General Topics:
Festivals of the World: China - by Colin Cheong
Passport to China - by Stephen Keeler
The Great Wall of China - Leonard Everette Fisher
The Usborne Introduction to Asia IL
Usborne's Peoples of the World
Usborne Round the World Songbook
Activities:
We made a Chinese New Year dragon with instructions from Enchanted Learning.
Enchanted Learning also has a nice print-out of a 16th century Chinese
Emperor as a coloring page.
We made red paper evelopes (with gifts!) as found in the Festivals of the World: China
book by Cheong.
We've eaten a LOT of Chinese cooking from Cooking the Chinese Way (a GtG listed
book). We highly recommend the recipe on page 48 (pork with green pepper & pineapple.)
Explorers and Biographies:
The Adventures of Marco Polo- by Roger Smalley
Confucius: Golden Rule - by Russell Freedman
Literature:
Chin Yu Min and the Ginger Cat - by Jennifer Armstrong (wonderful illustrations
with a lot of detail about Chinese cultural life.)
Daisy Comes Home - by Jan Brett (Brett's books always include a puzzle. In
this one, set in modern-day China, all the animals of the Chinese zodiac are hidden
in the landscape, in calendar order.)
The Chinese Siamese Cat - by Amy Tan (The original Sagwa story with beautiful
illustrations.)
Wishbones: A Folk Tale from China - by Barbara Ker Wilson (The Chinese
version of Cinderella.)
The Emperor's Garden- by Ferida Wolff
The Willow Pattern Story- by Allan Drummond
The Boy of the Three-Year Nap - by Dianne Snyder
Everyone Knows What A Dragon Looks Like - by Jay Williams
33 Multicultural Tales to Tell- by Despain. Includes the Chinese folktales
"Ah Shing Catches a Ghost" and "The Officer of Heaven."
All the Way to Lhasa: A tale from Tibet - by Barbara Helen Burger
Science:
Cub To Panda - Jason Cooper
Giant Pandas- by Jenore Franzen
http://www.geocities.com/RainForest/Andes/4613/sl/gallery1.htm - A snow leopard
conservancy page with many images.
http://www.bearbiology.com/sldesc.html - I found sloth bears VERY hard to
research, but this, and the following, link seem to be reputable.
http://www.wspa.de/projects/wildlife/worldbears.html#sloth
General Topics:
Welcome to South Korea - by Karen Kwek and Johanna Masse
Fiesta! Korea- by Grolier Educational
The Usborne Introduction to Asia IL
Usborne's Peoples of the World
Activities:
We made a fan for Tano Day from the Festivals of the World book.
Jin-Ju sticker paper doll from Dover.
We *attempted* to make Kkaegangjong (a sesame seed pastry) from the
Festivals book, but it didn't quite work out. Still tasty, though!
Literature:
Magic Spring: A Korean folktale - by Nami Rhee (A wealthy, yet greedy, neighbor
takes advantage of the generosity of an older couple, but learns a lesson the hard
way.)
The Firekeeper's Son - by Linda Sue Park (The story of the hilltop lights used
to signal the Korean emperor that "all is well." We enjoyed this one very much.)
33 Multicultural Tales to Tell- by Despain. Includes the Korean folktale
"The Mirror."
General Topics:
Fiesta! Japan - Grollier
Welcome to Japan - Gareth Stevens
Publishing
The Usborne Introduction to Asia IL
Usborne's Peoples of the World
Activities:
We made lots of origami, including a
jumping frog (a bit tough) and a whale
(great for K level) from Enchanted Learning.
Fiesta! Japan has several craft activities,
including a samurai newspaper hat
and Shichi-Go-San paper dolls (these are origami-like
and are really neat when finished.)
We played the "Cherry Blooms" song from the Usborne Round the World Songbook
Literature:
The Village Tree - by Taro Yashima
The Adventures of Matamoro - retold by Ralph McCarthy (The "peach boy" story,
told in rhyming couplets. A fun read aloud!)
The Moon Princess - retold by Ralph McCarthy
Yoshi's Feast - by Kimiko Kajikawa (reminiscent of "The Deer Mouse's Wisdom"
from the Lion Storyteller collection.)
Grandfather Cherry-Blossom - retold by Ralph McCarthy
33 Multicultural Tales to Tell- by Despain. Includes the Japanese folktale
"The Listening Cap."
The Tale of the Mandarin Ducks- by Katherine Paterson
General Topics:
Fiesta! India - Grollier
Welcome to India - Gareth Stevens Publishing
The Usborne Introduction to Asia IL
Usborne's Peoples of the World
Activities:
Dover has a set of temporary henna tatoos in beautiful floral patterns. My
daughter enjoyed wearing these while we studied India. We also enjoyed "Maya,"
a sticker paper doll by Dover.
Paper plate peacocks from Enchanted Learning.
We made Samosas, Indian toffee (burfi),
Literature:
Kipling, Kipling, Kipling - Rudyard Kipling wrote his stories to be
read aloud and they are a delight to read. My daughter loved them!
"Snake Charmer" - Usborne Stories from Around the World
Seasons of Splendour - Madhur Jaffrey (folk stories of the Hindu faith).
"Little Babaji" - 20th Century Treasure of Children's Literature
Mother Theresa - by Demi
One Grain of Rice: A Mathmatical Folktale- by Demi
"The Mouse Deer's Wisdom" - The Lion Storyteller
General Topics:
Festivals of the World: Israel - Grollier
Welcome to Israel - Gareth Stevens Publishing
The Usborne Introduction to Asia IL
Usborne's Peoples of the World
DK Bible Lands
Place of Worship: Jewish Synagogue
Activities:
We learned and danced the "hora" from Festivals of the World: Israel.
Using a pattern from Enchanted Learning, we made a driedel and played this
for days!
Baking Challah was a big hit!
Enchanted Learning has a donkey printout to color with some
general information.
We watched Fiddler On the Roof.
We explored more music from Israel by listening to the music of Itzhak Perlman's
Jewish band, "The Klezmatics" - In the Fiddler's House. Great stuff!
Literature:
Chicken Man - by Michele Edwards (a humorous story about life on a kibbutz)
The Spotted Pony: A Collection of Hanukkah Stories - Eric Kimmel (telling stories
on the eight nights of Hannukkah is a tradition that is captured in these traditional
stories.)
And Shira Imagined - Giora Carmi (A delightful tale of a young visitor to Israel
who imagines "what if....")
Old Noah's Elephants - by Warren Ludwig (a family favorite of long-standing.)
Kingfisher's Jewish Stories - ed. by Adele Geras (modern stories for Hannukah)
General Topics:
Festivals of the World: Russia - Grollier
Welcome to Russia - Gareth Stevens Publishing
The Usborne Introduction to Asia IL
Usborne's Peoples of the World
Activities:
There are a couple of good coloring pages for St. Basil's Cathedral - see
*this* and *this.*
We explored music from Russia by listening to the music of Tchaikovsky and
other Russian masters. One of my favorite cd's is "Russian Spectacular."
Literature:
"Baba Yaga" - Usborne's Stories from Around the World
Told in Russia - (a collection of Russian folktales)
Babushka Baba Yaga - Patricia Polacco (What happens when Baba Yaga wants
to become a babushka?!)
The Enourmous Turnip - by Alexie Tolstoy; one of the chain-story forms popular
in Russian folktales
The Giant Carrot - by Jan Peck (another chain story, set in America, but based
upon the Russian original. Great humor here!)
Luba and the Wren - Patricia Polacco (a wonderful tale with a great moral)
Science:
The Best Book of Wolves and Wild Dogs - Kingfisher Publications
Taiga - by Elizabeth Kaplan (most of Russia is covered in either taiga or tundra;
we're saving tundra for our Polar Regions study.)
Siberian Tiger - by Jason Cooper
