I am a huge fan of literature, historical fiction, biographies, and source material when it comes to studying history with kids.
They develop higher reading and thinking skills, learn what it was really like to live in a given period of time, and with a structured reading schedule they understand history in context.
William Bradford and the Mayflower
Source materials are wonderful because they tell the story from a given point in time, from an influential viewpoint. Take William Bradford’s journal of the Separatist situation in England and the Netherlands, the Mayflower journey, and his time as governor in America. What an important story!
Yet, 17th century writing is really, really hard to interpret. Spelling rules? Pshaw. They didn’t need those. Modern language? It hadn’t been invented yet.
I’ll give you an example, straight from Bradford’s journal:
It is well knowne unto ye godly and judicious, how ever since ye first breaking out of ye lighte of ye gospel in our Honourable Nation of England, (which was ye first of nations whom ye Lord adorned ther with, after yt grosse darknes of popery which had covered & overspred ye Christian worled,) what wars & opposissions ever since, Satan hath raised, maintained, and continued against the Saincts, from time to time, in one sorte or other. Some times by bloody death and cruell torments; other whiles imprisonments, banishments, & other hard usages; as being loath his kingdom should goe downe, the trueth prevaile, and ye churches of God reverte to their ancient puritie, and recover their primitive order, libertie, & bewtie.~ (The whole first chapter is one giant paragraph.) Page 145-146, Plymouth Pilgrim
It hurt me to type that.
Now check out the way Donald W. White has revised this passage into modern English for A Plymouth Pilgrim (2015):
This we all know–Satan has continued to war against God’s people in England, and it has been happening ever since the true Christian gospel burst forth in our nation.
Ours was the first nation the Lord adorned with that True Light since the darkness of Catholicism covered the Christian world. Bloody deaths, torture, prison, and banishment have been Satan’s tactics for fear his kingdom would fail and truth prevail as churches of God return to their ancient purity, order, liberty, and beauty.
See what I mean? The second version is a whole lot more fun to read.
Despite his appalling spelling (bewtie?) and run-on sentences, William Bradford tells an important and compelling story of adventure, danger, and heartbreak.
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The Real History of Thanksgiving
I’m a fan of understanding Christian history from all over the world, and this particular story is central to the birth of the American nation. The world will tell your students a tale about how America came to be and the role religion played (or didn’t-depending on the storyteller); let William Bradford give them his perspective.
Donald W. White has not just updated and adapted Bradford’s journal. He’s shortened it to cover just up through the first year of the pilgrim’s time in America (adding important details from other sources where necessary).
Your teens will read about the real history of our American Thanksgiving celebration!
There are discussion questions at the end of each chapter that may be of interest to your family. The book is illustrated by Mr. White’s amazing pen and ink drawings (seriously, he should illustrate all youth books everywhere), and nicely formatted for youth.
Don White is a graduate of Pepperdine University and Abilene Christian University, and a retired pastor. He’s also a genuinely kind man who I look forward to seeing at writing conferences a few times a year.
I highly recommend A Plymouth Pilgrim for middle school and high school students.
A Plymouth Pilgrim coordinates well with studies involving
- The Plymouth Pilgrims and the crossing of the Mayflower
- The 17th Century (1607-1621)
- Thanksgiving
- The Reformation
- William Bradford
- Separatists
- The American Colonies
Purchase A Plymouth Pilgrim:
A Plymouth Pilgrim: William Bradford’s Eyewitness Account of the Mayflower Passengers
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Martin Luther and the Reformation
Teach your teens about Martin Luther and the Reformation in an exciting, new way with When Lightning Struck!: The Story of Martin Luther!
As Luther’s understanding of the spiritual corruption within the Church grew, and he despaired of true salvation, Luther (now a scholar and priest) sought the Bible for answers. Following his discovery of the true gospel in Scripture, Luther began to preach spiritual freedom to his congregation, and to teach biblical (rather than philosophical) theology at the University of Wittenberg.
It was on October 31, 1517 that Martin Luther penned his Ninety-Five Theses in Latin in response to the abusive indulgence sales practices of the monk Johann Tetzel in a nearby town. Luther nailed the Theses to the door of the Wittenberg Castle Church, the scholarly bulletin board of his day, and mailed a copy to the Archbishop of Mainz. Luther hoped to start a scholarly debate about the practice of selling salvation through plenary indulgences. The response he received was greater–and more dangerous–than he imagined it would be.
Luther’s story is exciting. There are death defying moments, epic spiritual battles, narrow escapes, a kidnapping, revolution, and war. As the “Father of the Reformation”, Luther is a vital figure in Church history. His sacrifice and willingness to wage battle against the spiritual, religious, and political powers of his medieval world allowed Christians throughout time to embrace the truth of salvation by grace alone through faith alone in Christ alone as explained by Scripture alone once again. May all glory be to God alone!
Read portions of the first eight chapters of When Lightning Struck!:
Grab the autographed Reformation Family Bundle!
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