LapBooking

did you know there is a host of information out there on lapbooking?

what is lapbooking you might ask?

Lapbooking can be done by any learner-- from preschoolers to adults. With this educational method, you make mini-books covering details that you've studied. After making a variety of mini-books about a larger topic, all the books are put together in a large folder. The finished product is called a lapbook because it's large and covers your lap.

The completed lapbook will serve as a review tool as your children refer to it over and over again. And if you have to keep a homeschool portfolio to document learning each year, lapbooks can be a very impressive addition.

it's utterly astounding to this new to homeschooling mom.

Wow! It's just like scrapbooking what you are learning!!! NEAT!!!

Check out this one : Lapbooking 101

if you go to yahoo groups and look for lapbooking, you'll come up with this list.

or do a google search for this.

here's a page with all sorts of templates for designing your own lap book.

Homeschool Resources has a page on Lapbooking.

anyways, I"ll add more perhaps another day. now I"m tired and must go to bed.

Dynamic Moms - Free Unit Studies

Dynamic 2 Moms

This is a website that offers free unit studies.

I"m planning on doing this fall season one.

They are geared for the 4-8 year old crowd.

Contest Entry

I'm trying to get the world history course. :)

Epikardia has just released their second grade daily lessons curriculum.

For those of you clamoring for Second Grade Daily Lesson Plans – Set I is here! As with all of our Daily Lesson Plans, our Second Grade plans organize the study of history into nine chronological units integrated with:

• language arts (reading, spelling, vocabulary, literature study, narration, copy work, poetry, simple dictation, etc.)
• science
• fine arts (picture, artist and music study)

The making of a volcano

our supplies: vinegar, baking soda, sand around a bottle, and food colouring

adding colour to the vinegar so we can see it better

adding baking soda to our bottle

Learning that baking soda does NOT taste good. :)

Let me! Let ME do it!!!!

Mommy!!!!

look!!!! it bubbles mommy!!!!

See the cars like it too! they can't get past this (can't remember what he called it)

this is just too exciting mommy!

time to just explore with vinegar, baking soda and toys

He played with everything for a good hour after we were done the experimentation part. Just too much fun.
Gasses go big! they Explode! They make bubbles!!! :)

Various things from around the blog

Rosetta Stone - language people. having a sale right now.

YoungZine -

Youngzine is a free online news website for children that presents current events in politics, science & technology, environment, and society through articles, pictures and videos without the risk of running into inappropriate or sensational content.

What to Know how tootsie rolls are made? Check this out.

Learn Sign Language!

Math and Movies.

Many of the students in today’s secondary (and college) classrooms grew up watching attention-grabbing, action-packed educational programs. These students now spend more hours in front of a video screen than they do reading books. No wonder students may find traditional mathematics education to be dull and boring.

So, what can mathematics educators do to compete in this exciting and captivating world of technology? The answer seems to be simple: embrace technology in the classroom. Rather than lament the disinterest of students, use any and all forms of technology to grab and retain their attention. Consider presenting mathematical content (not watered-down content) in a variety of educational styles.

Great Migrations by National Geographic, this site just looks fascinating. :)

National Geographic Channel’s Great Migrations is a seven-part global programming event that takes viewers around the world on the arduous journeys millions of animals undertake to ensure the survival of their species.

Check out the History Channel. I watched the ice trucks one today, and found it quite interesting.

Charlotte Mason grammer information. Have to admit, it makes sense to me. A gentle grammer and a week of gentle grammer.

Busy HomeSchool Day

I have to admit, ALL I wanted to do today was veg, just totally veg.
but I couldn't allow that so... I kept myself busy with my lad. Still felt like I was dragging through the day. I totally spread this out over the course of the entire day.

1. did a craft/poem thing with the lad. I had to cut things out, he helped me glue them on. He read the poem several times.

2. did some math in a kindergarten math book. Just five pages. He enjoyed it.

3. did some experiments.
a. one didn't work. We'll try it again, using a different pop bottle and a bigger base bowl.
b. Seal with air

He had fun with this one.
We started with a small glass with a piece of cardboard, and upgraded to a piece of note paper. Once he exhausted the various ways to do this (full glass, half glass, turn fast, turn slow etc) He started to experiment with paper and water. Everything from adding food colouring to test out what happens when you mix what, to can you block a drain with cardboard and a glass, and including what happens if you add dish detergent to water (it goes colourless in case you didn't know).

c. Make a volcano
If he had fun with the previous one....this was way over the top. Just plain fun. Mommy forgot to read the instructions the first time so we had to correct my error (and the lad had a chance to laugh at mommy's forgetfulness). Had to call gramma to see if she had everything he need to do this all over again at her house. :)

We organized his stuff today. One binder for experiments, one for unit studies, and one for art work. Helps to keep things neater.

Sketch Tuesday - something that floats

I was going to do a feather.
What are you going to draw mommy?
I think I'll do a feather.
no, a boat.
I think I'll do a feather
NO, a boat mommy, you should draw a boat.

So.. you think I should do a boat huh?
YES!
So.. well...I drew a boat.



There's a story to this boat. It is a bunnytown boat. and the bunnies are fishing for cats. Can you see all the cats in the water? they are being fished for. This is a ladder going up to what.. I'm sorry.. I can't remember. But there is a guard rail so the bunnies can't fall off the boat.

Catching up....

Justin and I submitted sketches for this weeks Sketch Tuesday. We were to draw something with whiskers. I initially did a picture of "daddy with whiskers", but on query from my lad, did a face of Milo the cat instead. yes, I am a horrid artist, but hey... at least I submitted something :) Next week...something that floats. Justin was very excited about this one and immediately drew something. :) I am still thinking about what I want to draw for this assignment.



Today we did the first day of the Terrific Tigers Unit study/lapbook from Download N Go. I have a cat crazy lad so spending the $8.00 for this item was a no brainer. He had fun doing the first section. We didn't do it ALL (as in what day one called for), he's five and this is a multi-age study. So you have a child who can do some, do what he can, dictate what he can, and leave the rest.

As to the study itself I found that it's well done. I have to say, I would have no problem getting some of their other products. :) I enjoyed doing the day one of this five day study with him.

I have a fairly electic approach to homeschooling, I see value in doing a variety of things, and having a five year old lad gives me some sway in how I do things. I am hoping to start doing some latin with him at some point....But I think I might leave that in his dad's purview, his dad is more the language person in this household, though I'll probably get roped into it.....

What else...today we went to the library to get tiger books...they had ONE (a bit of a bummer that), we had plans to stop in and see one of the seniors in the old folks home, but forgot after playing with trains to do that... went to the dollar store to get a drink instead. but you know what? ...tomorrow is another day, always lots to do in the course of a single day.

Mr. Rogers Videos

How do they do that type videos.

Door's Open London

As a family we took in four of the sites to doors open London.

We went to the agricultural center, the train club, the HMCS Provost and the Secrets of Radar Museum.

It was good. We ALL learned lots. Justin had fun.

He had to answer three questions at each site.
1. What you remember,
2. what you learned,
3. what was the best.

In order
Agriculture center
- plants they were telling us about.
- plants can get diseases
- best thing was making smoke (dry ice, detergent and hot water).

Train Club
- (couldn't remember anything) :) ---it was ALL trains so it's not like you could pick anything out to really recall
- It was SO BIG!!!!
- "I wanted to see the whole thing"

HMCS Provost
- me and daddy were running around
- I could ring a bell REALLY loud
- Running around upstairs

Secrets of Radar
- Matching planes
- names of all the equipment
- Mommy telling me the names of all the equipment.

For those wanting a fuller picture of our day, go here.

Mommy!!!! Did you know?!??!!

that if you look at your hand through a magnifying glass it looks differenter?

Look at your hand mommy!!!

Whoa!!!

Mommy, look at this car? It looks differenter too!

What we Learned today : Paper Airplanes

Today we experimented with different paper airplane designs.
We talked about wind currents and lift, but mostly had fun trying out four different designs of paper airplanes.

1. was easy and fun to do. It kept wanting to hit Milo. It did like to crash land though...particularly after we added stickers to it. :)

2. we didn't like. It was too wobbly and didn't fly straight. "it's not a good plane mommy."

3. was HARD to make. It's supposed fly outside and it went far inside, but it was VERY difficult to make and I'm not convinced we made it properly.

4. was easy to make and fun to do with a boy child. It flew like the first one... long and far and kept wanting to scare Milo (the lad's cat).

will add pics later. :)

The lad also did
on some book work. Copying letters and doing some early math. :)

BLue Spruce

I asked our town librarian the other day if she could recommend books for our lad to read.

She said she couldn't recommend a particular book as there are so many good ones out there, but that we should read some of the Blue Spruce books. Here are some titles to some Blue Spruce books.

From what I understand, Blue Spruce books are some of the best of Canadian authors in Children's literature.
I do know that of the few we brought home today from the library our lad has enjoyed them immensely. They are a good read

Progressive Phonics

Thanks to whomever did this spreadsheet. I found Progressive Phonics.

I know what the lad and I will be doing tomorrow. :)

Should prove interesting.....

What We Learned Today - Magnets

Today I set the lad up with Magnets, iron filings, nails and what not. He took it from there.

Things the lad learned or that we talked about, not necessarily in the order learned/taught

1. water doesn't change how a magnet acts
2. water doesn't wash off iron filings
3. iron filings are fun to watch on paper - you can make them dance
4. iron filings will cling to a magnet and they are very sticky.
5. magnets can break easily if they are the stick type
6. magnets sometimes stick end to end and sometimes they don't...sometimes they stick in the middle and sometimes to the side. (when I ask Justin if that is because of polarity he says yes)
7. nails sometimes jump up the side of a magnet while others just cling loosely and others stick very hard to the bottom of it and we don't know why that is.
8. iron filings will rust.
9. magnets have a north and a south (but Justin doesn't really get this at this point)
10. iron filings are very small...but they stick in long lines when they dance...it's fun to make them move around in clumps. :)

Review: The Middle School Student Schoolhouse Planner

Middle School Student Schoolhouse Planner.

I was sent this e-book to review and I have to admit, they managed to impress me. They did. And quite frankly...most planners don't really thrill me. It's like I have this mental thing of "what can they give me that I can't figure out on my own"? But this planner, indeed, it amazed me. Wow...they packed a WHOLE whack of things into this planner. Loads of calendar pages, planning pages, goal pages, conversion charts, and more. Basically...you name it...it will have it. It is packed with tidbits of information that every middle schooler needs to know. Very well done. I was quite pleased with this planner by the time I finished looking through it.

I have to admit that as a Canadian I was displeased with the amount of focus there was in the United States (as much as I expected it), but also as a Canadian I was very pleased that an American company had some focus on Canadians (three pages of info indeed!). :)

I would happily recommend this planner to anyone who wants to help their middle school scholar get their year organized.

Gymnastics

Today was the lad's first day at Gymnastics. He was VERY uncertain about going. He was alarmed that I wouldn't be in the same room as he was in, but he had fun! Hubby dear and I had fun watching him.

He tumbled and balanced and listened, and very occasionally acted like a complete goofball.
He does NOT know how to somersault yet. :) We just grinned watching him try and how much absolute fun he had while doing so. :)

Gymnastics was held at the Forest City Gymnastics Club. He takes part in their kindergym program. It's for 3-5 year olds. Most of his classmates were 3 years old, with a couple four year olds and then the lad at 5. :) It was a good morning of learning and fun.

University of Kentucky College of Agriculture

now THIS is a cool site. University of Kentucky College of Agriculture.

Unit studies, teacher outlines, all types of project for 4H children to work on...and they provide it seems like everything except the physical stuff (aka...if doing a study on insects.. YOU have to catch the insects). :)

they made a little bike!!!

that you don't have to pedal on

What We Learned Today: fanhawe pioneer village

On Thursday, Sept 9, we went to the pioneer village in London. One of the ladies from Kids Learning Connection booked a group visit to Fanshawe Pioneer Village. There were about 50 of us all told.

They split us into two groups for a tour. We saw different buildings.
The group that the lad and I were in saw an artists birth home, the brewery, the print shop and oh...some other building that I can't remember. What can I say...short term memory problems. I do have pics so that will help with the memory. :)

At the artists birth home the lad enjoyed seeing of the old toys that children played with (an old wooden noahs ark), at the brewery going up and down those narrow stairs evoked comments of "I'm a bit scared here mommy", and the print shop was fun because he could print off something by himself. He enjoyed that.

Anyways, afterward the tour they had a time to play 19th century games: bean bag toss, 'laces', lawn bowling and tug of war. I helped win the tug of war for the small kids team. :) Justin had a hoot playing bean bag toss. And then we did the pillory. The children had lots of fun pretending they were being punished for various things like stealing a loaf of bread, or breaking something.

When the main game time was over, the lad and I wandered around seeing the rest of the buildings. It was a fun day out for us.

An unexpected lesson for us: don't carry loose batteries in your purse. IF they connect your purse will get very hot and you can melt a corner of one's camera. NOT a fun experience.