As the Orange Turns

We began our study of the world by comparing globes and maps.
The goal: to help the kids understand how the world is distorted in a flat map.

They drew the world onto an orange











then peeled it and tried to lay it flat.














And then we ate it.

My Father's World

We are using a new curriculum this year, called My Father's World. I love, love, love it. I had looked at it in the past, but the price really scared me off. Well, after a few years of doing all the planning myself (which meant being tied to stacks of papers and books on a Sunday afternoon when I'd rather be hanging with my family), I decided it was worth a little moolah to buy a teacher's manual that had done all the thinking already. I am hoping this will open up a little more time for the fun things, like crafts, cooking, science experiments, and nature walks.

I decided to use ECC (Exploring Countries and Cultures) this year. We are taking a trip around the world, studying diverse countries, learning geography, and reading about missionaries.

We watched a movie over the summer, called The Other Side of Heaven. It is the story of a missionary in the Tongan islands. It gave them a real picture in their mind of what it is like for a missionary to enter a strange culture and land and spread the word of God.

On the first day of school, Z and E filled out their "passport applications" and are anxiously awaiting the arrival of their new "passports". Since we are studying North America first, they won't be needing them for a few weeks...........

Let the adventure begin!