Fun with history

I've been thinking about doing a unit on American history. I say unit, but I'm thinking it will probably last the rest of the year. I mean, we've got over 200 years to cover! I realized how little US history we've done when we were at Epcot watching the American Adventure show (that's the one where Mark Twain and Ben Franklin animatronic robots tell the story of America - in very abbreviated form). The kids had no clue what most of the scenes were about. Who's Susan B. Anthony? What's a Depression? Why are those women welding? Absolutely clueless.

So we've got a lot of work to do. And I'm thinking about field trips when the weather gets warmer (today it's supposed to be 68, but that doesn't count). After all, we live only an hour from DC, three from Philadelphia, forty minutes from Gettysburg. A great deal of early American history took place within a four hour drive of us. I know when I studied British history in London, it sunk in a lot better when we went to the actual places where it happened. Maybe this summer we could even drive up into New England and see where the Revolution started, visit Plymouth, and all that good stuff.

I absolutely love this country. I am a patriot through and through. And I can't wait to share that passion with my kids.