Spring Peepers

It is finally Spring! Yay!

And, along with Spring comes the SIGHTS and SOUNDS of Spring! I love watching the birds, and hearing them chirp, don't you? And, the frogs begin chirping also.

This year, we have heard a "bird" chirping in our yard at NIGHT. At least, I thought it was a bird. But, after attending a class about amphibians at a local nature center this past Wednesday, we realized the sounds we are hearing are coming from a frog.

There is a small frog called a Spring Peeper that begins chirping in early Spring.

Here is a short clip from the class, so you can hear the chirping sounds. Listen carefully...

 

 

SCIENCE: Warm Air Currents & Sound Vibrations

Here are two easy experiments that we have tried recently...

#1 - WARM AIR CURRENTS - This experiment shows how warm air currents rise and circulate in the air. Cut a piece of cardstock or heavy paper into a triangle shape a little larger than the mouth of a coffee cup. Attach it to the cup with clay. Tape a straight pin to the tip of the triangle. Cut a strip of paper and fold it into an L shape to make a propeller. Pour very warm water into the cup. Gently place the propeller on top of the pin. Watch how the warm air currents make the propeller spin... 



#2 - SOUND VIBRATIONS - Cover the top of a bowl very tightly with plastic wrap. Place several pieces of uncooked rice on top. Place the bowl near a speaker. Turn on some favorite music and watch the rice dance. Start out at low volume and gradually increase to see how the volume affects the movement...

HELPFUL WEBSITE: Kelly Christian Academy

For all of you who use My Father's World as your main curriculum, I want to tell you about a very helpful blog:  KELLY CHRISTIAN ACADEMY.

The author, Vicki, has posted educational links to various websites (mostly You Tube) that can be watched to supplement the subjects you are covering. She includes links for Science, History, States and Capitals, Hymns, and more.  AND, they are separated out into the weeks listed in the MFW manuals. Awesome!

We are currently using some of the links she has posted for 1850 To Modern Times (We just finished Week 12). But, she also has separate pages listed for Creation to the Greeks, Rome to the Reformation, and Exploration to 1850.

You can also find links for Jewish Holidays,  Apologia Science, and Abeka Science.

It is a very helpful site, especially if you like to supplement your book learning with videos. It's a great way to teach your visual learners.

Have a great weekend!

FIELD TRIPS: Orchard, Nature Center, and Llama Farm

On September 24th, we went to an ORCHARD and learned about apples and pumpkins. We also went through a corn maze...

JJ picking apples

Walking in the pumpkin patch

 

EL coming out of the corn maze

On October 15th, we went to a NATURE CENTER to learn about deciduous trees (leaf trees, or trees that lose their leaves in the Fall)...

Identifying leaves

Taking a nature hike.

A tree frog

JJ made a new friend.
(But, we did let him go!)

On October 16th, we went to a LLAMA FARM...

JJ is getting ready to walk a llama through an obstacle course.

EL did not want to take a llama for a walk,
but she enjoyed visiting with this one.

Mama and baby.
The gestation period for a baby llama is 11 1/2 months!

What We've Been Reading

When you are choosing books to read out loud with your children, try not to choose a book based on popularity alone, but consider the content. Is the book full of nonsense? Is it dry with just a bunch of facts? Or, is it considered to be a LIVING BOOK, which basically means it is well-written, interesting, pulls you into the subject and helps you to "see" what the author is writing about.

During a part of our afternoons, I try to read a-loud to my two kids. Sometimes, we will sit and read several picture books. Yes, my kids still like those (and so do I), and they can be great conversation starters (or just plain fun). Other times, we read part of a chapter book that goes along with a time in History we have been, or are currently, studying. Some are based on true stories, others are fiction but contain events in History that actually did happen. They are entertaining books, and help the kids to put the facts of the times into a better understanding of what people actually went through. They help bring History alive.

So far this school year, we have read through two chapter books and are now working on a third...

 

1

Bound for Oregon
By:  Jean Van Leeuwen
A story about a family's journey Westward.

2

The Secret Valley
By:  Clyde Robert Bulla
A story about a family who took part in the California Gold Rush.

 3

On the Banks of Plum Creek
By:  Laura Ingalls Wilder
Based on the true stories of a young Pioneer girl and her family.

 

SCIENCE: Making Solutions & Separating Mixtures

MAKING A SOLUTION:

SOLUTE (the item being dissolved) = Table salt.

SOLVENT (the item doing the dissolving) = Water.

 

Mix the two together to get a SOLUTION (salt water).

 

An egg is denser (heavier) than water, so it will sink. But, if you add 5 tsp. of salt to the water, the solution becomes denser and the egg will float.

SEPARATING MIXTURES:

Fill a jar half full of heavy whipping cream.
Then, shake it for about 15 minutes.

The globs of fat in the cream will bind together, causing the cream to become very thick. Keep shaking it until the cream separates into a glob of butter floating in buttermilk.

Drain the buttermilk and add salt to the butter if desired.
Then, spread on some crackers to taste.

Mmmmmm!

SCIENCE: Owl Pellets, Atoms, Chain Reactions & Surface Tension

Here are some pictures of some of the Science experiments we have been doing this year...

 

DISSECTING OWL PELLETS:

We dissected an owl pellet at the library with other homeschoolers. Owls cannot digest the fur and bones of a rodent, so they cough it up into a pellet. JJ thought it was really cool to dig through a pellet and find the little rodent bones. I helped EL get through it, but she was not thrilled.

 

Owl pellet

EL and I finding rodent bones

JJ and a friend finding bones and matching them up

DIAGRAM OF AN ATOM:

 CHAIN REACTIONS:

Getting ready to whisk egg whites to make meringue cookies

Whisking the egg whites whips air bubbles into the albumin,
producing a chain reaction.



The albumin traps the bubbles, making a foam.
When you bake it, the foam hardens into meringues.
  

 

SURFACE TENSION:

Pepper flakes sprinkled onto water float on the top
because of surface tension.



A drop of detergent breaks the surface tension
and pushes the pepper flakes away.

More Science photos to come....

Learning the States and Capitals

We have been tremendously busy this school year with school work (obviously), therapies (originally 3 days per week, but now it has gone down to 2), drum lessons, Boy Scouts, AWANA, field trips, play dates, doctor/dentist appointments, soccer, basketball, chores, and just living life. So, I haven't had much time to sit down and share our schooling adventures with you. But, since things seem to be slowing down a bit (at least for now), and we are in a much better place with our routine, I want to take a little time to share what we are using to learn the States and Capitals this year...



We started our year by learning about our Illinois State history. We used this book, Writing A State Report, to help us with that. This was actually scheduled at the end of last school year, but we didn't get around to doing it and started this year off with it instead. This, along with some "About Me" pages, were a good way to start out the year in a light, fun way. 



For memorizing the states and their capitals, this CD from Audio Memory Publishing has been very helpful. The songs can be a little annoying, but they really do help the kids to memorize.



 

JJ thought the singers on the CD sounded weird and didn't want to listen to them at first. They do sound a little high-pitched, sort of like chipmunks. But, then, EL colored and cut out some pictures of dolphins from a coloring book and wanted to make popsicle stick puppets out of them. To her, the songs sounded like dolphins singing. So, ever since our 2nd day of playing the songs, she and JJ have been making the dolphins dance and sing along as they "swim" through the states. It was a blessing that EL came up with this idea. She really saved the day. (They have also used fish and birds to sing the songs.)  



We are also using this workbook to help us learn more about the states, U.S. Geography, develop map skills, and for some critical thinking and reading comprehension.



This is one of the pages inside the Twin Sisters States and Capitals Wipe Clean Workbook. Here, the kids are using dry-erase markers to match up the states and capitals we have already learned. In the background, you will also see a matching game that was included with our curriculum from My Father's World.

 



We also have game called The Scrambled States of America that we haven't started using yet, but will be doing that soon.

Back to School 2014

 

On August 19th, we started back to school with a light schedule. We spent a few days doing some "All About Me" pages, a basic family tree, learning about IL State history, and did some reading and  other simple projects to get us back into a routine. 

 

JJ was acting goofy here. He often says he doesn't like school; but, our first week went fine. I think, deep down, he really does like having (or maybe even needs) a more strict routine to help keep him busy and knowing what to expect. During the Summer, he often told me he was bored.

Our first-day-back-to-school breakfast tradition is usually pancakes. But, this year, the kids decided they wanted Baked Oatmeal. See the recipe below...

BAKED OATMEAL

 

3 cups dry oatmeal (2 cups quick cooking oats, 1 cup Old-fashioned)
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
2 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. salt
1/2 cup chocolate chips (or raisins)
1/2 cup applesauce
2 eggs
1 cup milk

 

Mix all together. Pour into a 9x9 square pan. Bake 30-35 minutes at 350 until firm and slightly browned. Serve warm. 

 

Double the recipe for a 9x13 pan.