We’re spending this year studying Canada and the past month we learned about the province of Newfoundland & Labrador. It was a month full of great books and amazing experiences. Today I would like to share all the fun details with you!
This family studied Newfoundland & Labrador in their homeschool! Check out all of the fun and educational activities they did to learn about this magnificent province! #homeschool #canada Click To Tweet
OUR CURRICULUM
The bulk of our planning came from The Canadian Adventure Online Edition. I added some other elements to the curriculum, such as various read-aloud books and a related artist study.
READ-ALOUD BOOKS
Every morning we start our day with Morning Time. This peaceful way of easing into our day is something I cherish. Often in this time, I read-aloud from a variety of books. Since we were studying Newfoundland & Labrador, I made sure that the books I chose were related.
The novel I read was: The Nine Lives of Travis Keating. This story is based in Newfoundland & Labrador and involves themes such as death, grief, bullying, and animal cruelty. Though it was an intense read, my girls enjoyed the book. We had many discussions specifically about grief and bullying as a result of this book.
P is for Puffin: A Newfoundland & Labrador Alphabet was another great book. I was hesitant about this book before I dove into it with my children because my girls are 10-years-old and 7-years-old. I was concerned they would think an alphabet book was babyish, BUT this book is a very educational read! We learned so many wonderful facts and details about this province as a result of this book! We read 1-2 letters of the alphabet per day throughout the month. I highly recommend this book!
Heroes of Isle aux Morts is a picture book based on the true story of 1832 the shipwreck of the Despatch. Through this book we enjoyed learning about the heroism of the Newfoundland dog.
Saltwater Joys was another fabulous picture book. Of course we listened to the song too!
Canada Close Up: Newfoundland & Labrador gave us detailed information about this province. We read 1-2 chapters per week throughout the month.
Since Vikings were a part of the Newfoundland & Labrador history, I included the book Yikes, Vikings! (from the Canadian Flyer Adventure series) in our readings as well.
VIDEOS
We watched many videos throughout the month. Most of the videos were provided by links through The Canadian Adventure Online Edition. The videos were beautiful and many times it felt like we were seeing and experiencing the sights of Newfoundland & Labrador.
ARTIST STUDY
I wanted to study an artist who was either from Newfoundland & Labrador or painted scenes from the region. We ended up studying Christopher Pratt. The girls learned about four of his paintings:
- Ferolle Pointe Light
- Labrador Current
- Boys Dipping Caplin
- Gulf of St. Lawrence
We discussed his artwork in detail and my girls memorized the names of each piece of art.
ACTIVITIES
We did various activities throughout the month. The girls did map work about the province. They also worked on memorizing and recognizing:
- St. John’s – the capital of Newfoundland & Labrador
- The provincial flag
- Provincial flower: the Pitcher Plant
- The provincial bird: the Puffin
We also made sure to cook a recipe that is known to the area. We made traditional Lassy Bread (which is a molasses bread). Everyone LOVED it!
Of course we made sure to listen and dance to some traditional Newfoundland music.
We wrapped up our study of the province with collages. I had gathered tourist guides and my girls cut out pictures that they felt depicted what they had learned about Newfoundland & Labrador. It was a thoroughly enjoyable and educational activity.
The month-long study of Newfoundland & Labrador was fabulous. All of us learned so much from the experience! I can’t wait to study our next province… Nova Scotia!
Psst – If you’re curious about doing an in-depth study on Canada, I can’t say enough good things about The Canadian Adventure Online Edition. Make sure to check it out!
SHARE WITH OTHERS
This is amazing! Thank you for all the great ideas and resources! we just finished a month-long study on Vikings and are using it as a launching pad to “explore” Newfoundland and Labrador! Great ideas!
I’m delighted that you found this helpful and timely Christa! Vikings are such a fun topic to study – I’m sure you’ll enjoy these Newfoundland & Labrador activity ideas as well.
Thank you for sharing how you and your girls studied Canada. I plan to use your blog as a launching off point to study Canada with my six children this year – Grades 10 to 1.
Our family tree has some Vikings in it so I know my little guys will enjoy learning about them in relation to Canada.
Ooooh, there are some great Vikings resources! We loved our cross-Canada studies. It was thoroughly enriching!