When we began this school year, one of my goals was to do more hands-on activities related to what the girls are studying. This week we read about the making of books in the early Middle ages, and about the lives of monks who copied books in rooms called scriptoriums and often elaborately decorated the margins and the first letter on each page .
The girls read two beautifully illustrated books related to this process. Across a Dark and Wild Sea and Margeurite Makes a Book. Then they tried writing with a quill pen, using grape juice as ink. The activity book that goes with our History book provided an outline of a huge ornate letter for the girls to decorate with markers. We had seen some photos in library books of actual pages over a thousand years old that were decorated in this manner. The intricacy of the designs is really amazing considering the time period.
For lunch we had what might have been a typical meal at a monastery - lentil soup, cheddar cheese, apples, and water. There was going to be brown crusty bread but I forgot to make it :( so we had crackers instead.
MMMmmmm good! Much better than our usual Campbell's Dora soup. The girls had fun helping me make the soup but I was the only one who actually liked it.
My family thought it was weird that I posed food and took pictures of it. I tried to tell them it made for more interesting recordkeeping but I don't think they bought it.
My family thought it was weird that I posed food and took pictures of it. I tried to tell them it made for more interesting recordkeeping but I don't think they bought it.
6 comments:
What a blessing to be able to spend this time teaching your young children!
That sounds like information they'll always remember...since they got to actually experience it. Very cool.
I sure hope they remember it. At this stage, I'm not as concerned with them remembering exact names and dates as much as remembering the day we decorated really fancy letters and ate lunch like a monk.
It looks delicious! I think monks had it okay!
Well, I like hands-on learning, but we only included the fun stuff (like food!) and we didn't grow all our soup vegetables , make our own parchment from animal skin, chase down a goose to pull a feather for a quill or mix our ink. Also we didn't observe eight prayer times a day (although maybe we should....), or feed the hungry before we fed ourselves. Oh, and we did talk to each other. Nosirree, no self-deprivation for us. Wouldn't be convenient you know. ;)
I think the meal looks great! I've never had lentil soup but it looks so tasty in your picture that I'd have to try it!
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