For Rubber Ducky Day, we decided to do a Science Experiment...Since Rubber Ducky's are famous floaters, a little sinking and floating...
Does a paper clip float? Does a sponge sink? Let your child find out! This experiment is simple science fun. Plus, it lets kids practice the Guess and Check Method, as they make predictions, then test their predictions through experimentation.
What You Need:
objects for the experiment (small sponge, paper clip, toothpick, marble, plastic spoon, penny, plastic straw, crayon)
2 large pieces of construction paper
newspaper
markers
plastic dishpan
pencil
blank paper
spiral bound notebook
towel
What You Do:
Label one piece of construction paper with the word “Sink” and the other piece with the word “Float.” Gather a bunch of small everyday items, such as the examples listed above, and put them on a table covered with newspaper.
Show your child the objects you’ve collected and tell her that you’re going to conduct an experiment to find out which objects will sink in water and which will float. Make sure she’s clear on what these words mean before you get started, then ask her to predict which of the items will sink and which will float. Hold up each item, one by one, and as your child makes her prediction, place it on the appropriate piece of paper. For example, if she guesses that the penny will float, put it on the construction paper marked Float. Once she’s made guesses for all of the items, give her the blank paper and ask her to write each item’s name (or draw its picture if she’s not writing yet), to document her predictions.
Time for testing! Fill the plastic dishpan with water and put one item in at a time. Discuss the result. Then dry it off and lay it on the appropriate piece of construction paper, either Sink or Float. Once all the items have been tested, give your child the spiral bound notebook and ask her to record the results of her experiment. Then talk about the results.
The great thing about science is that it can surprise us. Ask your child if any of the objects did something she didn’t expect. Talk about the experiment. Then clean up your lab space and tuck that notebook away for a future day of experimentation!
Friday, January 13, 2012
Monday, January 9, 2012
Penguins
Thursday, January 5, 2012
Bird Day
Our Social Studies Unit includes exploration of habitats, life cycles and comparing the needs of animals.
I asked these questions to the children,
1 Where do birds live?
-- How do you build a nest? What materials are used?
*We will make edible bird's nests:
2 - What do birds eat?
3 - What sounds do birds make?
4 - Why do birds fly south for the winter?
AWESOME Website for Science Questions:
I asked these questions to the children,
1 Where do birds live?
-- How do you build a nest? What materials are used?
*We will make edible bird's nests:
| Directions | Ingredients |
| Place squares of wax paper onto to individual plates. Put cereal in a large bowl. If using brick chocolate, break into pieces. Melt chocolate chips or pieces in the microwave, or over low heat on stove, just until melted. Pour melted chocolate over cereal, mix together to coat. Place mounds of chocolate/chow mien mixture onto several plates (on top of waxed paper). Have children form the mixtures into nests. Be sure the chocolate has cooled, but don't wait too long or it will harden! Using peanut butter as an adhesive, "glue" down the jelly beans and candy coated chocolate eggs inside the nest cavity. "Glue" marshmallow chick on the edge of or inside of the nest. | Rice Crispies, broken shredded wheat, or Chow mien noodles chocolate chips or brick chocolate Jelly beans or candy coated chocolate eggs marshmallow chicks (optional) peanut butter wax paper paper plates (colored plates optional) |
2 - What do birds eat?
3 - What sounds do birds make?
4 - Why do birds fly south for the winter?
AWESOME Website for Science Questions:
Wednesday, January 4, 2012
It's National Soup Month
January is National Soup Month
Soup has been so popular throughout time that it’s actually considered one of the first fast foods. There is documentation that as early as 600 B.C., the Greeks sold soup as a fast food on the street, using peas, beans and lentils as main ingredients.
Before there was soup, there was broth, which people used to pour over a piece of bread in a bowl. That bread was known as sop, and from sop came the word soup.
No matter what you call it, there are lots of variations on the basic theme of soup, each offering a wide range of nutritional benefits.
Together we will make a simple soup for lunch...
Ingredients:
* 1 tbs Olive Oil
* 6 Cups Chicken Stock
* 1 tbs Tomato Paste (optional)
* 1/2 Cup Pastini
* 1/4 Cup Peeled, diced Carrots, Celery, Peas
* 1/4 Cup Diced, pre-cooked chicken
To Cook your soup:
Put a tablespoon of olive oil in a pan you can use a deep saucepan to start the vegetables off in... Soften the vegetables over the gentle heat on the top of the stove until they are soft but not browned.
Add the stock and pastina to the vegetables. Add tomato paste to the stock if you wish. Add chicken. Continue to cook the soup in a saucepan on a gentle heat on top of the stove until a simmering heat or less is suitable.
Friday, December 23, 2011
Child Meditation
In order to curb some of the behaviors the "bug" has been exhibiting, I have decided to start introduce him to yoga and meditation to relax him before bed.
With his cast on, we'll start with some REALLY easy stretching and avoid the broken arm and once he's in his pj's and in bed, we will do a bit of visualization before letting him say his prayers and go to sleep.
"Let's go on an adventure... But instead of rushing up and out the front door, we'll take a journey into our imagination, a beautiful place in our thoughts. Lying on your bed, stretch you legs out to a comfortable position, resting easy like a doll, gently close your eyes. Although you are staying still and lying in your bed, imagine standing up and walking right out your door onto the beach. Feel the sand between your toes and smell the gentle ocean breeze. Hear the waves crashing slowly onto the shore, and the birds gentle chirp in the sky above you... Find a nice comfortable spot on your imagination beach to sit and watch the waves crash, the birds sing and the sand circle you..Now, nice and relaxed, drift to sleep."
With his cast on, we'll start with some REALLY easy stretching and avoid the broken arm and once he's in his pj's and in bed, we will do a bit of visualization before letting him say his prayers and go to sleep.
"Let's go on an adventure... But instead of rushing up and out the front door, we'll take a journey into our imagination, a beautiful place in our thoughts. Lying on your bed, stretch you legs out to a comfortable position, resting easy like a doll, gently close your eyes. Although you are staying still and lying in your bed, imagine standing up and walking right out your door onto the beach. Feel the sand between your toes and smell the gentle ocean breeze. Hear the waves crashing slowly onto the shore, and the birds gentle chirp in the sky above you... Find a nice comfortable spot on your imagination beach to sit and watch the waves crash, the birds sing and the sand circle you..Now, nice and relaxed, drift to sleep."
Thursday, December 22, 2011
ADHD & Med Free
Once you discover your child may (or has been confirmed) to be afflicted with ADHD, the whirlwind CONTINUES! I would say begins, BUT knowing a child with ADHD, the whirlwind had begun YEARS before the diagnoses.
I am a FIRM believe in our natural world, for hundreds of years people survived the SAME afflictions we have today WITHOUT medication, of course this was either because the medication did not exist or the diagnoses did not. REGARDLESS, we survived!
I do NOT like any medication, I find that our bodies were constructed to fight off, pain, discomfort and to some extent illness. I am not a radical-naturalopathic-hairy-hippie-femisnist-christian-homeschooling mom,, . I do vaccinate my children when necessary, Tylenol them when they are ill, and feed them junk WHEN I want too. I just don't take ANY medications myself, or have them prescribed unnecessarily to my family.
We plan to manage our son's ADHD medication free. And here is the plan....
Give shorter lessons and more of them, which makes it easier for children to stay focused. Focus is so limited at this young age anyway!
Acknowledge even partial success and extend approval generously. We have a marble jar that is WONDERFUL!
Compliment even in mid-assignment to encourage continued focused performance.
Make corrections with a light hand. Instead of “try harder next time,” try – I see how hard you tried. Keep up the effort. It’s really paying off.
Lots of smiling, make eye contact with child, or pat him on the back.
Alert child’s attention with phrases such as “This is important.”
Break down longer directions into simpler chunks.
Allow physically hyperactive children out of their seats for FREQUENT movement.
Compliment a child, publicly, at least once daily, on some organizational or attentional task or effort.
Take a moment or two once or twice daily to speak privately; give a two-second pep talk, mention something positive you happened to notice regarding his work, behavior, self-control, focusing, etc.
I am also planning a somewhat Buddy system for cooperative learning both at and above level.
I will not make excuses for him, but rather encourage him strongly to manage his own behaviors and succeed despite the challenges ahead.
I am a FIRM believe in our natural world, for hundreds of years people survived the SAME afflictions we have today WITHOUT medication, of course this was either because the medication did not exist or the diagnoses did not. REGARDLESS, we survived!
I do NOT like any medication, I find that our bodies were constructed to fight off, pain, discomfort and to some extent illness. I am not a radical-naturalopathic-hairy-hippie-femisnist-christian-homeschooling mom,, . I do vaccinate my children when necessary, Tylenol them when they are ill, and feed them junk WHEN I want too. I just don't take ANY medications myself, or have them prescribed unnecessarily to my family.
We plan to manage our son's ADHD medication free. And here is the plan....
Give shorter lessons and more of them, which makes it easier for children to stay focused. Focus is so limited at this young age anyway!
Acknowledge even partial success and extend approval generously. We have a marble jar that is WONDERFUL!
Compliment even in mid-assignment to encourage continued focused performance.
Make corrections with a light hand. Instead of “try harder next time,” try – I see how hard you tried. Keep up the effort. It’s really paying off.
Lots of smiling, make eye contact with child, or pat him on the back.
Alert child’s attention with phrases such as “This is important.”
Break down longer directions into simpler chunks.
Allow physically hyperactive children out of their seats for FREQUENT movement.
Compliment a child, publicly, at least once daily, on some organizational or attentional task or effort.
Take a moment or two once or twice daily to speak privately; give a two-second pep talk, mention something positive you happened to notice regarding his work, behavior, self-control, focusing, etc.
I am also planning a somewhat Buddy system for cooperative learning both at and above level.
I will not make excuses for him, but rather encourage him strongly to manage his own behaviors and succeed despite the challenges ahead.
Monday, November 14, 2011
Home-Made Bread Day
What a great reason to celebrate on November 17th. Find ideas for crafts, games, and other activities.
Crafts to Make:
- Make a collage by cutting out pictures of different breads and grains out of magazines.
- Try this Bread Painting Activity.
- Make creations using this Bread Clay Recipe.
- Make a Chef Apron.
- Make a Bird Feeder out a piece of bread.
Other Things To Do:
- Bake Bread!
- Visit a bakery.
- Set up a dramatic play area depicting a bakery.
- Talk about different shapes and textures of breads (for example, bagels, tortillas, bread sticks, pocket bread, etc.)
- Compare the tastes and textures of different kinds of bread.
- Make some Bread Pudding!
- Learn about the kids' food guide pyramid.
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