PrincipledMom™

This Guide will give you all the help you need to set up your teacher notebook and create your own plans. It even gives you resources for research and lesson development.The section is written by Ruth Smith and begins on p. 203. This is only my recommendation of how to read this section.

1. It will be beneficial for you to 4-R the subject. Steps for that can be found on p.145.
2. Page 208-211 gives an overview of the nine links with ideas for developing the teacher's notebook for each link. This is extremely helpful I think. Then as an example she goes on to expand the 7th link, The Pilgrim Seed of Our Christian Republic. She includes more teacher notebook preparation and identifies the 7 principles in the pilgrim story on p. 219.
3. She lists course objectives on p. 204. These you will consider as you plan each year because they do not change, they only deepen.
4. On p. 205a she shows what rudiments to begin with each year and then she refers you to the chart on p. 207 to deepen the elements according to age. I must say here that this chart is how I first came to understand how to teach multiple grades. The chart shows each link addresses to different depths. Seeing this chart, it all made sense to me. That's when I knew I could create my own plans and teach what I want to teach. That's when school gets fun for me! (If you are interested in her history books like The Mighty Works of God[second year on the chart], her books go by this chart, so you can see what will be covered in each book.)
5. So she lists 8 steps to follow to create your plans on p. 205. Some of these steps are for schools so just ignore those, but there is great information here just the same. Again, you want to take her suggestions and make them your own. I can't stress enough the importance of making things fit your family and not the other way around. And check the bibliographies on pp. 222, 225 and 306-307 for resource ideas.
6. She then lists some sample lesson plans on p. 222 and of couse you must keep in mind that these are for a school and not a home. Each subject's section ends with a short autobiographical essay by the author and Smith's is, of couse, enlightening.

The information she gives in this section is a comprehensive resource to get started teaching history PA. From understanding the 7 principles and the links to preparing your teacher's notebook and creating plans from her helpful charts and lists, she's covered all you need.

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