We Didn't Start the Fire

Call my crazy, but I have an idea for homeschool that just might jump start all of us with some needed excitement...

It includes an iPod, Billy Joel, and a recap of American History.

You see, since Christmas (and my new iPod) I've been introducing my kiddos to the world of amazing music that I grew up with. Some folks might decry such a practice and sometimes the explanations of song lyrics are a little difficult, but it's given us a connecting point and some good exercise. :-)

And now it's going to provide a great history lesson.

I'm a big history buff, not so much for a specific time period but to learn from those who have gone before us. Right now we're studying the life of Teddy Roosevelt and my kids are learning from this great man like they've recently learned tons about Abraham Lincoln.

I love that these men were huge readers and no one thought they'd amount to much but yet they took their God-given abilities and used them to the fullest extent.

I pray my children will do the same.

Anyway, today I was folding laundry (such a glamorous activity) and listening to my iPod when Billy Joel's song "We Didn't Start the Fire" came on. I love the humanity in Billy Joel's songs and how he captures emotions and real life poetically.

Back to my idea...I'm listening to the song's litany of modern American history and cataloging what we haven't covered and what we're going to cover. Then it dawned on me that every one of the events in the song shaped history.

Add to that how much my kids love music like their mom, and voila, we have a fun time to look forward to. Not only will we be reviewing a whole year of study and adding some cultural icons, we'll be discussing ideas and ideals and how they can use that knowledge to shape their present and future.

That's my kind of school.