{"id":1403,"date":"2017-02-04T03:17:45","date_gmt":"2017-02-04T03:17:45","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/discover.hubpages.com\/education\/siberia-lesson"},"modified":"2017-02-04T03:17:45","modified_gmt":"2017-02-04T03:17:45","slug":"siberia-lesson","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/shannon.wasmer.app\/?p=1403","title":{"rendered":"Siberia Lesson"},"content":{"rendered":"

Sketching an Aurora Borealis landscape scene using pastels<\/p>\n

This is part 4 in an 8 part unit study on Russia. Sketch an Aurora Borealis landscape scene using pastels, making grape jelly to demonstrate the smelting process, cut out various shapes of snowflakes, dress up as and pretend to be musk oxen, walruses, Siberian tigers, and reindeer, and more while learning about Siberia. Also included are our favorite books, YouTube video clips, lapbook and activity links, and other resources we used as we studied Siberia using the fun unit study book Russia: Land of Endurance by Konos Curriculum. Use these ideas with your class, family, or homeschool co-op group!<\/strong><\/p>\n

Included in this lens you’ll find some of the activities we did along with our favorite books we read and YouTube clips we watched while we studied Siberia. Topics featured include Aurora Borealis (Northern Lights), Snowflakes, Icebergs and Glaciers, Siberian Wildlife (Walruses, Musk Oxen, Siberian Tigers, Reindeer, Polar Bears, and Wolves), and Mining.<\/p>\n

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Aurora Borealis<\/strong><\/p>\n

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(Northern Lights)<\/p>\n

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Sketching an Aurora Borealis landscape scene using pastels<\/p>\n

One of Our Favorite Books on the Aurora Borealis (Northern Lights)<\/h2>\n

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Arctic Lights, Arctic Nights by Debbie S. Miller – Image is from amazon.com <\/p>\n

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More of Our Favorite Books on the Aurora Borealis (Northern Lights)<\/h2>\n

Arctic Lights, Arctic Nights by Debbie S. Miller focuses on the various seasons in Alaska, but it includes the Northern lights and the animals of Alaska (which are the same ones in Siberia). I reminded my children that Alaska used to be part of Russia and is right next to Siberia. Even my 1 1\/2 year old enjoyed this because of all the animals. Northern Lights: The Science, Myth, and Wonder of Aurora Borealis by Calvin Hall is the book we used to see actual photographs of the Northern Lights. It contains remarkable photography and also includes stories and legends about the Northern Lights. The Fiddler of the Northern Lights by Natalie Kinsey-Warnock, Aurora: A Tale of the Northern Lights by Mindy Dwyer, Under the Night Sky by Amy Lundebrek, and SkySisters by Jan Bourdeau Waboose are all also good picture books that include the Northern Lights.<\/p>\n

YouTube Clips We Enjoyed on the Northern Lights<\/h2>\n

We modeled our pastel pictures on the Northern Lights after the below video clip “The Northern Lights by Bruce Collins.” We used pastels on black construction paper.<\/p>\n

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Snowflakes<\/strong><\/p>\n

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Cutting out various shapes of snowflakes<\/p>\n

Great Books on Snowflakes<\/h2>\n

Our Favorite YouTube Clips on Snowflakes<\/h2>\n

Need More Free Activity Ideas on Snow?<\/h2>\n

Literature-based lapbooks related to snow<\/a><\/p>\n

Lesson ideas & lapbook for Stone Fox by John Reynolds Gardiner<\/strong>: Cut and paste this link: http:\/\/www.homeschoolshare.com\/stone_fox.php <\/em>(This book actually takes place in Wyoming but includes activity ideas on snow and ice, samoyeds, arctic animals, and more.)<\/p>\n

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Icebergs and Glaciers<\/strong><\/p>\n

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Comparing how “icebergs” (ice cubes) float in fresh water versus salt water<\/p>\n

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Watching the ridges form as our “glacier” melts and slides<\/p>\n

Good Books on Icebergs & Glaciers<\/h2>\n

\"Icebergs\"Danger--<\/p>\n

Icebergs and Glaciers by Seymour Simon – Image is from amazon.com<\/p>\n

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More children’s books we used to learn about glaciers and icebergs<\/h2>\n

Icebergs and Glaciers by Seymour Simon is children’s book on glaciers. It has photographs rather than illustrations, but it was still enjoyed by my children. It includes some additional vocabulary that the above book doesn’t have. It also includes evolutionary language, so I did have to change some words. Danger– Icebergs! (Let’s-Read-and-Find-Out Book) by Roma Gans is a nice picture book explaining what icebergs are, how they form, and the dangers they create.<\/p>\n

Good YouTube Clip of a Glacier<\/h2>\n

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Siberian Wildlife<\/strong><\/p>\n

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Dressing up as musk oxen<\/p>\n

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Walruses sunning on their “ice floe”<\/p>\n

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Our Favorite Books on Siberian Animals<\/h2>\n

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A Polar Bear’s World (Caroline Arnold’s Animals) by Caroline Arnold – Image is from amazon.com<\/p>\n

More of Our Favorite Books on Siberian Animals<\/h2>\n

We also really enjoyed A Polar Bear’s World (Caroline Arnold’s Animals) by Caroline Arnold, The Three Snow Bears by Jan Brett, Polar Bears by Gail Gibbons, Alaska’s Three Bears by Shelley Gill, A Caribou Journey by Debbie S. Miller, Reindeer by Caroline Arnold and Pamela Johnson, A Caribou Alphabet by Mary Beth Owens, Reindeer by Emery Bernhard, The Big Caribou Herd by by Bruce Hiscock, A Walrus’ World (Caroline Arnold’s Animals) by Caroline Arnold, Little Walrus Warning by Carol Young, Far North in the Arctic: Counting Alaska’s Animals by Cory Hansent, Survival at 40 Below by Debbie S. Miller, Over in the Arctic: Where the Cold Winds Blow by Marianne Berkes, In Arctic Waters by Laura Crawford, Way Up in the Arctic by Jennifer Ward, The Itchy Little Musk Ox by Tricia Brown, and What Lives in the Arctic? by Oona Gaarder-Juntti.<\/p>\n

Great YouTube Clips on Siberian Wildlife<\/h2>\n

Need More Free Activities?<\/h2>\n

Printable tiger mask<\/a> (click on the female tiger mask)<\/p>\n

Polar animal lapbook:<\/strong> Cut and paste this link: http:\/\/www.homeschoolshare.com\/polar_animals_lapbook.php<\/em><\/p>\n

Lapbook for Three Snow Bears by Jan Brett<\/strong>: Cut and paste this link: http:\/\/www.homeschoolshare.com\/unit_three_snow_bears.php<\/em><\/p>\n

Lemming lesson for younger children<\/strong>: Cut and paste this link: http:\/\/hubpages.com\/animals\/lemmimgs<\/p>\n

Tiger Lapbook<\/strong>: Cut and paste this link: http:\/\/www.homeschoolshare.com\/tiger_lapbook.php<\/p>\n

Wolf lapbook<\/strong>: Cut and paste this link: http:\/\/www.homeschoolshare.com\/gray_wolf.php<\/p>\n

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Mining<\/strong><\/p>\n

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Making grape jelly (to demonstrate smelting)<\/p>\n

YouTube Clip We Enjoyed on Refining Gold<\/h2>\n

Great Class or Family Read Aloud<\/h2>\n

Surviving in the Siberian Wilderness for 70 Years<\/h2>\n

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Ready for more?<\/strong><\/p>\n

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Performing a miniature production of Tchaikovsky’s “The Nutcracker” from Lesson 5: The Russian Ballet<\/p>\n

Cook borscht and blini, study and paint like the famous artists of Russia, perform a miniature “Nutcracker” ballet performance, dramatize a Communist lunch (complete with sentencing to “Siberia” for the non-compliant), and more in the fun 8 part study on Russia!<\/p>\n