Posted by Cindy on February 28, 2008
Yep, you read right – I said Thanksgiving. This was one to-do that just didn’t make the cut during the busy holiday season. But, we had all the materials (and time) the other day and it really doesn’t have to be a Thanksgiving experiment….
Remember the
Science Projects for Holidays Throughout the Year book? This is another fun math and science activity found in it.
To sum up the experiment, we compared unpopped kernels to popped kernels in volume and characteristics. We made hypotheses as to what makes popcorn pop. Then it was time for a demonstration. We poured about a 1/2 cup of water in a glass bottle and placed a deflated balloon over the bottle top. The bottle was carefully placed in a pot of slightly boiling water. As the water in the bottle began to boil, the air the the bottle was heated. Hot air expands, which made our balloon expand. This is the same sort of principle that makes popcorn pop. Little bits of water and air are inside an unpopped corn kernels. When they are heated and the pressure builds inside the kernel, POP goes the corn.
We then talked about whether or not kernels that had been crushed with a hammer could pop. After deciding they probably couldn’t, I cut holes in our balloon and we heated the water and air inside the bottle again. The balloon wasn’t able to inflate because air pressure wasn’t allowed to build up. Therefore, a broken corn kernel can’t pop because no pressure builds up.
Late last year, I Tivo’d a popcorn documentary on the History Channel that was the perfect afternoon viewing. Of course, we ate popcorn!
Posted by Cindy on February 27, 2008
I just wanted to share what a hit this math activity was last week.
Using the information sheets that the website provides, the kids had to fill out a chart to show how many presidents have come from which states. Then, they used graph paper to create a bar graph to show the information from the chart. Fun activity!
Posted by Cindy on February 26, 2008
Not a great picture (that new camera is coming one of these days), but it gives you the idea. They load up the 20 pound 14 month old into a baby doll stroller and whiz around the house as fast as they can. They’ve only overturned him once so far! He belly laughs the entire time, even when they turned him over. Well, he isn’t belly laughing when they go so fast that his fat little cheeks pull back like a cartoon, but he never stops smiling. 
When he’s had enough, it’s his turn to take over. My walls have suffered greatly from his driving.
Posted by Cindy on February 21, 2008
As we entered the second half of our Medieval history unit, I’m excitedly planning our earth science unit. These are the resources I’m pulling from….
Primarily Earth (I LOVE these AIMS units. They are so full of meaningful math and science activities. Most of the time, there are great graphs and/or data sheets to go along with the activities, too.)
Hard as a Rock (This NaturExplorers study is VERY full!)
Considering God’s Creation (I’ll only use a small section since much of it is about life sciences.)
Janice VanCleave’s Earth Science for Every Kid: 101 Easy Experiments that Really Work
Captivating Clouds and Remarkable Rain (These NaturExplorers studies cover the weather cycle and more.)
Posted by Cindy on February 20, 2008
We’re having so much fun studying Medieval history! After reading about various aspects of life, we’ve been doing a project every day or two to go along with that aspect. The picture above shows the kid’s projects after learning about knights and armor.
Sorry, but after that picture the camera pooped out again. The kiddos have also made a model of a castle and period costumes so far. This week, we’ll be preparing a medieval feast, setting a period table and eating with the manners of the time. I’m hoping to be able to snap pictures here and there, so hopefully, I’ll have more pictures to share by the end of the unit.
