Review: Expedition Australia

Let me start off by saying that I got a copy of this unit study in return for reviewing it.
I've been interested in the expedition series ever since I first heard about them as country study I find fascinating. These unit studies are well done. They've done all the research for you, while allowing side trips if you want to take them.

Well, let me explain that my five year old has been not feeling well for the past couple of weeks and this week his head and chest have exploded into a rather nasty cold. This has caused us to go slowly with our homeschooling efforts.

So we managed to get day one done of this study. Woot woot! We will over the next 4 weeks cover the rest of this study. :) Here is day two's review. :)

We took our time with it and just had fun with it.
There is a map of the world that we're supposed to colour code, they gave suggested colours...but "mommy! can I do it differenter than that"?
"Sure buddy, just pick whatever colours you want".
And...so he did. :) We did our own version of colour coding the world.

Today we looked at how far Canberra is from us, and learned that going backwards was faster to get to Australia then going over Africa. He found that immensely funny and then proceeded to exercise that new knowledge by testing out shorter ways to get from one place to another in our house and by drawing different maps on pieces of paper. Oh.. we couldn't get the link - the one included for seeing how far it was from our town to Canberra - to work for us for some reason (possibly because we live in a small town) so we went to google maps. Google maps made us both laugh as they suggested we kayak across the ocean. :)

NOTE: we are in the middle of renovating our living room so having a five year old doing things "backwards" as he practiced finding shorter cut going backwards was at times a bit of a talking through challenge. :) White footprints (plaster dust) in places one doesn't expect always adds interest in life doesn't it? :) Humour is good.

We learned today just how big the great barrier reef was....the lad found that fascinating. One of the videos they include has a plane flying over the barrier reef. All those little items was just a cause for curiousity.

Some of this study is over the head of a five year old, and the animal of the day being koalas...well what can I say. I can definitively say that the lad DOES NOT LIKE koala bears (which incidentally aren't bears, they are marsupials). Marsupials have pouches which is for some reason very funny. How can a mommy carry a baby in a pouch? Doesn't it fall out? How does it get out? Does it bounce when the mommy jumps? that baby must get all wiggly.... complete with a five year old doing a wiggly dance of a dizzy koala baby. (I had to keep him from hitting his head on the coffee table). :)
So...I suppose you might want to know what the rest of the study entails.

Day one: Where on Earth is Australia
Day two: Some of the special places in Australia
Day three: A bit of Australian History
Day four: Cool things to know about Australia
Day five: Fun and Games in Australia

Each day includes videos. Activity sheets. An animal of the day. Vocabulary words and so much more. It's a well done study.

And hey! DownloadNGo is doing an Australia map giveaway! Go there, enter. My philosophy...if you don't enter you can't win. And well...winning is fun! :)

If you go here, you'll learn how you can get Expedition Australia for $5.95 from now through Nov 8.

Also available at the Old Schoolhouse. :)

You'll find more reviews listed here.