Olympics and China - Our First Unit Study

So, my great big plan to start "school" this past Monday was derailed when I went to Barnes & Noble last week and saw a big display of picture books on China. I realized what a great opportunity we had to study this country and the majesty of the Olympics in a timely manner.

I picked up 3 books to read

The Seven Chinese Sisters
Red is a Dragon
Magic School Bus - Imperial China

We are also checking out a lot of resources online to learn more about China and the Olympics. Homeschool Share has a wonderful lapbook idea for the Summer Olympics. While we aren't doing anything as formal as a lapbook (although maybe we will - who knows?), we are using many ideas from there.

Social Studies

• Locate China on the map
• Color the Chinese flag
• Find out names written in Chinese
• Talk about what the people of China eat (order Chinese food? - not that my kids will eat it!)
• Review all of the "firsts" that happened in China - from the Magic School Bus book
• Make paper lanterns

History

• Discuss the symbols of the Olympics - flag, emblem, wreath, flame
• Color the Olympic rings

Science

• Talk about the food pyramid and what an athlete needs to eat compared to what a child should eat

Math

• Read Grandfather Tang's story
• Use our tangrams to make shapes

Language Arts

• Discuss the different sporting events and what they mean

Fun Stuff

• Make an Olympic torch for our Olympic days
  
• Have a Preschool Olympics day
• Have a Backwards Olympics day
• At the end of the Olympics we will make a cake and use M&M's to decorate it with the Olympic rings (HT: Candace)