Last year i did a Chinese New Year section which i plan to use properly this year. There is an excellent pdf booklet available at the Woodwench site.(You will need a pdf reader and to access the page via an IE browser for it to open). As Chinese New Year comes first, I am going to use this section as a template for what i will be doing with other countries and festivals over the rest of the year and add in the resources i produce for my girls in the next week or two.
First up – Fantastic Facts about China
Followed by Fantastic Panda Facts
And then… Animals of China
And of course…. Chinese Matching Cards
To start,i have now started on a selection of my own maps outlines. I hope to increase the complexity of what is on them as we revisit places – this year – its just a china outline.
Where is China?
Well – in East Asia and here is a map of the area. The Clipart gallery I use does not have a globe with china highlighted so above is my own map with China highlighted in red – this is a basic map with much fine detail omitted to preserve clarity for young users. A printable outline of this World Map (without China highlighted) is available.
Some of its main borders are with Mongolia, Russia, Kazakstan, Nepal and India, Vietnam and Noth Korea. These are countries which come up in world events a great deal. Also of importance in the area are the former British Colony Hong Kong and the island of Taiwan. As you can see from the map, China also has a long coastline.
What is special about China?
My girls have been intrigued by Pandas, the Great Wall of China, Chinese Dragons and Paddy Fields so over the next few days i will be trying to find information on all of them and i will add an overview here. I’ll probably spend a bit of time on religions for my own benefit.
The Chinese flag, flags being my daughters current obsession is pictured below. Its already in our matching cards set at home and i think i will make a set of dominos, flashcards and matching cards as well.
I’m currently searching for a Mandarin Speaker who might translate some words for our fledgling language section. FOUND ONE!!!! COMING SOON!
Don’t forget to visit the New Year Section. It has info on meals and menus, taboos and traditions and a lot of handy links as well!
My favourite link from this years searching is