HR: Braille and Jackson

 Homeschool Review

Our Lives

We were moving across the country and then trying to find our groove again, so I fell out of the habit of blogging about our homeschool. We have a groove now (sorta) and we are enjoying our new southern digs. We even had some amazing snow this week. No, I didn’t bring it with me from Alaska, so don’t ask 😉 But I do believe our kids were the only ones who had full snow gear and sleds on hand for the snow. It was fun watching them make snowmen and snow angels again!

I interviewed a family adopting a child from Africa and I would love for you to pray for them. Please consider reading about their journey!

Our Homeschool

[one_half][image source_type=”attachment_id” source_value=”2782″ caption=”Andrew Jackson” align=”center” size=”medium” height=”250″][/one_half]

[one_half_last][image source_type=”attachment_id” source_value=”2784″ caption=”Louis Braille” align=”center” size=”medium” height=”250″] [/one_half_last]

History

~ Louis Braille was not born blind. He had an accident in his father’s leather working shop which destroyed his right eye. An infection of the wound cost him his sight in the left eye as well. All this happened when he was only 3 years old.

~ The Braille system was initially rejected by his sighted teachers in fear of losing their jobs “if blind students learn to read and teach themselves.”

~ Andrew Jackson was from South Carolina. His character was forged in the tumultuous Revolutionary War and was a message runner during battles. He was orphaned by age 12. 

~ Andrew Jackson ran away with a married woman. Rachel later became his wife, but this event would come back to ‘haunt them’ during his Presidential campaign.

~ Andrew Jackson’s niece presided over his inaugural ball after Rachel Jackson died just a few short weeks before Andrew took office.

Videos:

• Excellent narrative of Louis Braille becoming blind and creating the Braille system of writing. This video is also unique and gears itself towards those who are blind. It has a spoken narrator explaining the scenes when no speaking takes place. It will help the students to better understand what those who struggle with sight must do to enjoy videos.
• Andrew Jackson biography. Andrew had a very hard youth, growing up in South Carolina during the Revolutionary War. His character was melded in turmoil. There is a bend here from the feminist view point concerning Andrew’s wife leaving her first husband to run away with Andrew to marry. An excellent historic overview of Andrew Jackson’s life. VERY LONG video! We split it up into 4 half hour segments.
• The building of the Eerie Canal. A rough edited version of the Modern Marvels special, but cheaper than the $25 video purchase. Wonderful maps and narrative concerning the canal.
• Great Smokey Mountains. We are studying this area as part of our Trail of Tears and Appalachian Trail study. After driving through these in the past few years, they are worth a visit and very lovely to behold!!!

All links and resources can be found in my History Hunting: 1800’s database.

Photo to share

This may not seem like much to y’all, but this is one huge accomplishment for my oldest boy. In his English class, he had to turn a section of prose into poetry. The look on his face when I explained the exercise was horror!! When we batted around the prose in question, I suggested a section of his new Minecraft book. He lit up and happily concocted this poem for class. I can’t tell you how far my buttons popped as he embraced the poem. 

Humor

I am working through a weight loss series and I found this on Pinterest. Just cracked me up!! I wanted to share it with you 😉 Have a great weekend, everyone!!