The other day, President Trump asked the question, “Why did the Civil War happen?” He actually knows what he is talking about, but is so inarticulate that he should have just left it alone. Now, everyone is laughing at him, stating the obvious: the Civil War happened to end slavery.

But did it really? If you feel so confident, please explain it to me because I’m having trouble answering the following questions.

1. If the Civil War was fought to free the slaves, why did Lincoln wait two years after the war started to issue the Emancipation Proclamation?

2. When congress debated the War effort, why didn’t anyone mention slavery?

3. When Lincoln made his first address after the War had started, why didn’t he say anything about slavery being the cause?

4. When South Carolina first seceded from the Union, why did they claim unfair taxation and tariffs were the primary cause?

5. Why did some slave states, like Maryland, Missouri, Delaware, and Kentucky, side with the North?

6. Why did Lincoln exempt the Northern slave states, like Maryland, Missouri, Delaware, and Kentucky, from freeing their slaves after issuing the Emancipation Proclamation, claiming that if the Norther slaves states thought the War was about ending slavery they would change sides and fight with the South?

Look, I take no pleasure in asking these questions. The “history” our government schools spoon fed us about the Civil War was much tastier than the truth. But if we want to teach our children the truth, slavery was not the primary cause of the war.

The post Was Trump Right About the Civil War? first appeared on True Aim.

History Activities for Preschool and Kindergarten

Exploring Art History with Preschoolers – Playground Parkbench

Explore art history, from Modernism in the late 19th century to Pop Art, popular in the 1960s.

Montessori Inspired European Unit Study – The Pinay Homeschooler

Study European history with flags, animals, and landmarks – great for all elementary school students.

The Legend of Horatius at the Bridge – Layers of Learning

Learn about the legend of Horatius with this stanza, coloring sheet, and free printable Roman helmets.

Picture Books for Black History Month – No Twiddle Twaddle

Study black history through literature! Here are 10 great picture books for bringing black history alive.

Ancient Rome Food and Feast – Highhill Homeschool

Fill your tummy with a feast, fit for Ancient Rome. There’s nothing too extravagant about the meal, but elementary kiddos will love this!

Famous Artist Crafts for Kids  – The Crafty Classroom

Recreate the works of famous artists with these tutorials! Learn about them in the process, from Monet to Pollock.

Popsicle Stick Teepees – Glued to My Crafts

Study Native American history by creating these teepees. They’re pretty simple to make, with popsicle sticks being the base.

President’s Day Freebie – Mrs. Ricca’s Kindergarten

Study George Washington and Abraham Lincoln in this freebie for President’s Day.

Roman Numeral Lessons – The Natural Homeschool

Roman numerals are still used today! Introduce your kiddos to Roman numerals with this free printable.

Jackie Robinson Craft – Cutting Tiny Bites

On April 15, 1947, Jackie Robinson made history for breaking racial barriers and becoming the first African American to become a Major League Baseball player.

George Washington Lapbook – Lapbook Lessons

Use this lapbook to learn about our first president, George Washington!

Learn about Martin Luther King Jr – Teach Preschool

Martin Luther King Jr. made great advances for the Civil Rights movements. Learn about his amazing life!

Stonehenge Lesson for Preschool – Adventures in Mommydom

Get hands-on while learning about Stonehenge! It can be adapted for elementary and middle school, and is great for combining history and STEM.

Rosie the Riveter Coloring Page – Education.com

Rosie the Riveter was a classic icon during WWII, inspiring woman to help the war effort by taking up jobs.

Liberty Bell Craft – Mrs. Black’s Bees

Recreate the Liberty Bell while learning about early American history!

Pom-Pom American Flag Painting – Crafty Morning

Celebrate the 4th of July and Independence Day with this American flag painting! It’s simple and costs next to nothing.

Free Ancient Egypt Preschool Worksheets – 123 Homeschool for Me

Learn about ancient Egypt with this math and literacy pack. There are 17 printables, with history activities that can be adjusted for toddlers to 2nd grade.

Fun with Coloring Mixing: A Martin Luther King Jr. Day Craft – MPM Ideas

Learn about diversity and segregation with this bright coloring craft. It works best for large groups, but can be adjusted for smaller groups.

Ancient History: Roman Road – Preschool Powol Pockets

Learn about ancient history with this hands-on craft! Recreate a textured Roman road.

The post History Activities for Preschool and Kindergarten first appeared on True Aim.

1. Wide, then Narrow: Before jumping into the finer details of history, start by giving an overview, from beginning to end. Knowing where the story is headed will give kids a better idea where the details fit in.

For example, when I teach Bible history I have the option of hundreds of different stories. If I start at the beginning and work my way through, my students will quickly get lost in the details. Instead, I break the entire Bible into six easy, yet central stories: Creation, Fall, Judgement (Flood), Promise (Abraham), Chosen People (Israelites), Cross (Jesus’ Sacrifice).

I strip these stories down to one or two simple details. I could literally tell each of these six stories in just a few sentences. This makes it easy for students to remember each story, and also to see how the stories fit together. The six stories then serve as bookends, and I simply go back and start filling in the gaps. I tell about Daniel and the Lions Den, and draw it back into the story of the Chosen People; I tell about Cain and Abel and point it to the Flood; I tie the Last Supper into the Story of the Cross. Teaching history this way keeps the stories connected.

2. Only Teach the Essential: If you are a mom who loves crafts, you may struggle with this one, but try to keep your content simple and relevant. If you are having your children dress up like turkeys to study the Pilgrims, you might be off track. The Pilgrims are not historical figures because they ate turkey!

3. Sequence, Not Dates: The order history unfolds is much more important than the actually dates (usually). If your history lessons become little more than the memorization of dates, your kids will learn to hate history. I’m not saying you can’t add dates, but again start with the basic elements of the story and then when your kids have mastered that, go back and sprinkle in the dates.

4. Explain BC and AD Early: As soon as your kids are old enough to understand the concept, explain the difference between BC and AD. Be careful not to just say that BC is Before Christ and AD is after His death. This confused me as a kid until learning that AD started 30 years prior to Jesus’ death. Also, be sure to point out how BC dates count backward; in other words, 3000 BC comes before 1,000 BC.

5. Don’t be biased: For the most part, the history taught in government schools is full of lies, misrepresentations, and half-truths. When I was in elementary school I lived in Lawrence, Kansas. During the Civil War, Lawrence was burned to the ground by southern Border Ruffians.

The way I was taught it, the citizens of Lawrence were just sitting there singing kumbaya, when all of the suddenly those darn rebels burst into town on a murdering and raping spree. And I couldn’t help but think that all confederates were evil-murdering-rapists. In fact, many years later, I learned about the true “Jayhawkers” and the murderous raids that they ran in Missouri. In a town that loves its Jayhawks, it is no wonder they left that bit out.

It is in our nature to divide the history into a struggle of good versus evil, and paint everything either black or white. If our side commits atrocities they were justified; when the other guys do it, it’s always without cause. It is easy to fall into this type of deception. We often pick a side and then filter history accordingly, teaching only what we want to believe.

In most cases, history is a struggle between evil and evil; when we pretend otherwise, we champion propaganda, not history.

6. Use Real History: Whenever possible forgo the publishing houses’ textbooks, and use real historical words. Read works like The Bible, Herodotus’ Histories, Thucydides’ The History of the Peloponnesian War, Tacitus’ The Annals of Imperial Rome, and Caesar’s The Civil War. These books and others are real histories, and far more interesting than dry schoolhouse textbooks.

7. Not Every Old Story is History: History is an account of the events that dramatically changed the course of human destiny. What some ate, how they dressed, when they went to bed is closer to anthropology, than history. It does not matter how the Pilgrims dressed, what their boat was called, what time they went to bed, what their houses looked like, or what their favorite dessert was; these aren’t the reasons they are historical figures. We remember the Pilgrims, not for what they wore, but what they did, and more importantly, their impact.

8. Geography is the Canvas of History: It is hard to understand history without a proper understanding of geography. You will read, “Hitler invaded the Rhineland,” but you won’t know where that was or why it was significant. The point is that geography allows us to visualize the events as they occurred. That is why at Blue Manor we begin teaching geography in kindergarten.

9. Retell the Story: Never quiz your children on history with essays or bubble sheets. History is a story and as such, it is best to have your children retell the story in their own words.

Hope that these tips were helpful. If you have history-teaching tips of your own, please leave a comment. Thanks for reading!

Check out True History on Blue Manor Academy!

The post How to Homeschool History: 9 Teaching Tips first appeared on True Aim.

We as humans love stories – we love to tell them and we love to remember them. For me, the easiest way to remember history is through stories. For fun facts on the Presidents, I would recommend The Greatest Presidential Stories Never Told, which is a spin off of The Greatest Stories Never Told. In it, include 100 little-known facts/stories about the US presidents, from the presidents before George Washington, to the only president who got a speeding ticket.

For a fun song to remember the Presidents, try this Animanics song to a catchy tune, which also includes little tidbits about each of the Presidents which are easy to memorize. For a more basic version, try this version to the tune of Yankee Doodle. I figured since I often get song lyrics stuck in my head, they might as well be educational.

I am a firm believer history should never be boring, and always memorable. Here are 18 crazy, interesting facts about the US presidents, with a free printable for you to hang in your classroom or homeschool room.

18 Fun, Crazy Facts About the Presidents

1. The teddy bear was named after Theodore Roosevelt. On a camping trip, Roosevelt refused to shoot a small bear cub. The teddy bear was born!

2. Grover Cleveland is the only president to serve two non-consecutive terms.

3. Dwight Eisenhower is the only president to serve in both WWI and WWII.

4. Andrew Jackson had a parrot that was so profane, it had to be removed from Jackson’s funeral for swearing.

5. James Garfield survived an assassination attempt, only to die from blood poisoning after doctors attempted to remove a bullet from his back. It is said Garfield could have survived with the bullet in his back. His assassin, Charles Guiteau, claimed that he didn’t kill the president, the doctors had. He was hanged anyway.

6. Martin van Buren was the first President to be born a US citizen.

7. John Tyler was born in 1790, and still has two living grandchildren.

8. Woodrow Wilson is the only President to have earned a Ph.D. He didn’t learn to read until he was 10 years old.

9. James Madison was the shortest President. He was only 5’4” and never weighed more than 100 pounds.

10. Once, while giving a speech, Teddy Roosevelt was shot. He continued to deliver his speech with the bullet in his chest.

11. William Taft is known as the largest President. Dubbed “Big Bill,” Taft weighed 325 pounds, and often got stuck in the White House bathtub.

12. William Henry Harrison gave the longest inauguration speech – 8,578 words in one hour, 40 minutes. Unfortunately, it was cold outside during his speech, he caught pneumonia, and died exactly one month later.

13. Franklin D. Roosevelt was in office for four terms, from 1933-1945. He served 12 years, 1 month, and 8 days, until dying right before WWII ended. He is the only President to serve more than two terms.

14. George Washington gave the shortest inauguration speech on record – 133 words and less than two minutes long.

15. John F. Kennedy was the first Roman Catholic to be president, the first Boy Scout to become president, and the first president to be born in the 20th century.

16. Abraham Lincoln created the Secret Service hours be

fore his assassination.

17. Calvin Coolidge had a pet pygmy hippopotamus named Billy.

18. During WWII, ten men survived a plane crash after being shot down by the Japanese. Only one was rescued, and the other nine men died at the hands of the Japanese. The lone survivor was George H. W. Bush.

For more non-textbook ways to learn, check out 30+ Ways to Teach History Without a Textbook.

The post The Presidents Unit Study Freebie first appeared on True Aim.

Welcome to Mom’s Library

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Free History Resources

5 Things that Make a Great History Curriculum – True Aim Education

Learning about history shouldn’t be a pain. Here are 5 things that make a fabulous history curriculum!

ABCs of the Bible Crafts – Christian Montessori Network

Check out these 26 Bible School (or homeschool) craft ideas. Here is the letter D for David’s Harp!

30+ Ways to Teach History Without a Textbook – Learn in Color

Explore 30+ ways to teach history – without a textbook! A diverse list for learners of all types.

9 Exciting Books You Need to Read to Your Child About Early America – Cornerstone Confessions

Dive into Early American history with these great books!

Wild West Small World Play – Happy Brown House

Bring history to life with this wild west world play! Gather books from the library, and give history a visual for younger kids!

More of my Favorite History Resources:

Free Historical Unit Studies for Kids – Le Chaim (on the Right)

The Revolutionary War Crafts – Carol Hurst

Civil War for Kids – Creekside Learning

Historical Movies for Kids – Le Chaim (on the Right)

Geography and Cultures for Kids – Homeschool Encouragement

WWII Movies to Watch With Your Kids – Adventures in Mommydom

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The post History Resources and Mom’s Library #155 first appeared on True Aim.

But what I learned in school wasn’t history at all. History is not a line of unconnected dates and locations; history is a powerful story of men and women who impacted the world for better or worse. Everyone loves a good story, and true history is the telling of the finest, most powerful stories mankind has recorded.

So when I agreed to review Masterbooks Christian History: Biographies of Faith, it was with great hesitation. Would it be a study of dates, or powerful stories? I wasn’t disappointed.

I received 5 biographies of great Christian men; Life of Washington, Life of John Newton,  Life of John Knox, Life of Luther, and Life of Andrew Jackson. I only meant to thumb through the books in order to form an opinion, but the Life of Washington hooked me, and I read about half the book in a single sitting.

His story was incredible. And while the books are intended for seventh through ninth graders, I would recommend them to adults and even younger children. I plan to finish them myself.

5 Things that make a Great History Curriculum

Masterbooks Christian History: Biographies of Faith is a great history curriculum because it has these 5 qualities.

1. Fantasy is fun; history if better. If a kid’s hero is a comic book character, that’s not good. Superheroes overcome life struggles with superpowers, but our children don’t have superpowers. Biographies of Faith offers examples to our children of real flesh-and-blood heroes; heroes without superpowers; heroes our children could aspire to be like.

2. Faith Is Not a Footnote. The way I learned history in school, Faith was a footnote. Our heroes may have had some religion, but it was inconsequential. Yet, a short reading of George Washington’s biography proves that he didn’t just have religion, he had a deep and driving Faith. In fact, his Faith was who he was, and it certainly directed his actions. Washington was not a great man, so much as he was a man of great faith.

Our schools and colleges are intentionally secularizing these Christian men. They want us to believe that Faith doesn’t matter. They want us to believe that great goodness can spring from Godlessness, but that isn’t the case. Christians will never retake America until we start putting faith back into our children’s history lessons.

3. Serious Reflection: When it comes to learning, I’m not a fan crafts and crossword puzzles, especially as kids get older. The questions in Christian History: Biographies of Faith foster serious reflection. I didn’t see any questions about dates, and few about places. Instead, most questions ask about pivotal moments and attitudes, drawing students’ attention to the character traits and wise decisions that distinguished these great men of history.

4. Only Essential: Did you know that George Washington had wooden teeth? That is about all I knew after studying Washington in school. The best part is, it is not exactly true.

For some reason, history textbooks in school give too many details, details that have nothing to do with history. Washington is not a remarkable historical figure because he had some false teeth. And the Pilgrims aren’t worthy of memory because they sailed on a ship called the Mayflower. Yet, I remember answering questions in school about those very things.

Luckily, Christian History: Biographies of Faith asks no such silly questions. The focus in on the essential facts and motives, the details that make these historical figures set apart from the other men of their time.

5. Vocabulary: Most of reading comprehension comes down to vocabulary. That is why I love that this curriculum starts off by having students define vocabulary words, in context, taken from their readings. Not only will this help them understand the material that they just read, but it will help them decode other, even more complicated, works in the future.

As someone who produces curriculum of my own, I am often very critical of other’s learning materials. However, I could not be more pleased with Christian History: Biographies of Faith. This is how kids should learn history!

Get 26% off ALL Masterbooks curriculum sets and FREE SHIPPING on any order over $75.  No Code Needed. Offer ends August 31st.

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If you’d like to try out Masterbooks Homsechool Curriculum? They have a wide variety for children of all ages! Here is your chance to win 1 of 2 $75 gift cards to Masterbooks.com.

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  I was sponsored by Masterbooks to review their Christian History homeschool curriculum. All opinions are my own.

The post 5 Things That Make a Great History Curriculum first appeared on True Aim.

Then one day I watched a program called The Men Who Built America. I loved it. It was better than most movies, and I learned a ton of new things, until the show depicted a scene that I was familiar with – the 1892 Homestead Strike.

Let me start by telling you the story that the History Channel told. The steel tycoon, Andrew Carnegie, was working the men in his Pennsylvania steel mill to death 7 days a week and for little pay. After several deaths, the workers began to strike demanding higher wages. They took over the steel mill.

Then Carnegie called in a private police force, which proceeded to gun down the fleeing workers. I think there was even a scene where a young man was on the ground begging for his life, and the evil Pinkerton shot him anyway, without the slightest hesitation. Eventually, Carnegie called in a favor from the Governor, which he practically owned, and 4,000 soldiers were sent to end the strike.

Guess what, besides some serious exaggerations (for dramatic effect) most of the depictions were entirely true – Carnegie was a tyrant, the workers were abused, they did strike and the Pinkertons shot several of the strikers. Here was the issue, they didn’t tell the whole story. Like all great lies, there was just enough truth to make the story believable.

Here is what really happened. When the Pinkertons arrived by river, the strikers fired on them and they returned fire. Unable to land the their boats, they waited until early morning to try again. When the Pinkertons tried again shots were fired again (but both sides claim the others fired first).

The workers surrounded the barges and fired on the Pinkertons at will. At one point they even used a cannon to try and sink the Pinkerton barges. The workers positioned snipers and picked off several agents. The Pinkertons returned fire and also killed several strikers.

Thousands of workers attacked the barges, and the Pinkertons made several attempts to escape, but they couldn’t. Eventually, the workers filled a raft with oil and fire and tried to burn the Pinkertons alive in their barges. That failed,  so they threw dynamite to blow the barges up, but they missed. Then they tried to pour oil in the river and light that on fire, but that also failed.

The Pinkertons were outnumbered ten to one. They raised a white flag, agreed to surrender, were promised safe passage, but once on shore, they were then beaten and tortured by the strikers.

Finally, Carnegie did have the governor call in the state militia. It took 4,000 troops, but the strikers did disperse.

See how vastly different the real history is? In the History Channel’s version, the Pinkertons mowed down the unarmed strikers. In the real version, they exchanged fire, and it was the Pinkertons who were eventually beaten by the workers!

Don’t think that I am taking sides. Carnegie was a monster, and one of the villains in my book REVEALING school. But just because he was bad, and we “love” our unions, doesn’t justify why the History Channel is rewriting history to fit a certain agenda. Their audience deserves to know the truth.

This is a huge deal, and a serious deception. 99% of viewers would have no clue that they are being mislead.

Now this wasn’t the first time that I had caught the History Channel distorting history. In fact, they do hit-jobs on Bible history all the time. Since, most American’s don’t read or study the Bible, they get away with it. Still, I was shocked to see them distorting other histories.

Since I caught them misrepresenting history in The Men Who Built America, it seems like I catch them all the time. That is why I will not let my children watch the History Channel until they have already gained a strong understanding of true history.

And by true, I mean history found in historical documents and histories (not school textbooks, as they tell even bigger lies than the History Channel). Kids who study history through the History Channel, will be left with a very distorted view, full of holes and half-truths.

Don’t get me wrong, I still love the History Channel for entertainment’s sake. I just don’t trust its historical accounts anymore.

What are your thoughts on the History Channel?

The post Why I Won’t Let My Kids Watch the History Channel first appeared on True Aim.