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Wednesday’s Around the World ~ Shadrach, Meshach and Abed-Nego

Written by Joy
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Wednesday’s Around the World ~ Shadrach, Meshach and Abed-Nego

Our next lesson for Wednesday’s Around the World is about Shadrach, Meshach and Abed-Nego.  Shadrach, Meshach and Abed-Nego was taken captive, along with Daniel, when Nebuchadnezzar II was king.  Nebuchadnezzar wanted to train these young men to serve in his palace.  The king tried to change these young men in several different ways.  He first changed their names.  They all had Hebrew names and the king changed them.  Then, he invited them to live in the palace, eat his food and learn the language of the king.  The king wanted to reshape their minds and way of thinking so they would become loyal followers of him.

While their names did change, they refused to eat the king’s food.  They didn’t want to defile themselves of all the food that the king was served.  While they didn’t change the way they believed, they did grow strong and were placed in service under Nebuchadnezzar.  While serving under the king, Shadrach, Meshach and Abed-Nego, the king told them they had to bow down to a huge gold image that he had built.  But by being faithful servants of God, they refused.  This upset the king so much that he had Shadrach, Meshach and Abed-Nego thrown in a furnace and heated up so hot that it killed anyone who went near it.  However, despite it being so hot that not one hair was singed on any of their bodies!  Nebuchadnezzar looked into the furnace and couldn’t believe what he saw!  The guys were not burned or harmed in any way!  He also noticed that there was another person in the furnace with them!  It was God!  God protected his faithful followers!  Nebuchadnezzar couldn’t believe it and said this:

Daniel 3:28

28 Nebuchadnezzar answered and said, “Blessed be the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, who has sent his angel and delivered his servants, who trusted in him, and set aside the king’s command, and yielded up their bodies rather than serve and worship any god except their own God.

After seeing this amazing miracle, Nebuchadnezzar declared that anyone who spoke against God, would die.

The activity for this lesson is a really neat one.  You are to attempt to burn different types of material.  This is definitely an activity that needs adult supervision.  My kids were really excited that they were going to get to burn things! 😉

Items we used to burn.

Items we used to burn.

The material you need for this activity is a candle, metal tongs and several small items to burn.  We used a piece of chalk, polyester, plastic, strawberry top, piece of cloth, a paper clip, pine needles, plastic clip and a little of Samuel’s hair.  We also had a bowl of water to put out the items that caught fire.

Claire burning a strawberry top.

Claire burning a strawberry top.

We lit the candle and each child took turns choosing an item to see what would burn and what didn’t catch fire.

Samuel burning his hair.

Samuel burning his hair.

Once the kids saw how easy it was for the cloth and hair to burn, we talked about the miracle that happened with Shadrach, Meshach and Abed-Nego.  How not even one hair on their body or even their clothes did not have any burn marks on them at all.   God had saved them from the fiery furnace!  It was a great lesson to show that if you are faithful to God, He will take care of you during those trying times.

What have you been studying in history and geography?  Have you done any fun activities or projects? I would love for you to share with us any history or geography lesson, project or activity that you have done in the last couple of weeks.  Just link up below!


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Wednesday’s Around the World ~ Nebuchadnezzar II and puppet kings

Written by Joy
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Wednesday’s Around the World ~ Nebuchadnezzar II and puppet kings

After a couple of weeks off of Wednesday’s Around the World, we are back with a lesson and activity about Nebuchadnezzar II and puppet kings.  So what does Nebuchadnezzar have to do with puppet kings?  Nebuchadnezzar invaded Judah and imprisoned their king, Jehoiakim.  When he did that, they didn’t have anyone to rule over them, so Nebuchadnezzar appointed  someone.  The first king he appointed was Jehoiakin, the some of Jehoiakim.  Why did he do this?  So that he could still control the kingdom.  Jehoioakin was only on the throne three months though.  Just like his father, Jehoiakim, he was taken prisoner by Nebuchadnezzar.

The next king that Nebuchadnezzar II chose was Zedekiah.  He was Jehoiakim’s brother and Jehoiakin’s uncle.  The final invasion of Judah did not happen until 11 years later.  Nebuchadnezzar II had Zedekiah’s sons killed right in front of him and then gouged his eyes out!  Nebuchadnezzae and the Babylonian Army fulfilled the prophecy that Ezekiel has said would happen.  They took everything valuable that had been left after the first and second invasions and burned the city to the ground.  They were warned ro repend and never did, so they suffered the wrath brought on by God.

The activity for this lesson was to make puppets from small brown lunch bags.  I did not have any of those, but had a lot of other crafting material, so we made our kids with what we had on hand.

making kings.

I cut out robes with the purple felt we had.  Then the kids decorated the robes and glued them on to popsicle sticks.  I loved how each one made their own king.

Finished puppet kings.

 

Now for your turn?  What have you learned or what kind of project or activity have you done for history in the last couple of weeks?  I can’t wait to read all about it!  Link up and share with us!!

**Disclaimer: There are affiliate links in this post.  I am a huge fan of Bright Ideas Press and Mystery of History.  That is why I do this link-up. 🙂


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Wednesday’s Around the World ~ on hold for a couple of weeks

Written by Joy
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Wednesday’s Around the World ~ on hold for a couple of weeks

Hi everyone! As you noticed, I didn’t get up a post for Wednesday’s Around the World last week and I won’t be getting one up this week or next either.  For the last couple of weeks, I have had some major dental issues.  Last week, they began a root canal on one tooth and then 3 days later noticed I had an infection in another tooth.  I went on an antibiotic and then went back to the dentist on Monday for them to begin a root canal on the tooth that had an infection.  That tooth ended up having more than the root canal done on it and I have been in a lot of pain since.  They even changed me to a stronger antibiotic because they think I still might have an infection in it.

We have been doing school, just on a more relaxed basis.  We have still been reading our lessons, I just haven’t been able to do any projects or activities with the kids.  The kids have been great about helping me out.

I am also behind in writing and doing reviews for books and curriculum, so I will be trying to catch up on those as well.

With saying all of that, I am putting Wednesday’s Around the World on hold until April 3rd.  I plan on having a giveaway on that day as well.  So be sure to be working on your history and geography lessons, so you can link-up and enter the giveaway!

Have a blessed week!

 

2013, homeschooling, Wednesdays Around The World, , ,

Wednesday’s Around the World~ Nahum and Zephaniah

Written by Joy
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Wednesday’s Around the World~ Nahum and Zephaniah

This week for Wednesday’s Around the World, we read about Nahum and Zephaniah, two prophets sent by God to warn of the destruction and doom to those who did not follow the law of God.

Nahum was a prophet God sent during the time of King Josiah.  Nahum was sent to warn the Assyrians.  Do you remember the Assyrians?  They were known to be brutal warriors.  They treated their prisoners horribly.   The capital of Assyria was Nineveh and it was a very strong city.  They had walls that were 100 feet wide and could support three chariots, side by side on top of that wall.  They had 1500 towers that were 200 feet high!

Nahum warned the Assyrians about their wickedness and told the Ninevites exactly how God would destroy them!

Claire sharing her “chariot”.

Zephaniah was also a prophet during Josiah’s time as King.   His message wasn’t towards the Assyrians, it was towards Jerusalem and surrounding nations.   He talked with those who only outwardly showed love to God, but were lost inside, their heart.  Zephaniah loved to write and wrote to those,  giving them hope in things that were to come.  However, just like Nahum, he also told what would happen if they did not turn to their wicked ways.

The activity for this lesson, we chose to build a wall and a tower.  We got the Lego’s and Lincoln Log’s out and the kids had a blast building, especially Sammy!  He loved seeing how high of a tower he could build.

Sammy working on his tall tower.

So what have you been learning about in History and Geography?  I would love for you to link up and share with us!  Also, be sure to check out those who link up.  I know I have learned a lot by reading what other homeschoolers have done!


2013, homeschooling, Wednesdays Around The World, , , , , ,

Wednesdays Around the World~ when sickness hits the family

Written by Joy
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Wednesdays Around the World~ when sickness hits the family

I am truly enjoying Wednesdays Around the World.  I love seeing others link up with what they have been learning.  This week, I will be highlighting what others have been learning in history.  You see, just when I think we are in the groove with school, something happens.  My children and I ended up sick!  I ended up taking a child to the doctor yesterday because he just was not improving.  He is now on an antibiotic and breathing treatments, as needed.  It is a nasty Upper Respiratory infection.  We are finally on the mend and will begin a full day of school tomorrow.

Now on to sharing what others have been learning in their history lessons.  Lindsay, from Bytes of Memories and her son studied about Joshua, The Battle of Jericho and Rahab.  I loved how creative Lindsay got with this activity.  To help explain the lesson, Lindsay and her son built a city of blocks and used little playmobil men.

Joshua and the Battle of Jericho from Lindsay at www.bytesofmemory.com.

Just head on over and visit Lindsay, her son to see how they learned about The Battle of Jericho!  I know I will be re-doing this lesson with my kids just so we can do her activity!

Ticia and her kids from Adventures in Mommydom learned about what it was like in the Trenches of World War I.  I love how Ticia takes the time to share with her kids that war is not as glamorous as what we are lead to believe.  I love the imagination used, by using pillows and cushions to build the trenches and then using rolled or balled up socks as mortars.

Ticia and her kids building trenches.
http://adventuresinmommydom.org

Be sure to visit Ticia at Adventures in Mommydom to read the full lesson!

I am looking forward to diving back into our history to see what new lessons we can learn.  I would love to have you share with us what you have been learning as well.  Just link up below!

****disclaimer~ This link-up is not officially affiliated with Bright Ideas Press but is my own project. I am a customer and fan.  

2013, homeschooling, Wednesdays Around The World, , ,