Changes

A small boat into unchartered waters brought the Pilgrims to America.  Their group not much bigger than our class, and their boat (the "Mayflower") was not much larger than our classroom.  Just before arriving on shore, the Pilgrims agreed to a written agreement or "compact" to bind them after they arrived.  The very first words of their "[[Mayflower Compact]]" were "In the name of God Amen."<ref>The Mayflower Compact is viewable here: http://www.yale.edu/lawweb/avalon/amerdoc/mayflower.htm</ref>

A small boat into unchartered waters brought the Pilgrims to America.  Their group not much bigger than our class, and their boat (the "Mayflower") was not much larger than our classroom.  Just before arriving on shore, the Pilgrims agreed to a written agreement or "compact" to bind them after they arrived.  The very first words of their "[[Mayflower Compact]]" were "In the name of God Amen."<ref>The Mayflower Compact is viewable here: http://www.yale.edu/lawweb/avalon/amerdoc/mayflower.htm</ref>

Just as our Nation's founders started with a prayer, so do we.  Prayer clears out the noise in our minds.  We are looking for knowledge and inspiration here, and that comes from God.  In most countries parents do not have the freedom even to have a class like this.  The main reason we have freedoms is because America was established on principles of liberty, and religious devotion in America remains among the strongest in the world today, as it was nearly 400 years ago.

Just as our Nation's founders started with a prayer, so do we.  Prayer clears out the noise in our minds.  We are looking for knowledge and inspiration here, and that comes from God.  In most countries parents do not have the freedom even to have a class like this.  The main reason we have freedoms is because America was established on prayer and liberty, from which prosperity results.

We live at a critical time in our nation's history, and this class may be as important to the future of America as the Mayflower voyage was.  Let's begin.

A tip before we begin: '''''the best way to master American History is to find something you like about it, and then write about that topic and everything that relates to it'''''.  Now let's learn some history.

== What Students Find Challenging About History ==

== What Students Find Challenging About History ==