What we gathered per turn: One small zip-lock bag for exploding Bicarbonate of soda (3 teaspoons) Warm water (1/4 cup) Vinegar (1/2 cup) Measuring cup A tissue for making bicarb time release packets What we did: The first thing we did was make up our little parcels of bicarbonate of soda by placing 3 teaspoons……
Category: Homeschooling
Spar-Klean Science: What is the dirtiest place in the kitchen?
We did this experiment along side our dish cloth verses the loo germ growing fest. First we made the agar from gelatin, bouillon and water: The children decided to take samples from the door handle, the coffee machine, the fridge door, the floor and the sink: My heart sank as I watched C11 poke the……
On Father’s Day
For a daddy who loves his family with all his heart; who makes the choice daily to be a firm presence in their lives; who works hard and provides so much more than just material things; a man who without thinking about it would lay down his life to protect those in his care – it……
Precious Memories
I love these precious memory posts because they give me an opportunity to look over the week and remember. They are a chance to soak up the beauty of our lives together, not perfect by any means but special none the less. There are moments I capture on camera that by the end of the week……
Reflections on an ‘Unsuccessful’ Term
When we first tried out project based learning, I knew somewhere deep inside, that this would forever change the way we do school. And I was right. It remains a good choice. However, this term has not been as successful as last term. The premise of project based learning (PBL) is autonomy, which has always……
Spar-Klean Science – Is the loo really cleaner than the dish cloth?
I need to be honest and say I am posting this against my better judgement. I mean, no one is going to want to eat at my house if the cloth we use to clean the dishes is actually dirtier than my loo! That said, ‘dirty’ may be a misnomer here because we all know……
Chaucer’s Canterbury Tales: Setting the Scene
Although traditionally Chaucer is taught to children older than 12, the Canterbury Tales are far too good to postpone, especially as I will only be studying the Middle Ages once with the older children. Just because it is written in language which may be hard to understand doesn’t mean we should be literary snobs and insist that Chaucer……
Precious Memories
This is the last week of our six week term and we are all biting at the bit for a break. This term has felt hard work, but not in a good way. I’m still trying to rebalance my life after learning to sleep for the first time in forty years. All you people out there who home……
Plans for the Next Two Weeks
This Monday we will start what will essentially be a two week fest of doing whatever our heart desires. Well, pretty much. The girls will be learning some unusual tales to learn the tricky tables which don’t seem to stick in their head. I’m fairly certain that is not top of their list of ‘things they……
If You Go Down to the Pond Today…….
….you’re sure to get a surprise! (sung badly out of tune to ‘if you go into the woods today…) You may or may not remember our year-long pond study? Although we do not ‘officially’ pond anymore, the pond in question is situated in our village and so we often walk past or dander down for……
Project Based Learning: Microbes – Bacteria
This week we have been learning all about Bacteria. Bacteria, a type of prokaryotic cell, can come in an assortment of shapes: Source As we are currently studying the plague we decided to concentrate primarily on the rod-shaped bacilli, of which Yersinia Pestis (the bacteria that causes the plague) is one: Yersinia Pestis magnified x200 Source……
Precious Memories
This week I’m letting my pictures do the talking….. And we also managed a bit of school work: I hope everyone has a wonderful weekend filled with love and laughter!
Van Eyck Artist Study
Van Eyck is the first artist we have studied from the renaissance period, albeit the Northern renaissance. I was looking forward to this study because he is often called the father of oil paint, being one of the first to perfect their use, and I haven’t had the chance to paint with oils since I……
The Joy of Sleep……
After 40 years of crippling insomnia and averaging about 10 hours of sleep a week, a wonderful new doctor has somehow managed to figure out what was wrong and treated it. I now sleep almost the same in one night as I did in one week. Every night. I can’t begin to tell you what a difference……
Looking Back on our Week
This week has been a funny ol’ week in so many ways. The weekend started with us discovering bees had taken up residence in our chimney. It was the hottest day of the year and we were advised to smoke them out with a fire and that it could take up to three hours! I’m……