Tuesday, April 12, 2011

Indiana State History: day 2

Abraham Lincoln lived in Indiana for 14 years (age 7 to age 21). 

*Note:  All italics are quotes from the book Singing Indiana History by Martha Chrisman Riley.

"Honest Abe.  He earned that name in Indiana, and it followed him throughout his life.  Abraham Lincoln stood for honesty, plain talk, story telling, and democracy.  On the Indiana soil Abe grew to be a man.  Indiana nurtured Abraham Lincoln."



Lincoln once said that his mother's favorite ballad was "Barbara Allen'.  If so, he must have heard it often as a child:




One of Abraham Lincoln's favorite songs was "Blue-Tail Fly" also known as "Jimmy Crack Corn." He called it that "buzzing song", and even played the tune on his harmonica.


Abraham Lincoln's mother read the Bible daily to her family and encouraged her children to read it as well. She also sang hymns and spiritual songs. One of her favorite hymns was "Wayfaring Stranger". This is a folk hymn. It was not composed for a hymn book, but rather originated in the souther Appalacian mountains and was passed on by oral tradition.

Monday, April 11, 2011

Field Trip: Indiana State Museum

We recently visited the Indiana State Museum for a field trip.  Photographs were prohibited in several of the display areas, so I didn't get very many pictures.  We also saw the Imax production of "Sea Rex: 3D" which was filled with a bunch of false evolutionary claims (which we ignored and just viewed it for entertainment and worldview discussion afterward). 







Indiana History, day 1

We are studying Indiana history!  My plan is to do an intensive unit study about Indiana history.  I am not sure how long it will last, but the reason for the intensity is because because I am using library books. 

The books we are using are the following:

Singing Indiana History by Martha Chrisman Riley, Seeds of a Nation: Indiana by P.M. Boekhoff and Stuart A. Kallen, Carole Marsh's Indiana Timeline, Indiana History, and Indiana Jeapordy



I am trying to use Youtube to look up any songs that might be mentioned in the Singing Indiana History book. I am not one to think the music part is just something that should be required, but I do think it is fun.  Perhaps it will help the boys remember a little bit about Indiana history.

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 "Ah Si mon moine voilait danser!"

This song is said to have been performed by the French fur traders while paddling their canoes:



Women in old Fort Vincennes sang the song "Alouette" as they prepared chickens for cooking.  "Alouette" means "little lark: and the words are about plucking the bird's feathers from the various parts of its body. :-)



Military music was also heard in Indiana's French forts.
"Rigaudon" by Boismortier in 1730:

Monday, April 4, 2011