Mapping Italy for WWII Studies

Prior to our last visit in Germany, 3Gs labeled each German "state" (lands).  So, in preparation for our World War Two study, I asked the to map the states in Italy. I hope that while they read about where battles took place there will be some comprehension of the terrain and location.  This map was completed with some identification of physical land forms as well. It was done by G3, and I'm so glad that he wrote clearly about the one place he thoroughly enjoyed visiting. It was after our 2009 visit to Rome that he accepted a general interest in learning Italian.  I do hope he continues to learn more about it (and not hate the Latin study either).

Troops Investigate the Civil War

Our attempt at a unit study with mapping, book study and field trip is a success, and we've done the best with a wedding trip to the Harrisburg, PA area that is possible thanks to Dad (for going to work at the airline), Papa and Gramma for our investigation at the National Park.  Also thanks to the other Grandma for building Mom's LHOP dress that G2 got to wear.

MEXICO AND TEXAS SOTW3CH35and40

SOTW3CH 35, begins on page 329, entitled Mexican Independence with sections about The Cry of Dolores and the struggle for The Republic of Mexico.  Mainly about Mexico 1810 between 1822.  We UPDATEd OUR MAPS FROM GRAMMAR STAGE IN BINDERS & ADDed AN ALAMO PAGE.

We INVESTed IN A BOOK:

Into Mexico with General Scott - Edwin Sabin

Book of Border Battles - Edwin Sabin Brave Hearts in the Alamo, Victory at San Jacinto, Face to Face with Mexico

Historical Tales - American II - Charles Morris Heroes of the Alamo, How Houston Won Freedom for Texas

? Historical Tales - Spanish American - Charles Morris

From Empire to Republic, The Beginning of the Struggle for Independence, The Continuance of the Struggle...

And we OUTLINEd

SOTW3CH 40, begins on page 367, about Mexico and Her Neighbor with a section about Remember the Alamo and was accompanied by a reading in Guerber's Story of the Great Republic: Ch. XXVI  The Mexican War, 1836 along with Copeland, The Story of the Alamo, Dover Coloring Book page.  

The Mexican-American War was a section with all kinds of excitement, and was accompanied with a reading from Guerber's Story of the Great Republic: Ch. XXVII  The Slavery Quarrel 1846-1848.

The accompanying KHE pages are  Pg. 342; Texas and Mexico 1835-1848, KHE pages:  Pgs. 330-331; The Arts 1708-1835. Pgs. 332-333; Architecture 1708-1835. Pgs. 334-335; Science and Technology 1708-1835. Pgs. 337-339; The World at a Glance 1836-1913.

The most exciting part of these 2 chapters was G3's reading about General Scott. He loved the Sabin book.  G2 was thrilled to make the Alamo in a Minecraft format.  

SOTW3 CH29 AND 33 ALL THINGS NAPOLEON

SOTW3CH29, begins on page 275

THE RISE OF BONAPARTE

Napoleon Comes to Power

Synge Struggle for Sea Power:  Napoleon Bonaparte, Horatio Nelson
Haaren - Napoleon Bonaparte
Napoleon & the Napoleonic Wars by Albert Marrin
(Hillyer) Children’s History of the World:  Ch73
Guerber Story of the Great Republic:  Ch. X  The United States Buys Land (1803)
Synge, Great Englishmen, Horatio Nelson
Henty. At Aboukir and Acre I read this and decided to pass for kids reading b/c it didn't focus on the French as much as it did a British kid and native Egyptians.

Jakob Walter, The Diary of a Napoleonic Foot Soldier. [TRYING OUT THE TAPESTRY OF GRACE DIALECTIC TRACK]

Eugenie Foa.  The Boy Life of Napoleon / Afterwards

 

http://www.heritage-history.com/www/heritage.php?Dir=pseudochar&Person=napoleon&FileName=napoleon

The Emperor Napoleon

https://www.khanacademy.org/humanities/history/1600s-1800s/french-revolution-tutorial/v/french-revolution--part-4----the-rise-of-napoleon-bonaparte
Haaren - Horatio Nelson
https://www.khanacademy.org/partner-content/crash-course1/crash-course-world-history/you-aint-the-boss-of-me/v/crash-course-world-history-29
Usborne pages:  Pgs. 334-335; The Empire of Napoleon
KHE pages:  Pgs. 320-321; The Napoleonic War 1797-1815

SOTW3CH33, begins on page 309

The End of Napoleon

Napoleon's Wars (And 1812, Too)

Synge Struggle for Sea Power:  The Beginning of the Struggle British Admiral Duncan defeated the Dutch in their own port. The Battle of the Nile, Copenhagen, Napoleon, Emperor of the French, The Battle of Trafalgar, The Death of Nelson, A Second Charlemagne, The Rise of Wellington

Guerber Story of the Great Republic: Ch. XV  The War of 1812, 1812

http://www.heritage-history.com/www/heritage.php?Dir=pseudochar&Person=napoleon&FileName=napoleon

Waterloo!

In Belgium a year ago this month.

Synge Struggle for Sea Power:
The Defense of Saragoza, Sir John Moore at Coruna, The Victory of Talavera, The Peasant Hero of Tyrol, The Empire at its Height, Napoleon's Retreat from Moscow, Wellington's Victories in Spain, Spain for the Spaniards, The Fall of the Empire, The Congress

One Of The 28th - a Tale of Waterloo. http://librivox.org/one-of-the-28th-a-tale-of-waterloo-by-g-a-henty/

Guerber Story of the Great Republic: Ch. XVI  “Don’t Give Up the Ship”  1815, Ch. XVII  The Star-Spangled Banner, Ch. XVIII  Clinton’s “Big Ditch” (1825)

SOTW3CH20 Logic Stage (Classical?) History Study

CHAPTER 20:  THE IMPERIAL EAST

Emperor Chi'en-lung's Library

DIRECTION TO MY 3Gs WAS TO READ THESE LITTLE KID BOOKS OR NOT GET SCREEN TIME DURING THE SCHOOL WEEK.  They read these books.
Ms. Frizzle's Adventures: Imperial China
George Washington by Ingri d'Aulaire, Edgar Parin d'Aulaire
Water Buffalo Days: Growing Up in Vietnam by Huynh Quang Nhuong

The Land of the Dragon

I used a coloring book about different historical periods in China to discuss the difference between the Ming and Qing dynasties.  The examples were from a Dover Publications coloring book and showed the Manchu and Mongol influence on the Qing clothing styles in culture (A precursor to the craziness in France a couple chapters later).

But on the other side of the world: American history was addressed by the following sources...

Guerber Story of the Thirteen Colonies:  Franklin, Washington, Ch. LV, Braddock’s Defeat,

Mara L. Pratt. American History Stories - II (Kindle Locations 6-14). Heritage History.
Causes of the Revolution, The Stamp Act, Behavior of the Colonists, Daughters of Liberty, The Boston Boys, A Brave Little Girl, The Boston Massacre, The Boston Tea-Party, Revolutionary Tea, The Patriotic Barber, Battle of Lexington, Paul Revere's Ride, Yankee Doodle, The Women at Lexington, Capture of Ticonderoga, Battle of Bunker Hill, General Warren, The March to Quebec, Washington and His Army, The Red-coats Leave Boston, Declaration of Independence

Withrow, Brandon; Withrow, Mindy (2007-11-01). Hearts and Hands (History Lives) (Kindle Locations 16-19). Christian Focus Publications. Kindle Edition.
Awakening Church Timeline, What was the Awakening Church? Jonathan Edwards: An inward sweet sense, Johann Sebastian Bach:Soli Deo Gloria, The Development of Church Music, John Wesley: My heart strangely warmed

CHESTER COMIX:  VIRGINIA GEOGRAPHY Vocabulary Crossword Puzzle I created from the teacher guides on the website that are very helpful in discussing both the physical land characteristics of Virginia (a site for Revolutionary and Civil War battles) AND the cultural historical-geography of the area.

Geography of Germany: Maps & Research

G#2 labeled the states and rivers of Germany
before doing on-site research in Heidelberg, Germany
and Strasbourg, France

Week Eleven in our Happy Little Nest (NOT) History Ch Ten SOTW3 and Chemistry

Everyone is practicing their music for homeschool band and enjoying the challenge. Bet ya never thought I'd say that?!  We're beginning a new cycle of describing each country in our FLAGS (Human Geography) binder. The topic of who a country trades with or fights against has come up and I said that we should really delve further into why a neighboring country should fight at wars with said country.  The Daddy is headed to Africa next week and we're excited, but praying about it.  G#1 is enjoying the Fallacy Detective book and discussion of logic with the Daddy.  All three Gs were outside with me to clean up the garden and put everything away for winter.  The ceiling fans are cleaned and turned, and electric blankets are being used. 

No more mountains of zinnias and marigolds.  The seed heads were collected for next year's garden and bird feeder.  The trash cans serve as a raised garden and are cleaned up.  The hoses are drained and put away.  All because the kids worked with me to get it all done. 

School Stuff:  History

Far East of Europe

SOTW3CHChapter 10, begins on page 99.

Japan's Isolation: Closed Doors in the East
Guerber Story of the Thirteen Colonies:  Puritans, John Eliot, Roger Williams, Providence,, Ch. XXXIII, Stories of Two Ministers,
Japan. 1631-1638, 1633 The Story of Japan chapters about daimyo persecution of Christians
The "Foreign Conquest" of China: The Rise of the Manchu
Guerber Story of the Thirteen Colonies:   Puritans, Connecticut, Ch. XXXIV, Williams and the Indians,
Japan, China. 1635-1643, 1661-1722
(PAST FACT:  1368 and The first Ming dynasty emperor rules in China)
The Story of China.   by R. Van Bergen

School Stuff:   Science

READ and SKETCHaRESPONSE

Tiner, Exploring the World of Chemistry Chapter 5: Electricity to the Rescue  36
Kindle:  Wonder Book of Chemistry, Chap 19 (A Drop of Water) and Chap 20 (A Piece of Chalk)
Hands of a Child Notebook: 
Read sections *California Gold Rush, *Magnetic, Where in the World is Metal?, *How Plumbers Got
Activity 8 – Precious metals.
Activity 9 – Objects made with alloys.
Activity 10 – Where are certain metals found?
DK Chemistry pages 24-25
Investigate Periodic Table Construction handouts

Habitat Study otherwise known as Physical Geography

My theme for teaching PHYSICAL GEOGRAPHY was all about field trips and short-to-the-point pieces from Hands of a Child through the vendor CurrClick.com.  Truly, my focus was on ecosystems, but so much from my teaching assistant position in the Geography/Geology University Department came through these discussions of ecosystems into landforms and weathering factors. 

Over the past six years we've covered ocean, desert, polar, forest, mountain, rainforest and grassland.  We began with the Apologia book about oceans and swimming things.  I enjoyed it, but the book tended to drag on and on even though I brought in the compelling H.C. Holling book, Seabird to read.  So, we moved on to polar topics with a lapbook product that coincided with the winter Olympics in Canada.  Desert ecosystems were next when we got to visit the high desert in Utah several times.  Then the mountain topic because, while in the high desert, there was skiing down a mountain, and it all related so well together.  Deciduous and evergreen forests were discussed while we enjoyed H.C. Holling's book called, Paddle-to-the-Sea.  We studied the rainforest after visiting Hawaii.  I really LOVE field trips!  Lastly, we are now finishing the grassland materials.  Truthfully, I never considered the various grassland habitats on each continent and how those differ. 



We don't do these products as lapbooks anymore.  Even though I have one tactile learner, the others get so bogged down by cutting and coloring, and that wasn't why I wanted this study in the first place.  These studies allowed my 3Gs to read, think and write about each bit of information presented by the HOAC authors as well as other story book materials.  Nature studies were best organized through these topics for us over this period.  Now that we're concluding these habitat studies, Nature Study will take a different direction.  (Including a hummingbird moth in front yard.)

ABOVE: G2 USED THE ED EMBERLING THUMBPRINT ART BOOK TO SET THE WETLAND SCENE.  G1 ALSO PERFECTED HIS SPELLING OF HABITAT AFTER THE FRENCH VERB LESSON WHICH MADE HIM CONJUGATE "TO LIVE" VERB.

BRU: Daytrip to Bruge

Monday began with instant coffee and water.  We got dressed and tromped down to the train station for breakfast of croissants and a bacon and cheese Panini.  We didn’t choose to eat the hotel breakfast because my tweens don’t eat what other people assume is simple, efficient breakfasts.  I refuse to pay 7 Euro for something that doesn’t give them something they will enjoy.  We are on a field trip afterall.

We took the train to Bruges.  The weekend trips were half price, but this was full price for three of us and free for the other two on a Monday.  It was a smooth easy ride to the Bruges train station.  We walked into the info office to collect a map of the town.  We found the boat trip first and were pleasantly given an orientation to the city by water.  There was a rain shower during the tour, but the boat ride included umbrellas for everyone.  We found the Markt and Belfry tower right away. We walked through the information center there and sent a postcard at the postal center.  We ate frites and chicken nuggets at a self-serve place on the corner.  Then we moved on to the VisitBrugges app tour.  It took us winding from churches to bridges to Spook houses.  We made one wrong turn and mistakenly found a super market at just the right time to buy 2L of water and 3 Kinder chocolate eggs with toys inside that we didn’t find on the November trip to Vienna and Budapest.  Our tour ended at the Burg where we found chocolate to eat and expresso to keep the caffeine headaches abated. 

On the walk to the Markt again, we found a heavy, liege waffle booth for a snack and a street performer who pretended to be a statue-top-hat-suited man.  While lounging in the Markt square under clear blue skies, my oldest tween asked the information center representative for the pronunciation of Beguinage.  On the walk to that site we found a lace shop where we bought a handkerchief with our daughter’s initial on it and pieces of art which showed the places we visited in spring colors.  Before reaching the Beguinage, we found the De Halve Maan (Straffe Hendrik) Brewery which we knew about from TripAdvisor.  The space inside the pub area was comfortable for us and our kids, so we adults tried 2 of their beers without doing the tour.  The chemistry of the brewery would be fun to use in a field trip, but this was just the right thing to do for our trip at this time.  After finishing our beers, we found the Beguinage and walked thru the daffodil strewn garden peacefully.  We walked through the Minnewater park on our way back to the train station. 

Found tourist map (free) at station and quite worth it, b/c it had all streets and sites plus we used the Bruges app for scavenger hunt walk 3.5 miles after the boat ride in the rain.  Boat 3.4 € twins each & 7.6 € adults 30" ride in 3 languages with umbrellas.  It was good to recognize some places afterward on foot. Highlights of boat were touching underside of bridges & less crowded boats early in the day. If on foot during rain we would have got soaked.  The houses over the water and other architecture were better seen from water.  Walked to Markt & found wc at info center. Then frites & everything fried across to the next corner for lunch.  Then we started app tour, but only went wrong way during tour to and found grocery for water & cultural experience (we visit international groceries often just to examine where stuff is made).  We ended at Burg and found chocolate to eat w/ coffee. Drank & ate in the Markt.

Nighttime - Grand Place - Brussels

BRU: Adventures in Brussels

Sunday in Brussels started with chocolate croissants from a nearby bakery that the daddy collected after an early morning shower.  Instant coffee was made in the room with the hotpot near the stove.  We walked to the Grand Place and found the flower market.  Along the walk to Mannekin Pis, we found a light crunchy waffle.  After visiting the land mark we walked past the TinTin mural through the Les Galeries Saint Hubert.  The shops weren’t open, but we walked by St. Michael and St. Gudula Cathedral and heard church bells chime 11:30.  We found the Belgian Centre of Comic Strip Art.  The space was wonderful art deco glass and light infiltrated everywhere.  The tweens loved the visit b/c they are already fans of TinTin for over three years.  We found a restaurant that served pizza, soup and lasagna for our lunch at Pizzeria Sole d'Italia.  We walked back towards our hotel and past through the Parc du Jardin and the steps of Le Botanique.  The building was wonderful and the blooming trees and flowers were brilliant.  I actually got color on my face during the day to encourage my freckles.  I’d worn a fleece and rain jacket, but ended up with only the fleece during the afternoon walk.  The Konigsstraat was a major street that connected to our Rue de Palais hotel street.  The siesta was a welcome break.  Yes, we got a siesta.

Now, two weeks later, G1 has specific memories of the Comic book museum which surprises me because he is usually the one all about the food, but he adores Tintin.

Later, we took the tram along this same trek to find heavier waffles with full service.  And a walk to the lights of the Grand-Place and to do some “I Spy” hunts around the guild buildings’ facades.  The tram ride back was simple and easy, but we weren’t able to find a ticket office so had to pay more on the tram.  I did a Google search for travel info for Bruges and found the VisitBruges app to download to my phone.  The wi-fi services on most of the adventures were non-existent and I had to do most of my work at the hotel after-the-fact.  I was able to identify an Aldi super market grocery store nearby, but decided to abort the walk as the need for groceries was not so great.  The second night was done.

Walk downhill most of the way to grand place to waffle stop on our way to Mannekin Pis.  We found lace stores too.  Spring in Brussels was beautiful.  Along our adventures we found a WC in a fashion clothes mall a block away from the Grand Place. 

 

Comic book museum had a who's who of Tintin.

Trees were trained to grow in boxes or in a complete strait line (espalier).

Parc de Brussels largest park in country was where we found the tram to/from Grand Place.

BRU: In Search of Napoleon

Friday flight to Brussels from Chicago was brilliant. We arrived Saturday before noon and traveled by train to Brux Noord train station where we exited the east door of the station to Allard Str.  We walked with our bags one block to Brabant Str and turned LEFT to Rogier Str.  This path led us through the Morrocan neighborhood and away from the street adjacent to the train station where women stood scantily clad advertising human degradation.  The Rogier Str was a steep climb to Rue de Palais where the tram lines run.  Then we turned left for a downhill path to the Wellness Apart Hotel.  The hotel had plenty of space for 2 adults and 3 tweens.  Adults were on the bedroom on the backside of the building. The tweens were on pull-out beds in the living room.  The couch and chair in the living room were difficult to use at this point, but we were able to use the dinette table and 2 kitchen chairs. The galley kitchen had a frig and stove.  We put our power strip here for charging phones.  The wi-fi was best at this spot in the kitchen.  The shower, water temperature and water pressure was fine.

 Quote for the day came from the Daddy,

“I didn't think it would be this many hills.”

I was able to see from the plane a castle with a moat and rectangular mirror pond, and then a village with an old church in the center. There were many Turkish, Arabic, Dutch, and French signs. The weather is same as Chicago.  Butte lion with 1st action packed narrated movie at the historic Waterloo Battlefield site. 

We left the room right away for the train station again to Brain A’llued for a taxi ride to the Battlefield of Waterloo.  The tweens enjoyed the scavenger hunt activity and the climb to Butte du Lion.  They enjoyed the panoramic indoor replica of the battlefield circa 1815.  We toured quickly through the “wax museum” and the lessons there were interesting from authentic uniforms, and various archeological evidence collected over the years on this site.  We walked back to the bus stop near a gas station and waited successfully for the city bus which took us back to the train station.  There was a short wait for the return train trip back to Brux Noord.  The walk up the hotel was good for keeping us awake and the Turkish attendants at the hotel directed us just another short walk to several choices of Turkish restaurants.  This is the first time I've ever ordered my Turkish meal in French.  The first night was done.

 

Far East Study

Someone once asked me if my kids would study anything more than Southwest Asia, Europe, North Africa and the USA. Well, that's where my interest is, so it seemed obvious to start there.  But, SOTW Ancients helped us find India and China this past 2 weeks for four chapters, and the notebooking pages are filling with interest beyond my expectations.  First, each student listened/read the four SOTW chapters, and then they either went to Gombrich's Little History of the World or Hillyer's Children's History of the World depending on content materials.  There was a resource that Jimmie at Notebooking Fairy provided free that enticed handwriting and composition about both Buddhism and Hinduism. The content for each subject was added to by Schlessinger Media and their teacher guides on Ancient India and Hinduism.  I also included a Discovery Education video about ancient China.  A couple of Dover Publications resources included fashion and art.  Top that off with a map from Dr. Bauer and it made for a rather complete view of Ancient India and China before going back to Ancient Rome next week. 

I also included Michael Palin's Full Circle videos this week.  I enjoyed his visits Around the World in 80 Days and Pole to Pole.  So when I found this travel video around the Pacific Rim and to many of our Asian flag countries for this year, I made time for media.

Cargo Exhibit

  Fascinating lesson on transportation at a port on St Lawrence Seaway. Also saw some strange architecture of cargo containers made into high rise condos.

Great Free Resource for Ancients

The British Museum for Young People by Frances Epps  would be a FREE, brilliant source to have on the Kindle while romping through on your next visit.  I used Heritage of Evidence in the British Museum while visiting last September 2010.  Or just explore the Museum's website from where ever you are.

G#1 and Gilgamesh the Hero

Our oldest is a fifth grade student who is studying Logic Stage History along with his brother and sister, but to a different degree by reading materials and discussing questions that are aimed at his older capabilities.  Gilgamesh the Hero is one of those pieces that he studied.  Because we are covering the time before the Minoans and the Greeks, Gilgamesh was a wonderful story that he devoured.  The questions from Laura at Classical House of Learning covered vocabulary and literature aspects of the story.  He gladly completed a notebook page for this book and a sketch (best of all to me) and promised to compare this story aloud while reading Zeman's Gilgamesh the King Trilogy aloud with his siblings so they wouldn't miss out on the character's adventures.

Camp Out & Reading Roman Mysteries

First night in a tent by themselves AND reading various Roman Mysteries before twilight.

DONE!

Latin American countries cultural geography is complete with the aid of this coloring book, the World Flag database at flags.net and the notebook pages from Homeschooling with Index cards. Next year, Asia. Well, it only makes sense after we began with the United States, and continued with Canada, Europe, Africa. We will need to practice these place names and cultural information at Sheppard Software over the summer.

FINISHED!

The Red Pen

This is our fourth year of home educating three children who arrived into this world in a matter of sixteen months.  They are each quite different from the other, as one should expect.  I have always moaned about their arrival in a compacted time period, but if I'd had it to do over again, I may not have changed anything. And what right do I have of complaining over healthy children born with little trouble, after all! 

So, this is our fourth year as a homeschooling family and I've always been in a hurry while teaching them. "All my ducks were never in a row" as it were, and I've thus always been frustrated (except on those very special days when I used a secret weapon that I don't use all the time - prayer).  Why don't I always pray? Well, that is a mystery. Conundrum... 

And, through these four years I, as a geography teacher at heart and by training, have included flag studies by Continent as well as a biome study.  These subjects are separate in their planners, but have related until now. For example, when we studied Canada, I started an arctic biome study. We did a state bird and migration study that was somewhat related to the states of the Union study.  Europe overlapped into the arctic biome study and African flags overlapped into the desert biome study. We are studying the Latin and South American flags this year and the ocean biome.

As a basis for these biome studies, I have used some Hands of a Child materials and some Apologia materials.  The flag studies have always used Homeschooling with Index Cards materials and some Dover materials.  I have read aloud the Burgess book about the seashore, listened to Moby Dick from audio book, each child read a page a day of Holings' books called Seabird and the other called Pagoo. We've used the Dover coloring book to examine creatures along the seashore. But, now we've progressed past the Dover and HOAC materials for the oceans biome study into the Apologia book called Swimming Things of the Fifth Day.  I am using open ended short answer questions from the Yahoo Elementary Apologia group for each chapter.

Finally, I'm getting to the part where these three children are writing a paragraph independently and I'm using a red pen to convey a critique of their work.  And I thought that maybe they were ready to do a paragraph to answer the question of what differentiates sea grass from algae. Their requirements were simple: handwriting that I can read; topic sentence that states intent to differentiate between the two items; several sentences about how the items are different; and a final sentence about the importance of both items.  I was pleased to find handwriting I can read and I did have to coach a bit, but spelling mistakes aside, there was very little red ink on the pages.  I wonder if we're getting to writing and not just blowing it off as I've done in the past. Maybe the discussion of narrating and summations is sinking in to their brains. Maybe...