Monuments are everywhere around us. Some are famous and grand while others may be as simple as a special tree in your back yard. Whatever the case, monuments can be fascinating to explore. That’s exactly what the Monuments and Moments collection helps us accomplish!
We’ll look at special moments in our families and homeschooling experiences while also enjoying a look at both natural and man-made monuments from around the world. In the Ancient Wonders unit study e-book, we’ll take an even closer look at the monuments that were important to ancient civilizations.
Monument & Moments Collection Sponsor
A leading publisher of homeschool curriculum, AOP partners with parents to educate children from a Christian worldview. With something for every family, AOP’s print curriculum includes LIFEPAC for grades K-12, as well as Horizons. AOP has also played a key role in digital curriculum, including the groundbreaking Monarch online curriculum.
Table of Contents
Monuments & Moments Collection
Monuments & Moments Collection
Bonus Articles, Podcasts, and More
Explore Monuments & Moments Collection
Editor’s Note
Remembering Monumental is Made Moment by Moment
Monumental doesn’t seem a big enough word to describe the last year of life. Between the pandemic, the polarizing social issues, and of course the politics, Americans have experienced challenges that have left many of us weary, uncertain, and disheartened.
We will celebrate the 244th birthday of America this year. Although this great experiment of freedom is very young, because of the advancements in the last few centuries, it feels like we are worlds apart from those who came before us. Perhaps that’s the answer to what we’ve experienced this past year. Let me explain.
Faith
Monumental Moments
Developing Perspectives
I’m not sure exactly which day it happened.
Was it in June or August? Was it a Thursday or a Monday? Was it raining or sunny? It’s not like having a child, where the memories are vivid and the date is etched in your mind forever. However, it was a moment that changed how I viewed myself and radically changed how I think on a daily—wait, no, on a minute-by-minute basis. It was monumental to me. It was a new perspective.
Marriage
Monumental Changes
Growing and Maturing Marriage
I may not have gone where I intended to go, but I think I have ended up where I needed to be. ~Douglas Adams
When I first came across that line, it made me smile. When my husband and I got married, I thought I knew what our life together was going to look like. Of course, things rarely go exactly as planned! The past 20 years have seen some pretty monumental changes. Some we expected, like becoming parents, starting a business, and a number of moves. Others we didn’t, like health challenges, financial struggles, unexpected loss of loved ones, and the empty nest transition.
Parenting
In the Moment
Making sure you don’t miss it!
We are planning a family road trip this summer. That may seem a strange way to start this article, but bear with me. We’re planning the trip because we are starting to see the end of an era. My daughter, 21, will start her final year of college next fall. And my son turns 18 this summer and will graduate from high school next spring. It won’t be long now and there will be spouses and grandchildren, and the possibility exists that we will never take a trip just the four of us again, so we’re seizing the moment. You see, that’s the point. We only have this moment in time once, so we need to seize it!
Featured Homeschooling Article
When Milestones Aren’t Met
Figure Out What the Norm was For My Non-Traditional Child
I remember the conversation vividly. I worked for a mother’s day out program at the time. It was a great program, known for preparing children well for kindergarten. Then there was my child. My brilliant, creative child who had absolutely zero interest in any form of academic preparation.
On this particular day, the teacher handed me a packet of worksheets and informed me that my child hadn’t made it through even the first two pages, whereas the other children had flown through the entire packet in the allotted time, some with enough time left over to start getting bored.
Collection Sponsor
From Online to Anywhere
With Monarch
Sabrina Moore knew her son had wanted to try an online curriculum for a long time, but it wasn’t until she discovered AOP’s budget-friendly plans for Monarch that her son’s wish became a reality.
Beyond the Books
Teachable Moments
Equipping Students to Enter Adulthood Prepared
Have you ever wondered how people from history felt as they lived out the moments we can only read about today? How many of those people would have ever expected their experience to become something significant, a “moment” to be studied and explored for generations to come?
Ask A Homeschool Mom
Which Memorial, National Preserve, or Historical Site Do You Want to Visit and Why?
Rebecca Farris, Mom of 5
20 Years of Homeschooling
After 10 years of traveling the USA, we’ve seen dozens of sites. The one we enjoyed the most, and would like to return to…
Ann Hibbard, Mom of 3
15 Years of Homeschooling
It’s so hard to even begin to pick one, especially since my whole family loves history and there are so many historic sites…
Stephenie McBride, Mom of 2
18 Years of Homeschooling
Colonial Williamsburg and Jamestown. We actually visited this area when I was eight and I remember loving it…
Teisha Priest, Mom of 4
13 Years of Homeschooling
Wright Brother National Memorial in North Carolina and the Apollo 1 Memorial at Cape Canaveral are two…
Nature Study
In nature, nothing is perfect and everything is perfect. Trees can be contorted, bent in weird ways, and they’re still beautiful.
– Alice Walker
Caves
The Earth’s Natural Monuments
When trying to create a list of monuments, we often think of things that have been made by people to commemorate a specific event or person.
But, the earth also has an abundance of natural monuments! There are lava formations reminding us of various volcanic eruptions, and the Grand Canyon is a monument to the power of water as it flows through rock above ground.
Things You Can Find in a Cave
Animals, Zones and Formations
Studying how caves are made is fascinating in an of itself. But there is so much more to the wonder that makes up a cave! Not only do caves boast magnificent formations created from the interaction between water and minerals, but caves also provide a home to many creatures that live only in the darkest of environments.
Create Your Own
Stalactites and Stalagmites
Stalactites and stalagmites are two structures formed by minerals that are found in limestone caves. Stalactites come down from the ceiling and stalagmites come up from the floor. You can use their spelling to remember which is which. Stalactites come down from the ceiling and stalagmites come up from the ground…
Living Education
Do what you can, with what you have, where you are. – Theodore Roosevelt
Mount Rushmore Facts
National Monument Fun
Mount Rushmore is a widely recognized and very popular American monument. But how much do you know about this incredible sculpture and the details involved in its creation?
Here are just a few of many fascinating facts about Mount Rushmore.
The Process of Sculpting
Three Dimensional Form
When you think of a monument, what picture comes to mind? It’s probably something that is three-dimensional, right? Although monuments can include natural formations, buildings, or even simply locations that mark a memorable event, many monuments are pieces of art that are carved or shaped. This type of artwork—anything that takes three dimensional form—is called a sculpture.
Sculpting Activity
Art from the Ancient Days
Sculpture as an art form has been around since the earliest ancient days of human history. Sculptures can be made of any material that can be formed into three dimensional shapes.
Common materials include stone, metal, clay, wood, ivory, and plaster, but modern materials such as aluminum foil, cement, snow, ice, and even trash are used to make sculptures. And, of course, the very largest sculptures are made out of mountains!
Recommended Resources
Digging Deeper into the Fun of Monuments!
Would you and your students like to learn more about monuments and the other topics in this collection? Dive into our list of recommended books, movies, and games for more exploration and fun!
Hands On Learning
For the things we have to learn before we can do them, we learn by doing them. – Aristotle
How Things Work
What’s It Made Of?
Some of the fantastic buildings and monuments of the distant past survive to this day. It’s impressive that the people who built them were able to do so without modern construction equipment, and even more impressive that centuries later, they are still standing! What materials did they use to build structures and monuments that would last for so long?
Making Bricks
Used in Ancient and Modern World
Ancient monuments were often made of clay bricks, which are still used for building today. You can make your own clay bricks by following this activity.
Hammers
Then and Now
Whether it’s the Pyramids of Giza or a modern skyscraper, building something requires tools. Some ancient tools aren’t all that different from some of our modern tools, while others have changed dramatically!
Let’s take a look at one of the most basic hand tools and see how it’s changed through the years.
Exploring Monuments
Monuments are the grappling-irons that bind one generation to another. – Joseph Joubert
Exploring Monuments
Learning Adventures
According to Merriam-Webster, a monument is “a lasting evidence, reminder, or example of someone or something notable or great” or “a distinguished person.” These reminders tend to most often be seen in the form of “a memorial stone or a building erected in remembrance of a person or event.”
American Public Lands & National Parks
Over 600 Million Acres of Land
The federal government owns more than 600 million acres of land in the United States, which is divided up between different management agencies for different purposes.
National Park Trivia
How Much Do You Know?
In the National Park system, there are 63 locations designated specifically as national parks (as opposed to other designations such as memorial, battlefield, etc.). How much do you know about these 63 national parks? Play the follow trivia games to find out!
Teddy Roosevelt and the Birth of National Parks
Homeschool Skit
Did you know that President Theodore Roosevelt was instrumental in the establishment of the National Park Service?
Here’s a short skit you and your students can use as part of a unit study on national parks or Theodore Roosevelt.
The Vietnam Veterans Memorial
Washington DC Memorial
Striking in its simplicity, the Vietnam Veterans Memorial is one of the most recognizable—and arguably one of the most moving—memorials in Washington, DC.
Landmarks Around the World
Teaching by Stage
Help your student get to know the world around them by introducing them to famous monuments and landmarks around the world! Here are just a handful of ideas to get you started.
Our National Monuments
History Timeline
Devils Tower
Wyoming
1906
Devils Tower
Wyoming
Montezuma Castle
Arizona
1906
Montezuma Castle
Arizona
Jewel Cave
South Dakota
1908
Jewel Cave
South Dakota
Rainbow Bridge
Utah
1910
Rainbow Bridge
Utah
In the United States, national monuments are lands and waters with national significance that can be created from any land owned or controlled by the federal government. National monuments protect a wide variety of natural and historic resources, including sites of geologic, marine, archaeological, and cultural importance. The main difference between national monuments and sites such as national battlefields or parks is that monuments are created by proclamation of the President of the United States or an act of Congress.
Editor’s Note
Taking It Virtual
Visiting Remotely
Earlier in this issue, I mentioned that my favorite National Historic Park was the Lewis and Clark in Oregon. Now, I live in Tennessee and it was only because of my job at the time that I had the opportunity to drive cross-country and visit the national parks in the west. But what do you do when driving 3,000 miles is just not in the budget? Go virtual!
Ancient Wonders
Unit Study Download
You’ve probably heard of the current Ancient Wonders of the World. But did you know that even ancient civilizations had engineering marvels? In this five-day unit study download, you and your student will explore the history, science, and math behind these ancient wonders — and maybe even build a few of them yourself!