Betsy Ross

The Web As A Current Events Teaching Resource For Parents

Because school budgets are cut every year, parents have to pick up the slack and expose their children to learning opportunities. Fortunately, the Internet is full of educational materials — if you’re savvy about searching for them. And since children are so ahead of where we were at kids, using the Internet for teaching is totally natural for them. I watched my 4-year-old nephew navigate YouTube looking for NASA launch videos and tornado pictures, so it should be a snap for older kids.

There are plenty of opportunities for learning in odd places, for example, in the world of vintage art. Digitized old postcards, greeting cards, magazine pages and other “ephemera” contain a view of history that’s quite revealing. The following are just some of the online vintage images you can use for teaching:

Vintage Travel Memorabilia

Kids will enjoy learning about their world if you expose them to free travel memorabilia. These views of travel from days gone by instruct not only about the destinations themselves, but also the way that people used to perceive them.

Historical Sailing Ships Photos and Paintings

There’s plenty of interesting information to be found if children study historic tall ships. From sloops-of-war to caravels like Columbus sailed, stories abound of life at sea.

American Icon Postcards

There were a number of postcards created that honored American presidents, statesmen and even heroines. As a matter of fact, these used to be very popular. From free pictures of Abraham Lincoln to cards with pictures of Betsy Ross and John Adams 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 a great source of mini history lessons.

Colonel Stoopnagle Tales

Spoonerism fairy tales hail from the early- to mid-20th Century, created by Rev. William Archibald Spooner and made famous by radio comedian F. Chase Taylor, who perfromed under the name of Colonel Lemuel Q. Stoopnagle. These twisted tales swap letters or sounds in unique ways. Some supposed authentic spoonerisms include “a blushing crow” for “a crushing blow” and “fighting a liar” for “lighting a fire”. Besides being funny, these timeless mash-ups also give children the chance to play with words.

Victorian Fashion Plates

Studying fashion doesn’t have to be frivolous or just for children who want to become designers, if it reveals a piece of history. Studying Victorian fashion what life was like in the 19th century century. With any luck, they’ll get a better perspective on just how good their lives are now!

And Don’t Forget Current Events!

But history isn’t the only place you’ll find teaching materials on the web. You just have to watch out for impartiality. For example, there are probably a lot of parents who don’t like President Obama’s policies. But that shouldn’t stop them from using Obama clipart, President Obama photos or even Barack and Michelle Obama paper dolls to create lesson plans. As a matter of fact, I know personally of a homeschooling mom who used all three to create a tote board for her children during the election. It wasn’t about her political views, it was about teaching her kids the political process. As a result of her neutral stance, she gave them the gift of information that will help them make up their own minds.

Remember, kids absorb the opinions around them, so you’ll want to make sure they receive balanced information. Keeping an emphasis on fairness will make a big difference to them later on in their lives. Who knows, one of the children you’re teaching could be the president some day!

Philadelphia’s Ben Franklin & Betsy Ross Wedding

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