In October, the children were given a choice of assessments to complete for chapter two. These choices, a test, research paper, or Kachina doll were well done, and I was pleased with the work the children had done. We then moved into chapter 3, where we learned about the first Europeans (the Vikings) to visit the Americas, as well as the significance of Christopher Columbus. While it was proved later that Columbus did not reach Asia by sailing west, and he did not “discover” the Americas, he did open the way for other explorers (Balboa, Vespucci, and Magellan) to make the long and dangerous voyage sailing west from Europe.

We then moved into chapter 4, in which we began to learn about the Spanish Conquistadors and the impact they had on the Native American civilizations in North and South America. The Spanish were the first European country to realize and understand the potential that the Americas presented for their country. Unfortunately, their desire to find and take the riches of these new continents resulted in the destruction of the Aztec and Inca empires, and the near complete annihilation of the Native American peoples.

We will finish chapter 4 by learning about European colonization, continuing with the Spanish, and moving on to the French, Dutch, and English. The assessment for the chapter will be a writing assignment where the children will imagine themselves as travelers to the New World and writing a letter to as friend back in Europe to describe what they have seen and encountered in their travels. More information will follow regarding this assessment the week of November 10^th. While I was hoping to include this assessment in the first trimester grading period, which ends Wednesday, November 19^th, I doubt if we will be able to do this. I do not want to rush through the material just to get this into the 1^st trimester.

As we continue in November, we will begin Unit Three, “Our Colonial Heritage,” where we will begin to learn about the colonial background of the United States. Chapters 5 & 6 will be the preliminary learning we will do that will lead us to the American Revolution.

We have come a long way since the beginning of the school year! We started by learning about Ice Age humans, and by the end of November, we will be learning about the foundations of our own country. Time flies!