East and West collide quite literally in chapter 18 as we looked at the Ottoman Empire and its last attempt to conquer Vienna – the capital of the Austro-Hungarian Empire and a symbol of Western civilization. Unfortunately, recent terrorist attacks in Europe have reminded us all too often about such chapters in history. It may have happened a long time ago and it may have been a huge army, but the idea is there: East is fighting with West, Islam is fighting with Christianity.
Moving right along… we had fun learning about how one of the sultans admired tulips and brought them to the Ottoman Empire. Also, we enjoyed making tents. The craft template provided in the Activity Book seemed so enjoyable to the kids, they made me print a second page of little tents. I printed them on card stock, so they could stand better. Continue reading