MFW ECC Weeks 25-26: China

Wow!  Life has been an adventure the past few weeks. I think we spent close to a month covering these 2 weeks due to all the interruptions.  I so love the flexibility of homeschooling.  Since my husband changed jobs we decided to take a week vacation to Florida in between jobs.  Most of this vacation was spent relaxing, but we decided to squeeze in a field trip to Epcot since it fits so perfectly with our Exploring Countries & Cultures Study.

What a fun family project. My husband and oldest did most of the drawings.
It is very clear that I'm the least artistic in my family - see my crab below:)
Both of girls enjoyed creating the colorful fish!!  

What We Learned:

• Geography 
  
  
  
  
• The capital of China is Beijing. 
• The official language is Mandarin Chinese.
• The Yuan is the currency of China. (print Yuan here)    
  
• Shanghai is the largest city.
• The National Anthem is Yìyǒngjūn Jìnxíngqǔ("March of the Volunteers")
   
• The Tallest Mountain in the World is Mount Everest.  It is part of the Himalayan Mountain Range.
• A Trip Around the World:  67 - 69, & Puzzle 74
• Exploring World Geography:  Islands (39) & Climate (40)  
• Geography From A to Z Vocabulary:  Volcano & 
  Waterfall 
  
  
  
  

• Science
• About 75% of the earth if covered in water.
• The ocean is divided into three zones: sunlit, twilight, and midnight.
• Since photosynthesis requires sunlight, most plants and animals will be found there.
• Science Experiment #1 - We added 1TBS of salt to 10 TBS of water to taste the saltiness of the ocean. -YUCK!
• Science Experiment #2 - Desnsity: Saltwater vs. Freshwater
  
  
• Science Experiment #3 - Creating Salt Crystals: 
• 1. Boiled 2 cups of water 
• 2. Remove the pan from the heat.  
• 3. Keep adding 1TBS of salt until it no longer dissolves.
• 4. Let it cool and then poor mixture into a clear jar.
• 5. Tie one end of a string around a pencil and the other end around a paperclip.
• 6. Balance pencil on jar (with paperclip hanging in water)and place jar in a sunny location). 
  
• 7. Observe Daily
• WARNING - do not move during the first few days. We accidentally knocked off some of our salt crystals in the beginning. 
  
  
  
  
  
  After 5-6 weeks
  
• Book of Animals - Animals that Live in The Water Pages 182-198: Crab, Dolphin, Jellyfish, Octopus, & Salmon.
• Bible
• Memory Verse: Matthew 20:26b - 28
• Read Matthew chapters 20:29 - 22:14
• China, Tibetans, & Buddhism - Window on the World
• We started reading the biography of Gladys Aylward
• Hero Tales  Hudson Taylor & Gladys Aylward
• "Faith is the confidence that even in frightening time or places God is still in control." 
• "Obedience is doing what God has asked you to do."
• "Confidence is being sure that God will help you do His work, even when people think you can't do it."
• "Courage is knowing God's power can help you do something hard even when you feel scared."
• Download Mama Jenn's Hero Tales copy work
        
• Art


• Chinese Dragon (download project here) 
  
  We did a quicker accordion body for our dragon to save time.
• Global Art  Tangram Design Game(page 52). 
• Click Here to download tangram template from Activity Villiage or view patterns to make with tangrams

• Animals that live in the water mural.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
• Chinese Lanterns A Trip Around the World (page 71).

• Spanish 
  


• We use Duolingo.com  
• Duolingo is a fun, free, & fantastic learning tool. 
• Much of the learning happens in the form of quizzes, which switch between testing speaking, listening, and writing. The grammar and sentence constructions become progressively difficult as you go along. It keeps reviewing previously learned words, allowing you to progress from basic words all the way through various verb tenses and abstract ideas. 
• We love that we can compare progress with our friends.
• Typing Fun



Typing Adventure	Typing Adventure 2	Type Type Revolution
Cup Stacking Fun	Qwety Warriors	Typing Speed Test

• Book Basket/ Read-Aloud 


   


Mom's Media Links:


Asia Geography	Aquatic Ecosystems	Coral Reef

We were so blessed to take a field trip to Epcot as we were finishing China. Reflections of China is a remarkable film presentation in Circle-Vision 360 that takes you on a breathtaking journey to the Forbidden City and the Great Wall of China.
Curriculum for Exploring Countries & Cultures