The Story About Ping
Last week we read The Story About Ping, by Marjorie Flack. This lovely story is about the value of family, and learning to take responsibility for one's actions, even if punishment is certain. The narrative unfolds in China, on the Yangtze river. We enjoyed learning about China, and ducks. 
I must take a break from the "school log" to share a story of God's provision. I always try to stay a week ahead with the books that I request from the library. That way, when it is time to start a new book, we already have it, but two weeks ago I forgot to request The Story About Ping, or any other books about China, ducks, rivers, etc. I felt frazzled and frustrated with myself as the week ended two weeks past. I sat down to see what the library had on shelf, and make something work. Turns out, one local library (on my way home from co-op) had all the books I needed on shelf. We stopped after co-op, and got all the books we needed for our China unit, plus some others in one fell swoop. It seems these things sometimes work themselves out, I do not believe this is a coincidence. I thank God for His provision and support for our homeschool. He is good!
Anyway, back to Ping!
Language: Vocabulary: bank, master, swiftly. Tristan made an illustrated word web for China.
For math, we counted birds, boats, and ducks. Anastasia stamped out one duck stamp for each of Ping's family members. Wow! Nice counting!
For History/Geography, we learned about China and also the Yangtze river. Fun fact: the Yangtze is the third longest river in the world. We were briefly introduced to Pearl S. Buck, and Mao Tse Dong, two individuals whose lives were shaped living by the Yangtze river.
In Art we colored with color pencils, a sunset scene from the story. We also practiced Chinese letter writing, with paint brushes and black paint. Wow, difficult!
In Science we learned about the river, and also began a unit on gardening. We began with a discussion on what plants need to grow, what tools do gardeners need for success, and what are the different types of garden? This week's activity was to research a tree and plant it in your yard. We already knew we wanted a Blue Spruce, so the children and I did some research on-line about the species and then visited a local nursery to choose one. We are excited for the tree to be planted sometime soon. I'll have to post a picture. We also purchased some burning bushes for the back of our home, and put them into the ground. Excited about a science unit on gardening this spring. I think we will learn a lot.
I must take a break from the "school log" to share a story of God's provision. I always try to stay a week ahead with the books that I request from the library. That way, when it is time to start a new book, we already have it, but two weeks ago I forgot to request The Story About Ping, or any other books about China, ducks, rivers, etc. I felt frazzled and frustrated with myself as the week ended two weeks past. I sat down to see what the library had on shelf, and make something work. Turns out, one local library (on my way home from co-op) had all the books I needed on shelf. We stopped after co-op, and got all the books we needed for our China unit, plus some others in one fell swoop. It seems these things sometimes work themselves out, I do not believe this is a coincidence. I thank God for His provision and support for our homeschool. He is good!
Anyway, back to Ping!
Language: Vocabulary: bank, master, swiftly. Tristan made an illustrated word web for China.
For math, we counted birds, boats, and ducks. Anastasia stamped out one duck stamp for each of Ping's family members. Wow! Nice counting!
For History/Geography, we learned about China and also the Yangtze river. Fun fact: the Yangtze is the third longest river in the world. We were briefly introduced to Pearl S. Buck, and Mao Tse Dong, two individuals whose lives were shaped living by the Yangtze river.
In Art we colored with color pencils, a sunset scene from the story. We also practiced Chinese letter writing, with paint brushes and black paint. Wow, difficult!
In Science we learned about the river, and also began a unit on gardening. We began with a discussion on what plants need to grow, what tools do gardeners need for success, and what are the different types of garden? This week's activity was to research a tree and plant it in your yard. We already knew we wanted a Blue Spruce, so the children and I did some research on-line about the species and then visited a local nursery to choose one. We are excited for the tree to be planted sometime soon. I'll have to post a picture. We also purchased some burning bushes for the back of our home, and put them into the ground. Excited about a science unit on gardening this spring. I think we will learn a lot.
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