Week 6: Some Things are Worth Fighting For

This week we talked about what things are worth persevering for. Some of the ideas we heard were family, love, and goals. John Adams believed freedom was worth persevering for, and he never lost sight of that goal, even when he was "the loneliest man in Philadelphia." 

Sometimes, fighting for things that are right and true means that you will have to stand alone or take a different, more difficult path than everyone else. We discussed several examples, like Rudy Rudiger, who, against all odds, never gave up his dream to play football for Notre Dame; the pioneer saints who were chased out of one place after another, but who followed the prophet Joseph Smith in all things, despite heavy persecution and loss of fortune and loved ones; and Helga Estby, the woman who walked across America in 1896 to win money to save her family's farm, but came back to a family full of resentment, who would never allow her to speak of her journey again. These people did not choose the easy path through life, but they did choose to do what they believed was right, and they became better, stronger people for their struggles, and improved the lives of people who came after them, just like John Adams did for his own family, and all the American people.

Jesus tells us in Matthew, chapter 6, "Take no thought for your life, what ye shall eat, or what ye shall drink; nor yet for your body, what ye shall put on...for your Heavenly Father knoweth ye have need of all these things. But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you." When we know something is right, God calls us to promote and defend that thing, and he promises that he will support us as we do. John Adams wasn't perfect, but he knew these things to be true, and that's why he's an American hero worth learning about.

Here's a good video about the founding fathers' persevering through fear and uncertainty for the right to be free:



ASSIGNMENTS:

Writing: What is the difference between stubbornness and determination? Is it better to be one or the other? Explain and give examples. 

Remember to read through my comments on your previous papers, and have your parent/mentor proofread and initial your paper so you can receive full points for that section!

Reading: Finish John Adams, if you haven’t already, and prepare some written questions and comments to bring to our book discussion next week. I'm assigning Morgan and Kellen to lead this discussion. 

***Also, this would be a great week to watch the John Adams HBO movie! It's about 8 hours long, so don't wait until Wednesday night!

Presentations: This week we’ll be pleased to hear from Sarah on Hospitals and Doctors during the Revolutionary War. 

Devotional: Braeden

Award Requirements:

  • Work on that Declaration of Independence journal! If you complete 4-5 sections per week, you’ll have the whole thing done by the end of the semester, and will be eligible to attend a pizza party or field trip (TBD)!
  • Check out these two songs to help you with memorizing the Declaration:

https://youtu.be/ib1tXAnlPuY

https://youtu.be/M9EHmvN8wp8


CANDY TRIVIA:

How did John Adams' father teach him the importance of getting a good education?

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Week 12: Amendments 11 - 14

Image
We covered more of the amendments last week--11, 12, 13 and 14--to be exact. Make sure you fill out your Constitution journal for these amendments, and memorize a brief summation of what each amendment is about: for example, Amendement 11 says that citizens of one state can't sue another state. (A little bird told me that you have a cheat sheet in your binder! 😉)  Also, good work prepping for the debate on banning misinformation on social media. I know the question seemed a bit confusing by the way it was worded, but it was a good lesson on the importance of understanding the question before you try to answer it! This is a very hot cultural and political topic right now, so I hope you all learned something interesting from your research! ASSIGNMENTS: WRITING: What would life be like without the Constitution?   Think about this and discuss it with your parents. Also, remember some of the books we've read, especially Freedom Factor and Red Scarf Girl to help inspire some idea...
Read more

Week 11: The Bill of Rights

Image
Last week we read through and discussed the Bill of Rights--the first ten amendments to the Constitution. It seems kind of funny that the Constitution had to be amended before many states would ratify it, but that just goes to show how important these rights were to the states. Speaking of rights...we also learned that the Bill of Rights is a list of negative rights, meaning the amendments are written to explain what Congress cannot do to the people, not what the people can do.  Remember the difference between an article and amendment: that can trip you up. Also, be sure to write the first ten amendments in your Constitution journal and commit them to memory so you can be prepared to DOMINATE at the Constitution Bowl! (Aaand because it's good to know your rights as a citizen, too!)  Here's a good video on the first amendment: ASSIGNMENTS: WRITING: Debate prep! Come to class with a minimum of 2 full pages of notes and statements defending your position on the following to...
Read more

Week 3: Government and Morality

Image
  The signing of the Mayflower Compact by passengers on board the Mayflower in November 1620. Painting by Jean Leon Gerome Ferris, 1899. Thank you to Miah and Liya for teaching us about the Puritans and the Salem witch trials, and about the French and Indian (Seven-Years) War. Anytime we study a period of history, it’s good to look backwards even a bit further to find out what led to the period we’re studying. It helps to put things into context, and helps us understand why people did what they did.   This week we also discussed the role that virtue plays in self-governance. The colonists weren’t sure they had the self-discipline it would take to break away from the total control of England and be their own masters. When it was pointed out to the colonists by a few highly esteemed men (such as John Adams, John Quincy, George Washington, Richard Henry Lee, and Thomas Paine) that Americans indeed had the qualities to self-govern, public opinion leaned in favor of independenc...
Read more