China & the Olympics

Of course with the Olympics in Beijing this year it makes a great opportunity to learn more about China and the Olympics! This spring the girls learned some about China, but there's a lot more to learn! Last week we visited the library and checked out over 40 books. Not all were on China or the Olympics! The girls LOVE getting books, and it's hard to say no when they want another. I love that they love books!!! So we have been doing a lot of reading this past week. We have had a chinese meal cooked in a wok, and eaten with chopsticks made of bamboo. We have learned a bit about the Great Wall of China, and some on the Silk Road. We have a biography to read on Marco Polo, and more books on ancient China. We also have some fun crafts to try!

And of course we watched some of the opening ceremonies for the Olympics. The introductions of countries lasted a while! We hadn't heard of some of the countries....mostly the smaller Pacific island ones. Made for a great geography lesson! We have watched some of the games. Swimming, gymnastics, volleyball, tennis, bike racing, fencing..... Lots more to see!!

Here's a BrainPop video about the Olympics that you may enjoy...

http://www.brainpop.com/socialstudies/culture/olympics/