Stonehenge

This year for history, we are doing Mystery of History.  All I can say is I LOVE it!  The Mystery of History Volume 1 is written from a Christian, young-earth, perspective, teaching children to see God's hand throughout history...and how the Gospel of Jesus is the mystery behind all of history! Written in a conversational style, many lessons are presented in the form of mini-biographies, integrating fascinating stories with the events of the time. Covering creation to the resurrection, students will learn about famous biblical characters, ancient peoples, and well-known men such as Aesop, Buddha, Pythagoras, Confucius, Emperor Asoka, Herodotus, Caesar, Hannibal, and Herod.
Arranged by quarters and weeks, each quarter begins with an "Around the World" summary of events to introduce the time period; lessons progress chronologically with each week having 3 lessons, a pretest, review, and exercise or quiz. The 108 lessons will take a year to complete if you follow a traditional 36 week school year.
Activities are broken down by age group and reinforce the material just learned through fun ideas that engage all learning styles; they're based upon the classical grammar/logic/rhetoric stages. Review exercises cover the timeline and map work exercises; quizzes are cumulative reviews that go over material from the very beginning of the course; the semester-long tests are similar (though longer), covering materials from 2 quarters (one major time period). Quarter-end worksheets help students synthesize what they've learned and keep everyone straight! Suggested Schedules for different age groups are included, as well as plenty of reproducibles. Line-listed answers included. 636 pages, activity pages reproducible, softcover, three-hole-punched and perforated pages. Grades 4-8, but adaptable for the family. It's the greatest thing I have found so far.

We do three lessons a week. On Wednesday, the kids learned about Stonehenge. Here are some facts about Stonehenge:

• Built in several stages, Stonehenge began about 5,000 years ago as a simple earthwork enclosure where prehistoric people buried their cremated dead. The stone circle was erected in the centre of the monument in the late Neolithic period, around 2500 BC
• Two types of stone are used at Stonehenge: the larger sarsens, and the smaller bluestones. There are 83 stones in total
• There were originally only two entrances to the enclosure, English Heritage explains – a wide one to the north east, and a smaller one on the southern side. Today there are many more gaps – this is mainly the result of later tracks that once crossed the monument
• A circle of 56 pits, known as the Aubrey Holes (named after John Aubrey, who identified them in 1666), sits inside the enclosure. Its purpose remains unknown, but some believe the pits once held stones or posts
• The stone settings at Stonehenge were built at a time of “great change in prehistory,” says English Heritage, “just as new styles of ‘Beaker’ pottery and the knowledge of metalworking, together with a transition to the burial of individuals with grave goods, were arriving from Europe. From about 2400 BC, well furnished Beaker graves such as that of the Amesbury Arche are found nearby”
• Roman pottery, stone, metal items and coins have been found during various excavations at Stonehenge. An English Heritage report in 2010 said that considerably fewer medieval artefacts have been discovered, which suggests the site was used more sporadically during the period
• Stonehenge has a long relationship with astronomers, the report explains. In 1720, Dr Halley used magnetic deviation and the position of the rising sun to estimate the age of Stonehenge. He concluded the date was 460 BC. And, in 1771, John Smith mused that the estimated total of 30 sarsen stones multiplied by 12 astrological signs equalled 360 days of the year, while the inner circle represented the lunar month
• The first mention of Stonehenge – or ‘Stanenges’ – appears in the archaeological study of Henry of Huntingdon in about AD 1130, and that of Geoffrey of Monmouth six years later. In 1200 and 1250 it appeared as ‘Stanhenge’ and ‘Stonhenge’; as ‘Stonheng’ in 1297, and ‘the stone hengles’ in 1470. It became known as ‘Stonehenge’ in 1610, says English Heritage
• In the 1880s, after carrying out some of the first scientifically recorded excavations at the site, Charles Darwin concluded that earthworms were largely to blame for the Stonehenge stones sinking through the soil
• By the beginning of the 20th century there had been more than 10 recorded excavations, and the site was considered to be in a “sorry state”, says English Heritage – several sarsens were leaning. Consequently the Society of Antiquaries lobbied the site’s owner, Sir Edmond Antrobus, and offered to assist with conservation.

The kids then did a fun little craft. They made their own Stonehenge. I ordered a kit on amazon.com. You get your here as too!  Stonehenge Model Kit

We are going to put some soil around our "rocks" and then plant some grass to give it that real look.  I think they came out pretty good.

 The kids also watched a "movie" online that talked about the findings at Stonehenge. If you have time, check it out! Secrets of Stonehenge.