Friday's Responses

Our final day of exams.
The map questions are giving the younger two difficulties. I guess we'll have to focus more on that next year. (sigh)

Year 3 Student

What invention do you think most changed the world? What can you tell about how it came about?

The car. And the reaper. There were five reapers invented, but only one really worked. One would actually cut the grain and bind it, but when the men went to put it in the barn, they were getting cut because the little pieces of wire they used to bind them up were getting in the wheat and were cutting the men. But I guess one man succeeded in making a good reaper and I guess nowadays they have tractors instead of reapers. It used to be, all the families were going out and cutting the grain with something that looked like hooks but they had blades and I guess the women as well as the men were binding grain and the children were tying it up and it made a big difference in the world to make a reaper because people didn't have to do that anymore.

Trace Minn's journey on a map.

(Student traced route on a map with his finger, pointing out a few cities along the Mississippi River after going over the book again!)

Year 5 Student

Trace Lewis and Clark's route on a map.

(Student traced his route on a map with his finger after a short review)

From the Complete Book of Marvels - tell about your favorite place he visited.

I like them all, but the Rock of Gibraltar is the one whose name I remember. The Rock of Gibraltar is guarding a bay. The rock is hollow. It belongs to England, but it used to belong to someone else. The French and the English fought over it, but the English won. Ever since then, England's been guarding it. When you visit it, they show you the old guns but they don't show you the new guns. There are passages all the way around and it provides a great view all around of the sea.

Year 9 Student

Trace Richard Halliburton’s travels in Europe.

First he climbed the Matterhorn with almost no previous climbing experience. The guide helped. Then he went to France, visited Paris and the Eiffel Tower, visited a French cathedral and then traveled south to Carcassonne. From there he went south, over the mountains, through Andorra, to Spain. He spent a night on the Rock of Gibraltar and ended up in jail for it. But he got some pictures just the same.

What were some of George Washington’s strengths?

He had very strong emotions, but such complete self-control that he almost never expressed them. He was modest and humble but committed to his duty. He had an unimpeachable character and reputation. He was tall with a dignified bearing and majestic carriage equal to any king. But most of all he was a complete patriot who put his country’s good before his own and cared for its welfare in his generalship, presidency, and beyond.