Tanka Poem By: Stella

Hi Everyone! Stella again to share with you a poem I did on the first battle of the Civil War. It is in Tanka format.
Enjoy! :)

Poem By: Stella

A Picnic on the Battle Field

On to Manassas

The Feds and Rebels tramped

Quickly and boldly

Closing on the enemies’ camp

Muskets flashing, swords clashing

Onward, Onward,

On to Manassas

Forward to the picnic ground

Beginning of War

They said ‘twould be the end

Neither side would bend

Blue and gray, at mid-day, clashing

Powder and ball are no game at all

Onward, Onward

On to Manassas

On to the picnic ground

Women packed baskets

Cookies and tea, milk for children

It wasn’t a picnic, ‘twas a panic

Babies crying, men dying

‘Twas no picture book at all

To see my son and husband fall

Onward, Onward

On to Manassas

On to the picnic ground

To see them moan, groan

Hear the call of dead man’s fall

Picnic baskets in the cloud,

Women weeping in the shroud

Never to see that beloved face

This, the fault of our fallen race

Onward, Onward

On to Manassas

On to the picnic ground…

~Harriet Beecher Stowe~ By: Stella

Hello Everyone!
Stella here, having picked up my pen and written an essay that I want to share with you.
It is on Harriet Beecher Stowe.
We recently read Uncle Tom's Cabin and I became very interested in the life of Harriet herself (the author).

I need to thank Mom and Aunt K for their wonderful help with this essay, and also Uncle A. who has supported me the whole time! :)

Enjoy!

(It is a few posts down :D)

Back from the Classroom.... By: Stella

Hello. We are back to the classroom! Which one? The Preschool-1st grade one of course! I have had so much fun with Rus and Tert. Little Filia joins us diligently, but not too helpfully... :)


Rus is obviously a little bit above the stuff that I do with Tert, but I find that he has just as much fun! They love all of the printables...again...from ERICA!

http://www.confessionsofahomeschooler.com/


Today the letter is P: For Puppy of Course! :)


First I started out with the silhouette match. Tert absolutely breezed through this! I only printed out one copy of this, but they took turns and I just alternated the worksheets between them...























Tip:
I didn't paste (or tape) down any of these worksheets, so that way our family can reuse them... again and again and again and again and...

















The pattern activity was a little tricky for Tert, so I told him the pattern and he successfully moved on...





Next they painted these P's. Rus was a little more careful to stay in the lines than Tert... as you can see below :)
















Rus... and Tert :)

Next I cut little circles out of construction paper, and I wrote the numbers from 1-10 on them. I called out the numbers and they jumped on whatever number I called out.
(Tert is still learning, but Rus was so cute and patiently showed him where to jump! :) )




















Next came a game of Red Light Green Light! Everyone joined in! ;)


We had a great school day! :-)

By: Stella

Harriet Beecher Stowe Report

A Lasting Legacy

It was a dark, icy evening. A wind swept over a slight, yet determined woman as she walked the cobblestone street. She had a premonition as she clutched her shawl tighter to her small frame. Harriet gazed around, looking every way and jumped as a scuffle ensued ahead. Her sharp eyes caught sight of two men, a slave woman, and her baby. One of the men lashed at the mother who screamed, falling on the muck –covered street. The mother’s pitiful face showed the anguish in her heart as she laid eyes on her infant son for the last time. Harriet Beecher Stowe, eyes brimming with tears, turned away from the sorrowful sight; she was grieved by her sense of helplessness to ease this mother’s loss. Scenes like this spurred Harriet to write her most famous novel.

“I do not mean to live in vain!” (“Stowe’s Hartford Neighborhood, Nook Farm”). These heroic words were spoken by Harriet Beecher Stowe. Harriet was born on June 14, 1811, and, through a lifetime of writing, would leave a lasting legacy through her bravery and sacrifice.

Harriet Beecher Stowe was an inspiring figure in our country’s history. She was born to a preacher, who was opposed to slavery. Harriet had ten siblings, and, because she was only four when her mother died, she lamented miserably. Two years later, her father married Harriet Foote; this new mother brought life and happiness into the houseful of Beecher children. While Harriet published articles in numerous magazines, she was unknowingly paving the way for her first novel which would change history. Harriet had a humble view of her own abilities. She described herself as “a little bit of a woman, about as thin and dry as a pinch of snuff,” yet she demonstrated remarkable faith and courage (Hakim 23). Harriet married Calvin Stowe, with whom she had seven children. Only three children survived, leaving Harriet with more sensitivity and empathy toward the slave mothers, who were often deprived of their children. The Stowe family settled in Cincinnati, where Harriet observed both sides of the slavery issue. Hakim writes:

In New England, slavery had seemed far away. Now it was close by. Ohio was a free state: there was no slavery there. But Kentucky, just across the Ohio River, was a slave state…One day [Harriet] saw a baby pulled from its chained mother’s arms. She saw a look of anguish on the mother’s face. She never forgot that look (24).

Harriet’s abolitionist upbringing and her passion for words prepared her for writing one of the most influential novels of all time.

Harriet Beecher Stowe was a talented writer and an avid sympathizer with the slaves. Her sister-in-law suggested in a letter to Harriet: “…if I could use a pen as you can, Hatty, I would write something that would make this whole nation feel what an accursed thing slavery is,” and, moved by this letter, Stowe grew even more earnest in her desire to help the slaves (“Beecher Family”). Harriet, who was altruistic and compassionate towards slaves, risked much to assist a woman who was imperiled and endangered as a runaway. Harriet declared, “…the enslaving of the African race is a clear violation of the great law which commands us to love our neighbors as ourselves,” and she staunchly harbored these stoic runaways (“Background: Harriet Beecher Stowe and Slavery”). Harriet, who was bursting with her emotions about slavery, took her sister-in-law’s advice and penned the novel, Uncle Tom’s Cabin, stating, “I wrote what I did because as a woman, as a mother, I was oppressed and broken-hearted with the… injustice I saw, because as a Christian I felt the dishonor to Christianity-because as a lover of my country I trembled at the coming day of wrath” (“The Publication of Uncle Tom’s Cabin”). The book was a best seller all over the world, but it aroused the anger of many critics. This perspective is shown in these words of a fictional character in Henty’s novel, With Lee in Virginia:

There have been many atrocities perpetrated by brutes…but to collect a series of such atrocities, to string them together into a story and hold them up, as Mrs. Beecher Stowe has, as a picture of slave-life in the Southern States is as gross a libel as if anyone [made] a collection of all the assaults of…English ruffians… [and] published them as a picture of the average life of English people (31).

In the book, the many ‘atrocities’ are undeniable, such as the separation of mothers from their babies. However, Stowe tried to portray both the Northern and the Southern perspectives fairly. As Stowe states: “…the country will have reason to tremble, when it remembers that [the] fate of the nations is in the hand of the One who is very pitiful and of tender compassion” (Uncle Tom’s Cabin 318). President Lincoln met Stowe later in life and jokingly remarked, “So you are the little woman who wrote the book that started this great war!” (“Harriet Beecher Stowe, 1811-1896”). Uncle Tom’s Cabin is an honest portrayal of slavery, coming from a truthful woman.

The challenges of Harriet’s childhood and the influence of her family equipped her to write a powerful story. This humble little woman had a warm, loving, motherly heart, and a brilliant mind, which challenged people’s views on slavery. Through Uncle Tom’s Cabin, Harriet left a legacy that would change the course of history and continue in our hearts forever.

Works Cited

Hakim, Joy. War Terrible War. New York: University Press Inc, 2005. Print.

“Harriet Beecher Stowe, 1811-1896.” americancivilwar.com Web. 24 Jan. 2012.

Henty, George. With Lee in Virginia. New York: Charles Scribner’s Sons, 1897

“Stowe’s Life.” Harriet Beecher Stowe Center, 2008. Harrietbeecherstowecenter.org Web. 24

Jan. 2012.

Montshire Museum: Then and Now By: Stella

Close your eyes. No, I'm not fooling around! Close them! Okay, ready for a totally amazing ride through science? Add exhibits to that picture. If you think that's cool add fun! Add laughter, education and fantastic. Finally: add the Montshire Museum of Science to that picture.

YES!!!
We recently went to the Montshire Museum of Science. This was an absolutely amazing experience! We had gone before (see pictures on the bottom of the blog) when we were younger, but we got so much more out of it this time.





















Now for a sneak peek at Montshire Museum 2008. (I know, can you believe how time flies?!)

(Note: Mom was pregnant w/ Tert in these pics.!)

In the following pictures you see the bubble station where you can experiment with just about every single bubble blower imaginable, and have hula hoops with buckets of bubbles! :)
Fun!































At the previous exhibit, we had to generate (through pedaling) enough energy to move the elevator up to the first floor. It was really kind of scary how much energy it takes!!!! :-0
(Think I'll take the stairs...) :-P












































































































And now some more pictures from this year!!!






























































Trying to pedal up enough energy to lift the elevator: GO MOM!!!





















We had an amazing time at the Montshire Museum and highly recommend it to everyone who reads this post! :) :) :)































:) :) :)


By: Stella

Geography Meals :) By: Stella

As I have written in previous posts... we are going through the U.S. in Geography. And, I know what you're wondering.... YES!!! OUR NEW MEAL IS UP!!!!

Here is the Menu:

Appetizers:
(Corn) Spoon Bread (Composed of corn, bacon, eggs, cheese, milk, etc. etc.) (Stella, Leo, and cousin E)
Sweet Potatoes (Mom)
And the Main Course is...

FRIED CHICKEN!!!




















Fried Chicken (Right) Spoon Bread (Left)






















Sweet Pot. and Spoon Bread (up close :) )


And finally, ooh la la!


D-licious :) looking Lord Baltimore Cake, which I recommend to you VERY, VERY highly! It was the most delicious ever! I am going to have it for my birthday cake!
We were shocked that this thick frosting formed out of 2 egg whites, a bit of brown sugar and vanilla!! :D
You make two cakes and put filling in between. The filling is a cup of this scrumptious frosting with some crumbled macaroons and ice cream topper cherries.
This is absolutely amazing and so big that it gave us three dessert nights! :D :D :D

If you would like the recipe, please e-mail me or comment on this post.

I'm happy to share any of the above recipes! <3


We are enjoying our journey through the U.S. and hope that you are too!

Posted By: Stella
Date: January 23, 2012

All of the above recipes (Filia is not so sorry to say) were harmed in the making of this post... :)