Quill Pen Calligraphy and Colonial Hornbooks

Did you notice anything in the background of the post about pease porridge (hot)? Perhaps this?

While we enjoyed pease porridge (hot), we made our version of colonial hornbooks. This is my sample:

I gave each student a feather to use as a quill pen, watered down black tempera paint to use as ink, a copy of a calligraphy alphabet, and two sheets of white paper.

They practiced on the first sheet. 

Then they did a final version on the second sheet. 

Pease porridge (hot) in one cup, ink in the other. Don't mix them up!

After the ink had dried, the kids glued their completed sheet to a piece of manila paper, cut out in the shape of a colonial hornbook.

The classroom is starting to fill up with all sorts of history-related art. I love it!