Academia Celestia

Inside Out & Back Again :: Book Sharing Monday

2012-02-12T07:46:00.000-08:00

Inside Out & Back Again by Thanhha Lai is a great book for young readers and adults both. Recommended to me by my 9-year old daughter; the first book she has read before me and thereafter said to me, "Mom. You have to read this book. It is really good and I think you will like it a lot." Told in verse, it is the story of a young girl's experience has she and her family emigrate to the United States following the turmoil of the Vietnam War.

I love what it says on the back cover, "Open this book, read it slowly to savor the delicious language. Before closing it, go back to the beginning, this time to let the story of ten-year-old Hà and the year she escaped from South Vietnam, 1975, leaving behind the world she knew and loved, sink in. Don't close the covers yet. Read it again to notice how perfect the thin line of the prose itself mirrors the thin line that Hà walks during that year. This is a book that asks the reader to be careful, to pay attention, to sigh at the end."

My favorite literature genre is Historical Fiction and this one has quickly risen to my top ten. It is no wonder that this book was awarded the Newberry Honor Medal this year. I encourage everyone to read it, especially those desiring a little glimpse of Asian culture.

Environment Exchange Boxes

2012-02-10T08:29:00.000-08:00

I have been wanting to organize an exchange activity for a long time. As we have recently relocated to an area with a distinctly different ecosystem - I've decided, "Now is the time." However, I will need your help. I don't have many followers so you'll need to help spread the word. The activity is based upon Project Learning Tree's activity #20, Environmental Exchange Box (click upon the link for the PDF of the lesson plan). Follow this link for visual ideas, PLTs Forest Exchange Boxes.

Essentially, each family puts together a box of things found in your local natural environment ... a selection of pressed leaves and flowers, seashells, seeds and cones, a vial of sand, feathers, a few stones, a sound recording of local birds, stories the kids have written about their favorite things to do in their area, photographs, samples of non-perishable regional foods (maple syrup, walnuts, etc.), and/or copies of newspaper clippings relating local environmental issues.

We can also use a webcam and/or YouTube to facilitate the exchange - allowing the students an opportunity to interact with their exchange partners to explain the contents of the box they prepared. What you select and how you organize your box is up to you. Be creative!

Everyone wishing to participate would be given the address of another family to whom to send their box. You mail a box just once.

Those interested in taking part should submit the information below to me via email. I will thereafter assign each participating family a partner family with whom to exchange boxes.

Name
School Name (if you have one)
Address
Telephone Number (include area code)
Age of Students
Email Address
Preferred state or region with which you would like to exchange (not guaranteed)

Deadline to sign-up is March 4th.

Friends :: Wordless Wednesday

2012-02-08T05:34:00.000-08:00

Ice-Breaker Swim Meet

2012-02-07T10:52:00.000-08:00

Sweetie took part in her first sanctioned swim meet this past week in Sacramento. As she hadn't competed in the past, her goal was simply to complete each event, do her best, and to ultimately have fun. Though she could have squeezed in numerous events, we chose to keep it to a minimum and she thereby chose three: 100y Freestyle, 100y Breaststroke, and 100y Individual Medley.

Warmup - Free

The weather could not have been better for mid-February. This event last year we were told was miserably cold for the spectators ... let alone the swimmers. Her first two events were scheduled for Sat and her final event was on Sun.

100y Breast

The 100y Free provided a huge learning curve - starting off the block and a horn, rather than a whistle or someone yelling, 'Go!' She thereby had a delayed start but otherwise she looked strong.

100y Breast

Her favorite stroke is Breaststroke and it is also the easiest stroke to photograph. She did much better in this event and while competing against the same girls, she place significantly higher. It will be fun to watch how much she improves as she gains both skill and confidence.

Start of 100y IM

The morning of the IM, she didn't want to participate. She started to get really nervous and nearly made herself sick with worry. We all encouraged her to see it through and thankfully she did. I knew she would be disappointed with herself had she backed out. She did well and was indeed happy that she completed all her events.

The best part of the weekend - on top of meeting many of the other families and getting to know our team mates better - was that Buddy was inspired to compete as well. I think swimming will become a major part of our lives moving forward.

Stamps Stamps Stamps

2012-02-05T12:07:00.000-08:00

A few weeks ago, I caught a post on Free-Cycle whereby a man was offering a small collection of stamps to a young person interested in getting started in this hobby. All he asked was that the young person write him a letter. I thought I might have to plead and prod Sweetie to write a letter, but that wasn't the case. She jumped at the opportunity and had her letter drafted within a few minutes.

She assumed that there would be many other kids also interested so she wanted to email her letter right away. Here is what she wrote:

Dear Bob,

My name is Sweetie. I am nine years old. My brother is six years old. We have a small stamp collection. We started it two years ago. Most of them are from the USA. We hope to someday have a collection from all over the world. We would love to have your collection.

Stamp collecting is fun. Right now, we are especially looking for stamps from Norway and Canada. We want to earn the Cultural Skills badge from our Sons of Norway lodge.

Thank you,

Sweetie

We received a response the following day and I called the gentleman by phone. He invited us out to his place so that he could also give the kids a lesson on how to properly soak their stamps and to answer any questions they may have.

We were ecstatic to discover that the small collection he was giving us had well over 2,000 cancelled stamps from all over the world. The kids poured over the pages as we listened to Bob explain the hobby he was so passionate about. He also invited us to participate in a local philatelic exhibit coming up in March.

We were excited upon returning home to sift through our collections and decide upon themes - essentially a focus for each of our collections. Previously, we had simply collected any and all stamps and the process was overwhelming. Now we each have a clear idea of what we would like to collect and why.

First Fridays

2012-02-04T11:24:00.000-08:00

Our new Roots & Shoots group meets on the first Friday of each month. Our leader, Karen, picks the trail and/or location. I love that she is an avid birder and that I am learning as much as the kiddos. This past week, we went for a walk along the river ... a trail in which we are very familiar ... and she pointed out the Bald Eagle nest to us.

Bald Eagle sitting on her nest

Fortunately, the female (we assume) was present and sitting upon her brood. Though I do not have a great camera, if you click upon the image to enlarge it, you can see her head just above her nest. We spent quite a bit of time observing the eagle and watching the other birds in the area. We came up with quite an extensive list:

3 Double-crested Cormorants
1 Blue Heron
20 Canada Geese
1 Gadwall
2 Common Mergansers
2 Canvasbacks
12 Buffleheads
at least 10 Mallards
1 Ring-necked Duck
a possible Black Scoter
3 Turkey Vultures
6 killdeer
1 Mourning Dove
25 Coots
about 200 gulls
1 Anna's Hummingbird
1 Northern Flicker
about 3 Western Scrubjays
3 Oak Titmice
at least 5 bushtits
1 Bewick's Wren
2 American Robins
1 House Finch.

Thereafter, we continued our walk and observed numerous other birds as well as a few other interesting things I'll share with you visually.

Interesting growth patterns or galls ?? on the trunk of an old Oak tree

Pinipevine (the plant on which the Pipevine Swallowtail we observed in Aug lays its eggs)

Sadly, this tree has been girdled by deer and will likely die

Cliff Swallow nests

The munchkins haven't yet illustrated their observations in their journals. I am curious what they will select. Along the walk, however, I collected several twig samples for a twig study I hope to accomplish in the next few days.

Galls :: Nature Study

2012-02-02T18:56:00.000-08:00

Galls are everywhere ... if you take the time to look ... particularly on Oak trees. The kids and I love insects, so we've been actively looking for galls for years. When they learned that one of Barb's challenges this season included a study on galls, they proclaimed that it was one they were most looking forward to doing.

Galls are caused by many organisms living on plants, including insects, mites, mistletoe, fungi, and bacteria. We discovered that the Oak is host to more galls (specifically wasps) than any other plant. This wasn't surprising as it is on the Oak that we most often observe them.

An "oak apple" gall caused by the California gall wasp (Andricus californicus);
observed on an Oak stem/branch in the spring 2011.

Observed on an Oak stem/branch in the winter 2012.

Observed on an Oak leaf on the ground in the winter 2012.

Striking "ping-pong" ball galls of the minute gall wasp (Cynips maculipennis)

on the leaves of Oregon oak (Quercus garryana).

Swollen stem galls on the branchlets of a canyon live oak (Quercus chrysolepis)

caused by a cynipid gall wasp (Andricus spectabilis?).

The collection of galls I provided the munchkins as we read about galls .

Buddy's sketch - sadly, he wasn't really in the mood and only drew the one

Sweetie's sketches ... she chose to illustrate several

As I sat down to write up our lesson, I discovered that alien-like thing pictured below is actually a gall. I had it in our collection of seeds and cones, however, my online research revealed that it is in fact a gall caused by an aphid-like insect (Adelges cooleyi) of the order Homoptera that invades the needle-bearing branch tips. Apparently, here in California these are sometimes referred to as Spruce pineapple galls as inects attack the swollen, needle-bearing branchlets of the sitka spruce (P. sitchensis), weeping spruce (P. breweriana) and several cultivated trees, including the oriental spruce (P. orientalis) and Norway spruce (P. excels). According to W.P. Armstrong, this insect has a complex life cycle that involves two genera of host trees, including several species spruce (Picea) and Douglas fir (Pseudotsuga meziesii).

ATC Gathering #1 :: Wordless Wednesday

2012-02-01T13:38:00.000-08:00

Lunar New Year :: 农历新年

2012-01-30T12:50:00.000-08:00

As students of Mandarin, we celebrate Chinese or Lunar New Year. The biggest event during Chinese New Year is the family dinner on the eve of the lunar new year. The dinner consists of dumplings (represents wealth), fish (for abundance), and new year cake (for prosperity). Children receive 'red envelopes' or (Hóngbāo 红包) with money inside as blessings.

Chinese New Year is a time when families and friends wear new clothes from head to toe (symbolizes a new beginning in the new year) and greet each other. Traditionally, people would set off firecrackers to scare off the mythical beast called Nian 年.

This year, the kids learned a song as well (sang to the tune of Ol' My Darling):

新年好呀

新年好呀，新年好呀

祝贺大家新年好

我们唱歌，我们跳舞

祝贺大家新年好

xīn nián hǎo ya
xīn nián hǎo ya, xīn nián hǎo ya
zhù hè dà jiā xīn nián hǎo
wǒ men chàng gē, wǒ men tiào wǔ
zhù hè dà jiā xīn nián hǎo

Happy New Year
Happy new year, happy new year
Wish you all a happy new year
We sing and we dance
Wish you all a happy new year

Relative Size :: Wordless Wednesday

2012-01-25T17:31:00.000-08:00

Adapted from Scale the Universe #44 by TOPS Learning Systems

Just Keep Swimming, Swimming, Swimming

2012-01-17T10:25:00.000-08:00

In September, the kiddos started swim team ... something we have considered for a long time but with our commitment to Taekwondo as well as Archery and BMX, we didn't have the time. Our move - coinciding with Sweetie achieving her black belt - provided us with the perfect opportunity to try something new.

After only four months, I am amazed at the progress the munchkins have made in their stroke. I haven't seen them exhibit such enthusiasm for a sport in the past and the best part of all is that their love for swimming is mutual. This is pure joy ... as I don't have to run one child to practice on the north side of town and then hurry to the other side to pickup the other ... or what have you. I would simply go nuts.

As it is, because they are relatively close in age, though they are at different levels, their swim practices are at the same time. While they are engaged, I am able to squeeze in my own workout. It is the perfect coordination of time and energy.

Effervescence :: Inquiry in Action

2012-01-14T07:31:00.000-08:00

Inspiration struck me the other day while we were enjoying our lunch - Buddy and I had selected sushi while Sweetie, not one inclined to eat fish of any sort, selected mini toasts with an assortment of cheeses and sliced meats. Once in a while, I allow the kiddos to share a soda with their lunch and this day was one of those occasions. I asked them to observe the little bubbles that were rising up and asked if they knew what they were. Sweetie replied, "I think they are carbon dioxide gas escaping into the air."

"You are right!" I explained. "Each bubble we see in the soda is a collection of carbon dioxide gas. Carbonated beverages like soda are made by dissolving large amounts of CO2 in flavored water. This excess amount of CO2 is able to stay in the liquid because it is pushed with high pressure into the bottle (or can) and then immediately sealed. The bubbles that are rising in the soda re escaping CO2."

I then asked them what they thought would happen if I were to drop a teaspoon of salt (NaCl) into the soda. Buddy hypothesized, "The salt will sink down to the bottom of the glass and push some of the bubbles up." Indeed, that was our result. I then asked them to sketch their observations / set-up ... here is Sweetie's journal page:

I talked to them about what was taking place during this reaction. NaCl and CO2 are both examples of matter and matter takes up space. When the salt is added to the soda, it pushes the bubbles of carbon dioxide out of its way. These bubbles rise to the top bringing small amounts of the flavored water (soda) with them. This movement of the gas forms the foam on the top of the liquid. Replacing a gas with another substance is called effervescence. In other words, effervescence is created by dissolving a gas in a liquid and then adding a soluble solid (salt).

As I explained this to the munchkins, they came up with their own experiment question, "What about sugar then? and flour? Will they make the soda foam up too?" "Let's find out!" I replied. Indeed, sugar worked! We didn't have enough soda (I didn't want to open another can) to test other solids .. but I promised them we could continue this experiment again.

What intrigues me about this activity is that it is one that is frequently found in science experiment books for children, like Janice VanCleave's Chemistry for Every Kid. While these books are excellent introductions to science ... they are not considered true INQUIRY by science standards. The National Science Education Standards (NSES p.23) defines scientific inquiry as "the diverse ways in which scientists study the natural world and props explanations based on the evidence derived from their work. Scientific inquiry also refers to the activities through which students develop knowledge and understanding of scientific ideas, as well as an understanding of how scientists study the natural world."

The activities in these books are great hands-on activities that help to demonstrate key scientific processes or concepts yet they are not true inquiry. This is one of my biggest pet-peeves or frustrations with curricula and books targeted for parents. Parents must use caution, therefore, when considering these for use in science fairs. However, most of the activities can easily be adapted or modified ... by applying inquiry processes ... to achieve the goals and standards set by NSTA and/or the state benchmarks.

I've always said that if the student can phrase their experimental question, to fit the pattern: How does ________ affect ________ ? then they are all on their way to developing a successful inquiry project that will do well in a traditional science fair.

Our Discovery of Electrolysis

2012-01-13T10:35:00.000-08:00

Late last week, we began a chemistry unit ... yet, I don't think I've seen the kids more excited and turned on about a subject before. Particularly, Sweetie - who just two days ago checked out 4 books on specific elements (Tin, Aluminum, Zinc, and Lead), a fun introductory book to the periodic table (The Periodic Table by Adrian Dingle), as well as a book of fun experiments. She has already read 3 of them!

One of the first experiments we undertook enabled us to observe the process of hydrogen electrolysis to separate the elements in water .. hydrogen and oxygen ... into their gaseous state. The setup was very simple and the kids were ecstatic with what they observed. We had to look closely ... as the bubbles were small ... but we indeed could see the accumulation of oxygen gas (O2) and hydrogen gas (H2) on the electrodes (we used two pencil leads, a polymer carbon, not the element we know of as Lead).

As we all know, the chemical formula for water is H2O, meaning there are twice as many hydrogen molecules as oxygen molecules. When electricity is introduced to water, the molecules split with hydrogen gas (H2) appearing at the cathode. Since there are more hydrogen molecules than oxygen molecules in water, the electrode that the hydrogen goes to will have more bubbles.

[ Admin Note: I was able to find two diagrams that illustrate this process - however, you may wish to flip one image horizontally so that the cathodes are on the same side of the image (as they are shown, the images are criss-crossed). ]

The image shown below is of Buddy's journal entry. As they are young yet, I didn't discuss with them the process of reduction or oxidation. Our focus was simply to understand that by passing a current of electricity through the water, we could separate the atoms of water to get a pure element.

I have been reading aloud Kathleen Krull's Marie Curie (Giants of Science) and through much of the book, it discusses that Marie and her husband Pierre worked tirelessly to isolate radium from a complex compound called Pitchblende. This simple electrolysis experiment gave the kiddos a small window through which they could understand this process.

Nature Journaling & Heritage Courses Now Available

2012-01-12T08:28:00.000-08:00

For the past year, I have been teaching a course called Alien Invaders through the Heritage Institute whereby the participants are able to familiarize themselves with the native and non-native species (both plants and animals) in their local area while customizing lessons and projects for their unique professional situation. Whether that may be a K-12 public, private, or homeschool setting. I have enjoyed the process so much and have not only broadened my own awareness of invasive species, but have also learned a great deal about teaching adults.

I am excited to share that I now have two additional online courses available, Discover Your Heritage and Nature Journaling in the Classroom. Discover Your Heritage is course designed to help elementary educators develop an integrated heritage unit for his/her classroom. The purpose of this course is to promote and to preserve the heritage and culture of one’s ancestry and to celebrate our relationship with other countries. Nature Journaling in the Classroom was developed to help classroom teachers integrate nature journaling into their art and science curriculum. University credit is available for all three via
Antioch University Seattle.

The Heritage Institute offers continuing education for teachers, revitalizing the enthusiasm for their calling in the more than 3,000 educators they reach annually. Through workshops, field courses, global travel studies and distance courses, the content offered by the adjunct faculty (myself included) becomes a vehicle to learn about whom we are, our relationships to everything around us, the beauty in the world, our connection and obligation to our communities and the larger whole. The philosophy to “educate for humanity and the world we want” considers character more important than content, and the development of whole human beings above simple knowledge.

How They Croaked :: Book Review

2012-01-11T11:48:00.000-08:00

We have been reading a series of books by Kathleen Krull called the Giants of Science. While looking for the one on Marie Curie at our library (it was mis-shelved and we'd asked the librarian for assistance), the librarian recommended another book, How They Croaked: They Awful Ends of the Awfully Famous. Many of the famous people portrayed in the book, we've covered in our history studies so we were intrigued and we quick to bring it home with us. We've read several chapters thus far and have found ourselves giggling and simultaneously wrinkling our noses.

The book specifically looks at the lives and unpleasant ends of some of the worlds most famous people including: King Tut, Cleopatra, Henry VIII, Pocahontas, George Washington, Edgar Allan Poe, and Charles Darwin. While it is definitely not for the squeamish, Bragg's light-hearted take on the subject keeps things moving while convincing the modern reader to be very grateful for modern medicine. The illustrations by Kevin O'Malley were also engaging, encouraging the little guy to grasp the book to look for smaller details. Some of the double entendres were lost on the munchkins but we all found it educational and entertaining.

Our Top Ten Homeschool Apps

2012-01-10T08:03:00.000-08:00

Project Noah

This is by far one of my favorite apps and websites of all time. It takes the social platform of Facebook and applies it to real-world science ... connecting nature enthusiasts from all over the globe. Project Noah has quickly become one of the most popular communities for nature exploration and documentation. Post pictures of the plants & animals you observe, browse and enjoy the nature photography of others, learn to identify species, and earn patches!

Google Translate

I am passionate about languages. I am fluent in Spanish and am currently learning Norwegian and Mandarin (picking up phrases and vocabulary from the munchkins). As such, I find this app to be a very useful tool. With Google Translate, I can toggle between languages ... many of which also have audio, allowing me to speak phrases and/or hear the translation spoken aloud. I can also save key phrases I may want again. With this app, you can translate words and phrases between more than 60 languages.

Awesome Note +2Do

As the name implies, Awesome Note is for creating notes and to-do lists. Of all the personal organization apps available, Awesome Note is one of the most visually compelling, letting users choose which colors, background images, fonts, and icons they want to use in their notes. It allows you to import photos, password protect files, and choose between several note categories (to do list, calendar, memo, etc.). I use this app in homeschool in many ways ...

List the animals we've observed while on a nature outing
Record cute things the munchkins say
List the blog posts I intend / hope to write
List project ideas - for the munchkins and/or just myself
Take notes while attending naturalist/docent guided field trips
As a travel diary - quickly journaling what we do each day
List movies we want to see & books we want to read
Create my Christmas list

Clue Tracker

We love to Letterbox and Geocache. I don't always remember to plan ahead (aghast!) and print off clues for new areas. This is where Clue Tracker comes in. Clue Tracker is a location-aware app that makes it easy to find and use letterbox clues. Of course, it will function only in areas with reception ... so you may still need to print the clues of boxes hidden in more isolated / rural areas.

Geocaching

Similarly, we also love the Geocaching app from Grounspeak.

Geocaching is similar to Letterboxing in that it is a treasure hunting game ... however, Geocaching is high-tech requiring adventure seekers to equip themselves with GPS devices. We use our iPhone ... again, signal dependent but thus far, it has served our needs well.

Goodreads

I read a lot. It is one of my favorite pastimes. I used to keep lists of books in my journal. Goodreads has changed all that. Now my lists are online and I can share my favorite books easily with my friends. The app enables me to use the site while on-the-go ... and as a homeschool mom, we all know how often that is. We should really call it car-schooling. Sweetie even has an account of her own now!

Stopwatch

This is a very basic app ... simply a stopwatch that shows time on a digital display as well as on an analog clock face. We've used Stopwatch for many science labs. I can never seem to find our real stopwatch ... and the few times I have, the batteries have not functioned. Since this app is integrated into my smart-phone, I always have it with me and we've thereby done some experiments on-the-fly.

Pinyin Trainer

We have numerous apps for learning Mandarin. We have been using Pinyin Trainer the most recently as we are reviewing our pronunciation skills. No matter if you are a beginner or a long-time student of Chinese, its tonal nature requires you brush up on your skills every now and then. Pinyin Trainer has almost 2,000 audio recordings and a variety of question/answer drills to keep you on your toes.

Stack the Countries / States

Two similar game-playing apps whereby you are asked trivia questions: "Boise is the capital of what state?" "Which state has the abbreviation CO?" "Which of these states is Alabama?" When you answer the questions correctly, the states stack up on the bottom of the screen and you earn points. The kids love it!

Fun Input Toy :: Tech Review

2012-01-09T07:05:00.000-08:00

My daughter has been learning Mandarin for several years now and in all this time, when we wanted to write something in her second language, we would use iGoogle translate and then copy/paste. This tool was sufficient for a beginner but as her skills advanced and as she wanted to write more, it was time consuming. We also began to discover difference in the translations - not being familiar enough with the language, we weren't sure if the characters we were given were simply variations or were indeed errors.

Recently, our Mandarin teacher suggested a free program called Fun Input Toy or FIT. It took a little time to install the software as instructions are all in Mandarin characters. Believing that I had done something incorrectly, I actually downloaded it three times before I realized what I had neglected to do.
[ Admin Note: If you are interested in downloading this software yourself, just let me know and I can email you screen images and instructions to install it. FYI - The link provided here, is for Mac-Lion OS. ]

When we want to type in Mandarin now, we simply switch the keyboard to Simplified Chinese and type the pinyin. As we do so, characters pop up and we can select the one we want efficiently. FIT has provided us with a great way to practice her Mandarin reading/writing skills. She now enjoys writing little books to practice here vocabulary as well as integrate her skills with Photoshop and Pages.

While playing with this tool, we also discovered that we have the ability to switch to other languages as well, including Norwegian and Spanish.

Liebster Blog Award

2012-01-08T06:29:00.000-08:00

Some may wonder why I continue to blog (it is a time intensive hobby) when I have had so few followers despite the fact that I have been actively blogging for as long as we have been homeschooling. The simple truth of the matter is that I have met so many wonderful people through blogging. I love the support and camaraderie that we share. One form of support are blog awards like the Liebster Blog Award I am pleased to receive the Liebster Blog Award from All Things Beautiful. Thank you so much, Phyllis!

I appreciate you thinking of me.

"Liebster is a German word, meaning dearest or beloved, but it can also mean favorite. The idea behind the Liebster Blog Award is that it is given to bloggers who have less than 200 followers in order to create new connections and bring attention to these wonderful blogs!"

The rules are:

Add the award to your blog.

Thank the giver with a link back to them.

List your top 5 picks and let them know they've been given an award by leaving a comment on their blog.

Hope that your followers will spread the love to the blogs you've spotlighted.

So now's the time for me to show my support and spread the love with this award. Here's my five!

Canadian Home Learning

Reading Together Unites

2012-01-06T17:59:00.000-08:00

Like most homeschool families, we read stacks of books together: classic children's literature, Shakespeare plays, fairy tales, fables, tales of historical heroes, poetry, and even graphic novels. We laugh together. We cry together. The kids have even begged to sit in the car "... just to finish the chapter" of an audio book to which we are listening.

Reading together allows us to learn about historical events, to lean about the world in which we live, and to learn about one another. The books and the discussions we have have created innumerable threads that bind us together and provide a framework with which we interpret our world. The stories we've encountered have become our own little personal inside jokes.

One of the books we have most recently listened to was The Dark Hills Divide by Patrick Carmen. The Dark Hills Divide is the first book in a trilogy (and two followup books that include a prequel) centered around a heroine named, Alexa. 12-year-old Alexa, has spent her life living behind the four-story walls that surround her village and the three others that make up Bridewell Common. But Alexa’s curiosity for what lies in the hills and forests on the other side sends her on a daring adventure into a secret world in which nothing is as it seems to be.

We coincidentally finished this book as we were driving up to the trailhead of a local waterfall for a scenic hike. A small portion of our trip involved a few miles on a gravel road. As we were driving, we heard a loud clunk on the roof of the car. The kids immediately wondered to the cause and while I thought it may have been a small stone kicked up by my tires, they proclaimed it was probably Murphy "...trying to get our attention." Murphy is one of the animal characters in the book ... a squirrel. "Maybe he was dropping an acorn on us?!"

We arrived at the trailhead and proceeded on our walk. It was nearly 2 miles up to the falls where we took a number of photographs, did a quick crayon rubbing (the recreation area here has trails to four falls - each with a metal box and engraving where you can do a rubbing - upon hiking to all four, you earn a special stamp in your National Parks Passport book), and turned around. As we were heading back down, Buddy pointed out a bright green spot in the center of one of the pools beneath the falls (the falls were a series of cascading waters over the rocks, each producing small pools of very clear waters - perfect for a swim in the heat of summer). He then asked, "Could this really be Elyon? Do you think that is a real stone like Alexa found in the creek? Mom, could Murphy be real?"

Reading together provides wonderful antidotes to our lives. It enriches our experiences and anchors our understanding of one another. The books we read together proved us with our own unique family language. We have a common framework with which to interpret our world. The connections we make are not always understood by others, however. This affords us an opportunity to share our favorite books with others, often leading us on bunny trails to other books that they in turn recommend to us.

If you are interested in learning more about Alexa's world or to find games & downloads for The Land of Elyon, follow this link.

Ladybugs Ladybugs Ladybugs

2012-01-06T17:11:00.000-08:00

We met our Roots & Shoots group this morning for our monthly outing. First, I should clarify, that since we have moved we are now involved with a new group and the nature walks are led by someone other than myself. Our leader, Karen, is very knowledgeable (particularly about birds) and it is such a delight for me to be a participant rather than the the facilitator. Being new to the area, it is also a blessing because she knows the area much more so than I. She has been able to take us to places with secrets known to very few.

Today was one of those days whereby secrets were revealed. She shared with us a location in the area of Whiskeytown National Recreation Area (that is as much as I'm willing to divulge for she stated that some collectors, if they knew the location, would come and scoop them up to sell).

Most coccinellids overwinter as adults, aggregating on the south sides of large objects such as trees or houses during the winter months, dispersing in response to increasing day length in the spring. We observed them all around the pine tree pictured above, not just on the south side. On the forest floor, there were literally millions of ladybugs aggregating under the leaf litter. One had to be careful when taking a step.

Our next step is to journal our discovery in our nature journals. I'll be sure to share our entries soon. Undoubtedly, however, this is one outing we will never forget. :)

Chinese Culture: Cooking

2012-01-04T14:16:00.000-08:00

One of the biggest worries I had prior to our recent relocation was in finding a native speaker of Mandarin to continue my daughter's lessons. I posted an inquiry on the homeschool boards hoping another family could recommend someone. My query resulted in only one option - can you feel my anxiety?

饺子(jiaozi)

I gave him a call shortly after we moved and made arrangements to meet. Both DH and I were very impressed with him and agreed to continue our studies with him. Phew! In addition, not only would Sweetie be continuing her lessons (two 1 hour sessions each week) but Buddy would begin as well (two 30 min sessions each week).

Our budding chefs

The other major difference was that the lessons would take place in his home. One of the greatest advantages of this is that it enables us to take part in regular cultural lessons, specifically cooking. Over the past few months, we have had three cooking lessons - each very different: 饺子(jiaozi), 热干面 (règānmiàn), and 毛豆 (máodòu). Best part of all - I have been able to take part as well! I ♥ this! Previously I wasn't always aware of what material was covered and I had to make a considerable effort to get feedback / homework.

热干面 (règānmiàn)

毛豆 (máodòu)

Each dish has been wonderful and the munchkins and I have been able to recreate each a few days later to share with Dad. It has been a delight ... and a bit of surprise. Recently, we were reflecting upon 2011 and discussing our goals for 2012. Buddy stated that his favorite food was Chinese Food (I hadn't realized this before) and that he wants to get better at cooking.

谢谢老师

The Joy of Dip Nets

2012-01-03T13:22:00.000-08:00

Chestnut-backed Chickadee

2011-12-28T11:10:00.001-08:00

Like many of our fellow homeschool bloggers, we were overjoyed with Nana's newest pastel tutorial at Hodgepodge, the Chickadee. Though we don't have the Carolina Chickadee in Northern California, the Chestnut-backed Chickadee is common to our region.

We thereby illustrated this fellow and hope to observe them ourselves soon. To entice a few to our backyard (open space where we've recently seen deer and jack rabbits), we put out a few bird cupcakes.

Job Skills for the Future

2011-12-15T05:49:00.001-08:00

Over the past few months, I have been giving a lot of thought to what the job market may look like when my children are young adults. They have been asking me a lot of questions and have even written inquiry letters to friends and/or companies in their fields of interest. Granted, they are young yet ... but I strongly believe it is never to early to begin thinking of college and the possibilities of their career options.

Every few years it seems the job market changes and the educational market changes along with it. As the new hot career comes up, there is always a degree or program to go with it. However, there are essential skills that every student, graduate, and job candidate needs to have to give him or her the best chance at landing a job. This is true of homeschoolers as much as it is for those who attend traditional schools. I have thereby gathered a list of ten must-haves every student should be thinking about during their studies.

Job Experience - It doesn’t matter what sort of job you have, just have one. Students with shining academic careers can make a good impression, but your future boss probably doesn’t want to be your first. Even if is a minimum wage job, it can still teach you valuable skills you will need in a professional setting. Which brings us to:
Relevant Experience - If you can get a job in the industry you would like to work in while studying, do it. Even unpaid internships can give you valuable experience as well as demonstrate how committed you are to your career.
Writing - You don’t have to be an English major to need to learn how to write. Everything from your resume to inter-office memos will be closely scrutinized for errors, so be sure you know how to communicate in written form, as well as:
Verbal Communications - As a student, you enjoy the freedom to tell someone that something “sucks.” In the world of the professional, that statement can be a land mine. Learning to say that something “needs improvement” or has “opportunity for growth” and other white collar lingo can keep you from looking like an amateur.
Public Speaking - Almost everyone hates it, but almost everyone will have to do it eventually. Whether giving a huge presentation at work or being interviewed by a number of people, public speaking comes up more than you think it does, so grab this class or a related, such as debate or acting, to get the most out of your electives.
Technology - It goes without saying that this generation of students is the most tech savvy ever. Be sure and utilize all the technology you can while you can. While the basics like Microsoft Office are required just about everywhere, having a knowledge of computer security, HTML, and other tech practices can truly help you stand out.
Finance - You don’t necessarily have to know how to pick stocks, but you do have to know how to manage money. Even entry level positions have to make requests to the higher ups for things like office supplies, new equipment, etc. Having a knowledge of how much these items cost, if they are feasible, and anything related to the budget can help in any career.
Criticism - Why not take a workshop type class such as creative writing to help you learn the valuable lesson of criticism? Whether it is being heaped on you or from you, learning how to effectively criticize and be criticized can help you not only advance in a career but keep you from losing your temper if it is ever leveled at you at work.
Networking - It can be a huge pain, but making the time to socialize - and not just through Facebook - can really pay off. Not only can it introduce you to future contacts, but it can also help you make friends, connect you to people with the same interests, and prepare you for the professional world.
Research - Don’t know how to do something? You’ve probably spent lots of time on Google and other sites looking up tons of stuff. These principles can help you in any job and/or problem within the job. Even if it is just how to fix a broken printer, having the right research at the right time can help you stand out.

Wonderstruck :: Book Sharing Monday

2011-12-12T07:40:00.000-08:00

Over the Thanksgiving holiday weekend, we saw the movie, The Invention of Hugo Cabret in the theater. The kids and I were captivated by this story and wanted to read the book by Brian Selznick. Though it wasn't available at our local library but Selznick's book Wonderstruck was. When we picked it up and flipped through the pages, we were immediately in awe. We had to read this book. When we returned home, it was clear that the best way to accomplish this was to read it together popcorn style or partner-reading, each sharing a page or two.

Wonderstruck is in fact two stories, set fifty years apart; one told through pictures and the other told through words. The first story is of Ben, a young boy in 1977 Minnesota who just lost his mother and sets out to look for his father. The second story follows Rose, a young girl from 1927 New Jersey who sets out to look for her idol, a movie star. Both children - deaf - are struggling to find what they are looking for in a world where hearing is normal and sometimes taken for granted. We marveled at the illustrations as Brian Selznick's pictures tell an equally captivating story in amazing detail.

My favorite genre is historical fiction and Selznick's book has quickly become one of my favorite because it not only tells an enjoyable story, but also gives us a glimpse into Deaf culture, a culture that I've never experienced, and opened my eyes to a different lifestyle. Those little glimpses into a world that I am not be familiar with are always my favorites. This story, though, also echos with the longing we all have to belong somewhere, to be a part of something. Wonderstruck is, at it's core, a story of acceptance and community.

Shortly after reading Wonderstruck, we discovered a number of wonderful resources to integrate the book into our homeschool curriculum. We are excited to take part in numerous activities suggested and will share them with you soon. Until then, take a peak yourself and let us know if you undertake any yourself:

Teaching with Brian Selznick (including a virtual tour of the AMNH).

American Museum of Natural History