Fast-forward to a new generation and book clubs have taken on a new look and a new life. It’s amazing what you can learn in just 140 characters.
We've had a very, very warm winter here in Michigan. With such little snow, the ground has been exposed and my little rock hounds have been collecting rocks again. I thought we'd revisit the types of rocks again (sedimentary, metamorphic and igneous) - but this time give them a more active and visual way to think about how each are formed. There are many examples of creating rocks from crayons, but this pdf from the the Exploratorium is very helpful. Materials Needed: crayons, several of each in four different colors crayon or pencil sharpener 4 containers for holding the crayon shavings 3-6"x6" pieces of aluminum foil popsicle stick or other disposable stirrer mug boiling water Process: Unwrap the crayons and use the sharpener to create shavings. You can also try to make the shavings use a penny or a plastic knife, although we found that the sharpener was easier and more productive than the penny or knife especially for the little ones. Make sure to keep the shavings separate from each other at this point. Sedimentary rocks Sedimentary rocks are formed from sediments (tiny rock particles that were created by weathering or erosion) that were layered and then compressed. To replicate this with the crayon shavings, take one of the aluminum foil squares and have your child sprinkle each of the colors of shavings into the middle of the square, one at a time so they will form the layers. Fold the aluminum foil up tightly around the shavings and then compress it. To do this, they can press on it with their hands, step on it, place it in a clamp or use your creativity to think of other ways. . This does take a while to get the crayon pieces to stick together and we found that a little body heat "helps" the process along. Carefully unfold the foil and remove the sedimentary rock with care as this is the most brittle of the rocks that you are making. A sedimentary crayon rock. Metamorphic rocks Metamorphic rocks are formed when existing rocks are exposed to heat and/or pressure. To mimic this, take another square of aluminum foil and pile all four colors of shavings in the center. Fold up the sides of the aluminum foil to make a boat. Pour boiling water into a mug (adult job!) and float the boat in the hot water for 15 to 20 seconds, just until the shavings have started to melt. Quickly remove the boat and fold the foil in half so that the shavings are compressed a bit. Let it cool and solidify and then open the foil and remove the metamorphic rock. A metamorphic crayon rock. Igneous rocks Igneous rocks are formed when magma (molten rock) cools and solidifies. To make an igneous crayon rock, repeat the steps for making the metamorphic rock, except leave the the aluminum foil boat floating on the hot water for a minute or more until all the crayon sediments have melted. (This may take more or less time depending on the brand of crayons that you have used.) Then take the popsicle stick and stir the shavings until they are all mixed together. Remove the boat and let the crayon cool and solidify. An igneous crayon rock. If you are using a science journal to record your child's experiments, then you can have them record either the process of making each type of rock or draw a picture of what they looked like at the end (or both). What's Happening? There are three types of rocks (sedimentary, metamorphic, and igneous) which, given the right conditions, can be changed from one into another. This is known as the rock cycle, pictured below. Sedimentary rocks are formed from the compaction and cementation of rock sediments and often have distinguishable layers. They also may have fossils of organisms or other visible rock particles in them. Metamorphic rocks are formed when existing rocks are exposed to heat and/or pressure; they often have distinct bands or blocks of crystals in them. Igneous rocks are formed when magma cools and their characteristics, including crystal size, depends on how fast the rock cools. If it cools quickly on the surface of the earth (extrusive igneous rocks), the crystals are small and pores may be apparent. If it cools slowly under the earth, the crystals have a chance to grow larger. More information of rocks can be found in our Creating a Rock Collection activity. Extensions One thing you could try is to create intrusive vs extrusive igneous crayon rocks. Follow the directions to make two igneous rocks, but cool one in a glass of ice and the other at room temperature. Examine the resulting "rocks" with magnifying glasses to see if there is any difference between them. Please let me know if you try this - this is just a brainstorm idea and I really would like to know if there are any visible differences. If you are looking for a good children's book describing the rock cycle, we like the book "The Rock Factory: The Story about the Rock Cycle". It probably is best for early elementary age kids. Finally, you could try to make the different types of rocks with chocolate. I'm thinking white, milk and dark chocolate. Food + science - what a yummy combination! Pin It
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The Canadian provinces and Territories can be hard to remember. Here's a handy printable Canadian Provinces worksheet for school aged children.
The end of the school year -- a time of celebration for students and teachers alike! For my son and I, it is a little different this year. This last year was his first school year as an unschooled kid.
Writing reviews, subtraction strategies, & more! Well, this momma is full swing back into teaching mode! My first graders and I are getting used to one another again and trying to continue our learning without skipping a beat. It is an interesting transition to come back after maternity leave. My classroom was in someone else’s […]
Interested in using Spell to Write and Read or WRTR? Spalding Method explained, here.
secular parenting Earlier today someone asked me a tremendous question; it's a question that I often hear as a critical question from the religious and as a conundrum from the secular. The question came to me like this: I am wondering how to raise a child that is five years old saying they do not believe in a god. I am unsure if they really know what they are talking about. I come from a mixed family of theists, my oldest daughter an agnostic, and myself being an atheist. How do I help her transition into public school where they say the pledge. She seems very observant and I want her to be freethinking, full of imagination, feel loved, while still respecting others. I hope I can do the right thing for all my children. I love talking to parents. The best ones question everything, think of things to worry about or question, and seek out information to continue to improve. Never fear the not knowing! Of course, I can't speak for ATHEISM (no one can!), but I can speak to this question as an atheist parent. My simple answer is this. I am not raising atheists, I am raising children. It is not my goal in life to pass my atheist paradigm on to my children. It is my goal in life to give my children the freedom, the reasonable thought, and the information to make decisions for themselves. If their conclusions are that there is no supernatural diety (among many other conclusions, hopefully) well, that is a decision that they will come to after many years of truly exploring ideologies freely, changing opinions, improving their pattern of thought, living in an open world, and exploring this world broadly with eyes wide open. I can not see a five year old as having a personal philosophy. Can you? Five year olds generally know what they have been taught and they know how to please the beloved adults around them. The bad part of that: religions focus on kids at those early ages. The great part of that: they don't have to carry our baggage. The bad part of that: kids absorb religious messages is around them. The great part of that: our kids can explore so many things and develop their own philosophies about the world. The bad part of that: they are targets for mixed-messages and over-zealous family and friends who fear for their souls. The great part of that: they learn that self-contained belief systems never really remove the fear of this life, they only expand it. Raising children without religion is a journey. It is what makes parenting secular. Raising freethinking children? That is the goal.There is absolutely no magic bullet or magic moment, rather a series of moments. There are no manuals, no conferences (yet...or few of them), few groups you can join, few communities to be a part of, no esoteric knowledge. Rather, it is an ongoing question and answer period, an exploration of the grey areas of life, a place of peace and clear thought, and a celebration of choice! You will have ongoing and wonderful conversations with your free thinking children and they will amaze you! Never fear their questions. Never fear their confusion. Never fear their exploration of other belief systems. With your support they will know that they can explore ideas and accept them or reject them based on what makes sense. Man in the sky with an afterlife on the clouds? Hmmm, what can we see through this telescope? What do the astronauts see way up there? Scary, hot place under the earth where people forever? I see from my research that these miners can't live very far down. What do we know exists there and how do we know it? Afterlife? Hmmm...I can see this little bird beginning to decompose, sending its molecules into the soil to enrich it. What can we see happens next? You are offering them evidence-based information and teaching them that our nonsecular world has injected some very unnecessary and confusing messages into our day. They have the freedom to look carefully, think critically, pick out mythology from fact, ask the questions, and create a unique paradigm, uniquely theirs. So the short answer is that we aren't out here trying to raise atheists; we are out here raising freethinking human beings who have the luxury, the time, and the encouragement to figure out their own personal philosophy! OH! And about the Pledge of Allegiance, why not learn it ahead of time with her? Why not talk about what it actually means? Why not talk about each sentence, its meaning, and your daughter's options regarding if she wants to say it or how she might like to say it, or other options. Give her the freedom to make her own decision about the Pledge. Just inform, educate, discuss, and sit back and watch her amazing brain go to work! ...................................... You might also like this post: Charlie and Kiwi: An Evolutionary Adventure An Unfortunate Necessary Evil The Big Question: Death One of my Worst Days as a Parent
A super fun way to teach contractions is by using a read-aloud book that is full of contractions. Franklin's Thanksgiving works perfectly!
Due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, many schools have decided to start the new school year through a virtual platform. For many parents, whether they are working from home or stay-at-home moms and dads, the virtual learning process can be daunting. For parents who have incoming kindergarteners or parents who didn’t experience it during the...Read More
Years ago at a fall festival, I remember a story teller telling a really cute story about the star that you see when you cut into an apple....
Hello Everyone! I know! It has been a long time since my last post. I have had so much family stuff going on that I have been absolutely c...
We've had a very, very warm winter here in Michigan. With such little snow, the ground has been exposed and my little rock hounds have been collecting rocks again. I thought we'd revisit the types of rocks again (sedimentary, metamorphic and igneous) - but this time give them a more active and visual way to think about how each are formed. There are many examples of creating rocks from crayons, but this pdf from the the Exploratorium is very helpful. Materials Needed: crayons, several of each in four different colors crayon or pencil sharpener 4 containers for holding the crayon shavings 3-6"x6" pieces of aluminum foil popsicle stick or other disposable stirrer mug boiling water Process: Unwrap the crayons and use the sharpener to create shavings. You can also try to make the shavings use a penny or a plastic knife, although we found that the sharpener was easier and more productive than the penny or knife especially for the little ones. Make sure to keep the shavings separate from each other at this point. Sedimentary rocks Sedimentary rocks are formed from sediments (tiny rock particles that were created by weathering or erosion) that were layered and then compressed. To replicate this with the crayon shavings, take one of the aluminum foil squares and have your child sprinkle each of the colors of shavings into the middle of the square, one at a time so they will form the layers. Fold the aluminum foil up tightly around the shavings and then compress it. To do this, they can press on it with their hands, step on it, place it in a clamp or use your creativity to think of other ways. . This does take a while to get the crayon pieces to stick together and we found that a little body heat "helps" the process along. Carefully unfold the foil and remove the sedimentary rock with care as this is the most brittle of the rocks that you are making. A sedimentary crayon rock. Metamorphic rocks Metamorphic rocks are formed when existing rocks are exposed to heat and/or pressure. To mimic this, take another square of aluminum foil and pile all four colors of shavings in the center. Fold up the sides of the aluminum foil to make a boat. Pour boiling water into a mug (adult job!) and float the boat in the hot water for 15 to 20 seconds, just until the shavings have started to melt. Quickly remove the boat and fold the foil in half so that the shavings are compressed a bit. Let it cool and solidify and then open the foil and remove the metamorphic rock. A metamorphic crayon rock. Igneous rocks Igneous rocks are formed when magma (molten rock) cools and solidifies. To make an igneous crayon rock, repeat the steps for making the metamorphic rock, except leave the the aluminum foil boat floating on the hot water for a minute or more until all the crayon sediments have melted. (This may take more or less time depending on the brand of crayons that you have used.) Then take the popsicle stick and stir the shavings until they are all mixed together. Remove the boat and let the crayon cool and solidify. An igneous crayon rock. If you are using a science journal to record your child's experiments, then you can have them record either the process of making each type of rock or draw a picture of what they looked like at the end (or both). What's Happening? There are three types of rocks (sedimentary, metamorphic, and igneous) which, given the right conditions, can be changed from one into another. This is known as the rock cycle, pictured below. Sedimentary rocks are formed from the compaction and cementation of rock sediments and often have distinguishable layers. They also may have fossils of organisms or other visible rock particles in them. Metamorphic rocks are formed when existing rocks are exposed to heat and/or pressure; they often have distinct bands or blocks of crystals in them. Igneous rocks are formed when magma cools and their characteristics, including crystal size, depends on how fast the rock cools. If it cools quickly on the surface of the earth (extrusive igneous rocks), the crystals are small and pores may be apparent. If it cools slowly under the earth, the crystals have a chance to grow larger. More information of rocks can be found in our Creating a Rock Collection activity. Extensions One thing you could try is to create intrusive vs extrusive igneous crayon rocks. Follow the directions to make two igneous rocks, but cool one in a glass of ice and the other at room temperature. Examine the resulting "rocks" with magnifying glasses to see if there is any difference between them. Please let me know if you try this - this is just a brainstorm idea and I really would like to know if there are any visible differences. If you are looking for a good children's book describing the rock cycle, we like the book "The Rock Factory: The Story about the Rock Cycle". It probably is best for early elementary age kids. Finally, you could try to make the different types of rocks with chocolate. I'm thinking white, milk and dark chocolate. Food + science - what a yummy combination! Pin It
Deciding on a Curfew for a 17 year old can be confusing, I'll make it simple both legally based on your state and from a parents perspective.
A collection of classic insults.
Updated: August 2023 There is a lot of unwarranted fear about ‘big babies’ getting stuck. The media reflects the usual story – that women are creating a problem. This post was ini…
After doing our Egg-citing exploration experiment the other day and Jake being all into it, I decided to do a couple other experiments with him. Below you will see. How an egg shell disappears? When I saw this over at Science Sparks several weeks ago, I knew Jake would love to do this experiment. Materials: Raw egg White vinegar Container Place the raw egg in the container, then cover with vinegar. You will notice almost right away the egg starts to bubble(that is the chemical reaction that is happening) We left it in the vinegar for 2 days and then took it out and washed it off, it was clear. Then we used it for another experiment(see below). What Jake noticed on this experiment was the egg bubbled, was firm, it bounced on the counter, and got bigger. How to shrink an egg? Materials: Light karo-syrup Shell-less egg (experiment above will get you a shell-less egg) We took the shell-less egg from above experiment and used it for this next experiment. Place egg in container and pour karo-syrup all over the egg. Leave it in there for 12 hours. You will notice after a couple hours it starting to shrink. When an egg is placed in the syrup the water moves out and cause a decrease in mass. This is a result of osmosis occurring. You can see in the picture that Jake is amazed at how the egg shell is gone. Also, you can see that the egg is firm not squishy like the picture above. What Jake gathered from the shrinking egg was it was a brighter yellow, squishy to the touch, and smaller. How to make an egg erupt? Materials: Water and food coloring if you want the egg to be colored Shrunken egg (from above experiment) Toothpick Take your shrunken egg and place in water, we used colored water to give it a twist for the end result. Then wait several hours. Your egg will reabsorb the water and grow again, but will also turn colored if you made the water colored. Then Jake took it out of the water and I had him poke a hole in the top of the egg with the toothpick. Water squirted from it making a volcano. Jake gathered from this experiment was that the egg turned blue from the food coloring, was firm like it was before we shrunk it and grew in size. We had a lot of fun doing these egg experiments over a couple days. Also, talking about how egg looked and felt different with each experiment. The part that amazed me the most was that you could do all 3 experiments using one egg. If you would like to do more egg experiments be sure to check out Science Sparks 10 egg experiments great science for kids. If you like to explore and try new experiments be sure to visit our Science board. Thanks for stopping by to see what fun stuff we are doing. Be sure to come follow us on Pinterest and Facebook
