Journeys

I don’t know about you, but the more I think I can’t travel, the more I want to. Suddenly, far flung destinations hold a far higher appeal that they did 10 weeks ago. This unit of work capitalises on your child’s sense of wanderlust… and just might inspire you to travel when the world regains some sense of normality.

The Text: The Viewer- Shaun Tan and Gary Crew

The Viewer tells the peculiar story of a boy (Tristan) who discovers an ancient box full of optical devices at the local dump. Of particular interest to him is a mechanical object- The Viewer- through which he can observe scenes of destruction, violence and the collapse of ancient civilisations. Although he is afraid, he cannot help but look into the machine time and again as the images change.

This is typical Shaun Tan- dark, challenging and extremely thought provoking. It is a fantastic, richly illustrated text which may be particularly appealing to boys.

Links across the curriculum:

·         -History. The Viewer transports Tristan back through time to witness the downfall of famous civilisations. Which periods in history would you like to journey back to? Go there and ‘take pictures’ : draw images you would see through the viewer and write the accompanying text.

·         -Art. Draw an illustrate a timeline of your own journey through life or create a new cover for the book.

The Maths: Problem solving with the four operations. Using formal written and mental methods. Time.

As a family, investigate the places in the world where you would go for your dream holiday… money is no object… go on, indulge yourself.

Give your child a budget and set the parameters of the challenge, for example, ‘You need to plan a holiday to Mauritius for all four of us. Include flights and transfers.’ Research the destination and create an itinerary for when you get there i.e. if you’re going to Florida, how much will it cost for you all to get into Disney World? To eat at the Hard Rock café etc.

If your child really enjoys this, you could ask them to create a very specific itinerary with timings etc. Your child must constantly be calculating how much money they have spent and how much they have left. Older children could be asked to calculate prices with discounts of 10% or ¾.

·        - Geography: Look through virtual guides of all of the most beautiful places in the world and choose one to go on holiday to. What a way to spend a morning! Mark these places on a map… for gifted children, discus time zones.

·         -Art/ DT: Design new clothes for your trip. Make them if you have the skills (or even just the will to try).

 Have a lovely time, let's hope we can all go to these beautiful places very soon! In the coments section below, let me know where you've chosen to go and why. It might just inspire someone else to plan their journey of a lifetime.