End of WW I links

We finally finished studying WW I.  We ended with coloring maps of Europe before and after the war. I found good before and after maps on the following website.  I copied the maps and printed them.  We discussed the differences they saw in the two maps.
http://todayinsocialsciences.blogspot.com/2013/05/15052013.html

Then, I showed the interactive map on this website to the kids and we wrote some major terms of the Treaty of Versailles down.
www.bbc.co.uk/schools/gcsebitesize/history/mwh/ir1/thetreatyrev1.shtml

The Spark

I just read the most amazing book recently. My husband actually recommended that I read it.  It is called "The Spark" by Kristine Barnett.  Her story is really incredible as she describes how she deals with having an autistic child.  Rather than letting that label discourage her and limit her son, she does everything she can to provide an environment where he can thrive and develop his gifts.  In the process, she helps many others like her son.

This book is really a must read. I do not have an autistic son.  However, he is very rule bound and schedule bound.  He has just a few passions in his life:  books, history, military strategy games, and Legos.  He loves facts and telling us about the historical facts that he has learned.  

Reading this book helped me to appreciate more the way God has uniquely created my son.

I hope you all can read this and be encouraged!  My son actually read this book himself and loved it.  

A Good Book and Movie for WWII

Although we are still not finished studying about WW1, I wanted to share with you two good things that have been helpful for us.  Watching historical movies and fiction really helps to make history come alive.

I recently bought a 4 American Girl movie DVD set.  Some of you guys may roll your eyes when you hear American Girl.  I was pleasantly surprised that my very boy boy enjoyed the movies.  "Kit" is about the Great Depression, "Samantha" is about the Victorian period, "Felicity" is about the Revolutionary War time, and "Molly" is about World War I.  Overall, they were pretty entertaining for the whole family to watch and I really liked seeing the period costumes and sets.  I highly recommend them and if you live nearby, feel free to borrow from me.  :)



A book I am reading out loud to the kids right now is "Eleanor Jo, The Farmer's Daughter".  This is another book by Eleanor Clark.  It's based on her life growing up in the WWII era.  What's really interesting is that she describes her life in a Texas town which made it all the more real for us, having spent part of our life in Texas.  We got this on Kindle.