Inauguration Day 2009 for Homeschoolers
Tomorrow is Inauguration Day! Barack Obama will be sworn in as the 44th president of the United States of America. Here are a few things you can do to celebrate in your homeschool. Some activities will take you through the next month or so if you want to extend the theme.
~You can go to the White House website and watch videos, look at pictures, take virtual tours, and read a whole lot of history. There are also games for kids. It is a great website with so much to offer you and your children.
~You can research president-elect Barack Obama. There is a brief biography on the inauguration website.
~Learn about the United States government by reading about what each of the branches is responsible for.
~Do some research on Washington D.C. You can find games and lots of information at Washington D.C. for Kids.
~Complete a study of African American history including a time line of major events. The University of Washington has a great time line that you can use.
~This presidency is historic and the inauguration is an historic event. The following video by the Associated Press, “Emancipation to Inauguration”, summarizes the history of the movement toward equality for African Americans. Please note that this video is meant for either your own background knowledge or for mature students – most likely high school students. Please preview it before you decide whether or not to show it to your children.
Homeschooled Kids Called “Demented” on The View
Yesterday on “The View” homeschooling came up in the Hot Topics discussion. The panel was discussing the schooling options for the president elect’s daughters, and home education came up as one option. Unfortunately, Joy Behar called homeschooled children “demented” during the segment, and a few homeschoolers on Twitter and some bloggers such as Barb at Back Door Homeschool Tools were offended. The discussion about homeschooling comes up at the 5:45he 5:45
English: World English Bible - WEB
mark.
It saddens me that Joy Behar, an educator herself, would look down on the home education movement. She has been in the classroom and knows that not all children learn the same way. Children need different educational choices because each child is unique. Homeschooling provides children lots of flexibility that allows parents to meet their children’s needs. Sadly, Joy Behar does not see it that way.
Katie, at Moms in the Right, gave me a link to this article by John Taylor Gatto. It is a satirical piece, so please take it from that perspective. Overall, John Taylor Gotto sounds like an interesting author and educator. I plan to read some of his work.
Hopefully, home educators can continue to work towards changing stereotypical views about homeschooling. It is unfortunate when someone who has a powerful opinion makes comments that are both hurtful and untrue.
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