Lee Surrenders

Hi Everyone!

Today, we covered the surrender at Appomattox.  General Grant and his army treated General Lee and his army with great respect.

We also did a document study on Lincoln's 2nd Inaugural Address.

Then we ended with a fun video and discussion.  Here's a link to the video: http://www.theatlantic.com/video/index/383057/a-tale-of-momentum-inertia/

There was no writing assignment this week.

Assignments:

• MEMORIZE!!!
• Read thru Amendments 13-15
• Hero Reports
• Watch Movies
• Start reading "To Kill A Mockingbird"  (Due January 8th)

Only three classes left.

I'm ordering swords soon.  Everyone needs to get working to finish up these last few requirements.  We'll be able to pass off the Speeches/Documents requirement in class next week.  :-)

Parents:  Over Christmas break, your student can pass off their memory work to you instead of General Lisa or General Paige.

See you all next week!

~General Lisa & General Paige

Gone with the Wind

Hi Everyone!

Thank you to General Paige for doing a fabulous job of presenting our class topic and running our book discussion on Thursday!

I think it was Haley who advanced in rank with her Hero Report.  Congrats!

ASSIGNMENTS:

• Watch "Gone with the Wind" if you haven't already.  Class next week will make a lot more sense if you've seen it.
• Write a letter home as if you had just fought in the Battle of Gettysburg. (some of you may have already completed this one, as I gave it out early.)
• Memorize:  Gettysburg Address, 3 songs, or core book on gov't
• Keep working on your HERO REPORTS

Presentations:  

11/20 -- Noah 

See you all next week!

~General Lisa

The Gettysburg Address

Hi Everyone!

We finished up our study of all things Gettysburg this past Thursday.  We watched a video to help us wrap our brains around what 2200 young men marching by looks like and we talked about a picture of Cougar Stadium in Utah.  We used the picture with approximately 51,000 people in the stadium to help us wrap our brains around just how many people were killed or wounded at the Battle of Gettysburg alone.  We then watched a great video with animated maps of the battle itself.  We finished up our videos with some fun videos to help us with our thoughts on our document study of The Gettysburg Address.  

Advancements: Joshua, Carson, and John have all moved up a rank.  (I hope I remembered everyone.)

• Joshua gave a fabulous presentation on Life as a slave
• Carson presented on his hero report
• John passed off his song memorizing requirement

ASSIGNMENTS:

• Reading:  We're discussing the book "Abraham Lincoln" in class on Thursday.  Finish reading this week if you're not already done.

• Writing:   There was no writing assignment for this week, but if you'd like to get ahead and do the one for next week:  Write a letter home as if you had just fought in the Battle of Gettysburg. 

• Memorization:   Pass off the Gettysburg Address.  I would love it if everyone worked to get this passed off before Thanksgiving.  Especially since we just covered it and it has more meaning to us right now.

• Movies:   Watch one of the three required movies.  If you are able to make it, we'll be watching "Gone with the Wind" at my house this Friday, the 14th, starting at 6pm.  If you can't make the movie night and you haven't already watched this movie, try to watch it on your own before the 20th as we will be watching a fun spoof of parts of Gone with the Wind in class and it won't make any sense to you at all if you haven't seen the original movie.  :-)

• Reports/Presentations:  Noah's presentation on Prisons or Weapons is on the 20th.  Everyone (except Carson) keep working on your Hero Reports and start getting those presented and turned in.

See you all on Thursday!

~General Lisa

Gettysburg

Hi Everyone!

Sorry I'm a little behind on posting.

Two weeks ago, John gave his presentation and advanced in rank.  General Paige taught us about the battles at Fredericksburg, Chancellorsville, and Vicksburg.  We also discussed the book "Across Five Aprils."  Our writing assignment was to write a poem on something that you have studied so far in Sword.

Last week we started our coverage of Gettysburg.  Our class was cut a little short because of the Halloween party, but we were able to use the big map and hopefully get a little bit of an idea of the battle at Gettysburg. Alison gave her presentation and advanced in rank.  There was no writing assignment.

Coming up this week (tomorrow)...  We'll be covering more of Gettysburg, including our document study of the Gettysburg Address.

Presentations:
11/6 -- Joshua -- Life as a slave
11/20 -- Noah -- Prisons or Weapons

Assignments:

• "Abraham Lincoln" book is due next week 11/13.  Finish up your reading.
• How is your Hero Report coming?  
• Memorize and pass off something.
• How are you doing on the movies?

See you tomorrow!
~General Lisa

The South Wins

Hi Everyone!

I hope y'all had a great time on Saturday at the big battle.  The South managed to win every engagement.  Congratulations!  Also, make sure you stop on Thursday to thank Jennifer Poyer for letting us use her home for the battle.

In our last class we covered the battles of Bull Run, Shiloh, and Antietam.  We also covered some of the Unconstitutional Acts.  Our document study was on the Emancipation Proclamation where we discovered that not all of the slaves were freed by the proclamation.

Haley, form the North, gave a fun and fabulous presentation on the Underground Railroad and is now the highest ranking officer in the class at the rank of Sergeant.  You should all remember to Salute her in class on Thursday.  :-)

Assignments:

Opinion Paper:  Is it ever wrong to follow the law and if so when and why?

Book:  Across Five Aprils  --  We're discussing it this Thursday.  Make sure you get it read.  Also, write down 2 or 3 (or more) things that jumped out at you while you were reading.  Write them in your commonplace book.  Did you look up any words?  Record those in your commonplace book as well.  Think about what you want to talk about in our discussion on Thursday.

Memory Work:  Pick something and memorize it!

Hero Report:  How's it coming?  Have you picked out your hero yet?

Presentations:

10/23 -- This Thursday -- John -- The Army (Origination, Drills, Manpower)
10/30 -- Alison -- Uniforms and clothing of the times
11/6 -- Joshua -- Life as a slave
11/20 -- Noah -- Prisons

See you all on Thursday!
~General Lisa

Upcoming Battle

Hi Everyone!

We had three more students join the rank of corporal this week!  Congrats to Alison, Haley, and Katie!  Keep up the good work!

We covered Secession and Fort Sumter with a simulation of Lincoln and his cabinet deciding what to do about Fort Sumter.  We also discussed "Uncle Tom's Cabin."  However, we were short on time for the book discussion, so we might do a little more discussion on Thursday.

Katie gave a presentation on Civil War spies and shared some fun stories about a confederate spy named Belle Boyd.

We shared some powerful quotes from President Buchanan about secession; some "colorful" quotes about what the south thought of Lincoln; and a telling quote from Francis Adam (son/grandson of Presidents John Adams and John Quincy Adams) about what the anti-slavery folks thought about Lincoln's election.

Assignments:

• Opinion Paper:  Is Secession Constitutional?
• Keep reading "Across Five Aprils" -- due 10/23
• Memorize something -- song, scripture, Gettysburg Address
• Have you started on your Hero Report yet?
• How are the movies coming??

Presentations:  

• 10/16 (this Thursday) -- Haley -- Underground Railroad
• 10/23 -- John -- The army (origination, drills, manpower)
• 10/30 -- Alison -- Uniforms and clothing of the times

THE BATTLE!!

• Saturday the 18th -- see email sent a few days ago for location and address
• I will be sending water balloons home with everyone on Thursday.  These need to be filled and brought to the battle in coolers/buckets that we will then station around the battle field.  
• If you have eye protection/impact goggles, please bring them.  Label them with your name and bring extra if you have them so we can share.  I will try to have a bunch there as well, but I may not be able to have enough for everyone.
• If you have an airsoft gun, please bring it.  (make sure your name is on it.)

See you all on Thursday!

~General Lisa

Week 4 Recap

Hi Everyone!

Assignments:

• FINISH READING "UNCLE TOM'S CABIN"
• Keep working on passing off your other requirements.  I highly recommend that you start working on memorizing SOMETHING if you haven't already started.

MOVIE PARTY this Friday at General Lisa's House.  6pm to 10pm.  We're watching "Gettysburg".  Bring a snack or treat to share.  This is a fun way to work on passing off your movie requirements.  It's also Parents' Night Out at General Lisa's House.  Parents are welcome to come hangout any time between 6 and 10pm.

We covered the fascinating cycles of history last week.

Katie: Your presentation on Spies is this week.

See you all Thursday!

~General Lisa & General Paige