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Happy Reformation Day Everyone!
Five hundred years ago today--Martin Luther nailed his 95 Theses to the church door, having no idea how this single event was going to change his life and indeed the lives of everyone around him as well as many more people he had never met, living in different countries.
But Martin Luther wasn't the only one. Years before him lived John Wycliffe--Morning Star of the Reformation. At that time, there were very few copies of the Bible in existence. But in spite of this, God was watching over His Holy Word. He did not allow His truth to be forever hidden away, literally chained to a wall and written in a language that the common man did not understand. It is because of John Wycliffe's faithful work that I can read my Bible today--as he is the one who made the Bible available in the English language.
And then there was Huss and Jerome, who paid for preaching the truth to the people with their very lives. How many of us today value the truth enough that we would give up our lives to defend it?
We have taken time in our homeschool over this past month to study deeper the events and the men used of God which led up to the Reformation. I have been meaning to share some of the resources we have been using here on my blog earlier, but life has a way of being very busy so as they say, better late than never! Learning about the Reformation is not confined to a certain day or season--it is a great study ANY time of the year! So I hope you enjoy these resources as much as we have!
Light Unshackled A FANTASTIC film which goes over the history of the Reformation. Very interesting and I would say appropriate for at least age 10 and up. There is mention of Huss and Jerome being burned at the stake, so keep this in mind if you are thinking of showing this to young children. The film is divided into four, 30 minute segments, all of which are available to watch free at the Light Unshackled link.
When Lightening Struck! The Story of Martin Luther This is a book written for middle schoolers by a home school mom on the life of Martin Luther. It is written from a first person point of view, and is very well written and quite interesting. I first read the entire book myself, to evaluate and see what I thought, and now I am reading it out loud to our 13 year old and she says it is her favorite thing we are doing in home school currently!
When Lightening Struck! Discussion Guide and a 12 Week Unit Study on Martin Luther--both of these resources are available FREE at the above link for the book "When Lightening Struck!" Go to that link and scroll down down down to the very bottom of that page and you will find them. We are using the discussion guide as we read through the book, and it is really helping us to think about the things that are happening as we read the story. I especially appreciate the Bible references that are included, so students can actually read for themselves where in the Bible the points that the reformers were resting on are to be found. The 12 Week Unit Study is FULL of great learning--written for grades 6-12, which is rare to find as most unit studies are written for much younger children. I am thrilled to have a meaty unit study for my older student!
The Great Controversy This is a GEM of a book, and is available free online at this link! For a Reformation study, you will especially want to use Chapter 4 on The Waldenses, Chapter 5 on John Wycliffe, Chapter 6 on Huss and Jerome, Chapters 7 & 8 on Martin Luther, as well as Chapter 9 on Zwingli. The entire book is fantastic to use in home school (or in your own personal study time), as it gives a large overview of the great struggle between Christ and Satan, and really helps one to understand the big picture. So if you are short on time, simply use the chapters about the specific reformers--but definitely come back when you can and read the entire book! I believe it is also available to listen to as an audio book at the same link--I haven't done that, so poke around and see if you can find it if that interests you.
A Mighty Fortress Craft O.K.--you might think that a 13 year old is too old for crafts, but not so! My daughter is greatly enjoying putting together this little fort craft, based on Martin Luther's hymn "A Mighty Fortress" You can download a free copy of the craft at the link. all you need to add is four toilet paper tubes!
It Is Written- 500 Years of the Reformation This link will take you to an amazing nine part series (approximately one hour each part) on the history of the Reformation. It is currently being broadcast on several channels, but as each part is broadcast they are releasing that part on the web site here. So far, parts 1-6 are released, with parts 7-9 still to come. My daughter and I are still finishing watching part 2, but we have already learned so much! Part 2 is all about Ireland and St. Patrick--I have learned many things I never knew before! And the best part is it is all free!
Martin Luther 95 Theses Craft This link will take you to a page of wonderful resources from the company Homeschool In The Woods. If you scroll down, the second item in the list is a Martin Luther 95 thesis craft. This item is not free, but only cost a few dollars and you can download it immediately and use it today! The company was also running a special which I believe is still valid through today, where if you bought ANY product of theirs, they would send you a free download of the 95 Thesis craft. So this is what I did--I purchased another item of theirs that I thought my daughter would enjoy later on, and received this craft as a free bonus. :). That is win-win in my book!
Well, there you have it. A long list of resources we are using in our Reformation study--and all but two of the items in the list are free! And the two that aren't--I receive nothing if you purchase them. I am simply sharing what has been a blessing in our homeschool.
I hope these resources are a blessing to you and your family! Remember--we must base every belief on the unchanging Word of God.
May God bless each one of you!
~Susan
