Jim Thorpe: Sportsmanship

 We held class as usual, beginning with rough housing on the trampoline.

After our workout and recitations of the pledge and the class rules, we introduced our final hero of the semester: Jim Thorpe.

We read a book about Thorpe called The Power of Sportsmanship: Featuring the Story of Jim Thorpe.

Thorpe was an incredible athlete.  He won the decathlon and many other events at the Olympics and played professional baseball and football.  We watched a video about how to throw a football and practiced throwing.  I had wanted to play some two hand touch but realized the boys weren't ready.  Instead, we had a contest to see who could throw the ball the furthest.

Next week we will have the boys present on their favorite hero and then do a service project.

Bell, Edison & The Wright Brothers: Never Give Up

We began with roughousing for twenty minutes or so.  Then we began the class with our workout and recitations of both the Pledge and the class rules.

We then reviewed last week's hero, Joshua Chamberlain, and summarized the war's end and the challenges of reuniting the North and South afterward.

Then we switched gears to discuss the major technological changes that took place at the end of the 19th Century and the beginning of the 20th Century.

We focused on Thomas Edison and Alexander Graham Bell.  Here are three great videos that describe their contributions.  These men were so innovative and patient.  Thomas Edison, in particular, has wonderful quotes about patience and never giving up.

After quickly summarizing the stories of each inventor we read The Value of Patience: The Story of the Wright Brothers.  

Then we watched Season 3, Episode 1 of Xavier Riddle and the Secret Museum.

Here are more great links for these three inventors:  XavierRiddle, Season 3 Episode 5 (Bell), Thomas Edison, Alexander Graham Bell.