(This post is different from the one posted on Mama's blog)We had one of our best field trips ever last week! We went to the Texas Renaissance Festival. It was a wonderful way to start wrapping up our study of the Middle Ages. We'll be starting to focus on the Renaissance (which actually started at the end of the Middle Ages [the High Middle Ages]... if you didn't know that, consider it a free lesson from Morning Star Academy) in two weeks.
Here's what each student thought about the day and one thing that was new or reinforced about the Middle Ages:
HB: I liked the unusual and exciting experience of seeing real people dress
ed up as people would have back in the Renaissance, and talking like it too. It was always "Yes, Milady"; "No, Milady"; "This way Mi'lady"...Mi'lady was tacked onto the end of almost every sentence. Unless you were a boy. Then it was Mi' lord. Or occasionally peasant. I also liked that almost everything sold in the shops were made by hand. If they weren't made by hand, then they were unusual and looked as if they would have been used in the Renaissance. One thing that wasn't quite reinforced but not quite new was that I realized that they were actually quite "modern" back then. They had books, they had clocks, they had pottery and glass. Admittedly, these things were not as good as they are today, but still...they had them.
The Boy: I knew that if someone fell off jousting, they wouldn't sword fight, even though that's what they did when we watched. I knew that the Ren Fest didn't do the jousting right because jousting matches happened as separate events and were sponsored by nobles. It was still my favorite part of the festival. I thought that all the people were really good actors. I thought
Tartanic was awesome (said in a great Scottish accent).
Princess: I thought it was really fun. I liked how all the stuff was really cool. I learned that they made clocks work by weights. I liked the rides the best.
Faith: I really loved the jump. And the swings. And the fight. I liked the big guy with the stick thing. Going there was fun. Seeing the Big Bad Wolf was really cool. It was a human dressed up. I got in front of Daddy. It was sorta scary. I liked the pioneer days field trip better.
Cutie Pie: I really like the rides. I wanted to ride all of them. I danced a little bit on the stage with Tartanic but then decided it was too loud so I sat down with my ears covered. I had so much fun. I don't know what the Middle Ages are. Is that when you turn eight?
Wee Babe: Elephants are super cool! I learned that they have trunks. I loved
having an elephant trunk slurp be on the face. Mama thought it was disgusting, but I couldn't have enough of it. There was lots of room to run, but my family seems to have control issues because I wasn't allowed to dictate the walking plans. I have no idea what the Middle Ages are and I couldn't care less.
Well, there you have it. The summation of The Texas Renaissance Festival through my students' eyes.
What say ye? Was ye' ol' Renaissance Festival worthy?
Peacock Feather= beauty, knowledge and power
ed up as people would have back in the Renaissance, and talking like it too. It was always "Yes, Milady"; "No, Milady"; "This way Mi'lady"...Mi'lady was tacked onto the end of almost every sentence. Unless you were a boy. Then it was Mi' lord. Or occasionally peasant. I also liked that almost everything sold in the shops were made by hand. If they weren't made by hand, then they were unusual and looked as if they would have been used in the Renaissance. One thing that wasn't quite reinforced but not quite new was that I realized that they were actually quite "modern" back then. They had books, they had clocks, they had pottery and glass. Admittedly, these things were not as good as they are today, but still...they had them.
having an elephant trunk slurp be on the face. Mama thought it was disgusting, but I couldn't have enough of it. There was lots of room to run, but my family seems to have control issues because I wasn't allowed to dictate the walking plans. I have no idea what the Middle Ages are and I couldn't care less.
At the last minute, my neighbor and I decided to take our kiddos to a local living history day. It was a little crazy, but fun and educational. Usually, I'm a stickler for only taking field trips that pertain to what we are studying, but... I figured why not. 
The kids enjoyed listening to and watching (or nearly getting scalped by) the Mountain Man the most. If you don't count the beach and the biology lessons there, this was our first field trip of the school year. Since it was free and very close to the house, I put it in the win column.
