Science and Everyday Life

Wednesday is our science day and this week’s lesson had us working all week on finding ways to make jobs easier.  It all started with Samantha’s elementary physical science on her online science program.  We went to the library and enjoyed exploring the selection of books to bring home and pour over for further study.  I also found some short videos on YouTube to show Sam how pulleys, levers and other tools work.  But the different tasks and lessons she covered on her online science lessons were particularly fun.

Samantha’s first part of her simple machine lesson showed a short video clip of a man getting very tired as he cut a bucket full of oranges.  She then learned about different tools that could possibly be used to work smarter, not harder.  In one of her tasks, Sam had help unscrambling syllables with silly bulls. The program tells us the word and the definition of the word.  For example, reduce. Reduce means to make less or decrease. Then she has to unscramble the syllables to spell the vocabulary word correctly. If her answer is correct, then it confirms it by reading the word and then telling her how many syllables the word has. If her answer is incorrect, it tells her, “Still scrambled. Keep trying.”  The program reads the syllables as she is choosing them and unscrambling the syllables. This is helpful for new readers because it helps them learn to decode words, which is part of learning to read.

Each lesson builds on the previous lesson.  The second lesson showed us the Halfer 2000 machine, which was created to make cutting oranges smarter, not harder.  Here Sam had to drag labels to the right part of the machine to properly label each part of the machine. These were tools she had learned in the previous lesson.  As Sam picks up the label to drag it, it reads the label. If it’s incorrect, it will say, “Sorry,” or “Keep trying,” and then tell us the name of the part and the function of that part.  If Sam’s answer is correct, it will say, “Yes,” or “You got it,” and then tells us what the function of that part of the machine is.  Sam gets excited when she hears, “You got it!”  But she’s also encouraged when she hears, “keep trying,” when she gets the answer wrong.  And again, if she weren’t a good reader, it is helpful that the program reads the label for her as she picks it up to place it on the part of the machine. The program teaches us how much easier a job like cutting buckets of oranges can be with a machine that uses  6 different tools that work together.

On another lesson Jojo mixes up the words in the glossary, and they are no longer in alphabetical order. Oh-oh. It’s Sam’s job to fix what Jojo has done and put them in alphabetical order so they’re easier to look up. Science4Us doesn’t assume the student knows what it means to alphabetize. As you move the mouse around, there’s an area that says, “Tell me about alphabetizing.”  Although Sam has practiced ABC order before, it’s something Sam is still learning. So I have her click on this spot so she can hear an explanation again of what it means to alphabetize.  It’s helpful for her to hear the explanation and to see the alphabet line right in front of her as they unscramble a word list to teach how to alphabetize words.  She’s a visual learner, so this is so helpful.  It’s also helpful for auditory learners.  I appreciate that I’m able to pause the video so I can go over any portion that I feel she may need to hear again or review. Another feature I like is that the letters are highlighted in different colors as they’re being described. I know this is particularly helpful for kids with dyslexia or if they’re still learning to recognize the letter placement as they’re alphabetizing.  Once we went through the hows and whys of alphabetizing, Sam then started to work through putting the glossary in ABC order. Throughout the exercise, there are prompts that encouraged her and gave her tips.

In the last lesson and exercise, Pinky has several tasks for which he needs tools to make his job easier.  As he reaches each task, he asks for help on choosing the right tool.  If Sam chose the right tool, it told us the name of the tool and then Pinky showed us how he used the tool to accomplish the task. If Sam chose the wrong tool, then Pinky would say, “Umm, nope,” and the program would say the name of that tool and tell us how that tool would be more helpful.  Now the tools in this exercise were different tools, more everyday tools we find at home, like scissors, a door stop, a noodle, tinker toy and hammer.

The last task Sam learned was taking notes about the lesson. She learned to "analyze or think about the different machines and examine them really closely." This is how the program worded it.  I like how the program basically described what it means to analyze a lesson.  Then she learned to fill out a chart and organize details about the machine. Sam started by choosing the definition for the tool, in this case, a lever. Again, if the choice Sam makes is wrong, it tells her what that definition is actually for and tells her to try again. So even though she’s gotten it wrong, she’s still learning what word goes with that ‘wrong’ definition she chose.  The next task is to choose characteristics of that tool (lever), giving Sam choices.  Once she chooses the right characteristics, they place them on the correct place on the notepad. The next task is choosing examples of levers and non-examples of levers.  The final picture is the finished product she has put together on the notepad.  We see a picture of a notepad with a tool, in this case a lever, with the definition, characteristics, examples and non-examples.  I particularly loved this exercise because it taught Sam the importance of taking notes and a simple way of taking notes.  At the end of this task, it gave Sam the option of saving this note.

This was such a thorough lesson, but I still wanted to reinforce what she learned.  

These lessons could've been done over a week or several weeks. We chose to do them all in one day.  We also repeat the lessons another day because that's how Sam learns best.  I was able to find resources from our library and show examples of the use of simple tools in our daily life, like using a ramp for a wheel chair, or a door stop to keep the door open, or a magnet to pick up all the pins we dropped.  After doing laundry, the string in Sam’s sweatshirt fell out. So I used a simple tool to thread it through. I showed her how putting a safety pin on one end of the string and threading it through is a simple way of threading it back in place.  

This is an example of  homeschooling where lessons becomes part of our everyday life, or everyday life is homeschooling. We were able to incorporate things we use and do every day into part of our lessons.  If Sam were in school, these lessons would’ve possibly ended after an hour or so.  I’d love to hear some examples of how your homeschool blends in with your everyday activities. 

Family Camping

This weekend we went camping again!  I think we've gone camping more in the last few months than we have in the last five years. I tell you, my kids are getting older, and we just want to spend as much time together as a family as we can before they're off to college or on their own. And what better way to have a family vacation than with camping? No cell phones, computers or other technological distractions. We went with 3 other families, but we still spent a lot of time as a family around the fire, going for walks, talking, canoeing and kayaking.  We were only gone for a couple of days, but even a couple of days makes such a difference. Thankfully, we had nice weather, too.  No rain, which is great since we sleep in tents. It was cool in the evening, but not freezing cold like the last time we went camping. And you know I've mentioned before that for a Florida girl like me, anything below 60 degrees is too cold for me.  But as long as I have a nice fire, I'm fine. And my son is very good at starting and keeping the fire burning. Then there's good conversation around the fire with my dear family and friends. And let's not forget some good music. One of our friends just loves playing his Johnny Cash. Just throw some good old classic rock and contemporary Christian music, and I'm good. We all share the same taste in music. My daughter also likes Indy music, which is growing on me. :)

This time we took our canoe, and my daughter brought her kayak.  It wasn't an uneventful day on the river though.  I have to admit, I stayed behind and enjoyed some quiet time reading a book.  And to be completely honest, the last time I went out on the water with my husband, he tipped us into the water.  I didn't want a repeat of that!  I didn't want it for our daughter Samantha, either, since this was actually her first time in a canoe.  So I sent her with our friend and his daughter.
My husband and our son went in our canoe, while Amber took her kayak.

My husband & Noah loading our canoe, while Amber helps load her kayak.

She's smiling. Must've been before the spider episode

Amber came back about a half hour later, exasperated by the water spiders that had crawled into her canoe! She says there were hundreds of them! Thank God she didn't tip the kayak over trying to get away from them.  I wish I could say the same for my husband and son.

Noah tells me that as his dad was talking to our friends in the other canoe, he started to lean to one side and before he could try to balance the canoe back, they were falling over and into the water! See. I'm so glad I wasn't in that canoe! Especially since there was an alligator sunning near the edge of the water just down the river from us....and I'm sure there was more than one. Our friends managed to get a picture of them as they were getting back in the canoe. Too bad they didn't get pictures of the alligator. But I'm glad to report everyone made it back to the campsite safely.

The most popular spot at our campsite was the hammock!  If anyone was missing, it was likely they were in the hammock either napping or reading. And Samantha was found in the hammock most of the time. She's been reading her new favorite book, Because of Winn Dixie. When she likes a book, she will carry it everywhere and read it several times. Just like when she likes a movie, we all get to see it several times. Which has been the case with Frozen. I'm sure we're not the only once who have watched that movie more than once in the last few weeks, though. Am I right?  And like most homeschool moms, I use it for her benefit.  One of our favorite websites that we use for homeschooling has literature-based word lists by grade level.  We found a vocabulary word list for Because of Winn Dixie and have been using that this week.  And she's been doing some of her copywork from the book, which is also helping her grammar, punctuation and penmanship.  See, school work doesn't have to be boring. She doesn't mind copy work from one of her favorite books.  I could have her copy from the dictionary or an encyclopedia. Ugh. I remember my grandfather used to have me do that. And I wasn't homeschooled!  He used to keep a notebook of vocabulary words that he found in the dictionary that were new to him. I guess that's where I get my love of words from, but copy work from dictionaries?  No, I don't think so.
Do you have any memories of educational tools you used as a kid that you use or wouldn't use with your kids?

Bullying in School and Socialization

There is so much bullying that goes on in schools, and we're hearing more and more about it lately with the anti-bullying campaigns. I think that middle school is probably the worst.  My two oldest kids were not homeschooled. They attended a brick-and-mortar school. My daughter was made fun of her first year in middle school. Fortunately her brother was in school with her and protected her. But how many kids have to endure that every day?

Bullying can happen to just about anybody because they may be different or because the don't fit in to a mold that the popular kids deem appropriate, or it can just simply happen because they're at the wrong place at the wrong time. Some kids are just bullies and will pick on the kid in front of them because they can.  I'm so glad for the freedom to homeschool because I know if my kids were in school, a couple of them may be subject to being bullied.  One child because she has special needs and the other one because he's shorter than average.

A friend recently confided in me about her son's experiences with bullying in the classroom. She's concerned enough that she's considering homeschooling him. I've suggested an eighth grade online curriculum for her to look into. I advised her to pull him out immediately and start now, even if it is mid-year.  I pulled one of my children out mid-year and was so glad I didn't wait. It's never too late to start homeschooling, especially if your child is asking to be homeschooled. For a first-time homeschooler I would recommend an online curriculum that helps track the student's work and progress and one where the lessons are already prepared. It gives you a guideline to go by if it is all new to you. Then the following year or years you can supplement if you choose to.  There is enough already to adjust to when bringing a child home from a brick-and-mortar school. I would even recommend taking at least a couple of weeks off to de-program from the 7-hour a day school textbook routine.  Just spend time together and ease into the new routine. Talk about the expectations you have for your child. And don't be afraid to tell him that this is new to you, too, and there may be changes as you go. Let him know what your priorities in bringing him home to learn are. For our family, while academics are important, biblical training, character training, family bonding and a love for reading and learning are most important.

Ironically the argument of socialization is often made against homeschooling.  "If you're going to homeschool your child, he's going to miss out on socialization." Really?  Is this the kind of socialization we want for our children?  Is this what is meant by socialization by some, "Let your kids learn how to defend themselves"? What do you think? Do you think socialization in a school setting, a classroom with 20-plus kids to one teacher, or a cafeteria with a hundred or more kids to a teacher or two is a good atmosphere for socialization?

Friends LearnTogether

Samantha had her first sleepover last night.  She's been so excited! This is a big deal for her because one of the challenges for her with her Down syndrome is friendships. Samantha can do just about anything a typical child can do, it just takes her a little longer to learn things. Her milestones are a little later than most typical children. She learned to walk when she was 19 months old, she was fully potty trained when she was 6 years old, she learned to read when she was 9 years old.  Samantha's speech is good, but a little difficult to understand.  Her therapists and our family are working with her on her communications skills.

Because of the Down syndrome, Samantha's cognitive development is considerably slower than the typical child. So over the years, as her friends are maturing at a typical rate, she is maturing at a slower rate cognitively. Samantha is 15 years old now, but she looks like a 10-year-old and cognitively is maybe like an 8-year-old in some ways, like reasoning or problem solving.  So naturally, the friends she had when she was chronologically 8 years old and are now 16 years old, do not have a lot in common with Samantha. The typical children that are Samantha's developmental or cognitive age, say between 8 and 10 years old, are friendly, but they have a little bit of a hard time understanding her. So she doesn't have any close typical friends.

There are a couple of girls with Down syndrome who are Samantha's age who live close to us.  We invited one of these girls to spend the night. They've both been so excited. They could hardly sleep, talking late into the night in Sam's room like two teenage girls. Her friend is also homeschooled. So this morning we did some elementary science. They had so much fun learning about syllables with Silly Bulls. They giggled through a video lesson on molecules and atoms with Molly Cule and a couple of Adams. They also learned about mixtures, recycling, and materials. They took turns answering questions and working through the online activities together.  They helped each other as they learned how to put science vocabulary in ABC order. Now we've moved on to some copy work from their favorite books. I've found some 2-player games that are educational for them. I've promised to take them out for some frozen yogurt or Starbucks after lunch. For the rest of the afternoon I might take them over to the science museum to complete our science day. :)

Samantha and her friend doing science and copy work.

What does your science day look like for you and your kids? Do you do science every day or just once or twice a week?

An Abstract Lesson on Snow in Florida

After my post on homeschooling in Florida winter last week, this week Samantha's science lesson was about weather.  She learned about the many ways we can describe weather and the effects of weather on people, animals and plants.  She also learned that weather can be observed, measured and recorded using our senses and tools.  There are so many instruments that are used.  I think the ones she probably understood best were thermometer or thermostat because we use those on a regular basis at home, and our own senses.  Again, because we use our senses daily. 

Some of other things that were covered in the lesson may not be things that she understood or retained, like how climate varies from place to place and is influenced by factors such as the proximity to bodies of water and the equator. Some concepts that are abstract are difficult for her to grasp. But the more we talk about it and the more we watch videos and visual explanations of it, the easier it will be for her.  So we will continue to read and talk about this for the next week. I'll be looking for some videos to watch together, like videos about weather balloons. I think she'll find them interesting.  

Another part of the lesson that is hard for her to grasp is the topic of snow.  She knows what really cold weather is now that we've been camping in 36-degree weather. What's the point of having such cold weather to sleep in if we don't have the snow to go with it and enjoy, right?  Haha. That's what my kids said that weekend after sleeping in that bitter cold weather. Anyway, I did find some short video clips, in addition to the ones in our lesson, that showed snow falling and how it's formed. I even found some suggestions on how to make fake snow using a clean disposable diaper, water and a bowl.  After cutting the diaper open, we shook the contents into a bowl.  Samantha added water a bit at a time until it started to look and feel a little like snow as the material absorbed the water. The directions also said to add salt if we wanted more of a drier snow rather than slushy snow and to put the bowl in the freezer for about 10 minutes to get more of a 'snow' feel to it.  Since Samantha hasn't seen or felt snow, she had nothing to compare it to. I, on the other hand, thought it was a poor imitation. But at least Sam got to do a little bit of a hands-on project and got a little bit of an idea of what it's like.  Oh, if you try this at home, do not flush this down the toilet or the drain. Dump it in the trash!  Not that we did either, but I thought I should mention it. 

We're really enjoying this science curriculum.  Whether it's kindergarten science , first or second grade, this is a wonderful interactive program for the kids to practice science. Especially if you don't like doing messy science projects. And if you do, you can always add something simple like I did. :)  

Homeschooling in Florida Winter

Sometimes I feel a little guilty about enjoying the beautiful weather we're having here in Florida.  My sister and her family just moved here from Montana.  Yes, Montana! My sister was born and raised here in Florida.  I have no idea what came over them to move to Montana. The cost of living was a little lower and the kids were in better schools.  She doesn't homeschool.  But as soon as her oldest kids graduated, they left Montana. One is back here in Florida. So last year they decided to pack up and move back to Florida.  They're loving it!!!  Just about every day they're posting pictures of their outings here in Florida. Today my brother's-in-law post said that 49 out of 50 states are under snow, Florida being the one state where there is no snow.  I can't imagine.  I love snow, but I think I'm fine with just seeing it in pictures. I don't like the cold.

Right now it's 67 degrees and very sunny.  I'm wearing sweat pants, a warm sweater and fuzzy socks, because I'm cold.  Don't laugh at me.  I know you'd probably be out in the pool right now.  By the way, the water is ice cold.  Or you'd be in shorts and a T-shirt.  It does help that it's sunny out. Yesterday it was cloudy and felt much colder....okay, a little colder.  It's funny because up until just  few days ago it was in the mid-80s. But that's Florida for you.  Maybe that's why I'm sick right now.  My body is not used to the sudden weather change.  Last week the weather was so nice that I was able to take Samantha to the park to meet with some other families.  We looked for bugs and learned about the different kind of bugs there are.  We also covered a little bit about earth history. And it also went well with Samantha's second grade homeschool science.

What does school look like for those of you that are snowed in?  Although I'm sure since you all may have been raised experiencing cold winters, you're probably used to it and enjoy the time outside making snowmen and tossing snowballs.

Winter Camping in Florida....includes fun learning lessons

I'm thankful that my teen kids have flexible jobs that allow them to take the time off when we want to take a mini-vacation.  And because we homeschool high school, it makes it easier to take the time off from schoolwork, too.  So we went camping last weekend.  I know in most parts of the country you wouldn't even think of sleeping outside in a tent! Well, if it weren't because we had already planned this a few weeks ago with several other families, I may have chosen to stay home because it was soooo cold!! But my husband had already requested the time off work and he couldn't change it.  Oh, and have I mentioned we live in Florida?! Yes, I've lived here all my life.  So anything below 65 degrees is too cold for me. Well, it was as low as 34 degrees sleeping in our tent. Ahhhh!  It was not easy getting a full night's rest.  Even snuggled up close to my hubby, and with the kids' sleeping bags zipped up completely, we were freezing.  I think each of us slept with multiple pairs of socks on, gloves, and hats to keep our heads warm, and still we were cold.

I gotta tell you, though, we had soooo much fun. We went on hikes (yes, on flat ground), made s'mores, some went canoeing, and we took lots of pictures. My daughter and her cousin enjoy photography.  So they had fun taking some creative photographs on railroad tracks, abandoned boxcars, and some old shacks they found. They really impressed me with some of the photos they took.  My niece actually entered a photography contest with some of them and won several awards.

Some of my friends tease me that I love camping so much. I really love being out in nature. I love the night sky most of all.  We live in the city, so we don't get a nice open view of all the stars at home. One night one of the guys went to the store and purchased night sky lanterns for all the kids.  We had nine kids between all the families.  It was a little scary when after releasing one of the sky lanterns we noticed a hole on the side of it.  We were praying it would keep rising and not fall in the trees. Of course we had a lesson on the laws of physics, hot air being lighter than cold air and what makes the lanterns rise.  Well, thankfully all went well! The kids loved watching them rise together and separate in their soared in their own directions out of view.  The night sky was absolutely gorgeous.

Another reason I love camping is because the guys do everything! When we arrive at the campground, dad and the kids put the tents up.
Once the tent is up, I set up everything inside because I like to be organized and be able to find things easily. My son Noah is in charge of the fire and the husbands are in charge of the meals. Sometimes I wash the dishes, but this time the guys did that, too.  So it's really a vacation, especially from one of the things I like to do the least: cooking!  I also enjoy the little hikes we take through the trails. Samantha and I took several, just the two of us.  We talked about facts about animals we saw on the trails, like the alligators.  The week before we left her online science lessons online were on change in matter.  So every time she or I noticed a physical change in matter, we would point it out, like when my son was chopping wood, or when we made biscuits on a stick.

Noah chopping wood

Biscuits on a stick

Learning is just part of everyday life, isn't it?  I can't wait to go camping again!