FIAR for K4, K5

[ALB]

For those of you who incorporated some extra geography study into FIAR (like GTG), how did you schedule/ plan? Did you row the FIAR book for a week, then spend an extra week focusing on a country? Did you just do both within one week? Did you continue to row "other" FIAR titles mixed in with "around the world" titles? I'm kind of planning to just row "random" titles, adding a few extra days to do country crafts and activities when the titles are international. I'd also like to row them all again next year, doing it two years in a row but building on the material the second time around, before moving to our history cycle. Does this sound doable?

[Sue G in PA]

With the ages of your children, I would think that the Geography covered in FIAR is sufficient. My dd4 enjoyed finding the countries on the map. And I seem to recall same activities that went along with each coutry (like cooking). If you wanted to incorporate more, you might get a book or two from the library on the specific country and read that. I know there are many that would be age-appropriate. FIAR is a great program for this age b/c there are so many different activities that can teach so much w/out them realizing that they are learning or doing "school". And, it gives you plenty of time to focus on the 3Rs at that age...which should be the focus anyway. They have so much time before they have to start learning about History and Geography in depth, kwim?

[Tracy]

We did FIAR this year with my dd, who was 4.5 when we started. Since she loves our wall map, we ended up doing unit studies around specific countries. This has been wonderful for both of us, because she gets to pick the country, and it has forced me to learn different ways of approaching the study of a country. I didn't try to tie our country studies into FIAR at all. I just let dd study whatever she wanted to. And it has been a super foundation for getting into our first year of our first history rotation.

[ALB]

Thanks, maybe I won't try too hard to connect everything. I know this is all "extra" at age, but my dd is really interested in geography (we travel internationally a lot and have relatives in different countries), and I also thought it could lay a good foundation. I'm not too interested in just studying "community helpers" for K, since I feel like she's learned all of that just through everyday life around town.

[Mert]

:lurk5:

[Devotional Soul]

I started out with FIAR, and then found that doing unit studies on countries worked better for us than unit studies on a story book. So, we use GTG and online resources for extra countries, and spend 2 weeks on a country, put the flag sticker on the passport, and color the map and flag. (Ever since Iran, we take a magic carpet ride from country to country, the kids love it!) I check out a bunch of library books from and about that country, usually one is a FIAR book that we row and discuss some of the ideas. I also check out books about an animal from that country. Since the 3 R's are 'schoolwork', world geography stories are just for fun! My kids have come to love the Magic Tree House books...they teach a lot about a country in a fun way. I also add in ideas from Science Around The World.

 

Here's the Geography Index of FIAR and HSS stories:

http://www.homeschoolshare.com/master_geography_index.php

Edited May 5, 2010 by Devotional Soul

[MeganW]

Do you have GTG yet? I took the table of contents, and wrote in the corresponding FIAR titles, and we are just going through in that order. We are only doing the GTG countries that have a related FIAR book. When we are through, I will probably try to do a FIAR-like week for the countries we skipped, using GTG's literature suggestions.

 

 

Intro to Geography

- How to Make Apple Pie

- Katy & the Big Snow

- Miss Rumphius

 

Asia - China

- The Story About Ping

 

Asia - Japan

- A Pair of Red Clogs

- Grandfather's Journey

 

Israel

- Mrs. Kash & Mrs. Tash

 

Europe - Russia

- Another Celebrated Dancing Bear

 

Europe - Great Britain

- Peter Rabbit

- Mr. Grumpy

 

Europe - France

- Giraffe that walked to Paris

- Mirette on the High Wire

- Madeline

- New Coat for Anna

- Glorius Flight

 

Europe - Italy

- Papa Piccolo

- Clown of God

 

Europe - Germany

- Duchess Bakes A Cake

 

Europe - Spain

- Ferdinand

etc.

[Tracy]

Do you have GTG yet? I took the table of contents, and wrote in the corresponding FIAR titles, and we are just going through in that order. We are only doing the GTG countries that have a related FIAR book. When we are through, I will probably try to do a FIAR-like week for the countries we skipped, using GTG's literature suggestions.

 

 

I have to say that we love, love, love FIAR. (We are in the third volume, now.) But the one thing that has disappointed me is the narrow scope when it comes to geography. I certainly expected it to be western-centric, but my story disks are all on top of one another in eastern US and Western Europe. There is only a few in Asia, and none in Africa, Australia or Latin America. I have found lots of books representing those countries that would be good for this type of unit study, so it is not because there is a lack of such books.

 

So while I and my dd5 are thrilled with FIAR, we have definitely had to supplement when it comes to geography.

[ThreeBlessings]

Help a newbie please :) What is GTG? TIA!

[joyfulmomSDG]

GTG = Galloping the Globe

[Rivka]

I have to say that we love, love, love FIAR. (We are in the third volume, now.) But the one thing that has disappointed me is the narrow scope when it comes to geography. I certainly expected it to be western-centric, but my story disks are all on top of one another in eastern US and Western Europe. There is only a few in Asia, and none in Africa, Australia or Latin America. I have found lots of books representing those countries that would be good for this type of unit study, so it is not because there is a lack of such books.

 

:iagree: I've picked out a set of FIAR-style books covering Africa, Central/South America,Southeast Asia, and Native Americans, and I'm in the process of putting together lesson plans for them. I love the FIAR teaching method, but I didn't want to disregard half the world!

[Mert]

:iagree: I've picked out a set of FIAR-style books covering Africa, Central/South America,Southeast Asia, and Native Americans, and I'm in the process of putting together lesson plans for them. I love the FIAR teaching method, but I didn't want to disregard half the world!

 

Do you mind sharing your list, Rivka? :bigear: :D

[Chaqar]

My children absolutely love A Child's Geography by Ann Voskamp. We sit and read together and do some copywork. But perhaps this would be best saved for later?

 

Have you considered having your little ones trace maps of the world (I have maps in page protectors for each child, and they use wet erase markers)? We start with the continents and then add in the detail of countries as they develop mastery.

 

We also have Window on the World to expose them to a variety of countries and cultures and help nurture a heart for others.

[Rivka]

Do you mind sharing your list, Rivka? :bigear: :D

 

Not at all! Here it is.

 

Africa:

My Rows and Piles of Coins by Tololwa Mollel (Tanzania)

Bintou's Braids by Sylvianne Diouf (Senegal)

The Butter Man by Elizabeth Alalou and Ali Alalou (Morocco)

 

Middle East:

Silent Music by James Rumford (Iraq)

 

Southeast Asia:

Monsoon by Uma Krishnaswami (India)

The Firekeeper's Son by Linda Sue Park (Korea)

 

Central & South America:

Mia's Story by Michael Foreman (Chile)

Cocoa Ice by Diana Appelbaum (Hispaniola)

Calling the Doves by Juan Fillipe Herrera (Mexico/California migrant workers)

 

Native Americans:

Jingle Dancer by Cynthia Leitich Smith (contemporary, Creek nation)

Buffalo Song by Joseph Bruchac (historical, Nez Perce and Salish nations)

 

I tried to focus as much as possible on stories told by people within the culture or with a close connection to the culture. I also tried to mostly include realistic contemporary books (rather than folk tales, for example), and books that have a genuine story plot rather than books that just exist to showcase another culture.

 

I've got links to all my books on my blog, if you want to save yourself the trouble of typing them into Amazon:

http://tinderbox.homeschooljournal.net/list-of-book-lists/adding-world-cultures-to-fiar/

 

Some of them have unit studies already available for them on homeschoolshare.com, which may work for you straight out or as a basis for adaptation. I'm slowly putting together lesson plans for myself; so far I've done them for Jingle Dancer, Monsoon, Cocoa Ice, and My Rows and Piles of Coins. If you wind up deciding to use any of them, I'd be happy to share my notes/plans.

[CandaceC]

I'm not sure if this is helpful or not, just disregard if not. :)

 

We have been FIAR users since the beginning of our homeschooling journey over 4 years ago. We love it!

 

And last year we did an entire year of "Around the World" studies sort of in "FIAR" style. I have a LOT on my blog about it...booklists for each continent, missionary studies we tried to add in, links and online resources, etc.

 

If you click on my link, you will see everything in the Around the World category...if you wanted to see the very beginning, you'd have to scroll way back...if that makes sense.

 

Around the World

[Mert]

Thanks for the links to the great blogs!! ;)

[bradandmeplus2]

So in following this thread, I have been wondering do most of you who use FIAR with GTG... do you use mostly FIAR or GTG? Or is it just a combination of both based around the areas of the world? I really want to make using both of these book together work, so any plans you wanna share with use newbies would be super,just trying to wrap my mind around how to put a lesson together. Thanks for sharing the lists too!

[ALB]

Well, I (op-er) went ahead and bought GTG and I have to say for our ages (K and pre K), it is not that helpful. Actually, it had nothing that we are going to use! But, I already had the books it suggests (like Children Just Like Me, Stories Around the World, etc) and Around the World coloring book. I bought and love Wee Sing Around the World. GTG is mostly lists of library books and websites. So, I think doing FIAR as is is great, and beefing up the geography is EASILY done without GTG. You may be able to look at it from a library or somewhere just to see if it fits your needs.