Our Own Joan of Arc

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As we wrap up the end of the school year, it seems like the projects keep piling on.  One of the recent projects required my youngest daughter, Emmalynn, to read a biography, complete with a book report and then she had to either dress as that person or create a puppet of that person for an oral presentation.

Did I mention she’s only six?  I don’t recall having to do these types of presentations until high school.  Nonetheless, Emmalynn and I visited our local library to search through the stacks of biographies for her report.

There were so many wonderful biographies of great people.  Although the choices were endless, we limited our choices to the materials and costumes available in our closets for the oral presentation portion of this assignment.  Should she be Sacagawea?  Mary Queen of Scotts?  Madame Curie?  Hillary Clinton? Miley Cyrus?  Harriet Tubman?
You Wouldn't Want to Be Joan of Arc!: A Mission You Might Want to Miss

The choice seemed clear when we found You Wouldn’t Want to Be Joan of Arc!: A Mission You Might Want to Miss.  She
could totally pull off a Joan of Arc.

With her Bob haircut, a sword, a riding horse-on-a-stick, and a homemade Princess Leah costume, she would be a dead ringer.  Not literally, though.  We would omit the whole burning at the stake part for her presentation.

As we read through the book, we learned that Joan of Arc preferred carrying a banner over a sword.  Therefore, we fashioned a similar banner using the backside of some leftover Christmas wrapping paper.  Emmalynn did her best to draw a few fleur de lys, the angels Michael and Gabriel seated on either side of God and the Latin words “Jesus Maria”.

For a more dramatic effect, Dad wrapped some duct tape around the cardboard tube.  It also helped strengthen the tube.

In the end, we had our own little Joan of Arc, who lived to tell about her adventures.

 

Denise Mestanza-Taylor+

About the author

Denise
From start to finish, Denise is Run DMT, a Tampa Bay homeschooling mom on the run trying to maintain an easy pace through it all between races and raising three beautiful, brilliant adultish kids (ages 23, 19, 14). In 2007, I discovered a passion for running and in February 2015, I completed my tenth marathon. I continue to train for a variety of races and even host annual 5K. In 2023, I became a certified group fitness instructor and teach P.E. in my homeschool co-op.

10 comments

  1. Jamie says:

    What a fun project! Great job, Emmalynn (and Mom and Dad). I’m half looking forward to and half dreading the school projects in a couple of years. 😉

  2. Krystyn @ Really, Are You Serious? says:

    Wow! That is an intense project for a 6 year old..she did it well!

  3. lifewithkaishon says:

    Your little Joan of Arc is the cutest little thing ever! I love her horse : )

  4. Pingback: Wordless Wednesday: Clouds | Picablog | Picaboo Blog

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