May Garden

• Jun. 16, 2008 - A Fun Science Find

I love picking up interesting books when I have opportunity. I have had several great old paperback scholastics from the 50's and 60's.
I read Leave it to Herbert -The Electrical Mouse to the kids today. The 60 page easy read was so fun!

The boys learned technical terms for basic electricity experiments.

What is...

Electrical Current-

Static Electricity -

An Electron -

A Circuit -

An Insulator -

A Conduit -

How to...

Do an experiment with a ping pong ball a piece of paper and a wool cloth.

Do an experiment with a comb and small scraps of paper.

Train a mouse to answer to a bell.

We read a biography on Thomas Edison a few years ago and I asked Luke if he remembered and he didn't remember very many details so asked to read it again soon.

I would also love to follow up and DO some of these simple experiments.

Update: We had several days of unexplained power surges in our home finally I called the city to come out and check the lines. They found that there was a corroded connector in our main line to/ at our house.

We watched them replace it and the man that was attending this happened to be very friendly and talkative and friendly. Oh, I already said friendly ! He gave us a little talk and said they offer talks about basic electrical concepts yearly to school aged children! We will be sure to attend.

Dad replaced some light fixtures. The kids watched mommy help.

We took a couple pics with a disposable camera I'll put them up soon.

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• Jun. 14, 2008 - How they grow!

Posted in Science

I had several pictures from mid winter that I never posted. Thought I'd add them to the blog as a show of how quick children can grow!
We do a growth chart periodically updating and the children are healthily gaining hight and weight.

Independence has increased. And learning to follow instructions happens everyday.
Like clean-up if you want to or not cause Mommy said so!

Or stay out of the window!

And learning to become young ladies and gentlemen.

Growing Up! Won't be long till the boys are looking me strait in the eyes!

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• Jun. 14, 2008 - Loosing Teeth

Posted in Science

Luke was loosing several teeth about a year ago and Tim was so frustrated that he wasn't experiencing this. Well now Tim has a mouth transformed over the last several months.

Any which way you turn this picture this tooth is crooked just hanging by one side!

We tried to make it come out by eating things that would pull on it.

How it finally came out was a when the boys were tossing a rubber ball that bumped his mouth and caused that tooth to drop out!
Then a week later another tooth ( lower front) basically fell out the same way by some rougher play and an accidental bump.

Hew as disappointed that he lost those teeth... we simply couldn't find them in the grass.
We don't do the tooth fairy thing anyway.

We have enjoyed some studies on the teeth this year in health/ science.

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• Apr. 16, 2008 - Digestion

Posted in Science

Here are some resources we have had fun with. I got most of these off a homeschool eletter I receive from Barbara Feldman called surf net kids

Yucky Fun

Kids Health

Inner Body

Medline PLus

Life Science Connections

Hillendale Health

Discovery Hospital

We have read several books like Down the Hatch, and Where Does My Hamburger Go?

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• Aug. 5, 2007 - Insects

Posted in Science

This year in particular we have identified tons of bugs. There has always been a big interest but with a huge garden we've attracted new insects.
We've used numerous books and own a great Handbook of Nature Study Anna Botsford Comstock

The children have an understanding of the life process of insects.

We have a manuel called The World of Insects and Arachnids by Great Science Adventures Zike / Simpson

We have always enjoyed cartoons with insect characters like Buzz and Poppy and Miss Spider.
We have many of the Miss Spider books.
All have been sought-out and handled by the children in their daily lives.

We will be creating lap books.

On Silk Worms

Butterflies

Crickets
Picture Books
Cricket in Times Square

Ants

Worms

Spiders

Lady Bugs

Picture Books
Lady Bug at Orchard Avenue

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• Aug. 5, 2007 - Plant Life

Posted in Science

We have produced our own garden as well as planted flowers

The boys understand about seeds, parts of the growing plant, pollination, decomposition, and saving seed to replant.

Parts of a plant are understood.

We have read much.

We have a book called The World of Plants by Great Science Adventures Zike, Simpson

We will be putting together lap books from the twenty plus lessons offered in the manuel.

We work on recognition of types of plant growth during frequent walks.

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• Aug. 5, 2007 - The Body

Posted in Science

Of this they ask questions weekly.

All the functions of the body.

Brain
Lungs
Heart
Bones
Muscles
Skin
Hair

Digestion
stomach
intestines
kidneys
pancreas
gallbladder

Nerves
sense of touch

Ears
hearing

Nose
smelling

Eyes
sight

Blood System
carrying nutrients/ oxygen

Joints
movement

Again many books and videos have helped answer questions.

We also have several unit studies to expand understanding.

Here are some neat websites we have spent much time on!

We also have done some worksheets where they can identify parts and name them. ie the tooth, the skin, the digestive system etc.

I just picked up a 2004 college edition of Physiology and Anatomy with workbook! ( new in wrappers)

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• Aug. 5, 2007 - Space

Posted in Science

Again another favorite!

Learning about the planets and man made crafts that explore the universe is always a blast

We plan unit studies surrounding topics of the characteristics of each planet, the moon, the stars, the sun, and exploration.

They have watched documentaries and programs like the magic school bus that have broadened their understanding.

They choose books on these topics often.

Glow in the Dark Book of Space - this was really neat!

Space - Investigations - an everything you wanna know about space book

Look Inside Cross-Sections Space ( space crafts ) A Dorling Kindersley Book

We are slowly learning to identify some of the constellations.

We also have made mobiles of the planets.

Our World Book Encyclopedia has had some neat pictures and articles.

The online sites we have visited:

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• Aug. 5, 2007 - Weather

Posted in Science

The boys LOVE anything to do with weather.

They have watched many well made videos about tornados, cyclones, and hurricanes. We own a national geographic vid that is viewed regularly. The thing I like most about that documentary is the constant acknowledgment of God being in control of all things.

We've taped some specials from NOVA that are favorites.

We talk about fog, rain, snow, sleet, hail, types of clouds etc...

We own a book by the leading weather photographer Warren Faidley called Eye of the Storm that is very good.

They have a great uncle that is a tornado chaser!
They look over this book regularly and ask questions... That I try to answer.

When choosing books from the library they often choose something about weather.

Some choices have been from the Magic School Bus series.

Titles
The Storm

We have a unit study that we plan to do

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