Candy Apple Chronicles: The Land Down Under

So, we spent last week "visiting" the Land Down Under! I have to tell you that a REAL visit to Australia has always been on my bucket list, and this study just made me want to go all the more! What a unique and interesting country!

On our first day, we located Australia on the map, and learned about some of the famous landmarks there such as the Outback, Ayers Rock, and the Sydney Opera House.

For our craft that day, we used a quarter-sized piece of poster board, some paint, and paper plates to create the famous architectural wonder which stands in Sydney Harbor. This is an idea I found on Pinterest. Thought it turned out cute!

The next day, we learned a little Aussie slang. It's fascinating to hear all the different ways the Australians have come up with to refer to common people, places or things! For example, a male is a "bloke," a female is a "sheila," and a friend is your "mate." If you want some chewing gum, better ask for some "chewie" instead.

It was really fun to listen to a little Australian music as well! The Waltzing Matilda is Australia's unofficial national anthem, but it has absolutely nothing to do with dancing! It's actually a ballad about a homeless man "waltzing matilda" (backpacking) through the "brush" (Outback) who chances upon a "jumbuck" (sheep) drinking at a "billabong" (pond) and catches it for his next meal. The "squatter" (land owner) catches him and brings the "troopers" (authorities) in to arrest him, but the "swagman" (homeless man) will have none of it. He jumps into the billabong and drowns, preferring that outcome to being imprisoned. According to the song, his ghost can still be heard when you pass by that billabong, singing, "You'll come a waltzing matilda (backpacking) with me!" If you'd like a charming version of this song to show your children, try this link on YouTube: Waltzing Matilda by Slim Dusty.

As you might expect, we spent a good portion of the week learning about all the unique and amazing animals Australians enjoy!

This koala craft was made by painting his hands (minus the thumbs) gray and white, and adding a gray circle with a face. Cute, but blissfully simple!

The next day, we learned not only about kangaroos, but also about Haiku poetry. If you are not familiar with Haiku, it is a Japanese form of poetry in which the first line has five syllables, the second line has seven syllables, and the third (and last) line has five syllables. Most Haiku poems are about something in nature. We wrote a "Kangaroo Haiku," which fits neatly into the kangaroo's little pouch! If you are interested in this item, the pattern and form are available in my Australia Unit on TPT.

We also learned about the native Australian Aborigines. They are famous for their dot paintings, so we attempted to copy that idea with this fun kangaroo:

Our centers this week consisted of a color by the sum page (addition practice), clothespin clip cards in which he had to add three numbers together, making sentences with Australian words, and this center, in which he had to read a sentence and determine the part of speech of the underlined word. All of these activities are included in my Australia Unit on TPT. If you are interested, click HERE.