The Great Wall completed!

Here are some pictures of our building project for our study of China finally completed! The boys really enjoyed working on this project!

Chinese shuttlecocks

The boys had fun making and playing with these Chinese shuttlecocks! Here is a story we read about someone playing this game

In my memory, playing the shuttlecock game was one of my favorite things during my childhood. The shuttlecocks I played were not used for playing badminton game; they were just used for playing by themselves.

My hometown is in northeast China where the winter is very long—almost five to six months. Playing the shuttlecock outside was the main game in the winter. Because I liked to play this kind of game very much, the shuttlecock became my good friend who always accompanied me in the long winter.

The Great Wall of China Pt 2

China readings

Today we read this book and had fun discovering which year we were born in.

We also made these:

Marco Polo

Venice at the time of Marco Polo

making a yurt

inside the yurt

cutting out the front

From this wonderful homeschool blog  we have been finding ideas to supplement our study of Marco Polo and the Middle Ages. Again I love it when several subjects coincide. As we are also studying Asia in geography this also fits perfectly there. Here are some of the activities we have done.Again not my ideas which is why I am linking to this great blog. Also some of the books we are reading at present are included in this post plus our library corner all set up with books on China(well mostly!)

       

                     It takes concentration

some colorful papers 

sharp scissors

 a good mate's assistance                                                                                 

 result?

Some Chinese decorations for our geography corner

Adventures of the Treasure Fleet

 As part of our China study we have discovered this wonderful resource. A long picture book this also ties in well with our study of the middle ages. With the older kids when we studied this time period we mostly stayed in Europe, so I am excited to discover an extension to our studies through this book.
The way the book is set out it tells a narrative on the main part of each page with a more historical account placed underneath in different type. We are reading through this book slowly as we want to savor it.

 










"Beginning in 1405, Admiral Zheng He led more than 300 gigantic, brightly painted ships across the South China Sea to the Indian Ocean and all the way to the distant coast of Africa. The admiral and his crew battled pirates and raging storms, and were amazed by the people and ways of life in distant lands.

They befriended kings, charted unknown oceans and were awestruck by Africa's exotic animals. At each port, China's best porcelains and silks were traded for pearls, precious stones, herbs and medicines. They brought treasures as well as dignitaries of faraway lands to pay tribute to China's powerful emperor, Zhu Di.

Filled with historical facts, Adventures of the Treasure Fleet brings a fantastic piece of history to life. Gracefully told and beautifully illustrated, the story's fast pace will keep young ones captivated while offering enough information to satisfy curious readers of all ages."(http://www.annmartinbowler.net/books.htm)

Great Wall of China pt 1

As part of our study on the continent of Asia we are beginning an in depth look at China. One great idea I saw on another homeschool blog was to construct a model of the Great Wall of China.

 Of course as with all ideas borrowed from the internet this plan required adaptation! The original homeschooler used these really nifty blocks they purchased from Amazon.

We in the Southern hemisphere had to make our own blocks. Still a good Stanley knife and a keen eye and we were away! To begin with we decided to draw a path for the blocks. Then it was no time and the first row were attached.