Clever Summertime Learning

Clever Summertime Learning

Saudi Arabia

Today we left the country of Kenya (which Jana has enjoyed saying Can ya the last week) and headed for Saudi Arabia. We briefly touched on the Muslim faith but honestly for her it is just a story. It's all about Jesus and that's all she really knows. We keep those matters very matter of fact with her and she accepts it as it is. It is going to be a very tough country to discuss.

With science we learned of Nomads, desert people who drift to find water. We will continue on tomorrow.

Kal-Tamashaq

Found in the Sahara Desert, they are the Blue Veiled Guardians of the Sahara.

Found in the countries of Niger, Mali, and Burkina Faso and also in Algeria, Libya, Mauritania, and Tunisia.

Their religion is Islam

Language is Tamashaq

A Geography Curriculum Recomendation

For the last two years I have taught Geography at our co-op. The one I've spent the most time with is Evan Moor's Beginner's Geography. It is a lot of papers for teaching a co-op, but, remember I have binder issues so most of my papers turn into a book in the end. From lakes and mountains, to streams and brooks, to islands and continents, it is a wonderful way to introduce the subject of geography which is a fact filled science. Coloring, games, and puzzles have helped keep my students engaged and not just bored from fact overload.

For the last 7 weeks of our semester we did a continent study. We'd always start our lesson by singing the Seven Continent Song.....I hope I have shared that here already. We studied a continent a week and students made a project from each one to show what they "investigated" for the week. For instance, when we studied North America Jana and I included these things in our tri-folded poster:

New Jersey State Facts
Baseball
Hockey for Canada (even though it is not their National Sport which is Lacrosse) showing all the Canadian teams (Oilers, Canadiens, Senators, Canucks, Flames, Maple Leafs). This also helped us to show the provinces of Canada as they are spread from sea to sea.
Greenland
Northern Lights-who could possibly tire of seeing pictures of the Northern Lights.
Mexico traditions and foods we eat here from there (i.e. Tacos)

There are so many ways to produce different ideas with this kind of a project. Most of all, it's what interested each student, not what I told them to study.

Second

Evan Moor's World Maps & Forms

The wonderful thing about this is the maps!!!! It's definitely better for students who like geography or are in upper elementary. Lots of writing, not a bad thing in my opinion but if getting your student to write is a battle this may be a battle not worth picking. This is more straight facts. Unfortunately I've only taught this 1 semester and am now retiring from co-op so I don't have too many ideas of how to make it more interesting.

The ISBN for World Maps (a reproducible book ideal for co-op teaching) is:
978-1-55799-954-2

I cannot remember where I learned of this song or I would certainly give them the credit. This is sung to the tune of Row, Row, Row Your Boat.

The Seven Continents Song
Seven continents on the globe, count them now with me
North America, South America, Africa makes three.
Europe, Asia, Australia, are three more I know
Don't forget Antarctica, that's seven way to go!