Our Waldorf Homeschool Journey

Hi Everyone

Wow! We tackled Africa today. I took Juliette onto Google Earth (an indispensible Homeschool Resource) and showed her Africa in relation to the rest of the planet. The major thing she took away from this, was that she was astounded by the size of Africa, that it took up so much of the planet.

We then had a look at a National Geographic map, at all the many, many countries that make up Africa. We looked at many of the tribes that inhabit Africa, Jules then found the country they came from on her map.

I discussed choosing 2 countries to study indepth this year and we agreed on South Africa (big surprise) and Egypt.

We then discussed South Africa briefly and discussed diversity again, then a bit of the history of our country, as far back as the first inhabitants, being the San. Then I took a bit of an out of the way turn, and took Juliette onto the Cradle of Humankind website. Where we discovered Mrs Ples, a human fossil that is believed to be about 2.5 million years old, right here in Johannesburg. So we’ve arranged a visit to the Cradle of Humankind towards the end of October, as it is only an hour away from our home!

Over this last weekend we visited a museum that had an old mint and various forms of money that have been used over the centuries (the real thing not a replica), everything from shells to large Dutch East India Company paper money, so we were able to discuss the money used in Africa today and over the centuries and that some tribes still believe that copper is very valuable and trade with it.

There was an explanation next to each piece of copper and an idea of what it might buy. The largest piece, pretty much the size of a sword could buy one young maiden. Juliette was not impressed and thought it disgusting that people could be sold. She told us rather loudly in the quiet museum, “I am not for sale!” We had discussed slaves before, but seeing this piece of metal and the fact that it was worth 1 human, possibly her, really brought the reality of being owned home.

So, yes, we touched on Africa briefly today, well not so briefly time wise. We were busy for nearly 3 hours, but if felt as though we had barely touched the surface. There is so much to learn.

The more I homeschool, the more I realise that my love of knowledge grows with my children. We discover so much together, it’s quite exhilirating to share in this new found knowledge. There is so much knowledge that I want to show the children, and at the same time, there is much still to discover. Homeschool is so exciting! (Both for me and the kids, I’m not sure who is more excited)

We’ll be doing a bit more of South Africa tomorrow, it’s history, and then finally touching on it’s constitution. I’m wanting to take the kids to Constitution Hill, here in Gauteng. We’ve got one of the most advanced and fair constitutions as far as I can see, in the entire world. This is something to celebrate and not take for granted. I hope to engender this feeling in my kids.

That’s us for today, we’re going out together for dinner tonight (most probably pizza and burgers) and I’m in the process of distressing our large glass fronted bookcase. It feels bigger then it looked at the time I made the decision to tackle it, and it’s tiring me out, but I’ve got pics and will post them when the project is done on the Homesteading pages. It’s quite interesting to watch the transformation…And I know from past experience it is worth it!

Blessings as you Homeschool, I’m off to have a well deserved cup of tea. Africa was tiring!

Love, S.

PS. I also bought Juliette a “Welcome to Africa gift” which I gave her this morning, a bookmark, made in beads by the Ndbele ladies up North. It really got her interested in Africa and it’s various cultures. She was amazed that it was made by hand.

Filed under: Homeschool on September 26th, 2007