PROJECTS, PROJECTS AND MORE PROJECTS!

International Day 2007

Our local homeschool group has an International Day every year, where you can go and "visit" a country and even taste some food from that country. Since we were already into different countries in this house, we decided to go with it. They all did boards, reports, lapbooks, displays for their country, food and was dressed in character. There were all kinds of countries there. Here are some just to name a few (not including ours): Honduras, Africa, Romania, Ecquador, Canada, Germany, Venice, Italy, United States, Russia, a few states, Scotland and Ireland. And now, on behalf of our family, come with us as we travel to:

ANCIENT GREECE (presented by Lover of History)





Close up view, in our kitchen:


His display, up close:



Here is his report with the recipe:

Greece began when the Mycenaeans discovered the land. When Greece started to flourish, it broke from the Mycenaean Empire. Greece began with no just laws and a corrupt government. The only good law was, that Greece elected their rulers. In Greece, it was okay for everything like stealing, murdering, adultery, and all other bad stuff. Greece realized that what they were doing and stopped everything. They made a senate, made good laws, and changed their lifestyle. Greece’s golden age began and philosophers started to teach and buildings were built. The golden age didn’t last long though, and the Dark Ages began and lasted for four hundred years. During this period of time, Greece separated into four city-states called Athens, Sparta, Thebes and Corinth.
Athens and Sparta were constantly fighting war against one another. Greece’s power was weakening. Many countries started taking bits and pieces of the Empire. One day, a new king of Macedonia captured Sparta in a week and Athens in two weeks. His name was Phillip II He loved Greece and it’s teaching. He had the greatest mind of that time to teach his son. His son’s name was Alexander the III or Alexander the Great, and he was taught by Aristotle. Aristotle taught Alexander, science, warfare, tactics, riding and may other things. Young Alexander, especially loved the Illiad and the Odyssey. He had everyone read it. It is because of him that we have those books today. King Phillip II was assassinated by his own bodyguard. Alexander became king. Aristotle was sent home where he lived, peacefully. Athens and Sparta started fighting again, but Alex kept the peace. He conquered most of modern day Europe and Asia. During his conquest, he sent different plants, animals, and dissection bodies to his best friend and former mentor, Aristotle, whom was now rich. Alexander died and was buried. His tomb remains undiscovered, but we think he is in Babylonia (Iraq, today). This was the beginning of the Hellenistic Age. Greece fell to Rome and remained Italian, until it broke off during WWII. It began as a monarchy and is a republic today under President Karlos Papoulous.

Recipe: Kourabiethes (Butter Cookies)
2 ½ c flour
1 tsp baking powder
½ tsp salt
1 c (2 sticks) butter, softened
½ c sugar
1 egg
½ tsp vanilla extract
¼ tsp almond extract
powdered sugar

1. Preheat oven to 350
2. Combine dry ingredients in a separate bowl
3. Combine wet ingredients until light and fluffy
4. Add flour mixture to wet ingredients
5. Add extracts
6. Form dough into ½ moon or S shapes and put 2” apart
7. Place in the middle rack of oven and bake 15-18 minutes, barely brown
8. Remove and cool for 5 minutes. Sprinkle powdered sugar onto cool cookies

Now since we have visited Ancient Greece, it is time to take a trip to the Ancient city of Rome. Now off we go......





ANCIENT ROME by Mr. Athletic

Rome started with two orphans, Romulus and Remus. Legends say that a wolf took care of them when they were little. When they were older, they were building cities. But, Remus jumped over Romulus’ wall saying, “Your wall is too short. It should be higher.” Romulus was so angry, that he killed his brother. Then Romulus became the first Emporer and started what we know today as Rome in 509 B.C.
After Romulus, there were different emporers that built great buildings in Rome. There were emporers like Vaspasian, who built the great Colesseum, Hadrian, who built the famous Hadrian’s wall, Julius Ceasar, who built the temple of Venus, and Nero, who built the Golden Palace.
Julius Ceasar was a very ambitious emporer and general, but he was great in battle. Soon, some Romans became jealous. Janius Brutus led a group of Romans to assassinate Julius Ceasar. In 44 B.C. Julius Ceasar was assassinated.
Nero was the worst emporer of Rome. Nero destroyed buildings to make room for his Golden Palace. Nero was thought to catch Rome on fire and it even burned some of the Colesseum. Nero didn’t want to be hanged, so he committed suicide, instead.
Augustus Ceasar was the nephew of Julius Ceasar. Augustus was the emporer during the time of Jesus and Paul and was emporer during their deaths. Augustus was one of the best emporers that Rome had seen.
Rome had a lot of enemies, like Gaul, Greece, Britain, Vigoths and the Vandals. The Vigoths and Vandals later destroyed Rome.
Later Constantine, the Christian Emporer, who started Roman Catholicism, later built the city of Constantilope.
Rome then split their empire in two. The two empires were the Western Empire and the Eastern Empire. The Western Empire (Rome and Europe) was destroyed by the Vandals and Vigoths in the year 410 B.C. The Eastern Empire lasted a thousand more years, but was destroyed by the Otimin Empire in 476 B.C. The Eastern Empire was later named the Byzantine Empire. That ended the Roman Empire.
Recipes:
Grape Punch
2 dates
1 qt or 1 L white grape juice
4 tbsp honey
crushed bay leaf
pinch of cinnamon, ground pepper, and saffron (optional)
Lemon slices
Remove seeds from the dates and ask an adult to chop the dates finely (we found dates already seeded and chopped at the store).
Put all the ingredients, except for the lemon in a saucepan. Ask an adult to stir over low
heat for a half of an hour. Leave to cool and pour into jug.

Crustulum
Loaf of Italian or French Bread
1 garlic clove
½ c olive oil
Toast bread. Rub olive oil and garlic on the bread. Slice as needed.

Now that we have been to the Ancient City of Rome, we cannot forget the enchanting Country, filled with knights, castles and most of all King Arthur, himself... The United Kingdom. So get on a plane with me and here we go..............





UNITED KINGDOM (GREAT BRITAIN) BY Traveller

The United Kingdom is a large group of islands in the continent of Europe. The countries that are in the United Kingdom are: Wales, Ireland, Scotland, England, Great Britain, and Northern Ireland. Their type of government is a Constitutional Monarchy and it is run by Kings and Queens. The Queen today is Queen Elizabeth II. She has ruled since 1952. Her husband is King Phillip. The live in Buckingham Palace, right next to Big Ben. The Parliament is called the House of Lords and the House of Commons. The Prime Minister of England is Tony Blair.
I like the United Kingdom because the Legend of King Arthur. King Arthur was from Wales. The United Kingdom also has lots and lots of Castles. The Legend, King Arthur’s castle was Camelot and he was born in Tintagrel, near Cornwall.
Some of the major battles that the United Kingdom (Great Britain) were involved in were the 100 year war and the American Revolution.
The main language in the United Kingdom is English, but some people in Wales speak Welsh.
Great Britain’s participate in lots and lots of sports. Some of the sports that they play are: rugby (like our football), soccer, polo, and curling.
Great Britain (England) is the largest country in the United Kingdom. Their capital city is London. They are the fourth largest populated city in Europe.
I would like to go and visit one day, and see Buckingham Palace, Big Ben, Castles, and anything to do with King Arthur

Recipe British Scones.
1 c self rising flour
1 tsp baking powder
pinch of salt
¼ c butter
1 ½ tbsp sugar
1 egg (and enough milk to make ½ c)
handful of dates or raisins

1. Sift flour and powder in bowl
2. 2. Add butter and cut into flour, add in sugar
3. add enough egg mixture to make dough (you won’t use all of it)
4. add raisins/dates
5. preheat oven to 425
6. Roll out to ¾ in. thickness
7. cut scones
8. brush scones with egg mixture across top
9. bake 10-15 minutes

I hope you have enjoyed your trip to these wonderful places. We are all so proud of their accomplishments.

Southern Belle