Devapriya

Can anyone recommend books or movies or anything for an 11 year old
that is about previous wars. He's interested in making weapons, playing
guns, martial arts etc. like a lot of boys but I think there may be
more to it. Any history buffs out there? How can a kid over time,
understand where we came from, politically, and how it evolved to where
we are now. Where do you start? And I'm not talking in schoolish terms.

Thanks for any help.

Kathy

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In a message dated 11/16/03 9:40:51 AM, devapriya108@... writes:

<< Any history buffs out there? How can a kid over time,
understand where we came from, politically, and how it evolved to where
we are now. Where do you start? >>

He doesn't need to go in order. He can figure out the same/past/present.

This morning I was collecting morning glory seeds (partly to have something
outside to do because there are four extra kids in the house trying to sleep)
and my husband was out there getting ready to go do something SCA-wise. We're
talking about seeing Master and Commander this afternoon. I was asking him
what the technology was then, as to guns. It's 1805, so slightly post American
Revolution, but what advances were there? He talked about rifle stocks, but
I seriously doubt the British Navy issued rifles to seamen. I was mostly
wondering what kinds of violence to brace myself for, but I suppose a lot might be
cannonfire, and being chucked into the ocean.

Every little thing we learn (visually, aurally, however) we can fit into the
growing model of the universe we all have inside. If he's interested in the
martial sciences parts of the model, I'd recommend highly for political and
military stuff these two movies, to own if you can.

El Cid (on video yet, not DVD)
Henry V

Both discuss why stuff is happening, and both have really good battle scenes.

Both medieval, but that's my personal interest.

When a kid gets all the aspects of one period, though, he knows what to look
for and consider in others. Things like transportation, tactics, motivation
of enlistees (makes a difference), means of communication, etc.

I just realized that Friday night during the party there was a conversation
about the U.S. Civil War being the last war fought with Napoleonic strategies,
and about that war being notable for some changes and some hold-out traditions
(which weren't used thereafter).

I was cleaning the kitchen, and not really much into that conversation, but
my contribution was "Photography! They had the edge of photography for
propaganda purposes."

Sandra

Devapriya

thank you Sandra for your reply to my question. That was really helpful.

Kathy