Medieval Living

I already have enough on my plate to keep my busy for several months; however, I feel a need to address some other projects that need worked on. In particular, I am wanting to assemble a sub-directory on the website that focuses solely on homeschool resources for New Mexicans. I have a draft of what I think the pages will look like, but need a little more time before actually writing code to put them on the site.

I am hoping that some of my readers will be able to assist me on this project. There are hundreds of websites out there that would be appropriate to include in the listings . . . and I know I don’t have enough time to do all of the research myself. If there is anyone out there who has a good “feel” for internet homeschool resources, please contact me at scott@medieval-living.com – I can’t pay anyone for their efforts, but would be glad to publicly recognize them for their contributions.

Most students enjoy putting puzzles together – so I figured it would create a few lessons which would appeal to the puzzle-builders. One of the building techniques used in Medieval Europe was timber-framing . . . a construction method that is still used today. Students will receive a pre-fabricated kit and instructions that will allow them to build a simple table-top structure. It will be a good lesson on geometry, physics, history and art – I will keep everyone posted when I have these designed and ready for the first class.

The second project will be a table-top model of a trebuchet. Don’t worry moms and dads, they won’t be able to launch boulders through your walls at home! Similar to the timber-frame project, the kit will be a pre-fabricated project that can be easily assembled in a single meeting.

The third project will be a multi-part model of a Medieval castle. I don’t have all of the particulars figured out yet, but I am confident that I can produce a fun and educational activity. I hope to have a some prototypes to photograph and will place them here and on the website shortly after the Santa Fe Renaissance Fair.
All of these will be available to students who attended our classes (probably beginning in November) free of charge. However, I will also offer them online, available to anyone but for a fee – all proceeds will be used to defray the costs of production. I will keep you informed on this – but I think it will be really exciting and popular.

Well now that summer is officially over and school has started here in Albuquerque, it’s time to get our classes back in session for the homeschool community. You can click on the Calendar page to see what’s up, but here is the basic rundown: Two introductory chainmail classes, September 7 and September 14, the first at Cherry Hills Public Library, the second at the “Gazebo” at Haynes Park in Rio Rancho. The meeting in Rio Rancho is outdoors, so weather will need to be considered. Then on September 21 and 28 there will be inkle loom weaving classes: again, one at the Cherry Hills Library and other at the Gazebo at Haynes Park.

I’ve been struggling to find a good meeting place in Rio Rancho. I don’t want to say anything negative about the city library, but I felt very “discouraged” from hoping to hold classes there. However, the park is free and the weather in September usually agreeable, so an out-of-doors class seemed like a good idea. The “Gazebo” is on a first-come, first-served basis . . . I’m hoping that a 3:00 pm meeting time will put us at an advantage for using the gazebo – if not, I do have an easy-up that I can set up.

Recieved a comment from David Andrews, local author . . . as soon as I finish “Catching the Stone”, I will publish a full review. Let me say that so far, I have enjoyed the book – the story line is well thought out and is an easy read. One comment for the homeschool families . . . there is some mature (not graphic) situations in the story which may not be quite appropriate for younger readers. Otherwise . . . it’s a nice story.

And in an unrelated bit of news . . . today is my birthday (ugh getting old is really annoying sometimes) – I will be at the Toro Bar and Grill sometime after 5:00 for dinner with family – if you find yourself in the neighborhood, please stop and say “hello”!

James and I spent part of today in Bosque Farms – the local Girl Scout group was having a summer day camp activity. The vast majority of the girls are from homeschool families, so it seemed reasonable for Medieval Living to support their activities. They were looking at several different countries as part of their week-long program, with one of the countries being England. Our part was to make a connection between “civility” and respect for authority, which is also an aspect of Girl Scout law. So James donned his knightly gear and I “garbed up” in some Medievalish costume and we spent several hours there, James teaching about chivalry and me teaching the girls how to play Nine Men Morris . . . some of the girls had already attended my class on Nine Men and were excellent assistants throughout the lesson. I think every one had a good time and all the girls learned some history. Thanks for inviting us!!!

Of course, anyone who reads that title will think that I don’t know much about grammar . . . the title should probably read “Nine Men Morris Is Coming” but . . . meh! On June 8th at 10:30 am, Medieval Living is holding a class for homeschoolers on Nine Men Morris – that Medievalish game that was right up there with chess and draughts (checkers). Every homeschool family who attends will go home with a nine men morris gameboard and pieces. I think the game is easy to learn and alot of fun – and similar to checkers, it can be played by any age level. So far, there are two families signed up for the class (four kids total) – plenty of room for more to sign up!

Just a quick note: there were eight students at the Los Lunas Library for the pennywhistle class! Nice turn out and some very good pennywhistle players!!! Considering that most of them had never played an instrument before, they did very well. Some of the smaller hands had some trouble with getting the fingerholes covered, but with some practice, they will get better at it. I had worked up some music with both traditional music score and also whistle fingering diagrams. That seemed to work well, considering most did not know how to read music. I will work up a few more tunes and post them here on the blog or website.

All for now . . . just remember . . . Nine Men Is Coming!!!

Yesterday was the last day of classes for my public school stint – today I turned in grades and the keys for my classroom – another school year has drawn to a close. While school has ended, our summer homeschool activities are just beginning. Pennywhistle classes, chess matches, nine men morris sessions and much more. It’s been a busy last couple of weeks, so I haven’t had much time to post articles here in my blog. Hopefully, that will change now that school has ended. We have many more plans for the summer, but I need a few days to sort through everything so that I can present an accurate schedule. After Memorial Day, I should have a little time to lay things outs and publish the new schedule on the calendar page. All I can say is, “more to come!”

Just a reminder – the pennywhistle classes are coming up soon. I don’t have a very accurate headcount, so if you are intending on coming to the May 5 class, please contact me. Apple Mountain Music here in Albuquerque gave us a discounted price on some nice pennywhistles for the class . . . so if you happen to stop by their store sometime, please tell them “Thank you”!

Someone was looking for a pattern to make a leather gorget for fencing/rapier . . . here is the link! I have made this gorget myself using this pattern, and it works very nicely! Here is a different gorget pattern (which I have not tried) that looks like it would be a nice project to work on.

In case you missed yesterday’s post, Medieval Living is sponsoring a writing contest for New Mexico homeschoolers in the high school-age group. There are several reasons that we’re offering this contest. First, the most obvious, is that we are trying to promote the study of life in the Medieval era. We have held several classes now (with several more planned in the upcoming months) that teach some hands-on lessons about Medieval history; however, we also want to address the more scholarly aspects of studying the subject. Secondly, the majority of the students we have seen so far are in the elementary and middle school ages, with only a few high school-age students attending. We want to make sure we are addressing the needs and interests of everyone. Therefore, we are offering this writing contest to provide an outlet for the older, academically motivated homeschool students.

The third reason is closely connected to the second . . . we are interested in the writing abilities of our high school-aged students, especially those who are considering attending college. The essay serves two purposes aside from the actual competition: to offer an opportunity for students to produce an academically oriented research paper, and to allow students and parents alike a chance to evaluate the student’s writing abilities and preparedness for college.

In addition to the contest evaluation, we would also like to offer a critique of each student’s writing if agreed to by the student and parent. This also serves several functions: to provide an evaluation from an outside observer, and to provide us (Medieval Living) with a glimpse of the ability levels of our students. In turn, this will help us develop literacy strategies for all homeschool children. Although we enjoy the hands-on activities, we also want to help students develop their academic skill sets.

So . . . we look forward to reading your essays!!! If you have any questions, please contact scott@medieval-living.com. Oh, and we hope to offer more essay competitions throughout the year, involving the early age groups as well.

Medieval Living is sponsoring an essay writing contest, open to any registered New Mexico homeschool student in grades 9 through 12. The award for the winning entry is a hard cover copy of The Time Traveler’s Guide to Medieval England by Ian Mortimer.

The essay must answer the following question:

“What conditions and developments influenced the European response
to population increases during the High Middle Ages (1000 to 1300)?”

Rules:

1. The contest is open to any registered New Mexico homeschool student in grades 9 through 12. The winning contestant must be able to prove current homeschool registration upon request.

2. The essay must have three parts: A) title page, B) essay pages, and C) bibliography (works cited). The title page and bibliography must be on separate pages. The essay pages and bibliography must not contain any references to the contestant’s name or information.

3. The title page must include the title of the essay, contestant’s name, address, telephone number, and email address (if available).

4. The essay must have a minimum of 800 words and not exceed 1,200 words (excluding title page, footnotes, and bibliography page). (Word counts based on a word processor are acceptable). The first page of the essay must include the title of the essay. The essay must be typed double-spaced on white bond paper. No bindings or special covers are needed. Graphics are not permitted. An original copy of the essay must be submitted.

5. Plagiarism will be grounds for immediate disqualification.

6. The essay and bibliography must be documented in accordance with the Modern Language Association publication, MLA Handbook for Writers of Research Papers (see www.mla.org).

7. Essays which meet the criteria in Rules 2 through 6 above will be accepted and judged equally on the following criteria:

A. Historical accuracy
B. Clarity of thought
C. Organization
D. Grammar and spelling
E. Documentation of sources

8. Essays must be received no later than June 4, 2010. Email time stamps or post office post marks are evidence of timely submissions.

9. The award for the winning entry is a hard cover copy of The Time Traveler’s Guide to Medieval England by Ian Mortimer.

10. The winning essay will be published on the Medieval Living website. A parent/guardian will be asked to sign a release form before the essay is published.

Email address: admin@medieval-living.com (Subject: Essay Contest)

Postal address: Medieval Living, Inc.
Essay Contes
1380 Rio Rancho Blvd, SE
Ste 335
Rio Rancho, NM 87124

We held our first chainmail class yesterday . . . we have a second one scheduled for this afternoon. How did yesterday’s class go? Well . . . one of the things I’ve learned as a teacher is that MY expectations for a class are often different then my students’ expectations. Learning to be flexible with the outcomes is important. Because of the age differences throughout the class – we had around 18 students, ranging in ages from 8 to 18 – we were presented with a lot of different skill levels. It was quickly apparent that many of them lacked either the experience of using simple hand tools or the dexterity to manipulate them. Like any of us, not having the skills to do something can lead to frustration and a loss of interest. Also, the class was much larger then I wanted . . . given the age spread and skill differences, 10 to 12 is about the limit – we had 18.

However . . . we had also brought with us a variety of armor pieces, including a chainmail coif and vest, a couple of leather breastplates (solid leather and lamellar) and “legs”, a plate helm, “arms”, and gorget, and a lorica segmentata breastplate. The students enjoyed trying on the armor (even when it weighed more then they did) and posing for pictures. The dress-up time served as an excellent opportunity to answer questions about the development of armor and its history. We also had some samples of the different chainmail patterns, which led to other discussions about the history of armor.

So . . . even though the class didn’t go quite as expected (from my point of view), I do think that the students and their parents had an enjoyable time and learned more then just how to weave a piece of chainmail. I do have some changes in mind for this afternoon’s class – things that will help to reduce the early onset of frustration and loss of attention. I’ll let you know how they go! I will also post some photos on the webpage by the weekend.

Thanks to the Cherry Hills Library for the use of their large meeting room . . . I hope we weren’t too disruptive to the rest of their activities.