USA - Hawaii

I was inspired by the musubi rice balls in the Torchlight recommended cookbook to have a week of investigation into Hawaii and the indigenous Hawaiians. This is a departure from the officially scheduled Torchlight USA week, but I thought this was an excellent chance to talk with the kids (especially my younger kids) about manifest destiny and America's treatment of indigenous people in general. The American takeover of Hawaii was generally nonviolent, but also unwanted. It's also comparatively recent. We had a discussion about Hawaii joining the states versus Puerto Rico (in which a majority want to become a state). With the recent volcanic action, the kids have been really into this study. In case anyone else wants to join, here's the resources I've been using.  And here's the playlist.

Books we read included:

• Hawaii Volcanoes National Park - M.C. Hall
• The Last Princess - Fay Stanley. Just a note - this one is a bit sad, as she dies (of an illness) in her early 20s.  It's interesting and relevant, but a little long.  My first grader managed it with no trouble but did get pretty wiggly halfway through.
• Lydia and the Island Kingdom - Joan Holub. This is excellent and completely appropriate for first-second grade.
• Dog-of-the-Sea-Waves - James Rumford. This was the favorite of both of my boys.  It's a fictional account of the discovery of the Hawaiian islands by Polynesian travelers.  There's a dolphin rescue, and a band of brothers.  Worth reading.
• Science Comics Volcanoes Fire and Life - Jon Chad.  Best for a slightly older reader.  My fourth grader loved it.  In a future world, the Earth has entered an ice age.  One girl is sure that volcanoes can lead to warmth and life for her tribe.  Could she be correct?  Lots of detailed, interesting information on volcanoes, their forms, the hows and whys of eruptions, etc.  There is a little name calling (knuckle-head, stupid) and some exploration of abandoned former malls and buildings, so if post-apocalypse would freak out your kid, this isn't the one for you.  If that idea would intrigue your reader, definitely get it.
• The Nanea American Girl series - Growing up Aloha, Hula for the Home Front, the Legend of the Shark Goddess, and Prints in the Sand (which is a choose your own adventure book!). These are particularly interesting in contrast with the Last Princess and Lydia and the Island Kingdom, as they are only set about fifty years apart.  Nanea considers herself an American girl, while Lydia absolutely was not.  My fourth grader gobbled these up, but my first grader lost interest pretty quickly.  If your kiddo becomes very interested in kids on the American homefront, the Molly American Girl books are also good.  Molly's story is in WWI, while Nanea's is in WWII.  If you have an older child who is not sensitive, World War II for Kids is excellent, and so is Nathan Hale's Raid of No Return.  For WWI, Treaties, Trenches, Mud, and Blood is great.
• A Kid’s Guide to Native American History - Yvonne Wakin Dennis. This has an entire chapter on indigenous Hawaiians and their stories, history, and more.  We found it fascinating and very informative.  The playlist I made started from this information in this book.  A note on the playlist - it's long.  It is intended to be watched in several sessions, perhaps for a few minutes a day.  There are longer videos at the end, if your kiddo wants more info.  My first grader had no interest in the long videos, but my fourth grader was enthralled.
• Hawaii's Bento Box Cookbook: Fun Lunches for Kids - Susan Yuen or Hawaii's Bento Box Cookbook: 2nd Course - Susan Yuen. Not mandatory, but very fun.  My first grader absolutely loved looking at the pictures and choosing a lunch or two to duplicate at home.  Not health food, but definitely authentic!

We watched Lilo and Stitch and Moana, mostly because my kids love those movies.  I found this commentary on them interesting.  I also really liked this one on whether or not Lilo and Stitch could be considered authentic.  

Of course we made a million playdough volcanoes and filled them up with baking soda and vinegar.  (Citric acid and vinegar is also pretty exciting, but citric acid isn't as cheap as baking soda, so we went for quantity over quality.)  We played with the underwater volcano and color changing volcano in the My First Mindblowing Science kit. I wouldn't say the kit is especially educational, but my first grader loves it and my two year old can generally join in.  If you enjoy thrift shopping (my favorite), you will often find these kits halfway done for a dollar or two.  This is how I ended up with enough test tubes and holders for all three of my kids, and it is wonderful for science fun.  I'm putting together a more detailed volcano unit, but the kids' interest seems to have peaked with baking soda volcanoes and YouTube videos of lava melting cars, so we won't spend too long on it right now.

I love learning about constellations that are not based on Greek or Roman traditions.  I found this link fascinating.

Next stop - Oceania.  Hawaii has many connections with Australia, and I find it so satisfying when things flow together.