This week was all about preparing for our trip across the silk road. Yes, I know, week three and we haven’t even left Venice yet! I did say it was taking us a little longer than anticipated!
We are still ploughing our way through ‘Marco Polo’s Travels’. It is getting easier and easier to read, as I become used to Rusticello’s style. We have read up to chapter 33.
School has been all about going independent this week. The children were set an essay on the silk road. I photocopied an information sheet from this website and another from this one. The first included a multiple choice quiz. We do so few of these my guys thought this was the best of fun!! After they had read all the literature, and including all they knew from their reading, they had to use our informationary and write their essays during their independent study time. This exercise was to familiarise themselves with the route they would be taking to Cathay (Middle Age China):

Each child has 30 minutes each day to work on a fun, individual topic related project. This is also a new endeavour and each project is aimed at benefiting all three older children, not just the one doing it.
T11 made a very large papier-mache map, in the same vein as the one we made of the Viking exploration times. It spans from Venice to Cathay, covering everything in-between (although probably not proportionately!). This will give our intrepid explorers a visual tool to be able to see the land over which they will cover over the next few weeks and we shall be adding bits and pieces to it as we go along:

C10 read some fables which were often told on the silk road from this website. Her project was to rewrite the fable into a play which they could put on as a means of entertainment over their journey. She will effectively be the entertainer for our travels:

L10, of course. found herself in the kitchen baking away for the long arduous journey ahead! We used the recipes from this website and she baked lots of the biscuits and rolls and wrapped them in cloth to keep them fresh for the journey:


She and A4 got to work learning to make some hot food to cook on our journey:


We knew we would need to make provisions for safe passage to Cathay, and as the Mongols (and therefore Kublai Khan) ruled over most of the land we would cover, we made ourselves one of his seals each out of card and foil, scraped letters and gold paint (which we had to use sparingly as there wasn’t enough!):


We are now ready for the first leg of our journey. We all hope you’ll come along for the ride!!
For more inspiration:
Here for a journey on the Silk Road
Here for a Silk Road and Ancient Trade YouTube video
Here for Marco Polo activity sheets
Marco Polo’s journey on the Silk Road
I love all the ideas here! We’re still in Venice. LOL. 🙂 You guys are way ahead of us!
I don’t know about that! We’re leaving Venice on Monday!!
This looks like so much fun. I love the photo of your girls in the kitchen. Claire your children are beautiful.
Aww, thank you Savannah!
I love how each of your older children chose an individual project appealing to their personal passions. L(10)’s writing is so neat!
We’ve had the Marco Polo books out of the library for ages & we’re still on Australia! The good news is you & Hwee will have given us lots of ideas by the time we get there. 🙂
The individual projects are such a great way to cover lots of work in a short time, and yet we all learn from each other and benefit (especially when it comes to L10’s cooking!)
I love, love, love it ALL!
Thank you, we did have lots of fun!
That is really bringing a project to life. Great!
Thanks Fiona. We do have lots of fun!
Those projects are wonderful, especially the map and the seals!
Than you Jamie!
I love the idea of a paper mache map rather than salt dough. I have horrid memories of making one back in junior high.
We use a papier mache that has plaster mixed in and it gives a really effective modelling substance. So easy to use and dries rock hard.
I like the way everyone had a unique project. What a cool way to learn from each other.
That has worked really well. I think we’ll be doing that each week from now on.
The map looks great. I love adding food to the learning.
Thanks Beth. Anything food related is a huge hit in our house!
Your blog is amazing! I love all of the history projects and ideas. I would like to invite you to link up one of your amazing posts on my Money Saving Monday Link Up.
Thank you,
Stephanie
http://lifesallaboutlittleadventures.blogspot.com/2013/04/money-saving-monday-week-2.html
Thank you Stephanie! I’ll link up later today.
Thank you for linking up on Money Saving Monday this Week! I just wanted to let you know that the new link up is LIVE! Please link up another great post this week! Thank you,
Stephanie
http://lifesallaboutlittleadventures.blogspot.com/2013/04/money-saving-monday-week-3.html
Thanks Stephanie