Vintage American
Using The Internet To Teach Your Kids Current Events And History
With classroom budgets being slashed every year, it’s become incumbent on parents to expose their children to the information they’re not getting in school. Fortunately, the Internet is full of teaching tools — if you know where to look. And since little ones are so ahead of where we were at kids, accessing the Web for learning wouldn’t be at all unfamiliar for them. I used to watch my 4-year-old nephew click around YouTube looking for NASA launch videos and footage of tornadoes, so it should be a piece of cake for older children.
There are plenty of opportunities for learning in odd places, for example, in the world of vintage art. Digital old postcards, greeting cards, magazine pages and other “ephemera” contain a wealth of historical information that’s fascinating and revealing. The following vintage images are great examples of online materials that can be used for teaching:
Vintage Travel Posters
Children will enjoy learning about their world if you expose them to free vintage travel posters. These glimpses into the past not only teach about the destinations, but also the way that people used to perceive them.
Tall Sailing Ships Photos and Paintings
There’s a rich source of information to be discovered when studying tall sailing ships. From sloops-of-war to caravels like Columbus sailed, there are interesting details bound to catch any child’s imagination.
Vintage Postcards of Historical Figures
There was a remarkable selection of postcards printed that featured American presidents, statesmen and even strong female role models. In fact, these used to be very popular. From Abe Lincoln pictures to greeting cards with illustrations of John Adams and Betsy Ross to fictional American icons like Uncle Sam, the web is full of these antique historical images. Many tell stories along with the pictures, making them mini history lessons.
Spoonerisms
Spoonerisms for children hail from the early- to mid-20th Century, brought forth by Reverend W.A. Spooner and made famous by Frederick Chase Taylor, a radio comedian, performing under the name Colonel Lemuel Q. Stoopnagle. These unusual versions of traditional fairy tales swap letters or sounds in unique ways. Authentic examples from Spooner himself include “cattle ships and bruisers” for “battleships and cruisers” and “a blushing crow” for “a crushing blow”. In addition to being funny, these mangled mash-ups also teach kids to play with language.
Victorian Fashion Illustrations
Studying fashion doesn’t have to be frivolous or just for children who want to become designers, if it promotes an understanding of the way people used to live. Studying Victorian fashions will show children just how much things have changed since the nineteenth century. With any luck, they’ll be able to see how lucky they are to be born at a time when they can dress comfortably!
Current Events Teaching Resources
There are also plenty of current subjects that can be studied. You just have to make sure the materials, or at least your presentation of them, is impartial. As an example, there are probably a lot of parents who don’t like Barack Obama’s policies. But that shouldn’t stop them from using Obama election clipart, Obama photos or even free Obama paper dolls to create interactive social study modules. In fact, one open-minded homeschooling mom used all three to create a tote board for her children during the election. It wasn’t about her political views, she just wanted to make sure her children understood the American election process. As a result of her neutral stance, her children are now better equipped to make their own decisions when it comes to politics.
Remember, kids absorb the opinions around them, so you’ll want to make sure they receive balanced information. That emphasis on fairness will make a big difference to them later on in their lives. Who knows, one of them might even be president some day!
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Pyrex Prepware Measuring Cup, Clear with Red Measurements Pyrex Prepware 2-cup measuring cup includes 1-each 2-cup measuring cup with red graphics. Whether you are preparing a multi-course meal or simply a snack for one, Pyrex offers products which make food preparation a little easier, from beginning to end. There’s no substitute for Pyrex, the original glass bakeware. Introduced 90 years ago and made of a durable, high temperature material, Pyrex rema… |
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Lodge Logic Dutch Oven with Loop Handles $56.00 Lodge, the world’s leader in cast-iron cookware, crafts this revolutionary Dutch oven that is preseasoned so it’s ready to cook right out of the box. Designed to replicate the all-encompassing heat of an oven on the stovetop, Dutch ovens are ideal for meat-and-vegetable dishes such as savory pulled pork or chicken cacciatore. The 5- and 7-quart capacity is perfect for family-sized servings and a c… |
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1984 World Series Highlights – Detroit Tigers vs. San Diego Padres $29.95 Experience the thrills and tradition of the 1984 World Series in this exciting collector’s cassette! It’s the surprising San Diego Padres of the National League challenging the powerful American League champion Detroit Tigers. The Tigers with Series’ M.V.P. Alan Trammell, hard-throwing Jack Morris and Cy Young Award-winning reliever Willie Hernandez are too much for Padres youngsters Tony Gwynn an… |
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The Wildlife Series: World Safari Vintage outdoor hunting program typical of what was much seen in the sixties on Sunday afternoons on whichever of the three networks had no football contract. Excellent extent of locations, scenery and historical hunting methods. “Traveling and tracking animals in some of the wildest and most exotic locales on Earth, and Arctic guide encounters danger, excitement and humor in unlikely places. Fr… |
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All Aboard: A Northwest Rail Journey The history of Idaho and the West was written on ribbons of steel. Today the passenger trains that once flooded the West with immigrants have taken a back seat to cars and planes. Yet, it is still possible to view Idaho and the Northwest by rail, to revel in the history and scenery of places like Glacier and Yellowstone National Parks, to feel the power and the speed and the glamour that once tr… |
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