Medieval Living

One of those “down-the-road” classes I’d like to teach is how to make paper. This is simple enough to do, but the several days it takes to dry the newly made sheet of paper precludes using a borrowed facility (like the local library meeting room)! Once Medieval Living has its own facility (whether temporary or permanent doesn’t matter), we can begin running some classes on paper making. It’s a fun project and it has true “cross-curricular” applications.

So how did paper begin? From what I’ve read, we have the Chinese to thank for that! A website from the Saint Louis Community College has a very nice history of paper making. Dr. Neathery Batsell Fuller has posted a “Brief History of Paper”. (I gather from her biographical sketch on her webpage that she is also a member of the SCA!) Her tidy essay includes numberous links and references for anyone wanting to research the history of paper and its various components.

I don’t even have the inkle loom weaving out of the starting block yet and someone starts asking about chainmail classes! Geesh! The date is set for the 21st of April from 3:00 to 5:00 pm at the Cherry Hills Library. I will post that to the homeschool forums – please, feel free to cross-post this information!

So what would I teach these homeschool kiddos? Well I don’t think I will force them into a full hour of cutting rings . . . maybe it would give them a true sense of how much work is involved in getting ready to “weave” mail . . . but I have a hunch that most of them would revolt long before the hour was up. Maybe five minutes at cutting rings will be sufficient. Of course, that means that I will be cutting rings for hours so that I have enough to teach the little darlings. That’s ok . . . I’m a glutton for punishment and I’ve been told that I have more patience then some saints. I probably will start them out with some nice, soft aluminum rings . . . easy to manipulate so as to avoid early frustration. We can move on to some good ol’ galvanized steel 16 guage rings . . . and I’ll have some 14 guage around just in case some of them are feeling like a challenge.

As 14th century England is our Medieval focus, I would think European 4-in-1 would be the primary pattern for us to work on. Of course, having a few samples of European 6-in-1 and king’s mail will help to show some of the basic variations, along with a few of the “Japanese” patterns.

So . . . I don’t consider myself a sexist by any means, but I try to be aware of the sensitivities of the young ladies who might be in the class . . . and bending big rings of wire to make some silly armor pieces may not be of much interest. For them, I will offer a few chainmail-inspired jewelry projects to work on. While not Medieval in any shape or form, the projects would still teach the basics of chainmail weaving . . . and they might be alot more fun! Anyone who knows me also knows that I’ve probably produced a few hundered chainmail jewelry items over the years . . . so a few more won’t hurt! Actually, there’s a little gothic shop down the street – I’m hoping to convince them that chainmail jewelry might be something worth having in their display cases – Raven Blackwood. Once I get the first inkle loom class out of the way, I will spend a little more energy making some jewelry and cutting rings for the class. If you’re not doing anything, drop me a line . . . I’ll give you a ring-cutting assignment!!! I’m serious . . . if you’ve ever cut rings, you know what I’m facing . . . any help would be greatly appreciated!!!!!

Well yesterday I challenged the local homeschoolers to force me into the workshop this weekend . . . and . . . well . . . they did!!! Three more have signed up for the inkle loom course – and one of the parents is on a mission to add more! And quite honestly, I couldn’t be more pleased! Pleased because the number of participants is growing and pleased because the interest in the course helps to validate our mission – to teach about the crafts and trades of the Medieval era. I was a little concerned when the game night fizzled . . . I will try it again . . . maybe I just had the wrong night, location, etc., etc., etc.

I have several projects lined up for the workshop this weekend . . . first and foremost is constructing at least 6 more “practice” inkle looms. Second are some “home” projects for mother-in-law and daughter. Third is a project that I’ve never tried before . . . making a bow for archery. I’ve put out the request for donations of archery equipment, but I really do think it is prudent that I learn how to make my own equipment. There are various websites out there that show how to make wood bows. One tutorial that I found is part of a archery forum – written by some person named “4est trekker”, the series of posts describes how to make a very nice bow from materials from the local hardware store (i.e., Lowes, Home Depot). The gentleman writing the account makes a very interesting statement about the ease/difficulty in making a bow:

“I give bowmaking seminars for the students in the traditional archery class I instruct at the high school where I teach. Now, if a bunch of inner city kids can build a bow, then you can too. ”

There you have it! Not only do I have a gauntlet thrown down for making more looms, some guy I’ve never even heard of before has thrown one down for me to make a bow! Well the looms come first, but if there is enough time in the weekend, I hope to have my first archery bow under my belt!!!

Well it certainly won’t be crowded . . . but we have five homeschoolers signed up for the inkle weaving class. I am very excited about the reception we’ve received from the homeschool community here – very positive and upbeat about having new opportunities for their children! Ah . . . well here is a challenge for others in the community: I have enough practice looms made for the class size as it is . . . why doesn’t some one else sign up so that I am forced to go out into the workshop and build some more!!!

Oh . . . and thanks to Bob W. for the donation of some very nice wood boards . . . they will be very useful for a variety of projects! Donations in-kind are always welcome, as they keep our costs down and allow us to support the local homeschool families.

Speaking of donations . . . we are gearing up for the summer. Now I don’t mind spending some money out of pocket for things we need, but as we prepare for archery, it sure would be helpful if we could get some support. If you would be interested in helping us develop our archery program, visit the website and read through the “Supporters” page.

I’m trying to come up with some good ideas for “gifts” to give to those who donate . . . I want to be a good steward of the things we are given, but I would love to be able to send some sort of “thank you” to those who help out. Any suggestions?

Perhaps someone would be intersted in starting a contribution matching program! Now that would be really beneficial, providing much needed support but also encouraging others to participate in the development of this unique educational program!!!

Ok – just one more thing . . . I really appreciate the local libraries having rooms for us to use free of charge . . . but the day will soon come when we need our own facilities. If anyone in the Albuquerque/Rio Rancho area has some space suitable for classroom, offices and storage for free or very low cost, please consider helping us. I would also appreciate anyone having space we can use for an archery range . . . I think the librarian will get annoyed if we fire off arrows between the stacks! (We do have a location for archery this summer; however, as we progress it would sure be helpful to have a dedicated range.)

I’ve avoided the call for donations – but now that all of the official paperwork has been submitted (non-profit and tax exemption – although I’ve heard it’s taking the IRS about 9 months to get tax exempt determination letters returned to submitting non-profits!), it’s time to begin in earnest. I hope you can join us in this endeavor – even small amounts will go a long way!

I have a fellow teacher who has asked me to give some of his students an introduction to the inkle loom. The students are part of a vocational skills class, so learning about the process of weaving will be a good experience for them. I’m hammering out the national standards for visual art and also working on some occupational therapy applications so that the “administration” will be satisfied with the validity and rigor of the instruction. I’m planning on offering some classes to the homeschool community during my spring break in March, so getting the state and national standards defined and documented is something I need to do anyway.

I’m also looking at offering a class to the local senior citizens center – they would benefit from the therapeutic aspects of weaving as well as the recreational and social ones. The photo is a quick snapshot of some of the practice looms I’ve assembled. They will only produce a woven sample 24 inches long and about 1 inch wide, but that should be sufficient length to allow students get the concept of weaving using minimal materials. I’m in the process of designing some low-cost inkle looms which will serve those students who want to take a more serious try at it . . . the first prototype is on the workbench waiting for the weekend to be finished.

A nice article from the folks at Spurlock Museum of the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign . . . Castles, Catapaults, and Coat of Arms. Here is a quote from the article: “Last week, the Spurlock Museum transported fourteen young campers back in time to the Middle Ages during the Club Invention day camp “Castles, Catapults, and Coats of Arms.” The campers, ranging in age from nine to eleven years old, spent three days at the Spurlock Museum building cardboard castles, learning about the everyday lives of apprentices in Medieval Europe as they made pipe-cleaner chain mail, and defending the Museum by constructing drawbridges and catapults from string, popsicles sticks, and rubber bands. Their studies also included sculpting clay gargoyles, learning how people in the Middle Ages used water wheels to lift weight, and investigating Medieval armor in the galleries.”
Great ideas for homeschoolers! Beginning in 2010, look for some similar activities happening under the direction of Medieval Living in the Albuquerque area.

One of those must-do activities with children is to make a coat of arms. Known as “heraldry”, the study of crests and emblems and the meaning behind the symbols can be fun and educational at the same time. Homeschoolers and public schoolers alike will enjoy researching and creating their own crest and blazon. The “language” of the heraldric symbols and their descriptions provides an opportunity to study Medieval English with Latin prefixes and suffixes. For example: “gules, on a bend between six crosses crosslet fitchée argent; an escutcheon charged or, a demi-lion rampant its mouth impaled with an arrow within a double tressure fleury counter fleury gules”.
With a little research, all of these mysterious sounding terms will make alot of sense. A very fun and user-friendly website is through Mr.Donn.org. This site includes instructions of how to design a coat of arms, shield shapes, symbol meanings, terminology, heraldric charges and more.
Students can also explore modern military history with this activity. Perhaps grandpa or “Uncle Gary” or whoever served in the miliary – look up their unit’s emblem and write a description using heraldric language!
Also check out this from MotherBedford! Very good discussions on heraldric language – better known as the “blazon”.

Another topic that may be interesting to homeschoolers is Medieval music. Sharon Spanogle of Medieval and Renaissance Music provides a nicely assembled collection of websites pertaining to music from the Medieval period. Included among the resources Sharon provides are categories like Texts, Scores, Audio Files, Music Theory in the Middle Ages and Renaissance, Catalogs and Indices of Manuscripts, Bibliographies, Gregorian Chant, and Instruments and Instrumental Music.
Even if you are not musically inclined, there are resouces available. A blog by homeschool mom Sarah Pinnix gives ten ways to teach basic music skills to children . . . even if you are not a musician Sarah explains one of the successes she had with music in the homeschool setting. “I directed a homeschool recorder consort (group) once, who played authentic medieval music very well. We played music to underscore a play set in a castle, and the kids were really proud of themselves.” Does that give you any ideas? Hmmmm – I can think of a few!!! Photo borrowed from http://www.ancestral.co.uk/band.htm.

Continuing with the homeschool theme . . . here is a easy example of how studies of the Medieval era can be used to teach contemporary subjects: the physics of the trebuchet. On the Library ThinkQuest site is a very nicely written piece about the physics involved in the operation of a trebuchet. Included are mathematical formulae for velocity, acceleration of gravity, and velocity over time just to name a few. The study of a trebuchet also involves applications in engineering and design. The website www.slinging.org shows a basic diagram of a trebuchet. Building one from scratch might be a little beyond the skills of the average homeschool parent; however, there are numerous kits available. More indepth plans are also available, but so far I haven’t found any free plans which are of sufficient detail. If you know of a source, please let me know.

My apologies to regular readers – I’ve been absent due to once again being “whelmed” by life! Oh well – all is good! Daughter is moved into her new house and her youngest has begun the “homeschool” process. Son is back off to college (driving as I write this).
So . . . about Medieval Homeschooling . . . well I know there are some books out and about that discuss education in Medieval times, but my interest today concerns teaching Medieval history to homeschooled children. What’s out there? What has been done already?

My own fledgling organization, Medieval Living, will begin teaching some basic classes around the first of the year. I discovered an interesting blog (the more I read about homeschooling, the more I believe that homeschool parents are all avid bloggers!) where a homeschool parent/teacher had her students construct Medieval History Lapbooks. The author, Dawn, had put together a 10-week Medieval history class, with the lapbooks being the culminating project for each week’s topic. She provides some interesting pictures as well as details of the 10-week course. Some wonderful ideas!!! The photo here is from her blog