Moving to WordPress

Alright guys. I gave Blogger a good chance. But, it just got too confusing. So, as of April 2nd 2014, I'm moving my school blog to WordPress. Everything is moving.

So, I hope to see you guys at my WordPress blog. I won't be deleting this one until everything is moved.

Regards,
SadieAnn

2013-2014 English Semester Report

English

   In this first semester of the Ron Paul Curriculum, I've learned more about literature and what goes into it. I have learned about genres, the many forms of literature, and the five parts of fiction. Also over this first semester, I have read some really good books by great authors. In this semester report, I will cover what I have learned. I hope you enjoy this essay!

Five Parts of Literature:

   The first thing I learned in English was the steps that go into writing a fiction story. Every story has five parts. These parts are the plot, setting, character development, theme, and author's style.

   So, coming up with the plot is the first step to writing any story. To make a good plot, there are five more more steps to complete. There is the exposition, rising action, climax, falling action, and resolution.

   In any good story, the author must write a satisfying introduction to the story called the exposition. The exposition covers the beginning of the book and introduces the characters of the story. This first part of the plot shows what the main character's life is like and some of the things going on in his/her life.

   Next, the rising action is the part of the story that builds up to the climax. This usually introduces the big conflict that the characters have to face. The rising action usually takes up most of the story and can also introduce subplots as the story climaxes.

   The third part of the plot is the climax. Here, the story's conflict is at its height. This climax is where everything the story was building up to falls into place. The climax usually takes place in one exciting scene.

   Then comes the falling action. This is where the author starts drawing the story to an end. The characters solves all the conflicts that happened in the rising action and climax.

   Finally, the resolution. This is where the story is concluded. The characters may have won the big conflict or the author could have set up the ending for another book to continue the story.

   Moving on the next point in literature. The setting of the story is basically the backdrop to what happens in the book. Good authors can help you visualize where and how things take place. The setting is often described in the exposition, early on in the story. There are many ways for the setting to appear in a book. One of the ways for to have setting is juxtaposition.

   The juxtaposition of a book is where two opposite things are put together to create a contrasting effect. The book A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court by Mark Twain shows an excellent example of juxtaposition. The main character is pulled from his modern time and stuck in the time of King Arthur. Therefore, his actions and manner of speech are in contrast to those of old England.

   Another setting appearance is milieu. The milieu of the story is the social environment surrounding the characters. For instance, in a pirate story, the milieu would be the surrounding pirate environment.

   A third appearance of setting is tone. In books, how you read the story is based on what the tone is. If the book's tone has a romantic feel to it, then the the story is probably a romance.

   The customs of the story is the next look in building the setting. Based on where the characters go and how they get there, the customs of the story change. For example, if the characters went to Russia, all the different customs would be noticeable.

   Next up is satire. The satire of the story is the act of pointed mocking at anything the author thinks is ridiculous. If you discover satire in a book, the author might be trying to get a point across.

   Visualization is a very important bit of setting. Without details and descriptions throughout a story, reading would be very dull indeed.

   The final appearance setting has is mood. The mood of the story comes from the entire feel of the book. It helps you to understand the book better.

   The third point of literature is character development. Throughout a story, you should be able to see the characters develop and mature as the book goes on. The author describes details and creates an image of what the character look like, what the environment looks like, etc.

   There are different types of characters. The foremost main characters are the protagonists and the antagonists. The protagonist is generally on the good guy side and can be a single character or in a group. The antagonist is usually on the bad guy side and can be a single character or in a group. Then there are the primary and secondary characters. The primary characters are the main characters, the ones that are talked about the most. The secondary characters are the ones in the background and play more minor roles in the overall story.

   Dialogue is a huge part in characterization. How the character converses with other people helps to keep the story entertaining. It also shows how the character takes to different languages spoken.

   Next is rivalry. A healthy rivalry is very good for the characters, as it allows them to build a good sense of judgment towards situations with the people they don't like.

   The last part of character development is the static and dynamic characters. The static characters are the ones that don't really grow along with the story. They don't learn from mistakes that happen. The dynamic characters, however, do learn lessons and grow in maturity. They are often the “heroes” of the story.

   The fourth of the five points of literature is theme. This part of literary analysis is important to the story at large. The theme of the story can be interpreted differently by everybody. No two people have the same idea of the theme of the story. The them is generally the moral of the story or what the author is trying to say.

   The last and final part of literature is author's style. Every author has a different way of writing their books. The author's style is how they write characters, describe details, write the dialogue, etc. Author G. A. Henty writes personal historical fiction. His books are mostly centered around his main characters. Another author, Arthur Conan Doyle, wrote short detective stories. No two authors have the same style.

Five Types of Literature

   The next thing I learned in English this semester was how many different types of literature there are. There are five major types: novels, novellas, short stories, poems, and dramas.

   The novel is a long story that is written in the everyday language, prose. It's the longest of the five literature types. The novel is a narrative of fictional characters and events. Novels are often in the form of sequential stories or series. A few of my favorite novels include:The Harry Potter series by J. K. Rowling, The Lord of the Rings series by J. R. R. Tolkien, and the Mistborn series by Brandon Sanderson.

   Next is the short story. This type of literature is also written in everyday language. A short story isn't always “short”. It can be as long as a novel. A short story makes use of plot, resonance, and other dynamic components to a greater degree than an anecdote, yet to a far lesser degree than a novel. Some short stories include: The Legend of Sleepy Hollow by Washington Irving, To Build a Fire by Jack London, and The Purloined Letter by Edgar Allen Poe.

   The third type of literature is novella. Novellas are fictional stories too. These stories usually have fewer conflicts, unlike novels, which have more conflicts to span across a longer story. The story of a novella is longer than a short story, but has a far more simplified plot line than a novel. A few examples of novellas include: A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens, Call of the Wild by Jack London, and The Old Man and the Sea by Earnest Hemingway.

   Next is the poem. Poems use a sing-song rhythm, prose and word positioning in pretty and unique ways. Poems aren't supposed to be read as you would a novel, as there are many forms of poems. A haiku is a three line poem consisting of a line of five words, a line of seven words, and then a line of five words again. An epic is a really long book poem telling a story. An example of an epic is The Epic of Gilgamesh. Then there's a concrete poem which is a poem formed into a shape. Lastly, there's just regular poems that sometimes give you a peek into the author's life.

   The last type of literature is drama. This is a huge part of literature. Drama is written in a dialogue format. It is then interpreted in ballets, plays, and theater works. Plays are performed using literature drama, such as comedy and tragedy. The literature drama for plays is split up into scenes and acts. William Shakespeare’s play, Hamlet, is a form of drama.

Types of Genres

   A genre is a term for categorizing literature, art, and entertainment. It developed as new forms of literature became popular. There are two major genres: fiction and nonfiction. Under those two genres, there are sub-genres.

   Nonfiction is the first major genre. This genre only contains true facts and events. Included in nonfiction is newspapers, essays, journals, books, autobiographies and biographies. An autobiography is the writings of a person about his own life, making it a memoir. And then a biography is one person's writings about another person's life. The last type of nonfiction I'll talk about is historical accounts. These can be certain newspapers, documents, and eyewitness accounts.

   Next is fiction. This is the biggest part of genres. It contains everything that is not nonfiction. There are many sub-genres in this bigger one. There is historical and realistic fiction, science fiction and horror, allegory, fables and mythology, comedy, and mystery.

   First up is historical fiction. This genre is literature set in an actual time period. Historical fiction stories can contain made up characters in actual time periods and events that happened or just revolve in the setting alone. One of my favorite historical fiction authors is Phillipa Gregory. I've read a lot of her good books. Realistic fiction is any story where the characters and events are made up, but everything that happens could be true. It's also usually set in modern times. It's an accurate portrayal of what the world is like now.

   Science fiction and horror literature are paired together because they both use unusual creativity to provide entertainment. Science fiction is usually based around futuristic and high techy settings. It sometimes takes place on far away planets,and could feature aliens. Horror literature uses graphic words and scenery to instill feelings of dread and sometimes fear in both the characters and the reader. Horror is more common in movies and TV, but there is certainly existing horror in books as well.

   Next is allegory. This genre is a literary device in a literary and visual, or musical form represent or symbolize ideas and concepts. Allegory literature generally uses fictional characters and stories to present nonfiction truths. Allegory is often used to critique culture. Fables and parables are short narrations demonstrating a useful truth. Fable often use human speaking animals in legendary and supernatural tales. Myths are used to lift up or tear down, while fables are used to make a point. My favorite is Aesop's Fables. Mythology literature is legendary or traditional narratives often based in part to reveal human behavior and natural phenomena by it's symbolism; often pertaining to the actions of the gods. The most commonly known mythological stories are those of the Roman and Greek gods.

   Comedy is any work or discourse generally intended to be humorous or to amuse by inducing laughter, especially in theater, TV, film, and standup comedy. No matter what form comedy comes in, it's purpose is always to humor. Comedic literature can be written with juxtapositions, jokes, or other literary devices. Satire is a genre in which humorous stories ridicule things such as the government and society in order to evoke change. Jokes are told to make the person laugh, and then think about the point that was introduced in the joke. Satires are supposed to make you stop and think about the meaning.      Lastly, we have mystery. This genre is fascinating because it usually follows a detective trying to solve a case. It allows you to keep up and see if you can figure out the case along with the character. The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes by Arthur Conan Doyle is one of the earliest mystery stories created.

   All in all, I've learned so much in this semester of English. It's really helpful to be able to read a book and see what it lengths the author went through to get the finished product. Knowing how to analyze literature opens new doors for students who want to get into the publishing business. Literary analysis allows you to look at a story and know how to find the theme, sympathize with the characters, and eventually, to write your own story. 

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Original post at the Ron Paul Curriculum.

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Willam Wallace's Fight for Freedom

Lesson 65 Essay

    In 1270, a man named William Wallace was born. He was born in Scotland and was a landowner. Not much is known about this man's early life. During William's childhood, Scotland was ruled by Alexander III, who ruled with stability and kindness. When he died, his granddaughter reigned for awhile, but after her death she left no clear heir. Several great families tried to lay claim to the throne. The Scottish government stepped in and suggested that Edward I of England be king. However, the people of Scotland wanted John Balliol as their king.

    Edward pressured John to abdicate his throne and John did just that. Now Edward was king of Scotland, as well as England. However, most of the Scots still saw John as their true king and did not want to be governed by England.

    William Wallace started gathering an army to fight against the English. Wallace burned the town of Lanmark, killing the English sheriff in the city. He was less than thirty years old when he marched his army to defeat the strongholds on the English barrier.

    Some time after this, an English army met William's army near Stirling and the Fourth River. Even though Wallace was outnumbered, he managed to gain the upper hand due to his cunning strategies. The Battle of Stirling Bridge, and subsequently Stirling Castle, were both won by this little band of Scots.

    William Wallace was knighted and declared the guardian of the kingdom for these incredible victories. Only four months after the battle at Stirling, Edward himself invaded Scotland for a second time. The Scots responded to this invasion by trying to follow the English army and to attack them at their weaker points. This turned sour as the Edward's army pounced on the chance to engage the Scots and turned his army to face them. Edward defeated the Scots and was crowned king in 1304.

    Wallace somehow escaped and lived as a refugee. Sadly, in 1305, Wallace was betrayed by a Scottish knight who was loyal to Edward. William was tried in Westminster Hall and convicted of treason to the crown. He was executed in a terribly painful way and parts of his body were displayed as warnings around Scotland.

    William Wallace didn't free Scotland from English rule during his time on Earth, but he was seen as a martyr and hero to his people to fight for their freedom. He kept their hope and will to fight alive, and the Scots finally earned their freedom within 50 years after William Wallace's death.

Banana and Chocolate Chip Muffins

I got this muffin recipe from Jenna, a girl I talk to on my school curriculum. She makes these muffins for her siblings and I decided to make them for mine. My family LOVED them. So I thought, "why not show the world how to make these?" I hope you enjoy this easy, delicious recipe for breakfast, on-the-go meals, or just plain snacking! Happy baking!

For this recipe you'll need:

-1 cup butter, softened

-1 1/2 cups sugar

-4 eggs

-2 tsp. vanilla

-4 cups flour

-2 tsp. baking soda

-2 cups mashed bananas

-1 1/2 cups chocolate chips

 Step One: Put the butter, sugar, and vanilla in an electric mixer. Mix on medium speed until well combined. 

Step 1

Step 1

 Step Two: Beat in eggs, one at a time. Make sure you mix this very well or you will have clumps of raw egg and that is just nasty.

Step 2

Step 2

 Step Three: Add the flour, baking soda, and bananas. You can do this gradually or just put it all in at once. Mix slowly on a medium speed at first. Mix until well until combined.

Step 3

Step 3

Step Four: Fold in the chocolate chips. Try to get them well incorporated into the batter. 

Step 4

Step 4

Step Five: Lay out muffin tins for 24 muffins. Put muffin cups in each tin. Scoop the batter evenly in each cup until all the batter is used. Bake in the oven at 350 degrees for 25-30 minutes or until toothpick inserted comes out clean.

Step 5

Step 5

Serve while still warm so the chocolate chips are all melty.

I hope you enjoy these muffins as much as my family did!

Genres

Lesson 70 Essay

    A genre is the word used to distinguish different groups of literature. The biggest distinction in literature is made between nonfiction and fiction. Nonfiction literature is any work that is written about real historical people or events and contains only facts. Fiction is all other works of literature.

    Biographies/Autobiographies: This genre is nonfiction. Biographies are the type of nonfiction that are written about one person in particular. Autobiographies are similar to journals and are the memoirs of the person who is the subject of the book. An example of an autobiography is Laura Ingalls Wilder. She wrote a series of books about her life.

    Fantasy: This is a fiction genre. Fantasy is the work of literature that describes strange settings and other worldly characters. This fiction type invites suspension of reality. Fantasy novels may have some realistic portions, but much of the stories are imagined. Two of my favorite series, The Lord of the Rings by J.R.R. Tolkien and Harry Potter by JK Rowling, are examples of fantasy.

    Mythology: A fiction genre as well, mythology is legend or traditional narrative, and is often based in part on historical events. These stories reveal human behavior and natural phenomena by its symbolism; often these are the actions of the gods. The book Classic Myths to Read Aloud by William F. Russel is an example of Greek and Roman myths.

    Fables/Parables: This genre is one of my favorites. Fables are narrations demonstrating a useful truth. These short stories often have animals speaking as humans and are supernatural and legendary tales. A classic example of fables is the book Aesop's Fables. Parables are similar to fables. One of my favorite parables is The Parable of the Sower in Matt. 13 of the Bible.

Things I Would Have If I Was Shipwrecked

Lesson 65 Essay

Assignment: Choose two devices, tools, or gadgets that you would like to have with you if you were shipwrecked like Robinson Crusoe

If I was shipwrecked like Robinson Crusoe, the items that I would like to have with me would be: a leatherman and duct tape.

Leatherman: I chose a leatherman because I think they are a very useful multi-tool. With knives, scissors, screwdrivers, pliers, and files, all in one easy to hold body, this would help greatly in survival on an island.

Leatherman

Duct Tape: I chose duct tape because, well, who can go wrong with duct tape? It's extremely durable and long lasting. Duct tape is also waterproof, so you could construct make-shift cups and strainers for water.

Duct Tape

The Life of Kublai Khan

 Lesson 60 Essay

  Kublai Khan was considered to be the greatest ruler of the Mongols in China. Born in 1215, he was the grandson of Genghis Khan, and he became the fifth Khan of the Mongols.

    Even though he was an intelligent, and skilled warrior, Kublai did not rise to power until his thirties. Before Kublai became Khan, his brother Möngke Khan rule, and Kublai was put in charge of manning their territory. Kublai helped his brother overthrow the Song dynasty and unify the Chinese under the Mongols. Kublai came to power as the Great Khan several years later.

    As the Khan of the Mongol Empire, Kublai was much wiser and thoughtful in comparison to his predecessor, Genghis Khan. He ruled his subjects fairly, and, rather than utterly destroy civilizations, he treated them with generosity.

    In 1271, Kublai Khan established the Yuan dynasty. The economy was primarily based on agriculture, but, by building on past successes, they were able to prosper. Many of the buildings and roads were built or repaired.

    During Kublai Khan's reign, the Mongol empire enjoyed a time of great prosperity. Kublai was able to represent the height of the Mongol empire by controlling all of China. Kublai was among the first Far East rulers to have known contact with European traders, by having contact with Marco Polo.

    Kublai Khan lived to the age of 78. He outlived his wife and son. As he got older, he became very overweight and suffered from many diseases. He died in the February of 1294, after depression wore his body down. Kublai was buried in the Mongol burial site.

The Works of Thomas Aquinas

  Lesson 55

   Thomas Aquinas was born the son of a count in Italy in 1225. When Thomas was five years old, he began his education. Thomas was sent off to a university in Naples when he was old enough. While studying, Thomas was influenced by Aristotle's writings and also by a new order of monks called the Dominicans.

    At the age of 19, Thomas joined the Dominican monks, much to the dismay of his parents. In fact, his parents actually kidnapped their son to keep him away from the monks. After two years of captivity, Thomas “escaped” from his parents and rejoined the monks.

    After some time with the monks, Thomas decided to rewrite the Christian theology in a systematic way, using Aristotelian logic and thinking. Aquinas's greatest work was the Summa Theologica. However, Thomas left the manuscript unfinished, believing that he was called to a greater service than what he was currently working on.

    Thomas Aquinas became a priest and ordained in 1250. While he was teaching at a school in Paris, Thomas completed his Doctorate in Theology. Most of Thomas's time was spent in prayer, study, and writing during these years.

    Some time later, Thomas Aquinas was summoned by the Pope to attend a council. As Thomas was on his way, a falling branch hit him and he became ill shortly after. He was cared for by his friends, but several days later Thomas died.

Influence of Thomas Aquinas

    Thomas Aquinas's work greatly influenced the church by using Aristotle's logic to study scripture. Aquinas also argued that man can logically prove there is a god, based solely on the evidence in nature. He taught new connection between science and theology. Over time, philosophers began promoting the idea that logic and man's senses could tell him what he needed. This was a distortion of Aquinas's ideas. This focus on man's thinking continued into the time of the Renaissance. 

3 Types of Literature

 Lesson 55 Essay

   When you hear the word “literature”, what is the first thing that comes to mind? Is it a novel? A short story? Or maybe a novella? In literature, there are five major forms: novel, short story, novella, drama, and poems. This essay will cover three of these types of literature.

    Novel: A novel is the most commonly thought of types of literature. It also happens to be the longest. It's a normally a long prose narrative that describes

the life of fictional character and events. Novels are often in the form of sequential stories or series. A few examples of novels are: The Hunt for Red October by Tom Clancy, The Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams, and The Lord of the Rings by J.R.R. Tolkien.

    Short Story: The term “short story” often conjures up the thought of a set word limit. However, there is no limit to how long a short story should be. Like novels, short stories are written in the prose style. A short story makes use of plot, resonance, and other dynamic components to a greater degree than an anecdote, yet to a far lesser degree than a novel. Some famous short stories include: The Legend of Sleepy Hollow by Washington Irving, To Build a Fire by Jack London, and The Purloined Letter by Edgar Allan Poe.

    Novella: Novellas, like short stories and novels, are fictional stories. Novellas usually feature fewer conflicts, unlike novels, which have more conflicts to span across a longer story. Novellas often focus on just one conflict. The story of a novella is longer than a short story, but has a far more simplified plot line than a novel. Examples of novellas include: Call of the Wild by Jack London, A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens, and The Old Man and the Sea by Earnest Hemingway.

 

Knighthood: The Origin of Knights

  Lesson 45 Essay

 The word “knight” was the title given to a person honored by a king or a monarch for a service. Originally, however, a knight was a mounted soldier and was considered a lesser noble. Knights eventually became just honored people, and they were recognized for noble deeds outside the military. In the Middle Ages, knights were part of two systems:

–The Feudal System hierarchy

–The service of the king's army

  The whole idea of “warriors on horseback”, came from the Franks after the fall of Rome and was expanded by Charlemagne. Any person who could ride and owned armor was considered a knight in these early times. Eventually, knighthood became a more refined position in the Feudal system. Knights were of the lower class nobles, and though they rode horses into battle, they were still distinct from the cavalry.

  An important part of knighthood was chivalry. The knights took this very seriously, even getting to the point where they organized a code for it. Chivalry was an ethical standard that all knights had to adhere to. When they weren't needed for battle, knights would live in castles or large fortified houses. Knighthood and chivalry was influenced by Christianity. Knights tried to pursue the values of “faith, hope, charity, justice, strength, modesty, and loyalty”. Chivalric ideals were popular in medieval writing and were often combined with romance in the Renaissance. The stories of a knight saving a damsel in distress is still very popular in modern culture.

  However, knighthood and chivalry was forgotten during the Renaissance. Knighthood is still granted in some societies today. Knighthood now is granted for doing great deeds.

King Alfred the Great

  Lesson 40 Essay

       Alfred the Great was one of the most notable kings of England's history. He ruled England from the 871-899. He was the the only English monarch to be called “the Great”.

        Alfred, at the age of four, was anointed to be king by the Pope in Rome. This was a strange act, seeing as Alfred had three older brother who were eligible for the crown. But, over time, each of his brothers were crowned as king and died shortly after. After this, Alfred became king.

        The reign of Alfred took off on a shaky start as the Danes were invading Wessex at the time. Even though the Danes were very strong, King Alfred eventually beat them. The Danish king, Gurthrum, was converted to Christianity at the peace treaty that Alfred proposed. This conversion to strengthened the ties between the two territories. In 866, Alfred the Great marched into London and reclaimed it from the Danish control. This reclaiming of London further unified Southern England.

        When Alfred wasn't fighting, he was busy reorganizing the military and setting up a fleet of longships, similar to the ships the Vikings used. Alfred also spent a lot of his life working on better education for his people. His greatest achievement as king was reviving education as a crucial part of English culture. He sought to have every young man in the country educated, regardless of their station.

        Throughout his life, Alfred dealt with much sickness, and he died in the year 899. His son, Edward, succeeded him on the throne.

 

The Theme of Treasure Island

 Lesson 35 Essay

      The book Treasure Island is a great story. There's pirates, parrots, treasure maps with black Xs. And, a theme.

        I think the theme of Treasure Island is: Be wary of the company you keep. In the book, Jim Hawkins finds himself amidst some very bad people who try to kill him.

        Also, another theme I think could fit in the story is: Money. Those bad people that Jim is traveling with are seeking the great amount of treasure marked on the map. They go so far as to kill most of the crew, just to get what they want.

 

Canute the Great

  Lesson 35 Essay

       Canute the Great lived during the Viking times. Unlike previous Vikings before him, Canute wasn't Anglo-Saxon. He was born to a Scandinavian prince and was the grandson of the first Scandinavian king to accept Christianity.

       Canute's older brother, Harald, was the crown prince and became king of Denmark in 1014. Knowing that he wouldn't become king for a while, Canute set out for England to make a name for himself. He sailed in ships full of soldiers. Canute fought numerous battles against England's king, Edmund Ironside, with Vikings from all over Scandinavia. Canute eventually forced Edmund to work out a peace treaty with him after he besieged London. This treaty stated that Canute would become king after Edmund died, which conveniently happened just three weeks after.

        To further strengthen his claim to the throne, Canute married Emma of Normandy. Wary of being overthrown, he killed any Saxon who had any claim to the throne. He named his son Harthacnut, as the the designated heir. When Harald died, Canute moved back to Denmark to assume kingship there. Canute was now king of England and Denmark. He attended the coronation of Conrad II as Holy Roman Emperor in Rome.

        Kings who appeared to be on good terms with God often had happy, prosperous reigns during this time. Canute strove to reconcile himself with the church and his people after his harsh invasion.

        When he got back from Rome, Canute decided to conquer Norway and crown himself king of Norway. However, he was overthrown after imposing taxes there. Canute died in England in 1035, and was buried in Winchester. His son continued to rule the kingdom until his own death in 1042. The combined kingdoms, England, Denmark, and Norway, over which Canute ruled, returned to their former rulers.

Wulf the Saxon: A Review

 Lesson 30 Essay

        The book Wulf the Saxon, by G.A. Henty, is a great piece of literature. Let's take a review of this story

        It begins with a boy named Wulf. He is a Saxon thane in the service of Harold. In the first chapter, Wulf crashes into a young man named Walter Fitz-Urse. Walter, a Norman freeman in service to the bishop, demands an apology. Wulf gives his apology, but, when Walter doesn't accept it, Wulf exclaims that he wished all the Normans were out of England. Harold punishes Wulf for being rude by banishing him to his lands for a while.

        Osgod, Wulf's man, accompanies him. Leof, Wulf's teacher, teaches Wulf about keeping his lands and people in good condition. He is taught how to throw an axe and to fight. Wulf grows to be a strong man and wise battle planner. It is a year before Wulf is called back to court. Sometime after Wulf's return, Harold is captured by Duke William and held captive. Wulf is able to get back to England and free Harold with the help of a friend named Guy de Burg. Wulf starts suspecting that his old adversary, Walter Fitz-Urse is plotting to kill Harold so William could become king instead. He sends one of Osgod's friends to watch Walter. Wulf's suspicions come true as he sees Walter sneak up to Harold's room at night. There is a fight and Walter dies.

        Battles continue to happen after this, and these such battles eventually lead up to the Battle of Hastings. (This is a very important and very true battle in history.) Off in another mini battle, Osgod loses his arm. Wulf tells him to stop fighting and wait until he's needed. 

      Harold, who is king by now, is shot with an arrow and is killed. Wulf and Beorn are about to be killed as well when the Lord de Burg jumps in front of them. He pleads for their life, and in exchange William will become king. William agrees and he is made king. Wulf, Osgod, and Beorn are made prisoners and are put in the care of the de Burgs. Once the Lord de Burg has them under his roof, he tells Wulf that he can marry his daughter, Agnes. Wulf accepts the offer, and they get married and have a son. But after this, sadly, Wulf attends the burial of Guy de Burg. Guy had been badly injured at a previous raid on Harold's camp, and had never recovered fully.

        This book is indeed very sad, but also has a very good look on Saxon and Norman culture and lifestyle.

The Life of Charles Martel

  Lesson 30 Essay

       Charles Martel was born the son of Pepin of Heristal, the Mayor of the Palace of France. This position of “mayor” serves as the active ruler, while the “king” is more of a figurehead. Pepin was a very cruel mayor and he abused his power. When he died in 714, Pepin's wife tried to take the position of mayor for herself, even going so far as to hide away Pepin's illegitimate heir son, Charles.

        Charles escaped from his mother and began organizing support from the nobles of the kingdom. Charles was called to be the army's leader when a rogue band of Franks attacked the kingdom. 

      However, even though Charles led a magnificent battle, his army was outnumbered and Charles wisely withdrew the army. This loss turned out to be the only defeat of his military career. Charles retaliated on his enemies later on at the Battle of Amblive.

        He won the Battle of Amblive by using three tactics that would become his trademarks:

 -Appearing where his enemies least expected

 -Attacking where his enemies least expected

  -Attacking how his enemies least expected

        After winning this battle, Charles took over government of France. He never claimed the title of king, but instead served in the position of mayor of the palace for the rest of his life. Charles showed mercy to the people who imprisoned him. From the years 718 to 728, Charles had many victories, gained the loyalty of surrounding nations, and conquered part of Southern Germany. In 731 he began preparing to battle the Muslims who

invaded Iberia and conquered the Visigoths there.

        The Battle of Tours: The Muslims had already taken Iberia, and so they invaded France. In 732, Charles staged a surprise attack on the Muslims. The Battle of Tours lasted seven days of skirmishing, before the Muslims were eventually beaten back by the well trained and equipped Frankish army. It was this hammering of the Muslims and repelling them, that gave Charles the name “Martel”, or Charles the Hammer. This battle is credited as saving Christendom from Arab/Muslim conquest. Although the Muslims had been previously conquering unchecked, this defeat kept them from expanding.

        Charles Martel died in 741, leaving behind a legacy that grew in his son, Pepin the Short and his grandson, Charlemagne.

When Hurricane Ike Hit

 Lesson 25 Essay

       It was just an ordinary day in September 2008. My siblings and I were watching a movie when we heard thunder and really loud wind. It got dark and all of a sudden it was pouring rain. Mom said this storm was the remnants of Hurricane Ike that came up from Texas. The winds were going up to more than 70 miles per hour!

        We live on a farm in Ohio, and we have a silo. When we moved to this farm, the silo had a little piece missing from the top, and when the storm hit, the wind blew the rest of the top off. I remember that it was dangerous to go outside because the metal pieces of the silo top were flying around. In fact, some of the pieces actually sliced into our pool that we had in the yard.

        The terrible winds cut out the electricity for five days straight. We carried buckets of the pool water to feed our animals, wash hands and dishes, and to flush toilets. Mom made trips to town to fill gallon tanks of water for cooking and drinking. Dad borrowed a generator from a friend to power the refrigerator and some lights. He also put heavy blankets around our box freezers to keep the food from spoiling.

        It was very terrifying because of the deadly pieces of flying metal that could've hit something less replaceable than a pool. We are very thankful to God for keeping us safe.

  

The Life and Works of Muhammad

  Lesson 25 Essay

       Islam is one of the biggest religions in the world and it's only second to Christianity. I'm going to tell you how Islam came to be one of the most popular religions to practice.

         It all started with a man named Muhammad. Muhammad was born in 570, in a city called Mecca, just three years after the treaty between Byzantium and Persia was signed. Mecca was located near the ancient shrine called Ka'ba. This shrine was said to have been built by Abraham, whom the Muslims claim as the “father of Islam”. Anyway, Muhammad's father died shortly after his birth and his mother died by the time he was six. Muhammad's uncle took him in and raised him. At the age of 24 Muhammad married a wealthy widow and became a successful merchant.

       In the year 610, at the age of 40, Muhammad had his first revelation. These messages told him he was the prophet of a new religion and that he needed to prophecy to the world. These first proclamations make up the first few passages of Islam's holy book, the Qu'ran. Muhammad started preaching to the people of Mecca and tried to convert them to his new religion. But his family shunned him and some people tried to assassinate him because of his strange, new message.

       In 622, Muhammad moved Mecca to a city called Medina for safety and began witnessing there. This new city welcomed Muhammad and his religion and soon became the first Islamic community. He became the leader of Medina shortly after. Not long after Muhammad came to Medina, wars broke out between the two cities. Muhammad eventually captured Mecca, banned the idolatry, and set up Islam as the new religion there.

         Later, in 632, Muhammad led the first Islamic pilgrimage as he walked from Medina to Mecca to visit the Ka'ba shrine. This shrine is the holiest place in Islam and is today located inside of a mosque in Mecca for protection. At the end of the pilgrimage, Muhammad gave his famous farewell sermon. Muhammad fell ill and died several months after.

        By the time of Muhammad's death, most of the Arabian Peninsula had converted to Islam and he had united Arabia into a single Muslim religious nation.

        To conclude this essay, Muhammad had no idea how famous he would become and how quickly Islam would catch on. Islam is one of the fastest growing religions to this day.

 

Burning Nails

Here I'm going to show you how create "fire" on your fingernails.

I had this idea to see how I was with delicate designs on my nails, so this is a first try.

You can try for yourself!

To create this nail art you will need the following:

 What you need

-Yellow nail polish

-Red nail polish

-Orange nail polish (optional)

-Clear top coat

-Very fine tip Sharpie marker

Step One: Give your nails 1 coat of yellow polish

Step 1

Step Two (optional-depends on type of polish): Give nails another coat of yellow. This color I'm using in Sheer so I put two coats on. You might not have to if your polish is thicker.

 Step 2

Step Three: Draw flame waves on nails with Sharpie marker

  Step 3

Step Four: Paint under drawn flames with red nail polish. After this step you can splotch the orange polish on the red coat if you want. It's totally optional.

Step 4

Step Five: Use clear top coat to protect your nails

Step 5

Hope you enjoyed my tutorial and you can make your own designs in the future! :D