Julia and India

Social Studies Fair 2014

This is our third year doing the Home-school Social Studies Fair.  As a pre-K Julia learned about Thomas Jefferson, in Kindergarten last year we learned about the Light Bulb and Thomas Edison, and this year we all studied a country and we picked India.  I liked this year the best because Julia was older, she knew more people, she was braver, and we could dress up from our country and bring food from our country we studied.  

Many people asked us why we chose India.  That was a great question!  Well, to be honest we really wanted Italy or Ireland because that is Daddy's background, but they were taken right away.  So we really thought about it and we decided India would be a wonderful country because we know people who live there that we love very much.  We also happen to have may friends from India who live in America that we love and we love Indian food, so it was basically a win-win.

The first thing we did when we chose India was to visit the OB public library and get our research books.  Then we looked through the pictures, read through them, and talked to our friends about the country.  Julia's favorite fact was that the national symbol of India is the Bengal Tiger and it is endangered.  It is endangered because so many people have killed it.  Now it is very protected.  She also loved learning about Gandhi and Mother Teresa.  She loved drawing pictures of the City of Bombay and the children in their beautiful saris.

The next thing we did was talk to our Facebook friends to find out where to get a traditional sari for Julia.  I was willing to buy one and needed to know where to go.  My friend Sue O. was so kind to ask her friend who willingly let us borrow 3 saris exactly Julia's size and she even let us KEEP the pink one Julia is wearing (which was her favorite anyway!).  The Indian fashion is absolutely gorgeous and so girly.  We did a fashion show and wore more than one sari to the event!

Next was the work part, and that was putting together our board.  We researched on the computer, printed out facts, printed out pictures to color, the country, the flag, the tiger, mother Teresa, Gandhi, and Julia had to color and decorate each one and her board.  We listed the facts and glued everything down.  Then we reviewed the board so that on the night of the presentations we knew what to say when people came to visit our country.

It was a great turn out.  So many wonderful home school families came and the older kids gave written/oral reports and everyone was able to present their board to other students and adults.  The kids all got passports and when they visited another country they learned facts, ate some ethnic food, and got a sticker in their passport.  The moms who put together the event did a fabulous job!!!

Julia Star we are so proud of you!  Your hard work paid off and it was fun learning as a family with you!