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Sunday, June 30, 2013

20th Wedding Anniversary

We celebrated our 20th Wedding Anniversary this year! We talked about doing something big to celebrate, but it turned out to be too much, so we spent the day together as a family.

First we went to Mini Town in Durban, then we went for a walk along the beach front. I really enjoyed it! Mya kept wanting to know where we were going.... It was hard for her to understand we were just going for a walk!

We were sure that Pappy Hawkins would LOVE Mini Town and we'll be sure to take him there on his next visit - hint, hint! ;)






There was an engineer up in a tower and he slowed the trains down when he saw I was trying to take a picture of the girls with the train in the background. We were sure that Pappy would like that job.





The engineer also had control over the draw bridge you see in this video:




I don't think I will EVER get enough of the ocean view. God is so amazing, powerful and creative!












Mya's 6!

Mya wanted to go ice skating for her 6th birthday. She has been asking to go ice skating for MONTHS, so I thought this was the perfect opportunity. We have an ice skating rink at the mall about 5 minutes away, so we jumped at the chance for some family time. We had the ice skating rink all to ourselves!







And since I don't have a picture of Brandon skating, here's a video! He sure loves his little sister. 



We walked around the mall, played in the playground and Mya treated us to McDonald's with her birthday money.






I'm 6!









Tuesday, June 11, 2013

Traditional African Crafts

I am in the process of adding South African history to our homeschool studies, integrating it with Tapestry of Grace. Here are links to the books I have found from the list provided for this section in an old edition of All About South Africa:

Tribal Dress: Beadwork and Other Decorative Arts by Aubrey Elliot
(warning: Tribal dress is not traditionally modest)

Milestones of the 20th Century

I am in the process of adding South African history to our homeschool studies, integrating it with Tapestry of Grace. Here are links to the books I have found from the list provided for this section in an old edition of All About South Africa:




Government Policies

I am in the process of adding South African history to our homeschool studies, integrating it with Tapestry of Grace. Here are links to the books I have found from the list provided for this section in an old edition of All About South Africa:


Black Nationalism - 1910-1990

The Black Nationalism section of All About South Africa would fit into TOG Y4.

Links:
Here is a link to a sample lesson from Footprints into the 21st Century about Cry the Beloved Country. (High School level)

Books to look for: 
I have had some success in finding SA books by watching on bidorbuy.co.za, and don't forget to check your local library!

Cry the Beloved Country by Alan Paton


or borrow the ebook from the openlibrary for free!

The Great Trek - 1836

The Great Trek section of All About South Africa would fit into TOG Y3 U2 Wks 14-15.

Links:
Here is a link to a sample unit study from Footprints on our Land about the Great Trek. Footprints on our Land is an excellent curriculum on South African History! The Unknown Land

Books to look for: 
I have had some success in finding SA books by watching on bidorbuy.co.za, and don't forget to check your local library!

Black sheep? by Maretha Maartens
The Great Treak by Brain Johnson Barker
The Message by John Coetzee
Unknown Land (Long Ago Books) by Jenny Seed
The Broken Spear by Jenny Seed

Books by Jenny Seed

Strangers in the Land

On the Move

I am in the process of adding South African history to our homeschool studies, integrating it with Tapestry of Grace. Here are links to the books I have found from the list provided for this section in an old edition of All About South Africa:

Prince of the bay by Jenny Seed

Free for Kindle!


Change at the Cape - 1790's


The Change at the Cape section of All About South Africa would fit into TOG Y2.


Field Trip:
The King's blockhouse (Devil's Peak, Cape Town)

Books to look for: 
I have had some success in finding SA books by watching on bidorbuy.co.za, and don't forget to check your local library!

The Cave by Peter Slingsby
Always Working by Candly Malherbe

The French Huguenots - 1688



The Slaves at the Cape section of All About South Africa would fit into TOG Y2.


Field Trip:
The Huguenot Museum (Franschhoek, Western Cape)

Books to look for: 
I have had some success in finding SA books by watching on bidorbuy.co.za, and don't forget to check your local library!

Huguenot Garden by Douglas M Jones



Slaves at the Cape - 1658


The Slaves at the Cape section of All About South Africa would fit into TOG Y2.

Field Trip:
Iziko Old Slave Lodge Museum (Cape Town)
Slave Bells (Stellenbosch)

Books to look for: 
I have had some success in finding SA books by watching on bidorbuy.co.za, and don't forget to check your local library!




Always Working. Slaves. by Candy Malherbe

All About South Africa

This is going to be the first of many posts about South African history.


Years ago, it was recommended that I get the book All About South Africa to teach my children about South African History. I was able to get an old copy of this book from the library and thought it was a good resource, so a friend & I each invested in a copy. We made a few unit studies from it for our children. At the time I was using KONOS, which is a unit study, so I just slotted in the unit studies we created between the KONOS studies we were using.

I am now using Tapestry of Grace (TOG), which is a classical curriculum that studies chronological history. 

The older version All About South Africa has a list of suggested children's books that the newer copy does not, so I am going to include it below, with permission from Random House Struik.

Most of the books are out of print, but I am trying to get at least one from each section in the book. I have found some from Amazon, Loot.co.za, and Bid or Buy, as well as have purchased a few from library book sales. My intentions are to add these books to our Tapestry of Grace studies in the corresponding time periods, as well as have my children read the sections from All About South Africa about that time period.

I am going to do a series of posts about each of the sections in this book that include books I have been able to purchase, including links for you to follow so that you can purchase them, as well.


I was told by a few seasoned South African homeschool moms that if I can get my hands on Jenny Seed books to jump at the chance. She writes children's historical fiction based in South Africa. I will add any of her books that I can get to the appropriate time period in South African History.

Here is a link to purchase All About South Africa:

allaboutnature.co.za


The San and the Khoikhoi
Men of Men Candy Malherbe
These Small People Candy Malherbe
The New Fire Jenny Seed
The Faraway Valley Jenny Seed
The Nguni Speakers
Zulu Traditions and Cultures Aubrey Elliot
The Xhosa and their Traditional Way of Life Aubrey Elliot
People of the Interior
The Ndebele Art & Culture Aubery Elliot
Abantu Martin West & Jean Morris
The Early Navigators - 1400's
Dias & De Gama Brian Johnson Barker
Early Navigators Philip Gon
Caravel to the Cape Eve Merchant
Early Days at the Cape - 1652
Jan van Riebeeck and the Dutch Settlement at the Cape Brian Johnson
A Musket and Garden Hoe J. Marais Louw
Stowaway to Nowhere Jenny Seed
Slaves at the Cape - 1658
The Cave Peter Slingsby
The Golden Kris M Cassiem D'arcy
Always Working Candy Malherbe
The French Huguenots - 1688
The French Huguenots Francois Theron
The Huguenot Garden Douglas Jones
The Land of the Watching Eyes Juliet Marais Law
Change at the Cape - 1790's
Merino Lesley Beake
On the Move -
Heroes Tales
10 Famous South Africans
Prince of the Bay Jenny Seed
Jock of the Bushveld P. Fitzpatrick
The 1820 Settlers
The 1820 Settlers of Salem A E Meakin
Living with the 1820 Settlers Marian Robertson
Settlers


The Great Trek - 1836
The Great Trek Brian Johnson Barker
Black Sheep Maretha Maartens
The Message John Coetzee
The Warrior King - 1815
Shaka Warrior King of the Zulu Lynn Bedford Hall
Voice of the Great Elephant Jenny Seed
Wars in the Eastern Cape - 1779, 1789, 1799, 1811, 1818, 1834, 1846, 1850, 1877
Nongqawuse's Prephecy Karen Press
Conflict in the East 1834-1879
Joseph Zulu Bert Schroeder
Boer versus Briton 1880-1902
The Spy Hill Jenny Seed
Ring Around the Moon Maretha Maartens
South Africa's Rainbow People
Jakey (1994) Lesley Beake
Caravel to the Cape Eve Merchant
A Time to Scatter Stones Jenny Seed
Black Nationalism 1910-1990
Cry the Beloved Country Alen Paton
A Time to Scatter Stones Jenny Seed
Government Policies
The Day Gogo Went to Vote
Milestones of the 20th Century
Illustrated History of South Africa Reader's Digest
Traditional African Crafts
Tribal Dress Aubrey Elliot
Art in South Africa
150 South African Paintings Lucy Alexander and Evelyn Cohen
Books
The Public Library Zirkea Ellis
How a Book is Made Aliki
Books Diane McClymont
10 Famous South Africans
Homes and Houses
A Concise Guide to Cape Dutch Houses Phillida Brooke Simons
Charley's House
Musical Medley
Sing Africa Patricia Schonstein
Stop Those Children Jenny Seed
Sport and Recreation
The Allied Book of Sports Facts & Records SASBOR
Towns and Cities
The Strollers (1987?) Lesley Beake
Hurry, Hurry Sibusiso Jenny Seed
Rescue Services and Road Safety
Road Safety Loiuse Landsberg
Caring for Others
Nursing Anne Hugo
A Cageful of Butterflies Lesley Beake
A Star Spangled Sky
Night Skies Peter Mack
Halley's Comet Peter Mack
Keeping in Touch
The Post Office WA von der Linde
Lighting up the Land
The Orange River Carmen Welz
The Orange River Project JC de Korte
Transport
Transportation Melane Basmon
The Journeys of Josephine Siegfried Stander
Arms and Armour
South Africa At War Peter Joyce
The Armed Forces Helmoed-Romer Heitman
Mining Gold and Minerals
Gold Carmen Welz
Struben's Golden Valley John Coetzee
Gold in South Africa Ted Scannell
Turning our Wheels
Oil & Gas Jacqueline Dinen
Coal BJ Stuart
South African Mining Anthony Hosking
Diamond Mining
Diamonds in Southern Africa Peter Joyce and Ted Scannell
Canvas City (1866) Jenny Seed
South Africa at Work
South African Industry Tony Koenderman
Killing our Planet
Nature in the Balance Rob Marsh
Nature Conservation JN Steyn
Working the Land
Erosion Suzette Bosmon
Food for Thought G Standning
Stock Farming
Merino Lesley Beake
Crop Farming
From Wheatland to Bread EAG Styne
Money and Banking
Money in SA CL Engelbrecht
Fun with Money Louise McDermott
Our Coasts and Oceans
Stormy Seas at Clearwater Bay Pieter Pieterse
Seashore Life
Marine Life Along Our Shores Pauline Harding
Encounters With Sea Life Lynn Hurry
Shells Diedre Richards
Explore the Sea Shore of South Africa Margo Branch
Estuaries
Seashore Life Charles and Roberta Griffiths
Water for a Thirsty Land
The Orange River
The Orange River Project
River & Dams Martyn Bromwell
Mountains and Caves
The Building of the Berg AR Wilcox
Dragon's Wrath RO Pearse and James Byron
Land of Wonder
The Singing Grass Freda Linde
Flint and the Red Desert John Coetzee
Erosion
Soil Conservation JC de Korte
Grasses, Grains & Conservation Joan Munday
The Weather and Climate
The Weather John Earle & Denis Bagrall
Soil R Thomas
Forecasting the Weather
Air J. Williams
Natural Disasters
Earthquakes Piet von Rensburg
Grasshoppers & Locusts William de Villiers
The Dove Dianne Stewart
Preserving Our Country
Nature in the Balance Rob Marsh
Bush School Lex Hes
Nature Conservation JN Steyn
A Bushveld Safari Nadine Clarke
Endangered Wild Life
Question & Answers: Endangered Wildlife of South Africa J. Conrie-Greig
Discovering Our Mammals
Question & Answers: Mammals of South Africa D. Richards
South African Animal Adventures Jay Heale
The Cat Family
The Cheetahs of De Wildt Anne von Dyk
Encounters with Wildlife L. Hurry
Land Mammals of South Africa Reay Smithers
Antelopes and Buffalo
Signs of the Wild Clive Walker
Jock of the Bushveld
Curious Creatures
Mammals J. Skinner and Penny Meakin
The Wildlife of South Africa Paul Rose
Bush School Lex Hes
Question & Answers: Snakes and Reptiles of South Africa R. Patherson
Amphibians
Pond & River Eyewitness Guide
Discovering Amphibians FAC Tiedt
Freshwater Fish
Freshwater Fishes of South Africa M. Bruten and P. Jackson
The Fresh H20 Fishes of the Kruger National Park U. de Villiers Pienaar
Aquaculture T. Hecht
Sea Fish
Common Sea Fishes Rudy von der Elst
Fish DR Schreuder
A Guide to Common Sea Fishes of SA Rudy von der Elst
Whales, Dolphins and Sharks
Question & Answers: Mammals of South Africa D. Richards
When Wales Go Free Dianne Hofmeyer
Venomous Creatures
Venomous Creatures Gerry Newlands
Things that Sting Eric Worrell
Spiders Gerry Newlands
Incredible Insects
Insects E. Holm
Harmful Instects AJ Schoeman
Grasshoppers & Locusts William de Villiers
Field Guide to the Butterflies of South Africa I. Migdoll
Birds of Prey
Birds of the National Parks of SA T. Campbell
Question & Answer: Birds
Birds of Prey I. Sinclair
Our Coastal Birds
Question & Answer: Birds
Birds Around You
Backyard Wildlife L. Hurry
A Beginners Guide to Our Birds Jo. Oliver
Birds of Southern Africa Ian Sinclair
Where they Grow
Nomaqualand Brian Johnson Barker
Explore the Cape Flora Margo Branch
Common Trees E. & G. Moll
Flowers and Trees
Tree D. Burnie