Ordinary Life

 In another Inventions & Technology project, we studied how the phone makes use of radio waves to transmit signals. The children tested one way lines and then connected all their cups to try and form a "Party Line" *Bonus Assignment: Create a phone company, logo and catchphrase then decorate your phone (cup) accordingly: Chandler's TeleCo:  "At the Speed of Light"  Fisher's TurboPhone:  "Faster Than Lightening & Thunder"  Logan's Hello, Let's Talk:  "Lightning Fast Phone Service" 

In our Inventions & Technology class, we've been studying radio waves and the inventions that harnessed those waves for communication. One of our projects was to make a rudimentary transistor using a radio, electrical wires (we used clamps) and a metal file. Though the signal transmitted was nothing more than scratching and tapping, it was an enlightening moment that helped translate how radio waves work and how we make use of them.

In Anatomy, we studied the brain. Our assignment was to make a clay model of the brain, using variated colors to designate major sections.  Chandler's Brain: Fisher's Brain:   Logan's Brain:   Momma's Brain (actual siz e ) :

We've been learning about minerals in Earth Science.  Yesterday, we learned about identifying minerals with the various tests that scientists use. For us, testing involved a hammer, a small pillow case and a handful of rock samples purchased in a kit for just this section of the book. Everyone was disappointed that mom refused to share the hammer. Identifying Minerals Project Today's lesson  was about Native Minerals and the way they are harvested~specifically mining.  (from MiddleEarth~ha! Yes, we did tie a small conversation about The Hobbit into our lesson...Snow White and her Dwarves too)   Our project was to 'harvest' chocolate chips and then clean up the environment behind our efforts.  (ie; lick the plate)  CLICK HERE for a Chocolate Chip Cookie Recipe The 'Dwarves' adopted Hobbit Names in a fine Miner Mash-Up. Find your own Hobbit name HERE . "Bungo Burrows" "Myrtle Burrows" "Bulbo Burrows" Mining Mission Complete. 

Our  recent lessons in God's Design for The Human Body (science)  have been about bone structure. Yesterday we talked about our hands and feet; especially opposable thumbs and toes. Today, we tried to spend five minutes without the luxury of thumbs to build a greater appreciation for one of the small wonders that we often take for granted. Fisher screamed like I was duct taping him entirely... he has ultra sensitive touch... the tape felt weird to him... but he persevered and attempted to write without thumbs before being loosed from his bonds. They were all asked to write: "This is me, without thumbs." But first, because they are my children... and their father's... they had to be funny-writing S.O.S. & ABUSED with their four remaining digits. This is Aletheia without thumbs: 

Animal Science Assignment: Make a Paramecium by tracing your shoe. Chandler Logan Fisher ~k ((gotta show 'em what to do, right?)) My favorite part of this project was when Chandler momentarily looked up from his protist project and quipped: "I thought we quit gluing food to our paper in Kindergarten. "

Animal Science Assignment: Make a sand dollar and a sea star out of sand dough. Chandler Logan Fisher ~k ( I love getting to join in on school projects with my kids :)

We are studying cells in both Plant & Animal Sciences.  Plastic Bag= Cell Membrane Jello=Cytoplasm Non Perils= Mitochondria (dissolved prior to photo) Fruit Cereal-Vacuoles Honey Cereal= Nucleus ~Placed in empty oatmeal boxes, stacked on other boxes, discussed Cell Walls giving plants structure Added Raisins= Photons

 We are nearing the end of our Animal Science book. The chapter on worms afforded us the chance to get dirty AND eat treats... we made dirt sundaes and used gummy worms for our diorama project...we were going to do that whole pinterest Jell-o Worm t hing, but ended up needing the Jell-o we had on hand for our Cell Project in Plant Science. Chandler's Worm Habitat Logan's Worm Habitat Fisher's Worm Habitat Studying worms put me in the mindset of an old song that we used to get sung at us whenever we may be suffering an episode of self-pity...and, that old song worked every time, but not, I believe, because it illustrated the futility of our folly to us in a fun and ironic way, rather, simply because it ushered the Pity Party Host & Guest of Honor  immediately from Depression into Anger . (for the record, I had never heard the parts about "down goes the first one, up comes the first one..."  YUCK That would have made me even madder, I imagine...