Around the World: China

In February, our travels with Five in a Row took us to China with The Story about Ping by Marjorie Flack.

 

Our studies coincided with Chinese New Year, so we learned a bit about the holiday by reading in DK Children Just Like Me: Celebrations and reading a folktale from the library about the lanterns. We also made a neat dragon book about Chinese New Year and some lanterns with Chinese numbers from History Pockets: Ancient Civilizations. Ella also happened to be learning about Chinese folktales in her writing curriculum, so it dovetailed nicely.

We learned about the Yangtze river and watched an episode of Travel with Kids where the family takes a cruise on the  Yangtze. In art, we drew pictures of water with colored pencil and practiced some of the techniques the illustrator used to make reflections of the water. They turned out beautifully, but I didn't get pictures. We also watched Mulan and Mulan II just for fun.

We had our biweekly co-op science class on Ocean creatures, and I was teaching this week about Mollusks. We learned about resonance and why it seems like you can hear the ocean in a seashell. So I followed it up with a lesson from Mystery Science on Why are Some Sounds High and Some Sounds Low? We made sound waves with jump ropes to demonstrate the frequency of different sounds.

 

Our tea party was pretty simple this time. I bought some rice cakes, which have a prominent place in The Story about Ping, and mandarin oranges, a traditional food to eat at Chinese New Year. We drank green tea in our Chinese tea pot and pulled out our lucky cricket candleholders.

  We also made red paper lanterns and fans to decorate.

 Last year, my friend Jenny gave me some traditional Chinese clothes that her girls had outgrown. They would wear these at Chinese New Year every year. We really enjoyed trying on the silk outfits for our tea party (well, the girls did at least.) Ella was pretending to be a Chinese grandpa. Thanks, Jenny!

Around the World: Japan

We are going around the world with our Five in a Row studies this winter. Our next stop after Canada was Japan. We studied the book Grass Sandals:The Travels of Basho by Dawnine Spivak from Volume 4 of Five in a Row. This book tells the story of Basho, one of the first and greatest Haiku poets in Japan. We also used the book Kaleidoscope Kids Japan: 40 Activities to Learn about Japan.

The Volume 4 Manual of Five in a Row is geared toward older kids and is just jam-packed with activities. We spent two weeks with this book. We tried our hand at Japanese caligraphy and learned the meanings of the Kanji words on the back of the book.

We made hats like Basho's out of poster board and wrote on our hats just like he did. My five-year-old managed to fit every word from the book and more.

 

Videos have been a great supplement to these Around the World units because the kids get to see the country and people. We watched Little Travelers: Japan, which is about two little girls traveling in Japan with their parents. The kids liked this so much, that we also checked out Little Travelers: Iran, Germany, and Bali from the library.

Basho's name means Banana so we cut up some bananas and other fruit to make a fruit salad. We learned about how citrus juice can keep bananas from turning brown so quickly. Over tea time, we read haikus, as well as some of our other favorite Japanese books including A Pair of Red Clogs by Masako Matsuno, Tea with Milk by Allen Say, and Yoko and the Paper Cranes by Rosemary Wells.

Of course, we learned all about haikus, which happened to coincide with Ella's Write Shop lesson on haikus this week. We took a walk in nature to get inspired.

 

Ella wrote this poem:

Warm winter morning

Mud squelches under my feet

Quiet winds blow the trees 

and Mabel wrote:

In Spring, leaves are green

In cold winter, leaves are gone.

In Fall, leaves are red.

and I wrote this one:

Nature walks with kids

Muddy knees, armfuls of sticks

Poop, he stepped in it!

We made little origami pockets to keep the poems in, which was an idea from Write Shop Jr. Once the kids got started making origami, they couldn't stop. They decided to set up little shops and trade origami with each other.

 

We also collected a fallen branch and made a cherry blossom branch. We were out of pink tissue so we painted coffee filters pink, tore them up,  and glued them on. This is always a fun winter craft and helps brighten up the house.

 For science, we spent almost a week learning about volcanoes. We did two activities from Mystery Science: Can a volcano pop up in your backyard? and Why do volcanoes explode? The first had a volcano mapping activity and the second had an experiment with blowing bubbles into thick and thin lava. The kids loved the lava experiment so we also made our own volcano. We put modeling clay around an old relish jar. We even figured out how to make two types of lava. The thin lava made from baking soda and vinegar, bubbled up really fast and spread out over the pan just like a cone volcano.

 

The thick lava made from yeast and peroxide bubbled up more slowly, with bigger bubbles, and didn't spread out as much, like a shield volcano.

 

We capped off our studies with a Japanese feast. We took a field trip to a local Asian supermarket and picked up seaweed wrappers, rice, and vegetables. Then Daddy taught us how to make sushi.

 We pulled out our $2 thrift store kimonos from our last Japanese tea party two years ago, and realized just how much the kids had grown. So we added some extra material and made obi belts from old silk ties, and wore the hats we had made. Check out Gilead's ninja moves.

 Then we set up a low folding table and cushions for our meal. In addition to the sushi, we made miso soup and added ramen noodles. We also bought chocolate and green tea pocky and green tea mochi. We drank green tea in our Asian tea cups.

 

One thing I love about Five in a Row is how it has encouraged my kids to try new foods by learning about other cultures. Most of the kids didn't end up liking sushi that much, but they all tried it because they had helped make it. Several of them really loved the pickled ginger. And, it's always fun to use chopsticks!

Around the World: Ungava Bay, Canada

It's come to my attention that I need to update my blog. I got the hint from this dinner conversation the other night:
Ella: "Mom, you really need to update your blog."
Trixie: "We need to do more interesting things to put on the blog!" pauses and turns to me, "Mom, don't you dare put the whining part in!"

Yes, welcome back to school after the holidays, which is an awful lot like my honest retelling of the first week of school. But I am now bound to leave out the whining bits.

The kids requested that we go back to doing our Around the World Tea Parties for the New Year. It's become a bit of a winter tradition around here. You can see our other Around the World Tea Parties here.

In January, we started in Ungava Bay, Canada with the Five in a Row book, Very Last First Time by Jan Andrews. This book is the story of a young Inuit girl who goes to collect mussels under the sea ice. As go-along books, we also read Artic Son by Jean Craighead George, Kitaq Goes Ice Fishing by Margaret Nicolai, and Baseball Bats for Christmas by Michael Arvaarluk Kusugak.

For geography, we found Ungava Bay and the Artic Ocean on the map and read about the Artic region in our DK First Atlas and about an Inuit and an Alaskan Eskimo child from DK Children Just Like Me. Last year, I found a great deal on several Evan Moor History Pockets books and the Native American book had an entire section on the Inuits. We read about their culture and learned some interesting facts like they make mittens with two thumbs so you can turn them around when the thumb gets wet. We colored in the coloring sheets from the book and also made an Artic Ice Fishing Game.

Once the kids had tried ice fishing, they had to build an igloo (igluviak) out of all of the pillows in the house.



We discovered an awesome video from the Popular Mechanics for Kids series on Amazon Prime. In Season 2, Episode 2: North Pole, the host travels to the Artic and drives a dogsled team, builds an igloo, and makes and shares a traditional Inuit meal of raw seal meat.

Once we learned about their traditional diet, it did hamper our tea party a little as we could find no raw seal meat in our grocery store. So we settled on some cut-up dried sausage sticks, smoked salmon, and cheese and crackers.



We also had fun doing a storytelling activity using Rory Storycubes and making the setting in the Artic. The kids dictated to me and I wrote down their stories on the Igluviak storybooks from the History Pocket.

For science, we learned about animals that live in the Artic and Antartic habitats and colored a habitat diorama from Scholastic Animal Habitats book that I have.

Finally for art, we used this Northern Lights tutorial from That Artist Woman and made our own icy landscapes with northern lights. (I am leaving out a lot of whining bits here, but they finally did turn out nice.) The ice effect is created by putting plastic wrap over paint and the northern lights were made with chalk pastels.

 

My Year in Reading: 2016 (Part 2)

By late Spring, I had hit a reading slump. I had read a series of meh books. The weather outside was warming up and I was burnt out from homeschooling. To try and inspire the kids to read, I printed off a summer reading challenge I had downloaded from Pam Barnhill called Traveling the Pages: An Enchanted Journey.

The fairy-tale map had different squares with challenges on them to color in when you completed it. The kids decided that I should participate too. I turned to my beloved children's literature to keep up with the kids, and I ended up enjoying reading again and discovering some delightful books like:

The Goose Girl by Shannon Hale (Read a Fairytale Square)
Where the Mountain Meets the Moon by Grace Lin (Read a fantasy book)
Freckles by Gene Stratton-Porter (Read a Classic)
My Mrs. Brown by William Norwich (Read a book about a voyage, vacations or adventure) (Not a children's book, but a delightful story about an older woman and her journey to buy the perfect dress.)

I also found a way to fit in some books from my recent favorite time period: the period between World War I and World War II in Europe. 

The Summer Before the War by Helen Simonson (I have been missing my British tv shows Downton Abbey and Larkrise to Candleford, and this helped fill the void.)
Journey to Munich by Jacqueline Winspear (As an adult, I've discovered that I love character-driven, not too gruesome mystery series, and the Maisie Dobbs series is excellent. Maisie is a former WWI nurse, turned detective, and now Secret Service agent who finds herself in Germany right before WWII in the latest installment.)
 Bomb: The Race to Build and Steal the World's Deadliest Weapon by Steve Sheinkin (compelling children's non-fiction that will fascinate adults.)

Fall brought us The Most Anticipated Book of the Year: 
Ember Falls by S. D. Smith.
We have been anxiously awaiting the sequel to The Green Ember. I have loved all of Smith's books, but only recently introduced my kids to them. So they were super excited when our Kickstarter package came. I kept finding tiny rabbits with swords all around the house. We passed the books along to our friends.The kids loved them, their parents loved them, even their grandparents loved it. Right before we got to the end of the book, I was telling the kids how some authors are cruel enough to have a cliff-hanger ending. Then the book ended. That's all I'll say, but we are all begging, "Please, Mr. Smith, write the next book soon!"

My Favorite Book of the Year
The Keeper of the Bees by Gene Stratton-Porter
I discovered Stratton-Porter as an adult and I seem to like each book I read by her more than the last one, I started with Girl of the Limberlost, then Freckles, but her last book, The Keeper of the Bees, is her masterpiece. This is the story of a WWI veteran named Jamie who escapes a hospital and finds himself in the home of a beekeeper in California, where he is soon woven into a new community and family. A beautiful story of healing and faith and nature. Very moralistic and old-fashioned by today's standards, which is probably why I loved it.

Fall also brought a lot of nasty politics, which made me want to only read books about baking cookies. But I did tip my toe into the world of politics by reading Hillbilly Elegy by J. D. Vance. Because he's Appalachian and he had something to say. I also made my way through the first debate by reading The Plain Reader: a collection of essays by Amish, Quakers, and Luddites.

Then came the holiday season. My reading took a more religious tone. I discovered Treasures of the Snow by Patricia St. John. When I picked this up, I thought because of its setting in Switzerland, that it would just be a Heidi knockoff. But I was so wrong. This is a deeply Christian children's book, which talks beautifully about the power of forgiveness and salvation in two children's life (one a bully, and one the persecuted). I still find myself thinking about some of her images. I definitely want to read more of her books.

In December, I discovered that I had reached the end of the year, and had not read a single Elizabeth Goudge book. I had several on my shelf, and had picked up The Dean's Watch more than once and just couldn't get into it. This time I picked up the book and couldn't stop reading. It turns out that the whole arc of the story leads to Advent and Christmas, and this was the perfect time to read it. This is the story of the unlikely friendship between a local clockmaker and the Dean of the Cathedral. As with all of her books, it was full of healing and redemption and beautiful religious symbolism.




For my final book of the year, I decided to reread my favorite book of 2015: The Awakening of Miss Prim. A modern book that reads like an old-fashioned one about a community that has built a refuge from modern life.While the main character is hardly sympathetic, I fell in love with everyone in the town. If you are at all inclined to want to have huge libraries in your house and stop by friend's house for a cup of tea and slice of cake, while you discuss classic literature, faith, and the failings of modern society, you will want to read this book.

My Year in Reading: 2016 (Part 1)

If you haven't guessed already, I love books. At one of my annual check-ups, the doctor always asked if I have any hobbies, and I always reply, "Yes, I read." Then I spend the rest of the check-up feeling guilty that I don't have a healthier hobby like running marathons or making green smoothies.

But, a few years ago, I realized that for my particular personality and spirit, I need a steady inflow (and an occasional outflow) of beautiful words or my soul starts to wither. So I read-- for my health.

For the past three years or so, I've been keeping a book journal to track my progress and make a central place for all the quotes I scribble down in my notebooks haphazardly next to the menu plan and the kids' school stuff. I've also been setting myself a goal of books to read, and this is the first year that I actually exceeded my goal. I aimed for 52 books and read 62.

Winter
January always leaves me with a big stack of books from Christmas and my birthday. Looking back over the past few years, the books that have spoken to me most have been stories of the healing and transformative power of home and community.  Some of my favorites this year were: 

For the Children's Sake by Susan Schaeffer Macauley (great homeschool inspiration)

The Life-giving Home by Sally and Sarah Clarkson (adding beauty and traditions to your home)

Animal, Vegetable, Miracle by Barbara Kingsolver (I decided to reread this since we were hoping to move somewhere that I could grow things. We didn't end up moving or growing anything, but it did inspire me to fill my freezer with veggies from my farmshare.)

Little Women by Louisa May Alcott (I hadn't read this since sixth grade. So worth a reread as an adult. Marmee is so wise. She will inspire you in all new ways as a mom.)

In the House of Brede by Rumer Godden (A book about nuns that speaks beautifully about living a life of sacrifice and devotion.)

Most Disappointing Books of the Year
Emily of New Moon, Emily Climbs and Emily's Quest by L. M. Montgomery
I hate to criticize L. M. Montgomery as she has always been one of my favorite authors. I received a new set of the Emily series with the most beautiful covers, and was looking forward to rereading them. These books were a favorite in childhood. I probably would have even said I preferred Emily to Anne. But sometimes when you reread books as a parent, you find you have different feelings. It's why my husband find himself always shaking his head at Pa Ingall's adventures. As a mother of young daughters, I found myself creeped out, especially by Dean Priest's character. No older man needs to be skulking around young girls and claiming that they owe them anything.

The Book I Finally Conquered
Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen
I rarely feel compelled to read books because I should, but this year I did challenge myself a bit. You see, I've always had this shameful little secret. I've never liked Jane Austen. I've tried, but there was always just so much talking. I know so many people who love these books, though, so I decided to try again. First off, I watched the BBC miniseries. I tried to watch furtively in the kitchen while cooking, but I soon discovered the kids hanging around. What I did not expect was that they got totally into P & P. They loved the dresses and they thought it was really funny. I had never noticed the humor before! Then I listened to the book on audiobook, which made all the difference. It turns out that so much talking makes a great audiobook. That is how I finally enjoyed Jane Austen. I might even read more.

Most Inspiring Real People I Learned About This Year: Hannah More and William Wilberforce
Fierce Covictions: The Extraordinary Life of Hannah More--Poet, Reformer, Abolitionist by Karen Swallow Prior
Amazing Grace: William Wilberforce and the Heroic Campaign to End Slavery by Eric Metaxes
This year I discovered this fascinating group of British Christian friends who shaped the moral imagination and history of their entire country (and I'm not talking about the Inklings). The Clapham Circle, included William Wilberforce and Hannah More and other abolitionists: he a politician, she a writer; both fierce abolitionists who helped abolish slavery in Britain, as well as make a host of other societal changes. Who wouldn't want their home to be described as "the favored seat of intellectual and religious sunshine" as Hannah More's was? I also had to rewatch the excellent movie Amazing Grace, when I was finished.

Stay tuned for Part 2.