Learning about Ireland and the History of the Potato
We are learning about Ireland and the Potato this month in our homeschool with a selection of resources from books to curriculum. I love diving deep into history and expanding on a moment in time, so for history this year, we are using Story of the World by Susan Wise Bauer. While the story format works great for us, sometimes we want MORE! We want more context. So, I add in books, crafts, and often we head to the kitchen.
"Curiosity about life in all of it's aspects, I think, is still the secret of great creative people." ~ Leo Burnett
History Our Way
The last history chapter I read aloud was about The Potato Famine in Ireland. My kids found it hard to understand how such a thing could have happened, so I wanted to give them more insight. First, I added the middle grade book, Black Potatoes by Susan Campbell Bartoletti. We found, that the book really offered a more thorough glimpse into what life was like in Ireland during the "blight.” It really added more context for them.
Second, I added the Ireland Adventures Bundle from Build Your Masterpiece Class. It includes so many recipes, crafts and research jumping off points! We chose to start with the history of the potato in Ireland lesson because it was so relevant to our current study. We also enjoyed the Life Cycle of the Potato Unit Study, also found the the Ireland Bundle, and we began to grow a potato in a jar!
"Education must not simply teach work - it must teach Life." ~ W. E. B. Du Bois
We also got messy and made potato stamps! And, what a delight to see information on Irish artists also included. This meant, I did not have to search for an Irish artist to highlight during our weekly artist study. With St. Patrick Day right around the corner, we will loop back to this bundle for more crafts and recipes.
Hitting Pause
Isn't that one of the (many) reasons to homeschool? The ability to hit pause and really dive deep is such a gift. How do you and your family make curriculum your own? How do you dive deep? Let me know in the comments below!Enjoy building your masterpiece with scissors and glue and potatoes too!~CatyCaty is a homeschool mom and new blogger on the Scissors and Glue Blogging Team. Thank you for reading today!
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