Often I am asked how I plan my Becoming History presentations.
The most popular questions are listed below with my answers.
First the how is wrapped up in the why
Since homeschoolers have rare moments to use speaking skills, providing opportunity with creativity would be a fun way to accomplish that.
Also, we were so excited by all the cool stuff we were learning, we wanted to share that.
After inviting extended family to join us, they better understood the value of our homeschooling.
Our extended family was so impressed, they worried less and encouraged us more.
They loved attending these, wowed by the quality of education the kids were receiving.
My goal for a Becoming History presentation is not only to have fun, but to attempt something challenging and different.
My Kids Help with the Planning
I was asked if I assign their personas.
My kids are more likely to be motivated to excel in extra research for their presentations if they are given freedom of choice: persona, costume, recitations, musical pieces, art projects, etc.
If need be I may need to make an executive decision, but my kids make the key decisions.
How do they choose their persona?
While my kids usually choose their favorite person from their history studies, my daughter sometimes chooses a favorite character from her Rhetoric literature book.
Sometimes my son chooses to portray himself, but in another era.
Becoming History presentations are a wonderful opportunity to let the kids have fun while trying out their speaking skills through a recitation, skit, speech, or presentation.
How do I plan the speaking parts?
Slowly.
For the first presentation, we simply gave a brief introduction to our characters and explained what was learned while showing off all the projects.
For the next history presentation, I assigned a speech.
A year later when we studied the Elizabethan Era, I added recitations.
I also try to coordinate the speaking parts with unique aspects of history.
For instance, when we learned about the Ancient Greeks who were famous for initiating theater, the kids performed one of Aesops’ Fables.
Now when they see the classic Greek masks, they always remember their Greek studies of the early theater.
When we studied the Ancient Romans who were famous for rhetoric, the kids read their persuasive essays from scrolls.
During our Ancient Rome presentation, my son memorized a famous piece of rhetoric of the Apostle Paul.
My kids are getting so comfortable with this, that now the sky is the limit.
They key is to assign one new skill each unit to showcase that for the history presentation.
How are costumes chosen?
I whip up most of our costumes from patterns from the major companies: Simplicity, McCalls, Butterick, etc.
Some kids might enjoy sewing their own costumes.
Or cobble together some representative pieces from the thrift store, like Little Women who kept a trunk of old clothes to perform plays in the attic.
Purchasing costumes on-line is also an option.
How do I lay my plans out on paper?
This is the brainstorming part on blank printer paper.
I jot down ideas while I go through our books, and I google a lot.
The sky is the limit. Anything that inspires me I write down.
The more I write, the more ideas I get.
My wheels continue to turn as I go about the day and I go back and jot things before I forget them.
I do this at the beginning of each history presentation.
It helps me to plan for fun stuff each week, that could be used for the history presentation.
How do we choose art projects?
Quite simply the kids did more when they were younger, and less now that their studies are more intense.
Our latest history presentation didn’t entail art projects because we were busy with a move from Texas to Virginia.
Although I had no art projects planned, my son did create a bayonet for his toy rifle for his costume. And perhaps a few other pieces for his costume.
But overall, when planning art projects, I try to narrow down the field by looking at projects that reflect the culture studied.
For example, when we studied the Ancient Hebrews, I knew understanding the layout of the tabernacle would be confusing.
Understanding the layout helps us understand the Bible descriptions in the Old Testament and in Romans in the New Testament.
So we made one from scratch!
When we studied Ancient Greece, we studied the different columns.
Now wherever we go, if they see a column, they say, “Mom! There is a Doric column!” or “There is a Corinthian column!”
We used to live in San Antonio, Texas and as many times as we went to the Alamo, imagine our surprise at our first trip back after studying columns.
When we studied Ancient Rome, we made mosaics.
When they saw the mosaics at the Library of Congress, they were impressed because they knew from experience that mosaics are not easy to do!
So instead of coloring a mosaic, the kids made a mosaic with broken tile and grout which now decorate my kids’ rooms.
How do we plan food?
There are kids’ craft books that have historc recipes. Googling also works.
Sometimes my daughter goes through our books and lists the foods and cooking techniques we’ve read about (a major character in Egypt may have had lots of fish to eat).
From that list we create our own recipes.
The Ancient cultures did lots of roasting. The French boil their meat whereas the British roast their meat.
The British eventually used butter and the Mediterranean used olive oil.
It’s been interesting what we have learned about food patterns over the years.
How do I plan the sequence of events?
This varies with each history presentation.
Basically we usually eat first because I am prediabetic and I HAVE to eat!
We usually have a salad and some grilled meat since those are free foods for my prediabetic blood stream. Most cultures at least had that for food.
I can fill up on that and nibble on the rest of the goodies. Then I have energy to get through the event.
Since we had a small dining room in the Texas house (we just moved to Virginia) we usually did our meals buffet style.
Since our Medieval Feast required eating at a table, we flip flopped the furniture between our living room and dining room to create the grand hall.
For wall decor my daughter had made stained glass with tissue paper and black posterboard.
(I try to keep things simple and inexpensive. My wheels are constantly turning.)
I hung those in our windows to see the pretty stained glass.
How do I personalize the unit celebration according to my kids’ interests?
My daughter likes to make jewelry so she researches a typical piece of the period. Then we shop at the craft store and figure out how to recreate it.
If we can’t find what we are looking for, she might use a special clay to mold the shape, bake, and paint.
My son always creates a hat, a weapon, and usually a noisemaker.
Recently he created a bayonet for his toy rifle for this Civil War history presentation.
When he was a musketeer, he made a sword.
That gave me an idea.
I found a web site that taught fencing, so he did a presentation on fencing moves.
Then when he portrayed Lafayette (not for a history presentation but for a Colonial Williamsburg Electronic Field Trip project on Yorktown…this is getting contagious!) he enhanced his musketeer sword to look like Lafayette’s.
We had the wonderful opportunity to meet Lafayette a few months before in Colonial Williamsburg.
My son analyzed vacation photos of the sword Lafayette wore to upgrade his sword.
How do we choose music?
My kids take piano lessons, so they choose a piece that was written during the era studied to play.
My son also plays the fife so he finds a patriotic tune from the era to play.
How do you set up the presentation?
On the big day, lay out all of the books on a table.
Merely seeing that incredibly full table will gives a major feeling of accomplishment, while giving the guests something to peruse and ask questions about.
On another table lay out the kids’ papers, maps, etc.
Show off the work! They become part of the mini museum.
For the guests’ arrival, write a little sign that says, “Welcome to _______________” and name the era and write the dates for the entry way.
For extra tables I use those little round particle board tables with the 3-4 legs that screw in.
I cover those tables with miscellaneous fabric that I collect and save for table cloths.
I try to use rustic burlap type fabrics for the most ancient cultures.
The fabric gets more sophisticated with the varying advancing cultures.
For the food table I lay out produce, typical of the era. It later doubles as dinner.
When we did India and China, which was rich with spices, I poured little piles out onto a plate for part of the display.
Put out all the art work.
Decide on where the stage will be.
Have fun!
Did I leave anything out?
Any questions?
