Day Two of Solar Science Week

This morning we woke to this:

Lots of fog.

   Although we are in a coastal area prone to fog, this is usually our sunniest time of the year.

So book work it was-- at least for the morning time until that fog burned off.  

Graphing:   We worked on graphing the average temperature's and distances of the planets in our solar systems.  Not surprising the further away the planets are from the sun the cooler they get.  Except for Venus and the furthest planets Uranus and Neptune, Venus suffers from a bad case of greenhouse effect bringing its average temperature to 482 degrees Celsius.  Temperatures level off around Uranus and Neptune at -193 degrees Celsius because the sun's heat is no longer affecting their temperature.

Hands On:  Next we moved on to learning about how to read an utility bill and figure out the different calculations one finds on  their bill.    Comparing our water bill to an average home of six, we found we love our hot baths and showers.

Experiment!  Using these nifty little beads:

That change from white to colors in the sun

 we tested the validity of waiting for waterproof sunscreen to dry before getting in the water.

First we applied sunscreen and let dry 15 minutes as instructed on the back of the bottle.

Beads with freshly applied sunscreen.

Next our beads took a 30 second swim.

Fifteen and Thirty minutes later we compared our sun-screened  beads to beads without any sunscreen.  

Turns out sunscreen doesn't stay put--waterproof or not. 

Reading:  While we were waiting for our experiment, we finished reading The Kids' Solar Energy Book learning about Active and Passive Solar Systems as well as Solar Cells.

Construction:   Wanting to build something new with their Solar Power Kits, E-R and I-E went to work.

The models they built yesterday didn't move very quickly so they hoped that building one model and using two solar cells with it would speed things up. 

Mission Accomplished.  

Writing:  Compare Active Solar Systems to Passive Solar Systems

Be sure to check out Day One of Solar Science Week as well as Day Three and Day Four

and cross your fingers that tomorrow will bring sunny weather our way.

Introducing Solar Science Week, Day One

This school year we have decided to complete our science in one week blocks throughout the year.   I've divided the school year up into seven terms according to when we have breaks planned.   Each term except the last one ends with a science week.  

Our first science week kicked off today!

If you've read my recent article, How to Create a Science Course from a Science Kit, than you know our science studies are planned  around a science kit (or two).

Our main kit  for this study is 

Picture courtesy of Thames and Kosmos

We will also utilize some smaller kits throughout the week.   

The topics to be studied this week include:  

Energy,

Law of Conservation

Active Solar Energy

Passive Solar Energy

Solar Cells

Solar Collectors

Heat

Non-Renewable Energy Sources

Renewable Energy Sources

We started off reading pg 106-109 in the Usborne Internet-Linked Science Encyclopedia.

This gave us an overview of energy.

Next we read about Solar Energy and Solar Cells on pages 629- 630 of the Kingfisher Science Encyclopedia.

More reading in The Kids' Solar Energy Book by Tilly Spetgang and Malcolm Wells on How it All Began.

Enlightening even for this adult, this book is crammed full of interesting information. For instance, I didn't know the first mechanized use of solar power was demonstrated at the World's Exposition in France during the late 1890s with a printing press that printed leaflets about the virtues of solar power! And that soon afterwards roof mounted solar collectors became all the rage in the American Southwest for heating water. Unfortunately, these inventions were put aside when the ease of oil and gas energy were brought to the forefront in the first decade of the 1900s.  

Next we watched Basics of Physics: Exploring Energy on the Discovery Education Site, which covered more info on energy, renewable and non-renewable resources,  and had a particularly good explanation of potential and kinetic energy.

The best part of the day came when we got to pull out our Solar Power Kits.

Sorting all our parts.

I-E created a helicopter

and was a bit disappointed it didn't fly, but the rotor turned

  

A bulldozer caught E-R's eye 

and 

moved around some mulch.

Finishing off the day was an assignment to write a paragraph about a topic discussed today.     

E-R's paragraph

The law of Conservation is “energy can never be destroyed or made, however energy reforms itself.”  There are different forms of energy such as: heat, chemical, light, kinetic, potential, sound, and mechanical energy. Scientist show how energy is reformed though energy chains.  One energy chain from the book, The Usborne Internet-Linked Science Encyclopedia, says that coal is fossilized plants.  When the coal is burned, and turns into heat energy to heat water and makes steam.  The steam turns turbines and  this produces kinetic energy.  The kinetic energy is turned into electrical energy in a  generator.  Then the electrical energy is used to power things.  The Bulldozer I made moves by sun light so that is called solar energy.  The solar energy turns into electrical energy to move the Bulldozer.  Energy can never be destroyed or made, but it can be reformed.

Be sure to check out throughout the week to see more happening from Solar Science Week.

  Day Two

 Day Three, 

 Day Four

  

How to Create a Science Course From a Science Kit

Science kits seem to pop-up just about everywhere these days-- toy stores, book stores, and even the local hardware store.   Robots, bubbles, volcanoes, perfume, slime, solar power, gum.   There doesn't seem to be any aspect of science study that hasn't been turned into a kit.   The varied topics found in these science kits can turn your science studies into an unique personalized course.   The following steps will enable you to put together a science course just right for your family.

   

First find a quality science kit.  I've found that price usually matches usefulness of the product. My favorite kits are created by Thames and Kosmos.  When my children were younger the  Science in a Nutshell  kits worked well for us.   Over the years we have also tried using lower quality kits, but were always disappointed with the results.  It's hard to focus on the science concepts when mom or dad have to take over and jury-rig the contraption to try to get the experiment to work.

The latest kit we've picked 

will allow us to build a wind turbine to preform experiments with.

A library of resource books is a must.   The Kingfisher Science Encyclopedia and the Usborne Internet-Linked Science Encyclopedias are my go to books.   I also consider our library a source for more specific information.

images courtesy of books.google.com

Determine which concepts the science kit can be used to teach.   Pull out the little instruction booklet that came with your kit.

Sometimes manuals provide a bit of background or scientific information, but usually I've found them to be pretty bare-bones,thus the need for additional information to make a kit into a complete course.

Looking through this booklet  I see that the concepts of  work, energy, wind, aerodynamics, wind power, and windmills are covered throughout the different experiments.

Then decide where, how, and when your students will research these concepts.   Matching up the above concepts with the entries in my Kingfisher Science Encyclopedia and Usborne Internet-Linked Encyclopedias,  I start to see how learning the concepts will take place.   The wind entry in the Kingfisher Science Encyclopedia will lend itself to summarizing, so I mark down our first assignment as reading the entry and writing a paragraph summarizing the information.    While looking through the Usborne Internet-Linked Encyclopedia, I come across a beautiful chart  explaining the Beaufort Scale of Wind Forces with a list of observable effects to measure wind force, so I include the assignment to reproduce that chart in their science notebooks, and then to make a chart to observe wind force each day through out our study of wind power.   Further more I find a  website from the Usborne Encyclopedia which includes lots of online activities about what causes different types of weather. Looking up the other concepts, I see that some of the information may be good to memorize while other entries would work for further independent research.

One of the concepts, windmills, is not covered in either encyclopedia, so I head to the library to find some books on windmills.  After searching through lots of how-to-books, I found The Wind at Work, an activity guide about windmills as well as a book chock full of pictures and history about windmills.   I also came across this gem : The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind.  I hadn't planned on including a novel in our science studies, but this true story about a boy who makes a windmill out of junk in order to bring food and hope to his African village was just too good to pass up.   I feel my children will benefit from several different character traits shown in this story which is one of the reasons I love being able to put together studies that are individualized for my family.

Next match up the assignments with the experiments in the kit.   The wind entry will of course match up with the two experiments on wind.  I like to complete our research and reading before completing the experiments as I find it helps my kids to better understand what is happening during the experiment.

Complete the experiments.  The best part of any science course is the experiments!   I have my kids complete lab sheets with all experiments.   I find it helps them process what is going on in the experiment, and we have something concrete to look back on and discuss after the actual experiment has been dismantled.   Donna Young has several different lab sheets available for free.

Individualize the course for your family.  Science is an  opportunity to explore and analyze the world while really making learning fun.   There are science kits available for kindergartners through adults.  Don't wait until your children are older to start science and don't avoid using the kits yourself because you aren't young.  Use young children's natural wonder to jump start their love of learning.   Assignments for younger kids may be as simple as a picture drawn to show what was learned. That's okay. The books and assignments  I've mentioned here work for my middle school aged children; others may work better for you family.  If science is incorporated throughout their growing up years,  investigating, probing, questioning, scrutinizing, and digging to learn more about our world will become second nature to your children.

Be sure to check out what all the other Hip Homeschool Moms are doing at the

 

 and at
http://hammockhomeschool.blogspot.com/

Our Homeschool Curriculum Choices 2011-2012 or English, Science, and Math oh my!

It's that time of the year again.   Time for homeschoolers to get all their ducks in a row for the coming school year.   Time to file, time to plan, time to organize, time to sleep-in--oh, one of these things doesn't belong!

This school year I am down to two students in my homeschool.  E is leaving our school to join A-M at Foothill Technology High.  All though we will miss E, we are also excited about the bit of freedom this will allow us and the new adventure this brings to his life. 

And so without further ado--our curriculum choices for the year! 

English:
Rod and Staff English Level 6
Rod and Staff English Level 7
Sentence Composing for Elementary School
Grammar for Middle School: A Sentence Composing Approach
Write Source 8
Sequential Spelling

 E-R really wants to finish her beloved Rod and Staff English series before starting high school, and since level 6 has so much review I think combining both levels 6 and 7 this year is doable. Also, level 7 is where the writing instruction moves more toward logic stage skills which we need at this stage.   Adding to the writing skills in Rod and Staff, we will finish up Sentence Composing for Elementary School and move into Grammar for Middle School:  A Sentence-Composing Approach by by Don and Jenny Killgallon.  Write Source will continue to help us incorprate writing across all of our curriculum, and Sequential Spelling will cover those all-important spelling skills.  

Science:
Thames and Kosmos Physics Solar Workshop
Thames and Kosmos Wind Powered Kit
Thames and Kosmos HdryoPowered Kit

Thames and Kosmos alternative energy kits will form the base of our science this year.  In addition to the kits, we will utiliize Usborne and Kingfisher Science Encyclopedias, library books, and various websources.   Our first kit,  Solar Eneregy, requires lots of sunshine.  We're keeping our fingers crossed here in this fog-encased community that the sun will make it's usual appearance in October.   As we use the kits and work out the kinks in my lesson plans, I'll post the lesson plans, so check back for those.    Feel free to check-out and use my lesson plans for the Thames and Kosmos physics kit here and here.

Math:
Singapore Math Standards Edition Level 6
Key to Algebra : Books 1-4
Key to Percentages

Singapore Math Standards Edition Level  6 along with Key to Algebra: Books 1-4 will prepare E-R and I-E for algebra next year.   We also have Life of Fred: Biology floating around to throw in for a change now and than.   I'm also drooling over the Murderous Maths Books.  I haven't tried these out, nor even seen them in person, but I hope to get my hands on one to see if it would add a bit of fun while shoring up some math concepts.

Literature: 

I have all of the books and the guide for Beautiful Feet Horse  Study.   I'm not sure if it will hold E-R and I-E's interest like it did for A-M at this age.   So, I also purchased Blackbird and Company literature guides for Eight Cousins, I am David, and Treasure Island.   And the all important Figurative Language workbook is making another appearance.   It prepared E for Windows to the World.   E-R and I-E started it last year, but it became clear quite early in the year that they were not quite ready for it, so we set it aside until this year.

Nature Studies:
Handbook of Nature Study
My Nature Journal
Handbook of Nature Study Blog

This year we are adding formal nature studies to our school for the first time.   My two gals love to draw and muck around outside, so I think adding nature studies to our week will add a level of enjoyment we've been missing.  I downloaded for free the Handbook of Nature and will use lots of the terrific ideas from the Handbook of Nature Study Blog.

Art:
Atelier Art 7
Meet the Masters

After drooling over Atelier Art at a homeschool convention, I came home determined to finish Calvert Art so we could move on to Atelier Art.    Calvert is a super-solid program which I have always wished had more levels to it.    I think Atelier Art is comparable to Calvert instruction with many more levels available. Meet the Masters is a fun program I purchased and downloaded on a whim last school year.  We did several of the projects, and I'm sure it will help us beat some of the school blues that pop up from time to time in even the best of homeschools.

Memory Work:

As always, memory work will fill an important spot in our homeschool day.   I haven't even started planning it out though!   I do plan on featuring Memory Mondays again throughout this coming school year and invite all to join in.   I think I will make it a bit more formal with a linky to make it easy for all to hop around and glean ideas from other's work.

Logic:
Building Thinking Skills: Verbal

We have used Building Thinking Skills workbooks for several years now and will work through the end of the series, but I would like to add something a bit more formal at this stage.   I'm looking at the Blast Off with Logic series.   

History: 

Last, but certainly not least!
Story of the Renaissance
Native America on the Eve of Discovery
History Portfolios: Renaissance
History Portfolios:  Modern History
Kingfisher History Encyclopedia
Marco Polo Jackdaw
China a Cultural Heritage Jackdaw
Rats, Bulls, and Flying Machines
Almanac of World History
The World of Columbus and Sons

are some of the books I'm using to put together our studies this year.   As my current project,  the books are spread all across my living room, and I'm beginning to wonder what in the world I bit off!   But I'm sure it will work out in the end!

I would love to see what you are using in your homeschool or answer questions about what I'm using this year or what worked for us in past years. 

And be sure to check out what curriculum other homeschoolers are using this year at

Continuation of Thames & Kosmos Physics Workshop

This is a continuation of the lesson plan that Utilizes Thames and Kosmos Physics Workshop for a complete year of middle school physics. 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.  


Day 40--T&K p46
               Workshop XXV
               Have fun with your rubber band car
Day 41--T&K p46-47
               Workshop XXVII(keep this together for future experiments)
                Write law of conservation of energy in SN using KSE energy
Day 42--USE--p106-107---explore links 1,5,6
Day 43--T&K p48
              Experiment 24
              Write up Experiment 24 in SN
Day 44--USE p108-109---explore links 3,5
               USE p137---explore link 1
               Look up Power in KSE---define in SN
Day 45--T&K p48-49
              Experiment 25
              Write up Experiment in SN(windplant can be disassemblied and put away)
Day 46--Look up Momentum in KSE
              Write Defination in SN
              USE p123---explore link 4 and 5
Day 47--T&K p52
              Workshop XXVIII
              Experiment 26
              Write up experiment in NB
Day 48--T&K p53
              Workshop XXXIX
               Experiment 27
               Write up experiment in SN
Day 49--T&K p54
               Workshop XXX
               Enjoy seeing what you can smash
Day 50--T&K p54-55
              Workshop XXXI
              Experiment 28
              Write Experiment up in SN
Day 51--T&K p 55 -56
              Workshop XXXII
              Experiment 29
              Write up Experiment in SN
Day 52--T&K p57
              Workshop XXXIII
              Write paragragh about pendulum in SN
Day 53--T&K p56-57
               Experiment 30-31
              Pick one experiment to write up in SN
Day 54--USE p 128--129
               Check out links 5 and 6
               KSE look up Centrifugal Force
               Include info found in USE and KSE in SN
Day 55--T&K read p58
              Include bold words in SN
              Experiment 32--make sure adult is present for this experiment
Day 56--T&K  p59-60
              Workshop XXXIV
               Complete Experiment 33
              Write up Experiment in SN
Day 57--T&K p60-61
              Workshop XXXV
Day 58--T&K p61
               Complete Experiments 34-35
               Pick one Experiment to write up in SN
Day 59--T&K p62
              Workshop XXXVI
              Experiment 36 (on p61)
              Write up Experiment in SN
Day 60--T&K p63
               Workshop XXXVII
               Complete Experiment 37
               Include moment of inertia formula in SN
               Write a short paragraph explaining the moment of ienertia formula in SN
Day 61--Research and write a short essay on ggyroscopes and how they are used in airplanes
Day 62--T&K p64
               Workshop XXXVIII
               Have fun with your YOYO
Day 63--Retake quiz
               Do you understand a lot more about physics?

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.


           

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.