In honor of Veteran’s Day on Tuesday we learned about the people who serve in the armed forces and the different jobs they do. Ask your child why Veteran’s Day is on November 11 every year. Learn more about Veteran's Day at the following website: http://www.history.com/topics/holidays/veterans-day-facts
We read about the building of the Great Wall of China. We discussed the meaning of the phrase “Easier said than done.” We learned that Qin Shi Huangdi wanted to build a wall that protect all of China from invaders. It was much easier for him to say it than to actually build the wall. It took 1500 years to build the 4000 mile long wall. We learned that the wall was originally built as a defense mechanism and had watchtowers set at intervals. Today, it is a destination for tourists. More facts about the Great Wall of China can be found here: http://www.sciencekids.co.nz/sciencefacts/engineering/greatwallofchina.html
As we continued our study of Ancient China, we read about Confucius and the beginning of Confucianism. We learned that Confucius was a wise philosopher who devoted his life to teaching people his wisdom. We found out that learning never stops according to the teachings of Confucius. Confucius meant that although you might learn important information about history and literature in school, you could also learn a great deal about how to behave toward another outside of school. This is learning by example. Ask your child about some of the wisdom of Confucius that we discussed such as “Practice what you preach.” and “Never do to others what you would not like them to do to you.” Here's one more website about Confucianism: http://www.uri.org/kids/other_conf.htm
On Friday we ran in the Pumpkin Run and helped raise money for our school. In addition, we made mustaches for the Nordstrom Mustache Day.