The Oceania Four Corners Geography Game

 

     The day before our history test on Oceania (which included the interesting story about Australia being settled by boatloads of prisoners from England), we finished our review and then headed outside.  There we laid large pieces of plastic tablecloth fabric on the parking lot in the correct geographic location (well, as close as we could anyway), and played the game Four Corners except instead of colors in the four corners the students could stand on Antarctica, New Zealand, Tasmania, the Solomon Islands, the Hawaiian Islands, and a few others.  

     We all had fun; the younger students learned some geography while the older students scored well on the map section of their test the next day.  Those are all good things.  

I Heart String Art

I saved this project for the end of the year because it's so much fun for the students that it's almost distracting.  But, it works well when they are motivated and finishing up their final tests of the year!  First I got free wood from a local cabinet shop's trash bin (with permission) and sanded the edges.  I also collected embroidery thread that I find in bags of assorted colors at thrift stores, and I bought a few packages of little nails at a hardware store.  Next we find patterns online for free and tape them onto the wood, or just sketch our own designs on the wood and start hammering.  The paper MUST be removed before you start wrapping the string. 

   There is no precise way to thread them (unless a certain effect is desired like the sails on the sailboat), but the more thread that is added the nicer they look.  We enjoyed experimenting with different shades of pink on the heart and brown on the deer.  

These also make great geography projects for older students.  

Related Posts: 

Get Smart with String Art! 

Map Weaving 101

The Biggest Map 

I'm All Strung Out 

Get Smart with String Art!

On day two of the Hands-on History class at Teachers Week, we made string art maps of Australia.  This is an interesting and enjoyable way to learn geography.  

Coming soon:  Bible memory songs 

Crock Pots, Pangea, and Paradise Lost

I enjoyed seven little events last week. 
1.  Unexpected chocolate on my desk from an anonymous student.  



2.  In world history we are studying the Middle East, so we are learning the song with all the countries of the Middle East and working on maps so that we can not only recite the names of all of these countries, but that on the map we know where all of them are.*  (We color them tomorrow.  -2 pts. spelling) This CD is available (in a more recent form) at https://christianlearning.org/product/geography-songs/.  



3.  My new double (quadruple?) jack!  I used to have to change plugs four times a day, but now, with this handy-dandy thingy, I don't have to do that anymore.  Thanks, Mr. Martin.

4.  The crock pot.  Microwaves stress me out.  I don't like molecules being rearranged electronically, and this way, all of our lunches are warmed up at the same time without waiting in line for the microwave.  And, that gives us a few more minutes of precious free time.  Thanks again, Mr. Martin. 


5.  Every time we get to chapter 10 of Genesis and read about the Table of Nations, I get all excited about Peleg (or Peg Leg as I tell the students to help them remember him.)  Verse twenty-five of Genesis 10 reads, "And unto Eber were born two sons: the name of one was Peleg; for in his days was the earth divided . . ."  I found this nifty little map lab that uses part of the fossil record as evidence for Pangea or whatever they're calling it these days.  It's absolutely fascinating.  I realize that this is up for interpretation, but, it is in the Bible!  Here is a link to print out the puzzle:  https://www.coreknowledge.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/09/CKSci_G4U4_ProcessesShapeEarth_AAP_WegnersPuzzlingContinents.pdf.

6.  The day before we did the maps, there was a sentence in our grammar books with a reference to Paradise Lost, written by John Milton.  I mentioned that I had read the whole poem (book) in high school, and one of the students asked about it.  So, while they were coloring and cutting out their puzzle maps the next day, I read them the first two pages of Paradise Lost.  I love learning! 


7.  This week I also received emails from two of my former eighth grade homeroom students who are now in high school.  They both asked me to look over their papers and give them feedback.  I absolutely love hearing from my former students, and I love it that they care about the work they are handing in to their high school teachers.  


*For these geography tests, I give the students a blank paper and a blank map.  They are expected to write all the countries completely from memory, and then using the list they wrote by themselves, they will label the map with each of these countries.