Chapter 38 deals with England’s greatest queen: Elizabeth I. Two stories cover her ascension to the throne and then the reign itself. Bauer simplified the plot quite a bit and it’s a good thing, because it is already quite convoluted.
The children retained the details quite well and I don’t know if it’s because the chapter was so clearly laid out or because they are getting older or because simply they paid attention better than other times. Narration went well and so did the questions, though they still don’t answer in full sentences all the time.
They colored the maps and then the portrait of Queen Elizabeth. This rendering looks quite different compared to the classic portrait of Elizabeth I that we have all seen of her in history books.
I remember watching the movie with Cate Blanchett and being quite touched by the good queen’s dedication to her role in history. I abstained from mentioning the movie to the children because of its rating. But as I looked it up again, I discovered there have been quite a few movies and plays based on her life. Alas, nothing rated G or PG.
The kids heard some new words (litter, canopy, orb) today. They remembered “litter” from The Horse and His Boy. See, that’s why we read literature and history: to learn new vocabulary. It’s gratifying to see they accumulate new words.
The crafts – oh, the crafts in this chapter – left me speechless. Who has the time, the energy? More power to you if you do! As for me, we moved on after coloring and doing the map work. Four more chapters await and then we will have finished this second volume. It’s a great curriculum but it also feels good to know we will be done soon.