We spent the last several weeks learning all about the United Kingdom. We learned about famous English castles, read about the legend of the Loch Ness Monster, made English pancakes, did several crafts, and watched loads of fun videos.
Basic Information
The United Kingdom is a union of 4 countries. It includes England, Wales, Scotland, and Northern Ireland. It is an island nation off the northwestern coast of mainland Europe. It is boarderd by the Atlantic Ocean, the North Sea, and the English channel. It's only land boarder is with the Republic of Ireland.
The winters are generally cool and wet and summers are warm and wet. The northwest region is mostly hills and low mountains, while the south east is mainly rolling plains.
Capital: London is the capital of both England and the United Kingdom. The capital of Scotland is Edinburgh. The capital of Northern Ireland is Belfast. The capital of Wales is Cardiff.
Population: 66.7 million
Size: 94,525 square miles
Currency: Pound sterling
Type of Government: Constitutional monarchy
Flag:
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| The Union Jack- the official flag of the U.K. |
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| The Flag of England |
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| The Welch Flag |
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| The Scottish Flag |
National Anthem: God Save the Queen
National Animals: England's national animal is the lion. Scotland's national animal is the unicorn. Wale's national animal is the red dragon. Northern Ireland doesn't have a national animal.
Famous Places and Monuments
The Tower of London
The Tower of London is a historic castle on the River Thames in central London. It was built in the second half of the 11th century as a fortress to protect London. Though it was not the original intent, the tower started being used as a prison for those accused of high profile crimes in the year 1100, and was continued to be used as a prison until the 1940s.
Check out this video from Renata Pereira's Travel Vlog for a cool virtual tour: Tower of London Tour.
Buckingham Palace
Located in Westminister, Buckingham Palace is the residence and administrative headquarters of the monarch of the United Kingdom. The core of the palace was built in 1703, with several additions being added over the next two centuries.
Take a 360° virtual tour with this video from BBC London: Buckinghamshire Palace Tour.
Edinburgh Castle
Edinburgh Castle is a historic castle located in Edinburgh, the capital city of Scotland. It is one of the oldest fortified castles in Europe.
You can read more about it here: Edinburgh Castle- History of the Castle. Or take a short video tour here: Edinburgh Scotland, Iconic Castle.
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| Edinburgh Castle- Photo by Linn Creutzer from Pexels |
Stonehenge
Stonehenge is a neolithic stone structure located in Wiltshire, England. Archeologists believe it was constructed between 3000 and 2000 B.C. It was built by a prehistoric culture that left no written documents and it's exact purpose is still unknown. How the constructors moved the massive stones into place is also unknown. The most widely accepted theories of the structure's purpose is that it functioned as either an astronomical observatory or a religious ceremonial site.
Check out this video from FreeSchool to learn more about Stonehenge: The History of Stone Henge for Kids.
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| Stonehenge- photo by Samuel Wolfl from Pexels |
Rosslyn Chapel
Rosslyn Chapel in Roslin, Midlothian, Scotland was built in the mid 15th century and was founded by William Sinclair, 1st Earl of Caithness. The chapel is famous for the many intricate carvings adorning the interior. The carvings include pillars with intricate designs, carvings of human faces, and representations of various plant life.
The chapel includes a crypt which was the burial place for several generations of the Sinclair family. Many legends and theories have circulated over the last century about the purpose and meaning of Rosslyn Chapel's carvings and the possible contents of the crypt, including various theories pertaining to the legend of the Holy Grail and the "Templar treasure".
You can look at some pictures of the carvings and read more about Rosslyn Chapel at it's official website: https://www.rosslynchapel.com/visit/things-to-do/explore-the-carvings/.
Recipes
English Pancakes:
English pancakes are very similar to French crepes, but a little smaller and thicker. They are traditionally topped with sugar and a squeeze of lemon. We topped ours with strawberries and powdered sugar.
Ingredients:
-1 cup of flour
-2 eggs
-1 tbsp oil plus enough to coat the pan before cooking
-1 cup of milk
Mix the flour, eggs, and milk in a bowl and beat until smooth.
Thoroughly coat a small frying pan with oil and place over medium low heat.
Ladel enough pancake batter into the pan to thinly cover the bottom.
Cook a few minutes until the underside is golden brown. Then flip and cook the other side.
Repeat until all the batter is gone.
Other recipes to try:
Crafts
Loch Ness Monster Watercolor Craft:
People have reported seeing a large creature living in Scotland's Loch Ness since ancient times, though no conclusive evidence has ever been found to prove its existence. We spent a morning reading and watching videos about the legend of the Loch Ness Monster. We read a book called Solving Mysteries with Science: The Loch Ness Monster. It shared lots of eye witness accounts and evaluated the evidence of the creatures existence from a scientific perspective.
Castle Watercolor Craft:
We had a blast with this simple watercolor craft! Start by looking at some pictures of English and Scottish castles. A quick Google image search will give you lots to look at, or check out this post from The Crazy Tourist: 15 Best Castles in England. Then you can get started making your own English style castle.
For this craft you will need:
-White paper
-Watercolors
-A paint brush
-Black construction paper
-Scissors
-Glue or paste
Start by painting a sunset on the white paper with the watercolors.
While your painting dries, cut some shapes that could be used for making a castle out of the black construction paper. We cut rectangles for towers and buildings, triangles for peaked roofs, flag shapes, and even a couple trees. Older kids can cut their own shapes, parents should cut shapes for younger kids.
After they're dry, hang them in a sunny window so that the sunlight makes the sunsets appear to glow.
The thistle, a prickly purple plant, has been the national emblem of Scotland for centuries. Legend has it that in 1263 King Haakon IV of Norway set out to conquer Scotland. During the invasion the Norsemen removed their shoes to better sneak up on the Scottish clansmen as they slept. As they snuck barefoot through the Scottish highlands they came across a field of thistles. One of King Haakon's men stepped on one and shouted in pain, alerting the Scottish of their arrival. The Scottish clansmen awoke and were able to save Scotland from the invaders.
To make your own paper thistles you will need:
-Purple and green construction paper
-Green plastic straws
-Tape
-Scissors
-Craft glue
Start by cutting a strip of purple construction paper about 12 inches by 1 inch. Fringe cut the long side of the strip of paper.
Tape one end of the strip of fringed paper to one end of the straw, fringe end facing up and away from the straw.
If you don't have green plastic straws you can use a tube made from rolled up construction paper instead.
Wrap the fringed strip of paper around and around the straw, until all the paper is wound around the straw. Then tape or glue the end down, so the paper stays in place.
Then cut another strip of paper the same size from green construction paper and fringe cut it along one of the long sides. Tape it onto the straw just under the purple one.
Wrap the green strip of fringed paper around the straw like you did with the purple one and then tape or glue the end so it stays in place.
Use your finger to make the fringes bend out a little to make it look poofy like a flower.
Draw some leaf shapes on the remaining green construction paper.
Cut out the leaves and tape or glue them onto the straw an inch or two below your flower.
Now you have a paper Scottish thistle!
Additional Resources for Learning About the U.K.
Books:
-England by Anita Ganeri
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