The unit study of Australia sprang out of our last Before Five in a Row book
Katy No-Pocket. I knew it would happen, even though I resisted, that our little unit study would grow into something that feels possibly unending (but it will because we have a new book we'll begin in August...).
I like to add on to the Before Five in a Row studies with additional books because it extends those connections and illuminates them, so at the end of "the book" we actually have a few books, some fiction and others not, poems or Bible stories, whatever fits.
For Australia, I just kept adding books and online things because there are so many good ones. Then, my dear friend lent me a box of Australia things from her own unit study, and now I have another book on the way from Amazon (about Blessed Mary MacKillop who did lots of great things and is very quotable apparently, I'll let you know how it goes) and we've read one of hers, too, from the box.
So...like anything exciting in a home school (or home where learning outside of formal school is highlighted), the sky's the limit.
Here is my list "so far" of books from the Australia unit:
Katy No- Pocket written by Emmy Payne Illustrated by H.A. Rey
A cheery story about Katy, a mama Kangaroo without a pocket who goes with her son Freddy (which obviously couldn't happen in real life because he would have had to be born in her pouch...) to find a pocket.
After a series of not very helpful encounters with various animal moms and their babies, the wise owl directs Katy and Freddy to the city where a kind "worker man" with an apron full of pockets shares his wealth leading Katy to blissful, motherly care of Freddie and all the other forest babies when their mothers need help.
How we use it:
It is the primary book along with the Before Five in a Row manual. Since my boys are on the end of that book, we've added more to the discussion, mainly through the Australia unit. This book could be used along with an Australia study, but it isn't scientifically accurate. It is better used in a discussion of being kind and helpful, problem-solving, etc.
Australia by Xavier Niz (published by Bridgestone Books)
An informative overview of Australia with large, clear print and several sentence long "paragraphs" per page with full page illustrations opposite. Each page pair covers one topic and there are a table of contents, glossary, and index.
How we use it: I found a free map of Australia that has illustrations on it (link below) that we color as we learn about the things depicted on it. We reference this book along with a few others. Everything is simply explained and depicted, but there isn't a lot of information (one page per topic). It is definitely something we'll use again and again. I like to switch books out in the car and this one is the right size and not too long for them to really read it in a year or two.
The Usborne Children's Encyclopedia, World Atlas (not Usborne)
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| This is from the non-Usborne book, just fyi. |
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| This is from the Usborne Encyclopedia, a lovely book but most of the information is pretty basic. Perfect for early elementary ages. |
Wombat Stew by Marcia K. Vaughan illustrated by Pamela Lofts
A naughty dingo catches a wombat and tries to make him into stew while the other outback critters (an emu, koala, echidna, lizard, and platypus plus a Kookaburra who is only illustrated but doesn't have an actual role) suggest other items for the stew, ultimately leading the dingo to run off in disgust after tasting the brew.
How we use it: We read it. A lot. The boys laugh and laugh, act this one out, and sing the song. They know all the animals and we've learned a little more about each of them.
As we've colored our map of Australia (link below) which has pictures of some of these animals, I've been happy to see that they do remember their names and some of the facts we've discussed. Tied with
Possum Magic for being fun and informative. Also, the boys like "the billy can" and the "billabong" all the Australia words.
Possum Magic by Mem Fox illustrated by Julie Vivas
I wrote a little bit about
Possum Magic in my other post about making pavlova, so to avoid being redundant...This book is very sweet without being annoying with lively illustrations of Grandma Poss and Hush, her granddaughter possum who was made invisible (to avoid being eaten while exploring the outback) and who wishes to be made visible.
Grandma Poss remembers the magic of making Hush visible has "something to do with food! People food - not possum food!" and off they go exploring the geography of Australia via their search for the "magical food" which ultimately enchanted my kids and me to the point that we're working on tracking down Vegemite and we've baked pavlova.
This book is tied with
Wombat Stew for "fun while still informative"!
Australia (Rookie Read-about Geography) by Rebecca Hirsch
Primarily a great little reader, so not full of content, but it simply touches topics in two or three sentences in clear, large, simple font. Opposite the information pages are nice illustrations with phrase or single sentence captions.
How we use it:
We use it some mornings instead of other reading work, and since it is our own copy, we underline or circle various phonetic sounds we've talked about. I have used it to reinforce content from other books we've looked at. A very nice change of pace. We have some other Rookie Read-About books, and I like using them this way.
A True Book: Australia and Oceania by Mel Friedman
An age-appropriate and still fact-filled overview of Australia divided into "chapters" of several pages each with titles such as "Awesome Animals" and "Australia's Past", great photographic illustrations and maps at about a second grade level.
How we use it: I found a free map of Australia
http://www.activityvillage.co.uk/australia-map-colouring-page
so we look at the map and look at the various illustrations and read more about what we see using this book and a few others. I've also found some Youtube and internet "articles" about some of the topics on the map. I'll post more about the map later.
Diary of a Wombat written by Jackie French illustrated by Bruce Whatley
The title says it, really. The book is a diary written from the perspective of a mischievous wombat who "trains" his human pets. It is the sort of tale that makes me wonder if it was inspired by a true story.
The silliness continues with funny illustrations, and now the boys remember what wombats look like.
How we use it: We've read it a few times so far. I do think they find it funnier each time. Max is happy he can read this one himself. It is fun and the illustrations are great.
Ocean Life from A to Z, book and Dvd by Annie Crawley
I already wrote about this book, so without going on and on, it is a look, alphabetically, at lots of great ocean critters found in reefs (and other parts of the ocean, too, but I'm not picky...).
How we use it: We just flip through it whenever. During a few especially hot afternoons, they've watch the dvd which provides a hearty (for Kindergarten/ 1st grade level) look at many of the creatures from the book. There is some bonus materials about scuba diving that has inspired a lot of pool time acting like divers and the different kinds of fish and other critters they've learned about.
A Step Into Reading (Level 2): Platypus written by Ginjer L. Clarke illustrated by Paul Mirocha
This book is intended for "Reading with Help, grades preschool to Grade 1 with basic vocabulary, short sentences, and simple stories"
This informative book also has a little story, too, about a mother platypus hatching her eggs and protecting them.
How we use it: Max and I read it before bed one night. He enjoyed it, and the illustrations were realistic and gentle. Clearly teaches facts in an interesting way. I'm curious to know if there are other books like this about animals...Amazon here I come...
Walking with the Seasons in Kakadu by Diane Lucas illustrated by Ken Searle
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A chart to map out the seasons given by the people of Kakadu, interesting
to me but too much for our needs. |
Walking with the Seasons is best described in its own words from the back cover "Join Diane Lucas and Ken Searle as they walk through the bush of northern Australia. Follow the seasonal calendar of the Gundjeihmi-speaking people of Kakadu" Most of the positive reviews on the book and online speak to the beauty of the illustrations.
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| See what I mean? |
In reading it myself (the kids haven't seen it yet), I wasn't surprised that the interconnection of the native people between nature and religion made for moments where the tone was "nature worship" rather than appreciate of nature. It isn't over-the-top, and since we frame our appreciation of the beauty of the earth with an appreciate of what a good God we have to have created such wonders, I don't think this book poses any threat. Still, when I look through this with the boys, we will look at the pictures and read the sections about the plants and animals and avoid the topic of the seasons overall as (I think) it is too confusing to little kids who are still learning to sequence things like the seasons to get another set of six seasons of varying length, so we will just enjoy the parts we can.
"These native people have different words for the seasons and they live in nature and are very connected to it...let's see how they live and what things they think are so special about Australia..."
Which animals do you recognize? What are the people doing in this picture? Would you like to do that? (swim, dance, tell a story or talk with friends, swim, harvest yams, build a shelter with pieces of bark, etc.) We can practice saying some of the words they use, too. Always fun to try out another language. There is a glossary/index combined at the end of the book.
***A happy delivery today from Amazon yields another book for review (about blessed Mary Makillop, the only Australian saint so far)...another time... off to bed!
