Today, I did a science experiment all about salt and lettuce!  What a strange combination!

I began by putting some water into two bowls and adding quite a bit of salt to one of them -

As you can see, the Olympic Games was on TV in the background, but it didn't distract me at all!

I then took some lettuce and put one leaf into each bowl -

This is the lettuce in the bowl of salty water, and this is the lettuce in plain water -

We then left the lettuce in the water for 30 minutes (during which time we actually did watch the Olympics more carefully!).

After the 30 minutes was up, I lifted each lettuce leaf out of its bowl to see if they had changed at all.  The lettuce leaf that had been in the salty water had wilted (become limp).

Whereas, the lettuce leaf that had been soaking in the clear water had not changed - it was still as crisp as it was when it went into the bowl.

Why was this?  Lettuce is crisp because of water in its cells.  Cells in lettuce (like the cells in our bodies) are surrounded by a selectively permeable membrane - a barrier that lets some, but not all, materials to pass through.  Water moves through this barrier in the direction of lower water concentration.  When I added salt to the water, the water concentration went down and water from inside the lettuce cells moved out of the cells through the membranes into the salty water.  This is what made the lettuce wilt!

I think my friend, Joanna (who was not allowed to canoe on the lake because she was too young), had the right idea! She kept to dry ground the whole time!

It has been so hot here lately that I was really happy to do my Science "lesson" last Thursday.  I was looking at what happened when different liquids were frozen - boy, was it fun!  I started off by freezing some water in an ice lolly (popsicle)  mould over night.  Then, I mixed up a soft drink and added some sugar to the mixture - then that was also frozen over night.

The next morning, I took the frozen lollies out of the freezer and had a good look at them - the frozen water looked like a giant ice cube with white lines running through it; the frozen drink looked totally different.

Than came the fun part - I got to bite into the lollies.  The frozen water was very difficult to bite into, I almost broke my teeth!

The frozen drink was much easier to bite and it also tasted much more refreshing on a hot day.

The reason?  The sugar I added to the drink made the molecules less easy to bind together - so the lolly was easier to bite into!

My Mum's friend, deedeeuk has a competition running at her blog at the moment - and it's only for people in Europe!  Here are the details from her blog -

So, the question is…….is there anyone out there who’d be interested in winning a one year, level one language course in one of 14 languages??? (They actually do programs in 31 languages, but only 14 are available yet in version 3) 

Here is a bit more about the program in case you aren’t familiar with it.

‘In case you've not heard, Rosetta Stone has just launched the first 14 languages of its new Homeschool foreign language curriculum in the UK.  The new curriculum is available in three levels for each of the 14 languages released.  This is not just the same Rosetta Stone program redone, it's an all new curriculum.  Rosetta Stone Homeschool Version 3 includes a headset with microphone, and students must participate in lifelike conversations and actually produce language to advance through the program.  Of course Rosetta Stone still incorporates listening, reading and writing as well in addition to speaking.  Many homeschoolers requested grammar and vocabulary exercises, and with Rosetta Stone Homeschool Version 3, they're included!  For parents, the new Parent Administrative Tools are integrated into the program and allow parents to easily enroll students in any of 12 predetermined lesson plans, monitor student progress, and view and print reports.  Rosetta Stone has been the #1 foreign language curriculum among homeschoolers, and it doesn't look like that's going to change any time soon.’ 

You can also check out the Rosetta Stone website at http://www.rosettastone.co.uk/home_education/ to read all about the program and to see the full list of languages available. To mention a few though, you can get a course in Irish, or if you are interested in a course in English you can choose if you want ‘American’ or ‘British’ English! LOL!  Maybe I should get the course in British English!  Also the traditional languages studied in schools like French, German and Spanish.

This course usually costs £145, but to the winner of my contest a level one course in the language of their choice will be absolutely *FREE*! (And you all know how much I love that word!)

So, what do you have to do to have a chance of winning the fabulously amazing prize? First of all you have to leave me a comment on this post(www.homeschoolblogger.com/deeedeeuk/549007/), and just to make it more fun tell me what languages you have studied or can speak (or not as the case may be!) Be sure to include your blog address where you can be reached or if you don’t have a blog, an email address so I can notify you if you are the winner! AND if you enter and leave an email address and you don’t win you will receive a special offer from Rosetta Stone! How cool is that?  So everyone who enters and leaves an email addy wins!! Whoo Hoo!!

You can double your chances of winning the full program and get two entries to the contest if you leave me a comment AND copy all of the highlighted (green) information and post it to your own blog, then post a link back to my blog at (www.homeschoolblogger.com/deedeeuk/549007/) to show where you blogged about it and to complete your entry.The contest will close at midnight on the 28th of June. The winner will be chosen at random (out of a hat!) on Sunday the 29th. Hurry up and enter everyone and be sure to spread the word!

When I was about 4 years old, my Mum and Dad sent me to school.  At that time, my Mum was very ill with cancer, so it was the only option!

I did not like school at all - most of the time, I was bored.  When I get bored, I get cranky!  I used to either lie on the floor and refuse to do any work, or I used to clown about.  The teachers just didn't know what to do with me!  It wasn't that I couldn't do the work - it was because I could do the work they set me to do and more besides!  I just didn't have anything new being taught to me!

In the playground, things were not much better.  I tried really hard to make friends - but no-one would be my friend.  A lot of this was to do with me not being very good at sports (I have dyspraxia) and also because they saw me as being "different".

How was I different?  Well, I was the only one in my class that went to church.  I had always been told that if I had a problem, I should talk to God about it - so I did.  The other kids used to say I was "weird" because I was talking to myself - they didn't know that I was really praying!

One day, when I was almost 9 years old, my Mum mentioned that she and Dad had come to a big decision about me - I WAS GOING TO BE HOMESCHOOLED!!  At last, my prayers had been answered!  I have been a much happier boy ever since.

My prayer today is for those children who still go to school -

"Please Jesus, will you send people to help anyone who is feeling unhappy at school.  I ask you to be near to really sad children who are bullied and don't know what to do.  Amen."

I have had a really busy week this week!  As well as my usual studies, I have been doing lots of other interesting things.

Monday - we went out for lunch with some other homeschooling friends.  Mum and Dad talked with the two other Mums and I sat with Declan, Matt and Joanna (Joanna was a bit of a nuisance because she was the youngest there, and the only girl - but she told her Mum that she really liked me because I didn't shout at her!!).

Wednesday - we went to the Animal Sanctuary to plant some trees.  I helped to plant some holly and hawthorn bushes.  It was very muddy there - in fact, our boots have still not completely dried out!  It started to rain quite hard, so we left - we had brought Declan with us because his Mum had to work.  The four of us went for lunch and then Mum and Dad dropped me off at Declan's house so that we could have some "play-time" - his Gran looked after us.  On Wednesday evening I was supposed to be swimming in a Swimming Gala but, when we got to the pool, it was locked up - there had been a gas leak and it wasn't safe to go in!!  I was very disappointed.

Thursday and Friday were fairly "normal" days!!

Saturday - it was my Explorers Club again this morning.  Today, we had a talk and demonstration about telescopes and microscopes.  It was fascinating!  I have my own telescope at home which I use for looking at the stars, but I haven't used a proper microscope before - I looked at a fly and saw how its eye was made!!

Tomorrow, after Church, I am going to the Kids Heritage Club.  We are meeting at Bramall Hall to make Tudor-style Christmas decorations.  It should be fun!