Pioneers part 2

We enjoyed our trip to Crawford Lake, some corn grinding and exploring the long houses and their contents.

Pioneers

T2 and I have been spending a lot of time lately studying Pioneers. T1 remembers studying this when he was in public school and I am glad that he has retained some of what he learned several years ago. We have been enjoying Laura Ingalls Wilder's books and are currently over halfway through The Little House on The Priarie having completed The Little House in the Big Woods. Despite being an avid reader my entire life, I never actually read this series of books but I did enjoy the TV show. T2 has never seen the show although we did watch part of the pilot last week, just up to the point that we were in the book at that time. It was interesting to compare the book and show and notice things that were different or different than we had imagines. We tried making butter which was a success. We made a covered wagon model and wrote using ink and real feathers. It just happens that two of T2's homeschooling friends are also reading the books so we are able to chat about them when we get together.

Tomorrow we're heading to a place that has a Pioneer long house set up showing just how many families lived here many years ago. The last time we were there not only were the children little but Hudson was still a sweet smelling tiny minimally shedding puppy! I mentioned our visit here. I'll take pictures of the long house and add them when we get home tomorrow. It is expected to be a mild day which we are excited about!

Hovercraft experiment continued

Last night we ran out of time to work on our hovercraft but tonight we tried two different modifications. The first was to attach 4 small balloons to the bottom of the disc - we used tape to secure them as that part would not be touching the water.

We tried one last thing. We cut out a piece of styrofoam from some packaging we had, using the disc as a template and used a cookie cutter to cut a hole in the middle...

 Yayyy success!!!

A little science on Friday

After a busy morning at our local homeschool co-op and a much needed lunch, we did a couple simple experiments. The first wasn't overly successful but it was one I had been meaning to do for a while.

Place some milk on a plate and drop food colouring onto the milk. Then add a drop of dish soap. I realized afterwards that some people recommend dabbing the soap on with a Q-tip and we didn't, we used an empty syringe and maybe that was too much soap but here are our results....

The results we were hoping for were more like this

The other experiment we did was a variation on the baking soda and vinegar volcano that most people are familiar with. We have done that many times and enjoyed it but it's over so fast even if you repeat it a few times. I saw somewhere the idea (when I find the source that inspired me I'll add the link) of spreading baking soda on a plate or tray, mixing food colouring with vinegar and dropping the vinegar onto the baking soda to cause mini eruptions and it was way more fun.....

Hovercraft fail!

Last night we decided to try the hovercraft in the bath. It didn't work too well!! The challenge is to make it successful before bath time tonight....

Can crushing experiment

A few minutes ago we tried a can crushing experiment that I had heard about but never seen done before. I was rather intrigued to say the least.

All you need to do it cover the bottom of a container with ice cubes and then add cold water. Take an empty pop can and put a small amount of water in it and heat it on the stove until you see steam. For us the water was boiling away for ages but we couldn't see steam and the can was turning brown so we decided to give it a try at that point anyway. We hoped it would work because we only had one empty pop can. Using tongs or an oven mitt pick up the VERY HOT can and quickly turn it upside down and submerge the top of the can in the icy water. Don't blink or you will miss it!!

Next time I'll remember to tidy the kitchen first!!

Critter watching

We have a community of voles on our property. They have discovered the fallen birdseed from our feeders and are frequent visitors to the feathered friends dining area. On a recent mild day T2 and I stretched out on our front porch to observe them. They were only about 18 inches away and we were able to hear them as well see their tiny features. They will destroy our lawn and plants but rather than trap or poison them we will have to learn to share the property and try to get along the same way we already do with the moles and rabbits.

Hovercraft experiment

Last night we decided to try making a hovercraft. All you need are a balloon, a CD/DVD disc that you no longer need, the pop up lid of either a water bottle or dish soap bottle and some strong glue. Glue the lid in the centre of the disc. I used hot glue which worked perfectly and dries fast. Blow up a balloon and attach it to the closed lid. Be sure to attach the entire neck right to where the balloon becomes round - all the while keeping the air in the balloon (I twisted the 'neck' a few times). When the balloon is fully in place, pop the lid into the open position and see what happens. We had some successes and some failures as you can see...

Balloon was way too small

Balloon wasn't attached well enough

Balloon still not attached well enough

Not enough surface area

Still not enough surface area

Just right : )

Tonight we will try it in the bath and see what happens.

A couple of quick experiments

We have been having fun with science- here are a couple of our recent experiments.

This was inspired by Jean at The Artful Parent

We had so much fun with this experiment. Fill a jar/bottle 3/4 with vegetable oil, add water until it almost reaches the top, drop in a few drops of food colouring and then add Alka Seltzer and enjoy!! We also added glitter later that day for fun. When it stops bubbling you can simply add more Alka Seltzer to activate it again.

School

Im trying to get into a rhythm for 2013 but I seem to be highly disorganized and suffering from some kind of festivities hangover but I feel close to finding my groove once more.

Here's our school room but it's really just a place to keep everything together because most of the learning happens in other areas of the house

I decided to give Sue Patrick's work box system a try with T1 and T2. I decided not to use her style of work boxes but to use the file box method because I want the work to be portable and as most things that will go in there are papers and not manipulatives - I don't need shelves with 24 boxes. Each child has a file box

Containing 12 hanging file folders. Each folder has a velcro dot in the centre at the top. I printed off work box labels from homeschoolcreations and attached velcro dots on the back so I can attach the subject to the front of the folder. When that task is completed the label gets moved to a velcro dot on the front of the file box to show it has been completed. We are now into our second week and I love it. Not only do we get the things done I really want them to do but all the other miscellaneous activities that we never seem to have time for get put in there too. Not every day sees everything completed but most of it does.

T1 likes having a schedule but does not seem to like any work I give him but that is his nature so I don't take it personally!

T2 likes looking to see what she has to do next and loves moving the label to the front of her box to show she has completed a task. I notice with her that she is no longer asking how much work there is to do and she is working more independently which is great. She especially likes finding craft or sewing activities mixed in with her math and language arts!

By putting a blank notecard in one of the folders each day, I have been able to get T2 to write and illustrate all her thank you cards - a task I admit often gets forgotten in the post holiday chaos. Now it is up to me to take them to the post office and get them mailed - I think I need a work box with a reminder in it to do that.

Happy New Year!

2012 ended much in the same way as it started with chaos but in a good way....