This week we have been rowing Five in Row book, A Pair of Red Clogs: Mako's delight in her new pair of wooden clogs is almost contagious. The little Japanese girl is so proud of her new clogs which are painted with red lacquer that shone beautifully. Alas, she cracks her shoes playing the weather-telling…
Category: Country Studies
The Story about Ping {FIAR}
A Story about Ping is the very cute tale about an independently spirited little duck who lives on a 'wise-eyed boat' on the Yangtze River. One evening he fails to make it back to his boat on time and spends the night out on the river having his own brand of fun. He comes to…
Grass Sandals: Basho {FIAR}
Grass Sandals describes the journey Basho, a well known Japanese poet, takes on foot around Japan. Littered with Basho's beautiful haiku poems throughout, it is a simple tale of a man who loved to observe and experience the world around him Grass Sandals: Resources Goals for this Study In addition to working my way…
Babar and India {FIAR}
So far in my 'Around the World with FIAR' series we have covered the Polar Regions and South America. For the next few weeks I will be teaching the little ones all about the continent of Asia. I have, as usual, used a lot of leyway as to where I am placing each of the…
The Magic School Bus: In the Rain Forest {Chocolate Production}
This whole lesson was focused on all things chocolate. I knew this would appeal hugely to the masses so I bribed encouraged them to work hard with the promise of fun times to come. And they did. Work hard, that is, although it was not without the presence of much checking when the promised treat time…
Around the World with FIAR: The Gully Washer (South America)
Yes, I know this is a bit of a stretch, but gully washers do happen in Colombia, and Colombia happens to be one of the wettest countries in South America, and the next part of the Rainforest Journey is learning about the water cycle. See it all dove-tails...a bit. In all honesty the Gully Washer…
South America Unit Study: Summer Adventure Box
I have already outlined my plans for my youngest two for this summer, and you will know that I am having a lot of help from my mum, Sarah and Lorna (Aren't I blessed?). This Summer Adventure Box needed to be extra special for just that reason. There will be more people than just me…
South America – Learning through Literature
Whilst the older ones are studying all things Shakespeare, the littles will be focusing their time on South America. The unit study will be two pronged using both literature and project based learning. This post will be about our literature based learning and tomorrow I will post about the projects they will be attempting.…
Around the World with FIAR: Stopping by the Woods on a Snowy Evening
Stopping by the Woods on a Snowy Evening is a poem by one of my very favourite poets, Robert Frost. This a simple poem which Frost claims he wrote in just one night. Simple it maybe, but it has a class that spans the ages. As it is short I have included it here: Whose…
Tudors and Stuarts: Explorers – Making a Paper Mache Map of the World
Last week the children focused their attentions on the reasons for exploring. I used blank print out maps from Home School in the Woods and asked the children to fill in the continents and oceans, which they did easily. As I am trying to include the little ones more, I asked A6 to colour in…
Geography Nook & Simple European Countries Unit
We are still banging away at our school room, although we have given up setting ourselves 'finish by' dates because they keep coming and going with alarming regularity and yet the school room still isn't finished. The geography area is however and it is being put to great use with my easy peasy European geography…