A Day in the Life of Early Americans

We began our day by exploring,

noticing our surroundings,

and taking notes

to inspire nature poems.

We prepared:

and ate rustic food:

We played some of the same games

the Native American children might have played:

Cliff Hodges, owner, founder and CEO of Adventure Out, was our guest:

 

He showed us many things the early Americans made to survive:

He told us great stories of his own adventures hunting using his hand made weapons:

He chipped obsidian to make the beginnings of an arrowhead:

A finished arrowhead takes about 20 hours to complete,
and it is only good for one shot:

He makes bows from a thick piece of special wood,

and even uses various parts of the animal to complete all his weapons,

just like people of earlier times would have done:

The younger children made their own bows and arrows, using foam sheets, sticks, and string:

 

They imagined early life in America:

Old and young alike had a great day that was both lively and educational!

Japanese Tea Ceremony

Here is what happened at the Japanese Tea Ceremony:

Our Japanese Tea Ceremony begins by removing shoes,
putting on slippers and quietly sitting on pillows in a circle.

Miss Lutz explains the history of the Japanese Tea Ceremony.

 

We drink tea called a chawan,

  

then make slurping sounds to signify our appreciation to our host:

Being told to slurp by an adult made for some pretty happy kids!

Hot water and lemon cleans the palate:

Putting the cup on the floor in front of them they place both their hands on the ground forming a triangle. A short blessing is said. Except for a few giggles and wiggles, the room is silent.

When each of the several cups is brought to them, they place it in the palm of their hand, look at the cup, turn it in three moves so it faces you again before butting it down. In the Japanese culture, it is important for guests to notice and complement the hostess' dishes.

 

Here is a plate of food representing the mountains and sea eaten in silence, 

except for the slurp at the end, of course:

Now a plate with pickles accompanied by white rice:

Popcorn is served representing winter:

More twisting of cups:

At the close of our ceremony, we once again admire our hostess' dishware, marveling at the beauty, thanking her for inviting us:

We silently and respectfully leave the room by bowing:

then backing out:

Meet Our Young Explorers!

They spent a few afternoons reenacting the early explorers, and had great fun!

Quite lively! I bet they won't forget their explorer!

 

These boys were the Bartholomew Dias explorers: