Vintage Lincoln

The Web As A Current Events Teaching Resource For Parents

Because of all the school budget cuts, in many cases it’s the parents’ responsibility to ensure their children have well-rounded educations. Luckily, the Web is full of teaching materials — if you know where to look. And since kids are so hip, going online to learn is like second nature to them. I watched my 4-year-old nephew navigate YouTube looking for NASA launch videos and tornado footage, so older kids should have no problem.

There are plenty of opportunities for learning in odd places, for example, in the world of vintage art. Digitized old postcards, greeting cards, magazine pages and other “ephemera” contain historical information that’s quite revealing. The following vintage images are great examples of online materials that can be used for teaching:

Free Vintage Travel Posters

Kids can learn a lot about the world from vintage travel memorabilia. These walks down memory lane not only teach about the destinations, but also the way that people used to perceive them.

Historical Sailing Ships Photos and Paintings

There’s plenty of interesting information to be found if kids study tall ships. From sloops-of-war to caravels like Columbus sailed, there are interesting details bound to catch any child’s imagination.

Vintage American Icons Postcards

There were a number of postcards created that featured American statesmen and heroines. As a matter of fact, these were all the rage. From free pictures of Abraham Lincoln to greeting cards with images of John Adams and Betsy Ross to fictional American icons like Uncle Sam, the online world is filled with these vintage pictorial references. Most tell some aspect of the featured person’s life story, making them a great source of mini history lessons.

Colonel Lemuel Q. Stoopnagle‘s Spoonerisms

Animal spoonerisms originated in the early- to mid-Twentieth Century, created by Reverend William Spooner and made famous by radio comedian F. Chase Taylor, who perfromed under the name of Colonel Lemuel Q. Stoopnagle. These unusual versions of traditional fairy tales swap the first letter or phonetic sound of one word with the next word or a word that falls a few words away. Authentic examples from Spooner himself include “fighting a liar” for “lighting a fire” and “cattle ships and bruisers” for “battleships and cruisers”. In addition to being entertaining, these mangled mash-ups also give kids the chance to play with words.

Victorian Costumes

Studying fashion doesn’t have to be trivial or only for kids who want to go on to become fashion designers, if it promotes an understanding of the way people used to live. Studying Victorian fashion plates what life was like in the nineteenth century century. With any luck, they’ll be able to see how lucky they are to be born at a time when they can dress comfortably!

You Can Also Use Current Events

There are also plenty of current subjects that can be studied. You just have to make sure the materials, or at least your presentation of them, is impartial. As an example, there are probably a lot of parents who don’t like President Obama’s policies. But they shouldn’t let that stop them from using Barack Obama clip art, free Barack Obama photos or even Obama paper dolls to create interactive social study modules. In fact, one open-minded homeschooling mom used all three to create a tote board for her children during the election. It wasn’t about her political views, she just wanted to make sure her children understood the American election process. Because of her impartial presentation, her kids are now better equipped to make their own decisions when it comes to politics.

Remember, children are like sponges, so you’ll want to make sure they receive balanced information. Keeping an emphasis on fairness will make a big difference to them later on in their lives. Who knows, one of the children you’re teaching could be the president some day!

Vintage Lincoln With Mink Squirrel Seats