sunday's "so they said"

earlier this week I shared the worksheet I made for my very first lecture of the year

and let me say, it turns out, just like chocolate cake

everything is good for you...in moderation

and as I now know, this can include a little lecturing here and there

my biggest issue with lecturing is the amount of engagement of the students

and the thought of me doing all the talking for 55 minutes sounds like

 the last thing I would want to do

well, my kids proved that we could turn that type of lesson into more of a conversation

and I'm so glad we did - they had so many amazing questions and talking points

here are a few of my favorites:

"So, at the Presidential Inauguration, 

they are sworn in on the Bible.  

What happens if they are an Atheist?" 

Talk about a great way to start a conversation about SO many things.  And this question didn't just come up in one of my classes, but in all of them, and from so many different students, asking about different faiths and backgrounds, hypothetical situations, and the general progression of politics in our nation.

  I exclaimed my excitement by telling them what amazing questions they had - and that most adults have probably never even stopped to think about any of them.

I really do think they are getting it.  

I really do think they are starting to realize why we should study history.

I really love how quickly they "got" the significance of having President Obama

choosing to be sworn in on Abraham Lincoln's Bible

Oh, and I'm so in love with our lessons this week...

campaign rally for the Federalists & Republicans

with rally signs, buttons, and all - yes please.