Red Clogs - think I have a plan (long)

[DeniseR]

We're starting our year next week with A Pair of Red Clogs. DD is almost six, loves craft and cooking projects and we lightly rowed several books from Vol. 1 last year so I'm not too worried about this being too much.

Display table - I'm going to take down a picture from the wall and hang up a kimono I have. The table (wood tv tray) will sit under it. I hope to borrow a couple of Japanese "items" from a friend as decoration (her daughter is currently into all things Asian and has a collection of kinds of stuff). I'm going to get a couple of picture books and some non-fiction Japanese books. A couple for the table, the rest in a basket on the floor (dh reads her her bedtime story and I'm going to tell him to pick from the collection).

Mon: coloring pages of map, flag and a Japanese house that shows two pairs of clogs in the doorway. Look through some of the non-fiction books and talk about the pictures/culture. Discuss stewardship.

Tues: Discuss reminising (sp? - I'm too tired to look it up:lol: ) and the vocab words. Listen to an audio on speaking Japanese (just to hear and try out a couple of words/phrases for fun)

Wed: Colored pencil techniques. Later in the day do the painted fish from the archevees with Japanese music playing in the background

Thurs: Counting things in the book. Origami (I have a "my first origami" book). Later in day make fruit roll/rice krispies "sushi"

Fri: I have an easy book on weather with review questions. Watch the weather on the news that night.

Sat: If we have time, visit a large asian market that I've heard was really cool. They also have resturants there so maybe we could find something Japanese to eat (we eat often at Chinese and Japanese resturants so it's not a new experience).

Is that enough?:unsure: This is where I run into a wall - I'm okay with the art and math days. So-so on the Science and LA days. Social studies seems very weak to me like I need to go into more depth about Japan but am at a total loss of what I should do/talk about.

Help!

[Cate OH]

Is that enough?:unsure: This is where I run into a wall - I'm okay with the art and math days. So-so on the Science and LA days. Social studies seems very weak to me like I need to go into more depth about Japan but am at a total loss of what I should do/talk about.

Help!

:yes:
That looks like fun, wish we could join you!

:group: You're going to do a great job!

BTW Have you read Jane's article titled A Conversational Presentation of Five in a Row? It is very helpful.

[Jodi B]

Sounds like fun ... does DD have flip flops? Maybe on Friday also, play the weather-telling game.

When we did it for our co-op (we have a small FIAR one), one of the mom's dh had built "clogs" for the kids, and they painted them, but beforehand they played the weather-telling game with them. :cool:

We also counted to 10 in Japanese (a mom had made up cards with the symbols and how to pronounce the number). :thumb:

[Jeni]

Sounds great to me! :yes: Don't forget to try and find Japan on a world map and show how very far away it is from the US. (It takes about 14 hours to fly from the west coast of the US to Tokyo) Also maybe discuss that Japan is 14 hours ahead of Texas if you think she might understand that. When you guys are getting up for the day, we're going to bed. :lol: My just turned 6yo dd almost understands that concept but she's had 4 years of "no, we can't call Grandma and Grandpa. I know it's lunch time here but it's bedtime yesterday where they are." ;)

If you want more social studies, perhaps listen to the national anthem. Here's a link to the instrumental version: Kimi ga yo (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-L4C4b0RitY) and here's the same thing only sung by Japanese school children: Kimi ga yo (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uKcVYSS-Uv0)

Here are the words:

Japanese National Song

Kimi gayo wa
Chiyo ni yachiyo ni
Sazareishi no
Iwao to narite
Koke no musumade

English Version

May the Emperor's rule last
Till a thousand years, then eight thousand years to come
Till sand, pebbles, and rocks
To be united as a ledge
Till moss grows on it

Really, at almost 6yo, just knowing that there is a place called Japan and than they do things differently in Japan that she does in the US is much more than most kids her age know. She has many more years to come to do an in depth study of Japanese culture. :thumb:

[DeniseR]

Thanks everyone. Just got home from getting the library go-along books and picked up three little things from my friend's daughter to put on the display table. Just need to get a whole fish and the ingredients for the "sushi" and we are good to go.