A Geography Celebration: Final Geography Club of the Year
So, we’ve been studying Japan for a long time. A.really.long.time. Thankfully, our Geography Club came to my rescue provided my children with the perfect opportunity to showcase ALL of their learning.
For the last meeting of the {school} year, the May organizers {incredibly creative and talented women} decided to let each family choose whatever country, region, state, etc. that they wanted to study. Instead of having the kids get up and share orally, each family would get a table on which to set up a display, create a “giveaway” that visitors to their table could take as a souvenir, and share what they learned with other kids that stopped by their table.
As we are using Galloping the Globe as our geography spine this year, we already have a format for collecting our learning. We’ve put together a combined notebook/lapbook for geography. We have a three-ring binder organized by continent, and complete mini books {usually found on homeschool share} and glue them to hole-punched card-stock and place them behind the correct tab when we’re finished with a study.
This time, we collected Trevor’s mini books on cardstock, and then used ring clips to put them on the display board. He wrote a report about Kinkakuji after we found a Nano-Block model to build. Molly colored the map and wrote in quick facts like population, currency, etc. and made bookmarks for our giveaway. Finally, Trevor wrote a short report about the flag, and created a “micro-build” of a bullet train and station. We forgot to string the Japanese lanterns we found at Target’s Dollar Spot, but we did add our Daruma dolls.
Families split up, with one or two kids walking from table to table with a passport, learning about each country or region, while the other children manned their own table. Every two minutes, travellers would rotate, and they switched roles with their siblings when the first group had visited each table.
It was an amazing format. Kids were moving {wonderful for my kinesthetic learners}, interacting with one another about what they’d learned, and having fun. Afterwards, we shared potluck from around the world, and played a few international games {similar to Red Rover and Ring Around the Rosy}.
Our candy sushi {look for a tutorial tomorrow} was a hit – even with Squinky Snow White – who “ate” Logan’s, so she needed another. {Logan is a lot like her brother…sigh.}t was a great wrap-up to Geography Club. We talked afterwards {some of the moms} and think we may go with this format at least every other month next year. It was great.
Things are wrapping up around here, outside activity-wise. We school year round since we take lots of breaks throughout the year {and take off to enjoy a nice day when the mood strikes}, but we’re nearing the end of math and handwriting books – getting ready to start new “grades”.”
How is your year wrapping up?
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