greenmamato3 Posted June 23, 2009 Share Posted June 23, 2009 so everybody has told me that i should own the books material world and children like me. so i did what i was supposed to do and bought them when i found a good solid used copy. now what do i do? DS is just in 1st grade .... and i'm probably just going to use the evan moor daily geography. we're doing the ancients .... with bible interwoven. i really don't mean to seem dumb about this. is it just something that i "have on hand" for great moments that arise? or is there some "curriculum" that specifically guides me in using it as a resource? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
greenmamato3 Posted June 23, 2009 Author Share Posted June 23, 2009 ok. after sitting here and thinking through it some more, i think what i've realized is that i need to do a basic map orientation/skills approach to geography for awhile and then dig into more of a global study for the latter part of the year :) that's the point at which i'll involve these great resources. for now, it's our dry bones Daily Geography from evan moor. please tell me i'm on the right track with that?! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Renee in NC Posted June 23, 2009 Share Posted June 23, 2009 We love that book! (Material World anyway - I don't have the other.) We just look at them talk about them, and look some more. We also point out some of the propoganda in the book - for example, all the pictures put the families belongings together in a small space, on the porch, in the street, what have you. The American family's stuff is spread out over the whole culdesac!;) There is another called Hungry Planet that is good, too. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Susie in MS Posted June 23, 2009 Share Posted June 23, 2009 We love that book! (Material World anyway - I don't have the other.) We just look at them talk about them, and look some more. We also point out some of the propoganda in the book - for example, all the pictures put the families belongings together in a small space, on the porch, in the street, what have you. The American family's stuff is spread out over the whole culdesac!;) There is another called Hungry Planet that is good, too. The propoganda is why I choose not to buy the book. I am tired of hearing how we are such selfish Americans and we need to be brought down to 3rd world status. Yes, there are many selfish American, but there are just as many blessed, but not selfish, ones too. And I don't know about you, but I don't want to be, nor do I think we need to be, brought down to 3rd world status. This is the message between the lines that I was seeing in the description of this book. Admittingly though, I have not actually had the book in my hands, so I could have read too much from the description. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Renee in NC Posted June 23, 2009 Share Posted June 23, 2009 The propoganda is why I choose not to buy the book. I am tired of hearing how we are such selfish Americans and we need to be brought down to 3rd world status. Yes, there are many selfish American, but there are just as many blessed, but not selfish, ones too. And I don't know about you, but I don't want to be, nor do I think we need to be, brought down to 3rd world status. This is the message between the lines that I was seeing in the description of this book. Admittingly though, I have not actually had the book in my hands, so I could have read too much from the description. You are reading too much into it. I just thought it was funny the way the picture was done. They could have picked a much more materialistic family for the American family if they *really* wanted to make the point you are. The downsides of the 3rd world were very apparent - never did I get the impression that the authors thought we should all live that way! In "Hungry Planet" the Germans spent the most (adjusted) dollars on food - it was all that beer!:lol: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Susie in MS Posted June 23, 2009 Share Posted June 23, 2009 You are reading too much into it. I just thought it was funny the way the picture was done. They could have picked a much more materialistic family for the American family if they *really* wanted to make the point you are. The downsides of the 3rd world were very apparent - never did I get the impression that the authors thought we should all live that way! In "Hungry Planet" the Germans spent the most (adjusted) dollars on food - it was all that beer!:lol: Good to know!! Thank you!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Evergreen Academy Posted June 23, 2009 Share Posted June 23, 2009 We have Children Just Like Me, and we pull it out whenever our reading, either history or read-alouds, take us into other countries or cultures. It's great for the kids to be able to see how children live in the places we're studying, and they spend a lot of time looking at the pictures. Another fun resource we've enjoyed is "Extending the Table, A World Community Cookbook." It has "Recipes and stories of people from Argentina to Zambia in the spirit of More with Less." There is an index by country in the back, which has allowed us to find recipes to prepare as we study a particular country. It's also shown us how great meals can be prepared with very simple real foods and lots of spices. I know that's not what this post was about but I thought I'd throw that out there! Blessings, Aimee mom to 6 great kids ages 6-18, schooling grades 1, 3, 3 and 6 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Julie in MN Posted June 23, 2009 Share Posted June 23, 2009 This is the message between the lines that I was seeing in the description of this book. Admittingly though, I have not actually had the book in my hands, so I could have read too much from the description. I have the same feeling. And yet, I feel Americans bless the rest of the world more than any other nation. A book I like that has a slightly different focus is called "Families of the World, Family Life at the Close of the 20th Century: The Americas & the Caribbean," by Helene Tremblay. It describes the everyday lives of various families, including details such as what time they get up in the morning. Your library may have it. There is a vol. 2 as well, about Asia, that is harder to find. They're not as new and pretty, but still lots of photos. All books have some kind of a bias, including this one, but I just found more topics for discussion in this one. As far as how to use such books, we use them during our geography study when we are "visiting" a certain continent. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lovedtodeath Posted June 23, 2009 Share Posted June 23, 2009 I have both of these. Material World is better for an older student. Kids just like me can be fun to look through. You will have a full year without doing a global study trust me! I wouldn't try to do SOTW and cultures. You could plan to do cultures for a different school year, or over 2 or 3 summers. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lovedtodeath Posted June 23, 2009 Share Posted June 23, 2009 Your oldest is 6? I had you mixed up with someone else. It seems to me that you are trying to do too much. A great resource for that age is Usborne Children's Picture Atlas. I have a geography program that I am working on finishing up (I wrote it for DD, so I need to polish it) after I am done with Ancients. You are welcome to test it. :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
greenmamato3 Posted June 23, 2009 Author Share Posted June 23, 2009 so there's a carmen's ancients and now there's going to be a carmen's geography?! :) WOWSERS. you're like a one stop curriculum shop :) seriously, thanks for the admonishment about trying to do TOO MUCH. :) Your oldest is 6? I had you mixed up with someone else. It seems to me that you are trying to do too much. A great resource for that age is Usborne Children's Picture Atlas. I have a geography program that I am working on finishing up (I wrote it for DD, so I need to polish it) after I am done with Ancients. You are welcome to test it. :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lovedtodeath Posted June 23, 2009 Share Posted June 23, 2009 so there's a carmen's ancients and now there's going to be a carmen's geography?! :) WOWSERS. you're like a one stop curriculum shop :) seriously, thanks for the admonishment about trying to do TOO MUCH. :) That's the plan. You can see some of my geography "mess" at My Blog Link: http://www.homeschoolslikeus.com/4CedarsClassicalSchool/blog/ I plan to have it ready one year from now. DD has fun when we go back to it and do the cultural projects. But really, there is so much they can learn just informally looking at books together. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Susie in MS Posted June 23, 2009 Share Posted June 23, 2009 Thanks Julie! Our library does have the series called Enchantment of the World. It is pretty good. Right now I use it only for pictures as my dd is still young. I was shocked when I found out that they don't carry the one for Japan! I did end up ordering How People Live as it didn't bother me and looked appealing to me. I also liked that the book appears to have no link with the United Nations or Unicef, both of which I do not trust. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lovedtodeath Posted June 23, 2009 Share Posted June 23, 2009 http://www.ala.org/ala/mgrps/divs/alsc/compubs/booklists/growingupwrld/GrowingUpAroundWorld.cfm American Library Association books as links to global understanding. These are excellent, and while searching the library shelves for them, you find similar books around that area! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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