Good Site for Testing Your Geography: U.S. States

Test your U.S. states geography skills online at this website:

http://lizardpoint.com/geography/usa-quiz.php

Martin Luther King, Jr. Day

While the area schools shut down for the day, Sisney H.O.U.S.E. held school as usual, devoting the day to learning more about Martin Luther King, Jr. When I asked Maddy and Kenna (K and 1st graders) who Martin Luther King, Jr. was, they didn't remember. So, we devoted the whole school day to learn not just about the holiday that honors the birthday of revolutionary civil rights leader Martin Luther King, Jr., but also to teach my children about this famous man of history and highlight the importance of the civil rights movement.

Using the following links, we learned all about how our "own" race, meaning the white people like us, were not always so nice to black people. We talked about how, even today, a lot of people are mean to anyone whose skin color is different than their own. Decades have past since Martin Luther King, Jr. worked - and died - trying to change America's laws...unfortunately, there is still much work to be done. Mr. King's speech, "I Have A Dream" is still just that in so many ways. I want my children to be part of the solution to making this dream a reality.

At https://www.teachervision.com/tv/printables/botr/botr_27_28-30.pdf, we found out some great information on Martin Luther King, Jr. that is age appropriate for younger kids. I want them to learn the basics...as they get older we can get into the "nastier" side of the civil rights movement.

We found a mini poster for the girls to create as they learned the facts about Martin Luther King, Jr. and his dream for a better America for all people at http://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Martin-Luther-King-Jr-Poster-Activity-FREEBIE-1015734.

We cut out, put together, and then read a free booklet on Martin Luther King, Jr. at https://www.teachervision.com/tv/printables/TCR/1576904679_333-338.pdf. Kids absorb so much more when there's a hands-on activity to go along with what they are learning rather than just being lectured or read to,

As a craft, the girls traced their handprint in many different colors of construction paper and then glued them together and wrote "Many people working together can change things." (one of Mr. King's quotes) on each palm. We hung the banner up in our classroom.

We read "The Story About Ruby Bridges" by Robert Coles. Very age appropriate for kindergarten and 1st grade! A true story set in 1960,  Ruby Bridges, at age 6, was a little girl who was court-ordered - along with 3 other little black girls - to attend all white schools. I'm not sure why Ruby's story has been told and the other children's were not, but it's a book that EVERY parent should read to their children. On Ruby's very first day of school, an angry mob of white folks crowded around the school entrance and were loudly and physically protesting this child entering the school. Neither the New Orleans police nor the Lousiana State Police would step in to help protect these 4 kids (attending two different white schools). It took the president ordering Federal Marshals to escort Ruby into school everyday. The neighborhood parents quit sending their own kids to school. Ruby sat alone in her classroom for months and did her school work.

What bothers me is that surely, many of those white families were "professed" Christians. Yet, they not only angrily protested but willingly disrupted their own children's education to keep their kids from being in the room with Ruby. How sad! But you know what? God was still in control, and this little 6 year old black girl stopped every day on her way to school and prayed for the people who out, not just to keep her out of their school, but to do her bodily harm had they gotten a hold of her. That, my friends, is the testimony and witness of a true Christian family and a true Christian way to raise your daughter. Ruby asked God to forgive those people. And you know what? The book I read to the girls, "The Story of Ruby Bridges" by Robert Coles, doesn't say how much time past (we know months) but finally 2 boys went back to school, slowly followed by many more.

I hope that Alan and I have/are doing a better job at teaching our children that the color of your skin doesn't matter. Kenna even asked at the beginning of the story, "What's are 'white people'?" Character counts so much more! Teaching our children to respect others and to always do the right thing no matter what the crowd is doing are possibly the most important things you can teach your child, right after teaching them (like Ruby's family did) that THE most important thing is to have a close and personal relationship with God.

Again, I want my children to be part of the solution to America's problems, not part of problem. 

 

Interesting Background Information on 10 Dr. Seuss Books

 

http://www.mentalfloss.com/article/28843/10-stories-behind-dr-seuss-stories

The above link takes to an interesting background info on 10 of Dr. Seuss' books. Interesting reading. Especially about how some of the logging industry wasn't very happy about the book, The Lorax and later sponsored The Truax, a similar book—but from the logging point of view.

The Giant Arrows That Will Point You In The Right Direction

Studying about how mail service has changed since World War I? Check out this website:

http://www.messynessychic.com/2013/11/15/the-forgotten-giant-arrows-that-guide-you-across-america/

Learn about the giant arrows out in the middle of nowhere!

Teach Your Children About the Injustices Done To The Native American Nations

On This Day: In 1890 the Pine Ridge Indian Agent wrote to Washington requesting more troops to take care of Lakota Ghost Dancers. In February 1890, the US government broke a Lakota treaty by adjusting the Great Sioux Reservation of South Dakota and breaking it up into five smaller reservations. The government was accommodating white homesteaders from the eastern US; in addition, it intended to "break up tribal relationships" and "conform Indians to the white man's ways, peaceably if they will, or forcibly if they must." The Lakota people turned to the Ghost Dance ritual in response, which frightened the supervising agents of the BIA. As a result, thousands of additional U.S. Army troops were deployed to the reservation. Shortly after, on December 28, the Wounded Knee Massacre took place, in which over 153 Lakota were massacred. (Source not given)

Very sad. I am ashamed of how the U.S. government treated the Indian nations. While not many public schools teach much anymore on the subject of the plight of the Native Americans, this is something we cover in depth during our homeschooling experience. Not just because both Alan and I have Native American blood in our ancestry (as close as great-grandmothers), but because it is one of those terrible injustices that should not be forgotten.

What Books Can Be Found In Your Home?

We have books in every room. Yes, I mean EVERY room of the house! The girls have their favorites tucked away in their bedroom. Our bedroom has a few books in the headboard, too. Of course, our classroom is full of textbooks and level reading books. The living room has magazines and catalogs, what we call "coffee table" books. At any given time, there is at least one copy of The Holy Bible in at least 3 rooms of the house.

The computer room/library has one complete wall (12 shelves) covered with books: Alan's western collection, my favorites (lots of Beverly Lewis, Jeanette Oke, and some great reads from high school that I go back and read again and again), my inspirational faith-based books, a collection of "first" books (cardboard pages, vinyl pages, etc. tough enough to withstand the hands and teeth of babies), a collection of wonderful books for elementary, a collection for junior high level, and a collection of high school/adult books. Historical books. "How To" books. Homeschooling books for K - 12th grades. The Classics. Fairy tales and folklore. Lots of homesteading and farm books. A few old 4-H manuals remain. Dictionaries, thesauruses, reference books.

Our master bathroom always has at least one crossword puzzle book and pen and an occasional book I'm trying to get read. Maddy and Kenna have began the habit of taking a book to the bathroom with them, too, and so I am constantly finding books in their bathroom floor, too.

The kitchen is full of cookbooks and cooking magazines. We try a new recipe at least once week!

Even the laundry room has been hit by the book bug...gardening books can be found on the shelf there, along with Alan's leather working manual.

My personal opinion is that when there are a variety of age-appropriate books available to your children, and they are read to regularly, they will develop a natural love of reading. A love of books. Which will lead to the simple fact, that along their journey in life, they will be able to learn about/how to do anything they set their minds to by gathering the appropriate books on the subject and just digging in.

Reading opens up the whole world to a child. They can travel to faraway lands. They can travel back in time or into the future. They can become a character in any of the books they dive into. They can learn to do new things and how to improve some of the old techniques. They can learn an art form, learn a new skill, become an entrepreneur. Through books, the possibilities are endless.

Spark creativity. Ignite a passion for reading. Start a fire for learning. Keep that fire fed well. Keep your child in books.

Does your family have a room set aside as a personal library? Do you have books in just about every room of your home? Possibly both, like us?

What kinds of books can be found in your home? 

Free Homeschooling Resource List

Here you'll find an up-to-date list of free homeschooling resources:  http://www.onlypassionatecuriosity.com/free-homeschool-list/.
 

Did You Know About "Operation Peter Pan"?

Practical Homeschooling posted the following on their Facebook page:

" 'Common Core' is the same educational system the communist regime of Fidel Castro imposed in Cuba in the early 1960s. It is the norm in all totalitarian communist regimes. Each child will have a file from birth to death with all his information, including his conduct, his friends and his parents. Based on that information depends what he would be studying, what kind of job he will be assigned, where he will be allowed to live and what food and clothes he will be allowed to have. To avoid that situation, Cuban desperate parents did the unthinkable and sent 14,048 unaccompanied children to the U.S. between 1960 and October 1962. It was known as Operation Peter Pan. Most Americans have not been told about it." http://ow.ly/pxWkj"

and they also had this website linked up:
http://bwcentral.org/2013/10/indoctrination-of-children-in-cuba-and-operation-peter-pan/

What the World Eats: Have A Monthly International Cuisine Day

Here at Sisney H.O.U.S.E., we set aside one day a month as an "International Cuisine Day". It's not always held on the same day each month, but we make sure we get it scheduled in. What better way to teach our children about different cultures? Experience the food first hand! Sometimes we visit an ethnic restaurant...but we have more fun researching and preparing the food here at home. Celebrating at home also lets us play games from that month's chosen country and perhaps dress the part, too.

Your international meal doesn't have to be lunch or dinner, either. Try an ethnic breakfast every once in a while! Or perhaps devote the whole day to a country's meals. And when we are talking about an international meal, we are NOT talking about an America's twist on international cuisine or even what the "best" restaurant in that country is serving, but on the real, authentic, traditional foods families from that country prepare and eat in their homes every day.

With internet capabilities, it's easy to find authentic recipes from countries. Just search for "a typical meal menu in..."

Some of our past/future International Cuisine Day ideas include:

China:
We know a family who moved here from China and up until recently owned a Chinese restaurant. Sin (not sure that is spelled right), the father, taught me how to make Egg Drop Soup and Crab Rangoon. I have helped them in their restaurant and he's also shown me how to make many of the buffet dishes, but we have learned that people in China do not eat the delicious dishes we find on the menu of most Chinese restaurants. Our friends eat a lot of rice noodles, a lot of native rice (not the common white rice or fried rice we love), and very little meat. They love Fish Head Soup and soup made from the tail of a deer (my husband saves the tail of his deer for them during deer season).

Our family loves going to the local Chinese buffet restaurants, but we also make Chinese meals at home. Egg Drop Soup, Lo Mein, Egg Rolls, Crab Rangoon, chicken and beef satay, and stir-fried main courses are a fairly common sight around here. My most recent new Chinese recipe that I've made is Kimchi (a cabbage dish).

Mexico:
Another of our favorite ethnic cuisines are those from Mexico. Taco Bell is nice, but I have a friend whose husband owns one of the local Mexican restaurants and their food is "Delicioso!". Making it at home, I must admit is not as "maravilloso" as El Ranchito's, but we have fun in the kitchen and eating it. Everyone knows that tacos, burritos, and fajitas are good...but a true authentically made tamale is fabulous! Cinco de Mayo (May 5th) is a great day to celebrate the foods of Mexico.

In 3rd grade I met a friend whose mother was from Mexico. I loved going to her house! Their house always had the best cooking smells wafting from the kitchen! Estella's homemade corn tortillas were the best!

While taking Spanish for two years during my high school years, for some assignments we would have to find and prepare authentic foods. There are some amazing Mexican/Spanish desserts to be found!

Africa:
Africa, like the U.S., has many cultural regions within is boundaries. To decide on an African menu, you need to decide on which region to represent. Most meals are served on a mat on the floor with everything put down at the same time. In the cities individual plates are used and a large spoon (no knives or forks).

I know exactly what you are thinking! Many African countries are in extreme poverty and their meals don't consist of much at all. So true. Do you want you child to truly get a feel for what a child in an African country eats each day? Our International Cuisine Day is not only a taste test, it's a lesson on being thankful for what we have here in America (and yes, we will be including regions of the U.S. in our Cuisine Days, too. What you may consider a harsh punishment to your family ("We only get a little bowl of rice?"), is a reality in many countries. I want to teach my children the truth. I want to teach them about compassion. I want them to help others who are struggling to feed their families (that's why we volunteer at our local food pantry once a month). My family may think they are "starving" if we have a skant day of meals, but trust me, we are far from starving. I want my family to learn that a slight hunger pang because they have missed a snack, is NOT true hunger. So, yes, I challenge you to include all the "very little to eat" menus, too.

I highly suggest that you look through the 28 pictures of "What the World Eats" with your family. It's a collection of pictures of families from different countries posing with a week's worth of their groceries. The weekly grocery bills run anywhere from $1.23 to $731.71 (equivalent of American dollars). The U.S. ranked somewhere in the middle.

Greece:
For breakfast we had a small filled phyllo dough pie filled with ham called zambontyropita and Yaourti me meli (Greek yogurt and honey, served separately so that each person can add their own sweetness).

For lunch we had Choriatiki (salad with tomatoes, cucumbers, bell peppers, onions, olives and feta cheese, oregano, basil, dill and/or thyme - no lettuce - with an olive oil and vinegar dressing), Tyrokafteri (a spicy cheese dip made from the seeds of a local pepper, the kafteri - we used hot peppers we had on hand, a soft cheese such as feta , roasted red pepper, oregano, olive oil and garlic) spread on Pita bread. Or you could cheat and buy a favorite cheese spread at the grocery store.

Italy:
For breakfast, cornetto and cappuccino. The “cornetto” is the Italian term for a croissant, filled with cream, chocolate or jam. Focaccia (Italian bread) is another we have tried. To be honest, the girls love plain old coffee with their Daddy, but I am not a coffee drinker but we did try a flavored cappuccino.

Supper, or dinner as they call it in Italy is 5-component dinner. We served what we would call the appetizer, an antipasto (which literally means "before the meal") tray with sliced pepperoni, olives, mushrooms,cheese, carrot sticks. Next we enjoyed the primo, which in our case was a pasta dish (could be soup, rice, or polenta), and in traditional Italian meals the primo is the appetizer not the main course. The main course is called "il secondo" and is usually simply served in small portions - we had beef but chicken or even fish could have been served. We served the contorno (meaning "contours"), which is a platter of vegetables with the il secondo. Italian dessert is the dolce (or sweet). We served up fresh fruit and biscotti.

Ireland:
St. Patrick's Day seems the logical day to schedule an Irish meal.

For breakfast, we actually enjoy a full Irish meal often. Your family may, too, once you realize what it is:  eggs, bacon, sausages, potatoes and tomatoes. Except here at Sisney H.O.U.S.E., we consider this just a "truck driver's special", especially if throw some gravy and biscuits on the table with it!

My crew loves potato soup so it's a good place to start. Corned beef and cabbage (not cooked together because I am the only one in our family who loves cooked cabbage) is our own traditional St. Paddy's Day meal. Another of our favorites is potato pancakes, called "Boxty" in Ireland

Sahara Desert:
 I admit it took a little while to find what looked to be a reliable internet source on the type of foods the nomadic people of the Sahara Desert eat. And since I didn't find much at all on the subject, I am going to share with you everything I did find.

Wikipedia had this to share about the Tuareg people who live as nomads in the Sahara Desert:

This site, http://danslapeaudunpapou.survivalfrance.org/content/tuareg-people, contained a lot of information on the Tuareg people. Did you know the Tuareg were the first to invent powdered milk?


We celebrated the cuisine of the Sahara desert by serving up this breakfast: flat pita bread with a heavy cream "sauce" we made (basically, gravy). We substituted millet porridge with Cream of Wheat and drank cow's milk. Yogurt was part of our breakfast, too.

For lunch: bread (called "taguella"), cheese, dates, and melon.

For our traditional afternoon tea: We set a kettle full of tea leaves (could not find any "Gunpowder" tea) and mint leaves (which our Amish neighbors have kept us supplied with this summer) on our gas stove and let it reach a full boil. It's traditional to pour from the same pot three times...the first pouring is very strong, then add more water for a weaker second pouring, and finally add more water for a third pouring which is a very weak tea. The Tuareg people have a saying, "The first pot is bitter like life, the second strong like love, and the last soft like death".

For our supper: chorba (thick soup, similar to minestrone, cooked on a fire fueled by camel dung - but sorry, we were all out of camel dung so we just used our gas stove), taguella (bread), cheese, melon.

Iceland:
Iceland has us, again, confessing that we decided that some of their traditional foods are NOT for the squeamish tummy. We did NOT attempt to duplicate their hakarl (seriously decomposed, rotten shark meat (excuse me, the correct term, I guess would be "fermented") that has been buried in the ground then  served in a sealed glass jar to keep the stinky odor contained as long as possible. They seem to like fermented lamb also...not happening in my kitchen! Nor did we even consider sheep's head - yes, the whole head on a plate...no thanks. And I didn't have the heart to tell my children they also eat horse meat.

For breakfast, we could not find skyr, made of pasteurized skimmed milk and a bacteria culture similar to yogurt. It's not actually yogurt though, it's a soft cheese that is rich and thick and very healthy. We will be looking for it during our next trip to the International grocery store in Carbondale. If not, maybe next time we'll just substitute a different soft cheese. The pönnukökur, or Icelandic pancakes are thin, sweet, and usually rolled up with jam, powdered sugar, or cinnamon, similar to crepes.

Lunch was an easy one: The Icelandic pylsur is a hot dog (granted theirs has lamb in it as well as beef and pork parts) and if you order a pylsur "eina með öllu" (one with everything), it's served up with the works: a sweeter brown mustard ("pylsusinnep"), ketchup, raw onions, crunchy deep-fried onions ("Cronions"), and a mildly tangy remoulade (salad or seafood dressing made with hard-boiled egg yolks, oil, and vinegar, and flavored with mustard, capers, and herbs).

Black licorice is a favorite snack in Iceland, but I am the only one in our house who likes it.

Supper was also a breeze:  Iceland, being surrounded by all that water, has an abundance of seafood and lobster always gets Alan, Maddy, and Kenna's attention.

Russia:
за́втрак (breakfast):  kasha (a type of porridge made from different grains), butterbrots (a kind of sandwich made of a single slice of bread (rye or black bread) and one topping such as butter or ham, boiled or fried eggs, tvorog (similar to cottage cheese), coffee, and tea. Blinis are pancakes that stuffed with a range of fillings.
Obed (lunch): soup (пе́рвое блю́до), meat with potatoes, and kompot (a non-alcoholic drink made by boiling fruit in water - the girls added sugar to theirs), and tea.
Uzhin or у́жин (supper):  My family loves piroggi! There is a /Russian saying that "A home is not beautiful without a piroggi at the feast!" Piroggi are made from leaved, fermented dough, and the rituals of rising and proving the yeast are immensely important. Piroggi can be filled with cheese, meat, mashed potatoes, or vegetables, or you can try sweet piroshky, filled with honey or fruit. Rye bread (ржано́й хлеб), also known as "black" bread (чёрный хлеб) is a Russian staple. Did you know that beef stronganoff is a classic Russian dish?

Building A Candy-Filled Pyramid

As part of a study on Egypt, we put together some candy-filled pyramids. Very simple to do. One large poster board made 11 of them. 1 bag of Hershey's Kisses put 4 or 5 in each pyramid and there were plenty leftover to enjoy ourselves.

 

Cut out the shape.                                                       Slightly fold edges in to form your points.

                                                                                    Add candy to center, if you wish.

 

Fold up two points and tape to hold together. Repeat with 3rd and 4th points. Your finished pyramid holds the "treasure" (candy). We taped a "flag" label to the top of ours so the girls could give them out to friends at church.

Our day began with a birthday breakfast celebration with pink princess pancakes, complete with chocolate syrup, whipped cream, and marachino cherries. We now (again, for the 5th time) have a 7 year old in the The Sisney Crew. After breakfast, she opened gifts. Her "big" party is coming up this weekend. Happy birthday, Maddy! We love you so very much!

             

*      *      *      *     *

In Social Studies, while studying children around the world, we found the following website that shows what the bedroom of children from different countries looks like. My girls were quite shocked and worried about some the of kids after seeing these pictures. Definitely an eye-opener.

Good lesson in being thankful for where your live and the things you have. There is always someone, somewhere whom has it worse than your situation.

http://www.lifehack.org/articles/lifestyle/images-shown-where-children-sleep-around-the-world.html

Math & Mexico

Just a glimpse at our homeschooling experience today...

In math we used pattern blocks again. After putting together various triangles, squares, and rectangles, and then being told to "make something with your pattern blocks that is different from what you did yesterday," our 5-year old came up with this. Can you see the turkey? I'll give you a hint:  it's wearing a hat. Still don't see it? Try this view: 4 tail feathers, the body, the head with the hat on it, and 2 legs. Good job Maddy!

and...

During Social Studies, we learned about the children of Mexico. We discussed how the children in Mexico and the U.S. are alike and different, their clothing (sombreros, ponchos/serapes, and Maddy has a hand-made dress from Mexico), some customs of Mexico, their language (which Spanish is one of our regular subjects), their food, and about Cinco de Mayo (celebrated by local Mexican restaurants). And of course, what study of Mexico's children would be complete without piñatas (Diego and a monkey)? We also located Mexico on the both the world map and on the North American map.

Maddy's Spanish, in two days, has reached...
      ¡Hola!
     ¿Cómo te llamas?
     Me llamo Madison.
     ¿Cómo estás?
     Either:  Bien.    or     Mal.     or     Así, así.
     ¡Adiós!