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U.S. Presidents: Where Did They Come From?

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red and blue graphic that says Presidents DayApril 30, 2014, will mark 225 years since George Washington was sworn in as the first president of the United States. The nation has had 44 different presidents during those years. Many of these men began their careers as lawyers, soldiers, or politicians. But I was curious to find out what some of our presidents did before they entered the political arena. So I went to whitehouse.gov and did some research. I read the bios available for all of our presidents and found three different presidents that, in my opinion, had interesting beginnings.

Andrew Johnson

President from 1865 to 1869, Johnson was born into a poor family in 1808. As a boy he became a tailor’s apprentice. Eventually, he moved to Greeneville, Tennessee, and opened his own tailor shop. While there,  Johnson married Eliza McCardle. He would eventually participate in debates at the local school there, aiding his speaking skills.

James Garfield

His term shortened because he was assassinated, Garfield “was born in Cuyahoga County, Ohio, in 1831.”1 As a young man, he worked with canal boats. In 1856 he graduated from Williams College before going to work for the Western Reserve Eclectic Institute in Ohio. Eventually, Garfield was elected to the Ohio senate; he went on to serve in the U.S. House of Representatives before becoming president.

Herbert Hoover

President from 1929 to 1933, Hoover worked for many years in China as an engineer. He and his family were still in China when the Boxer Rebellion occurred and helped their Chinese neighbors during that tumultuous time. Hoover would continue to help in other countries as World War I began. Eventually he became president, and his presidency would be marked by the Great Depression. These are just a few of the presidents that I found who led interesting lives before their political careers began. I must admit I found those who were born in Ohio to be the most interesting—but that could be my Ohio-born bias. That said, I think it’s good to know that many of our presidents had a strong work ethic that led to their presidencies and helped them while in office. To me, that legacy makes honoring them important on this Presidents’ Day.

How do you observe Presidents’ Day?

1. James Garfield. Whitehouse.gov. http://www.whitehouse.gov/1600/presidents/jamesgarfield (accessed: January, 24, 2014).

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Black History Month

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February is coming up soon, and for educators that means Black History Month is too. Below you’ll find a quick reference guide for several figures in American history (who I think are inspiring!) as well as a list of kid-friendly resources for Black History Month. This list is not comprehensive but provides some ideas to help you get started. Happy learning!

Phillis-Wheatley-poem-2016

Notable Figures in U.S. History:

Phillis Wheatley (1753–84)

Phillis Wheatley distinguished herself as an early American poet. Her works clearly express her inner thoughts and reveal how much influence Christianity and a classical education had on her. “On Being Brought from Africa to America” uses color imagery on multiple levels to emphasize the poem’s message. What is arguably Wheatley’s most impressive accomplishment was her success in getting published at a time when few women—let alone those of African descent—were viewed as serious writers.

Learn more about Phillis Wheatley

Hiram Rhodes Revels (1827-1901)

Mr. Revels served as a chaplain in the Civil War. After the war, he became the first African American U.S. Senator, representing the state of Mississippi. His willingness to forgive Confederates as well as his advocacy for racial equality marked his time in Congress. He was a true leader and a Christian.

Learn more about Hiram Rhodes Revels

Doris “Dorie” Miller (1919–43)

“Dorie” Miller bravely served his country in the U.S. Navy. December 7, 1941, was a defining day in his life. During the surprise attack on Pearl Harbor, Dorie quickly found a machine gun and returned fire on the enemy. He received the Navy Cross for his actions in the attack.

Learn more about Doris “Dorie” Miller

Additional Resources:

What do you highlight during Black History Month?

Bring on the New Year’s Resolutions!

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It’s a new year, which means a fresh start, new opportunities, and . . . New Year’s resolutions. Have you made any resolutions yet?

Maybe this year you’re determined to exercise more, spend more time with your family, or start a new hobby. Wanting to do those things is wonderful, and I encourage you to stick with them! But have you ever noticed that a lot of people end up not sticking with their resolutions?

As a homeschool parent, maybe you’ve thought of making New Year’s resolutions for your homeschooling. It’s the start of a new semester and a great time to set some new goals. But I’d like to share a thought that will hopefully help you set attainable goals. 

The Key to Stick-To-Itiveness

The reason many people abandon their New Year’s resolutions is that instead of setting small goals for a short period of time, they set big goals for a long period of time (like a year). Is it any wonder that they don’t stick with those goals? It’s hard to keep your momentum going for an entire year.

But what if you thought in terms of a month, week, or day. Take those big yearlong goals and chop them up into tinier ones. Imagine how much more manageable and attainable your goals would look.

So this year, I encourage you not to think of it as a year. Rather look at a single day or month and see how much of your goals you want to accomplish then. And by this time next year, you’ll have accomplished your New Year’s resolutions.

What helps you stick with your resolutions or goals?

Homemade Christmas Gifts

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I always encourage my children to make gifts to give their grandparents and other extended family members for Christmas. My children enjoy making them, and other family members enjoy receiving them. Below are some of the gifts we made at our house this year.

Necklaces (recommended for children 4+)

These are very simple and inexpensive to make. Just purchase some large metal washers (from any store that sells home-improvement items), some inexpensive nail polish, and some narrow ribbon. Paint the metal washers with nail polish, and apply a clear top-coat once the paint dries. Cut an eighteen-inch piece of ribbon and thread it through.

painted metal washer with ribbon

Wooden Spoons (recommended for children 3+)

Purchase some wooden spoons. Wrap painter’s tape around each spoon, halfway up the handle. Allow young artists to paint a design on the handle with acrylic paint. (You can use washable tempera paints as well.) Allow the spoons to dry completely before removing the tape, and then cover the painted area with a nontoxic sealant.

painted wooden serving spoon and fork

Homemade Ornaments (recommended for children 2+)

This one was a little more time-consuming, but still inexpensive and fun. Start by making the dough (recipe below). I did this part during nap time since it involves constantly stirring a mixture on the stove.

Ornament Dough
Ingredients
  • 1/2 cup cornstarch
  • 1 cup baking soda
  • 1/2 cup + 1/8 cup water
Directions

Combine ingredients in a medium saucepan (mixture will be thin). Heat on medium heat, stirring constantly until mixture thickens enough to form a ball. Remove from heat and cover the pan with a wet paper towel to cool.

After the dough has cooled off, knead it several times and roll it into a circle about 1/4 inch thick. Allow children to use cookie cutters to cut out shapes. Young children may also enjoy molding the dough into their own shapes (my toddler did!). Place the shapes onto a cookie sheet lined with wax paper or parchment paper. Use a drinking straw to cut out circles at the top. Let the ornaments air-dry overnight to harden, or bake them in the oven for 30-40 minutes at 250 degrees.

These ornaments are a pure-white color, especially if you allow them to air dry. (Baking them in  the oven may result in backs that are slightly browned). You can thread ribbon through them, and give them away as-is. Or you can decorate them with paint, glitter, and beads like my kindergartner did.
tree and bell Christmas ornaments

Did you make Christmas gifts with your family or class this year? Tell me about it in a comment.

Welcome to October!

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Welcome to October! A wonderful month characterized by cooler weather, remembering important discoveries, and (for me) family celebrations. This tenth month of the year brings joy and happiness in so many little ways. But I have to admit there’s also something about this month that I always found puzzling—its name.

Have you ever wondered what the word October means?

Curiosity finally got the better of me, so I looked up the meaning. Names are important because they can describe a person, give insight into the meaning behind a concept, and provide understanding of a place or thing. The word October is no exception. The etymology of the word is Latin.

Its prefix, octo, means eight.

Other words that use the prefix octo are octopus (eight tentacles), octagon (eight sides), and octave (eight notes). But remember, October is the tenth month of the year. So where’s the connection with the number eight?

The meaning of October relates to the Roman calendar.

The ancient Roman calendar, a lunar calendar, only has ten months in a year. As its name suggests, October was the eighth month in that calendar. However, over time the Roman calendar was replaced by the Julian calendar; and then later the Gregorian calendar—which is what we still use today. The current system is a solar calendar of twelve months. That’s right—October now finds its place as the tenth month in the Gregorian calendar despite the meaning of its name.

Curious about the third syllable in the word Oc•to•ber?

According to Dictionary.com, the ending “is probably from -bris, an adjectival suffix.” This explanation also ties back to the Roman calendar. It’s believed that the first several months of the calendar were named according to the agricultural seasons, but the rest of the months were simply named according to their corresponding number placement in the Roman calendar.¹ So October is not the only month whose name reveals its placement in the Roman calendar—September (seventh month), November (ninth month) and December (tenth month) do too. Now isn’t that neat!

What do you enjoy most about the month of October?

¹ december. Dictionary.com. Online Etymology Dictionary. Douglas Harper, Historian. http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/december (accessed: September 28, 2013).