Joker Posted January 5, 2011 Share Posted January 5, 2011 Is there anything really good out there for an almost 11 year old who loves studying other countries? She's always been a nut about different places and says when she's old enough she wants to take off and see it all. She usually just picks different books from the library and googles but I wondered if there was something else. I wanted to surprise her with something for next year, 6th grade. She already has the geography down she just wants to know "more". Thanks! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
elegantlion Posted January 5, 2011 Share Posted January 5, 2011 Historical wise, culture wise? The Suzanne Strauss Art book are good for history. We're using the Story of Ancient China book this year. For myths from other countries there are the Tales from...series. I have the one from China and Egypt that we're using this year. National Geographic might be a good investment too. I remember reading them as a child when I dreamed of traveling the world. hth Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Joker Posted January 5, 2011 Author Share Posted January 5, 2011 Thanks! She's more interested in the culture. I will check into both book links listed. I actually never thought of magazines.:tongue_smilie: I'm going to look into those as well. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FaithManor Posted January 5, 2011 Share Posted January 5, 2011 I've struggled to find good resources in English. Ds 13 is studying Germany, ds 12 is studying Denmark, and ds 10 - Israel. I spent a lot of time on ebay, bought several books, read them myself, and then passed the appropriate ones on to them. I also subscribe to the Copenhagen Post in English, digital format, and then print off the articles that are appropriate for ds to read. I'm still hunting and am all ears! I hope you get a lot of suggestions. Faith Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
love2read Posted January 5, 2011 Share Posted January 5, 2011 I know just what you want to accomplish because I've been there with a few of my children. No straight answer, but one resource that isn't that well known We did Top Secret Adventure a few years back http://shop.highlights.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/ProductDisplay?storeId=16151&catalogId=17603&categoryId=241891&productId=943928 stopped it after the fourth kit because of the expense, but I've heard that if you contact them they'll send you a bunch of kits so that you can avoid the monthly shipping costs. I would recommend checking out the first kit before making an investment. The book "Material World" has been a big hit with my children and several of them used it as a jumping off point to read more about a country. It sounds like your dd is already doing that, but just wanted to recommend the book anyway. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hunter Posted January 5, 2011 Share Posted January 5, 2011 (edited) Is she interested in anthropology? I think the old CLE 7th grade Social Studies had a workbook on introductory anthropology. I'm not sure if it carried over to the newer sunrise editions. I liked the 7th grade introductions into social science courses usually not covered till college. The texts were dry...but...totally new material for my son, that really caught his interest. Edited January 5, 2011 by Hunter Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
regentrude Posted January 5, 2011 Share Posted January 5, 2011 What about a magazine subscription? National geographic, for instance? or check out the magazines of the cricket family, maybe there is one that interests her: http://www.cricketmag.com/ProductList.aspx?type=M Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Joker Posted January 6, 2011 Author Share Posted January 6, 2011 Thanks! I did go ahead and subscribe to National Geographic and their Traveller magazine. They were cheaper than I thought so that was nice! We'll see how that goes. It just seems so hard to find enough for her because she blows through everything. ETA: I didn't know about cricketmag.com! Thanks! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tina in WA Posted January 6, 2011 Share Posted January 6, 2011 If you are looking for curriculum, this is wonderful! My children did the Russia study and we are gearing up for Brazil. They are very informative and the author gives many different resource books to choose from: Into All the World , as well as notebooking pages to go along with the study. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
athomemom Posted January 6, 2011 Share Posted January 6, 2011 Have you looked at My Father's World Exploring Countries and Cultures? (MFW ECC) It's loaded with info. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PeterPan Posted January 7, 2011 Share Posted January 7, 2011 Around the World in 180 Days has been good for us. Lots of detailed questions. The student googles to find the info. Then I have my dd pick one of the topics and research it further to write about. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Joker Posted January 7, 2011 Author Share Posted January 7, 2011 Thank you all so much! You've given me lots to look into. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TechWife Posted January 8, 2011 Share Posted January 8, 2011 The book "Material World" has been a big hit with my children and several of them used it as a jumping off point to read more about a country. It sounds like your dd is already doing that, but just wanted to recommend the book anyway. :iagree: This is an excellent book. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
littlebug42 Posted January 8, 2011 Share Posted January 8, 2011 Our library provides a free subscription to a site called Culture Grams in their online resources provided to patrons. It is very nice with TONS of information about other countries. I really like it. http://online.culturegrams.com/index.php Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mryann Posted January 8, 2011 Share Posted January 8, 2011 Sonlight core 5 is a peek into the eastern hemisphere. You can get a ton of books from their booklist. Winter Promise has a year like that as well but I forget what it's called. We did Sonlight's core 5 last year and it was really fun. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lisabees Posted January 9, 2011 Share Posted January 9, 2011 I am doing this with my 11 year old. Are you interested in supplemental stuff or an entire course? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Joker Posted January 9, 2011 Author Share Posted January 9, 2011 I am doing this with my 11 year old. Are you interested in supplemental stuff or an entire course? Anything! If I find an entire course I can fit it into next school year. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
savmom Posted January 9, 2011 Share Posted January 9, 2011 Have you seen Children Around the World from WinterPromise? It is not cheap but I have seen it for sale used here on the For Sale forum (and on homeschool classifieds & homeschool reviews) for about half the price as WP. Cindy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TrixieB Posted January 9, 2011 Share Posted January 9, 2011 There is a series called "Enchantment of the World" which has books for many different countries. One of my children is loosely using SL Core 5. She quickly wearied of looking up info in the World Book Encyclopedia. So now we borrow an EOW book from the library for each country she is learning about. The EOW books tell about the country's culture, geography, political info, and some historical information as well. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
profmom Posted January 9, 2011 Share Posted January 9, 2011 I was going to say Material World too, along with What the World Eats, which pictures families around the world with a week's worth of food in their kitchens (usually on their kitchen table, if they use a table). You might look at the resources used in the geography programs mentioned (Winter Promise's and My Father's World) for more ideas, such as Window on the World. Oh, and you could check the library for DVDs of other countries (travel videos and documentary/tour type videos). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
swimmermom3 Posted January 9, 2011 Share Posted January 9, 2011 Anything! If I find an entire course I can fit it into next school year. I have a 36 week schedule that is secular and is roughly based off of SL's Core 5 for the Eastern Hemisphere. I was directed to it when we were struggling with certain aspects of Core 5. I loved the resources in it and would be happy to link it except the op took the site down over a year ago. If you pm me your email, I can send it to you. I am not advocating the use of textbooks but frankly, we found this one to be a good place to begin. That link takes you to the book completely online. This is the Amazon link for the Teacher's Edition, which you do not need. I like this book because there are skill-building areas that you can utilize like working with graphic organizers, which don't take much time. The Enchantment of the World series is usually available at your library and is another potential spine for your culture studies. Keep a scrapbook with pictures, drawings, movie reviews, recipes, and essays of your adventures. Add some of the wonderful projects from enrichment4you into the mix. Putumayo offers great world music or make your own CD mix of music from each culture you study and put it in a pocket in your scrapbook. We started our collection with Australia's and . It went well with . :D (For you alt. music fans, check out the interview between . You could draw the cultural diversity line down the middle of the table.) Girls might enjoy an international paper doll collection, strictly for educational purposes you understand. Collections, real or virtual, are a great way to highlight and explore cultural differences. These can be extended with critical thinking exercises for older children. For the fashion-minded student, ask how geography and climate affect/affected clothing choices. You get the idea. There is so much you can do. Have fun. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lisabees Posted January 9, 2011 Share Posted January 9, 2011 (edited) I am using Swimmermom's schedule as a guide (thanks Lisa!). Use your dd's interests as a guide as well - if she is interested in fashion or languages or animals, weave those topics heavily into your course. Include lots of hands on activities; use documentaries. Listen to the music; cook the foods;learn the various religions and mythology and stories; visit a Japanese tea ceremony or an Indian restaurant or an Asian market or a Mosque (we have friends who are Muslim, so we didn't feel quite so out of place). Do you have friends who are from another country who would be willing to share their culture? Do you have friends who were missionaries and have pictures/video? You can also weave earth science into each country. I know you didn't want too much geography, but it can be made much more interesting and thorough when done in context. We are also participating in Postcrossing, and marking our contacts on a map. Ds is also creating a blog, documenting all of our "travels". Read literature from each country - old and new. Celebrate festivals from each country; play the games and make toys. Learn about how education is different from what your dd is experiencing. And don't forget about current events. Maybe have a pen pal from your dd's favorite country. While I am using a guide, ds11 is leading the way. If you want a Christian program, there are plenty of options. For us, it was difficult to find a secular program, and we are finding it much more empowering to explore on our own and get led by rabbit trails. For example, ds is getting caught up in anime and is teaching himself how to draw Manga - he has never expressed interest in that before, although he's always been fascinated by Japan. In a little while, I will add general links and resources to this post. Check back in a little while. ;) World Cultures and Geography by McDougall Littell (I agree with Lisa - very good text; great questions; easy way to check the box and preview each country) Trail Guide To World Geography and The Ultimate Geography and Timeline The Geography Book, Activities for Exploring, Mapping and Enjoying Your World (LOVE this; easy way to add fun, geography lessons and earth science into your studies) Material World What the World Eats/Hungry Planet Circling the Globe Geography Through Art Eat Your way Around the World or http://www.globalgourmet.com/destinations/ EarthSearch by Klutz Goddesses, Heroes and Shamans Usborne Encyclopedia of World Religions Enchantment of the World (available at my library) GEMS - earth science Postcrossing Current Events Kids Discover Magazine National Geographic http://www.welltrainedmind.com/forums/showthread.php?t=224948&highlight=world+cultures http://www.welltrainedmind.com/forums/showthread.php?t=224701 http://www.welltrainedmind.com/forums/showthread.php?t=205191&highlight=world+cultures We started off watching Guns, Germs and Steel to show that geography determines much of human history. We'll watch shows such as to bring geography to life. There are great documentaries on each country, animals and the earth. National geographic, Travel channel, BBC. Discovery Atlas, Globe Trekker, Atlas of the Natural World, Life, Earth, PBS Empires. We may watch The Linguists. The possibilities are endless!! There are so many fabulous ideas - have fun!! I'll be looking forward to reading any additional responses. Oh!!! Today, we just watched this Wide Angle series - ds LOVED it! I will also have ds do some kind of charity work/fundraising for a country's cause he wasn't aware of before his studies... ETA: You can also learn a little of each language - spoken and written. In addition, ds is learning Japanese through Irasshai, which I highly recommend! Edited January 10, 2011 by lisabees Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Joker Posted January 9, 2011 Author Share Posted January 9, 2011 Wow! Thanks so much for the info! Swimmermom, I will pm you my email and would love a link the schedule. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
swimmermom3 Posted January 9, 2011 Share Posted January 9, 2011 I am using Swimmermom's schedule as a guide (thanks Lisa!). Use your dd's interests as a guide as well - if she is interested in fashion or languages or animals, weave those topics heavily into your course. Include lots of hands on activities; use documentaries. Listen to the music; cook the foods;learn the various religions and mythology and stories; visit a Japanese tea ceremony or an Indian restaurant or an Asian market or a Mosque (we have friends who are Muslim, so we didn't feel quite so out of place). Do you have friends who are from another country who would be willing to share their culture? Do you have friends who were missionaries and have pictures/video? You can also weave earth science into each country. I know you didn't want too much geography, but it can be made much more interesting and thorough when done in context. We are also participating in postcrossing, and marking our contacts on a map. Ds is also creating a blog, documenting all of our "travels". Read literature from each country - old and new. Celebrate festivals from each country; play the games and make toys. Learn about how education is different from what your dd is experiencing. And don't forget about current events. Maybe have a pen pal from your dd's favorite country. While I am using a guide, ds11 is leading the way. If you want a Christian program, there are plenty of options. For us, it was difficult to find a secular program, and we are finding it much more empowering to explore on our own and get led by rabbit trails. For example, ds is getting caught up in anime and is teaching himself how to draw Manga - he has never expressed interest in that before, although he's always been fascinated by Japan. In a little while, I will add links and resources to this post. Check back in a little while. ;) Yes! This is an area of study where there really are no parameters. Just remember to keep working on skills, but it is also a great time to build in life skills development as well. My oldest son can be somewhat shy with adults but he loves to go to ethnic markets. He is so curious that he seems to draw shopkeepers willingly into conversation. As Lisa said, it can be an empowering year, for both the student and the teacher. Be sure to add in the various mythologies if that is something you enjoy. We love Geraldine McCaughrean's colorful books: The Crystal Pool, The Silver Treasure, The Golden Horde. Geography Matters offers a couple of practical resources: Geography Through Art and The Trail Guide to World Geography, as well Eat Your Way Around the World. I consider Geography Through Art to be one of those basic tools like Figuratively Speaking that I must have in my logic stage tool box. It is especially helpful if you are not super-crafty or art tends to not get done at your house. Here is the table of contents and a sample lesson. The lesson for the butterfly art for Africa is fun and the real thing is stunning. Oh, oh, oh. Fish prints - gyotaku! If you have the nerve, my dd made the most amazing t-shirt in second grade at our city art museum. They used real fish and then wrote the Japanese symbol (I'm forever confusing kanji and hiragana) for "beauty" on their shirt. We later did fish prints cut from rubber stamps for an art literacy class for ds's ps class. No "eeuw" factor but not quite the same product. Like Lisa pointed out, it is also a great time to include earth science. If you are studying Australia, study coral reefs. It is a good excuse to see the Omnimax . Sound track is might fine too.:D Then on to Everest in Nepal. Make while studying the Pacific Ring of Fire. I say plural because one is never enough. Great Science Adventures can help fill in the gaps, especially for land forms and the ocean. You can incorporate math. One of our favorite projects, courtesy of SL, involved the Trans-Siberian Railway. Our whole family became obsessed with taking a trip in the near-future as a family after we saw a documentary on it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
swimmermom3 Posted January 10, 2011 Share Posted January 10, 2011 FLmom, the list should be in your email. You can use it as a base and build from there to suit your own interests and resources. Lisabees, I have some questions for you. I love the Trail Guide books, but found that because I had them I didn't need my copy of the Ultimate Guide. I am intrigued by The Geography Book that you linked. What is the max age that you see using the book? It looks like a worthwhile resource...not that I am buying worthwhile resources these days.:tongue_smilie: Did your ds like the Guns, Germs, and Steel movie? I just received the book on Paperback Swap for the 52 books in 52 weeks challenge. I am thinking Swimmer Dude might like the movie as well. Also, we like Goddesses, Heroes, and Shamans. I think mcconnellboys (Regena) recommended the book to me when we were doing ancients last year but it would have been a helpful resource the year before when we did our cultures study. Virginia Hamilton's book, In the Beginning: Creation Stories from Around the World is a lovely addition to your library. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Joker Posted January 10, 2011 Author Share Posted January 10, 2011 Swimmermom, I got it and thanks so much! It looks great and with all that's been listed in this thread I have a lot to research. (Glad I really like that part) :D Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
swimmermom3 Posted January 10, 2011 Share Posted January 10, 2011 Swimmermom, I got it and thanks so much! It looks great and with all that's been listed in this thread I have a lot to research. (Glad I really like that part) :D :hurray: You have an opportunity to make a truly rewarding year for all of you and it will be uniquely yours. You have also got me thinking about how a high school course along these lines would look built along certain themes. This is not good as I am supposed to be cleaning out the refrigerator and listening to two lectures so I can have an intelligent discussion with my dd who is old enough to know when I didn't do my homework. :tongue_smilie: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lisabees Posted January 10, 2011 Share Posted January 10, 2011 Yes! This is an area of study where there really are no parameters. Just remember to keep working on skills. Yes, this is an area I need to be careful of - ds is answering questions in the text, but that's about all. What should I add? I want to be particularly careful with him, since he was just pulled out of ps. And this is an area of serious interest for him. I don't want to squash that. Be sure to add in the various mythologies if that is something you enjoy. We love Geraldine McCaughrean's colorful books: The Crystal Pool, The Silver Treasure, The Golden Horde. These look beautiful... Oh, oh, oh. Fish prints - gyotaku! If you have the nerve, my dd made the most amazing t-shirt in second grade at our city art museum. They used real fish and then wrote the Japanese symbol (I'm forever confusing kanji and hiragana) for "beauty" on their shirt. So glad you mentioned this - I thought I might pass on it!! ;) You can incorporate math. One of our favorite projects, courtesy of SL, involved the Trans-Siberian Railway. Our whole family became obsessed with taking a trip in the near-future as a family after we saw a documentary on it. Oh - please share this project and documentary! ;) And Lisa - please add any other music ideas. I love what you shared so far. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lisabees Posted January 10, 2011 Share Posted January 10, 2011 FLmom, the list should be in your email. You can use it as a base and build from there to suit your own interests and resources. Lisabees, I have some questions for you. I love the Trail Guide books, but found that because I had them I didn't need my copy of the Ultimate Guide. I am intrigued by The Geography Book that you linked. What is the max age that you see using the book? It looks like a worthwhile resource...not that I am buying worthwhile resources these days.:tongue_smilie: I know that many don't see the value in the Ultimate Guide. It gave me a few extra ideas that I haven't seen elsewhere - I'm glad I got it. The Geography Book would be good for 12 and under. I'm afraid swimmerdude would be too old, I think. Here is a sample. Did your ds like the Guns, Germs, and Steel movie? I just received the book on Paperback Swap for the 52 books in 52 weeks challenge. I am thinking Swimmer Dude might like the movie as well. All of my kids have liked Guns, Germs and Steel. I have seen it three times; it provides a perspective that most of us haven't considered. It connects some dots and gives a great overview when thinking about geography's effect on human history. I just wish there were other documentaries that provide "big picture" ideas. Also, we like Goddesses, Heroes, and Shamans. I think mcconnellboys (Regena) recommended the book to me when we were doing ancients last year but it would have been a helpful resource the year before when we did our cultures study. Virginia Hamilton's book, In the Beginning: Creation Stories from Around the World is a lovely addition to your library. You're killing me with more book ideas. Maybe we should have our own paperbook swap?!! :D Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kimm in WA Posted April 23, 2011 Share Posted April 23, 2011 We are doing SL core 5 next year...loosely, or at least that is the plan. Where can I get Swimmermom's schedule? Thanks, Kimm Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
swimmermom3 Posted April 23, 2011 Share Posted April 23, 2011 For anyone that needs the schedule, please contact me with your email address and I will send it to you. It is too big to send through here. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Negin Posted April 26, 2011 Share Posted April 26, 2011 I was going to say Material World too, along with What the World Eats, which pictures families around the world with a week's worth of food in their kitchens (usually on their kitchen table, if they use a table). :iagree: We love their books. :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shelly in VA Posted May 26, 2011 Share Posted May 26, 2011 Just wanted to say thank you for posting this site. I had never seen it, but our library provides it as an online service as well, and it is fabulous! Perfect timing, too, as my kids are pulling together end-of-the-year projects on several countries of the Middle East. Thank you! Shelly Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jyniffrec Posted May 28, 2011 Share Posted May 28, 2011 I know just what you want to accomplish because I've been there with a few of my children. No straight answer, but one resource that isn't that well known We did Top Secret Adventure a few years back http://shop.highlights.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/ProductDisplay?storeId=16151&catalogId=17603&categoryId=241891&productId=943928 stopped it after the fourth kit because of the expense, but I've heard that if you contact them they'll send you a bunch of kits so that you can avoid the monthly shipping costs. I would recommend checking out the first kit before making an investment. I found a whole bunch of these recently at our used bookstore for .75 a piece. I grabbed all of them thinking they looked good and I'm glad I did. My kids seem to like them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
momto2Cs Posted May 29, 2011 Share Posted May 29, 2011 What about a magazine subscription? National geographic, for instance? or check out the magazines of the cricket family, maybe there is one that interests her:http://www.cricketmag.com/ProductList.aspx?type=M I was going to suggest this one in particular... Faces Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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