I'm getting ready for our next term. We are about to finish up My Father's World first grade. After using curriculum for two years, I have figured out that I am too much of a free spirit to buy another year's worth of someone else's ideas. Therefore, since the beginning of the year, I have been collecting books and devising a loose plan of study. I don't even know what to call this rather than a "term." I could say that my son is starting the second grade. That doesn't sound right to me, though. We've decided on a year-round education and don't plan to follow the public school's system of grades. So, what are we about to start? A new period of study? Oh well, I suppose it doesn't really matter what we call it.
During this "whatchamacallit," we'll be exploring different places around the world as well as their cultures. I'm not wanting to dig too deep into history yet. I've collected all kinds of neat geography resources. I would like to use readers, biographies and folktales to explore culture. I've picked out way too many books to use while studying Canada and the United States. I have one or two about Mexico. I've picked out some great Christian heroes to look at while exploring different continents. I am really struggling, however, to find good stories to teach us about cultures. So many books I find in my searches are more like mini-encyclopedias. We prefer real-live stories. I have thought about contacting some of our missionary friends to see if they'll write to us about their countries' cultures.
Please let me know if you have any other ideas. I need more books! (My goal is to study at least one culture from each continent.) Please make sure any suggestions are appropriate for a seven year old. As much as I enjoyed learning about Ethiopia's culture and recent history through Hospital by the River, I don't want to explain to Gabriel what a fistula is!
We'll incorporate the arts and life skills into this term of study. It will be so much fun to explore the arts of various cultures as well as the food and dress.
I cannot wait!
Saturday, March 1, 2008
Next Term, Geography
Posted by Tereasa at 6:53 PM
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4 comments:
We are doing the "Mysteries of History" ... it includes all grades and we do it all together. We also do not do "grades" as my adopted children are different levels for each subject. We also school year round.
If you are looking for something to supplement with... I recommend "Mysteries of History" . It is not a cirriculum. It is more of a book to follows history from a Christian perspective. It has activites for different ages to go along with each lesson. It has a CD to print stuff of the internet. It is more hands on learning. It is for gardes k-8. I love it. We got on CBD.
I can't think of the top of my head but there is a really good one about Guatemala.
lol so glad you loved Hospital By The River, it is most certainly one of my favourite books!
I put together an entire unit study on Haiti. I think I will post it on my blog in the next day or two.
We use Diana Waring's History Alive! for early elementary. In my mind it makes the most sense to study history chronologically. We also school year round and don't "do" grades.
We change curriculum when I get bored with what we are using. :)
I think contacting the Missionaries are a wonderful idea!! I've thought about it myself. I just haven't done it.
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