<![CDATA[History is the Hook

<![CDATA[History is the Hook - HIH Blog]]>Mon, 14 Sep 2026 21:35:38 -0600Weebly<![CDATA[Tito Bustillo Cave: Create a Personal Study Plan, part 2]]>Mon, 12 Jul 2021 20:31:46 GMThttps://www.historyisthehook.com/hih-blog/tito-bustillo-cave-create-a-personal-study-plan-part-2

Ribadesella, Spain, looking towards the mountains where Tito Bustillo Cave is located.

When I came home from Spain, I couldn’t stop thinking about my experiences in Tito Bustillo Cave. I decided to learn more about prehistoric civilizations and share what I learn with others. And I hope to be able to go back some day, not only to Tito Bustillo, but to many of the smaller caves in northern Spain I have learned about.

In my studies, I find that a group of young spelunkers discovered the cave on the Thursday of Holy Week. One of the discoverers of the cave, Celestino Fernandez Bustillo, called Tito by his friends and only 18 years old, died three weeks later exploring another cave. They named this cave after him. In April 2018, the citizens of Ribadesella celebrated the 50th anniversary of the discovery of the cave.

Because of these cave discoverers, I am motivated to dedicate myself to my life purpose. Because of the cave art creators, I am inspired to pursue beauty, truth, refinement, and excellence and share it with others.

All figures in a cave were linked to one another in some way.
--Ramon M. Capin-Rama, The Tito Bustillo Cave

In a previous post, I shared my transformative experience at Tito Bustillo Cave and started to walk you through a Personal Study Plan with the cave as a Core Source. In this post, we’ll go deeper--creating academic skills, applicational activities, and transformation!

4-Consider Questions and Quality Applications.
Before studying your Core Source, make a list of questions you would like to have answered during your study. I call these Discovery Questions, and for Tito Bustillo Cave, they may include: Who is related to cave—creators, discoverers, researchers? Why is the discovery of this cave so important? What can I, or do I, want to learn as I study? (Make a list.) Where is this cave? When was this cave created and discovered? What is the context of the discovery of the cave? What has ongoing research found? Is there anything unusual about this cave that strikes me as I learn more? It’s fun to find the answers to these questions in the sources!

Tito Bustillo has been a privileged cavern. So late a discovery (1968) was really lucky, for it made it possible to use new methods of study that provide lots of information with the help of approaches that were not available only a few years before . . . . Furthermore, it also allowed for new systems to protect the amazing rock art which had been confined inside the Tito Bustillo Cave for thousands of years.
–-Ramon M. Capin-Rama, The Tito Bustillo Cave

As you study, take notes of important ideas or quotes you want to remember. Also, note any Activities or other Applications that come to your mind. Create Thought and Discussion Questions to ponder and/or discuss with others later. Practice study skills by reading critically, annotating, discussing, writing, and applying what you have learned. Pull from your annotated list, and Consider each academic subject, as you create Quality Activities for your study of Tito Bustillo Cave.

Some of those Activities may include:

Learn about the geology and environment of caves. Create your own cave with bedsheets or cardboard or butcher paper. Furnish it with geological strata and formations, such as stalactites and stalagmites, and with cave creatures, cave paintings, etc.
Use colored chalk to make your own cave paintings on the driveway or sidewalk, or on crumpled brown butcher paper or brown paper bags.
Study perspective and proportion in cave art. Create your own art using perspective and proportion.

5-Consecrate: BE the Change
I always like to include service and personal growth in all my studies. In this way, I can “BE the Change I want to SEE in the world.” (Adaptation of a quote attributed to Gandhi.)

What sort of service can you give or what personal growth can be accomplished as you study Tito Bustillo Cave? Maybe you can clean up an area around a cave near you, picking up litter or grooming trails. Or maybe you can discuss the positive attributes of discoverers or creators with a group and implement one or two of those attributes into your own life.

This will, of course, need to be individually adapted to each person, family, or group, depending on priorities and interests. But don’t skip this step because it seems so simple or inconsequential. IT IS NOT! THIS is the reason for ALL education—to BE an agent of change in the world.

The Magdalenians who drew these figures must have been very skilled to be able to do so with such a degree of realism. They used the natural shape of the rock for depicting some parts of the body.
–-Ramon M. Capin-Rama, The Tito Bustillo Cave

6-Create Change: SEE the Change
Now, evaluate how your unit of study went. Did you SEE the Changes you wanted to See in yourself, your students, your family, your community, or beyond? What will you do differently in your next unit to add to or follow up with what you’ve learned? What is the next step you’d like to SEE in yourself and beyond? Plan your next unit of study with that in the forefront of your mind, because education is all about TRANSFORMATION!

I hope you’ve enjoyed a glimpse at how to plan your own History is the Hook units, starting with one Core Source. If you’d like more ideas for resources and activities for Ancient World topics, check out History is the Hook: The Ancient World Subscription at the HIH School, https://historyisthehook.teachable.com/.

]]><![CDATA[I've Been Busy Elsewhere!]]>Fri, 25 Jun 2021 17:22:27 GMThttps://www.historyisthehook.com/hih-blog/ive-been-busy-elsewhereHello! It's been some time since I've posted. It's been a crazy year all over the world, and I have been writing, teaching, and creating--but not here. However, I'm back.

Here's what's been happening:

I am speaking (or have spoken) at the Transformational Education Homeschool Conference on the subject, "Only History? Simplify Family Learning!" You can get the recordings here: Transformational Education Conference
I'm excited to announce History is the Hook: The Ancient World Subscription! One Ancient World topic module will be sent to you each month--so 12 Topics, plus 2 Bonus modules! Check it out at www.historyisthehook.teachable.com
In the fall, I will be teaching a 10-week Hang It on the Hook: The Renaissance Course for moms and teens. The material will be the same for moms and teens, but the discussions will be separate. Enrollment is open now at the Teachable History is the Hook platform above!
I also have several evergreen courses on the Teachable History is the Hook platform above. You can go at your own pace!
- FREE Choose History as the Hook Mini-class
- Choose History as the Hook!
- History is the Hook Course

]]><![CDATA[Tito Bustillo Cave: Create a Personal Study Plan]]>Fri, 25 Jun 2021 16:29:11 GMThttps://www.historyisthehook.com/hih-blog/tito-bustillo-cave-create-a-personal-study-plan

I squat in total darkness, my right hand holding fast to cold metal railing. Suddenly, the guide’s flashlight spotlights a horse’s head, sketched in black thousands of years ago, yet still distinct. My heart swells and my eyes fill. I can’t understand very many words of the Spanish guide. So I just let the feeling of connection and reverence wash over me. I soak up the detail in the features of the horse and its bushy mane. The spotlight moves to the right and captures a full horse, purple, outlined in black, with another horse of the same type directly to its right. Below them, in a wall of red ochre, are other animals—horses, reindeer, and smaller deer. I am looking at original art, history preserved and remembered. I sense a link pulling me toward the past, thousands of years ago.

This experience in Tito Bustillo Cave changed me forever. I felt many of the same feelings as Jean-Marie Chauvet, Eliette Deschamps, and Christian Hillaire when they saw the first paintings in Chauvet Cave in 1994.

Suddenly, as Eliette’s gaze swept the wall, she gave a cry: in the beam of her lamp she had just made out two lines of red ochre, a few centimetres long. We joined her with beating hearts. On turning round, we immediately spotted the drawing of a little red mammoth on a rocky spur hanging down from the ceiling. We were overwhelmed. Henceforth our view of the cave would never be the same. Prehistoric people had been here before us. (Chauvet, Deschamps, and Hillaire, Dawn of Art: The Chauvet Cave)

Even if you don’t have ancient paintings or petroglyphs close to you, it’s possible to recreate some of those feelings with a physical or virtual field trip. Then apply what you have seen, felt, or learned with other media and applicational activities to round out your experience.

If you are just beginning your study with History as the Hook, you might begin with cave art. It is one of the first evidences we have of human creative and communal life. I’d like to walk you through the creation of a Personal/Family Study Plan, using my visit to Tito Bustillo Cave as the Core Source. You may choose to use a cave near you, a virtual tour of a famous cave, or a book with loads of pictures and information. Let’s begin!

 1-Choose a Topic and a Core Source.
We will begin with the Topic European Cave Art. And we’ve already established the Core Source to be the Tito Bustillo Cave.

2-Connect Other Sources, Topics, Timelines, and Maps.
Next, we look for sources that could also be used a Core Source. I call them Parallel Sources. It’s wise to start studying a subject with at least three sources, just to get a feel for the Topic, round out your research, and see if there are differences in opinion. I will add a small book I picked up in the Tito Bustillo Cave bookstore, The Tito Bustillo Cave, and the cave’s website to my list of Parallel Sources.

In gathering Parallel Sources, you will come across other sources that add to your Topic but are not really Parallel Sources. In our case, they may be books or websites about other caves. Or other physical caves we might visit. Or books about geology or cave creatures. These are Connected Sources. Make a list of these, as they will be helpful as you branch out into further research or ideas for applications or In-Depth Topics. Also, keep a list of Connected Topics you find in your study that you may want to explore further.

Then find or create Timelines or Maps that pertain your Topic. If you are keeping a Time Period Timeline or Book, add the Timelines and Maps to it.

The meaning of life is to find your gift. The purpose of your life is to give it away.
--Pablo Picasso

3-Cultivate GREAT-ness and Purpose.
The last step we will discuss in this post is Cultivating for GREAT-ness and Purpose. As you may have guessed GREAT-ness is an acronym for “Good, Right, Excellent, And True.” Once you have gathered resources and started thinking of connections and applications, slooow down! Be sure to Curate your lists for resources and activities that are GREAT and that inspire you or your students to follow your Purpose Path.

Think of virtues and habits you or your students need to practice or acquire. Add them into your list of Connected Topics.
“The meaning of life is to find your gift,” said Pablo Picasso. “The purpose of your life is to give it away.” Education is about finding one’s gift and figuring out how to give it away.

So, be certain that the resources and activities you have gathered enrich the lives of those who are studying the Topic. And maybe think about how to give that enrichment away to others, as part of your applicational activities list.

Stay tuned for the other half of Tito Bustillo Cave: Create a Personal Study Plan from a Visit to a Cave.

]]><![CDATA[School at Home? 3 Daily Actions to Inspire Learning and Build Relationships]]>Mon, 16 Mar 2020 17:30:09 GMThttps://www.historyisthehook.com/hih-blog/school-at-home-3-daily-actions-to-inspire-learning-and-build-relationshipsAre you lucky enough to be home with your family, either full-time or part-time, for a few weeks or longer? Wondering what you can do to focus on education, but also foster better relationships, between you and your children or your children with each other?

Here are three simple actions you can take each day to create a positive, healthy learning environment in your home. They will work with all ages, at all developmental levels.

1-Study One Thing Together
Simply observe a leaf, a bug, or a cloud. Read a short book, or a chapter or two, or a poem. Investigate microwaves or the internet or another culture.

After closely observing, or reading or investigating, follow up with research in books or on the internet. This could take 5 minutes or 5 hours, depending on interest level, resources, and rabbit trails. YouTube, online encyclopedias, and online sites specific to your subject are great places to look.

2-Talk About It With Each Other
We all want to talk about what we are learning. Discussion is great for all ages! Focus on why and how--and let the kids come up with ideas of their own. Questions spark creativity and imagination.

Why is the bug green? How does the food cook in the microwave? Why does this culture celebrate in this way? How did the artist get it to look like that? Questions like these demand answers, which can be found with a little research.

3-Apply With a Fun Activity
Once you have studied and discussed, go one step beyond and apply your learning in a fun way.

Create your own bug, on paper, as a sketch, coloring page, or watercolor--or with craft supplies.

Prepare a meal or a snack in the microwave. Or compare microwave cooking to the oven or stove, or to natural cooking, over a fire or with the sun.

Recreate a cultural celebration in your own home. Create decorations, food, clothing, and activities to enjoy and appreciate diversity.

Try your hand at sculpting, sketching, or painting to explore an artistic work. Learn more about the artist.

Fun Study Ideas:

Nature--trees, clouds, stars, animals, gardens, flowers, sunrise/sunset, moon, sun, grass, water, insects, soil, weather, etc.
Technology--planes, trains, cars, hang gliders, balloons, appliances, devices, electricity, plumbing, inventions, etc.
Art--music, painting, sculpture, crafts, sketching, design, architecture, color, etc.
Math--cooking, charts/graphs, measurement, percentages, angles, lines, shapes, balance, ratio, etc.
Literature--reading, writing, analysis, discussion, poetry, journalism, novels, biography, etc.

Bonus Daily Action--Read aloud with the whole family.
Gather everyone together once a day to read from a book that everyone might enjoy. Again, this may last ten minutes or much longer, depending on attention span and interest. If you choose the right book, you might captivate them all for an hour or more. If you can't take that much time, leave them hanging after one chapter--they will be excited for the next reading time!

Reading Ideas:

Classics--Pollyanna, Swiss Family Robinson, Anne of Green Gables, Call of the Wild, Where the Red Fern Grows, Little Britches, Peter Pan, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, Heidi, Bambi, Pinocchio, Charlotte's Web, Tom Sawyer, Summer of the Monkeys, The Phantom Tollbooth, and many more.
Poetry--Robert Louis Stevenson, Emily Dickinson, Jack Prelutsky, Shel Silverstein,
Picture books--Dr. Seuss, Maurice Sendak, Margaret Wise Brown, Beatrix Potter, Beverly Cleary, Eric Carle, Jan Brett, Mo Willems, Tomie de Paola, Robert McCloskey, Chris Van Allsburg, etc.
Current bestsellers
Core books, such as religious or philosophical classics for you and your family

None of these Action Steps require elaborate preparation or long periods of time. Find topics that interest you and your children and START!

While we have the chance to be with our families, let's make the most of our time together by strengthening relationships, focusing on the positive, and fostering curiosity, creativity, and imagination. Happy Learning!

]]><![CDATA[Lessons From the Theater]]>Mon, 03 Feb 2020 21:23:10 GMThttps://www.historyisthehook.com/hih-blog/lessons-from-the-theater

I have been MIA from the blog. But I do have a new book out, as of Monday, January 24: History is the Hook: A Chronological Approach to Education, 2020! You can find it on Amazon in Kindle or paperback, here. Soon, I will finish the Easter Island series by discussing how we Create Change using History as the Hook.

Today, I want to talk about the theater. A couple of weeks ago, I was fortunate to attend two plays in the same week--Fiddler on the Roof, at the Eccles Theater in Salt Lake City, Utah, and Every Brilliant Thing, at the Harman Theater in West Valley, Utah. Fiddler was performed by the Broadway touring company, and Brilliant was performed by a traveling company from the Utah Shakespeare Festival. Both were excellent, inspirational, and timely. I was reminded that I need to attend the theater more often, because my heart was touched and my perspective broadened.

Fiddler began with an almost-bare stage. A man entered, wearing a red ski parka, brown pants and boots, black glasses, and carrying an open book. As he spoke of the fiddler playing on the roof, he removed his jacket and revealed his shirt, vest, and prayer shawl, turning into Tevye. The last scene, where the townspeople are evicted from Anatevka, was also sparse, with only the wagons pushed by the families leaving. Tevye put his jacket back on, grabbed his book, and joined his family in the infinite circle of wagons going nowhere. I was touched throughout, by the universal truths of the story depicting personal, family, and community challenges. The story, which took place in the early 1900s, and was written and first performed in the late 1960s, is as pertinent today as it was then.

Children rebel; relationships become strained; groups of people don't get along; individuals are treated as a mob; and life goals are not always realized. Governments have the power to lessen the influence of, demean, or entirely cast out, certain ethnic groups. Tradition can be a firm foundation or a stumbling block to a better life. I was so moved by the performance of Tevye, and his daughters, especially, and I gained different lessons watching the performance as a mother of adult children than I did when I was a child, or young adult, or young mother. That alone speaks to the universality of themes in the work, and in drama itself.

The entire set for Brilliant was a few chairs. A contemporary one-person show, using lots of audience participation, it dealt with the topic of suicide in a matter-of-fact, but deeply thoughtful, way. In almost the same moment, many times throughout the performance, I was both laughing and crying. This production is touring Utah schools, helping survivors and their loved ones know that emotions and life trauma are inevitable, that someone understands and wants to help, and that we need to reach out in love to those around us.

I know I am lucky to be able to attend live theater--and I don't do it often enough. It always speaks to my soul. In both performances I attended, I was reminded that when we know the "others" story, we are less quick to judge. We are less critical of ourselves and others, because we realize everyone has challenges. We are all connected by our humanity. That is the overarching message of theater. If you are able, participate in the connection.

]]><![CDATA[Easter Island HIH Challenge, part 2: Cultivate, Consider, Consecrate]]>Mon, 08 Jul 2019 21:35:47 GMThttps://www.historyisthehook.com/hih-blog/easter-island-hih-challenge-part-two-cultivate-consider-and-consecrate

All photos in public domain on Pixabay

A friend challenged me (on Facebook, no less!) to hook a topic to history. In the previous post, we began to Choose and Connect as we studied using History as the Hook. This post will focus on how to Cultivate Refinement and Excellence, Consider Patterns and Worldviews, and Consecrate Your Personal Purpose Path using History as the Hook.

Cultivate Choice and Connection
First, let’s review: I’ve chosen to study the Easter Island Moai. I’m going to connect it to everything through history. How can I further cultivate agency and responsibility through this study? Always ask this question first, as Choice is the key to each subsequent step.

How will I choose to hold myself accountable to this course of study? Will I make myself a schedule? Will I teach it to others, write an article, or create a project to share? Will I choose a specific focus? Or study broadly? Or both?

If I am a mentor, how will I help my student(s) Cultivate Agency and Responsibility? Will they share in the research of the topics, in the gathering of resources? Will I encourage them to choose resources or topics within the study to focus on? Will I ask them to specifically focus on character, agency, and responsibility or another general point? How will they share their findings? In a project, presentation, or paper? Through service or some other application of principles learned?

Our preliminary Subject Outline is key as we begin to Cultivate Connections. We’ve separated our topics into subjects, but observe that they don’t really want to remain separated. Topics cross lines and belong in multiple subjects. For instance, Moai appear in Art, Math, Philosophy, and Science. Birdman cult and competition appear in Government and Philosophy. Volcanoes appear in both Geography and Science.

We’ve skimmed some resources found at the library, watched a few videos, read a bit online. We’ve updated our Resources list with the sources already in our hands. We now have a very full outline--nine subjects, with specific information about many of the topics in each subject. Using history as the hook, we study holistically, integrating topics and subjects.

Here is the more complete, revised outline:

subject_outline_for_easter_island.pdf
File Size:	366 kb
File Type:	pdf

Download File

Now it’s time to delve more deeply. Notice that we are still in the investigation phase of our learning. We have created a rich foundation of Choice and Connection. We turn next to the Cultivation of Refinement and Excellence: The Education of the Soul.

Cultivate Refinement and Excellence
For Cultivating Refinement and Excellence, we need Original Sources: art, music, nature, biography, literature, even math and science. These creative works have power to cultivate our character and refine our soul. Studying a great person or great work of art or nature fills us with wonder, gratitude, and hope. What are some topics and resources in our Subject Outline that lend themselves to cultivating refinement and excellence? Whom can we study in these topics to learn more about and practice these traits? What original works in the culture will help us refine our souls and motivate us to excellence?

Let’s choose the MOAI, since they were the original inspiration for this topical study. What can we learn from them? The creation of the moai, the sculpting and transportation methods involved in moving them from the quarry to the coast, the reason behind their creation, and their importance in the Rapa Nui culture gives us insight into the development of refinement and excellence.

When we study the moai with Synthesis and Analysis, looking at the whole and looking at the parts, we are inspired. In analysis, we carefully study the particulars—how, what, why, where, when, why. In synthesis, we gather together what we’ve learned to create an overall theme or principle.

The entire community took part in the creation of the moai. Many talented artists were needed to sculpt from every side of each statue at the quarry. Each moai was carefully carved with individual features, representing ancestors. The rest of the community supported the honored craftsmen by doing the everyday work and providing them with food, shelter, and clothing. Others were involved in moving the huge moai many miles from the inland quarry to the coastal ahu altars, the foundations on which they were placed. How did they move these giant statues all that way? Even today, we don’t know for sure.

We also don’t know why, after over 500 years of creation and construction, within a span of approximately 150 years, the statues went from being venerated to being abandoned--even destroyed. What causes societal change?

Why are the moai so important to the Rapa Nui? The communities came to the ahu to assemble, worship, and remember their past. They valued the excellence in their ancestors and used refinement and excellence to honor them.

Other possible topics to inculcate refinement and excellence could be: 1) studying Heyerdahl or Routledge and the methods they used to discover more about this mysterious culture, 2) learning about tribal government or the climate and natural resources of the island, 3) studying other works of art and music created on Easter Island, or 4) learning ocean navigation or farming. We will discuss personal application in the last post of this series, but application in any of these topics, practical hands-on experience, provides us a huge learning curve for refinement and excellence.
Next comes the actual “sit-the-behind-in-the-chair” study. But reflect on how much we have already learned from implementing Choice, Connection, and Cultivation.

Consider Patterns and Worldviews
Choose the topics and resources, connect them to history and to each other, and choose topics and activities that cultivate refinement and excellence. Now we will Consider Patterns and Worldviews by studying, discussing, and exploring our topics.

What Patterns and Worldviews do we see as we study, discuss and explore? Can we see the Tytler Cycle, the Hero Cycle, the rise-and-fall cycle? Symbols, themes, other patterns? Polynesian, European, ancient, modern worldviews?

Be sure to study a wide variety of sources and works. Discuss what is learned with peers and mentors. And explore all the interesting side trails. Use synthesis and analysis to consider patterns and worldviews. Look at the parts to understand the whole, and vice versa.

As we study the MOAI, we definitely see examples of cycles and patterns. Let’s explore as we learn. There were times of veneration for the moai and times of rejection. The moai became larger and larger the longer they were created. However, the only moai which has legs is probably one of the last to be carved and is kneeling. What might this indicate about the culture? What are the patterns and themes that emerge from our study?

The moai are symbols of a culture we don’t know much about. We believe they symbolize family, community, leadership, and excellence. They face inward to the community, standing on the ahu, instead of outward to the sea. They are the symbol of an ancient Polynesian society’s worldview. They represent the Rapa Nui government, arts, worship, family, industry, and business.

How has that culture changed or developed through the years?
How is it trying to return to its roots?
What does this have to do with choice, connection, cultivating character, and considering patterns?
How does this culture compare to other ancient cultures? Other cultures throughout history? Cultures in our time? Our own culture?

Consecrate Your Personal Purpose Path
The last step before application is pondering how to consecrate our study to our personal Purpose Path. Consecration is the dedication of our education to something greater than ourselves—to a purpose. A Purpose Path is the road we take to create change in ourselves and in the world. How do we personalize our study to follow our unique Purpose Path? In consecrating our learning to a higher purpose, we might ask these questions:

Why am I interested in studying this? Do I see a pattern of interest in my studies?
What do I want to have happen as the result of my study?
What can I connect my study to that will personalize it for me?
How can I apply this learning in my own life?
How can I learn more about what I need to do next on my Purpose Path?

Let’s return to the MOAI. I find the moai and the mystery surrounding them and Easter Island fascinating. I am drawn to ancient cultures and what they can tell us about our own world. I want to share that enthusiasm with others, so they will be motivated to learn about what is interesting to them. I can learn much from my specific study of the moai about honoring ancestors; preserving history, environment, and culture; and striving for excellence in my personal life and in my own culture. My study has led me to learn about the European explorers of the island, how they conducted their scientific investigations and experiments, and the music, literature, history, and art of the Rapa Nui culture. I have found connections in this Polynesian culture to the empires of Ancient America and the builder societies of Western Europe. Maybe I can explore those connections more seriously.

Conclusion
We have chosen our subject, our topics, and our resources with agency and responsibility. We have connected them to history and to other academic subjects. We have chosen topics and resources to cultivate refinement and excellence. We have considered patterns and worldviews in our study, discussion, and exploration. And we have consecrated our study to our individualized Purpose Path.

Next time we’ll be ready to focus on application—or how we can Create the Change we wish to see in the world. Happy studying!

Updated Resources: 7/8/19
Books
Bahn and Flenley, Easter Island, Earth Island
Carlos Mordo, Easter Island
*Caroline Arnold, Easter Island: Giant Stone Statues Tell of a Rich and Tragic Past
Catherine and Michael Orliac, Easter Island: Mystery of the Stone Giants, Translated from the French by Paul Bahn, New York: Harry N. Abrams, 1995.
Christina Thompson, Sea People: The Puzzle of Polynesia
David Quammen, The Song of the Dodo
Felipe L. Soza, Easter Island: Rapa Nui
Grant McCall, Rapanui: Tradition and Survival on Easter Island
Hunt and Lipo, The Statues That Walked
*Jennifer Vanderbes, Easter Island: A Novel
*Jo Anne Van Tilburg, Among Stone Giants
*Jo Anne Van Tilburg, Easter Island: Archaeology, Ecology, and Culture John Dos Passos, Easter Island: Island of Enigmas
John Malam, Thor Heyerdahl (Tell Me About Series), Minneapolis, Minn.: Carolrhoda Books, 1999.
Kaeppler and Van Tilburg, The Iconic Tattooed Man of Easter Island
*Katherine Pease Routledge, The Mystery of Easter Island: The Story of an Expedition
Michael Kenna, Easter Island
*Pavel and Eccles, Rapa Nui: The Man Who Made the Statues Walk
Shawn McLaughlin, The Complete Guide to Easter Island
Sherwin Carlquist, Island Life
Steven Roger Fischer, Island at the End of the World
Thomas Barthel, The Eighth Land: The Polynesian Discovery and Settlement of Easter Island
Thor Heyerdahl, *Aku-Aku and Kon-Tiki
Thor Heyerdahl, The Art of Easter Island
*Thor Heyerdahl, Easter Island: A Mystery Solved

DVDs
Cracking the Mysteries of Time: Easter Island
Easter Island: Terra Mystica
Easter Island: The Truth Revealed
Nova: Mystery of Easter Island
Rapa Nui: History’s Most Protected Monuments
The Lost History of Easter Island

News article search
Make sure to do an internet search for current news on Google, Bing, or other search engines.

Websites and articles
Easter Island homepage: https://www.netaxz.com/~trance/rapanui.html
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Easter_Island
https://mymodernmet.com/easter-island-heads-have-bodies/
https://www.britannica.com/place/Easter-Island
https://www.forbes.com/sites/trevornace/2017/07/26/famous-easter-island-heads-have-hidden-bodies/#6092c3a1f804
https://www.history.com/topics/south-america/easter-island
http://www.newworldencyclopedia.org/entry/Moai
https://www.theguardian.com/culture/2019/jun/04/easter-islanders-call-for-return-of-statue-from-british-museum?CMP=twt_a-culture_b-gdnculture
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J5YR0uqPAI8
Jared Diamond, “Easter’s End,” Discover, August 1995.
Richard Conniff, “Easter Island Unveiled,” National Geographic, March 1993, pp54-79.

]]><![CDATA[Use History as the Hook For Topical Study: Easter Island, Part 1]]>Tue, 11 Jun 2019 16:56:21 GMThttps://www.historyisthehook.com/hih-blog/use-history-as-the-hook-for-topical-study-easter-island-part-1

All Easter Island photos are in public domain.

How exactly does one learn using history as the hook? A friend’s response to an article I posted on Facebook about Easter Island encouraged me to show how I learn everything using chronological history. The article showed bodies excavated in 2017 attached to the famous Easter Island heads. (https://mymodernmet.com/easter-island-heads-have-bodies/) I had no idea there were bodies under the ground. But I knew how to find out more about the story. So . . . challenge accepted, my friend!

If you are either the teacher or the student, the process of studying a topic chronologically is the same. Choose a topic—in this case, the Easter Island heads, or Moais. Then, do some research. I usually choose a topic from my chronological Timeline list that I’ve created over the years. But finding an article that is interesting, or running across a new topic in reading or study, is also valid. Go with your own or your students’ interests.

I start in my home library. Do I have any resources helpful to learn more about the Moais? Guess what I found? Aku-Aku: The Amazing Story of a Scientific Expedition That Uncovered the Secret of Easter Island, by Thor Heyerdahl, one of the explorer-archaeologists who actually worked on Easter Island. Cool! An original source. But I can’t find anything else that is useful. So . . .

Next, I check the county library website. What resources are available there? Just putting in the keyword Easter Island, I find several books for adults and children, along with travel guidebooks and a few videos. I check the ones that look promising and find a few more sources—several more books by Heyerdahl; The Mystery of Easter Island, by Katherine Pease Routledge; a biography of Routledge, Among Stone Giants, by Jo Anne Van Tilburg; another book by Van Tilburg, Easter Island: Archaeology, Ecology, and Culture; Sea People: The Puzzle of Polynesia by Christina Thompson; and Easter Island: A Novel, by Jennifer Vanderbes. Remember, I am just gathering sources now. I will sort them later.

Then, I head to the Amazon site. If you prefer brick and mortar, check your favorite local bookstore. Or do both. You’ll come up with more resources. I search once again, using Easter Island, Heyerdahl, and Routledge, and find even more resources.

I also check with a friend of mine, whose son lived in Chile for two years, to see if he brought anything back from Easter Island. Maybe he would be a good guest speaker, if I want to gather a group, or we could just chat one-on-one. Always try to think of in-person resources. They’re the best!

Why am I continuing to look for resources if I already have several? First, I want to verify information by using more than one or two sources. Also, I get a variety of subjects and types of resources. I hope to find some for various ages, some with pictures, some with stories, some focusing on history or art or math or science.

Since I have found more original sources on Amazon, I can now check several keywords on my internet search besides Easter Island: I add Maoi, Ahu, Rapa Nui, and James Cook. (I noticed several biographies of him and his original writings on Amazon. And I found a book about his voyages in my home library—score!) I also check images, maps, and news in my search. I find an article from last week’s Guardian, telling of a British delegation headed to Easter Island this week to discuss returning a Maoi from the British Museum to Easter Island, and to talk with local experts about how to preserve the Maois from the elements. Tying the topic to current events is an added bonus!

That gives me several articles and websites, which have bibliographies, from which I can get more resources. Then I can look at them at the library, online, or on Amazon to see if they are worth using. See how this works?

I also read Wikipedia and Britannica Online articles on Easter Island, to give me some background information. I want to cover a broad sweep of history, preferably from ancient times to the present-day. So I need to know where to look for that, and sites like those give me a good place to start—and more original resources.

To connect my topic to each discipline, I make a list of subjects and create an outline of all the tidbits I’ve discovered today. I notice I don’t have anything in Math or Music, so I’ll concentrate on finding out more about those as I continue my search. I also need to decide how long I want my study to last—a day, a week, a month, a year? That will determine how in depth I want to go with my resources and how long I want to continue my research. I’ve now created a pretty good list that I will sort to see which works make the final cut for my historical learning.

To connect my topic to chronological history, I find that the statues are believed to have been created starting in the 12th century AD, that the island was “discovered” and named Easter Island by Jacob Roggeveen in 1722. The indigenous people call themselves Rapa Nui. Other explorers, including Cook, Routledge, and Heyerdahl, came to the island through the 1800s and 1900s to talk to the people and excavate/document a few sites. But I also know from recent articles I find that we are still discovering new information about the history of this mysterious island within the last ten years—even in the last year!

Now, I’ll head to the library for more resources, and watch some videos I’ve cued up on Amazon Prime to give me more background for my outline and an idea of my focus. And I’ll be back soon with study and activity ideas for my Easter Island learning, using History as the Hook!

Subject Discipline Outline

Art

Cave paintings
Petroglyphs
Statues
- Ahu design—stone block, marae (paved plaza in front of the ahu)
- Called Moai
- 12th century
Stonework
Wood carving

Geography

Polynesian and South American origins
Annexed to Chile in 1888
Agriculture
Tourism
World heritage site, 1995

Government

tribal chiefs and high chief
Long-ears and Short-ears
Civil war followed a period of starvation
1966 Chilean citizenship
2007, special territory of Chile
Province of Valparaiso

History

Polynesian and South American origin
Jacob Roggeveen, 1722, Easter Island
Smallpox
Introduction of rats
Slave raiding
Emigration
James Cook
Other explorers
Routledge
Heyerdahl

Literature

Rapa Nui mythology
Rongorongo script
Rapa Nui language and Spanish

Math

Music

Philosophy and Religion

Birdman cult
Catholicism and Christianity

Science

Tropical rainforest climate
Deforestation and Soil erosion
Geology, Botany, Biology
Volcanic
- Three distinct volcanoes

Resources, as of 6/10/19

Websites and articles
https://mymodernmet.com/easter-island-heads-have-bodies/
https://www.forbes.com/sites/trevornace/2017/07/26/famous-easter-island-heads-have-hidden-bodies/#6092c3a1f804
https://www.theguardian.com/culture/2019/jun/04/easter-islanders-call-for-return-of-statue-from-british-museum?CMP=twt_a-culture_b-gdnculture
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Easter_Island
https://www.britannica.com/place/Easter-Island
https://www.history.com/topics/south-america/easter-island

News article search
https://www.bing.com/news/search?q=easter+island+heads&FORM=HDRSC6

Books
Thor Heyerdahl, Aku-Aku
Thor Heyerdahl, Easter Island: A Mystery Solved
Thor Heyerdahl, The Art of Easter Island
Katherine Pease Routledge, The Mystery of Easter Island: The Story of an Expedition
Jo Anne Van Tilburg, Among Stone Giants
Jo Anne Van Tilburg, Easter Island: Archaeology, Ecology, and Culture
Kaeppler and Van Tilburg, The Iconic Tattooed Man of Easter Island
Christina Thompson, Sea People: The Puzzle of Polynesia
Jennifer Vanderbes, Easter Island: A Novel
Hunt and Lipo, The Statues That Walked
Caroline Arnold, Easter Island: Giant Stone Statues Tell of a Rich and Tragic Past
Felipe L. Soza, Easter Island: Rapa Nui
Bahn and Flenley, Easter Island, Earth Island
Steven Roger Fischer, Island at the End of the World
Michael Kenna, Easter Island
Carlos Mordo, Easter Island
Shawn McLaughlin, The Complete Guide to Easter Island
Grant McCall, Rapanui: Tradition and Survival on Easter Island
Pavel and Eccles, Rapa Nui: The Man Who Made the Statues Walk

DVDs
Nova: Mystery of Easter Island
Easter Island: The Truth Revealed
The Lost History of Easter Island
Rapa Nui: History’s Most Protected Monuments
Easter Island: Terra Mystica
Cracking the Mysteries of Time: Easter Island
Ile de Pacques

Stay tuned for more Easter Island chronological learning!

]]><![CDATA[Travel the Purpose Path]]>Tue, 07 May 2019 17:05:53 GMThttps://www.historyisthehook.com/hih-blog/travel-the-purpose-path[G]reat education is not only about getting a job or training for a career, and it is not about mere literacy—it is about preparing a great soul to live his or her great purpose in life.
—Oliver DeMille, Hero Education

Among my own people, I was called Jehanette; since my coming into France, I am called Jehanne.

I was born in the village of Domremy. My father’s name is Jacques d’Arc, my mother’s Isabelle. As long as I lived at home, I worked at common tasks about the house, going but seldom afield with our sheep and other cattle. I learned to sew and spin: I fear no woman in Rouen at sewing   and spinning.

As to my schooling, I learned my faith, and was rightly and duly taught to do as a good child   should.

From my mother I learned “Our Father,” “Hail Mary,” and “I believe.” And my teaching in my   faith I had from her and from no one else.

Once a year I confessed my sins to our parish-priest, or, when he was unable, to another with   his permission. And I received the sacrament of the Eucharist at Easter time.
   —Joan of Arc: In Her Own Words, Willard Trask, compiler and translator

Who would guess that this ordinary young woman, Jehanette d’Arc, would one day lead the armies of France to liberation from the English and restore the French king to his throne? She began by developing unique gifts and talents, by deciding to listen to her “angels,” by dreaming about what could be accomplished with their help, acting on that vision, and dedicating herself to “create the change” she needed to make in the world.

Is there a change we wish to see in the world? Are our children or students longing to make a difference? As we study, and apply what we have learned, we prepare ourselves to travel a path of purpose for the rest of our lives.

Develop
First, we choose to develop gifts and talents, skills and characteristics, of great people who have come before us. Then we choose to go further in improving ourselves and our world. Where do you excel? What do you enjoy? Who can help you better yourself? These questions lead us to our purpose and to mentors who can help us develop the qualities we need to fulfill our purpose.

If you or your students are not sure about your Purpose Path, surround yourselves with a rich environment, try lots of new activities, and cultivate many diverse experiences. What calls to you? What makes you happy? What are you passionate about? What fills you with resolve and a feeling of usefulness? These are clues to your life purpose. Develop it.

Decide
Next, we choose an area which will become our focus. And if we have more than one area we feel the need to focus on, ask ourselves how we can combine them. Maybe I love nature, but also love to write. Shall I be a poet? Or a science journalist? I love math and art? Maybe graphic designer or architect. How can I best share my talents and passions?

Once we make some decisions, we begin to educate ourselves and others for a purpose. And we can always change our minds or refine our focus as we continue along the path. Decide.

Dream and Do
Now, we have fun dreaming and doing. What if I could live my dream life? What would it look like? What would it include? What do I need to do to make that happen? Who could help me to make it happen? Make a list and start acting on the list.

Sometimes we just need constant application and practice to refine our skills and give us confidence to move forward. Other times, specific classes or mentors can help us learn more and excel in our chosen field. Dream what you want to know, feel, and do. Then act on your dreams.

We will probably not have to sacrifice our physical lives, like Joan, to travel our path of purpose. But we will have to sacrifice. However, think of what goodness is created by people who dedicate themselves to a true purpose-filled life!

Dedicate
Finally, we choose to dedicate ourselves to our Purpose Path. We may not know exactly what it is yet, but we can commit ourselves to making choices based on our understanding of the path we need to follow. Or we may be well on our way to walking our own individual path of purpose. Either way, dedication to the Path gives us focus, refines our studies, and urges us to move forward, excelling in being our unique selves, as we share our gifts with others.

Young Jehanne d’Arc was so dedicated to her Purpose Path that she allowed herself to be sacrificed to further her life purpose. But even though she faltered at one point, she quickly revoked her abjuration and remained dedicated until the end.

If I were at the place of execution, and I saw the fire lighted, and the faggots catching
      and the   executioner ready to build up the fire, and if I were in the fire, even so I
would say nothing   else, and I would maintain what I have said at this trial until death.

   I have nothing more to say.
--Joan of Arc: In Her Own Words, Willard Trask, compiler and translator

We will probably not have to sacrifice our physical lives, like Joan, to travel our path of purpose. But we will have to sacrifice. However, think of what goodness is created by people who dedicate themselves to a true purpose-filled life!

Traveling the Purpose Path will infuse you with joy and peace, knowing you are blessing society and yourself as you use your gifts and talents to better our world.

]]><![CDATA[HIH in 7 Simple Steps]]>Tue, 22 Jan 2019 23:24:14 GMThttps://www.historyisthehook.com/hih-blog/hih-in-7-simple-steps“How do I use History is the Hook in my home or classroom?” Fair question. Here are seven simple steps to learn every subject through chronological history.

1) Choose
Choose a subject you’re interested in. Choose works and activities you enjoy. Choose an inspirational and knowledgeable mentor. Choose a motivated group of peers to learn with. Choose a comfortable environment, conducive to learning. Let your students choose topics, activities, and works that excite them. Choose where, what, when, why, how, and who in all your learning to keep the stress low and the passion high—for both you and your students.

For example, I knew my young children were already fascinated with Biblical heroes, as well as King Arthur and his knights, so I was able to quickly interest them in the heroes of Greece and Rome, the pharaohs of Egypt, and Gilgamesh, not to mention the tribal heroes of Africa and Ancient America, when we started our ancient studies. They inhaled the myths and fables of the ancient world. We read and discussed and did activities, together and separately, in the family room, the kitchen, and the back yard. Other families embarked on this ancient study with us, so we had built-in peers. But you could hand-pick others to invite to periodic discussions or activities if you are not associated with a bigger group.

2) Study
Study the topic or work. Read a book—or several, listen to a song, examine a mathematical concept, observe a performance or sporting event, experiment with a scientific principle, contemplate a work of art. And read, listen, examine, observe, experiment, and contemplate some more.

Read, listen, examine, observe, experiment, and contemplate.

Keeping with our theme of heroes, we eventually studied the Trojan War, reading The Children’s Homer, by Padraic Colum, and Tales of the Trojan War, by Kamini Khanduri (Usborne Library of Myths and Legends), which my son looked through again and again, memorizing the heroes’ names, actions, and strategies. We built weapons with blocks, Legos, and PVC pipe, foam, and duct tape. We scoured our art books for paintings and sculpture that related to Troy. We drew our own pictures and made up our own stories. Activities for older students might include analyzing military strategy, mapping the battles, or building a model of the Greek ships, the funeral pyres, or the Trojan horse.

3) Discuss
Discuss your study and thoughts about the topic or work with a mentor and a group of peers. Several discussions are even better than one! It’s productive to have ideas from several points of view as you are learning.

As we first read about the Trojan War, we discussed Achilles’ character, his short-tempered and changeable nature, and the consequences of his actions—positive and negative. We talked about Paris and Helen and how their choices affected so many people besides themselves. We pondered courage and friendship and loyalty and creativity. My son admired the Greeks because of Achilles, Odysseus, and other flashy heroes. I championed Hektor, because of his reluctance to fight and his love of, and duty to, family and country, even though I believed Paris and Helen were in the wrong. My daughter enjoyed watching how the gods and goddesses trifled with both sides. We were able to look at the story from the paradigms of others and understand more about the event and about each other.

4) Connect
Connect that topic or work to another topic or work. Discover connections you might not have thought about. The discussions you have had should help you look outside your own thinking. Observe how many connections you can make—what unusual links can you find to your original topic?

We had earlier enjoyed learning about the Greek gods and goddesses, especially from D’Aulaires’ Book of Greek Myths. But as we learned about Troy, we got to know the myths and the personalities of the gods and goddesses in more detail. Would they be gods we would like to worship? We also compared the Greek and Trojan heroes to other heroes we had learned about—scriptural, historic, and mythical. How was Achilles like or unlike Gilgamesh, Arthur, or Abraham? What about hero-leaders of today—politicians, actors, athletes? How did the Trojan War heroes compare to them? How does the war compare to world conflicts historically or today?

How was Achilles like or unlike Gilgamesh, Arthur, or Abraham? What about hero-leaders of today—politicians, actors, athletes? How did the Trojan War heroes compare to them? How does the war compare to world conflicts historically or today?

5) Explore
Explore those other connections as they relate to your original topic. Or let the exploration take you down a totally different path to learn new topics.

Studying the Trojan War led us even more into the culture of Classical Greece. We looked at Greek writing, ate Greek food, learned about Greek architecture, Greek drama, Greek government, Greek athletics, and Greek art. We watched a travel video about Greece and discovered what it is like today. We compared its history, arts, and government to Mesopotamia, Egypt, and other ancient cultures we had already studied. My son compared Ancient Greek military and weapons to the knights he knew about and to modern practices and tools.

6) Apply
Apply your newfound knowledge, and the connections and explorations you have discovered, in a tangible way. Create a project, write a paper, make a work of art, make up a new game. This is hands-on, practical application, but it can still be creative and innovative.

One of the topics we studied in Ancient Greece was the original Olympics. We joined together with a few other families to hold an Ancient Olympics. We made laurel leave wreaths to wear and torches to hold, divided up into teams from different cities—Athens, Sparta, Corinth, etc.--and had a torch relay, games contests, and a poetry reading. We ate food like olives, feta cheese, hummus, grapes, and pita bread. Many of the students, and mothers, ate feta for the first time that day. And they will never forget that!

7) Repeat
When you have applied as much as you can, to your heart’s content, choose a new topic; study, discuss, connect, explore, and apply. And then begin again. Forever.

After our study of Troy, we moved on to South America, where the Olmec and Chavin culture began to flourish about the same time Troy died. We had already learned about the pharaohs of Egypt and dynasties of China. Being able to connect and compare these cultures to each other and to our own is a huge benefit to studying chronologically.

Years later, as we again studied the Trojan War through translations of Homer’s Iliad and Odyssey, the discussions went even deeper, the connections, explorations, and applications were even more powerful, because we had chronological hooks to hang everything on—a positive factor for studying in cycles.

Use these seven steps to beef up your chronological study and include all topics in your learning—math, art, science, music, literature, government, geography, writing, and physical education. It’s simple to learn when you choose from the timeline, study your chosen topic, discuss what you’re learning, connect your study to other topics, explore the topic and its connections, apply what you’ve learned, and repeat over and over. This is great education!

]]><![CDATA[Why HIH? The Five C’s of Chronological Learning]]>Mon, 14 Jan 2019 20:03:41 GMThttps://www.historyisthehook.com/hih-blog/why-hih-the-five-cs-of-chronological-learning“You’re doing what?” “How interesting!” “Where did you hear about that?” “Is that legal?” As you consider, or begin, using history as the hook for all subjects, you might wonder what makes chronological learning a better choice than topical learning. Maybe your friends or administrator or mother-in-law or colleagues or child’s teacher is asking about your unique method of study. Let’s look at five reasons to use history as the hook.

1. Choose

Learning topics you have a passion for is the best way to learn—and the only way to secure individualized, life-long learning. When you or your student enjoys what you study, seeing a reason for that study, knowledge is tucked into the heart and linked to other knowledge to be useful later. If you add choices about the learning environment and the study schedule, learning increases exponentially. Then you are able to reproduce the ideal study environment later in life, so you can always learn any subject, any time, any where.

Why is choice so important? Everyone longs to make certain decisions for themselves, without persuasion or coercion from someone else. Education is vital to each person’s present and future well-being. It is simple to individualize curriculum content by perusing the chronological timeline of the period and choosing to study in more depth topics that attract attention and interest—and connect them all chronologically.

2. Connect

Connections make everything easier to learn. If learners can hook an event, a person, or a topic to a time period, and to other people or events in that time, they will be more likely to remember those facts and connections. Subjects are linked by people and place and philosophy. They are knit together, in many cases so seamlessly it is difficult to separate them. How do you learn the Golden Mean without knowing about art or math? What was the reason behind the American Revolution--government or commerce or freedom? Can Guernica be studied without a knowledge of military history or dictatorship?

Since topics are so interconnected, it makes sense to use those links to aid in the learning process. Tying it together chronologically allows learners to see cause and effect and cycles, and to choose consequences based on their gained experience.

3. cultivate

There are so many advantages to studying history. One of my favorites is the refinement and excellence that comes as I learn about people, the situations they encounter in their lives, and how they deal with them. I am inspired by examples of positive action, creativity, and courage. I am also motivated by examples of greed, hate, and fear—to choose the opposite reaction in my own life.

As I study talented artists and musicians, inventors and scientists, mathematicians and politicians, I applaud their excellence and my soul is polished by association with their works. I choose to cultivate greatness in myself because I am inspired by the actions of noble men and women, and I am able to mentor others by exposing them to refinement and excellence throughout history.

4. Consider

Critical thinking is another benefit to chronological study. Viewing the big picture and the little parts helps learners see recurring patterns and consequences. They sharpen their minds by studying great literature and art and nature, considering people and events from many angles, participating in philosophical discussions, and writing or speaking to express their knowledge and opinion.

As we learn about a person or time period or culture, it may be the first time we encounter a differing worldview. With background knowledge and a mentor’s guidance, we will be able to look at others’ worldviews objectively and with understanding. We can consider others and make choices with more empathy and confidence.

5. Consecrate

The whole purpose of education is applying what you’ve learned to benefit yourself and your world. Again, chronological study provides us with multiple examples of people who use their gifts to improve the lives of others. You are the only one who can choose to consecrate your life to your purpose. To consecrate is to dedicate, to give, to make sacred. Consecration implies commitment, sacrifice, and application.

As individuals, families, and societies learn history, we are able to remember and heal. How do we remember something we have never experienced? We study history carefully and choose a healing path to go forward. This makes our study sacred, consecrated.

There are so many reasons to study all subjects chronologically! You can feel secure in your choice to use chronological history as the hook for all learning, knowing you can choose the subjects you are passionate about, connect all subjects, cultivate excellence, consider patterns and consequences, and consecrate your education to remember and heal.

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