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Exciting Way to Study Countries?


daysaregifts
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For elementary. I'm thinking:

-online videos, videos from library, Netflix? Does a curriculum out there have this?

 

I'm not wanting the history so much as just showing us what those countries are really like- the people, the culture, the landscape, the daily life.

 

Wouldn't that be fun?!

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I don't know if one exists. We tried LIttle Passports and were very disappointed.

 

My kids really loved the book "Hungry Planet" on what people around the world eat. You can see excerpts here: http://www.time.com/time/photogallery/0,29307,1626519,00.html

 

 

They also love going on youtube and watching different cartoons from different counties. For some reason, they find McDonald Happy Meal ads from other countries intriguing. LOL

 

I know there are a few Usborne book which might work well too.

 

They love the "Stack the States" and "Stack the Countries" iPad apps. Oh, and the game "Take Off."

 

I'd let it be interest driven. You could have a standard format which you fill out for each country they study. My kids were fascinated with Japan because of Ninjas. They then became interested in Egypt because of their father's background. Then it was France and Switzerland because I had lived in both countries....

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I picked up Around the World in 180 Days from Apologia used that does something similar. Though you honestly need to supplement it A LOT to be able to use it. It just gives ideas and leads you in the direction. It even lists some books they'd suggest. I thought about trying to do it using just books from our local libraries...but I don't know.

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The National Geographic World Atlas for Young Explorers plus NG's corresponding web site has been fabulous and easy as pie. Every few days, we pick a country and visit the library for books about that country.

 

We like to...

 

Watch videos

Do art projects (Art from Many Hands, Geography Through Art, etc.)

Listen to local music

Make recipes (Be sure to get cookbooks from the library for authentic recipes and wonderful pictures!)

Read literature from or about the country

Play Math Games from Around the World (plus second volume, also you can use math to plan routes, pretend pay for tickets/hotels, convert currency, etc.)

Play Multicultural Games (Play With Us is good too.)

Research biomes, animal life, nature, etc. for the area. Be sure to get an Animal Atlas.

 

We're also doing physical geography/maps. There are good workbooks for that. I'm using Evan-Moor for DS6 and this one for DD and DS9.

 

Another fun thing I am adding is How to Build Your Own Country. We're going to do this at the end. Then before the Olympics start, each of us is going to invent our own country and we'll compete in our own Olympics. Oh, and this. :tongue_smilie:

 

I know there is more but I'm in a rush. You can easily make your own thing. Or better yet, let your kids kind of make their own study from what you gather at the library. Just make a list of points to hit, as above, and make sure you hit them for each nation.

 

Oh, and Rainbow Resource sells the most incredible map, Learning Walls, that are wonderful for the kids to label, color, and pin/glue symbols, maps, small pics, etc. onto. It is corrugated paper, so sturdy enough to hold it and BIG, so you can get a lot of stuff on there.

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Our Los Banos has an Around the World curriculum for free on the website.

There's also an Eastern Hem one floating around on the web--it's an alternative to Sonlight's Eastern Hemi (used to be Sonlight 5, don't know what they call it now--G or something, maybe).

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Our library has these and DD loved them!

 

http://www.familiesoftheworld.com/

 

Discovery Education has a series too but I can't remember the name.

 

ETA: Series at Discovery is Eureka and they have China, India, and Africa.

 

We love the Families of the World DVDs too! Also, we have the Geo Puzzles for each country, and like the 10 days in... Games.

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Has anyone told you yet today you are amazing? Well, you are! Thanks! :001_smile:

 

I have soooo much to research thanks to you all! Personal recommendations are the BEST.

 

Anyone tie in missionary studies, and how God is working in other countries and hearts, using maybe Operation World or Windows on the World also? Wondering good tie-ins. (But secular ideas are helpful too!!)

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Well, what you are describing is MFW Exploring Countries and Cultures, to a "T".

 

That being said, and having done MFW ECC last year, I would recommend Galloping the Globe. It offers the ideas for ALL of those things, but you just do a bit of work to pull it all together. Much less costly than ECC.

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