Geography: Pacific States

This year in school we are using Layers of Learning year 4. The second two weeks of school we did unit 2. Our geography topic was the Pacific states.

We learned about various political people who were from California (Herbert Hoover, Richard Nixon, Ronald Reagan, and Earl Warren).

We made elevation maps of California.

We made population density maps of Oregon.

We made pages with various facts about Oregon.

We made precipitation maps of Washington state.

We made an apple tree of Washington state facts.

We made a resource map for Hawaii.

We filled up a surfboard with facts about Hawaii.

We found and labeled the major cities in Alaska.

We made an Alaskan dogsled team.

We added the state flags of the five states we “visited” over the last two weeks to our passports.

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Geography: United States of America

This year in school we are using Layers of Learning year 4. The first two weeks of school we did unit 1. Our geography topic was the United States of America.

We found the USA on the big wall map. They already knew where it was, of course, but it’s always good to review.

We started folder maps. We will complete these throughout the course of the year. For the first unit, we labeled the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans and the Gulf of Mexico and colored them blue.

We learned about two letter postal codes and went through the entire US map and guessed what each state’s postal code is and then labeled a blank map with the correct abbreviations.

We learned about time zones and colored a map of all six time zones in the US. We noted the current time where we live in the Central Time Zone and then figured out the current time of family and friends spread across the country and their grandmother in Greenwich Mean Time.

They used their old expired passports to add a “visa” for visiting the USA. As we “visit” each state over the course of the school year, they will add stickers for each one to the visa pages. Adrian was especially fascinated at how little he was in his passport (he was 4).

We learned about 25 animals that are only found in the United States.

We counted how many states we’ve ever been in. That’s six for Adrian (he’s lived in three of those).

We watched an episode of The States. They picked the one that includes Texas, of course.

Geography: South Africa

Weeks 34 and 35 of school we learned about South Africa using Layers of Learning, year 3 unit 20.

We found South Africa on the big wall map.

We did mapwork.

We watched lots of YouTube videos.

We put together a puzzle of South Africa’s flag.

We made Ndebele pictures.

Geography: Samoa & Tonga

Weeks 32 and 33 of school we learned about Samoa and Tonga using Layers of Learning, year 3 unit 19.

We found Samoa and Tonga on the big wall map.

We did mapwork.

We colored the flag of American Samoa.

We watched some YouTube videos.

We made Tapa out of paper bags.

We made FaiKaKai. It was… okay. Cameron spit out the first bite, I managed 2/3 of one, Adrian at a whole one, and Fritz ate two. The coconut milk/sugar glaze was really good, though.

Geography: Iran

Weeks 30 and 31 of school we learned about Iran using Layers of Learning, year 3 unit 18.

We did mapwork.

We did reports on Iran.

We had a dinner of kabobs.

We watched some YouTube videos.

The boys gave oral reports on Iranian animals. I told Cameron he had to stand up to give it. I didn’t specify where so he chose to stand on the couch.

Geography: Japan

Weeks 28 and 29 of school we learned about Japan using Layers of Learning, year 3 unit 17.

We found Japan on the big wall map.

We did mapwork.

We watched some YouTube videos.

We did some origami.

We watched more YouTube videos.

We colored kimonos.

And we watched even more YouTube videos.

Geography: India

Weeks 26 and 27 of school we learned about (modern) India using Layers of Learning, year 3 unit 16.

We did mapwork.

We colored rangoli designs

We watched YouTube videos of the national anthem, a traditional dance, and Holi.

We did some yoga.

We had an excellent lunch of chicken curry and naan bread.