The Quetzal is the national bird of Guatemala, and known for its bright green and red plumage. Traditionally, the quetzal is incredibly important to the indigenous Maya of the country. Representing freedom, the quetzal is known to die in captivity. Sadly the quetzal has become endangered due to the destruction of it's habitats. I thought … Continue reading Guatemala Unit Study: Quetzal Bird Toilet Paper Tube Craft
Guatemala culture has been shaped significantly by their Mayan ancestors. There are multiple Maya ruins that can be explored in Guatemala, with the Mayan temples being the most iconic. I thought it would be fun to challenge my kiddo in a STEM-Inspired activity. For the past couple weeks both my girls have been enjoying the … Continue reading Guatemala Unit Study: Mayan Lego STEM Activity
Fall is one of my favorite seasons, with nature bursting into an array of colors. I saw a similar activity using cutouts arranged over various nature foliage, and thought this would be perfect for my Egypt Unit Study! I first drew some crude sketches of King Tut and Queen Nefertiti on cardboard scraps and then … Continue reading Egypt Unit Study: Nature Painting
One of the most interesting parts of learning about a new country is the myths/legends associated. Each culture has unique stories that are passed along through the generations, which are fascinating to study. Guatemala has "Worry Dolls" - an adorable belief that tiny dolls can be made, confessed worries to, and their owners can sleep … Continue reading Guatemala Unit Study: DIY Worry Dolls
I absolutely love to upcycle, creating something from the discarded. I try to base my unit study activities on things that can be found around the house, minimizing cost and waste. I was inspired by these masks on a similar version found on Instagram. I thought they would be perfect for my Guatemalan Unit Study! … Continue reading Egg Carton Mayan Masks
Louis Braille was a French educator, and invented a system of reading and writing for use by the blind or visually impaired named in his honor. Modern Braille is virtually unchanged to this day, and I thought as part of our France Unit Study, studying this interesting language would be fun to do. Of course … Continue reading Braille Matching Activity: Euro Unit Study
Years ago I was watching the TV series Parenthood and one of the characters made a model of the Eiffel Tower from popsicle sticks. When we started our France unit, I knew I wanted to make one myself! We started with a combination of popsicle sticks, toothpicks, hot glue gun and a small Eiffel tower … Continue reading France Unit Study: Make a Popsicle Stick Eiffel Tower!
As a mother of two young children, I go through a lot of paper. Construction paper, tissue paper, printer paper, coloring page paper... A year or so ago, a friend of mine did an activity with tissue paper and clear contact paper which were cut into hearts for Valentine's Day. As I was thinking of … Continue reading Notre Dame Rose Window Paper Craft – FRANCE Unit Study
I always like to pick at least one fine motor skill activity for our country units and the Nordic Star is featured in much of Icelandic design, especially clothing. I remember looking at beautiful sweaters in Reykjavik and seeing the Nordic Star in the patterns. The Nordic star is inspired by an important element in … Continue reading Nordic Star String Art – Fine Motor Skills Craft
I like to include a native toy or vintage toy for each county in my unit studies. As the world has become smaller through the invention of technology, unique toys to certain cultures become difficult to find. As I prepped for our Iceland unit, I stumbled upon the history of the VöluskrÃn. Years ago, children … Continue reading VöluskrÃn – Early Icelandic Children’s Toys [Iceland Unit Study]
