The origins of various holidays is always of special interest to me. I found these two picture books on the origins of Earth Day, both published in 2023! Surprisingly, they do not tell the same story.
Origins of Earth Day: Two Important Events Read More »
Lunar New Year Booklist I never knew the Lunar New Year traditions until recently. But… you’re Chinese/Taiwanese! It’s true. But I learned the traditions by reading to my kids, starting just a few years ago with our study of China. Keep reading for my favorite Lunar New Year books! Here’s why I’ve remained in the
Lunar New Year Books Around the World: My Recommendations Read More »
Isn’t the New Year always such a thrill? It feels brand new to write January 1, concentrating on writing the next numbers 2-0-2-4 correctly. Let me share what has worked for us: New Year, New Curriculum. Combatting the January Blues Does anyone else find January a bit dull after all the fall holidays? I noticed
2024: New Year, New Curriculum Read More »
This year, we’ve been focused on American History, including the study of indigenous American tribes. Here are the top 6 books about Thanksgiving in America, gleaned from various booklists on my blog. AND we’ve been continuing our country studies (currently central Africa), so finding the last book about harvest days around the world has been
Top 6 Books About Thanksgiving in America Read More »
We dove into these stories from New England Algonquian tribes of the Wampanoag and Narragansett peoples along with our study of Massachusetts and Rhode Island. According to Legends of America, the New England Algonquian tribes “include Mohegan, Pequot, Narragansett, Wampanoag, Massachusett, Nipmuc, Pennacook, Abenaki, Maliseet, and Passamaquoddy.” I will post books from the Algonquian tribes
Stories from the New England Algonquian Tribes Read More »
One of our favorite aspects of geography is celebrating beautiful traditions of other countries, and how those traditions sometimes become part of ours. Japan’s national flower is the sakura, or cherry blossom. Every springtime, people enjoy the Hanami (flower-viewing) Festival across the country of Japan. I grew up near Washington, D.C. where the Cherry Blossom
Cherry Blossoms, from Japan to Washington, D.C. Read More »
All the Irish people I know are super proud of their Irish heritage. So it was surprising when my friend recently found out that she has Irish heritage! Her grandmother had hidden that fact from the family. We had lots of interesting thoughts and comments about discrimination, race and assimilation. Naturally, I then wanted to
Books to Learn about Irish American Culture and Immigration Read More »
The Backstory The Mid-Autumn festival is celebrated in most Asian countries at the Autumn Equinox. Many cultures have various celebrations that coincide, such as the Jewish celebration of the “Festival of Booths,” also known as Sukkot. The full moon that occurs at the Autumn Equinox is known as the “Harvest Moon.” In most Asian countries,
Mid-Autumn Festival: Learning How to Make Mooncakes Read More »