History and Geography Meme: Medieval History: Monasticism (269-1216)

This week we have been looking at monasticism. Although the first monastery was in Egypt in 269, the monasteries we think of when we think of the Middle Ages began in 540 when St. Benedict wrote the Benedictine rule.

We studied Saint Benedict, Scholastica and the Benedictines and the Cluniacs, which were established in 910 with the foundation of the abbey of Cluny in Burgundy. We also read about:

Saint Francis of Assisi and the Franciscans

Saint Dominic and the Dominicans

Venerable Bede (731 he writes The Ecclesiastical History of the English People)

We followed a Monk's schedule for one day. Oh, what fun and quite eye-opening! We had our own little services. Oh, what an exhausting schedule!

A Monk's Schedule

1:45 am - Wake Up
2:00am - Church service: singing and prayers (Matins)
3:30am - back to sleep
4:00am - church service: singing and prayers (Lauds)
5:00am - private scripture reading and prayer
6:00am - Church service, then breakfast
7:00am - Work
8:00am - Church service: singing and prayers (terce)
9:15am - work
11:45am - Church service: singing and prayers (Sixtus)
12:00pm - Midday meal
1:00pm - Private reading and prayer
1:45pm - sleep
2:45pm - Church service: singing and prayers (Nones)
3:00pm - Work
5:45pm - Meal
6:00pm - Church Service: singing and prayers (Vespers)
7:15pm - Private reading and Prayer
7:45pm - Church service: vespers
8:00pm - Bed

Sources and Resources:

• The Story of the Middle Ages, S. B. Harding from Heritage History Library
• The Holy Twins, Benedict and Scholastica by Kathleen Norris

• The Usborne Internet-Linked Encyclopedia of World History, pages 205 and 236-237.
• A Child’s History of the World by V.M. Hillyer, Chapter 43: Being Good.
• Story of the World, Volume 2: The Middle Ages by Susan Wise Bauer, Chapter 3: Christianity Comes to Britain
• The Kingfisher History Encyclopedia
• History Odyssey, Pandia Press, Level 1 (1-4th grade), Level 2 (5th-8th grade or Level 3 (9th-12th grade)
• Medieval History Portfolio, Homeschool Journey
• 
  

What history and geography studies have you been doing?

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As always I hope that you continue to link your new (and old) posts with any history and geography topic to this meme every Thursday.

What history and geography studies have you been doing?

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Make Your Own 3-D Cloud Chart

 

  In 1803 a British pharmacist named Luke Howard devised a system for classifying clouds into three main forms or types: cirrus from the Latin word for a lock or wisp of hair; cumulus, meaning a pile or heap and stratus, from the Latin for layered or spread out. Later scientists added alto, meaning high and nimbus, Latin for dark rain cloud, to create a classification system of ten major cloud formations that is still in use today.

Be aware that if you paint the foam board, it will bow some as the paint dries. Another option, of course, is to buy colored foam board. We decided to paint ours because we already had white foam board. We dappled it for a sky look.

We decided to make a cloud chart using a foam board, some paint and cotton balls glued to the board. 

First we painted the foam board blue for the sky.
Then we divided the board into four columns across and three rows down.

We labeled the columns: Cirrus (wispy), Cumulus (puffy), Nimbus (shapeless) and Stratus ( layer, or "blanket"), for the basic cloud shapes.

We labeled the rows: Cirro ("wispy", icy, over 20,000 feet) , Alto ("higher" than usual, between 6-20,000 feet) and Strato low "layer", below 6,000 feet), for the altitudes of the clouds.

Now, we needed to add the clouds made from cotton balls and to shape them as closely as we could to the clouds for each block in the grid. Even though the name could be figured out by the chart, we labeled each cloud type to make it easy.

Some of the clouds include some dark rain clouds, so we added that with some  dabs of watered down paint. Some of the clouds are gray at the bottom and white at the top.

We attached a string for hanging, and now we have a cloud chart to display and use.

sources and inspiration:

• World War II Days; Discover the Past with Exciting Projects, Games, Activities, and Recipes (American Kids in History Series), David C. King

Changes in England 1700-1850: The Industrial and Farming Revolutions, Plus a System for Classifying Cloud Types was Invented

We have been learning about the changes in England brought about by the Industrial Revolution. Using the instructions found here, (I first saw it at Journey Into Unschooling), we laid out two large sheets of paper (15 x 20 inches each)  and built towns in England as they progressed from 100 to 1850. I gave the older students the task of building a town of their own design, knowing in advance how many buildings they would need to build and of what type. The younger students, on the other hand, were given instructions on what to add according to the growth patterns of how the towns actually grew.

1700
This is a rural village. Three out of every four Englishmen lived in small villages like this one and were poor farmers. Home life and work life was closely integrated as most work was done in nearby fields, in the home or adjoining workshop. Villages were connected by a system of dirt roads Firewood and coal were the primary fuel. Nearly every English village had a coal mining operation.

1745
A couple of enterprising young capitalists, James and Quentin, decided to invest money in the construction of a canal. This reduced the cost of transportation -coal could now be transported from the mines to towns for half the price of horse and wagon transportation. Making a tidy profit, James and Quentin were able to buy nice homes.


1750
There is a population explosion due to the fact that the Bubonic Plague which for centuries has wiped out the villages, has been virtually eliminated.

1760
The people of the village need more food and goods to meet the needs on the new inhabitants.

Usborne Encyclopedia of World History
Jethro Tull's seed drill and the horse drawn cultivator has brought about a revolution in agricultural methods. Farmers can get more from their land by crop rotation, fertilizing and new livestock breeding techniques.
A area called the commons is reserved.

1773
Richard Arkwright invents a new machine, called the Water Frame, that can spin and weave cloth a hundred times faster than it could be done by hand. It is called a Water Frame because it is powered by water and therefore was built by the river.

1774
Workers are needed to work in this new factory, and people move to the village who are in need of jobs.

1780
Due to the success of the factory, more new factories are built, and the unemployed workers from surrounding areas flood into town looking for work. Housing is in such demand that a new kind of housing, called the Tenements, in which a dozens of families live under one roof, are built.

1781
The increase in population creates a need for places for people to eat, shop, drink and worship. Stores, pubs, churches and schools are built.

1782
Working from 6:00 am to 9:00 pm only makes people want to go by the pub after work for relaxation. Alcohol begins to be consumed throughout England in record amounts.


1783
The income between the workers and the factory owners widens. The nouveau riche factory owners begin to enjoy the comforts that only the aristocratic class of England had enjoyed previously. A management position now comes into being as the factory owners want to be more removed from the actual management of the factories and can afford to hire people to manage the factories. Trees are being removed to give enough space for houses for this new middle class.

1785
James Watt invents the steam engine and this replaces the Water Frame because it is more efficient. It allows the factory to be built away from the river as well. The factories emit smoke, however.

1800
Henry Cort invents the "puddling process," which makes coal the primary fuel in the new iron industry. A new iron bridge replaces the old wooden one.

1815
The demand for coal creates the need for more coal mines. Children between the ages of 8-14 work in the mines. Casualty rates go up and more hospitals are needed.

1820
The existing canals and dirt roads cannot accommodate the heavy traffic. The Steam Engine proves to be quite useful. The town builds a railroad that connects the coal mines and the factories.

Usborne Encyclopedia of World History

1827
This draws more people to the town. The factories hired women and children who accept lower wages. The men become depressed, angry and ashamed and begin to turn to crime and staying at the pub. Alcoholism reaches epidemic proportions.

Usborne Encyclopedia of World History

1840
Factory accidents are frequent. The potato famine in Ireland drives the Irish to England, who are hired to build more railroads. The middle class, which emerged from the management positions, begin to want a cultural life and begins to frequent museums, theater, the opera, restaurants and concerts. They also send their children to private schools.

1850
Pollution from the factories is finally taking its toll on the town. Everything is covered with a layer of soot. The river is now unfit for drinking, washing or laundry. Disease becomes rampant. This is the completed map of their town in England, 1850.

Meanwhile the older students have drawn their map, having the benefit of the ability to plan their town as they wished, came up with this plan. We noted that they separated their housing into different classes, with all the poor housing together and all the rich separated into their own neighborhood. We also noted that their housing was very close together, much like the townhouse subdivisions of today.

We put both maps, side by side so that we could compare them. For our time spent (a couple of hours), the boys learned more about the effects of the Industrial Revolution in a way I believe that they will never forget.

We also learned that in 1803 a British pharmacist named Luke Howard devised a system for classifying clouds into three main forms or types: cirrus from the Latin word for a lock or wisp of hair; cumulus, meaning a pile or heap and stratus, from the Latin for layered or spread out. Later scientists added alto, meaning high and nimbus, Latin for dark rain cloud, to create a classification system of ten major cloud formations that is still in use today. Click here to make your own Cloud Chart based on his system.

Russia- Expanding and Modernizing {1682-1900}

{Previous post on Russia - Changes in Russia 1350-1613}

Quentin's History Journal page

 Peter the Great 1682-1725

Alex's History Journal page

Catherine the Great, Empress of Russia 1762-1796

Nicholas II becomes Tsar of Russia in 1894

Matryoskkas or Nesting Dolls

"The first Russian nesting doll (matryoshka) was born in 1890 in the workshop "Children's Education" situated in Abramtsevo estate new Moscow. The owner of Abramtsevo was Sava Mamontov - industrialist and a patron of the arts. The end of the 19 century in Russia was a time of great economic and cultural development. Mamontov was one of the first who patronized artist who were possessed by the idea of the creation of a new Russian style." -Russian Crafts

We read stories about nesting dolls and made these cute paper ones.

Another great craft project is a Russian "nevalyashka" doll at Almost Unschoolers.

England 1600-1700 Kings, Cavaliers and Roundheads

The Stuart Line begin with James I.

The English Civil War

The Beheading of Charles I.

Commonwealth and Cromwell

King Charles II

The Royal Society

Plague and Fire

free coloring page from History Odessey

Rebuilding London

Newton's Laws, Discoveries and Inventions

France in the Renaissance {1562-1715}

{Previous post about France's history: Joan of Arc 1340-1450}

Alex's map from History Odessey

Using History Odessey (and here) lesson plans, we looked at France in the Renaissance.

French Wars of Religion (Huguenots)
 Louis XIII
Richelieu

Louis XIV, The Sun King
Cardinal Mazarin
absolute ruler

James' notebook page from Homeschool Journey's History Portfolios

Versailles
French Formal Gardens and Topiaries

The Rise of the Dutch

(Previous post The Habsburg Empire.)

The many provinces that make up the Netherlands was originally part of the Habsburg Empire. By 1648, these provinces had broken away from the Habsburg Empire and became their own country.

James' map
from Pandia Press History Odyssey Level One

We learned about William the Silent, William of Orange...

Quentin's picture
from Pandia Press History Odyssey, Level I

 windmills, merchant ships, lowlands, dikes...


and tulips.

A lot can be learned from just closely examining a tulip.

The older boys also learned about the East India Trading Companies.

Alex's map
from Pandia's History Odyssey, Level II

"In the 17th century the Dutch, the English, and the French competed with each other for the trade of mostly spices, in Indonesia and India. They formed powerful organizations called the East India Companies."