Israel

We finished our Israel study several months ago, but I am just now finding time to blog about it. There were so many things we learned. One experience is still with us. Learning to blow a shofar! It is not easy and is a learned skill. You should have seen our excitement the first time I squeeked out a sound from the shofar I purchased! We learned about the Jordan River and were surprised at the size. In addition to that we also learned about the size of Israel and it's diversity. In some ways it seemed almost like it was familiar.. Below are some of the videos we watched that started the unit off.

                                                                  Tour of Israel

                                                             Archeology Tour of Israel

                                                                  Culture and History


We also watched a video that taught how to speak Hebrew. The girls and I discovered we would need a lot of practice before we would be able to speak fluently. Below is the video we watched.

                                                                           
                                                                      Hebrew 101


                                      We learned Israel leads the world in science.

                                            Israel has more scientists that any other country!

            I had the girls color a  flag of Israel.  They also completed a map of Israel. 
 Another really cool interactive map can be found here.  For a craft project they made a matzah cover. There is a link here to a webpage with instructions so you can make your own matzah cover. The girls also made driedels. You can go here to print one out and make one too.

One fun thing we did was learning different ways to tie on headscarves. Oh my word did we find out it isn't something you just do so easily. We had to practice, but we loved the different ways to tie one and how it looked. The girls still like to get them out once in awhile and tie their headscarves on. We used this  webpage to learn how. This page also gave a lot of information about why headscarves are worn.

We used a combination of several unit studies on Israel. They can be found here and here and here.

Passover Seder Game

Israel Currency

Paper Dolls

Hebrew Alphabet

Timeline

Coloring pages for different Jewish Holidays

Space Rockets In Flight And Found Treasure!

Have you ever had one of those crazy, exciting experiences that leaves you wide eyed amazed? Well I had one yesterday.     My daughter-in-law and I took the girls to the park to launch a rocket I had bought. Just a simple rocket launched using two large rubberbands. The girls were so, so excited! You might say over the moon. Pun intended. When we arrived at the park my granddaughter Breanna said I might not want to park where I did because there was a bee's nest. I was thinking a bee's nest more along the lines of a wasp nest. I pulled a little more forward and put the truck in park and we all piled out.                                                                                                                                                                  

 We found a surprise at the park!

                                                                                                      

               THIS is what we saw buzzing about. Honey bees!

Gracie, another granddaughter, was scared and afraid we were all going to be stung. Actually I think she thought the bees were going to attack and carry us off because she started running and yelling, "They're going to sting us!" Once she realized the bees were calm and weren't excited she calmed down. I'm pretty sure she thought I and her mother had lost our ever loving minds though because we ventured close.......closer............and closer still. We wanted to get a good look. A REALLY good look. And look we did. We looked at those bees until we were practically ogle-eyed. 

 This picture was taken approximately five feet from where the bees were flying in and out of a large crack in this elm tree. The girls had quickly lost interest in the bees and had run off to play soon after we arrived. Except for Gracie. She stayed close by. Not because she wanted to see the bees, but I think because she thought she might have to rescue me and her mom. Hee Hee! Just call my daughter-in-law and I the bee charmers! Those bees certainly seemed to be charmed by us and never appeared threatened anyway. Finally we had our fill of watching the bees and resorted to doing what we had come to the park to do. Make memories and have fun with the girls.

                                                  10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3 ,2, 1 BLAST OFF!

                                                                 Space rocket in flight!

 

This is going to be a good launch. Look at that form.

 

Aim it over there. Keep clear. Don't shoot yourself in the eye!

 

Stretch it tight and Let R fly!

Rocket in flight!

 

Getting ready to launch.

Let's see, I think we hook it here.

We accomplished so much more in this afternoon than the story these pictures tell. We created memories. A timeless treasure these girls can carry with them throughout the years. Special times and bonding. Time spent together is never regretted or wasted. My hope is that one day they will look back and remember times like these and emulate them for their own precious children. I hope they will take these lessons to heart and repeat them in their own families one day and they will be heard to say, "I remember when," and then tell the next generation a timeless story of love.

 A story about them and their story and their family history. Of a day that grandma, mom, aunts, and nieces spent the afternoon together in the park flying rockets. An afternoon making memories because today doesn't last forever and because we love them and want them to have the legacy of a close, bonded family.  The dollar fifty I spent on that rocket was worth it's weight in gold for the treasure it contained in memory making and an afternoon full of fun.

Behold, children are a heritage from the Lord, the fruit of the womb a reward. Like arrows in the hand of a warrior are the children of one's youth. Blessed is the man who fills his quiver with them! He shall not be put to shame when he speaks with his enemies in the gate.Psalm 127:3-5