Monday, March 28, 2011
Maple Syruping
Well, after studying lodge pole pine trees, apple trees, Christmas trees, and family trees, I think the maple trees may well finish up our tree unit for the time being. And what a way to end! I have been to maple syrup farms several times, but not during the harvesting weeks. It was cold outside, but totally worth the several hour drive north. We got to tap a tree, boil the syrup down, and drink a little glass of the sweet creation. It was great. And we brought along a few friends to enjoy the day too.
Sunday, March 27, 2011
Cooking 101
I don't usually write posts about our core curriculum classes; however, since this math class was a bit out of the ordinary, it will get a spot on our school blog. All throughout the year we have been learning about different types of measurement as part of our math curriculum. We first looked a lot at the measuring of time by learning the calender (days, months, and years) and then learning about telling time (seconds, minutes, and hours). Once we tackled these rather big types of measurement, we broke off into some of the smaller measurement classes. For instance, we talked about measuring temperature with our weather unit. We also did small units on weight and length measurement. Then, when I saw that Easy Bake Ovens were being sold off for pennies (since the light bulbs used in them will soon be illegal) I decided we would add a very basic fractions class and do a measurement unit on cooking.
The whole week that we studied fractions I motivated the kids to get their work done by telling them about our Easy Bake Oven. Then, when the last fraction worksheet was complete, we finally got to kick off our two week Cooking Class. The first night the kids cooked up all of the Easy Bake Mixes that came with their oven for our family home evening treats. Then, we got to the real fun. We looked up recipes online and began cooking a little something in their oven each day. For example, on Tuesday the kids made oatmeal chocolate chip cookies for their gymnastics coaches. Or, on Friday, we cooked up hot dogs on a slice of cheese and Ritz cracker for lunch. The following Monday the kids even baked a four layer cake for our Hoskins Family Birthday Party. With each recipe (all except the hot dogs and s'mores where there was no measuring) we talked about teaspoons, tablespoons, and cups. We also reviewed all of the fractions we had covered. And, for a little something extra, we talked about what the different components of the recipes were for--i.e. eggs=emulients, baking soda and powder=leaveners, sugars=sweeteners, etc. The kids LOVED it.
Before too long, however, the kids, and in particular Madison, wanted to cook other things, and in the real oven. So, what could I do but let her give it a try. For a few days I had her help me with everything I made. She mixed ingredients, cooked the crepes, and even helped with the clean up. Then, on the last day of our cooking class, I turned it all over to her. I gave her my buttermilk pancake recipe and told her she was in charge of cooking breakfast. She located all of the ingredients, measured and mixed them, and then cooked the pancakes all by herself (I did turn on the stove for her, but that was all.) I was pretty proud of my little culinary student. As you can see from the picture, she was pretty proud of herself too.
While our next math unit on money won't be quite as tasty as our cooking class, hopefully, with the new cash register Santa brought, it will be equally entertaining.
Oh, and one last funny cooking picture. This is Mason's idea of helping.
The whole week that we studied fractions I motivated the kids to get their work done by telling them about our Easy Bake Oven. Then, when the last fraction worksheet was complete, we finally got to kick off our two week Cooking Class. The first night the kids cooked up all of the Easy Bake Mixes that came with their oven for our family home evening treats. Then, we got to the real fun. We looked up recipes online and began cooking a little something in their oven each day. For example, on Tuesday the kids made oatmeal chocolate chip cookies for their gymnastics coaches. Or, on Friday, we cooked up hot dogs on a slice of cheese and Ritz cracker for lunch. The following Monday the kids even baked a four layer cake for our Hoskins Family Birthday Party. With each recipe (all except the hot dogs and s'mores where there was no measuring) we talked about teaspoons, tablespoons, and cups. We also reviewed all of the fractions we had covered. And, for a little something extra, we talked about what the different components of the recipes were for--i.e. eggs=emulients, baking soda and powder=leaveners, sugars=sweeteners, etc. The kids LOVED it.
Before too long, however, the kids, and in particular Madison, wanted to cook other things, and in the real oven. So, what could I do but let her give it a try. For a few days I had her help me with everything I made. She mixed ingredients, cooked the crepes, and even helped with the clean up. Then, on the last day of our cooking class, I turned it all over to her. I gave her my buttermilk pancake recipe and told her she was in charge of cooking breakfast. She located all of the ingredients, measured and mixed them, and then cooked the pancakes all by herself (I did turn on the stove for her, but that was all.) I was pretty proud of my little culinary student. As you can see from the picture, she was pretty proud of herself too.
While our next math unit on money won't be quite as tasty as our cooking class, hopefully, with the new cash register Santa brought, it will be equally entertaining.
Oh, and one last funny cooking picture. This is Mason's idea of helping.
Saturday, March 26, 2011
The Ants Go Marching Two by Two...
While our Geography/History classes are about to get a lot more regular, our science units are as all over the board as ever. We've learned about worms, frogs, eagles, and bees. We've looked at the Earth, and saving the planet, as well as studied national parks. We've learned about earthquakes, volcanoes, and geysers, about Yellowstone wildlife and the concept of extinction. We've learned about varying flowers and trees. And now we're back to bugs again. There is just something about studying things the kids can get hands on experience with that I simply cannot resist. So, Santa brought the kids an ant farm and we decided to learn all about ants. It has been a blast. A brief overview of our ant unit is as follows:
Day 1: Intro to the ants. We started the day our ants arrived in the mail. This day we set up our ant farm and went to the library to get ant books. We also had a family movie night and watched A Bug's Life.
Day 2: The types of ants: queen, males, and workers, and the life cycle of an ant from egg:larva:pupa:adult ant. We also talked a little about the different jobs that worker ants can have. It's quite amazing how intricate their family systems are. Some ants take care of the eggs or larva, some dig, some get food, some watch the queen. Most people probably knew this stuff, but did you know some ants are in charge of the pet aphids. They kidnap aphids and bring them into their tunnels because the aphids make a sweet nectar that will be released if the ants pet them. Some ants are also in charge of the pet crickets. They also kidnap baby crickets and raise them in their tunnels because they like the music they make. Amazing.
After reading one of our library books on all of the jobs of worker ants, I went around and asked each child what kind of worker they would like to be. Emma wanted to take care of the baby ants in the nursery. Maddi wanted to be the queen. (of course) And Spencer, well Spencer's answer about made me wet my pants it was so funny. He thought for a minute, and then replied, "I don't want to be a worker ant, I want to be a dier ant." "A dier ant?" I said, not having any idea what a dier ant was. "Yeah," he replied. "A Dier ant. I don't want to do any of the work. I just want to mate with the queen and die!" Well, at least he was listening when we read about the jobs of the male ants. They do only live for two to three days. Once they reach adulthood they fly out of the nest, mate with a new queen, and die. Apparently that life sounds pretty good to little Spence.
Day 3: The body of an ant-with extra attention on the three parts of an insect and the ants' exoskeleton. We took some of the ants out of our farm today and studied them in glass jars with magnifying glasses. These little creatures are really so interesting. I find myself staring into their little glass container more than I ever thought I would. Their life is so orderly. Watching them is soothing to me in a weird sort of way, kind of like some people calm down by watching fish.
Day 4: Constructing our own ants to reinforce what we learned on day 3. Tonight we watched Honey I Shrunk the Kids. If you remember, they get a pet ant while they're tiny. This was a great show to get a better look at an ant's body.
Day 5: Ant's antennas. We talked all about what they use them for, and did our own antenna experiments. (In other words, identifying things by our sense of smell.)
Day 6: Other ant experiments including what ants like to eat, how much they can carry, etc.
Day 7: Ant Colonies and Ant Hills.
Day 8: Constructing our own ant nest to reinforce what we learned on day 7.
Day 9: Different kinds of ants, including all of the varieties of Killer Ants. (Spencer loved the killer ants' war strategies!)
Day 10: Ant predators.
Day 11: Visit the Children's Museum Ant Exhibit and pretend to be ants!
Day 1: Intro to the ants. We started the day our ants arrived in the mail. This day we set up our ant farm and went to the library to get ant books. We also had a family movie night and watched A Bug's Life.
Day 2: The types of ants: queen, males, and workers, and the life cycle of an ant from egg:larva:pupa:adult ant. We also talked a little about the different jobs that worker ants can have. It's quite amazing how intricate their family systems are. Some ants take care of the eggs or larva, some dig, some get food, some watch the queen. Most people probably knew this stuff, but did you know some ants are in charge of the pet aphids. They kidnap aphids and bring them into their tunnels because the aphids make a sweet nectar that will be released if the ants pet them. Some ants are also in charge of the pet crickets. They also kidnap baby crickets and raise them in their tunnels because they like the music they make. Amazing.
After reading one of our library books on all of the jobs of worker ants, I went around and asked each child what kind of worker they would like to be. Emma wanted to take care of the baby ants in the nursery. Maddi wanted to be the queen. (of course) And Spencer, well Spencer's answer about made me wet my pants it was so funny. He thought for a minute, and then replied, "I don't want to be a worker ant, I want to be a dier ant." "A dier ant?" I said, not having any idea what a dier ant was. "Yeah," he replied. "A Dier ant. I don't want to do any of the work. I just want to mate with the queen and die!" Well, at least he was listening when we read about the jobs of the male ants. They do only live for two to three days. Once they reach adulthood they fly out of the nest, mate with a new queen, and die. Apparently that life sounds pretty good to little Spence.
Day 3: The body of an ant-with extra attention on the three parts of an insect and the ants' exoskeleton. We took some of the ants out of our farm today and studied them in glass jars with magnifying glasses. These little creatures are really so interesting. I find myself staring into their little glass container more than I ever thought I would. Their life is so orderly. Watching them is soothing to me in a weird sort of way, kind of like some people calm down by watching fish.
Day 4: Constructing our own ants to reinforce what we learned on day 3. Tonight we watched Honey I Shrunk the Kids. If you remember, they get a pet ant while they're tiny. This was a great show to get a better look at an ant's body.
Day 5: Ant's antennas. We talked all about what they use them for, and did our own antenna experiments. (In other words, identifying things by our sense of smell.)
Day 6: Other ant experiments including what ants like to eat, how much they can carry, etc.
Day 7: Ant Colonies and Ant Hills.
Day 8: Constructing our own ant nest to reinforce what we learned on day 7.
Day 9: Different kinds of ants, including all of the varieties of Killer Ants. (Spencer loved the killer ants' war strategies!)
Day 10: Ant predators.
Day 11: Visit the Children's Museum Ant Exhibit and pretend to be ants!
Thursday, March 24, 2011
Geography/ History Update
Well, we haven't really had a geography/history post since our Minnesota State post. We have; however, been doing geography/history, in our own sort of way. After doing units on Utah, Oklahoma, and Minnesota, (states mom and dad were raised in, and the one we currently live in) we have mostly just been learning about different states that we travel to. I bought quite a few state books, including a cook book, and a sticker chart so that we could keep track of what states we have been to since starting school last summer. Whenever we travel into a new state, we read all about that state in our books, mark the state on our map, and try to find some activities to do while we are there that coincide with what we've read.
For instance, when we went to Chicago, Illinois at the beginning of the year, we learned about the World's Fair there where they built the largest Ferris wheel, we read about Sue, the largest T-Rex Skeleton, and studied up on the Chicago fires. Then, while in Chicago, we visited the Ferris Wheel, went to see Sue, and sang that silly "Fire, Fire" song everywhere we went. We also ate Chicago Deep Dish Pizza--the recommended recipe in our cook book. We try and do this where ever we go so that the kids get a sense for different people and places. It's really quite fun.
Here is a picture of the kids holding up our sticker chart of where we have been since last June.
The states we have visited are: Minnesota, Wisconsin, Illinois, Iowa, Missouri, (We actually did a little Missouri state unit too, but that write up is in the family tree post.) Oklahoma, Kansas, Nebraska, South Dakota, Wyoming, Montana, Idaho, and Utah.
In the next six weeks we will also add Tennessee, Arkansas, Mississippi, Alabama, Georgia, Florida, North and South Carolina, Virginia, Maryland, Pennsylvania, Ohio, and Indiana. With this trip, we will have made it just over halfway through the Unites States! I'd say that's quite the accomplishment for our little home school.
We'll keep this up as we visit new states, but I've decided it's time to take on a little more serious study of history. Originally my plan was to learn about the USA as a nation (which we did), then learn something about all of the states (which we were in the middle of), then study some different countries (the ones in Epcot, remember) and then do small units on the seven continents. After that, we would finish up with space. This seemed like it would give the kids a general overview of the world before moving into a real history class. While I think this would have been nice, we have had a slight change in our plans. Last week, Nick found out that Mayo needed him to attend a conference in Washington D.C. the week after we finish our Florida rotation. After much consideration, we've decided to go ahead and drive from Florida up to D.C., attend the conference, and then head home from D.C. This will actually take us right past Jamestown and Colonial Williamsburg. So, I've decided to go ahead and dive into our American History Class.
During the month we're in Florida, we're going to hurry and cover early American exploration including Christopher Columbus and many, many others. This course of study will naturally introduce us to some other countries, but will hopefully do it in a more meaningful context than simply picking countries to study at random. After looking at early exploration, we can get straight into the Great Virginia Adventure, with a big focus on Jamestown. This will set the stage nicely for a visit to Jamestown.
After visiting Jamestown and Williamsburg, we'll only have a month or so of school left before taking our summer vacation. As a result, we will only be able to get through the puritans, pilgrims and Indians--a subject we did already in November, but one we'll review again briefly now. (We have to, after all, since we're going to try planting a plot of our garden with the three sisters method the pilgrims used. You'll hear more about this later.) Then we'll let history be for a while and pick back up in the fall with an in-depth look at the original thirteen colonies. Then we'll continue studying American history all the way up until our rotation in Boston during the month of November. By then we hope to have covered everything through the Revolutionary War so we can do some meaningful sightseeing while we're there. With this new plan, I'm not sure when we'll get to look at some of the continents not covered in our early exploration unit (Africa, Antarctica, and Australia), or at outer space, but hey, we'll get there someday. Maybe even when we have enough money to visit them--all except space that is. I don't think we'll ever have enough money to visit the moon!
For instance, when we went to Chicago, Illinois at the beginning of the year, we learned about the World's Fair there where they built the largest Ferris wheel, we read about Sue, the largest T-Rex Skeleton, and studied up on the Chicago fires. Then, while in Chicago, we visited the Ferris Wheel, went to see Sue, and sang that silly "Fire, Fire" song everywhere we went. We also ate Chicago Deep Dish Pizza--the recommended recipe in our cook book. We try and do this where ever we go so that the kids get a sense for different people and places. It's really quite fun.
Here is a picture of the kids holding up our sticker chart of where we have been since last June.
The states we have visited are: Minnesota, Wisconsin, Illinois, Iowa, Missouri, (We actually did a little Missouri state unit too, but that write up is in the family tree post.) Oklahoma, Kansas, Nebraska, South Dakota, Wyoming, Montana, Idaho, and Utah.
In the next six weeks we will also add Tennessee, Arkansas, Mississippi, Alabama, Georgia, Florida, North and South Carolina, Virginia, Maryland, Pennsylvania, Ohio, and Indiana. With this trip, we will have made it just over halfway through the Unites States! I'd say that's quite the accomplishment for our little home school.
We'll keep this up as we visit new states, but I've decided it's time to take on a little more serious study of history. Originally my plan was to learn about the USA as a nation (which we did), then learn something about all of the states (which we were in the middle of), then study some different countries (the ones in Epcot, remember) and then do small units on the seven continents. After that, we would finish up with space. This seemed like it would give the kids a general overview of the world before moving into a real history class. While I think this would have been nice, we have had a slight change in our plans. Last week, Nick found out that Mayo needed him to attend a conference in Washington D.C. the week after we finish our Florida rotation. After much consideration, we've decided to go ahead and drive from Florida up to D.C., attend the conference, and then head home from D.C. This will actually take us right past Jamestown and Colonial Williamsburg. So, I've decided to go ahead and dive into our American History Class.
During the month we're in Florida, we're going to hurry and cover early American exploration including Christopher Columbus and many, many others. This course of study will naturally introduce us to some other countries, but will hopefully do it in a more meaningful context than simply picking countries to study at random. After looking at early exploration, we can get straight into the Great Virginia Adventure, with a big focus on Jamestown. This will set the stage nicely for a visit to Jamestown.
After visiting Jamestown and Williamsburg, we'll only have a month or so of school left before taking our summer vacation. As a result, we will only be able to get through the puritans, pilgrims and Indians--a subject we did already in November, but one we'll review again briefly now. (We have to, after all, since we're going to try planting a plot of our garden with the three sisters method the pilgrims used. You'll hear more about this later.) Then we'll let history be for a while and pick back up in the fall with an in-depth look at the original thirteen colonies. Then we'll continue studying American history all the way up until our rotation in Boston during the month of November. By then we hope to have covered everything through the Revolutionary War so we can do some meaningful sightseeing while we're there. With this new plan, I'm not sure when we'll get to look at some of the continents not covered in our early exploration unit (Africa, Antarctica, and Australia), or at outer space, but hey, we'll get there someday. Maybe even when we have enough money to visit them--all except space that is. I don't think we'll ever have enough money to visit the moon!
Sunday, March 6, 2011
Family Trees
As part of our ongoing unit on trees, I thought it would be fun to take the month of February, a month we normally celebrate love and family, and study family trees. I myself had just learned how to use the new family search program the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints put out, and it seemed like a good time to get the kids interested in genealogy work. Since we still hadn't gotten around to studying the state of Missouri, the birth place of the three older kids, I figured a good place to start our unit was with the kids own personal histories. As such, our first order of business was to talk to the kids about their individual entrances into the world. We talked about when I was pregnant with each of the kids, and of course, the day they were born. We looked through their baby books, their photo albums, and watched home videos. The kids absolutely loved the few days they each got to be spotlighted.
Following our week and a half of spotlighting, we then took a little bit of time to study the state of Missouri. During this time we made little books entitled Once Upon Time I lived in St. Louis. (I will scan one of these on for a different post on our family blog.) We printed out old pictures of our St. Louis house, our yard, and lots of the places that we used to love to go. During our last few weeks in St. Louis, I envisioned making these books, (though not in the context of homeschooling) and as such, I also took pictures before we moved of each of the kids with their best friends in town. These pictures would make up the last page of each of the kids books. The kids really enjoyed this project, and it helped them "remember" our time in their birth state.
We also took this opportunity to study the whole state of Missouri. We had already talked about the history and destiny of the state of Missouri as far as its religious heritage was concerned, i.e. as the sight of the garden of Eden, and as the place for the New Jerusalem. Now we also talked about more general state history. One of the things that impressed the kids most was the terrible earthquakes of 1811 and 1812 near New Madrid. These quakes were the nation's largest, so big in fact, that they caused the mighty Mississippi to temporarily flow backwards.
With their birth stories, memory books, and Missouri state history behind us, we then moved through our whole family tree and began a few more weeks of pictures and storytelling. Nick and I went first, showing our baby pictures and telling stories of our childhood. Then the kids got to call and Skype with their grandparents to hear their stories and stories about their parents and grandparents. I even sent letters to my grandparents, the kids' great-grandparents, and had them write down stories of their childhoods. The kids loved our daily family history lessons, and begged to hear more and more. They really internalized these stories too, and I could tell from the light in their faces as they listened that we were successfully planting the seeds of genealogy into their hearts. It was an awesome month long unit, and one of the reasons that I love homeschooling. The kids could never have learned all of this stuff at public school!
Here is a picture of Spencer (and Mase) holding the family tree that we made during our unit.
There were a few pictures missing when we took this picture, and eventually Mason got a hold of the tree and ate the faces off of it, but someday Nick and I want to put together a binder with another version of this tree so the kids can always look at it and remember their ancestry.
And here is a picture of Maddi that I took a few days after we finished our family tree unit. I asked her what she was up to and she proudly declared, "I'm playing in a one man band, just like great-great-Grandpa Carter used to do for you when you were a little girl!" Indeed, the music of great-great Grandpa Carter may be one of the most lasting impressions on my kids. They love it when I sing them his lullabies, and in truth, for some reason those lullabies sooth them more than any others. I like to believe it's because he is present beyond the veil when we remember him in this way. The kids also like it when I sing any of his other silly songs. They're even pretty amazing when it comes to knowing the words. Grandpa would be proud!
Following our week and a half of spotlighting, we then took a little bit of time to study the state of Missouri. During this time we made little books entitled Once Upon Time I lived in St. Louis. (I will scan one of these on for a different post on our family blog.) We printed out old pictures of our St. Louis house, our yard, and lots of the places that we used to love to go. During our last few weeks in St. Louis, I envisioned making these books, (though not in the context of homeschooling) and as such, I also took pictures before we moved of each of the kids with their best friends in town. These pictures would make up the last page of each of the kids books. The kids really enjoyed this project, and it helped them "remember" our time in their birth state.
We also took this opportunity to study the whole state of Missouri. We had already talked about the history and destiny of the state of Missouri as far as its religious heritage was concerned, i.e. as the sight of the garden of Eden, and as the place for the New Jerusalem. Now we also talked about more general state history. One of the things that impressed the kids most was the terrible earthquakes of 1811 and 1812 near New Madrid. These quakes were the nation's largest, so big in fact, that they caused the mighty Mississippi to temporarily flow backwards.
With their birth stories, memory books, and Missouri state history behind us, we then moved through our whole family tree and began a few more weeks of pictures and storytelling. Nick and I went first, showing our baby pictures and telling stories of our childhood. Then the kids got to call and Skype with their grandparents to hear their stories and stories about their parents and grandparents. I even sent letters to my grandparents, the kids' great-grandparents, and had them write down stories of their childhoods. The kids loved our daily family history lessons, and begged to hear more and more. They really internalized these stories too, and I could tell from the light in their faces as they listened that we were successfully planting the seeds of genealogy into their hearts. It was an awesome month long unit, and one of the reasons that I love homeschooling. The kids could never have learned all of this stuff at public school!
Here is a picture of Spencer (and Mase) holding the family tree that we made during our unit.
There were a few pictures missing when we took this picture, and eventually Mason got a hold of the tree and ate the faces off of it, but someday Nick and I want to put together a binder with another version of this tree so the kids can always look at it and remember their ancestry.
And here is a picture of Maddi that I took a few days after we finished our family tree unit. I asked her what she was up to and she proudly declared, "I'm playing in a one man band, just like great-great-Grandpa Carter used to do for you when you were a little girl!" Indeed, the music of great-great Grandpa Carter may be one of the most lasting impressions on my kids. They love it when I sing them his lullabies, and in truth, for some reason those lullabies sooth them more than any others. I like to believe it's because he is present beyond the veil when we remember him in this way. The kids also like it when I sing any of his other silly songs. They're even pretty amazing when it comes to knowing the words. Grandpa would be proud!
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