Tuesday, May 10, 2011

Memorable Dates in History

I love history.  I majored in history.  I memorized dates, times, and places to make it through college.  I can't say I remember many of those {important} dates now.  Sad.

Because of my love for history, we do a lot of history in our daily homeschooling.  The last couple years we've really focused on American history through the Civil War.  There are a few dates I really try to get the kids to remember.  I can't even count the number of times I've asked the kids, "What year did the Pilgrims arrive?"

No matter how many times they hear the question, their response is..."Ahhhh... Ummmm.... 14...no...16???"

I started thinking.  We've can do better.

There is one date many kids remember.  "In 1492, Columbus sailed the ocean blue."  If we have a rhyme to associate a date with, maybe they will remember.

So, I put on my thinking/rhyming hat.  My dad is great at coming up with rhymes and jingles.  I seem to be able to come up with them too.  They may not be great, but I think the kids will remember.

To remember when the Pilgrims arrived, I came up with,  "The brave Pilgrims did not come with plenty, when they arrived in 1620."

Do you have rhymes or jingles to share that help you remember dates in history?  Please share.  I'm looking forward to this history challenge.

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