End of Unit Celebrations 2016

Whenever we finish up a topic or unit, we have a small celebration for what we've studied.  Here are some of the celebrations we held this year. 

When we finished studying the explorers we had a dinner with many of the foods that they would have had on their ships, as well as the foods they would have found in the New World.  Some were honey, hard cheeses (we found cheese from Spain at the grocery store!), olives, lentils, and raisins.  We also had 100% cacao bars, potatoes, peppers, peanuts, avocado, winter squash, and papaya.  We folded newspaper sailor hats and made deviled eggs with sails and peppers with sails.  We drew the earth on transparent plastic to make sun catchers, and played some dice games.  Sadly, I can't find these pictures...



When we finished studying the Renaissance we made bookmarks to help us remember Gutenberg and the printing press, played hopscotch, and made floral sachets as people did during the black plague.

We made wax seal stamps.

For dinner we made shepherd's pie pockets, cryspes, and squash.

After studying cytology we held a "cellebration" and made sugar cookie and Shrinky Dink cell models.

After botany we visited the local botanical gardens.

We had a presentation from a couple who lived on Vanuatu for a few years!  They also spent time on the Solomon Islands and New Caledonia.  These presentations are so fun and we always learn so much.  This couple was there during the cyclone in 2015 and their stories were full of sadness but also miracles.  After my youngest got in bed that night she asked me if this couple could come back again and teach us about some other islands.

We finally had a presentation from someone who has visited Australia!  My sister knew we were looking for someone and just happened to have a friend who recently returned from there!  We had a great time learning from her.  We learned about how their government is run because that was the reason she was there.  She also visited New Zealand and shared her pictures from her whole trip.  It was so sweet of her to give my kids little koala and boomerang souvenirs!

We got to try Tim Tams and Vegemite.  We decided Vegemite tastes like beef bouillon without the beef.  Everyone loved the choccy biccies!  (See, I learned a new word!)

We are so grateful to everyone who has helped make this school year amazing.  Some days homeschooling is hard, but stuff like this makes it totally worth it and I have so much gratitude towards people who are willing to help us out!