So my nine-year-old gets this assignment last week, doesnt give it to me until four days ago. He is in 4th grade, and they have to study their state. I have two older children who also studied their state in the 4th grade, but OOOOOH my goodness, times have changed.
So here is the assignment for my nine-year-old:
For this "take home" project, you will make a three dimensional map of your state that correctly identifies your city and the capital, land elevations, other cities, waterways, which oceans are bordered by your state if any, and which other states. All of this needs to be clearly marked on your map. The map further needs to have certain major rivers, etc (they said specifically). The latitude and longitude for your city and the capital need to be clearly marked with YARN. This map is to be made out of clay. When the map is baked and cooled, paint clearly the differences in, and make a key. Also to be included is a compass. When completed, varnish, let dry.
Okay, like my 9 y/o can do that? I have spent hours on the internet looking this stuff up...first off my printer is broken. So no "scale" of our state to print out.... so I went to gas stations for maps... they would need me to triple the recipe for clay.. way to big. So I finally found a website for "traceable maps" for kids, so I literally held computer paper up to my screen and traced the state (you could make it bigger which I needed, but not too big), and as the screen ended, I would get a new piece of paper and continue where the last one left off. I finally had my "stencil" for this clay model, and then made the clay. I rolled it out, layed the stencil on top, and got a paring knife and carefully cut out the perfect size and shape of my state! Big problem though... I forgot to do that on the cookie sheet instead of the counter. It was stuck to the counter, would not come off without destroying it. So I started over. (first drink) Long, long story short, I finally have a cooked state happily glued to a piece of cardboard with toothpicks marking the major cities. My son learned nothing, but I spent 2 days googling info (the latest was trying to interpret latitude and longitude), and then having to do that with yarn?
So if you see mom's of 4th graders gone mad on the news, you will know where I live. BOY do I know where I live!
okay, rant over.
P4T
So here is the assignment for my nine-year-old:
For this "take home" project, you will make a three dimensional map of your state that correctly identifies your city and the capital, land elevations, other cities, waterways, which oceans are bordered by your state if any, and which other states. All of this needs to be clearly marked on your map. The map further needs to have certain major rivers, etc (they said specifically). The latitude and longitude for your city and the capital need to be clearly marked with YARN. This map is to be made out of clay. When the map is baked and cooled, paint clearly the differences in, and make a key. Also to be included is a compass. When completed, varnish, let dry.
Okay, like my 9 y/o can do that? I have spent hours on the internet looking this stuff up...first off my printer is broken. So no "scale" of our state to print out.... so I went to gas stations for maps... they would need me to triple the recipe for clay.. way to big. So I finally found a website for "traceable maps" for kids, so I literally held computer paper up to my screen and traced the state (you could make it bigger which I needed, but not too big), and as the screen ended, I would get a new piece of paper and continue where the last one left off. I finally had my "stencil" for this clay model, and then made the clay. I rolled it out, layed the stencil on top, and got a paring knife and carefully cut out the perfect size and shape of my state! Big problem though... I forgot to do that on the cookie sheet instead of the counter. It was stuck to the counter, would not come off without destroying it. So I started over. (first drink) Long, long story short, I finally have a cooked state happily glued to a piece of cardboard with toothpicks marking the major cities. My son learned nothing, but I spent 2 days googling info (the latest was trying to interpret latitude and longitude), and then having to do that with yarn?
So if you see mom's of 4th graders gone mad on the news, you will know where I live. BOY do I know where I live!
okay, rant over.
P4T
Anyways-glad your map is baked, cooled, and glued, and that you now know where you live!!!!:H :H
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