The trouble is, many people don't even know what constitutes a real hero anymore.  Our education institutions have controlled the narrative for so long that true heroes who could act as a guide for our children have been forgotten or, still worse, maligned.  

Much as I'd like to, I can't fix the world.  I've decided to focus on what is within my control.  I taught U.S. History for five years and have designed a course that will cover our nation's history from Columbus to present (our nation's true history and why America really is exceptional.)  My boys and I will study at least one hero each week (for two hours.)  My hope is that they will come to emulate these men and their heroic characteristics.

I am also a huge believer in the ideas espoused by Dr. Leonard Sax (see the "Helpful Resources"), which is why this course will be especially designed for boys (aged 4-8 or so.)  For example, rough play and competition will be encouraged, we will focus on male role models and we will be keeping it separate- for boys only.  This, by no means, is meant to exclude girls.  It is meant to give the boys a fighting chance to succeed (if this is an idea you find disagreeable I highly recommend reading Leonard Sax's book Boys Adrift.) 

Here are two videos from PragerU that also endorse these same ideas:

War on Boys

Make Men Masculine Again

Any who wish to follow along with our schedule but focus on (or simply add) heroines can consult the list of "Books about Heroines" found in the margin, as well as this adapted scope and sequence page.  

We would love to share our experience with anyone that might find it helpful.  If you do join us, keep me posted on how it goes or if you have suggestions for activities or additional resources.

I should add a couple disclaimers.  This is a free course, it will be my first year teaching it and I'll have a newborn as I teach it so please be patient with me if and when things aren't exactly "professional."

We'll begin at the first of September with Christopher Columbus and the Age of Exploration.