I was a bit apprehensive about this book as Kansas is a long way from London and Kansas being flat wasn't at all obvious to the children! I did have to go over the flatness of Kansas several times but this proved an interesting week.
Social studies
We located Kansas on our map.
As well as going through the process of wheat growth and flour manufacture, we read a book about the processes involved in sugar production. "Sticky jam: the story of sugar" by Meredith Hooper, is unusual for non-fiction in that it is written in rhyme.
Language
We talked about how we can tell that the book is set in the US and not in the UK, looking at differences in language, and also in the pictures. Miss Belle was particularly interested in the driver being on the "wrong" side.
The book is full of metaphor both in word and picture. We talked about this a little and a kind friend brought us a piece of corduroy to help the children understand the corduroy of the ploughed fields.
Art
I've already posted about our gingerbread map.
The grain elevator was as high as "Eight houses stacked" so we built stacks of houses from blocks and from paper.
Science
Of course, we had to make bread, spelt rolls rather than conventional wheat.
There is always so much more that could be done but now we are on to something different!
This is linked to 5-a-Day books at the Imagination Tree and the Hip Homeschool Hop.
I live in Kansas so your title is what brought me over from the Hip Homeschool Hop.
ReplyDeleteInteresting to find out you are in London!
I hope you learned a lot about our great state :)
Thank you for visiting Marsha. I certainly learnt much more about Kansas as did the children. Maybe we will visit someday!
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