Winter Pony Originally p
Winter Pony
|
|
Author: Krista Ruepp (Translated by J.
Alison James)
Illustrator: Ulrike Heyne
ISBN: 0735816913; 0735816921
Summary from Front Flap:
Prince, a little Icelandic pony, is Anna's best friend. She has nurtured him
since he was born and loves him very much. But Prince is a winter pony, and now
that summer is here, he must take his place among the herd far up in the
mountains, leaving Anna behind. Will Prince be safe through the warmer months
until he can return home to Anna next winter? Touches of Norse mythology add
magic and mystery to this heartwarming horse story.
Originally published in Switzerland under the title
Anna's Islandpony |
A unit by Celia
Notes from Celia: This unit
would be particularly suited for a family with both older and younger children
and/or for an extended unit. There is much for varying ages. See also the list
of go-along books at the end for titles for the older student.
Geography
Geography – Iceland, North Atlantic Ocean, Arctic, Arctic Circle:
Iceland is part of the Arctic region of
the world. The Arctic includes eight nations: Iceland, Denmark (who also owns
Greenland), Finland, Norway, Sweden, Russia, Canada, and the United States
(because of Alaska). Iceland is an amazing place, a land of extremes...of
deserts, hot springs, volcanoes, and glaciers. Iceland is nicknamed "The Land
of Fire and Ice" and "The Land of the Midnight Sun." Iceland is such a mix of
harsh environments that NASA used the land to help train the first men who
would walk on the moon (Apollo 11).
Iceland is an island (review definition of an island) just below the Arctic
Circle. It is in the North Atlantic Ocean. Help your student locate the North
Atlantic Ocean, Iceland, and the Arctic Circle on a globe or map. Help your
student to see that Iceland is located about halfway between North America and
Europe. It is about the size of Virginia or Indiana or Ohio.
Iceland is a fascinating place and as such there are many possible bunny trails
that can be explored. At the bottom of the page are some ideas to help you get
started on an extended study of Iceland.
Flag of Iceland Minit Book
Map of Iceland
Flag of Iceland (Free registration to Crayola.com required)
Note: EnchantedLearning.com does not have
a coloring page for the flag of Iceland, but you could print out the
flag coloring page of Norway, and just reverse the colors: blue
background with red Scandinavian Cross in middle.
Note: If you use Visualize World
Geography in 7 Minutes a Day and have the corresponding
Pictography Flag Coloring Book (both
available from www.tenderheartpress.com), Iceland is flag #65.
Possible Supplemental Titles
Iceland
(A True Book) by Kathleen W. Deady (47 pages, large print and colorful
pictures for the younger student)
Iceland
(Enchantment of the World series) by Barbara A. Somervil (144 pages,
lots of colorful pictures and informative text. Good for older student or
parent. Slightly easier reading than the Sandness/Gritzner book below.)
Iceland (Modern World Nations) by Roger
K. Sandness and Charles F. Gritzner (102 pages, for an older student or parent.
Note: "milLions of years" are mentioned, but it is still an excellent book for
older students and/or parent. Does mention that "For
over 100,000 years, a thick sheet of ice covered Iceland." )
Note from Celia: Most of the information about Iceland that I provided in this
section came from these three books.
Possible website
Social Studies
Social Studies -- Animals for best friends:
Have you ever thought about an animal as being
your best friend? In what ways do you think an animal could be your best
friend? How would it be different than having another boy or girl as being your
best friend?
Social Studies -- Growing
Up: In this story, both Anna and her pony, Prince do some "growing
up." Anna's learns to let her young horse go and Prince earns a place in the
herd. Discuss with your student the process of "growing up" and of the changes
it brings.
Social
Studies -- Norse Mythology: If your
student has studied ancient civilizations, remind him about Greek, Roman, and
Egyptian mythology. Discuss how people who lived in other countries also had
stories of gods and goddesses and other fictitious creatures. The early
Icelandic settlers worshiped many gods and goddesses.
The Norse people (also called Scandinavians) are people who live in Norway,
Sweden, Denmark, or Iceland. (You may want to help your student locate these
countries....point out how close to the Arctic they are.) The stories these
people made up are called Norse Mythology. These were the gods of the Vikings.
Below are several books which contain stories of Norse mythology. Choose a
story to read to your child. Compare how they are similar to the mythology of
other ancient civilizations.
About 1000 AD, the government of Iceland
adopted Christianity as their religion.
[Note: If you are Lord of the Rings fans, you
may wish to note that J.R.R. Tolkein used elements from Norse mythology in his
writing of LOTR. So did homeschooled author Christopher Paolini in his
Eragon and
Eldest books.]
Sites for parent to learn more about Norse
Mythology:
Possible Supplemental Titles
Stolen Thunder: A Norse Myth by
Shirley Climo (32 pages)
The Theft of Thor's Hammer retold by
Henrietta Branford (24 pages)
D'Aulaires Norse Gods and Giants by
Ingri and Edgar Darin D'Aulaire (150 pages, several stories)
Thor's Visit to the Land of Giants
by Nancy Wilson Ross (51 pages)
Norse Mythology A to Z: A Young Reader's
Companion by Kathleen N. Daly (Revised by Marian Rengel)
Gods and goddesses of the Vikings and
Northlands by Leon Ashworth (32 pages)
Odin's Family: Myths of the Vikings
by Neil Philip (124 pages, several stories)
Favorite Norse Myths by Mary Pope
Osborne (87 pages, lesser known stories)
Usborne Illustrated Guide to Norse Myths
and Legends by Cheryl Evans
Note from Celia: It's hard to find a book about Norse mythology that
does not have scary pictures and/or wording. If you're looking for just a
story, try one of the stories about Thor's hammer being stolen. Personally,
I liked the story by above-mentioned Shirley Climo, but the pictures of the
one by Henrietta Branford.
The one by Neil Philip has several stories
and few pictures, but some text may not be appropriate. Each chapter begins
and ends with a rune, but show several that I could not find on the link I
provided below. The D'Aulaires' book is many scary pictures. You could go
through either books, choosing a story appropriate for your family.
The Ashworth book is more informative than
story-like. Has many pictures of actual artifacts. Information is about
the entire Viking territory....Norway, Sweden, Denmark, etc. as well as
Iceland.
You might find more Norse related books in this list
Language Arts
Language
Arts -- Vocabulary:
cocked
to tilt or turn up or to one side, usually in a jaunty or alert manner
tramped
to walk on foot, to hike
huddled
to crowd together, as from cold or fear
dazed to feel stunned, bewildered, or shocked
startled to cause one to make an involuntary movement or start,
to alarm or frighten suddenly
respect to
feel admiration, esteem, appreciation, or high regard
Language
Arts -- Alliteration: The story has
several examples of alliteration. Review alliteration and ask your student to
find some examples.
marshy
meadows
mountain
looked
magical
in the
morning
mist
spring
storms
swept
mountains were
green
and glowing
slept
soundly
Language
Arts -- Works originally published in other countries / Translated Works:
If you turn to the copyright page in front (just before the title page), you
will see that it says the book was first published in Switzerland under the
title Annas Islandpony. Explain to
your child that many (most) of the books we read here in the United States were
first published here. This story however was first published in a country
called Switzerland (you may wish to point out on a map/globe) and that it was
not originally published in the English language. Because it was not in
English, a person had to translate it....the opposite page (the title page)
tells us that J. Alison James translated it for us so we could read it. (If
you also have Runaway Pony, you may wish
to point out that it too was first published in Switzerland and also needed to
be translated--though I did not see where it gave the translator's name. I
found on the Internet that the translator for
Runaway Pony was Marianne Martens.)
Language
Arts -- Plot:
Using page 44 of your Volume I Five in a Row manual, review plot
elements: setting, conflict, rising action, climax, and denouement
(resolution). Discuss each part in today's story. Have your student map out
the plot elements (use this HSS
PLOT MAP or
this Scholastic PDF one).
If you have a preschooler, you
may wish to use just the words Beginning, Middle, and End. Perhaps print this
PDF file to help him visualize this concept
Art
Art -- Medium: The
artist, Ulrike Heyne, used watercolors for this story. Have your child make a
scene with watercolors. You may also wish to point how how the artist used a
"splatter" technique to make the snow. (See splatter art lesson for Homeschool
Share's Baby
in a Basket.) See if your child can replicate the illustrators way of
painting the horse's mane and/or the icy rain.
Art -- Similar Pictures:
Ask your child to look at the cover of the book closely. Now turn have
your student look at the picture opposite of the first page of text. Note the
similarities of the two pictures....they seem identical except for the season.
Math
Math -- Units of Measure, Hands:
The height of a horse or pony is measured in a unit called
hands, which is abbreviated
hh. One hand is equal to 4 inches. A horse's height is measured from
the ground to the withers. Let's look at a horse is that is 15.2 hh. The
first part of the number, 15, is in hands. However, the second part of the
number, 2, is already in inches. So a horse that is 15.2 hh would be 62 inches
tall. (15x4=60+2=62). Help your students to covert hh to inches. With a
younger student you might just want to discuss that the hands unit is 4 inches
and then practice skip counting by 4's.
Math -- Calendar:
If you've already discuss Norse mythology, you may wish to take this time to
review the calendar (names of the days of the week, the # of days in a
week/month/year, etc.) Many of the names of our days are taken from Norse
mythology. If your child is interested, you may wish to discuss this fact.
Names of
the Days of the Week and Months:
You may wish to discuss the origin of our word Thursday.....Thor's
Day. Thor was the Norse god of thunder and lightning, and is often depicted
with a hammer in his hand. Origins of other days and months:
Sunday the sun's day
Monday the moon's day
Tuesday Tyr or Tiw's day (Tyr/Tiw
was a Norse god)
Wednesday Wodan's day (Wodan is another
name for the Norse god Odin)
Thursday Thor's day (Thor was a Norse
god)
Friday Frigga's Day (Frigg was
a Norse goddess)
Saturday Saturn's Day (Saturn was a
Roman god)
http://www.therefinersfire.org/days_months.htm
Science
Be sure to check out the Bunny Trails listed
below for lots more Science ideas! Studying Iceland affords an opportunity to
learn about many different types of land formations and ecosystems.
Science
-- Horses: Icelandic Horses The
horses on the island of Iceland are descendants of the horses that the Vikings
brought to the island when they settled there over one thousand years ago. The
harsh environment of Iceland has made the horses become smaller over time, with
dense coats and long shaggy manes and tails to protect them from the cold.
These hardy little horses are actually pony-sized!
One difference between a pony and a horse is the size. If it is under 14.2
hands (see above Math lesson), then it is generally considered a pony. If it is
over 14.2hh, then it is generally considered a horse. Despite the small sizing
of Icelandic horses (generally under 14.2hh), the breed is always called a horse
and is not a pony (because they
descend from larger horses).
The harsh environment of Iceland has also
forced these horses to be able to survive on very little food and to become less
spooked by their surroundings. They are sure-footed (remind student of meaning
from Homeschool Share's
Fritz and the Beautiful
Horses) and are very strong.
The most remarkable thing about the Icelandic
horse is the number of ways in which he can move his feet! Not only can an
Icelandic do the normal gaits of walk, trot, canter, many Icelandics can also
pace AND it can also tölt. That's five different gaits!
Not all Icelandics can pace, but those that can are highly prized. Pacing is
ability to move the two legs on one side forward at the same time, like a
Standardbred pacer...remind student of
The Giraffe That Walked to
Paris, FIAR Volume II. Pacing is
very fast...sometimes almost 30 mph!
When an Icelandic horse is tölting, the horse moves his feet in the same order
as a walk, but much faster. When an Icelandic is moving at a tölt, he can keep
up with most horses at a gallop. The tölt is very comfortable to the rider. It
can be so smooth that the rider can carry a cup of water without spilling a
drop!
Source:
Crazy for Horses
by Karen Briggs and Shawn Hamilton and The
Icelandic Horse
Possible books:
Icelandic Ponies
(Magnificent Horses of the World) by Tomas Micek (44 pages , suitable for the
younger student. Nicely describes the different Icelandic horses, using lots of
large photos. Nicely touches on hierarchy and the fighting of the stalLions.
Discusses the tölt, though it is written as tilt on the book. The biggest
thing I don't like about it is that the author calls them ponies...they are
horses, despite their small size because they are descendants of horses. )
Websites:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Icelandic_Horse
http://www.allabouthorses.com/site/breeds/icelandic.html
http://eidfaxi.is/fraedsla/eindex.php?fraedsla=gangtegundir Cool website
to actually SEE the different gaits, including the tölt.
FEIF - International
Federation of Icelandic Horse Associations
USIHC
- The United States Icelandic Horse Congress
(Note: You may wish to have your
child practice letter writing by writing to either of the
above organizations, telling them that they are studying Icelandic Horses
and asking
them to please send information.)
Science -- Animal Social
(Dominance) Hierarchy:
It's time for him to
take his place among the herd. If he doesn't go now, he will never fit it,"
explained her father.
The chestnut
stamped his forelegs and lunged toward Prince. Both horses reared and bit
each other in the neck and legs. With a loud snort, the chestnut gave
Prince a strong kick, and Prince fell over the cliff.
The fight was
over. Prince has earned the respect of the older horse.
Much of our story is about Prince being accepted into the herd of wild ponies.
Many animals, including horses and ponies, have what is called a social or
dominance hierarchy. Wild horses and ponies live in herds. A herd is just a
group of horses that live together. Many animals live in groups, just as you
do...you live in a group with your family. Animals that live in groups have
what is called a "pecking order," an order of dominance. The most dominant is
the leader and the order continues down to the least dominant. It is much like
what the Bible says about families: Daddy is the leader of our family, Mommy
listens to Daddy, and you children listen to us. (And of course, God is the
head of our entire family and we all need to listen to Him first and foremost.)
In horses, the alpha animal is the one
to whom all the others give respect and are submissive to. (Think of Jesus when
He is described as the Alpha and the Omega...one day every knee will bow before
Him.) The alpha horse is the leader. The alpha horse is usually
not the stalLion (male horse)
who "owns" the herd. The job of the stalLion is to protect herd from danger and
to help keep the band together. He will allow young horses/ponies to join the
herd, but when they are older he will chase them off so that they can find their
own female horses to protect. The alpha horse is often an older mare (female
horse) whose wisdom is respected by the others.
Science
-- Underground Hot Springs
/ Geothermal
Energy: The
the heat from volcanic activity meeting the cold waters of the island has caused
many underground hot springs to form . The water in the springs get so hot from
the lava that sometimes a geyser is formed. A geyser is when the very hot water
or steam is shot up high into the air from the cracks in the earth. (Has your
child ever been to Yellowstone and seen Old Faithful?) As the melted glacial
waters seep into the ground, it collects in an underground cavity (hole) called
a reservoir. When a reservoir is located near a pocket of hot magma, the water
heats up and gradually turns to steam. The pressure then builds and the steam
is forced back up to the surface of the ground where it shoots out. The geyser
stops spouting when the reservoir no longer has water or steam in it. Over time
the reservoir will again fill up and the process repeats. Geysers could also be
called a "water volcano." Did you know that we get the word "geyser" from
Iceland? All the world's geysers are named for the Great Geysir in southwestern
Iceland...it shoots water 200 feet in the air!!
Since hot water and steam occur naturally in Iceland, the people living there
have learned to use it to heat their homes. A furnace is not needed! Wells are
drilled into the ground and the water and steam from the wells is then piped
into their homes and other buildings. This
called geothermal energy. You may wish to have your older child research the
many benefits of geothermal heating.
Website to learn more about Geothermal Energy
View the slides about
Geothermal Energy
(Note there are 122 slides. To save time, you may wish to preview and
determine which ones would be best to show your student. Slide #94 and 95 are
show the benefits of using geothermal energy in Iceland. #79, 80, and 81 could
be used to show how greenhouses use geothermal heating. Several others would be
good just for general information on geothermal energy. Note that this website
gives you permission to print any of these slides for your personal educational
use.)
Picture of Iceland's hot springs (6th picture down)
Pictures of Iceland's Great Geysir
Make a model of a geyser: See Donald M. Silver's book,
The Amazing Earth Model
Book: Easy-to-make, Hands-on Models that Teach.
Science -- Land of the
Midnight Sun: Iceland also has a nickname of the "Land of the Midnight
Sun." During the month of June, the North Pole is tilted closest toward the
sun, bringing almost 24 hours of sunlight for the entire month. Explain to your
child that if he were in Iceland in June, he could go outside and play in
daylight even if it were past his bedtime!
In December, the North Pole tilts farthest away from the sun, bringing almost 24
hours of darkness for the whole month. Help your child to understand that if
he were to go outside on Christmas Day in Iceland, he would watch the sun rise
and less than an hour later he would watch it set!
(You may wish to use a globe for the tilting earth and a yellow ball to
demonstrate.)
Pictures of the Midnight Sun:
http://www.simnet.is/gardarj/mapa/mid.htm
http://www.iceland-nh.net/lands/best_list.html (1st picture of 2nd row)
Just for
Fun
Family
Names / Naming Traditions: Help your child to understand that in
America, it is tradition for the bride to "take" the last name of her husband on
their wedding day and that any children they have will also be given that same
last name. Icelanders do not have family last names. When they name their
children, the child's "last name" becomes a combination of their father's first
name and either the word -son (meaning son) or -dottir (meaning daughter). For
example, if Jonas has a son named Karl, then son's name becomes Karl Jonasson.
If he has a daughter named Inga, then the daughter's name becomes Inga
Jonasdottir. Help your child determine what his/her name would be if you
followed the Icelandic tradition. (Adapted from
Iceland (A True Book) by Kathleen W. Deady).
Website
Print out this worksheet
to determine the names of people in your family if your family followed
Icelandic Naming Traditions
Possible Bunny Trails
Vikings:
Erik Thorvaldson (Erik the Red) and his
son Leif Erikkson. Oodles you can explore here! There is a 17 minute audio
version of Landmark's The Vikings.
While it is mostly about finding new land (Greenland and North America), it
does start out in Iceland from where Erik the Red left and talks about how he
was outlawed from Iceland. Link to the audio
Landforms --
Islands: Did you know that islands are still being made? About
40 years ago (1963-1967), the world watched as a new island was "born" off the
coast of Iceland. This new volcanic island, only about 1 square mile in size,
rose up out of the sea about 25 miles from southwest Iceland. It was named
Surtsey, after the Norse fire-possessing giant Surtur. Read the story and
see beautiful photographs with the book
Surtsey: The Newest Place on Earth by Kathryn Lasky. (Note: This book
mentions "hundreds of thousands of years.") If you can't get the book, you
might wish to see some pictures from the Internet:
http://www.vulkaner.no/n/surtsey/esurtmenu.html (Lots of links....great
pictures of the eruption)
http://www.surtsey.is/pp_ens/photo_map_1.htm (Lots of pictures...great ones
of the eruption as well as various formations, plants, and birds of the new
island)
http://www.icelandicgeographic.is/surtsey.html
http://www.eyjar.is/eyjar/surtsey.html
http://www.cnntraveller.com/2003/issue3/rock.troll/
Two interesting reads from Answers in Genesis, about how the rapid development
of Surtsey has stunned folks and gotten them to thinking about just how young
our Earth might be! Surtsey also helps Creationists because of it's evidence of
how quickly land that was recently under water can support life...evidence to
help prove the rapid repopulation after The Flood.
Landforms --
Tectonic Plates and Volcanoes: Iceland sits in area where two
tectonic plates (the North American Plate and the Eurasian Plate) are spreading
apart. This area is one of the most volcanically active regions in the world.
From 1783 to 1786, Iceland experienced the worse volcanic eruptions in history.
The Laki volcano in south central Iceland lasted for eight months, during 1783
and 1784, and caused the most damage. Lava covered the lands and destroyed
livestock, crops, and farmland. After this, Icelanders did not have enough food
and many starved to death. South Iceland is home to the island's most famous
volcano, Mount Hekla. Mount Hekla erupted in the year 1104 and nearly half of
Iceland was buried in ash and debris as much as three feet deep in some places.
Research tectonic plates, the Krafla fissure, the Thingvellir fissure, and/or
volcanoes further. Perhaps discuss the two types of eruptions: Explosive
volcanoes and effusive volcanoes. (Also see HomeSchoolShare's unit on
Hill of Fire.)
Info on Plate Tectonics from AnswersInGenesis
Bit of trivia for you: Iceland's
Snaefelsness volcano was the inspiration for Jules Verne's
Journey to the Center of the Earth.
Pictures of Iceland, showing the North
American Plate and the Eurasian Plate:
http://www.iceland-nh.net/lands/6070myvatn_list.html (1st
picture)
http://www2.brevard.edu/reynoljh/iceland/iceland2.htm
(4th picture down)
Make a model of to explain what happens as plates move: See Donald M. Silver's
book, The Amazing Earth
Model Book: Easy-to-make, Hands-on Models that Teach.
Landforms -- Underwater Mountains (Mid-Atlantic
Ridge): When we say the word
mountains, almost instantly the snow-covered Rocky Mountains or Alps comes to
mind. More maybe the beautiful tree-covered mountains of the Appalachians. But
does your student realize there are mountains in the oceans? Mountains that are
completely covered by water? Iceland sits on top the Mid-Atlantic Ridge, a
rupture zone on the floor of the Atlantic Ocean. This ridge is part of a
continuous 37,000 mile-long "backbone" (a chain of underwater mountains) of
Earth that extends from the Arctic Ocean to beyond the southern tip of Africa.
In the Mid-Atlantic Ridge, the plates pull apart which cause volcanic
eruptions. The North American Plate pulls to the west, and the Eurasian Plate
pulls to the east. The only part of this Mid-Atlantic ridge of mountains that
is above water is Iceland and it sits atop the North American and the Eurasian
Plates. Which means the movement of these two plates is causing Iceland widen
about an inch each year.
Photos of a volcano erupting in a Icelandic glacier
Understanding Plate Motions (This Dynamic Earth)
This site has a link to a picture of the
Mid-Atlantic Ridge
as well as a picture of Iceland which clearly shows how the North American Plate
and the Eurasian Plate are splitting the island in half.
Landforms -- Glaciers:
Glaciers are enormous, slow-moving masses of ice. Think of it as a "river of
ice." As snow becomes compacted by its own weight, it turns to ice. This heavy
mass of ice begins to slide down the mountains often carving the ground (this is
a form of erosion). If a glacier reaches the ocean, the waves and tides break
off chunks of the glacier that begin to drift into the water. These chunks are
called icebergs.
More than 10% of Iceland is covered with glaciers. Central Iceland has large
areas covered with glaciers. The largest glacier in this area is more than
3,000 feet deep in some places!
Picture of an Icelandic glacier
(1st picture in 2nd row)
Make a model of a glacier: See Donald M. Silver's book,
The Amazing Earth Model
Book: Easy-to-make, Hands-on Models that Teach.
Another model of a glacier (adapted from
this source)
First, freeze
several 1/2 gallon containers of water. You can use a milk jug or juice
container and cut it off the ice. These will be your "glaciers."
Next, find a long,
plastic storage container (approx. 3 ft. long and about 6 inches deep). Spread
moist gravel over the entire bottom about 2 inches deep and then cover it with
topsoil. Find a location out of direct sun where it can be undisturbed but
viewable for several days. Prop it up so that it is at about a 30 degree angle.
Place a "glacier" at the top of the slope. When it melts, add another.
Over a period of
several days, have your student observe what happens. (It too much water
gathers as the lake at the bottom, remove some.) Student should be able to see
the erosion of topsoil, the exposure of rocks ("glacier erratics"), the
formation of a lake at the bottom, a river delta, sediment on the lake bottom,
etc.
Ecosystems -- Marshy Meadows: Marshes are areas of low, wet, soft land
(a swamp or bog). The creatures that live in this are especially suited for
their wet environment. Have your older student research Icelandic salt marshes
and write a paragraph on his findings. (If your student is interested in the
fauna of Iceland and he has rowed Miss Rumphius,
read about how Lupines were
introduced and have since become a problem to the Skaftafell area)
Biome/Climactic Zone --
Tundra:
Tundra is defined as area in which the growth of trees is hindered by the
cold temperatures and the short growing season. There are three kinds of
tundra: Arctic, Alpine, and Antarctic. Iceland has two.
North Iceland is Arctic tundra. Arctic Tundra is defined as a treeless area
between the icecap and the tree line of Arctic regions, having a permanently
frozen subsoil (permafrost) and supporting low-growing vegetation such as
lichens, mosses, and stunted shrubs.
Most of Iceland is Alpine Tundra. Alpine Tundra does not have permafrost and
the soil is usually better drained than arctic tundra.
Frozen Tundra: A Web of Life
(A Web of Life series) by Philip
Johansson
Arctic Tundra and Polar Deserts (Biomes
Atlases series) by Chris Woodford
Arctic Tundra (One
Small Square series) by Donald M. Silver
Tundra Discoveries by Ginger
Wadsworth
Tundra (Biomes
of the World series) by Elizabeth Kaplan
Tundra (Our
Living World: Earth Biomes series) by Barbara A. Somervil
Website
Biome/Climactic Zone --
Desert: Central Iceland is a desert plateau. A desert is often
defined as a dry, often sandy region of little rainfall, extreme temperatures,
and sparse vegetation. It can also be defined as a region of permanent cold
that is largely devoid of life. A plateau is defined as a relatively flat
highland. In the desert regions of Iceland, there are very few trees and the
soil is not fertile enough for crops or grazing animals.
Arctic Tundra and Polar Deserts by Chris Woodford
Tundra and Cold Deserts by Rose
Pipes
Evolution / Adaptation: Because
Icelandic horses have adapted to the harsh environment of Iceland, you may wish
to discuss evolution (with a small "e"-- sometimes known as microevolution).
Over the thousand years that the horses have been on the island, they have
adapted to their surroundings by becoming more compact and very strong. They
have become tough and hardy. Icelandics are usually gentle and rarely kick or
bite. They are generally easy to catch. Just think how noisy it must be when
there are volcanoes and geysers all around! Being use to such sounds, humans
coming around are probably less scary! (If you read the follow-up story of
Anna and Price, Runaway Pony, you will
see that Prince becomes frightened of a tractor and that Anna begins to train
prince before he is two years old....two things inconsistent with what I have
learned about Icelandic horses. These things are consistent with most other
horse breeds however.)
Glíma:
Have
a child interested in wrestling??? Find more information on Glima, the
traditional form of Icelandic wrestling. The Vikings brought the game to the
island!
Greenhouses: Icelanders use greenhouses
to extend the growing season. If your student is interested, research this
further. (Also see HomeSchoolShare's unit on
Alvah and Arvilla .) For a website
showing greenhouses using geothermal heating, please see the above science
lesson on geothermal heating.)
Deforestation / Reforestation: Twelve
hundred years ago Iceland was almost completely covered with trees. Since that
time, Iceland has become almost treeless. In an effort to keep the islanders
from worshiping the trees, Christian leaders cut down many trees. Over the
years, many trees were chopped down for timber or for firewood. Herds of sheep
stripped areas as they grazed. Harsh winters and volcanic ash also took their
toll. Research further the efforts that have been recently taken to restore
trees to this island.
World Literature -- The Sagas: The
Sagas, written between 1100 and 1300 AD, would enhance any high schooler's study
of world literature. Perhaps your older student could research and write a
paper.
Links to get started:
http://www.simnet.is/gardarj/folk/sagas.htm
http://sunsite.berkeley.edu/OMACL/Heitharviga/
http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2004/05/0507_040507_icelandsagas.html
Compare Iceland's Book of Wisdom, The
Hávamál,
and the
Bible's Book of Proverbs: Another good project for the older student.
Link
Ancient Alphabets -- Runes: Has your
child studied Cuneiform writing when he studied ancient civilizations? Perhaps
he'd be interested in seeing the old alphabet of Iceland, Runes. (No need to
get into the "magical" aspect of runes.) Link
Home Economics -- Cooking:
Pancakes
3 cups Flour
3 Eggs
3 cups Milk
1/2 teaspoon Baking Soda
Essence of Cardamom
Beat eggs and milk together,
add dry ingredients.
Stir until smooth. Leave to settle for 30 minutes.
Melt and add margarine.
Heat a small frying pan and grease the pan lightly.
Pour enough batter to coat the pan thinly.
When one side is done, turn the pancake
over with a palette knife and fry the other side.
Grease frying pan often.
Pancakes are usually stacked as they are fried
and white sugar sprinkled liberally on each one.
They can be rolled up individually,
with a little added white sugar on each one.
Or Strawberry Jam is spread on the Pancakes,
with a dollop of whipped cream in the middle.
Fold over twice, and enjoy.
Source
More Icelandic Recipes
Also, the Iceland book by Barbara A.
Somervil has a recipe for Icelandic Crepes on page 126. (It's for a smaller
batch than the pancake recipe listed above and does not require cardamom--which
my cupboards do not have!)
Websites for
pictures of various geological places in Iceland:
http://www.pangaeasci.com/_iceland.htm
(as you may guess from the name of this site, it is from a non-Christian Old
Earth perspective)
http://www.iceland-nh.net/lands/best_list.html (Lots of wonderful pictures
of Iceland. Be sure to click on the links at the bottom too.)
http://www.danielbergmann.com/html/gallery/index.html
(Stunning photographs of the landscape, flora, and fauna of Iceland)
Possible go-along books:
If you child enjoys this story, you may wish to also
get Krista Ruepp's
The Runaway Pony, a follow-up story of
Anna and her pony Prince which mentions Iceland's lava fields and geysers. In
some ways, I actually think it would make a better unit, particularly if you do
not wish to cover Norse mythology, but I found
Winter Pony first! You could easily row one book one week and the other
book a second week and use some of the bunny trails I listed to make an extended
study of Iceland.
I highly recommend the following
chapter book for
a family read-aloud this week or for the older student to read to coincide with
this study of Iceland: Iceland Adventure
by Elizabeth Yates (of Amos Fortune, Free Man
fame). This story was written in the late 30s. It is only 114 pages.
The 15 year old brother and 14 year old sister ride "ponies," learn about the
Icelandic naming tradition, visit Mount Hekla, and see geysers...so there are
many elements that tie into this Winter Pony
unit study. (Note: Iceland Adventure has
also been published under the title: Climbing
Higher. Iceland Adventure can
be purchased through
Bob Jones. )
Ponies
of Mykelligni by Lonzo Anderson is a nice story written in the 1960s.
Winter is ending, and a brother and sister (who are homeschooled by their
mother) take a ride on their Icelandic "ponies" and are cut off from home by an
earthquake and subsequent volcanic eruption. 48 pages, with many pictures, text ranges from 2 to 12 sentences a
page.
Another possible book for the older student might be
The Story of Rolf and the Viking Bow
(Living History Library series) by Allen French, loosely based on the Icelandic
sagas. I have not read this story and so I strongly urge the parent to
pre-read. Based on reviews at Amazon.com, characters die and come back to life
and the story has witchcraft. However, probably any book based on mythology is
going to mention such things.
