Baloo at St. Augustine- May 4

Boy is Baloo getting around!
 Leann left a note that he was able to enjoy a little relaxation at the beach on Saturday, Sunday, and a little bit of Monday before heading back home to Huntsville, Alabama.

She also sent back this beautiful picture of Baloo on the beach. That water looks so inviting right now! Did you know that St. Augustine, Florida is actually the oldest permanent European settlement on the North American continent? It's true- apparently it was founded forty-two years before the English colony at Jamestown, Virginia, and fifty-five years before the Pilgrims landed on Plymouth Rock in Massachusetts! If you're interested in learning more about this here is a link to the page I obtained this tidbit from:
http://www.oldcity.com/history-information.cfm
Have I piqued your interest yet? If so why not visit easy fun school and check out their Florida unit study! http://www.easyfunschool.com/Florida.html

In addition to easy fun school check out the Interactive Lesson Summaries from Houghton Mifflins Florida Studies textbook. http://www.eduplace.com/ss/socsci/fl/books/bkd_fl/index.shtml This site provides support for the taxtbook but has value without it- maps, organizers, and more! This map came from the children site for that textbook. http://www.eduplace.com/kids/socsci/fl/books/bkd_fl/

The map below shows Sir Francis Drake's attack on Saint Augustine, Florida, on May 28 and May 29, 1586. Also, the interactive maps on the children's site would be great to use with a Florida unit study!

Geo-Bear Baloo update 5/3/11

I recieved the following information in an e-mail from Baloo's current guardian Leann.

Well, as you probably know by now, Baloo did not get to see a shuttle launch on Friday. The launch was scrubbed about 3 hours prior to launch due to an Auxillary Power Unit heater not working. The heaters must work to keep the hydrazine warm in the cold of space. Engineers and workers are working to resolve the problem. The next opportunity for launch is Monday afternoon.



So we made the best of the day and visited Lighthouse Point Par at Ponce Inlet, FL. Here is the site where you can learn more:

http://www.ponceinlet.org/

The lighthouse is 175 feet tall and is the tallest in Florida and the second tallest in the United States. Construction was completed in 1887 and has a Fresnal lens light that has been restored and works today. Here's a photo of Baloo and the lighthouse.
On Saturday, we moved up the beach to St. Augustine, FL. St. Augustine is one of the nation's oldest cities, with Spanish explorers arriving in 1565. There is a ton of historical things to see here but, since we are traveling with our dog (ZZ), we won't take advantage of many of the things to do. But we (and Baloo) are staying on the beach and enjoying a little rest and relaxation. If you want more information about St. Augustine, it can be found at http://www.augustine.com/.
 
Thanks for the links Leann! All I can say about the ponceinlet link is WOW! There is a wealth of information here. This site is perfect for homeschoolers wanting to do a unit study on lighthouses, Florida,  or Ponce de Leon. Just click on the educational resources link on the left sidebar and you will have access to everything from Vocabulary to building a potato powered lighthouse. This is a great educational find! We went to the site and did the virtual tour. I think if we're ever down in that area we will have to stop in and do a real one! In the meantime, I think the kids will be doing that unit study this week! Thanks Leann and Baloo.