Homeschooler Savvy

History On Tape

 When is history irresistible?  When The Story of the World is on CD and the child is in control of the CD player.  Aussie Kim showed up with a CD for my Tiger a couple of weeks ago and he hasn't stopped listening to it since. I don't have to remind him to complete his history now. HE REMINDS ME! This CD has brought him hours of listening pleasure (and me, his mother, HOURS of blissful silence - which can not be underrated!).

Aussie Kim here - I have used this CD in our many drives to our afternoon activities, the downside is that the kids complain when we stop the CD (so we can keep up with map, timeline and biographies for the related chapters).  It is a major hit with both my 9 year old boy and 11 year old daughter.  It is much more fun than Radio Disney for me....

We both highly recommend these CDs as a history companion!  Below is a photo of the Ancient Times Volume. It is the first in a series of four that take the child from Ancient History to the Modern Era.

Mississippi Delta Agricultural Snapshot (Kim Cam)

Everyone wants their kids to be more aware of the world around them (right?). 

Well here are some questions you can ask, regardless of where they live.  These questions are particularly good when you sit down to a meal.  Remember: if you eat, thank a farmer!  If you wear cotton underpants: thank a cotton farmer! 

Toast: When do farmers plant wheat? (Winter or early spring); When do they harvest?  (Summer)

Vegetable oil: What plants does this oil come from? (Soybeans is a common one) )When do farmers plant soybeans?  (Spring)

Popcorn: When do farmers plant corn? (Spring).  Is popcorn a different sort of corn from corn on the cob? (Yes).  How big does corn get?  (7-8 feet)

Cotton clothing: When do farmers plant cotton? (Spring)

When is rice planted? (Spring)

These dates are generalizations on the planting windows (best times to plant) for crops.  Normal crop planting dates depend on the temperatures and rainfall for each region. 

What follows here is what's happening down on the farm in the Mississippi Delta right now.  This year is very different from normal as we are surrounded by corn, soybeans, corn, more corn and the occasional rice and cotton crop and more corn.  Normally, here in the Mississippi Delta it is wall to wall cotton.  The price for corn and soybeans are at record highs, the price for cotton is quite ordinary.  Consequently, Spring in the Delta is looking a bit different this year.  For the first time I have ever seen it, we are surrounded by corn rather than cotton.

This is going to be similar to living in a one story neighborhood and then suddenly getting high rise around you. 

If you drive through the country on a regular basis, make it a habit to ask your kids what the crops are on the sides of the roads, you'd be amazed at how quickly they pick this up!   Of course, you can do the same if you live in the city - ask they similar questions about the action going on outside the car as you drive along.

Whats the action this week?  Well, if you haven't planted your corn yet it's just about too late - corn ranges from 1-4 feet. This is going to make a dramatic difference to the view around here!!! 

Most of the soybeans are planted and up already.

Cotton planting is underway and there is even baby cotton up in some places.

Rice planting is underway (note the different planter boxes behind the tractors - these indicate the two crops).

"What about the winter crops?" I hear you ask.... Yes, yes, it is coming close to that time of year!  The wheat harvest.  The wheat is starting to turn color.  Seems like it was only a couple of weeks ago it was looking lush and green.  Hopefully this should help those countries having food riots at the moment !!!!

Stay tuned for the next Kim Cam snapshots of the Mississippi Delta....

Mississippi River silently rises further south

The Mighty Mississippi has finally started to recede at the Helena Bridge, but of course, this water is all moving further south towards the gulf, contained by the levee.  Here are some photos from Roger Carter (Louisiana Crop Consultant Extraordinarie) of St Joe from the air.  Since the water is up the levee bank, the town is effectively looking up at a huge quantity of water. 

Now it's obvious why it's called the MIGHTY Mississippi!

Aussie Kim

Pause for a peaceful SUN STUDIOS set

Keeping in the theme  of peaceful sun sets, and having just been to Graceland...here is a photo of the first record that went Gold for Elvis, recorded at Sun Studios in Memphis. If you want to do a virtual tour of Graceland, or the Jungle Room go here.

"How High's the Water Mama?"

"Two Feet High and Rising"...........I learnt the words of this song by heart, while working as a jillaroo (farm hand) on my cousin's sheep and cattle property in rural Australia.  Every sunday morning we were woken up by one of his Johnny Cash records played at full volume - so all the livestock of the farm could hear.  I grew to love Cash's music (it was either that or go insane).  One of the songs I learnt was Johnny Cash's song about a flood.

Five Feet High and Rising by John R. Cash
Recorded 3/12/59
Number 14 - Country Chart; Number 76 - Pop Chart

My mama always taught me that good things come from adversity if we put our faith in the Lord.
We couldn't see much good in the flood waters when they
were causing us to have to leave home,
But when the water went down, we found that it had washed a load of rich black bottom dirt across our land. The following year we had the best cotton crop we'd ever had.

I remember hearing:

How high's the water, mama?
Two feet high and risin'
How high's the water, papa?
Two feet high and risin'

We can make it to the road in a homemade boat
That's the only thing we got left that'll float
It's already over all the wheat and the oats,
Two feet high and risin'

How high's the water, mama?
Three feet high and risin'
How high's the water, papa?
Three feet high and risin'

Well, the hives are gone,
I've lost my bees
The chickens are sleepin'
In the willow trees
Cow's in water up past her knees,
Three feet high and risin'

How high's the water, mama?
Four feet high and risin'
How high's the water, papa?
Four feet high and risin'

Hey, come look through the window pane,
The bus is comin', gonna take us to the train
Looks like we'll be blessed with a little more rain,
4 feet high and risin'

How high's the water, mama?
Five feet high and risin'
How high's the water, papa?
Five feet high and risin'

Well, the rails are washed out north of town
We gotta head for higher ground
We can't come back till the water comes down,
Five feet high and risin'

Well, it's five feet high and risin'

What's this got to do with homeschooling?  Well, why not show your kids some pictures of America's largest watershed at the moment, get them up to date with current affairs (what's happening in the US now?), give them some geography (Where is the Mississippi?)  and weather lessons about La Nina = more rain; drainage = collection of water down one very large ditch. Science lessons - Why would the cotton grow better the next year?  Give them some historical information (levee was finished when? How was the levee built (wheelbarrows and shovels). How did the levee break in 1927? (it was suggested that someone used dynamite on the Arkansas side of the River, to relieve the pressure on the levee on the Mississippi side).  How can hard times inspire literature and art?  Did the 1927 flood inspire this song? (Johnny Cash was raised on a cotton farm in Arkansas which was flooded several times).  How about taking the lyrics of this song and getting your kids to write a short story based on it?  Art - well, imagine the scenes from the song lyrics!! 

Here is a photo of 6 wild turkeys we saw while driving along the levee on Friday, their normal territory was flooded out (as can be seen), when we came past they could only fly back and sit in the trees.  There are huge numbers of wildlife (especially deer) that will be forced out of their stamping grounds onto farmers lush wheat crops until the water goes back down.  We are hoping the waters go back down quickly!

Aussie Kim

Cultural Education - Australian Outback Roadtrips

For those not used to driving in the Australian outback, here is a pictorial of what the roads look like.  It has been a wonderful season, many places have had rain, some after waiting 5-7 years for a decent shower.  I had trouble finding my friend's place because I couldn't recognize the normal look of the place because the grass was so high.  Last time I drove there, there was no grass....

Here's what driving in the outback consists of:

1. First, find (and follow) the road carefully ....

(Yes, this is a government gazetted road - it's on all the maps of Australia!)

2. GRIDS - to keep the stock in the very large paddocks, without having to get out and open a gate!

3. GATES - Make sure you have a handy dandy gate opener in your car....

4. AVOID THE ROAD TRASH (TUMBLEWEED)

5. KEEP YOUR EYE ON THE CLOUDS, out here, more than a 10th of an inch will get you stuck in the mud if you are in a car (with a LONG walk to civilization), two tenths of an inch, and you can't get through some places in a four wheel drive...

6. Watch out for the native wildlife crossing the road - kangaroos and emus.  I don't have pictures of them crossing the road, as I saw alot less than normal, due to the oodles of grass.....

Aussie Kim

Pause for a very serene winter scene

Having grown up totally in the Southern Hemisphere, the fact that ALL the leaves drop off the MAJORITY of the trees here for up to 5 months was really quite a culture shock for me. It all looked so drab and dead.  How could these trees possibly come back to life?  I had a bad case of "homesickness" every winter, longing for trees with leaves.

Eucalyptus trees (which is what I was used to) loose their leaves throughout the year, at the same time that new ones are growing.  There are no times when native Australian trees are standing there doing the "I am a dead tree" act.  Sometimes I used to look out and think I had lost my ability to see colors. However, after 10 years residence in the Mid South of America, I can now see the beauty in the winter grey forms of a cypress break (group of American Bald Cypress trees in a bayou).  I have attempted to capture this with my handy dandy digital camera.

When you pause to look closer there are actually lots of colors.  Notice the green moss on the trees (I must be taking the photo from the south, right?).  Or better still, notice the chewed off sections of cypress tree base about 1/3 of the way into the photo from the right (beavers).  The tree branches in the foreground are actually a weathered copper color, and there is a Live Oak tree in the background which still has it's light brown leaves on. Looks like a watercolor waiting to happen right! 

So next time you look out at a drab winter landscape, search for the colors that are actually there right under your nose!  Same goes for life I suppose!

Aussie Kim