We have a bonus country to add to our Around the World in 11 Weeks series…Ukraine! Ukraine is the largest country in Europe. It has a long history and is full of beauty. Check out all the resources below and grab the FREE printable portion to learn more about this country.
Note: For ideas on how to organize your unit study, visit the Around the World in 11 Weeks main page.
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Printable Unit Study
The printable portion of the unit study contains Ukraine Notebooking Pages, a Map Scavenger Hunt, a Following Directions activity, a math activity about Ukrainian currency, Famous People notebooking pages, and book summaries. Grab it below! (23 pages)
Videos About Ukraine
Top Ten Places to Travel in Ukraine (9 minutes).
This is a great video to start with to show your children the beauty and a little history of Ukraine.
Travel Kids in Ukraine (7 min.)
Great video for younger children that shares a little culture.
The Animated History of the Ukraine (17 minutes).
This series is definitely aimed at older children…middle and high school…or very inquisitive upper elementary students.
For older students and parents, here is a good explainer video of what has led up to the current situation between Ukraine and Russia.
If you want more videos about Ukraine, scroll down this post from The Educators’ Spin On It to find 30+ video links.
Research More About Ukraine
Kids World Travel Guide contains a lot of information about Ukraine along with beautiful pictures.
Ducksters has a variety of information about Ukraine including information about the geography, economy, and history of Ukraine.
National Geographic Kids has a slideshow of related pictures, fast facts, the history of Ukraine and more.
Easy Science for Kids also contains a variety of information about Ukraine.
Hands-On Activities
Pysanky: I am sure you are familiar with the beautifully dyed eggs of Ukraine called pysanky. I find them very difficult to make so here are two different way children can celebrate this art…make a painting and/or dye eggs using crayons instead of dripping wax as one does in traditional pysanky. Or keep it really easy by printing this coloring page! Watch this video to learn more about this art form.
Embroidery: Ukraine is known for their needlepoint and cross stitch, too. Red is a common thread color and you will likely recognize the look of Ukrainian embroidery when you see it. If you want to try embroidery with your children for the first time, this is a good beginner kit. If your children have experience with embroidery, or you want to try some yourself, here is a huge collection of Ukrainian patterns on Etsy.
Sunflowers: This flower has been a symbol of peace in Ukraine for decades. Watch this video to see how people are using sunflowers to show support to the Ukrainian people right now. Then, make a paper sunflower and/or make a pastel sunflower.
Dance: Learn how to dance the Ukrainian Hopak from Rosie and Posie.
Make Ukrainian Food
Most Ukrainian food is based upon ancient peasant dishes so it makes for good homestyle cooking. Pick a couple of these recipes to try:
One of the most popular dishes in Ukraine is borscht, which is a bright red beet soup.
Varenyky are potato stuffed dumplings commonly known as pierogis.
For a main dish, try holubtsi or cabbage rolls.
Paska is a sweet Easter bread, but feel free to make it any time of year!
If you are feeling industrious, then roll up your sleeves and make this Kiev cake!
Famous Ukrainians
There are notebooking pages for the following famous people of Ukraine included in the printable portion of the unit study. Here are some resources to research them:
Oleg of Novgorod: Research, Video
Vladimir the Great: Research, Video
Taras Shevchenko: Research, Video, Listen to a poem
Igor Stravinsky: Research, Video
Nestor Makhno: Research, Video
Lee Strasberg: Research, Video
Oksana Baiul: Research, Video, Book
Maksim Chmerkovskiy: Research, Video
Jamala: Research, Performance, Video
Volodymyr Zelenskyy: Research, Video
Play Ukrainian Music
Find a Ukrainian playlist on your favorite streaming service or listen to this collection of folk songs or this collection of more contemporary music. *Note, I have not watched every video in this playlist to see if they are appropriate for children so I suggest just listening to the audio.
Learn Ukrainian
This video will introduce children to the Cyrillic alphabet and the names of colors and common objects.
This playlist of videos is good for older students to learn some Ukrainian phrases.
Duolingo is another free way to learn Ukrainian.
Non-fiction Books About Ukraine
Fiction Books About Ukraine
The Mitten by Jan Brett is a very popular children’s book based upon a Ukrainian folktale.
Elementary grades:
Upper Elementary/Middle School:
Movies About Ukraine
The Stolen Princess is a Disney animated movie set in Ukraine. Included with Amazon Prime membership.
Dragon Spell is an animated film that won the Golden Dysga, a Ukrainian Oscar.
The Stronghold will appeal to older children that are able to read English subtitles. Available to rent on Amazon.
There are several documentaries about Ukraine’s ongoing fight for independence, such as Winter on Fire and Breaking Point, but they are very violent and not recommended for children. I advise caution with teens as well. Chernobyl is a great series on HBO for older teens and adults.
“Go to” Ukraine
This article from Euromaidan Press has several links to virtual museums. However, much of the text within the virtual tours is in Ukrainian.
Watch this 33 minute video of a virtual tour of Ukraine from Cobblestone Freeway Tours.
Explore the Authentic Ukraine site.
What other activities have you used to learn about Ukraine?
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