We just finished a science lab that involved blowing items across the floor with a fan. Fun! Kutey came up with another idea she wanted to test. it involved putting the packing peanuts we had blown across the floor into the cardboard tube we had been using and trying to shoot them into the air...I told her to have at it.
This has led to 45 minutes of experimenting (with no direction from me!) to find the perfect combination to make the project work. Kiddo and Kutey have been trouble shooting, hypothesizing, testing, and ultimately succeeding! Engineering at work. Cost? Almost nothing--empty wrapping paper tubes, empty paper towel tubes, a few Di*ie cups, and packing peanuts. But what they are learning--all on their own--is worth so much more!
This is why I homeschool!
Showing posts with label science. Show all posts
Showing posts with label science. Show all posts
Monday, December 19, 2011
Wednesday, October 26, 2011
You have to love a science curriculum
You have to love a science curriculum that has you make this:
from this:
and this:
in order to explain how these:
were made.
Fudge as an igneous rock. Gotta love it!
from this:
and this:
in order to explain how these:
were made.
Fudge as an igneous rock. Gotta love it!
Friday, April 29, 2011
Shuttle Endeavour Delayed
After the early morning for the wedding this morning, we were looking forward to watching the space shuttle Endeavour. It was a bummer that they had to delay, but it actually might work out better. We might be more awake when it launches now!
In the meantime, I found some fun information! NASA has announced where the four shuttles will be placed on display. I hope we can go see one of them someday. Kiddo would love it!
I also found this map of where the space station is.
We'll be watching the updates, waiting to hear when the launch will be!
In the meantime, I found some fun information! NASA has announced where the four shuttles will be placed on display. I hope we can go see one of them someday. Kiddo would love it!
I also found this map of where the space station is.
We'll be watching the updates, waiting to hear when the launch will be!
Tuesday, April 26, 2011
Our Classroom Today--April 26, 2011
It was a cold, rainy, cold, rainy day. Our Tuesday group has had to be indoors a bit too often as of late, winter is just dragging on and on! This week, though, Minnesota Sea Life Aquarium at the Mall of America is having homeschool days, offering a steep discount. YAY!
This was the best shot I could get!
We are studying cnidaria (R.E.A.L. Science Odyssey-Life Unit 12) and rowing Night of the Moonjellies this week and the aquarium is the only place close by that I know of with jellyfish. Seemed like a perfect match. OK, so I tweaked our schedule a bit to make the two coincide, but I have been tweaking the science schedule all winter to make it work with what we have available!
Peek-a-boo!
The aquarium has been completely redone in the last year or so, and it is much improved. I specifically wanted to see the jellyfish, sea horses, and the octopus. Kiddo specifically wanted to hang out with his friends, so the educational value was a bit lost on him. He willingly touched sea stars and horseshoe crabs, though, so his friends were a positive influence there. Normally he is hesitant to do those things.
Jellyfish fun house!
The room the jellyfish are in has walls of mirrors, which makes it seem like there are even more jellyfish than there actually are. There were many, but not as many as it seems at first glance. Kutey had pinched her fingers prior to this room and was having a hard time calming back down, Kiddo had gotten ahead of me so I couldn't make sure he had taken notice of the things he was supposed to take notice of, and there were a lot of people. I got kiddo to come back and stay closer, Kutey calmed down a little, but the loudness and the people didn't go away. I did make sure we got a good look at the jellyfish. I could have spent literally hours staring at them, if there had been fewer people. And if my kids hadn't wanted to move on. And if we hadn't been with friends. Hours. So peaceful. But we moved on.
We made our way to the seahorses, which were quite cool, but crowded. At one point, I noticed Kiddo start talking to a woman we didn't know. I wasn't worried, I knew why he was talking to her. She looked a bit like me, and was holding a camera like me. He had no idea it wasn't me until I tapped him on the shoulder. Kutey lost me for a second in this room, mistaking the same woman for me, and melted down again. But the sea horses were fun to look at. Really fun.
Then it was on to the coral and anemones, and finally the tube aquarium, where you literally walk directly under the fish, sharks, rays, and turtles. The kids love this part. It used to be the first thing you did, but they have reversed the path and made it come at the end. The Sawfish was particularly popular with our friend N. Kiddo enjoyed the Shark Ray. Kutey liked seeing the Loggerhead Sea Turtle. We read a book about Loggerheads a couple of weeks ago, so it fit right in.
Kutey loved these Koi.
We finished up our trip through the aquarium and headed to lunch. We boarded the elevator with...the woman both Kiddo and Kutey had mistaken for me! She knew they had done it. She thought she had made Kutey cry. I assured her it was just the timing, it wasn't her specifically. She is a homeschooler as well, so we exchanged pleasantries and names. Maybe I'll bump into her again!
A few more fun things we saw:
Almost as much fun as the jellyfish!
My friend T loved these eels. They were quite fun to watch!
Shark eggs. We almost missed these. They were right at the door on the way out, along with a few tiny baby sharks!
Aren't they magical?
Wednesday, April 20, 2011
The Bakken Museum--Homeschool Science Series
The April Homeschool Science Series was presented by the Bakken Museum. I admit, we have never been there. It has been on my list of places to go but has been a casualty of the sheer number of opportunities available to us. After seeing the presentation, I am even more inclined to go!
The presentation was on static electricity. Kiddo has been asking me about the shocks he gives Kutey when he helps her unbuckle her seat belt, so the timing was fabulous. Kiddo wasn't sure he wanted to go--until I said that maybe his questions would get answered. Then we were off.
Andre, the presenter, was fabulous. Keep in mind, this is far from a typical "school" group. The age range is infant to probably 13. Not all presenters can handle that range at once. Add to that the fact that he is used to working with the aid of a white board, but this room doesn't have a white board. He did great. He used a lot of volunteers (no shortage of those here!) He explained things very clearly and concisely.
Demonstrations included many things using a Van de Graaff generator. We watched as bits of paper flew out of first one person's hand, then the last person's hand in a string of two people. We watched as hair stood out. We watched as a ball on a rod bounced between two hands. All of these things were explained, quite simply, using the terms attract and repel. By the end, the kids could explain attract and repel, insulator and conductor.
Andre saved the best for last, though. First, we all stood in a circle, creating a circuit, through which a shock was sent. I have seen and heard about this, but I don't remember participating. I made sure the kids participated because, as the presenter noted, it isn't everyday that you get to try this! He noted that he hadn't done it with a group this large, so it might take a couple of tries. It didn't. The first time worked and it was so cool! Kutey's face was priceless. I don't think either kid knew what to expect! The whole room was excited. So he did it again.
The final thing, after that, was an explanation of lightning rods. He had a miniature house with a lightning rod. He placed a bit of Bangsite inside it. First he hit the grounded lightning rod with a shot of electricity taken from the Van de Graaf generator and placed in a Leyden jar. Then he ungrounded it and repeated the process. With a bang of a result. The audience LOVED it. Kiddo LOVED it. You may remember that his favorite Ben Franklin invention was the lightning rod. It was a memorable demonstration.
At the very end, when he took questions, Kiddo raised his hand and asked his question. I was proud of him for remembering his question AND remembering to ask it.
The presentation was on static electricity. Kiddo has been asking me about the shocks he gives Kutey when he helps her unbuckle her seat belt, so the timing was fabulous. Kiddo wasn't sure he wanted to go--until I said that maybe his questions would get answered. Then we were off.
Andre, the presenter, was fabulous. Keep in mind, this is far from a typical "school" group. The age range is infant to probably 13. Not all presenters can handle that range at once. Add to that the fact that he is used to working with the aid of a white board, but this room doesn't have a white board. He did great. He used a lot of volunteers (no shortage of those here!) He explained things very clearly and concisely.
Demonstrations included many things using a Van de Graaff generator. We watched as bits of paper flew out of first one person's hand, then the last person's hand in a string of two people. We watched as hair stood out. We watched as a ball on a rod bounced between two hands. All of these things were explained, quite simply, using the terms attract and repel. By the end, the kids could explain attract and repel, insulator and conductor.
Andre saved the best for last, though. First, we all stood in a circle, creating a circuit, through which a shock was sent. I have seen and heard about this, but I don't remember participating. I made sure the kids participated because, as the presenter noted, it isn't everyday that you get to try this! He noted that he hadn't done it with a group this large, so it might take a couple of tries. It didn't. The first time worked and it was so cool! Kutey's face was priceless. I don't think either kid knew what to expect! The whole room was excited. So he did it again.
The final thing, after that, was an explanation of lightning rods. He had a miniature house with a lightning rod. He placed a bit of Bangsite inside it. First he hit the grounded lightning rod with a shot of electricity taken from the Van de Graaf generator and placed in a Leyden jar. Then he ungrounded it and repeated the process. With a bang of a result. The audience LOVED it. Kiddo LOVED it. You may remember that his favorite Ben Franklin invention was the lightning rod. It was a memorable demonstration.
At the very end, when he took questions, Kiddo raised his hand and asked his question. I was proud of him for remembering his question AND remembering to ask it.
Monday, April 11, 2011
Cars at the Works
The project at The Works this month was cars. The focus was on the engineering process, complete with restrictions on supplies and time. Basically, we were given supplies and had to build a car. Kiddo regularly builds a K'nex car to run on the ramp at The Works, so building a car was nothing new. The materials, however, were entirely new.
The wheels are the bottoms of cups, fastened with tacks to a dowel fed through a drinking straw. Kiddo cut his wheels out by himself, which is only remarkable because he generally doesn't like to cut things like that. He is a perfectionist (like his mom), and his cutting skills rarely live up to his ideals. It is easier for him to deal with the imperfections if they are someone else's. Kiddo needed very little assistance from me. Hammering the tacks into the dowel was the only place I assisted. Kutey had the design of her car (on the left) completely figured out, so I was simply the labor.
Kiddo had to take his car apart and rebuild it when we got to the ramp room--it veered. So we spent most of our time with the cars. Kiddo spent a little time building with K'Nex, Kutey and I programmed the Bee-Bot to go through the maze we created, and we all worked together to make the gears work. We had some success in all of the endeavours, which has not always been the case!
The wheels are the bottoms of cups, fastened with tacks to a dowel fed through a drinking straw. Kiddo cut his wheels out by himself, which is only remarkable because he generally doesn't like to cut things like that. He is a perfectionist (like his mom), and his cutting skills rarely live up to his ideals. It is easier for him to deal with the imperfections if they are someone else's. Kiddo needed very little assistance from me. Hammering the tacks into the dowel was the only place I assisted. Kutey had the design of her car (on the left) completely figured out, so I was simply the labor.
Kiddo had to take his car apart and rebuild it when we got to the ramp room--it veered. So we spent most of our time with the cars. Kiddo spent a little time building with K'Nex, Kutey and I programmed the Bee-Bot to go through the maze we created, and we all worked together to make the gears work. We had some success in all of the endeavours, which has not always been the case!
Friday, March 18, 2011
Spring is in the air!
A friend in the south mentioned that they are expecting 80's this weekend! We are nowhere near that. We still have snow on the ground (especially in the big piles), but the weather is improving. I'll take 50's over teens any day!
Yesterday it was warm enough that the kids and I went for a walk. We saw all sorts birds! Sparrows, finches, crows, a blue jay (which was screeching!), a possible robin, ducks, and red-winged blackbirds. This is the first sighting of red-winged blackbirds this spring for us. I love red-winged blackbirds. Kiddo remembered this when we heard them, which touched my heart. I love them because my mother loved them. My mother loved them because her father loved them. Maybe my kids will love them because I do.
Later in the day, we stepped outside and heard the creek behind our house rushing. We HAD to investigate, of course. Our creek is really just drainage, so melting snow and rain make it flow much more than normal. It flows into a small river that is just a bit away from our house--the yard two houses over touches the river. The river is expected to flood in the next few days.
It was beautiful. Kiddo explored closer to it than Kutey and I. He loved it. Awesome. Nature is awesome.
We saw a fairly new looking woodpecker hole up in one of our dead trees. Kiddo noticed all the older holes first (they are numerous). But this one looked fairly fresh.
We also noticed deer tracks in the snow. We see them sometimes in the summer, but I haven't seen them this winter. Obviously they have been around, though!
It was refreshing to be able to be back in the great outdoors. I was born and raised here, but the cold of winter still gets me. I don't tolerate it well, so this day, this warmth was a gift.
Yesterday it was warm enough that the kids and I went for a walk. We saw all sorts birds! Sparrows, finches, crows, a blue jay (which was screeching!), a possible robin, ducks, and red-winged blackbirds. This is the first sighting of red-winged blackbirds this spring for us. I love red-winged blackbirds. Kiddo remembered this when we heard them, which touched my heart. I love them because my mother loved them. My mother loved them because her father loved them. Maybe my kids will love them because I do.
Later in the day, we stepped outside and heard the creek behind our house rushing. We HAD to investigate, of course. Our creek is really just drainage, so melting snow and rain make it flow much more than normal. It flows into a small river that is just a bit away from our house--the yard two houses over touches the river. The river is expected to flood in the next few days.
It was beautiful. Kiddo explored closer to it than Kutey and I. He loved it. Awesome. Nature is awesome.
We saw a fairly new looking woodpecker hole up in one of our dead trees. Kiddo noticed all the older holes first (they are numerous). But this one looked fairly fresh.
We also noticed deer tracks in the snow. We see them sometimes in the summer, but I haven't seen them this winter. Obviously they have been around, though!
It was refreshing to be able to be back in the great outdoors. I was born and raised here, but the cold of winter still gets me. I don't tolerate it well, so this day, this warmth was a gift.
Wednesday, March 16, 2011
No ear hearing
Remember earlier this year I did a post on "Instead of...?" One of those was as follows:
This week, I decided we needed to just do it, get through it, plastic slinky and all.
And you know what? The lab went fine. The kids learned what they were supposed to learn. Go figure!
The lesson was on waves and how some animals hear--newts through their legs, fish through a line on their bodies, etc. It is part of the Amphibians unit in R.E.A.L. Science Odyssey-Life (Unit 21). We explored waves of all sorts using various demonstrations.
Slinky waves
Waves on pie plate
Waves in water
Notice the dropper? Yeah, I used a medicine dropper, because that is what I had. It worked, no problem what so ever. It isn't about the perfect equipment, sometimes what you have available will work just fine. Gotta remember that!
1. Instead of...waiting for the perfect supplies to do an art project or science project, move ahead with what you've got. The kids won't know the difference!I need to remind myself of that one regularly. Science has been roadblocked, not because of the content, but because I want it to be perfect. So I wait for the perfect supplies. For the last two weeks it was a metal slinky. We have plastic one, but the book said metal, so I didn't move forward. We waited. It also called for an eye dropper, which I don't have, so we waited. BAH!
This week, I decided we needed to just do it, get through it, plastic slinky and all.
And you know what? The lab went fine. The kids learned what they were supposed to learn. Go figure!
The lesson was on waves and how some animals hear--newts through their legs, fish through a line on their bodies, etc. It is part of the Amphibians unit in R.E.A.L. Science Odyssey-Life (Unit 21). We explored waves of all sorts using various demonstrations.
Slinky waves
Waves on pie plate
Waves in water
Notice the dropper? Yeah, I used a medicine dropper, because that is what I had. It worked, no problem what so ever. It isn't about the perfect equipment, sometimes what you have available will work just fine. Gotta remember that!
Mad Science at the Homeschool Science Series
This month's Homeschool Science Series presenter was Mad Science. They are one of the presenters we saw last year and loved, so I was really looking forward to it!
From the beginning, though, it was different. It wasn't the same presenter. He was good, but lacked some of the energy of the presenter from last year. None of the information was new. But my mantra, repetition is good, applies here. The more times they see the toilet paper demonstration, the more likely they are to remember the Bernoulli effect and the like. Yes, eventually we will cover it in science (though I don't remember covering it in my science classes...), but they will already have exposure to the concept. That can only help!
Even given that, it was fun and educational! High excitement, high interest, high impact science demonstrations.
How to toilet paper a tree (a.k.a. the Bernoulli effect)
"Anti-gravity"
Dry ice clouds
From the beginning, though, it was different. It wasn't the same presenter. He was good, but lacked some of the energy of the presenter from last year. None of the information was new. But my mantra, repetition is good, applies here. The more times they see the toilet paper demonstration, the more likely they are to remember the Bernoulli effect and the like. Yes, eventually we will cover it in science (though I don't remember covering it in my science classes...), but they will already have exposure to the concept. That can only help!
Even given that, it was fun and educational! High excitement, high interest, high impact science demonstrations.
How to toilet paper a tree (a.k.a. the Bernoulli effect)
"Anti-gravity"
Dry ice clouds
Friday, March 11, 2011
Tuesday, March 8, 2011
Compasses at the Works
The monthly homeschool day at The Works happened to fall on Kutey's birthday this month. When we discovered that, Kutey was super excited. YAY! No need to plan for the day, someone else did it for me.
This month we covered compasses. First we played with magnets labeled with north and south. Nothing new, we have done this before. This was a little more directed, I guess, but nothing new. There was no explanation of why magnets are magnets, which actually disappointed me a bit. Then we were given a cylinder with iron shavings in it and a magnet that you can put in the middle and take out again. It was cool, but we only got to play with it for a few seconds before they took it away so we could build our own compasses.
This was fun, and again, one of those things where I went "why didn't I think of that!" I was left, however, with the feeling of wanting more. Maybe I was distracted. My friend T was there with her three boys (one of whom is 6 months old--babies are distracting!), so maybe I wasn't paying enough attention, but there seemed to be very little meat to this workshop. I just wanted more. I wanted more explanation of magnets. I wanted more time to play with the cylinder. I understand there is a time limit, maybe I was expecting to much. I don't think the kids felt anything missing, they enjoyed it. I just felt this was more of a play activity with little teaching.
This month we covered compasses. First we played with magnets labeled with north and south. Nothing new, we have done this before. This was a little more directed, I guess, but nothing new. There was no explanation of why magnets are magnets, which actually disappointed me a bit. Then we were given a cylinder with iron shavings in it and a magnet that you can put in the middle and take out again. It was cool, but we only got to play with it for a few seconds before they took it away so we could build our own compasses.
This was fun, and again, one of those things where I went "why didn't I think of that!" I was left, however, with the feeling of wanting more. Maybe I was distracted. My friend T was there with her three boys (one of whom is 6 months old--babies are distracting!), so maybe I wasn't paying enough attention, but there seemed to be very little meat to this workshop. I just wanted more. I wanted more explanation of magnets. I wanted more time to play with the cylinder. I understand there is a time limit, maybe I was expecting to much. I don't think the kids felt anything missing, they enjoyed it. I just felt this was more of a play activity with little teaching.
Saturday, March 5, 2011
Reptiles and Amphibians
This week we have spent time studying reptiles and amphibians. It is 2 separate units in R.E.A.L. Science Odyssey, but we kind of combined them. Partly because I was ill-prepared and couldn't find a slinky for one of the amphibian labs and partly because we were on a roll and just wanted to keep flowing with it.
For the first lab, we made metamorphosis wheels. Very fun project, though a bit picky. I shrunk the template down to 80%, for those of you using the curriculum. This allowed me to cut both squares out of one folder. With two kids, this seemed less wasteful. I used plain cardstock for the wheel in the middle, scraps left over from other things. I cut out all the pieces. I marked the circle in quarters on one side and thirds on the other. I put the square and the circle together. I cut out the phases. The kids did the rest. Kutey was even able to put all the phases on the wheel in the correct order, on the correct side, with no help from me.
The kids love these wheels. Kiddo was very excited to show Daddy when he got home.
We skipped the next lab, because we couldn't find the slinky. We probably could have done the rest of the lab, but we didn't. Instead we moved on to reptiles. We learned about the difference between the skin of an amphibian and the skin of a reptile, then we did a lab to demonstrate this difference.
The idea is to see which one of the paper towels dries out first, which is bad, and explain why amphibians need to stay near water and reptiles don't. And of course, where humans fit in to this.
It was an easy lab, the results were exactly as expected, even though there was no sun to place the tray in as we were supposed to.
Then the kids drew a picture to illustrate a poem about lizards. Very fun, even if it didn't introduce any new material. It was the second of the reptile "labs."
I also had Kiddo read a book about reptiles. At least once every couple of minutes, he was telling Kutey and I some interesting factoid he was reading. So excited. Must have been a good book.
We also read About Amphibians. We have read it before. The first time, I wasn't sure I liked it. There is a sentence on each page, with a lovely picture. At the back of the book, however, there was a paragraph of information that goes with each picture. I think I would have liked the book more if the paragraph of information was on the same page as the picture. It is growing on me. The information is good, it's the format that I have trouble with.
Eventually we'll finish up the last lab on amphibians, but even without it, the kids have learned a lot.
For the first lab, we made metamorphosis wheels. Very fun project, though a bit picky. I shrunk the template down to 80%, for those of you using the curriculum. This allowed me to cut both squares out of one folder. With two kids, this seemed less wasteful. I used plain cardstock for the wheel in the middle, scraps left over from other things. I cut out all the pieces. I marked the circle in quarters on one side and thirds on the other. I put the square and the circle together. I cut out the phases. The kids did the rest. Kutey was even able to put all the phases on the wheel in the correct order, on the correct side, with no help from me.
The kids love these wheels. Kiddo was very excited to show Daddy when he got home.
We skipped the next lab, because we couldn't find the slinky. We probably could have done the rest of the lab, but we didn't. Instead we moved on to reptiles. We learned about the difference between the skin of an amphibian and the skin of a reptile, then we did a lab to demonstrate this difference.
The idea is to see which one of the paper towels dries out first, which is bad, and explain why amphibians need to stay near water and reptiles don't. And of course, where humans fit in to this.
It was an easy lab, the results were exactly as expected, even though there was no sun to place the tray in as we were supposed to.
Then the kids drew a picture to illustrate a poem about lizards. Very fun, even if it didn't introduce any new material. It was the second of the reptile "labs."
I also had Kiddo read a book about reptiles. At least once every couple of minutes, he was telling Kutey and I some interesting factoid he was reading. So excited. Must have been a good book.
We also read About Amphibians. We have read it before. The first time, I wasn't sure I liked it. There is a sentence on each page, with a lovely picture. At the back of the book, however, there was a paragraph of information that goes with each picture. I think I would have liked the book more if the paragraph of information was on the same page as the picture. It is growing on me. The information is good, it's the format that I have trouble with.
Eventually we'll finish up the last lab on amphibians, but even without it, the kids have learned a lot.
Thursday, March 3, 2011
We finished plants, FINALLY!
This week we finished our plant study. Oh, you thought we had already done that? Before we moved on to birds, amphibians, and reptiles? Well, almost. We had one lab that was not cooperating. Remember when we covered leaves with foil to see what happens when leaves are deprived of light? Well, removing the foil after one week did not yield results. Two weeks, no results. Three weeks, nothing. Finally, at four weeks, we saw results. Well, on one leaf. Out of three. Darn healthy plants.
It is entirely possible that the leaf was simply due to die through the natural life-cycle of the plant. We won't mention that to the kids, though!
And apparently this plant is opposed to pictures that are in focus...
It is entirely possible that the leaf was simply due to die through the natural life-cycle of the plant. We won't mention that to the kids, though!
And apparently this plant is opposed to pictures that are in focus...
Thursday, February 24, 2011
Final Launch of the Space Shuttle Discovery
A friend of mine alerted me to the fact that there was to be a space shuttle launch. It could not have come at a better time! Kutey has been sick for over a week. That means Kiddo hasn't gotten much of his regular social time. He was due something out of the ordinary.
So we set up the computer, linked in to the live webcast, and sat down to watch. Kutey was unfortunately (or perhaps fortunately) napping, so she missed it. Kiddo and I loved it.
I had forgotten how exciting it is to see the shuttle take off. I remember watching when I was younger. I remember seeing the Challenger tragedy. But I forgot the excitement. It was a huge treat to share it with Kiddo. This particular launch did require a bit of explanation as we watched. A computer glitch nearly canceled the launch with only 5 minutes left. Kiddo was anxious for the launch, and watching for 20 minutes only to have them pause was a bit frustrating. The launch went off, though, with 2 seconds to spare in the window. Whew.
Kiddo loves space, but somehow that interest has been on the back burner this year. After the launch, however, the LEGOS went back to creating space vehicles. More specifically? Space Shuttles. Too bad there are only 2 more launches. I better make sure to mark them on my calendar!
Here are a few links I dug up for Kiddo after the launch:
Anyone else still thrilled by the launch? Any good resources out there?
So we set up the computer, linked in to the live webcast, and sat down to watch. Kutey was unfortunately (or perhaps fortunately) napping, so she missed it. Kiddo and I loved it.
I had forgotten how exciting it is to see the shuttle take off. I remember watching when I was younger. I remember seeing the Challenger tragedy. But I forgot the excitement. It was a huge treat to share it with Kiddo. This particular launch did require a bit of explanation as we watched. A computer glitch nearly canceled the launch with only 5 minutes left. Kiddo was anxious for the launch, and watching for 20 minutes only to have them pause was a bit frustrating. The launch went off, though, with 2 seconds to spare in the window. Whew.
Kiddo loves space, but somehow that interest has been on the back burner this year. After the launch, however, the LEGOS went back to creating space vehicles. More specifically? Space Shuttles. Too bad there are only 2 more launches. I better make sure to mark them on my calendar!
Here are a few links I dug up for Kiddo after the launch:
Anyone else still thrilled by the launch? Any good resources out there?
Monday, February 21, 2011
Bird drawings
As I was preparing for our study of birds, I was browsing my bookshelves for an entirely unrelated reason and came a cross a few books about drawing. "How to" books. One of them happened to be Kids Can Draw: Birds of the World. What luck, right?
One of Kiddo's cards told him to pick a bird from the book and draw it. I also had him color it in. He chose the bird (he actually chose the first bird in the book), and how to color it (he copied the coloring in the book). It took him no time at all. A great art project for the day!
Obviously this book was too complicated for Kutey to draw. As luck would have it, however, I also found I can Crayon on the shelf. The cute bird on the front seemed easy enough for Kutey, maybe with a bit of help.
She was not pleased with the results. I wasn't there when she drew this, I ran to the store to buy juice for Kutey since she is sick (influenza, bleh!). But Daddy was there, and apparently didn't help her as much as he might have. Still, I think it is cute, and the effort is as important as the end result at this point, at least to me!
This proves to me, however, that I need a better system for knowing what books are on the shelves! Anyone have a good way of keeping track of books you own? I am all ears!
One of Kiddo's cards told him to pick a bird from the book and draw it. I also had him color it in. He chose the bird (he actually chose the first bird in the book), and how to color it (he copied the coloring in the book). It took him no time at all. A great art project for the day!
Obviously this book was too complicated for Kutey to draw. As luck would have it, however, I also found I can Crayon on the shelf. The cute bird on the front seemed easy enough for Kutey, maybe with a bit of help.
She was not pleased with the results. I wasn't there when she drew this, I ran to the store to buy juice for Kutey since she is sick (influenza, bleh!). But Daddy was there, and apparently didn't help her as much as he might have. Still, I think it is cute, and the effort is as important as the end result at this point, at least to me!
This proves to me, however, that I need a better system for knowing what books are on the shelves! Anyone have a good way of keeping track of books you own? I am all ears!
Bird classification
One of the labs in our science curriculum required going to the zoo or a nature area to view birds of different kinds. We have a great zoo, with lots of birds. We were looking forward to going!
Then Kutey fell ill. I put it off, but well, it was holding up the unit to not get the lab done! When Kutey was still sick on Saturday, I started pulling together pictures of birds to do a virtual visit to a zoo. I did try to find a zoo or aviary that had a web cam to make it a little more like a visit to the zoo, but, well, I couldn't find one.
So I collected pictures. Many of them came from Nature's Pic's. Beautiful pictures, wide variety. I printed them 8 to a page, cut them out, then hung them on the walls of the house in 5 different locations. There was a tropical area, birds of the antarctic, the African Savanna, a water habitat, and birds we see in our area.
Once I had them all set up, Kiddo and I went to each area and talked about all of the birds. The idea was to put each bird into one of seven groups. It isn't about being right, the process is what mattered. As long as Kiddo could tell me what his reasoning was for putting a particular bird into a particular group, it was fine. I did the writing--I wanted him to enjoy the activity, the writing would have made it less fun for him.
He loved it! I asked a lot of questions in the beginning, making sure he understood why a bird was going to a particular category. As we went on, however, Kiddo was telling me why as he classified the animal. I asked less questions, because it was obvious he understood.
We will still do the activity when we are able to get to the zoo, but sometimes you just have to punt. This activity worked well enough for now!
Then Kutey fell ill. I put it off, but well, it was holding up the unit to not get the lab done! When Kutey was still sick on Saturday, I started pulling together pictures of birds to do a virtual visit to a zoo. I did try to find a zoo or aviary that had a web cam to make it a little more like a visit to the zoo, but, well, I couldn't find one.
So I collected pictures. Many of them came from Nature's Pic's. Beautiful pictures, wide variety. I printed them 8 to a page, cut them out, then hung them on the walls of the house in 5 different locations. There was a tropical area, birds of the antarctic, the African Savanna, a water habitat, and birds we see in our area.
Once I had them all set up, Kiddo and I went to each area and talked about all of the birds. The idea was to put each bird into one of seven groups. It isn't about being right, the process is what mattered. As long as Kiddo could tell me what his reasoning was for putting a particular bird into a particular group, it was fine. I did the writing--I wanted him to enjoy the activity, the writing would have made it less fun for him.
He loved it! I asked a lot of questions in the beginning, making sure he understood why a bird was going to a particular category. As we went on, however, Kiddo was telling me why as he classified the animal. I asked less questions, because it was obvious he understood.
We will still do the activity when we are able to get to the zoo, but sometimes you just have to punt. This activity worked well enough for now!
Thursday, February 17, 2011
How do birds stay dry?
We started our bird unit in science this week, in preparation for the Great Backyard Bird Count this weekend! I didn't get the books requested from the library, but they will be in soon, so we went ahead and started the labs, anyway. The first lab recommends going to a zoo to view and observe the different birds. Both of my kids have colds. Kutey's is nasty. The zoo was out of the question. So we moved on to lab 2: how do birds stay dry.
The lab was quite simple, but demonstrated the idea very well. Birds oil their feathers, oil and water don't mix, so the oil repels the water and the bird stays dry.
We had 2 "bird" bags--we oiled one, left the other one as is. Then we sprayed with water. I stuck my hand inside as they kids sprayed. I might have pretended the "bird" was flying. Maybe.
Not oiled:
Oiled:
It was immediately obvious what the difference was. I think the kids enjoyed using the spray bottle the most.
This is from Unit 23 in R.E.A.L. Science Odyssey-Life 1.
The lab was quite simple, but demonstrated the idea very well. Birds oil their feathers, oil and water don't mix, so the oil repels the water and the bird stays dry.
We had 2 "bird" bags--we oiled one, left the other one as is. Then we sprayed with water. I stuck my hand inside as they kids sprayed. I might have pretended the "bird" was flying. Maybe.
Not oiled:
Oiled:
It was immediately obvious what the difference was. I think the kids enjoyed using the spray bottle the most.
This is from Unit 23 in R.E.A.L. Science Odyssey-Life 1.
Friday, February 11, 2011
Plants get water from their roots!
We were finally able to see some visual evidence that plants get their water through their roots, not through their leaves.
The difference was mainly in the flowers, but it was sufficient to allow the kids to see the difference, which was the important part. When we measured, though, we did find that the pink plant had grown a centimeter while the red plant was actually 3 centimeters shorter. The leaves were that much less rigid. We only measured to the top of the leaves, not the flowers, since those have a cycle and may or may not have been there when it came time to measure.
Once we completed the lab, we pulled out the foil and watered them both at the roots. The red flowers had perked back up by the end of the day when Daddy came home. He noticed right away that we had watered it.
Once we finished up that lab, we talked about the different parts of the plant and what part of what plant we eat. The curriculum calls for making a "Plant Parts Salad," but, well, the idea did not appeal to my kids or myself. We made a list of what we could put in, but we didn't make a salad.
Our final plant lab is still in a holding pattern. We are STILL waiting for the leaves on the plant to change color!!! Apparently our plant is just too healthy, which is odd, since I horribly neglect my plants!
The difference was mainly in the flowers, but it was sufficient to allow the kids to see the difference, which was the important part. When we measured, though, we did find that the pink plant had grown a centimeter while the red plant was actually 3 centimeters shorter. The leaves were that much less rigid. We only measured to the top of the leaves, not the flowers, since those have a cycle and may or may not have been there when it came time to measure.
Once we completed the lab, we pulled out the foil and watered them both at the roots. The red flowers had perked back up by the end of the day when Daddy came home. He noticed right away that we had watered it.
Once we finished up that lab, we talked about the different parts of the plant and what part of what plant we eat. The curriculum calls for making a "Plant Parts Salad," but, well, the idea did not appeal to my kids or myself. We made a list of what we could put in, but we didn't make a salad.
Our final plant lab is still in a holding pattern. We are STILL waiting for the leaves on the plant to change color!!! Apparently our plant is just too healthy, which is odd, since I horribly neglect my plants!
Monday, February 7, 2011
Our Classroom Today--February 7, 2011
Our classroom today was a large auditorium where Physics Force was presenting Physics Circus. I have said it before and I am sure I will say it again: we are extremely fortunate to live in a major metropolitan area where the opportunities are nearly endless. This fantastic show is presented for free. Yes, FREE. The only cost was the $5 for parking. And it was worth it. The presentation was engaging and fun. The entire auditorium ooo'd and ahhhhh'd, laughed and squealed. They made this physics stuff FUN!
There were 4 main presenters and 2 assistants. There were 2 retired high school physics teachers (Hank and Jack), one current high school physics teacher (Fred) and one college physics professor who happens to be a rocket scientist (Cindy). I loved the names! Hank, Jack, and Fred? Really? How perfect! I missed the names of the two assistants, but I know one of them will be a teacher by fall.
They talked about--and DEMONSTRATED:
Waves, including sound waves
Nodes, anti-nodes, standing waves, oh my! But they explained it all so well! There was a glow in the dark rope involved, too. Big hit with the kids. In the picture they are playing music on "sewer pipes." They had the whole audience sing "Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star" along with them. They also had the audience do the wave, a good demonstration of how the wave could move, but the particle stayed put--we did not move sideways at all, but the wave went from one side of the auditorium to the other.
Air Pressure
The picture is of a Magdeburg Swing. There are two plates stuck together by pulling the air out from between them, allowing the air pressure on each side to push on the plates and press them together. He is doing "a little ballet."
The barrel crush is by FAR the most impressive of the demonstrations for air pressure. I have no picture of it--it doesn't lend itself to still photography very well. But you can watch the video of it on this page. It is impressive, but they did a great job of explaining what was happening, making it seem less mysterious.
The Bernoulli Effect
I took high school physics, liked it, and did well in it. I don't remember ever learning this! Watch the video on this page if you want to know how to toilet paper a tree more quickly easily. You'll have to scroll down to the Bernoulli effect section.
Mechanics
That is the classic tablecloth pull, EXPLAINED. There was much talk of friction, the first moment is the most critical because friction is strongest when things are at rest. And yes, he managed to pull the cloth out without spilling a drop of the red liquid.
This is a "giant puffer" used to talk about how gas, mass, and inertia.
Probably the biggest demonstration in the mechanics section is the one entitled "Monkey and Hunter" on this page. Again, not something that photographs well; you'll have to watch the video. It has to do with how gravity acts on objects. Needless to say, watching a man being dropped from a crane while a ball is shot from a canon into his baseball mitt gets quite a reaction from the crowd.
Lots more demonstrations. Lots. But pictures really don't do them justice. You can see many of them here. If you click on the headings, you will get pages with a wealth of information about the "why." Physics isn't hard, at least not when it is explained well!
At the end, they told the adults that physics in the United States is thought to be hard and not understandable. Incidentally, according the presenters, this is not the case in other parts of the world. He had us repeat the following: Physics is Interesting, Understandable, and Fun. Yes it is!
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