Special Mini Units September 14-20, 2013

To see how we are using mini-units in our homeschool, you can see the post that shares all of our mini-units for September 2013.

9/15  Make a hat Day

- Spanish word of the day: hat- el sombrero
- Make a paper sailor hat.  We used sheets of newspaper and I let the kids glue on construction paper shapes and use paint to decorate them.

9/16 Mexican Independence Day

- Spanish word of the day: war- la guerra
- Be able to identify Mexico on a map.
- Learn about Mexico and the Mexican War for Independence and answer these questions:

1. What is the capital of Mexico? (Mexico City)
2. What type of government does Mexico have? (a republic similar to the US)
3. What is the official language of Mexico? (Spanish)
4. What did they want that made them want to reject the values of Spain at the end of the 18th century?  (freedom of speech, a representative government, and restrictions on the power of the Catholic Church)
5. Who gave the speech that is now known as the Grito do Dolores? (Father Miguel Hidalgo)
6. What words were said by Father Hidalgo and are repeated every year at Independence Day celebrations? ("Viva Mexico" and "Viva la independencia!")
7. How long did they fight for their freedom? (11 years)
8. What are the colors of the Mexican flag and what does each one represent? (green= independence, white= religion, and red= union)

- Listen to the National Anthem of Mexico and read the lyrics (in English)
- Prepare a Mexican meal. Some ideas are:

• Pozole (soup)
• Guacamole (I mash up an avocado or two and add some salsa and a splash of lime juice for a quick and easy guacamole or you can follow a recipe.)
• Flour or corn tortillas (You do not need a tortilla press, though one helps. You can use a heavy skillet or a rolling pin.)
• Tres Leche Cake

9/17 National Apple Dumpling Day

- Spanish word of the day: apple- la manzana
- Go apple picking.
- Make apple dumplings.

9/18 National Cheeseburger Day

- Spanish word of the day: hamburger- la hamburguesa
- Serve cheeseburgers.  Instead of traditional cheese burgers, we mixed shredded cheddar and chopped bacon right in the meat mixture.
- Learn where the different cuts of beef come from.

9/19 International Talk Like a Pirate Day

- Spanish word of the day: pirate- el pirata
- Talk like a pirate
- Write a poem in pirate language.
- Read about female pirates and answer these questions:

1. What did female pirates need to do in order to be successful pirates? (disguise themselves as men)
2. Who were some female pirates? (Anne Bonny, Mary Reed, and Grace O'Malley)

- Read about Modern Maritime Piracy and answer the following questions:

1. Are there still pirates today? (yes)
2. Who monitors modern piracy? (the International Maritime Bureau, a division of the ICC Commercial Crime Services)

9/20  POW/MIA Recognition Day

- Learn what POW and MIA stand for. (Prisoner Of War and Missing In Action)
- Learn about the POW/MIA flag and answer these questions:

1. Who created the POW/MIA flag? (The National League of Families/William Graham Wilkin III)
2. What phrase is on the flag? ("You are not forgotten")
3. Where is the POW/MIA flag displayed in U.S. armed forces, the dining halls, mess halls and chow halls? (draped over a single chair and table in the corner, signifying that a chair awaits in hope of their return)
4. What are the "rules" regarding displaying the POW/MIA flag with the US flag? (it should fly directly below, and not be any larger than, the US flag)