Our Journey Westward

Patriotic Fun

Cindy — Thu, 24 May 2012 15:48:49 +0000

Classic repost: Originally posted June, 2007.

Looking for a simple way to engage your children in some fun learning this summer? Why not try a few learning centers!

What is a learning center? Quite simply, a few goodies based on a certain theme that you put together for your children to explore. Yep, that’s it. Easy and intriguing.

Here’s the latest summer center at our house. The topic for the next couple of weeks is the good ol’ USA!

I’ve included a few library books, Wee Sing: America, a few games, a U.S.A. Puzzle, a patriotic colors chemistry experiment kit, U.S. Presidents flash cards, and some patriotic stickers.

Everything on the table (almost) was under $1.00 or free! I’ve told you many times before how much I love curriculum sales, yard sales and Goodwill. Well, when I find something cheap, I usually buy it. When I decide on a theme for my center, I go on a treasure hunt around the house to see what goes with the theme. Even the star fabric was 1/4 yard of $1.00/yd fabric = 25 cents!

I can’t wait to hear about the centers you put together this summer!

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Paper Quilling

Cindy — Thu, 10 May 2012 17:55:40 +0000

Classic repost, originally posted Jan. 3, 2008

It was my turn to lead our Keepers At Home group this week and we had so much fun learning the handicraft of paper quilling!

Paper quilling is the art of creating designs from strips of coiled paper. There are quilling tools and quilling papers available, but we simply used materials I had around the house.

How To:

Using my paper cutter, I pre-cut strips of cardstock into 1/4″ wide strips.

I set out the following supplies:

Strips of paper
Quilling tools: pencils, screwdrivers, toothpicks, chopsticks (any skinny, round objects I could find) Try to offer varied widths for different coiling effects.
Glue (with toothpicks for “painting the glue” on the paper to seal the coils)
Sheets of cardstock to display the finished designs

The girls coiled the strips into various shapes depending on the designs they were creating. Some coils were tight, some were loose, some were shaped by pinching the coil, and some were only coiled on one end of the strip. Our techniques may not have been “proper”, but we had fun and created very pretty designs.

Aren’t they cute?

Feel free to link your own paper quilling projects in the comments. I can’t wait to see them!

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10 Days NaturExplorers Winners

Cindy — Wed, 02 May 2012 21:46:56 +0000

Congratulations to Heidi and Michelle! They are the winners of any six NaturExplorers studies of their choice and have been contacted via email already.

Thank you to all who commented on the 10 Days of Nature Study posts! You might like to know that my Facebook friends are currently enjoying a coupon code to purchase top seller Incredible Creeks for only $6.00!! (And I’ll probably be offering several other coupon codes over the next couple of weeks!)

Nature Study – Erosion

Cindy — Fri, 27 Apr 2012 09:00:18 +0000

Welcome to my 10 Days Series on the topic of nature study! Each of the ten days brings you a creative nature walk idea and a fun follow-up activity to spark your enthusiasm for nature study today!

Why study nature?

The answer is more serious than you might think.

Today’s nature study: Erosion

Creative Walk:

Yesterday, you enjoyed learning a little about erosion at the creek. But, you don’t need a creek to find signs of erosion because they can be found just about anywhere in nature. Because erosion can be caused by any type of running water (creeks, rivers, rain, etc), ice, wind and even the sun, it isn’t hard to find things that have been affected by it.

You only need a small area to observe today, say the size of a back yard or slightly larger. You’ll be looking for any and all signs of erosion in the area. Be sure to observe all types of nature and things made with natural materials – the ground, rocks, bricks, trees, concrete, asphalt…

Take with you a piece of graph paper on a clipboard and a pencil. Your task is to walk around the space drawing a to-scale map of all the signs of erosion you can find. Older children will want to add length, width and depth measurements to the map (for the activity to follow.)

Follow-up Activity:

Make a physical salt dough map using your to-scale map as a guide. This means you will create a 3-D representation from dough that will look like a model of the area you observed on your erosion walk. Once dry, you can paint the map, gluing fun features like soil and pebbles to make the map look more realistic.

Salt-Dough Map Recipe

Mix equal parts of flour and salt. Add just enough water to make the dough feel like play dough. Mold it to your liking using a sturdy piece of cardboard as your base. Let it dry in the sun for several hours (or even a couple of days) until it feels hard on the outside.

{Not a map of erosion, but the only salt-dough picture I could locate in my files. I’ve added it to help give you an idea of a finished salt dough map.}

Read a Book of Two If You Like:

Be watchful. Some of these books promote millions of years.

Today’s erosion activities are just teeny-tiny sampling of similar ideas suggested in the NaturExplorers Everchanging Erosion study!

Did you know my Facebook Friends often get special deals on NaturExplorers studies? Join me there!

Be sure to visit the other fantastic bloggers taking part in this season’s 10 Days Series!

The 10 Days Series is organized by iHomeschool Network, a collaboration of outstanding homeschool bloggers who connect with each other and with family-friendly companies in mutually beneficial projects. Visit us on Facebook, Pinterest, and Twitter. And of course, click the image above to visit all the 10 Days posts from these homeschool moms of the iHomeschool Network.

Nature Study – Creeks

Cindy — Thu, 26 Apr 2012 09:00:19 +0000

Why study nature?

The answer is more serious than you might think.

Today’s nature study: Creeks

Creative Walk:

The running water of a creek is a powerful force of erosion. You can notice this in the deep ruts of a creek bed, exposed roots of trees near the edge of a creek, and even as you observe rocks resting in a creek. Today, you’re going to search a creek for rocks and notice signs of water erosion.

Over time, the constant rushing water of a creek wears down, and sometimes breaks apart, large rocks. Fast currents can actually pick up smaller rocks and deposit them elsewhere. As you walk, you’ll be looking for several signs to show erosion is taking place:

Large, rough rocks may have smoothed sections where water is constantly running over them.
Larger rocks may have indentations, or even holes through them, where water drips or falls constantly.
Smaller rocks may be smooth and rounded from being knocked around often.
Smaller rocks may be gathered in what seem like piles on the creek bed. In this case, there’s often a bend in the creek where the rushing water can no longer push the rocks forward.

Leave the nature notebooks at home today. Simply walk near (or in) a creek and talk about erosion. You might collect several rock samples which show various stages of erosion to display at home.

Follow-up Activity:

The following experiment will help you see how the flowing water of a creek can turn rough rocks into smooth pebbles.

Place one piece of Lifesaver candy into an empty jar. This represents a rock sitting near a stream, but not in the water.
Place a second Lifesaver into a jar that contains ½ cup of still water. This represents a rock that is in a still body of water like a pond.
Place a third Lifesaver into a jar that contains ½ cup of water. Cover this jar and shake it for 3-5 minutes. This represents a rock that is in a moving body of water like a creek. When it bounces against the jar, it’s like the rock in the stream hitting other rocks.

After 3-5 minutes, observe all three Lifesavers.

The first piece of candy didn’t change because there was little to no weathering that would cause erosion. The second piece of candy changed slightly because it was being weathered/eroded by the still water, but ever-so-slowly. And the third piece of candy changed drastically because it was under constant active weathering, causing a great deal of erosion. Relate this to a real rock being changed to a pebble.

Read a Book or Two If You Like:

Today’s creek activities are only a teeny-tiny sampling of similar ideas suggested in the NaturExplorers Incredible Creeks study!

Did you know my Facebook Friends often get special deals on NaturExplorers studies? Join me there!

Be sure to visit the other fantastic bloggers taking part in this season’s 10 Days Series!

Nature Study – Trees

Cindy — Wed, 25 Apr 2012 09:00:13 +0000

Why study nature?

The answer is more serious than you might think.

Today’s nature study: Deciduous Trees

Creative Walk:

Today’s tree focus will be on leaves. Each leaf (on any plant, not just trees) is like a wonderful little factory! With the help of the sun, leaves change water and nutrients drawn up from the ground into life-giving sap that’s delivered to the tree as food. In the process, we are blessed with the by-product, or waste, called oxygen. If you would like to know more about this process of photosynthesis, you might enjoy viewing this YouTube video. It’s cartoon-like, but quite in-depth and takes less than five minutes.

To begin learning about leaves’ visible parts during your nature walk today, sketch or make a rubbing of several leaves in a nature journal. Label the parts using the definitions below.

Blade – this is the broad, flat part
Midrib – this is the main vein going up the middle of the leaf
Veins – these are the smaller veins going from the midrib to the edge
Margin – otherwise known as the edge of the leaf
Stem – this connects the leaf to the branch of the tree
Petiole – this connects the stem to the leaf (some leaves do not have this)

Make comparisons of the parts from leaf to leaf.

Follow-up Activity:

Complete the following transpiration experiments and make drawings and/or notes in your nature journal. Transpiration is the process by which plants lose water through their leaves. You can almost compare it to sweating in humans.

1. To observe transpiration in action, place a plastic bag over a few leaves on a tree in your yard. Secure the bag tightly with a rubber band. After a day or two, observe the bag. You should see water droplets. These are the result of the leaves transpiring, the water evaporating, and then condensing again on the inside surface of the bag.

2. Photosynthesis cannot occur if water and other gases can’t escape through the leaves. Tiny holes, or pores, called stomata are the places from which the water and gases escape. You can see these pores by painting the underside of a leaf with six coats of clear nail polish. After the polish dries, peel it off and look at it under a microscope.

3. See what happens when the stomata aren’t able to transpire. Coat the underside of a few leaves with a thick layer of petroleum jelly. Observe the leaves each day for several days. Can you explain the results?

Read a Book or Two If You Like:

Amazon.com Widgets

Today’s nature study ideas are just a small sampling of similar deciduous tree suggestions in the NaturExplorers Delightful Deciduous Trees study!

Did you know my Facebook Friends often get special deals on NaturExplorers studies? Join me there!

Be sure to visit the other fantastic bloggers taking part in this season’s 10 Days Series!

Nature Study – Clouds

Cindy — Tue, 24 Apr 2012 09:00:14 +0000

Why study nature?

The answer is more serious than you might think.

Today’s nature study: Clouds

Creative Walk:

Did you know most of the wind in the northern hemisphere (north of the equator) blows from west to east and in the southern hemisphere (south of the equator) it blows mainly from east to west? On today’s walk, you should first notice how fast the clouds are moving. Next, talk about the wind’s role in that movement. Older children can use a compass to identify the direction of the wind based on the movement of the clouds. You might even bring along a map of the United States (or a map from another part of the world) to discuss and note your findings.

Follow-up Activity:

Today’s follow-up activity is strictly fun and yummy! Wait until after dinner to start the recipe because it will need to sit in your oven overnight.

Meringue Cloud Cookies

You need:
3 egg whites
¼ teaspoon cream of tartar
¾ cup superfine sugar
¼ teaspoon vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 200 degrees. Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper or spray lightly with cooking oil. Beat egg whites until foamy. Add cream of tartar and beat until soft peaks form. Add sugar slowly and continue beating until very stiff peaks form. Beat in vanilla extract. Use two spoons to place “clouds” of meringue on the cookie sheet. Bake for about 1 ½ hours or until they turn pale and are somewhat crispy. Turn the oven off and leave the door of the oven open slightly overnight. The cloud cookies will be ready to eat tomorrow!

Read a Book or Two If You Like:

Amazon.com Widgets

Today’s nature study ideas are just a very small sampling of similar suggestions you’ll find in the NaturExplorers Captivating Clouds study!

Be sure to visit the other fantastic bloggers taking part in this season’s 10 Days Series!

Nature Study – Fungi

Cindy — Mon, 23 Apr 2012 09:00:49 +0000

Why study nature?

The answer is more serious than you might think.

Today’s nature study: Fungi

Creative Walk:

Finding fungi is easiest in the spring or fall when temperatures are warm and the weather has been moist. Look in grasses, on ground clutter, on trees and even on rocks. They especially like shaded areas like woods, for instance. There are tremendous varieties of shapes, textures and patterns among fungi. Choose one of those characteristics (either shape, texture or pattern) to observe more closely as you discover fungi on your walk today. Draw sketches and jot notes in a nature notebook for each fungus you find. Discuss comparisons from one fungus to another.

Please do not touch, taste or smell fungi. Some can be dangerous. Eye observations only!

Follow-up Activity:

Fungi can grow almost anywhere! We find them in nature, on foods, on our bodies and some even grow well in deep bodies of water. Each type of fungus has its own needs to grow well, but generally, their basic needs are moisture, warmth and darkness. For today’s follow-up activity, choose one fungus that you found on your nature walk and research its particular needs. Write a paragraph about or draw a picture chart of those needs.

Fungi are sometimes difficult to identify precisely. Use a field guide to attempt identification. If you aren’t entirely sure you can correctly identify it, you will at least know the group of fungi in which it belongs – like slimes, puffballs, or polypores, for instance. (P.S. The field guide will help you determine the group.)

After researching the needs of your fungus, consider these questions: Do you think fungi grow better in tropical areas? Why or why not? Do you think fungi grow well in arctic areas? Why or why not?

Fungus Field Guide I Recommend:

Today’s fungus ideas are just a very small sampling of the nature study suggestions you’ll find in the NaturExplorers A Fungus Among Us study!

Be sure to visit the other fantastic bloggers taking part in this season’s 10 Days Series!

Nature Study – Ponds

Cindy — Fri, 20 Apr 2012 09:00:57 +0000

Why study nature?

The answer is more serious than you might think.

Today’s nature study: Ponds

Creative Walk:

Before heading out to observe a pond today, create an underwater viewfinder from some simple materials. You’ll need:

A recycled plastic container such as a milk jug, butter tub or juice carton
Scissors or a knife
Thick plastic wrap
A sturdy rubber band or two

Cut the bottom out of your container. (I find that an adult usually needs to do the cutting.) Place the plastic wrap over the open bottom and secure it with a rubber band. At the pond, gently place the viewfinder into the water to observe the plant and animal life under the surface. In a nature journal, draw what you see. Do this several times in in various places around the pond.

(Be safe near water! A child should never be unsupervised around a pond.)

Follow-up Activity:

After your pond observations, take a few minutes at home to read about pond life from a book or internet source. Draw a cross section mural of a pond showing life you might find in the water and around the pond. This means you will pretend as if you can part a pond like God parted the Red Sea for the Israelites escaping Egypt. What would you see if you were able to look at a pond from this perspective?

You might find the clipart in this Pond Food Web activity useful for the mural. Or, use the activity “as-is” for an additional lesson about food webs.

We have enjoyed a little pond animal research on this interactive site, too.

Read a Book or Two If You Like:

Amazon.com Widgets

Today’s pond activities are just a very small sampling of similar ideas you’ll find in the NaturExplorers Peaceful Ponds study!

Be sure to visit the other fantastic bloggers taking part in this season’s 10 Days Series!

Nature Study – Animal Signs

Cindy — Thu, 19 Apr 2012 09:00:31 +0000

Why study nature?

The answer is more serious than you might think.

Today’s nature study: Animal Signs

Creative Walk:

Animal tracks are easiest to find near a water source – like the edge of a creek or pond, or even on bare land after a rain. Today, take a walk looking for animal tracks. In a nature notebook, sketch the track(s), measure length and width, notice features such as toes and nails, and scan the area for further clues the animal might have left behind. Use an animal track field guide to help you determine which animal made the track.

I suggest:

Follow-up Activity:

Work hard to identify at least one animal track you found, and then learn all you can about that animal. Create a diorama or other presentation to share about the animal’s life and habitat.

How to Make a Diorama

A traditional diorama can be made by decorating the inside of a shoe box to look like the topic you are studying. When making an animal’s habitat, for instance, you might decorate the box to look like a forest, being sure to include everything the animal would need for survival. Don’t forget to include the animal, too! Use whatever materials you have around the house like construction paper, paints, clay, or even little plastic models you might have in your toy box.

Alicia from LaFamille shared some great diorama samples with me not too long ago that are sure to inspire you!

Read a Book or Two If You Like:

Today’s animal track activities are just a very small sampling of similar animal signs ideas you’ll find in the NaturExplorers Animal Signs study!

Be sure to visit the other fantastic bloggers taking part in this season’s 10 Days Series!