The British Isles (Homeschooling Around the World in 180 Days)

Welcome to my blog! This year for homeschool my 12-turning-13-year-old will be exploring the modern world (safely from home). I've named my DIY curriculum "Around the World in 180 Days," which is the standard length for a school year (at least in the public school system). It breaks down into 36 weeks (of 5 day weeks). My plan is to spend about six weeks studying each continent. We will begin with Europe, travel down through Africa, then the Middle East/Asia, Southeast Asia/Australia/New Zealand/Pacific Islands (what should I call that unit?), Latin America/Caribbean, then finish with US/Canada.

For those of you wondering, we will also be using a writing workbook to round-out language arts.

BRITISH ISLES

(Great Britain and Ireland)

I was originally preparing a single post for Europe, but so much of the material available was specific to Britain that I decided to break this up into two posts. We are planning to spend the first six weeks of the school year in Europe, starting with one or two weeks in Britain.

If you have book, documentary, movie, food, or other suggestions, please mention so in the comments section!

Also, I've made a couple easy-to-pin pictures for those of you who organize your homeschool plans in Pinterest;)

The Cities Book 

Edinburgh, Scotland, p. 70-71

London, England, p. 72-75

Dublin, Ireland, p. 76-77

Middle Grade Fiction

The London Eye Mystery, by Siobhan Dowd. Set in modern London. Main character appears to have Asperger's syndrome. 

Lexile: 640L

Ted and Kat watched their cousin Salim board the London Eye, but after half an hour it landed and everyone trooped off—except Salim. Where could he have gone? How on earth could he have disappeared into thin air? Ted and his older sister, Kat, become sleuthing partners, since the police are having no luck. Despite their prickly relationship, they overcome their differences to follow a trail of clues across London in a desperate bid to find their cousin. And ultimately it comes down to Ted, whose brain works in its own very unique way, to find the key to the mystery. 

The Lost Property Office, by James R. Hannibal. Set in modern London with some magic. Main character has synesthesia (his brain re-interprets sensory elements). As the author himself has synesthesia, he does an effective job incorporating it into the novel and making the description even more interesting. Good as a stand-alone book, but you might consider buying the whole trilogy.

Lexile: 730L

Thirteen-year-old Jack Buckles is great at finding things. Not just a missing glove or the other sock, but things normal people have long given up on ever seeing again. If only he could find his father, who has disappeared in London without a trace.

But Jack’s father was not who he claimed to be. It turns out that he was a member of a secret society of detectives that has served the crown for centuries—and membership into the Lost Property Office is Jack’s inheritance.

Now the only way Jack will ever see his father again is if he finds what the nefarious Clockmaker is after: the Ember, which holds a secret that has been kept since the Great Fire of London. Will Jack be able to find the Ember and save his father, or will his talent for finding things fall short?

Lost in London, by Cindy Callaghan. Book #1 of 5 in the Lost in Europe Series. An American girl gets to visit London. This book feels a lot like a Barbie movie. Everything ties up in the most over-the-top, sparkly sort of way. If you have a tween girl who loves (or recently used to love) Barbie movies, she will probably love this.

Lexile: 630L

Twelve-year-old Jordan isn’t unhappy, but she’s definitely bored. So when she gets the chance to take part in a London exchange program, she’s thrilled to ditch her small town in Delaware and see the world across the pond.

Unfortunately, Jordan’s host sister in London, Caroline, isn’t exactly enthusiastic about entertaining an American girl. Despite the chilly welcome, Jordan finds herself loving the city and Caroline’s group of friends, who are much nicer than Caroline herself.

And then a major misstep leaves Jordan and Caroline trapped together overnight—inside Daphne’s, the world’s largest department store. Given they have complete access to all the fancy shoes, designer dresses, and coolest makeup around, there are worse places to be stuck. But when the girls’ fun has not-so-fun consequences, Jordan’s wish for excitement abroad turns into a lot more than she ever bargained for...

Lost in Ireland, by Cindy Callaghan. Book # 4 of 5 in the Lost in Europe Series (but I don't think they need to be read sequentially).

A superstitious girl must try to turn her horrible luck around during a family trip to Ireland in this M!X novel from the author of Lost in London.

Meghan McGlinchey is the most superstitious girl in her family—and probably in the entire state of Delaware. When she receives a chain letter from a stranger in Ireland, Meghan immediately passes it on, taking only a tiny shortcut in the directions.

But after a disastrous day, made complete by losing the election for class president and embarrassing herself in front of the entire school, Meghan realizes that tiny shortcut was a big mistake. Thankfully, her family was already headed to Ireland on spring break, and Meghan makes it her mission to find the original sender and break her extremely unlucky streak.

With the help of an eccentric cast of characters—and one very cute Irish boy—can Meghan figure out a way to stop her bad luck? Or is she cursed forever?

Lexile: 590L

Other books in this series: Lost in Paris, Lost in Rome, Lost in Hollywood (not sure what that last one is doing with the European travel books . . .)

Movies, Documentaries, and TV Series 

(Accurate as of August 3, 2020)

Note: movie standards vary from family to family. If in doubt, preview before showing to your own children.

The Majestic Life of Elizabeth the II, Prime Video. Not rated. 

Prince Charles: The Royal Restoration, Prime Video. In an impoverished, run-down part of Britain, one of the "most important" properties of the Commonwealth is about to be sold, with the antique furnishings auctioned. Not only did Prince Charles save this historic building from ruin, but he found ways to revitalize the community while doing so. 

The Tube: Going Underground, Prime Video. Yes, an entire documentary series exists featuring the famed London Tube.

Ireland's Wild River, Prime Video. A nature documentary. Rated TV PG.

The Great British Baking Show: The Beginnings, Netflix. See the original season of baked goodness judged by Mary Berry and Paul Hollywood.

What a Girl Wants, Netflix. Fresh out of high school, a young woman can't decide what to do about college--not before she finally meets her British father (played by Mr. Darcy. I mean Colin Firth). The movie has a bit of a Parent Trap feel about it, if Mom was a Bohemian American and Dad was attempting to be a proper British gentleman running for office, complete with a dubious fiancee.

Parent Trap (1998 version), Disney+. In this version, Mom is a fashion designer in London.

Youth Magazine Articles 

(from The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints)

"Finders Keepers?" (November 2018 Friend). A boy finds a ten pound note on the school grounds. Should he keep it? A comic-strip story.

"Will You Come to My Baptism?" (July 2019 Friend).

"An Olympic Decision," (January 2019 Friend). Set in 1924. A British Olympian refuses to race on Sundays.

"Keeping the Orphans Warm," Set in Bristol, England, 1857. (May 2019 Friend). The heater in one of George Muller's orphanages was broken. He prayed that the weather would be warmer until the heater was fixed.