In Part I, Jaime shares with us the story of her own global family, coming together from four different continents. She gives us many simple but effective ways to invite the world into our own homes. And she challenges us to embrace a good story as a powerful way to enlarge our hearts and minds.
In a lengthy Part II, Jaime shares a feast of stories. The generous book list is conveniently sorted by region (Multicultural, Africa, Europe, Asia, Middle East, North America, Latin America, and finally Australia, Oceania, and the Polar Regions). Within the regional lists, she further sorts the books into target age ranges (4-6, 6-8, 8-10, and 10-12). A quick review accompanies each book selection.
The Index section is particularly helpful with an index each for authors, country/region, and titles, as well as a historical index with books sorted chronologically!
As I perused the book lists, I spied many favorite titles but also many that are new to me. I look forward to discovering new family favorites.
Jaime and Sarah Mackenzie of Read-Aloud Revival have teamed up to create the Read the World Summer Book Club for those of us interested in joining others on the journey. Kids and parents are encouraged to read one book a week, one region a week. The book club is in its second week, so don’t delay! Enjoy weekly themed recipes and videos at Simple Homeschool and enter to win prizes!
And it’s a true story of a little boy torn from his home by the devastation of war—a true story about a hunger that bread cannot satisfy.
The best part is the final page of the book where the author tells his history, of fleeing Poland in 1939 and moving all over the world. He tells us that the story takes place when he is four or five years old and living in Turkestan. He also shares a picture of himself in Turkestan at the age of seven, a beautiful map of Africa that he drew at the age of ten, and a drawing of the marketplace in Turkestan that he drew from memory at the age of thirteen (while living in Paris).
Readers discover that Uri knows, from personal experience, that knowledge feeds the imagination for a lifetime. He grew up to become an award-winning author and artist.
Few picture books are written in 1st person, so this may be a good book to use for a point of view discussion.
Crime Scene [Setting]
Where?
“Far, far east, where summers were hot and winters were cold, to a city of houses made of clay, straw, and camel dung, surrounded by dusty steppes, burned by the sun.”
(City of Turkestan, in what is now Kazakhstan)
Small room, dirt floor, with strangers and no toys or books.
Maps and Globes is one of my most favorite picture books to introduce kids to basic geography (What are maps? What do maps tell us? How is the earth measured? What are the marking on maps?), and now I have a favorite picture book for the features of the earth! In alphabetical order, Geography from A to Z: A Picture Glossary defines more than sixty geographical features and weaves in another 60+ definitions and synonyms. For example, the definition of oasis is given within the definition of desert; the definitions of knob and knoll are included in the definition of hill. The added terms are in bold, so they are easy to spot.
Challenge A students are instructed to define these terms and create their own picture glossary. This is one of the projects that Levi fell behind on, and I wish we had this book at the beginning of the year. My other kids will enjoy reading and learning the terms before they hit Challenge.
We recently enjoyed a couple picture books about small things, Tiny Creatures: The World of Microbes and What's Smaller Than a Pygmy Shrew? so it was fun to go in the opposite direction and think about something big. If… is a book full of visual representations to help kids (and adults) understand mind-boggling big numbers, from our galaxy to a timeline of inventions to water and continents to energy to population. This book makes a variety numbers come to life! [Yes, there are also two pages of the evolutionary history of earth.]
My boys love fairy tales and we have several beautiful picture books of fairy tales by Hans Christian Andersen. I try to find biographical picture books of authors whenever possible, and this picture book by Jane Yolen is lovely. The pictures are soft and muted. I also love The Young Hans Christian Andersen, the story of his childhood (with darling illustrations) by Karen Hesse.
We have borrowed this one from the library before, but it was time to revisit. My boys love Appalachian Spring (because they love the original Shaker hymn, Simple Gifts), so this story is a favorite. The illustrations are wonderful! Even more exciting is that the original ballet can be viewed on YouTube!
But the craft of memorization is not just for our internal uses; like most crafts it has practical application. “As an art, memory was most importantly associated in the Middles Ages with composition, not simply with retention,” say Carruthers. “Those who practiced the crafts of memory used them—as all crafts are used—to make new things: prayers, meditations, sermons, pictures, hymns, stories, and poems.”
To innovate is to introduce change. While STEM workers can certainly drive innovation through science alone, imagine how much more innovative students and employees could be if the pool of knowledge from which they draw is wider and deeper. That occurs as the result of a liberal arts education.
It is so easy to read history as a child and never grasp the significance of geography — all these faceless people and characterless settings we read about. And I tend to be drawn to the ideas of history, it’s true. But at the end of the day, one of the primary ways God has directed history is through creation’s topography.
:: The unexpected math behind Van Gogh's "Starry Night" - Natalya St. Clair @ TED-Ed
(For some art, math, and astronomy. Thanks for the share, Kristin Grear!)
In my opinion, observation is the true heart of all education. Indeed, education is most effective when it arises from a natural curiosity, an innate desire on the part of the student to know and understand. This is especially true of science education, which is, after all, nothing more than the close, methodical observation of God’s natural world.
We’re excited to announce that the 2015 Parent Practicum theme will be science, emphasizing the building nature of science explorations: they lead to understanding and AWE. We begin with the grammar stage of curiosity and wonder, through the dialectic, and end with the rhetoric stage of awe in the face of dawning understanding. Wonder to wonder!
“Telling a story is like reaching into a granary full of wheat and drawing out a handful. There is always more to tell than can be told. As almost any barber can testify, there is also more than needs to be told, and more than anybody wants to hear.”
[Speaking of more than needs to be told, and more than anybody wants to hear, have I got a blog post for you… This is a couple weeks’ worth, as I won’t be able to post again for a while.]
Travels (and Education)
The familiar ebb tide of February has, this year, given way unexpectedly to a flood tide of activity in which I am having trouble coming up for a breath.
On Friday I had the distinct pleasure of driving to Eugene to sit in on a lunch discussion with Andrew Kern, Gutenberg College tutors, and a few others in various educational realms (charter schools, online schools/classes, and homeschooling). I was in over my head (speaking of flood tide) and out of my comfort zone, but listening to the conversation was an incredible experience. To give you a little taste, the following are short videos featuring a few of the tutors at Gutenberg. (I’m fitting a great deal of life and learning in this post, so be sure to scroll down to read the rest.)
Saturday brought a return trip to Eugene, this time with my sister and two friends. Again, we listened to Andrew Kern and others discuss classical education. I crave some time for contemplation and organization of my thoughts, but the most significant concept I came away with is the “liturgy of learning” or form of masterful teaching that was demonstrated for us on stage.
Liturgy of Learning with Andrew Kern: 1. Invitation (determine student's readiness) 2. Presentation (of particular types or instances, model) 3. Comparison (of student's attempt and model) 4. Definition (student expression of concept) 5. Embodiment (student produces artifact)
I am also mulling over the ideas of analogical thinking versus analytical thinking that Andrew talked about on Tuesday. In The Mind of the Maker, Dorothy Sayers writes, “The fact is, that all language about everything is analogical; we think in a series of metaphors. We can explain nothing in terms of itself, but only in terms of other things.” She goes on to compare the experience of a writer with the existence of the Trinity. I now have a much clearer idea of the Trinity (and of the writing process) than I’ve ever had before. Reading her analogical writing reminds me of Beauty for Truth's Sake wherein the reader is invited to think analogically of the Trinity and mathematics.
And I recently came across this excellent article about the analogical teaching of Jesus:
“…Jesus exercised a different kind of creativity. Faced with a needy but argumentative woman, he took a word-picture from the prophetic writings and used it to communicate both the original message, and something specific - something new.”
I must move on, or this will be the longest blog post in Mt. Hope Chronicles history.
Oh. my. goodness. Speaking of Mt. Hope Chronicles history, I totally missed my SEVEN YEAR blog anniversary this month!! Speaking of anniversaries, Russ and I also celebrated eighteen years of marriage yesterday. But I simply cannot fit everything into this post.
Really, I’m moving on. Where was I going? Oh, yes. Going. Travel.
Yesterday, Monday, was our full day of Classical Conversations and choir for the boys. Russ headed out early in the morning for a flight to San Francisco, so I am single-parenting this week…and we have a big week to tackle without him!
Today I left the house with the kids before 9 am and didn’t return home until 4:30. My sister took Leif and Lola to her house while I took Levi, Luke, and Ivy up to Portland. My best friend arranged a field trip to see The Oregon Symphony in concert at the Arlene Schnitzer Concert Hall. Three moms and ten kids caravanned in three cars. The driving was somewhat stressful for me due to my inexperience at driving in downtown Portland, but the whole trip was a great success. The music selections were perfect, the narration lively, and the atmosphere exquisite.
After we returned to town and I had exchanged Ivy for Leif and Lola, I got my hair cut and ran several errands with the kids in tow.
And, now, I have one day (with kids underfoot) to do laundry, house cleaning, shopping, and packing for a trip south (while figuring in swim practice for all 3 boys and AWANAS). I need to be completely packed by tomorrow night so that we can be off before dawn the next morning for our 13+ hour drive sans Russ. We are caravanning with my dad. Ilex and Drake will be along to help us both, for which I am immensely grateful. Russ is renting a car and driving from San Francisco to meet up with us at my aunt and uncle’s house where we will be staying for a few days. We don’t have specific plans for a return date, but the boys have standardized testing next Thursday and a swim meet that weekend. Because life isn’t yet full enough. Ahem. (On a related note: the boys will be doing lessons in August. Sigh.)
The reason for our trip south? To celebrate the life of this woman:
My grandmother was an incredible woman who lived a full-to-the-brim life, and she deserves her own tribute post when I return. I will miss her terribly, but I cannot wait to see all the family that will be gathered for her funeral this weekend.
One request: I am not sure how my sensitive oldest son will handle her funeral. He has already been quite emotional the past few days. Could I request a few prayers on his behalf, that he would feel a sense of peace and encouragement? That would be greatly appreciated.
Last week was off-kilter with travel and illness, but I’ve been back at the early-rising and morning quiet time this week. It is still extremely difficult for me to get to bed at a decent hour. Argh! The 40 day challenge was technically finished this past weekend, and I’d call it a success. I’ve created a positive habit that I intend to continue.
40 Days of (Good) Food
Um. Well. [cough] I think I am going to have to repeat this challenge. Repeatedly. (The 40 day challenge is up this weekend, but I would only count it a partial success.)
40 Days of Geography
Wahoo! I have exciting things to report! I’ve conquered Africa. And that is sayin’ something. I spent some time working through Africa on the Sheppard Software site, but what really lit a fire under me was this timed quiz. It gives you 12 minutes to type in the name of every country in the world. Which means you also have to be able to spell them. Kazakhstan. Azerbaijan. Liechtenstein. Mauritius. Cote d’Ivoire. Seriously, some of those gave me fits. But. BUT!! I can now type (and spell) the name of every country in the world except for 9 of the islands in Oceania in just 10 minutes! That is 187 out of 196 countries mastered!
I have a little over a week left to finish mastering Oceania and spend more time drawing maps.
I knew going into this one that it might fall through the cracks with all that has been going on around here. But it is sitting there, on my mind. And it made me get off my rear end on Friday and take a walk in the fresh air with my little independently-dressed pal. Which meant that I enjoyed the sunset in honor of my grandmother, who loved the sunshine.
40 Days of Memory Master
If I had had it all together, I would have posted a new 40 day challenge yesterday. The boys and I have about 40 days to prep for our Cycle 2 Classical Conversations Memory Master proofing. If I can pull this one off, I will be a Grand Memory Master with all 3 cycles of memory work under my belt. Whew!!
"C.S. Lewis called it the inconsolable secret. It’s the deep desire to be able to slow, to enter, to quench an ineffable thirst. It’s an ache in my chest, a wild need to hold on to the invisible source of the beauty before my eyes. It is my soul trying to swallow."
"As long as you have not written that article, that speech, that novel, it could still be good. Before you take to the keys, you are Proust and Oscar Wilde and George Orwell all rolled up into one delicious package.... By the time you’re finished, you’re more like one of those 1940’s pulp hacks who strung hundred-page paragraphs together with semicolons because it was too much effort to figure out where the sentence should end."
'Unfortunately, in your own work, you are confronted with every clunky paragraph, every labored metaphor and unending story that refuses to come to a point. “The reason we struggle with"insecurity,” says Pastor Steven Furtick, “is because we compare our behind-the-scenes with everyone else’s highlight reel.”'
And this. Yes.
“Work finally begins,” says Alain de Botton, “when the fear of doing nothing exceeds the fear of doing it badly.”
"In the in-between, that place where we spend most our lives, we learn to recognize the temporal nature of life. Eventually, all waiting must end. And when it does, we are left with what we did with the time in between the beginning and the end."
“Being successful in whatever you are pursing in life is never going to magically happen one day and then it's done. It's an ongoing thing. You don't always feel it. It doesn't look the same in everyone's life. And another really weird thing about it is you don't always know it as it's happening. Like I said, choosing to be a failed actress is what led me to my current dream job. This was a successful move, but it sure didn't feel like it at the time. I felt anything but successful that year of my life. Don't be discouraged if you're not feeling successful this year. Keep going. Work hard. Play to your strengths. Take opportunities as they come. Be brave.”
The speed of time takes my breath away. Another day. Another week. Another month. Another year.
It feels ridiculous to document the hangnails of my days when I’m knee-deep in the passing hours. And yet, to look back, oh! it seems so foreign and familiar all at the same time. Was I really present? (Did she seriously sleep that much? Saving up for toddlerhood, no doubt about it!) Soon I will find hair-cutting, mischief-making, attention-demanding quite sentimental. Some day. I’m sure of it.
I spent Monday in court, supporting a friend and her family with about one hundred and fifty other supportive souls. My heart breaks for the tragic situation in which my friend finds herself. Sometimes the price paid simply isn’t fair. And it steals years of a life. Of a family.
I came home that evening and God gave me Black Threads by Ming-Wai Ng at Story Warren:
“My name is Ming and I am made of threads, threads of story, threads of pain. Before I was even born, thin filaments of loss, pain, joy, heartache, love, laughter, battles, and failure were being stitched into my being. Before I took my first breath, there were dark wispy fragments of pain being woven into the core of who I am. They are there now; from the soles of my feet to the crown of my head, and without those threads, I would not exist.”
How does the quotidian, the mundane, influence my story? Should it have weight? Particularly considering the platter of perspective lately served? I don’t know. Maybe large swaths will later be deemed inconsequential. Maybe a word here, or a word there, will be meaningful to someone else, regardless of my awareness of it. Maybe these words will speak to me a year from now. Or ten.
Or possibly it is my way of being here. Present. Paying attention to what fills my days. Aware of the price paid with life hours.
This is week four of my 40 Days of SPS challenge. I’ve been up by 6:30ish every weekday except one. I was out late with my ChocLit Guild (book club) ladies the night before. Lola was up quite a bit of the night with stomach pains. I must have turned off my alarm in my sleep, because I didn’t wake up until 7:30ish…and then it was a slow morning. But, seriously?! That is 16 mornings that I’ve seen the six o’clock hour in the past few weeks. Success.
I haven’t been filling out my SPS pages this week, though. I could write in the same thing each day. To do: lessons and housework. If I could live today over again: have grace for my children.
Honestly, the boys have needed me to be on top of them every single second of the day or chaos reigns. Lola is a walking tornado in and of herself. She cut her hair again tonight. Sigh. I’m running out of consequences for everyone. And I’m having trouble balancing grace and discipline. I certainly would not have won any parenting awards this evening.
I read this article which reiterates what Don Miller has listed on the SPS:
“The New Year is upon us again people are making resolutions hoping to eat less, exercise more, and generally be a better version of themselves. Very few people will make it through the year with their resolution in tact — in fact one statistic suggest 25% don’t make it the first week. What if I were to tell you the best way to succeed in keeping resolutions is to simply time travel back and live it again?”
Apparently I need more than two chances in the parenting department.
This is week three of my 40 Days of (Good) Food challenge. I planned to have dessert at book club last Thursday, and wouldn’t you know it? My friend brought chocolate zucchini bread—made with homegrown zucchini, almond flour, and local honey! (I have the BEST book club, evah!!) So I was doing well until day 14 and 15. Both days we were out unexpectedly over a meal time. It is a good thing I planned a few off days (but I didn’t drink Dr. Pepper!). I figure 30 out of 40 would be a success, and I’m back on track today.
This is week two of my 40 Days of Geography challenge. I’ve got the basics down for North, Central, and South America. I worked hard on the Caribbean this week, and I think I’ve got it (wow, there are a lot of islands!). I have the European countries, geographical regions, rivers, lakes, seas, and oceans. I’ve mastered the basic level for all of Asia and the Middle East. Now I have Africa and Oceania. Eek! Those are both very intimidating for me!
I didn’t add another challenge this week. I spent Monday at court. We drove to Salem Monday evening to check out a truck for sale (and had dinner out as a family). Several hours today were spent at the bank and running errands. But I have this to show for it. My Valentine’s Day-18th Anniversary-40th Birthday-Mother’s Day-(Fourth of July…) gift:
We bought our previous Suburban used ten years ago, and have run it into the ground. It has needed a new transmission for a year and a half (we’ve been driving it with no second gear). Russ has spent hours and hours recently fixing other things that have gone wrong. And it needs new tires. The transmission and tires would cost more than the truck is worth. Sigh. (Having four kids has been a bit of a challenge every time the truck would break down. We can’t all fit into Russ’s car.)
And we’re heading out on a mini family vacation on Thursday. I cannot tell you how badly we need this. Our last “vacation” was a year ago, and, well, I don’t think that even qualifies.
:: Ransom Note Poetry by my friend Danielle at Further Up and Further In. How fun is that?! This is definitely going on my “to-create” list for next week.
Here is a quick update since I didn’t post yesterday.
SPS: I’ve been up before 6:30 am every weekday morning for the past two and a half weeks. To most of you, that doesn’t sound like a big deal. Believe me when I say it is. And immediate shower then quiet time/Bible study (before checking email!) almost every morning. Yes. It has been difficult to get in much reading time, now that I’m trying to get to bed earlier each night.
Good food: I am still staying strong. It’s only day 10, but I have a good feeling about this.
Geography: I spent some time drawing and coloring a larger map today with a little more detail. Still not from memory, and I have a long way to go!
Encouragement
:: Blessings of a Life Interrupted by Angelina Stanford @ CiRCE (The opening quote by C.S. Lewis is one of my favorites. Go read it.)
“And then it hit me. I wasn’t managing to teach my kids in spite of life’s interruptions; I was teaching them something far more valuable. I was teaching them how to live life. Real life. The life that is messy and is filled with unexpected difficulties. Not the “real life” that only exists on paper and in my imagination. The real life that I never experienced as a child and was completely unprepared to encounter as an adult.”
"In my life of reading, moviegoing, listening to music, and studying visual art, I have encountered truth, beauty, and mystery as much in the work of non-Christians as I have in the work of Christians. I’d even go so far ...as to say that the truth and beauty I have found in the work of unbelievers has strengthened my faith even more than what I’ve found in “Christian art.” And that’s to be expected. I believe that we are all made in the image of God, and that eternity is written in our hearts . . . in all of our hearts. Thus, when anybody achieves any kind of beauty or truth in their work, that goodness is from God, whether the artist likes it or not."
:: The Dark-Tinted, Truth-Filled Reading List We Owe Our Kids by N.D. Wilson @ Christianity Today
"Shelter your children. Yes. Absolutely. But use a picnic shelter, not a lightless bomb bunker, and not virtual reality goggles looping bubblegum clouds. Feast with them on fiction in safety, laugh with them through terrible adventures seething with real weather. They should feel the wind and fear the lightning and witness the fools and heroes—and yet stay protected. In your picnic shelter, pack stories that bless the meek and shatter the proud. Stories that use hardship to burn away the dross in characters. Stories that honor the honorable and damn the damnable."
This is my next challenge, which falls under the “Learner” category of my life roles.
Specific goals:
Locate every country in the world, the United States and capitals, and the provinces and territories of Canada.
Learn the geographic regions, mountain ranges, peninsulas, rivers, and bodies of water in Europe and U.S.A.
Draw a free-hand map of the continents from memory.
I’ll be using Sheppard Software free online World and U.S.A. Geography Games. I hope to master at least level 5 for each of the continents/regions.
This is my very first freehand map (not from memory). My kids have been required to draw world maps, and I discovered that it is much more difficult than I thought. {grace for my children}
I invite you to join me! If you want to scale it down, pick one continent.
If History is the “when” of all subjects, geography is the “where.” Geography is certainly a part of history and can be studied as such (Story of the World activity guide makes that an easy task), but I wanted to share a few other resources for geography.
The boys cover gobs of geography in their Classical Conversations classes. Each week they learn five or six locations (countries, cities, natural features, etc.) and spend time tracing maps. They are working their way up to the 7th grade Challenge class where they will be drawing the entire world freehand by memory.
For a similar approach without the CC materials (or as supplemental work), I recommend starting with “blobbing” as recommended in The Core: Teaching Your Child the Foundations of Classical Education. Students start by folding their paper in quarters to represent the equator and prime meridian. Then they draw “blobs” in the general area of each continent. The maps gradually increase in definition and detail.
World Geography Songs with Audio CD is by far my favorite resource for learning all the countries of the world. The songs are very catchy and the resource comes with a workbook for locating the countries by region.
Around the World Coloring Book is a nice inexpensive option for learning about specific countries with younger children—especially children who enjoy coloring.
Maps and Globes is a fantastic picture book introduction to, well, maps and globes. It covers a large amount of information while still being enjoyable—great for a wide range of ages.
We have recently been enjoying these gorgeous, oversized picture books for our history and geography studies. The books are written by Richard Platt, the author of Castle Diary (one of my favorites!!). We recently covered the Mongol conquest of China in our history studies, so the four two-page spreads of China during A.D. 1200s were of particular interest. This also lead us into one of my most favorite read-alouds this year, The Kite Rider by Geraldine McCaughrean. Russ and Levi were riveted.
The writing is exquisite. The setting is exotic. The plot is captivating. The pace and length of book perfect for reading aloud. The story truly helped illuminate a culture and period in time with which I was wholly unfamiliar.
From the back cover:
"This is a novel about breathtaking sacrifices, about love, courage and friendship. It snatches you up from the first chapter, and, like Haoyou riding his kite, carries you up into a realm that is shocking, beautiful and compulsive. Read this novel, and be amazed." ~The Times of London
I really can't say it better than that.
ETA: I should mention that this book really is not suited for a sensitive child, as it certainly doesn't gloss over many realities of life in China in the 1200s.
Travel is fatal to prejudice, bigotry, and narrow-mindedness, and many of our people need it sorely on these accounts. Broad, wholesome, charitable views of men and things cannot be acquired by vegetating in one little corner of the earth all one's lifetime.
~Mark Twain, The Innocents Abroad
Your world is as big as you make it.
~Georgia Douglas Johnson
The world is a book, and those who do not travel read only a page.
~St. Augustine
I soon realized that no journey carries one far unless, as it extends into the world around us, it goes an equal distance into the world within.
~Lillian Smith
If you reject the food, ignore the customs, fear the religion and avoid the people, you might better stay home.
What does this mean to you? Is it on your list of priorities? What things can we as parents do at home to promote a healthy view of the world and its people for our children? Do you plan on traveling to another country or continent with your children? What might this travel look like? Have you already traveled with your children? Where and how?
Everyone is welcome to participate. Simply voice your thoughts on your blog and add the link to your post in the Mr. Linky below. Feel free to join in at anytime in the next week. You may grab the image above (or the smaller button on my side bar) to add to your post. If you do not have a blog post to share, I would love to hear your voice in the comments. (Scroll down for my contribution to the discussion!)
Here are links to our previous Living Lovely with Family topics and discussions:
To me, a globally aware child is conscious of the fact that he is not the center of the universe. He has a simple grasp of geography, is interested in new places and cultures, has respect and compassion for others (no matter what they look or sound like or where they live), and knows that God loves every person in this world.
I think the things we do at home to foster this attitude are even more important than taking our children on a trip to Europe. A child who is given this awareness will be likely to carry his interest into adulthood (when he may have more opportunities to travel), but I believe that a child who is (often inadvertently) taught that he is the center of the universe will have a harder time gaining the interest as an adult. (Clear as mud?)
Now the fun part: how. Set an example as a parent. Treat others with respect. Be curious about our world. Be aware of opportunities to serve others, at home and in other countries.
Fill your home with maps and books about other places and cultures. (You knew I would say books, right? Right?!) (I have many of my favorites available in my bookshop.)
I remember visiting my Grandpa's home as a child. He had a wonderful globe which I could sit and look at for hours. I think every home should have a globe available for children to use. You could have an inexpensive beach ball globe, or something of higher quality (or both!). A child's world atlas, wall maps, puzzles, and even geography games are wonderful to have around the home, as well. The World Geography Songs CD and workbook is a fun, painless way to learn the names of the countries.
What we do:
During our geography studies, I've printed off photographs of famous places and landmarks to create 'around the world' cards. I paste the photo to large index cards and write a few details on the back. The boys have enjoyed learning about the Easter Island Moai statues, the Sidney Opera House, Stonehenge, Big Ben, the Space Needle, the Taj Mahal, and Mt. Everest, as well as finding their locations on a map. We read books about other places and peoples. Some are non-fiction, some are beautiful picture books, some are myths and folklore.
We watch travel videos about other countries. I love the Countries Around the World series from Schlessinger Media. We've borrowed a large number of these from our library. If those aren't available to you, try watching Rick Steves' travel shows (and others) on the public broadcasting channel or renting travel videos from Netflix.
Second on my list, after books, is always food. Any excuse to eat, I say. I think a parent does a great service to their children by introducing them to a wide range of foods and flavors. You can use a children's cookbook with international recipes for starters. I love the Little Round the World Cookbook. It is indeed little, but packed with gorgeous photography and recipes. It portrays one region at a time, and is interspersed with beautiful two-page spreads of breads around the world, vegetables around the world, fish, cheeses, and other food groups. And don't forget the valuable internet links!
People is an incredible, fascinating, detailed picture book celebrating the diversity of people all over the world. It is one of my favorite picture books of all time.
It is helpful for children (and adults!!) to have a basic grasp of world religions, if for no other reason that religion plays a huge part in shaping cultures.
Children should learn about the things other nations have, and don't have. Material World(and others in the series) is on my wish list. Get involved.
Once children learn that we are abundantly blessed, and that many children in other nations are in deep need, there are endless opportunities for giving and being involved. Looking through the World Vision Gift Catalog, and choosing between a yak, baby chicks, fish ponds, or musical instruments is one of my favorite holiday activities. Consider sponsoring a child from another country. Children may write letters and draw pictures to send to your sponsored child.
Read stories about missionaries in other countries. Pray for missionaries from your church and learn about the country in which they are ministering.
In addition to geography studies, teaching world history, beginning in the elementary years, helps children gain a valuable world perspective. History is our favorite subject around here, thanks to The Story of the World!
(ETA: I can't believe I forgot to add learning foreign languages to my list! Can't forget that one!)
(ETA, again!: I can't believe I forgot to mention our 'around the world' celebrations at Christmas! St. Lucia Day, Las Posadas, etc. What fun!)
All this way, and I haven't even touched on traveling yet! Traveling is an incredible experience that everyone should try!
I have a great desire to go on a Europe tour, Rick Steves style. While we plan on budgeting for this adventure, it may be that is just isn't feasible financially. If that is the case, the boys will be working a summer to earn their own airfare, and I will send off my four men to hike across Europe.
All of our boys will be encouraged to go on a missions/humanitarian trip. If the boys show interest, we will look into work/service/educational opportunities for them in other countries during their late high school/college years.
If traveling isn't an option, consider getting to know people from other countries. Invite a missionary family over for dinner and learn about their experiences. Host an exchange student. Befriend the Japanese family living two doors down. Set up play dates with the Russian kids in your child's class. Check with the local college and find out if any international students need an adopted family.
I'm sure I've forgotten something, but I'm spent! I'm looking forward to reading what you all have to share!
Since a few of you were wondering about the map flip chart that I pictured below, I thought I would see if I could find it online. I purchased mine at a bargain book store (wahoo!), but found it on Amazon. They don't have any in stock, but there are some available from independent sellers.
Also, I loved Carole's suggestion of putting up a Mr. Linky for other homeschooling moms to share their lessons schedules and other specifics. Would anyone be interested in participating? If I could figure it out, I could post some of the questions that were asked of me and let other mom's chime in as well. Maybe one a week? What say you?
