My youngest child is finishing up the Extreme Environments studies in Level 1A Year 2. The three main books of this study recommended by Mater Amabilis™ are some of my absolute favorites and it's a little sad to think there won't be another child reading through them for the first time.
I posted plans for the three books long ago when First Son first read these books and have used the same plans almost unchanged for the three other children. I had to change some of the library basket books as our library updated their offerings and retired some older books, but most of the notebook pages stayed the same. It's fun to look back at the differences between the children. First Son would draw elaborate pictures but refuse to write a single word. Second Son, my youngest, would eagerly log on to the computer to get some facts and write them down (usually writing on the back side of a lined piece of paper) but refused to draw any pictures of anything.
One change I did make was adding some assignments in our Geography Coloring Book. It was easy for me to add these because I have assignments for this book in a variety of lessons all the way up to seventh or eighth grade. I would not recommend purchasing it just for these couple of assignments, but you might want to consider adding them if you've already decided to buy the book.
[UPDATE June 2020: I've created a master lesson plan for The Geography Coloring Book for Levels 1A, 2, and 3 which avoids assigning the same maps in different levels as much as possible.]
Term 1: 52 Days by Camel lesson plans - On the first day of the study, color Morocco and Mali on page 37.
Term 2: Jungle Islands lesson plans - On the first day of the study, color Australia, New Zealand, and the Solomon Islands on page 36.
Term 3: By Truck to the North lesson plans - On the first day of the study, color British Columbia (and Vancouver Island), Yukon Territory, Northwest Territories, and Beaufort Sea on page 5.
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Showing posts with label extreme environments. Show all posts
Showing posts with label extreme environments. Show all posts
Wednesday, May 6, 2020
Friday, July 19, 2013
Preschool Reading Around the World: Canada, Alaska, Artic, Antarctic
In the third term in this year's Reading-Around-the-World, we focused on books set in Canada, Alaska, the Arctic, and Antarctica, to correlate loosely with First Son's study of the Arctic and Antarctic.
A Cat in a Kayak by Maria Coffey, illustrated by Eugenie Fernandes, is a funny tale of a cat whose home is inundated with obnoxious noisy animals until Teelo thinks he can't stand it anymore, but when he sneaks off for some peace and quiet, he realizes home is a pretty good place to be. It's set in Canada, but there are only a few pages that really give a glimpse of the country. The children enjoyed it.
Under a Prairie Sky byAnne Laurel Carter, illustrated by Alan and Lea Daniel, is a small story of a young boy who wants to be a Mountie when he grows up. His father gives him a mission: to find his brother before a storm comes. So off he rides, showing us the land and animals all around their farm before finding his young (adorable) brother and bringing him home ahead of the storm. I liked this story more than the kids did.
Disappearing Lake: Nature's Magic in Denali National Park by Debbie S. Miller, illustrations by Jon Van Zyle, is a fantastic picture book about a lake the author and her family visited regularly which, like many lakes in Alaska, forms as the spring melts the snows and gradually disappears as the water seeps into the earth. It's beautifully illustrated and gives a wonderful glimpse of nature study at its best.

Kumak's House: A Tale of the Far North by Michael Bania is essentially the same story you'll find in It Could Always Be Worse: A Yiddish Folk Tale (another wonderful book). The author and illustrator lived in the Arctic as a teacher for 17 years, and the details in the book show that. There are in-depth explanations of many features at the end of the book. And it's a funny story.
The Polar Bear Son: An Inuit Tale retold and illustrated by Lydia Dabcovich is the tale of an Inuit woman who raises a polar bear cub. He grows to be an excellent son, loyal, loving, and helpful, despite what any of the villagers thinks or says. I really liked the illustrations in this book.
Go Home, River by James Magdanz, illustrated by Diane Widom, is one of my favorite picture books. There's a wonderful blend of family, Inupiat culture, and natural science. The illustrations, painted in octopus ink, are lovely as well.
River of Life by Debbie S. Miller, illustrated by Jon Van Zyle, is a wonderful book exploring the banks of a river in Alaska throughout the year. It gently introduces the readers to a world of wildlife. The illustrations are rich with color and movement. This should probably have a post as one of my favorite picture books.
The Frog Princess: A Tlingit Legend from Alaska retold by Eric A. Kimmel, illustrated by Rosanne Litzinger, is the tale of a princess courted by many but dismissive of them all until a mysterious man appears who leads her into the lake.
Beyond the Northern Lights by Lynn Blaikie has relatively little text and lots of beautiful illustrations. I really enjoyed this book myself.
Kumak's Fish: A Tall Tale from the Far North by Michael Bania is the ultimate fish tale (inspired by a real story) that celebrates a community working together. The illustrations are delightful as well. Kumak is a favorite with the children.
Very Last First Time by Jan Andrews, illustrated by Ian Wallace, is the story of the first time Eva Padlyat walked the bottom of the seabed in search of mussels. It's a nice story of courage and accomplishment for young children.
The Blizzard's Robe by Robert Sabuda is a legend of the gift of the northern lights and is one of my favorite picture books. The illustrations are magnificent. This is a book worthy to read even if you aren't seeking out Arctic or Antarctic books.
Lost and Found by Oliver Jeffers is just wonderful. My children love many of Mr. Jeffers's books (especially Second Daughter, who laughs uproariously from beginning to end of Stuck), but he's not my favorite illustrator. This book, however, is probably my favorite Jeffers book with crisp sweet illustrations. If you haven't yet seen them, Mr. Jeffers has some wonderful vidoes. I like this one myself and you can even watch him read Stuck.
The Seasons and Someone by Virginia L. Kroll, illustrated by Tatsuro Kiuchi, is a brief glimpse of the year with a young Eskimo girl. There's a little culture, a little nature study, a little beauty, and a peaceful story wonderful to share with young children.
Penguin and Little Blue by Megan McDonald, illustrated by Katherine Tillotson, is one of many books about penguins at our library, but in this one the penguins attempt to adapt to a life of traveling celebrities, starting with a stay in a Kansas hotel. Hilarity ensures.
Little Penguin: The Emperor of Antarctica by Jonathan London, illustrated by Julie Olson, is a great book for young children on the life of a newborn emperor penguin. It's probably not great literature, but it's entertaining and informative. The illustrations usually fill the two page spread.
Other Posts on Reading Around the World with picture books
2012-2013
Europe
Australia, New Zealand, and Hawai'i
2011-2012
Africa
Asia
Central and South America
A Cat in a Kayak by Maria Coffey, illustrated by Eugenie Fernandes, is a funny tale of a cat whose home is inundated with obnoxious noisy animals until Teelo thinks he can't stand it anymore, but when he sneaks off for some peace and quiet, he realizes home is a pretty good place to be. It's set in Canada, but there are only a few pages that really give a glimpse of the country. The children enjoyed it.
Under a Prairie Sky byAnne Laurel Carter, illustrated by Alan and Lea Daniel, is a small story of a young boy who wants to be a Mountie when he grows up. His father gives him a mission: to find his brother before a storm comes. So off he rides, showing us the land and animals all around their farm before finding his young (adorable) brother and bringing him home ahead of the storm. I liked this story more than the kids did.
Disappearing Lake: Nature's Magic in Denali National Park by Debbie S. Miller, illustrations by Jon Van Zyle, is a fantastic picture book about a lake the author and her family visited regularly which, like many lakes in Alaska, forms as the spring melts the snows and gradually disappears as the water seeps into the earth. It's beautifully illustrated and gives a wonderful glimpse of nature study at its best.
Kumak's House: A Tale of the Far North by Michael Bania is essentially the same story you'll find in It Could Always Be Worse: A Yiddish Folk Tale (another wonderful book). The author and illustrator lived in the Arctic as a teacher for 17 years, and the details in the book show that. There are in-depth explanations of many features at the end of the book. And it's a funny story.
The Polar Bear Son: An Inuit Tale retold and illustrated by Lydia Dabcovich is the tale of an Inuit woman who raises a polar bear cub. He grows to be an excellent son, loyal, loving, and helpful, despite what any of the villagers thinks or says. I really liked the illustrations in this book.
Go Home, River by James Magdanz, illustrated by Diane Widom, is one of my favorite picture books. There's a wonderful blend of family, Inupiat culture, and natural science. The illustrations, painted in octopus ink, are lovely as well.
River of Life by Debbie S. Miller, illustrated by Jon Van Zyle, is a wonderful book exploring the banks of a river in Alaska throughout the year. It gently introduces the readers to a world of wildlife. The illustrations are rich with color and movement. This should probably have a post as one of my favorite picture books.
The Frog Princess: A Tlingit Legend from Alaska retold by Eric A. Kimmel, illustrated by Rosanne Litzinger, is the tale of a princess courted by many but dismissive of them all until a mysterious man appears who leads her into the lake.
Beyond the Northern Lights by Lynn Blaikie has relatively little text and lots of beautiful illustrations. I really enjoyed this book myself.
Very Last First Time by Jan Andrews, illustrated by Ian Wallace, is the story of the first time Eva Padlyat walked the bottom of the seabed in search of mussels. It's a nice story of courage and accomplishment for young children.
The Blizzard's Robe by Robert Sabuda is a legend of the gift of the northern lights and is one of my favorite picture books. The illustrations are magnificent. This is a book worthy to read even if you aren't seeking out Arctic or Antarctic books.
The Seasons and Someone by Virginia L. Kroll, illustrated by Tatsuro Kiuchi, is a brief glimpse of the year with a young Eskimo girl. There's a little culture, a little nature study, a little beauty, and a peaceful story wonderful to share with young children.
Penguin and Little Blue by Megan McDonald, illustrated by Katherine Tillotson, is one of many books about penguins at our library, but in this one the penguins attempt to adapt to a life of traveling celebrities, starting with a stay in a Kansas hotel. Hilarity ensures.
Little Penguin: The Emperor of Antarctica by Jonathan London, illustrated by Julie Olson, is a great book for young children on the life of a newborn emperor penguin. It's probably not great literature, but it's entertaining and informative. The illustrations usually fill the two page spread.
Other Posts on Reading Around the World with picture books
2012-2013
Europe
Australia, New Zealand, and Hawai'i
2011-2012
Africa
Asia
Central and South America
Friday, June 28, 2013
Preschool Reading Around the World: Australia, New Zealand, and Hawai'i
In our second term this year, I selected books for our Preschool-Reading-Around-the-World reading time to coordinate loosely with our island jungle studies, so I focused on books set in Australia, New Zealand, and Hawai'i. (I'm not sure I managed to get a New Zealand book; I had one selected and then the library got rid of it before I requested it for our study.)
I often asked First Son (third grade, age 9) to read this aloud to the girls (ages 6 and 4). That way, he was able to add a little more context to his extreme environments studies and, most importantly, had an excuse to read a book he might have thought was too young for him but that he really enjoyed.
The Singing Snake by Stefan Czernecki and Timothy Rhodes, illustrated by Stefan Czernecki, is a retelling of an Australian folktale in which a snake cheats to win a singing contest. The illustrations are evocative of aboriginal Australian art and the moral is worthy.

Ernie Dances to the Didgeridoo by Alison Lester tells of a young boy who accompanies his parents to Arnhem Land in Australia, the home of Aboriginal people. While his parents are working at a hospital, Ernie is making friends and learning about his new home. There's a helpful list of definitions at the end. This is a bright, colorful, fun book that tells a lot about Arnhem Land. My children loved this book.

Diary of a Wombat by Jackie French, illustrated by Bruce Whatley, is one of my favorite picture books so of course we had to read it.
Wombat Stew by Marcia K. Vaughan, illustrated by Pamela Lofts, is a delightful book telling of the rescue of a wombat captured by a dingo by a variety of other Australian animals. First Son and First Daughter were laughing out loud at this book.
Wombat Goes Walkabout by Michael Morpurgo, illustrated by Christian Birmingham, tells of a young wombat separated from his mother. In seeking her, he meets lots of different Australian animals and learns just a tiny bit about each one (and how they are different from wombats). In the end, his particular skills save some new friends who help reunite him with his mother. The illustrations are quite realistic of the animals of Australia. We also read Wombat Walkabout by Carol Diggory Shields, illustrated by Sophie Blackall, which is more of a silly counting book. The kids enjoyed it, but I didn't like it as much as Wombat Goes Walkabout.
Over in Australia byMarianne Berkes, illustrated by Jill Dubin, is based on Over in the Meadow, which is one of my favorite picture books, but in some ways it is even better. In addition to the rhyming stanzas with appearances by Australian animals, pages at the end of the book include lots of information on Australia's environments and lots of animals. The illustrations are collages, colorful and beautiful. There's a note at the end on creating your own collages. And there's more - tips from the author on activities for the book (though we didn't do any of those ourselves, many look fun) and even the music for the song. There are a lot of books that extend Over in the Meadow, but this has to be one of the best.
Toad Overload by Patricia Seibert, illustrated by Jan Davey Ellis, tells about the introduction of cane toads to Australia. I don't usually choose non-fiction books for our reading-around-the-world, but this one is both interesting and accessible. Who doesn't like reading about huge toads? I liked providing a book that might prompt some thought on the ways humans change and interfere with environments and this book does not automatically condemn people.

Polly Hopper's Pouch by Louise Bonnett-Rampersaud, illustrated by Lina Chesak-Liberace, is a sweet story of Polly, a kangaroo who wonders about a lot of things, especially why she has a pouch. She eventually discovers what fits perfectly in her pouch. It's a perfect story for little ones, especially little girls.
Are We There Yet? by Alison Lester is like a journal of the journey of a family around their home continent of Australia. The children "miss" the winter term of school, but it's clear to any homeschooling family that they learn much more than they would have in a school. It's a marvelous book for learning a bit about Australia and encouraging your children to beg for a year-long journey of their own country. First Daughter in particular thinks this would be a fantastic idea.
No Slippers by Mary Braffet is a cute little story of a young girl who can't keep track of her slippers (sandals). It's set in Hawai'i and was sent to us by a dear friend who grew up there, so it's special to us.

The Island-below-the-Star and Dog-of-the-Sea-Waves written and illustrated by James Rumford are both beautiful stories imagining the discovery of Hawai'i by the first inhabitants. Rumford creates stunning artwork and it's always a joy to share his illustrations with children. The stories are a little long, so I allowed the children a choice of one of these to read. Personally, I like Dog-of-the-Sea-Waves better, but they are both wonderful.
Georgia in Hawaii by Amy Novesky, illustrated by Yuyi Morales, is a beautiful picture book about an artist and her painting. This book makes me want to return to Hawai'i more than any other we read. The illustrations are done in a style similar to Georgia O'Keeffe's. It would make a nice complement to an artist study as well our journey around the world.
Grandma Calls Me Beautiful by Barbara M. Joosse, illustrated by Barbara Lavallee, is the lovely book of the love between a grandmother and her granddaughter. It is set in Hawai'i and the life of the islands permeates the book. There's a nice glossary and some explanations at the end, but it would be impossible for any child to miss the loving relationship.
Other Posts on Reading Around the World with picture books
2012-2013
Europe
2011-2012
Africa
Asia
Central and South America
I often asked First Son (third grade, age 9) to read this aloud to the girls (ages 6 and 4). That way, he was able to add a little more context to his extreme environments studies and, most importantly, had an excuse to read a book he might have thought was too young for him but that he really enjoyed.
The Singing Snake by Stefan Czernecki and Timothy Rhodes, illustrated by Stefan Czernecki, is a retelling of an Australian folktale in which a snake cheats to win a singing contest. The illustrations are evocative of aboriginal Australian art and the moral is worthy.
Ernie Dances to the Didgeridoo by Alison Lester tells of a young boy who accompanies his parents to Arnhem Land in Australia, the home of Aboriginal people. While his parents are working at a hospital, Ernie is making friends and learning about his new home. There's a helpful list of definitions at the end. This is a bright, colorful, fun book that tells a lot about Arnhem Land. My children loved this book.
Diary of a Wombat by Jackie French, illustrated by Bruce Whatley, is one of my favorite picture books so of course we had to read it.
Wombat Stew by Marcia K. Vaughan, illustrated by Pamela Lofts, is a delightful book telling of the rescue of a wombat captured by a dingo by a variety of other Australian animals. First Son and First Daughter were laughing out loud at this book.
Wombat Goes Walkabout by Michael Morpurgo, illustrated by Christian Birmingham, tells of a young wombat separated from his mother. In seeking her, he meets lots of different Australian animals and learns just a tiny bit about each one (and how they are different from wombats). In the end, his particular skills save some new friends who help reunite him with his mother. The illustrations are quite realistic of the animals of Australia. We also read Wombat Walkabout by Carol Diggory Shields, illustrated by Sophie Blackall, which is more of a silly counting book. The kids enjoyed it, but I didn't like it as much as Wombat Goes Walkabout.
Over in Australia byMarianne Berkes, illustrated by Jill Dubin, is based on Over in the Meadow, which is one of my favorite picture books, but in some ways it is even better. In addition to the rhyming stanzas with appearances by Australian animals, pages at the end of the book include lots of information on Australia's environments and lots of animals. The illustrations are collages, colorful and beautiful. There's a note at the end on creating your own collages. And there's more - tips from the author on activities for the book (though we didn't do any of those ourselves, many look fun) and even the music for the song. There are a lot of books that extend Over in the Meadow, but this has to be one of the best.
Toad Overload by Patricia Seibert, illustrated by Jan Davey Ellis, tells about the introduction of cane toads to Australia. I don't usually choose non-fiction books for our reading-around-the-world, but this one is both interesting and accessible. Who doesn't like reading about huge toads? I liked providing a book that might prompt some thought on the ways humans change and interfere with environments and this book does not automatically condemn people.
Polly Hopper's Pouch by Louise Bonnett-Rampersaud, illustrated by Lina Chesak-Liberace, is a sweet story of Polly, a kangaroo who wonders about a lot of things, especially why she has a pouch. She eventually discovers what fits perfectly in her pouch. It's a perfect story for little ones, especially little girls.
Are We There Yet? by Alison Lester is like a journal of the journey of a family around their home continent of Australia. The children "miss" the winter term of school, but it's clear to any homeschooling family that they learn much more than they would have in a school. It's a marvelous book for learning a bit about Australia and encouraging your children to beg for a year-long journey of their own country. First Daughter in particular thinks this would be a fantastic idea.
No Slippers by Mary Braffet is a cute little story of a young girl who can't keep track of her slippers (sandals). It's set in Hawai'i and was sent to us by a dear friend who grew up there, so it's special to us.
The Island-below-the-Star and Dog-of-the-Sea-Waves written and illustrated by James Rumford are both beautiful stories imagining the discovery of Hawai'i by the first inhabitants. Rumford creates stunning artwork and it's always a joy to share his illustrations with children. The stories are a little long, so I allowed the children a choice of one of these to read. Personally, I like Dog-of-the-Sea-Waves better, but they are both wonderful.
Georgia in Hawaii by Amy Novesky, illustrated by Yuyi Morales, is a beautiful picture book about an artist and her painting. This book makes me want to return to Hawai'i more than any other we read. The illustrations are done in a style similar to Georgia O'Keeffe's. It would make a nice complement to an artist study as well our journey around the world.
Grandma Calls Me Beautiful by Barbara M. Joosse, illustrated by Barbara Lavallee, is the lovely book of the love between a grandmother and her granddaughter. It is set in Hawai'i and the life of the islands permeates the book. There's a nice glossary and some explanations at the end, but it would be impossible for any child to miss the loving relationship.
Other Posts on Reading Around the World with picture books
2012-2013
Europe
2011-2012
Africa
Asia
Central and South America
Wednesday, May 29, 2013
My Favorite Picture Books: The Blizzard's Robe
Oh the illustrations in this book are truly stunning. I find myself poring over them even when I'm reading it myself. There's a note on the copyright page that the artwork (an appropriate word) was created with batik and a description of how it works.
During the coldest part of winter, these people lived in almost total darkness because the angle of the sun, far to the south, just missed greeting their village each day. If the sun did rise above the horizon, it was only for a brief time, like a great whale rising to the surface of the sea for a quick breath.Isn't that lovely? In a few sentences, Mr. Sabuda has explained the darkness of winter in the Arctic and provided a wonderful simile for the brief times of sunlight, one that perfectly suits a story of the far north.
Teune, the only character in the book with a name, is a young girl with tremendous skills as a robemaker. When she accidentally burns Blizzard's robes, she seeks to make amends even though the villagers think she is a hero. It's a story of perseverance, dedication, development and practice of a useful skill, understanding, and charity.
I selected this to read to the girls while First Son was studying the Arctic. It was a perfect addition to our Reading Around the World in picture books.
Did I mention the illustrations are stunning?
Monday, May 27, 2013
Homeschool Review and Lesson Plans: By Truck to the North
Mater Amabilis Level 1A
recommends a study of Extreme Environments in Year 2 (third grade) for
Earth Studies. The books are meant to be read independently, then
narrated. I added a little notebooking and extra books from the library.
I posted earlier about our first term study, 52 Days by Camel, and our second term study, Jungle Islands.
In our third term, First Son read By Truck to the North: My Arctic Adventure (Adventure Travel) by Andy Turnbull with Debora Perason, part of the same series. It's full of interesting facts of the Arctic and lots of pictures. First Son especially enjoyed the pictures of the little dog that traveled with them.
Here's our schedule for the term. As with the other books, I added a few notebooking pages.
First Son did all of his reading independently, narrated to me, and then did the notebook pages independently as well. For the notebook pages, I rarely asked him to elaborate on them. These were a chance for him to practice taking some notes or consolidating information into a picture.
The basket books were all from our library. I would display them during the appropriate week so they were available for independent reading during free time or for supplemental information for notebook pages. If he could help it, he didn't use any of these books, but I liked having them available regardless. At the time, we also had Draw Write Now book 4 which I let First Son use as he wanted for the notebook pages, but I recently sold the whole set (since we switched the Cursive First) so we won't have that available for future students.
Week 1
Read the introduction and chapter 1. Narrate.
Draw a map for your notebook of western Canada and Alaska. Be sure to include the towns they'll visit.
Independent reading - Tikta'Liktak retold by James Houston
I asked First Son to read this on his own time over the course of a week or so. I did not require narrations for it. I thought it was a great story to complement our study of the extreme environments of the Arctic.
Book basket:
Arctic Hunter by Diane Hoyt-Goldsmith
Icebergs, Ice Caps, and Glaciers by Allan Fowler
Week 2
Read chapters 2 and 3. Narrate.
Week 3
Read chapter 4. Narrate.
Make a page for totem poles for your notebook.
Learn a little about Kitwanga on this website.
Book basket:
Totem Poles by Jennifer Frantz
Carving a Totem Pole by Vickie Jensen - I thought this was a pretty good book with lots of pictures and a great look at the creation of a totem pole for the people involved.
Week 4
Read chapter 5. Narrate.
Make a notebook page on the Klondike Gold Rush (using words and pictures). Use Klondike Gold by Alice Provensen in addition to your book. (I really like this Provensen book.)
Book basket:
The Klondike Gold Rush by Marc Tyler Nobleman
Week 5
Read chapter 6. Narrate.
Make a notebook page on the northern lights. Be sure to include a little about how they form and draw a picture.
We were supposed to look at this website as well on the northern lights, but I forgot and we never made it back.
Book basket:
Science Matters: Northern Lights by David Whitfield
Week 6
Read chapter 7. Narrate.
Make a notebook page on timber wolves or other animals of the Arctic.
Book basket:
DK Eye Wonder: Arctic and Antarctic
Week 7
Read chapter 8. Narrate.
Make a page on the sunlight and darkness in the far north. Use Arctic Lights Arctic Nights. (I thought this was a particularly good book on this topic.)
Week 8
Read chapter 9. Narrate.
Make a page on pingos for your notebook. Be sure to draw one and describe how they are formed. Alternatively, make a page on polar bears for your notebook using A Polar Bear Journey by Debbie S. Miller.
We moved a little more quickly through By Truck to the North than we did with the books the first two terms so we could include this short book based in Antarctica: Antarctic Journal: Four Months at the Bottom of the World
by Jennifer Owings Dewey. First Son was always dismayed by the number of pages we read in a day, but there are lots of illustrations. This is a great book for showing the value of nature study drawings. I requested a copy of this book from PaperBackSwap.com.
Week 9
Read pp. 6-17. Narrate.
Draw a map of Antarctica for your notebook. Be sure to include Palmer Station. Add a few notes about Palmer Station to your page.
Book basket:
Antarctic Journal by Meredith Hooper
My Season with the Penguins: An Antarctic Journal by Sophie Webb
Week 10
Read pp. 18-31. Narrate.
Make a page for your notebook about Litchfield Island or any of the animals mentioned in the book.
Book basket:
Penguins by Sylvia A. Johnson
Penguins at Home: Gentoos of Antarctica by Bruce McMillan
Penguins from Emperors to Macaronis by Erin Pembrey Swan
Week 11
Read pp. 32-45. Narrate.
Make a page for your notebook about blue whales, winter and summer in Antarctica (p. 37), or glaciers in Antarctica.
Book basket:
Icebergs, Ice Caps, and Glaciers by Allan Fowler
Big Blue Whale by Nicola Davies
A Look at Glaciers by Patrick Allen
Glaciers by Margaret Carruthers
Week 12
Read pp. 46-63. Narrate.
Make a page for your notebook about elephant seals, blue-eyed shags, icebergs, glacier snow, or Weddell seals.
Book basket:
Elephant Seals by Sylvia Johnson
As with the other posts, I welcome any suggestions. I'll be doing this study again in three years with First Daughter (or maybe in four years with First and Second Daughter together).
Also, I tried a new method for the Amazon links for most of the books in this post. Please let me know if any of them don't work or if they take you to some random page instead of the appropriate one.
I posted earlier about our first term study, 52 Days by Camel, and our second term study, Jungle Islands.
In our third term, First Son read By Truck to the North: My Arctic Adventure (Adventure Travel) by Andy Turnbull with Debora Perason, part of the same series. It's full of interesting facts of the Arctic and lots of pictures. First Son especially enjoyed the pictures of the little dog that traveled with them.
Here's our schedule for the term. As with the other books, I added a few notebooking pages.
The basket books were all from our library. I would display them during the appropriate week so they were available for independent reading during free time or for supplemental information for notebook pages. If he could help it, he didn't use any of these books, but I liked having them available regardless. At the time, we also had Draw Write Now book 4 which I let First Son use as he wanted for the notebook pages, but I recently sold the whole set (since we switched the Cursive First) so we won't have that available for future students.
Week 1
Read the introduction and chapter 1. Narrate.
Draw a map for your notebook of western Canada and Alaska. Be sure to include the towns they'll visit.
Independent reading - Tikta'Liktak retold by James Houston
I asked First Son to read this on his own time over the course of a week or so. I did not require narrations for it. I thought it was a great story to complement our study of the extreme environments of the Arctic.
Book basket:
Arctic Hunter by Diane Hoyt-Goldsmith
Icebergs, Ice Caps, and Glaciers by Allan Fowler
Week 2
Read chapters 2 and 3. Narrate.
Week 3
Read chapter 4. Narrate.
Make a page for totem poles for your notebook.
Learn a little about Kitwanga on this website.
Book basket:
Totem Poles by Jennifer Frantz
Carving a Totem Pole by Vickie Jensen - I thought this was a pretty good book with lots of pictures and a great look at the creation of a totem pole for the people involved.
Week 4
Read chapter 5. Narrate.
Make a notebook page on the Klondike Gold Rush (using words and pictures). Use Klondike Gold by Alice Provensen in addition to your book. (I really like this Provensen book.)
Book basket:
The Klondike Gold Rush by Marc Tyler Nobleman
Week 5
Read chapter 6. Narrate.
Make a notebook page on the northern lights. Be sure to include a little about how they form and draw a picture.
We were supposed to look at this website as well on the northern lights, but I forgot and we never made it back.
Book basket:
Science Matters: Northern Lights by David Whitfield
Week 6
Read chapter 7. Narrate.
Make a notebook page on timber wolves or other animals of the Arctic.
Book basket:
DK Eye Wonder: Arctic and Antarctic
Week 7
Read chapter 8. Narrate.
Make a page on the sunlight and darkness in the far north. Use Arctic Lights Arctic Nights. (I thought this was a particularly good book on this topic.)
Week 8
Read chapter 9. Narrate.
Make a page on pingos for your notebook. Be sure to draw one and describe how they are formed. Alternatively, make a page on polar bears for your notebook using A Polar Bear Journey by Debbie S. Miller.
We moved a little more quickly through By Truck to the North than we did with the books the first two terms so we could include this short book based in Antarctica: Antarctic Journal: Four Months at the Bottom of the World
Week 9
Read pp. 6-17. Narrate.
Draw a map of Antarctica for your notebook. Be sure to include Palmer Station. Add a few notes about Palmer Station to your page.
Book basket:
Antarctic Journal by Meredith Hooper
My Season with the Penguins: An Antarctic Journal by Sophie Webb
Week 10
Read pp. 18-31. Narrate.
Make a page for your notebook about Litchfield Island or any of the animals mentioned in the book.
Book basket:
Penguins by Sylvia A. Johnson
Penguins at Home: Gentoos of Antarctica by Bruce McMillan
Penguins from Emperors to Macaronis by Erin Pembrey Swan
Week 11
Read pp. 32-45. Narrate.
Make a page for your notebook about blue whales, winter and summer in Antarctica (p. 37), or glaciers in Antarctica.
Book basket:
Icebergs, Ice Caps, and Glaciers by Allan Fowler
Big Blue Whale by Nicola Davies
A Look at Glaciers by Patrick Allen
Glaciers by Margaret Carruthers
Week 12
Read pp. 46-63. Narrate.
Make a page for your notebook about elephant seals, blue-eyed shags, icebergs, glacier snow, or Weddell seals.
Book basket:
Elephant Seals by Sylvia Johnson
As with the other posts, I welcome any suggestions. I'll be doing this study again in three years with First Daughter (or maybe in four years with First and Second Daughter together).
Also, I tried a new method for the Amazon links for most of the books in this post. Please let me know if any of them don't work or if they take you to some random page instead of the appropriate one.
Monday, April 8, 2013
Homeschool Review and Lesson Plans: Jungle Islands
Mater Amabilis Level 1A
recommends a study of Extreme Environments in Year 2 (third grade) for
Earth Studies. The books are meant to be read independently, then
narrated. I added a little notebooking and extra books from the library.
I already blogged about the book for our first term, 52 Days by Camel.
In the second term, we studied the Solomon Islands with Jungle Islands: My South Sea Adventure by Maria Coffey and Debora Pearson. This is another wonderful book in the same series as 52 Days by Camel, full of photographs and insight into the South Sea cultures and environment. I think First Son liked this book the best of the three we read this year in our Extreme Environments studies.

As I mentioned before, each week First Son would read from this book and narrate. Then I often asked him to complete a notebook page as well. I usually asked for a few words (labels, notes, a sentence or two) and a drawing, which I encouraged him to color. The library books were set out to entice additional reading, which sometimes happened.
Week 1
(No reading this week.)
Create a map of the Solomon Islands for your notebook. (First Son used the library book below and an atlas.)
Independent reading: From Kansas to Cannibals: The Story of Osa Johnson by Suzanne Middendorf Arruda - I shared this with First Son because Osa's life was truly fascinating and she was a country girl from Kansas, but we talked a little about how the native people of the islands and Africa were described and treated by Osa and her companions. (Their treatment of wildlife was also very different from what is expected today.) It made for exciting reading and some thoughtfulness on changing times and how we should always strive to be considerate of all people and careful in our stewardship of God's earth. She has a museum not too far away, but too far for a mid-year field trip.
Library book:
Solomon Islands (Enchantment of the World) by Judith Diamond
Week 2
Read the introduction, "Help! I'm Drowning!" and "My South Sea Adventure."
Narrate.
Week 3
Read chapter 1, "All Aboard!"
Narrate.
Research coconuts or sugar cane. Draw a picture of the life cycle of one of them for your notebook. (We went online for this research because there wasn't an appropriate book at our library.) Taste shredded coconut or make something with coconut milk for dinner.
Week 4
Read chapter 2, "Jungle Eyes."
Narrate.
Read about wildlife mentioned in the chapter (parrot, bats, sharks, or mudskippers). (Again, we went online for this research.) Draw an animal for your notebook with notes from your research.
Week 5
Read Life in a Coral Reef (Let's-Read-and-Find-Out Science 2) by Wendy Pfeffer, Coral Reefs by Jason Chin, and This Is the Reef by Miriam Moss.
Draw and color a coral reef for your notebook with notes from your research.
Library books:
Coral Reefs by Gail Gibbons
The Coral Reef: A Colorful Web of Life (Wonderful Water Biomes) by Philip Johansson
Week 6
Read chapter 3, "Come On In!"
Narrate.
Draw a picture of the war canoe built by the islanders and a picture of the kayak used by the author and photographer. Note the differences on your notebook page.
Week 7
Read chapter 4, "Crocodiles!"
Narrate.
Draw a picture of a crocodile for your notebook with written notes.
Week 8
Read chapter 5, "Land of the Skulls."
Narrate.
Week 9
Read chapter 6, "Into the Unknown."
Narrate.
Draw a page on frigate birds for your notebook. (We went online to find pictures of frigate birds of all ages.)
Week 10
Read chapter 7, "Make Way for Giants."
Narrate.
Draw a page on leatherback turtles for your notebook with written notes.
There are probably some good documentaries on leatherback turtles, but I didn't have time to screen any.
Week 11
Read chapter 8, "Diving into Adventure."
Narrate.
Week 12
Read chapter 9, "Up, Up, and Away."
Narrate.
I considered watching South Pacific at the end of our term, but decided in the end we didn't need more screen time.
I'll be doing this study again in three years with First Daughter, so be sure to share any ideas or other resources!
I already blogged about the book for our first term, 52 Days by Camel.
In the second term, we studied the Solomon Islands with Jungle Islands: My South Sea Adventure by Maria Coffey and Debora Pearson. This is another wonderful book in the same series as 52 Days by Camel, full of photographs and insight into the South Sea cultures and environment. I think First Son liked this book the best of the three we read this year in our Extreme Environments studies.
As I mentioned before, each week First Son would read from this book and narrate. Then I often asked him to complete a notebook page as well. I usually asked for a few words (labels, notes, a sentence or two) and a drawing, which I encouraged him to color. The library books were set out to entice additional reading, which sometimes happened.
Week 1
(No reading this week.)
Create a map of the Solomon Islands for your notebook. (First Son used the library book below and an atlas.)
Independent reading: From Kansas to Cannibals: The Story of Osa Johnson by Suzanne Middendorf Arruda - I shared this with First Son because Osa's life was truly fascinating and she was a country girl from Kansas, but we talked a little about how the native people of the islands and Africa were described and treated by Osa and her companions. (Their treatment of wildlife was also very different from what is expected today.) It made for exciting reading and some thoughtfulness on changing times and how we should always strive to be considerate of all people and careful in our stewardship of God's earth. She has a museum not too far away, but too far for a mid-year field trip.
Library book:
Solomon Islands (Enchantment of the World) by Judith Diamond
Week 2
Read the introduction, "Help! I'm Drowning!" and "My South Sea Adventure."
Narrate.
Week 3
Read chapter 1, "All Aboard!"
Narrate.
Research coconuts or sugar cane. Draw a picture of the life cycle of one of them for your notebook. (We went online for this research because there wasn't an appropriate book at our library.) Taste shredded coconut or make something with coconut milk for dinner.
Week 4
Read chapter 2, "Jungle Eyes."
Narrate.
Read about wildlife mentioned in the chapter (parrot, bats, sharks, or mudskippers). (Again, we went online for this research.) Draw an animal for your notebook with notes from your research.
Week 5
Read Life in a Coral Reef (Let's-Read-and-Find-Out Science 2) by Wendy Pfeffer, Coral Reefs by Jason Chin, and This Is the Reef by Miriam Moss.
Draw and color a coral reef for your notebook with notes from your research.
![]() |
First Son didn't make many notes, but he could name everything. The fish are frowning because they know the shark is going to eat them. |
Coral Reefs by Gail Gibbons
The Coral Reef: A Colorful Web of Life (Wonderful Water Biomes) by Philip Johansson
Week 6
Read chapter 3, "Come On In!"
Narrate.
Draw a picture of the war canoe built by the islanders and a picture of the kayak used by the author and photographer. Note the differences on your notebook page.
Week 7
Read chapter 4, "Crocodiles!"
Narrate.
Draw a picture of a crocodile for your notebook with written notes.
Week 8
Read chapter 5, "Land of the Skulls."
Narrate.
Week 9
Read chapter 6, "Into the Unknown."
Narrate.
Draw a page on frigate birds for your notebook. (We went online to find pictures of frigate birds of all ages.)
Week 10
Read chapter 7, "Make Way for Giants."
Narrate.
Draw a page on leatherback turtles for your notebook with written notes.
There are probably some good documentaries on leatherback turtles, but I didn't have time to screen any.
Week 11
Read chapter 8, "Diving into Adventure."
Narrate.
Week 12
Read chapter 9, "Up, Up, and Away."
Narrate.
I considered watching South Pacific at the end of our term, but decided in the end we didn't need more screen time.
I'll be doing this study again in three years with First Daughter, so be sure to share any ideas or other resources!
Monday, April 1, 2013
Homeschool Review and Lesson Plans: 52 Days by Camel
Mater Amabilis Level 1A recommends a study of Extreme Environments in Year 2 (third grade) for Earth Studies. The books are meant to be read independently, then narrated. I added a little notebooking and extra books from the library.
In the first term in third grade, First Son read from 52 Days by Camel: My Sahara Adventure by Lawrie Raskin with Deborah Pearson. This book is wonderful. It's full of pictures and interesting bits of information on the culture, environment, and people of North Africa. First Son was not very happy about narrating for me each week and he grumbled about the notebook pages (though he has improved dramatically on those as we reach the end of the school year and are now on our third book in this series). He loved the readings, though, and poring over the pictures.
Here's our schedule for the term, for those that might be interested in doing something similar. The library books were placed on our desk or on our window sills in an attempt to attract First Son or the other kids to flip through them. They were not assigned reading. Sometimes I selected them just for the pictures.
Often I encouraged First Son to use them to find additional information for his notebook pages. In general, I was not demanding in the content of the notebook pages. I usually required some labels, brief notes, or one sentence (so a little writing) and a picture. I encouraged him to color the picture with the good colored pencils or beeswax crayons. At the beginning of the year (and for most of this particular book), his notebook pages were not extensive or impressive, but he gained in confidence and skills through the year.
Week 1
Read "How I Became a Desert Explorer" (up through p. 5).
Narrate.
Draw a map for your notebook of northern Africa. Be sure to include Fez, Timbuktu, and other major cities, rivers, and ocean names.
Library books for deeper reading:
Morocco (Enchantment of the World) by Ettagale Blauer and Jason Laure
Morocco (Major World Nations) by Frances Wilkins
Week 2
Read chapter 1, "Fun Times in Fez."
Narrate.
Make a page for your notebook on Fez.
Week 3
Read chapter 2, "Chills 'n' Thrills."
Narrate.
Make a page for your notebook on the Atlas Mountains.
Library book:
The Butter Man by Elizabeth Alalou and Ali Alalou - This is a touching story of a young boy (as told later when he is a grandfather) of a time when his family faced extreme scarcity. It may be hard for little ones to read who would be upset by the thought of children starving, but for older children it can be a good way to help them think about children that are not blessed by an abundance of food. It happens to take place in Morocco, so I included it here in our study.
Week 4
Read chapter 3, "What a Blast!"
Narrate.
Make a page for your notebook on the Sahara. Use information from the library books.
Library books:
Earths Changing Deserts (Landscapes and People) by Neil Morris
I Wonder Why The Sahara is Cold at Night: And Other Questions About Deserts by Jackie Gaff
Week 5
Read chapter 4, "A Camel Tale."
Narrate.
Make a page for your notebook on camels.
Week 6
Read chapter 5, "Fun in the Sun," and The Storytellers by Ted Lewin.
Narrate.
Make a page for your notebook on African markets and bargaining.
Week 7
Read chapter 6, "Midnight Madness."
Narrate.
Make a page for your notebook on mirages.
Week 8
Read chapter 7, "Almost There..."
Narrate.
You've been given a map of the Niger River Basin. (I printed one out from Wikipedia.) Make some notes about it on the paper for your notebook.
This week I also shared Chike and the River by Chinua Achebe with First Son. He read it independently over a few days and we talked about it briefly. I think this is a wonderful book when it stands on its own merits and fit nicely into our study as a glimpse of the people who live around the Niger River.
Week 9
Read chapter 8, "Timbuktu at Last."
Narrate.
Make a notebook page on Timbuktu.
Week 10
Read chapter 9, "In Search of Salt."
Narrate.
Make a notebook page on salt.
Library books:
Sodium (True Books: Elements) by Salvatore Tocci
Salt (Around the World with Food and Spices) by Melinda Lily
We finished in ten weeks, instead of twelve, because we took a few weeks off in September. (I can't remember why now, but probably because we had a series of well-child and dentist appointments.)
I'll be doing this study again in three years with First Daughter, so please share any ideas or other resources!
In the first term in third grade, First Son read from 52 Days by Camel: My Sahara Adventure by Lawrie Raskin with Deborah Pearson. This book is wonderful. It's full of pictures and interesting bits of information on the culture, environment, and people of North Africa. First Son was not very happy about narrating for me each week and he grumbled about the notebook pages (though he has improved dramatically on those as we reach the end of the school year and are now on our third book in this series). He loved the readings, though, and poring over the pictures.
I bought this older version used on Amazon. |
Often I encouraged First Son to use them to find additional information for his notebook pages. In general, I was not demanding in the content of the notebook pages. I usually required some labels, brief notes, or one sentence (so a little writing) and a picture. I encouraged him to color the picture with the good colored pencils or beeswax crayons. At the beginning of the year (and for most of this particular book), his notebook pages were not extensive or impressive, but he gained in confidence and skills through the year.
Week 1
Read "How I Became a Desert Explorer" (up through p. 5).
Narrate.
Draw a map for your notebook of northern Africa. Be sure to include Fez, Timbuktu, and other major cities, rivers, and ocean names.
Library books for deeper reading:
Morocco (Enchantment of the World) by Ettagale Blauer and Jason Laure
Morocco (Major World Nations) by Frances Wilkins
Week 2
Read chapter 1, "Fun Times in Fez."
Narrate.
Make a page for your notebook on Fez.
Week 3
Read chapter 2, "Chills 'n' Thrills."
Narrate.
Make a page for your notebook on the Atlas Mountains.
Library book:
The Butter Man by Elizabeth Alalou and Ali Alalou - This is a touching story of a young boy (as told later when he is a grandfather) of a time when his family faced extreme scarcity. It may be hard for little ones to read who would be upset by the thought of children starving, but for older children it can be a good way to help them think about children that are not blessed by an abundance of food. It happens to take place in Morocco, so I included it here in our study.
Week 4
Read chapter 3, "What a Blast!"
Narrate.
Make a page for your notebook on the Sahara. Use information from the library books.
Library books:
Earths Changing Deserts (Landscapes and People) by Neil Morris
I Wonder Why The Sahara is Cold at Night: And Other Questions About Deserts by Jackie Gaff
Week 5
Read chapter 4, "A Camel Tale."
Narrate.
Make a page for your notebook on camels.
Week 6
Read chapter 5, "Fun in the Sun," and The Storytellers by Ted Lewin.
Narrate.
Make a page for your notebook on African markets and bargaining.
Week 7
Read chapter 6, "Midnight Madness."
Narrate.
Make a page for your notebook on mirages.
Week 8
Read chapter 7, "Almost There..."
Narrate.
You've been given a map of the Niger River Basin. (I printed one out from Wikipedia.) Make some notes about it on the paper for your notebook.
This week I also shared Chike and the River by Chinua Achebe with First Son. He read it independently over a few days and we talked about it briefly. I think this is a wonderful book when it stands on its own merits and fit nicely into our study as a glimpse of the people who live around the Niger River.
Week 9
Read chapter 8, "Timbuktu at Last."
Narrate.
Make a notebook page on Timbuktu.
Week 10
Read chapter 9, "In Search of Salt."
Narrate.
Make a notebook page on salt.
Library books:
Sodium (True Books: Elements) by Salvatore Tocci
Salt (Around the World with Food and Spices) by Melinda Lily
We finished in ten weeks, instead of twelve, because we took a few weeks off in September. (I can't remember why now, but probably because we had a series of well-child and dentist appointments.)
I'll be doing this study again in three years with First Daughter, so please share any ideas or other resources!
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