Day 43 or, Canadian Geography lessons

The lessons aren't yet complete, but I don't want to wait forever to post them. Here is what we have done so far, and I'll update as we go along...

Main resource:
S is for Spirit Bear: A British Columbia Alphabet by G. Gregory Roberts


Lessons:

A is for Aboriginals

We had already planned to study the different native groups that live(d) in each province and territory, so this being the first page of the first book was… well... Serendipity!

On Mondays we focus all of our mainlesson time on geography, so we were able to continue our reading on this topic over the first five weeks or so, while still having time to move ahead in the book and discover and study new things.

Here is our booklist for this part of our study:

Daily life and history:
If You Lived with the Indians of the Northwest Coast, by Anne Kamma

Legends/ tales (picturebooks):
Frog Girl, written and illustrated by Paul Owen Lewis
Storm Boy, written and illustrated by Paul Owen Lewis
The Boy Who Lived with the Seals, by Rafe Martin
Supper for Crow: a Northwest Coast Indian tale, retold and illustrated by Pierr Morgan

Collections of legends/ tales for older children:
The Mouse Woman trilogy, by Christie Harris (also available as three separate stories)
Raven Steals the Light, by Bill Reid & Robert Bringhurst

Before I get into any specifics, I am assuming that you will be discussing/ narrating what you are reading, so I’ll only mention what particular mainlesson book assignments I gave my children.

Day 1:
Read the A page from S is for Spirit Bear: A British Columbia Alphabet, and discuss the illustration. The way the natives are dressed is much different from what we are already familiar with.

Look at the map at the beginning of If You Lived with the Indians of the Northwest Coast. Point out what are now the political boundaries of Canada and the U.S. Photocopy or draw the map and add it to your notebook.

Read pages 5-9, and look closely at the illustrations. Draw the outside and inside of a traditional Northwest Coast Indian house.

Day 2:
Read page 10 in If You Lived… and draw a tray of candlefish in your notebook.

Read one of the picture books from the list (or one of the legends for older children, depending on age).

Day 3:
Read pages 11- 13 in If You Lived… and draw some examples of the clothing worn by the Northwest Coast Indians.

Day 4:
Read pages 14- 19 in If You Lived… and draw some of the foods eaten by the Northwest Coast Indians, as well as how the food was preserved and prepared.

Day 5:
Read pages 20- 25 in If You Lived… and draw the four stages of making a canoe.

Day 6:
Read pages 26- 29 in If You Lived…

Read one of the picture books from the list (or one of the legends for older children, depending on age).

Day 7:
Read pages 30-35 in If You Lived…

Read one of the picture books from the list (or one of the legends for older children, depending on age).

Day 8:
Read pages 36- 37 in If You Lived…

Day 9:
Read pages 38- 40 in If You Lived…

Read one of the picture books from the list (or one of the legends for older children, depending on age).

Day 10:
Read pages 41- 44 in If You Lived… and draw your own totem pole.

Day 11:
Read pages 45- 53 in If You Lived… and make a diagram showing the life cycle of a salmon.

Day 12:
Read pages 54- 60 in If You Lived…


B is for Bat

booklist:
Bats by Gail Gibbons
Stellaluna by Janell Cannon
When I lived with Bats by Faith McNulty (reader)
Bats: Swift Shadows in the Twilight by Ann C. Cooper

Read:
Bats by Gail Gibbons and When I lived with Bats by Faith McNulty

Record:
Make a 4-square in notebook (similar to our animal studies from last winter), showing food, young, echolocation, and a diagram of a ‘wing’.

Fun:
Read Stellaluna.

Photocopy and assemble a three-dimensional bat cave and ‘flip book’ from Bats: Swift Shadows in the Twilight by Ann C. Cooper (and any other activities depending on time and interest).


C is for Capilano Bridge

Video here:
http://www.directadmedia.com/simonsees/capilano.html


D is for Dogwood Flower

Crayola page with all of the symbols and the flag of British Columbia:
http://www.crayola.com/free-coloring-pages/print/canadian-province-british-columbia-coloring-page/

Colour picture and add to notebook with botanical info from here:
http://www.for.gov.bc.ca/hfd/library/documents/treebook/pacificdogwood.htm

or here:
http://www.bcadventure.com/adventure/wilderness/forest/dogwood.htm


E is for Emily Carr

We will now add picture study to our Mondays, reading a bit of biographical info and looking at a different painting each week. We will continue until we are finished our study of BC.

Booklist:
Emily Carr: At the Edge of the World by Jo Ellen Bogart
Emily Carr: An Introduction to Her Life and Art by Anne Newlands
Klee Wyck by Emily Carr (story of her time among the Northwest coast natives as a young woman)

Week 1:
Read Emily Carr: At the Edge of the World. Look carefully at each of the paintings in the book and discuss what you see.

Following weeks:
Read a section of Emily Carr: An Introduction to Her Life and Art, and carefully study any paintings included. Leave book propped open to week’s page where it can be seen throughout the day.

Fun:
Try your hand at copying one of Carr’s paintings. We had great fun making self-portraits!

Older children will enjoy Klee Wyck, or Mom can read aloud while the children are painting.


F is for Ferryboats

Web page here:
http://www.bcferries.com/

Not much info for kids, but some pictures and other interesting tidbits if you poke around- this page especially:
http://www.bcferries.com/about/northern_expedition_tracker.html


G is for Gold Rush


H is for Harrison Hot Springs


I is for Iceman


J is for Jade and Stellar's Jay

Crayola page with all of the symbols and the flag of British Columbia:
http://www.crayola.com/free-coloring-pages/print/canadian-province-british-columbia-coloring-page/

K is for Killer Whales


L is for Lumberjack


M is for Mountains


N is for Steve Nash


O is for Ogopogo


P is for Giant Pacific Octopus


Q is for Queen Charlotte Islands


R is for Bill Reid


S is for Salmon


T is for Totem Poles


U is for Ursus Kermodei


V is for Victoria


W is for Whistler


X is for Terry Fox


Y is for Yoho National Park


Z is for Zeballos