Education Update April 5--9, 2010

Spring Break!   That's what we did this week.  A dear friend of A-M visited us from Saint Louis, MO.   We fit quite a lot into the week.   On Tuesday after picking up AT from the airport, we drove up the coast stopping at the beach along the way.   AT had never been to the beach (except Coney Island--which lets just say is not a true beach experience) and loved it, but walked away with out a love of sand!  

Later on Tuesday afternoon, a few of A-M's and N's friends came over to welcome AT.  They played ninja, went to the park and played capture the flag, and then came back to eat.   Fun was had by all.

Wednesday we trekked to the Ronald Reagan Library.  

I was a bit appalled at the slanted view of history presented at the library, but it sparked a good bit of conversation.   We all enjoyed the tour of Airforce One and the miniature white house.  

Thursday we lazied about in the morning before visiting Chucky
Cheese and heading to the beach again.  

Friday we drove to a Solvang.  Solvang is a Dannish town with beautiful buildings and wonderful pastries! 

  After chosing pastries for everyone, we heading to a waterfall we had on our list to hike to for quite a while!  

After a short hike, we turned the corner and AAAAHHHHHHHHH!   It was worth the drive!

Next we headed over to La Purissima Mission.   It was perfect day for the tour.   The kids got to ring the bells--always a highlight of the tour. 

These bars where on the windows of the mission to keep grizzly bears out!  I think I'm really thankful for the time I live in.

This is a soldier's quarter.  His world is hanging above his bed.  Note his gun--it didn't work in the damp CA coastly weather.   Instead the weapon of choice was:

A Lance. 

A nest of baby great-horned owls are current residents of the mission.

We also got to wash our hands using the blossoms of one of the native plants growing at the mission.

We also visited the turkeys.  The tom is always ready to defend his hens.

One of AT's goals during his week in CA was to climb a palm tree.  I didn't think it was possible but our expert tree climber proved us wrong!

At this point AT was yelling--hurry up and taking picture!  So not all the way to the top, but quite a good showing I would say!

We had a great week.  I'm glad our guest came to visit.  It was wonderful visiting with him and it forced us to get out and do all the things one puts off doing for more mundane everyday things!

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Eight more weeks of school left until summer break. This thought causes music to ring in homeschool moms' ears while at the same time riping right through their hearts! Summer--time to sleep in. Read lots of books. Enjoy the outdoors while nature studies naturally happen. A time to catch up on chores and organize the house from top to bottom. And best of all-- time to plan next year! A lass that is where the fear comes in. Only eight more weeks left!!! Those plans from last summer have not been fullfilled! The two science programs. The one and half math levels. The extended unit studies covering every last detail of ancient history. The mastery of spelling and the English language. The exploration of nuclear fission or was it fussion?

Why do homeschool moms place so much pressure on ourselves? Why is it that we have so much trouble setting reasonable goals and being satisified when those goals are met? Why is it not okay to have average kids--that sometimes struggle with reading, only finish one math program each school year, and misspell the same words over and over? These same kids may excell at swimming or music or thinking outside the box. Or perhaps, they exude kindness for their fellow man? They may read all the Judy Moody books and never become experts on the Civil War.

It's that time of year again. Time to plan next year. What are our real goals for next year?

Education Update for the past few weeks--March 26, 2010

This has been me--the past few weeks---in a funk!

Just jumping on board to say--we're back--perhaps if I say it--it will be true!   I've been feeling a little anti-school lately!   Have lots of plans in my head to get stuff done, but real life keeps jumping out at me.   I need to sit down and make some written dated plans so stuff will happen.  

What has happened since I last reported:

Started learning about Ancient Greeks

Learned about Decimals

E started Pre-algebra

Finished reading Ginger Pye and Good Dog

Made Cutie Catchers

Swam alot

Celebrated three birthdays

Played with Legos

Practiced public speaking

Enjoyed the spring weather

Watched a few tennis matches

Wrote names in Greek

Started reading The Children's Homer

Carved animal sculptures

Started studying the solar system

Pondered the earth as depicted on our new globe

put together some puzzles

Took LOTS of cat pictures!

Gardened

Missed Dad A LOT (he's been working out of town)

This is what we did way too much of!

This weekend we have swimming championships.   And next week is N's college springbreak and E, E-R, and I-E's scheduled springbreak.   But I think we will move that to the next week when A-M has her break. 

Lesson Plan Utilizing Thames & Kosmos Physics Workshop

This is a science course I put together using Thames and Kosmos Physics Workshop as our core.   I've added information to this science kit using the Kingfisher Science Encyclopedia, the Usborne Science Encyclopedia Internet Linked, and the Internet in order to make the kit a complete science course.   This course is written to work best for grades 6-8.   You can adjust the expectations to work with your student.

Be sure to check out my post, How to Create a Science Course From a Science Kit, so you can create your own course using any science kit.  

Day 1

Read p 540-541of Kingfisher Science Encyclopedia.(KSE)

Read p 6 of Thames & Kosmos Physics Booklet (T&P)

Start a Physics Notebook--Decorate Front of Binder--include some of Physics ?s

Take Physics Quiz included in T&P Booklet

Day 2

T&P Booklet p 7-9

Workshop 1

Experiment 1

Write up experiment

In science notebook define: gravity, mass, weight, center of gravity, gravitation

Day 3

T&P Booklet p 10-11

Workshop II

Experiment 2

In science notebook define:  equilibrium (using KSE)

Day 4

Usborne Science Encyclopedia Internet Linked (USE) p 130-131

Read and take notes in science encyclopedia

Check out websites 2,3, and 6

Day 5

T&P Booklet p 12

Workshop III

Science Notebook(SN) define: speed, velocity( look up in KSE)

Day 6

T&P Booklet p 13-14

Workshop IV

Experiment 3

Write up experiment in SN

Day 7

USE p 126-127

Look up link 1,2, & 7

Define new terms in SN

Look up links 3 & 5 for fun

Day 8

T&P p 14-15, 16

Experiment 4

Workshop V

Experiment 5

Experiment 6--Write up experiment in SN

Day 9

T&P Booklet p 16-17

Workshop VI

Draw and label force scale in SN

Day 10

T&P Booklet p 17-18

Workshop VII

Experiment 7 & 8

Write up Experiment 7 in SN

Review keywords for vocabulary quiz

Day 11

T&K Booklet p 18-20

Workshop VIII

Take Quiz

Day 12

T &K Booklet p20-21

Workshop IX

Experiment 9

Write up Experiment in SN

Day 13

T&K Booklet p 21

Experiment 10

Write up Experiment in SN

Day 14

T&K Booklet p 22

KSE--lever

USE p 134

Draw and Define a Lever

USE p 135 link 1

Day15

T&K Booklet p 23

Workshop X

Experiment 11

Write up Experiment in SN

Day 16

T&K Booklet p 24

Workshop XI

Day 17

T&K Booklet p 24

Workshp XII

Sketch and label for SN

Day 18

USE p 135

KSE pulley

Draw, label, and define a pulley in SN

Look up website 1 on page 136 of USE

Day 19

T&K Booklet p 25-26

Workshop XIII

Experiment 12 and 13

Chose Experiment to write up in SN

Day 20

T&K Booklet p 26

Workshop XIV

Day 21

USE p 135 Inclined Planes

Look up website 8

KSE--look up inclined plane

Draw and label an inclined plane in SN

Day 22

T&K Booklet p 27

Workshop XV

Experiment 14

Write up Experiment 14 in SN

Day 23

KSE look up Friction

USE p 124-125

Write a short  paragraph summarizing information about Friction

Look up website 3

Day 24

T&K Booklet p 28

Experiment 15

Day 25

T&K Booklet p 29-30

Workshop XVI

Experiment 14

Write up Experiment in SN

Day 26

T&K Booklet p 31-32

Workshop XVII

Experiment 17

Write up Experiment 17 in SN

Day 27

T&K Booklet p 33-34

Experiment 18

Write up experiment in SN

Day 28

T&K Booklet p 35-36

Experiment 19

USE p 134 Wheels

Look up Website 1--wheels

Write a paragraph about wheels

Day 29

USE p 135 Gears

Look up link 1--gears

KSE--Gears

Write up paragraph about gears

Day 30

T&K Booklet p 37-38

Workshop XVIII

Experiment 20

Write up Experiment in SN

Study for simple machine quiz

Day 31

T&K Booklet p 39

Workshop XIX

Experiment 21

Write up Experiment in SN

Day 32

T&K Booklet p 40

Workshop XX

Take quiz

Day 33

T&K Booklet p 41

Workshop XXI

Write summary of Transmission of Force with a Crank Drive for SN

Day 34

T&K Booklet p 41

Workshop XXII

Experiment 22

Write up Experiment in SN

Day 35

T&K Booklet p 42

Workshop XXIII

Day 36

T&K Booklet p 43

Forces at Work

Summarize for SN--include pictures

Day 37

T&K Booklet p 44

Workshop XXIV

Experiment 23

Write up Experiment 23 in SN

Day 38

T&K Booklet p 45

Workshop XXV

Define potential and kinetic energy

Day 39

Research and write one page report on China's Mega Power Plant

To be continued.....

This is my work. Feel free to link, but please do not copy and paste this on another website.   This is for your personal use.  Please do not use within a classroom or co-op setting.   If you wish to do so, connect me to arrange details.  Feel free to let me know what worked and what didn't work in this lesson plan.

Education Update February 22-26, 2010

A-M is reading To Kill a Mockingbird.  I remember fondly reading this book in high school.   Unfortunately, I can't remember the plot at all! 

Today is A-M's birthday!  She is 14 today!   Her birthday party is tomorrow.   I will post pictures Saturday morning! 

Language Arts-E continues working with verbs in Rod and Staff.  -E-R and I-E continue working in their test prep books.  This past week we covered note taking, outlining, drawing conclusions, and propaganda techniques.  E-R was very interested in propaganda techniques.  She made the connection between propaganda and the pancake puff pan she received two Christmases ago.    

She saw this advertisement at the doctor's office and fell in love with it.   After talking about it for months, she was overjoyed to open it on Christmas morning.   I don't think I've seen her more excited about a gift ever.  Well, the pan lasted one try at pancake puffs.  It was interesting that over a year later she made the connection between propaganda and that commercial. 

Math---E finished Teaching Textbooks 7 this week!   Yah!  Next week Pre-algebra awaits him.  E-R and I-E finished Singapore 4A and moved into 4B this week.   Right now we are working with decimals.  And they continue on with fractions--E with his Life of Fred and E-R and I-E with their Key to Fractions.

Spanish---E-R and I-E continue working on their Elemantary Spanish.  

French---E is enjoying his new French class.  We picked up a mic last weekend so E could do the spoken portion of the class.   He has been very diligent to work with it everyday.

History---We finished studying Ancient India this week.   I am waiting for some materials I ordered to get going with Ancient Greece.

Science---We have been watching videos these past few weeks for our science.  Not the best answer for science.  Soon we will recieve the materials ordered and will begin learning about the solar system.   I am also planning to order the teacher and student quest to go with our Story of Science book.  

PE---A-M, E, I-E, and E continue swimming 3 days a week with competitions on Saturdays.  

Not an exciting week.   I have been working on a fundraising project that has taken quite a bit of my time.  It will be mostly finished this weekend.   I will post more about that on Sunday.