Science | Heart of the Matter

March 2, 2010 By AmyStults 4 Comments

“The more I study science the more I believe in God,” Albert Einstein once remarked. I couldn’t agree more with this eccentric scientist.

Vinegar and Baking Soda
Two everyday household ingredients. Both have been used since ancient times. The Sumerians used vinegar as a medicine, a condiment, and a detergent. They made this invaluable solution by leaving wine in an open container until it turned sour. The ancient Egyptians were known to use baking soda as a toothpaste, a body wash, and as the main ingredient for the mummification process. Baking Soda is pure Sodium Bicarbonate, which is a component of Natron. Natron can readily be found in many mineral springs throughout northern Egypt.

With these simple household materials, you can create what is known as “Fizzle Stones.” The beauty of these stones is that they “dissolve” to reveal a treasure inside.

“Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.” 2 Corinthians 5:17

When we allow Jesus into our hearts, we become much like these Fizzle Stones as Jesus dissolves away our ugly and sinful outer covering, uncovering the treasures of our heart.

Fizzle Stones
What you need:

1 ¼ cup baking soda
4 T water
Plastic jewelry, coins, small plastic toys or anything you can pass off as treasure
4 cups white vinegar
Large clear bowl or pitcher

What to do:

Mix baking soda and water in a small bowl to form a stiff dough
Make a “stone” by molding the dough around one of your “treasures”
Let the stone dry overnight or bake in a 150 degree oven for 30 minutes
Drop the stone into the bowl of vinegar
Watch as the stone fizzles away to reveal the treasure inside

“Man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord God looks at the heart.” 1 Samuel 16:7

Want to have more fun with vinegar and baking soda?

Blow up a balloon
What you need:

vinegar
baking soda
a bottle
a balloon

What to do:

Pour the baking soda in the bottle.
Pour the vinegar in the bottle.
Quickly put the balloon on the top of the bottle. My husband created this little stopper to help quickly get the balloon on top of the bottle. It is simply a small piece of cardboard, rolled up, and taped to fit perfectly into the bottle.

When the vinegar (an acid) reacts with the baking soda (a base) it forms the gas carbon dioxide, which exits the bottle and inflates the balloon.

Volcano
What you need:

6 cups flour
2 cups salt
4 tablespoons cooking oil
2 cups water
Plastic bottle
Red food coloring
Vinegar
Baking Soda

What to do:

Mix the first 4 ingredients until smooth and firm (more water may be added if needed).
Fill the bottle halfway with baking soda and add a few drops of red food coloring.
Stand the bottle in a baking pan and mold the dough around it into a volcano shape. Don’t cover the hole or drop dough into it.
Slowly pour vinegar into the bottle. Watch out – eruption time!

It is easy to become a scientist! Its as easy as combining two ordinary materials to make one very unusual chemical reaction. I hope you’ll have fun experimenting with your kids!

Amy is a devoted wife, Classical homeschooling mom to a seven-year-old Superhero and the co-owner of Heart of the Matter. She has a passion for genealogy and is aspiring to be a Proverbs 31 lady. Be sure to visit her blog at Milk and Cookies.

November 19, 2009 By Belinda 1 Comment

Every now and then, we are placed, I believe divinely, in a warm and comforting space in our homeschooling experience where everything just seems to fit together. I relish those moments when there are unplanned and unexpected opportunities to really seal knowledge into their hearts and minds through the power of repetition. For example, at one period in history, we were reading about King James commanding the Bible to be rewritten, a conversation which adds a “real life” feel to our Bible study. Our son brought up how our study of astronomy is a constant reminder of what God is doing in the scientific world (my words, not his). We read the book of Matthew and talked about how the people knew God’s law, but didn’t know God’s love. Meanwhile, apart from school, we’ve had to deal with some flesh-like bickering between the older two, which led to the memorization of 1 Corinthians 13. Finally, as a just-before-bed read aloud, we enjoyed Summer of the Monkeys by Wilson Rawls, great fodder for talks about the “wild” west and so many turn-of-the-century events (the transcontinental railroad, mountain men, the growth of America).

What I described above is an academic product; the other component of this time of “fitting together”, and perhaps more important for our goals, is our enjoyment of each other as family while we read. I was blessed to hear Sally Clarkson lecture about the value of reading, and one of her touch points was the power of reading to build strong bonds of relationship. A few days ago, I read to our toddler while the older kids enjoyed breakfast at the table. I got so tickled as I read One Fish, Two Fish, Red Fish, Blue Fish, and my older two “intellectuals” had quite the dialogue about why a Wink’s fur is pink just because it likes to drink pink ink. How funny, and how fun!

As much as I strive to follow a Charlotte Mason approach in our school, I fully realize that, for reading this to one of the children, I must seek forgiveness for my sin. Indeed, Miss Mason would refer to One Fish, Two Fish, Red Fish, Blue Fish as twaddle, and would probably shake her head in dismay at the thought that I exposed the children to such emptiness. However, I am not discussing a specific book as much as a connection to one another that occurred while learning.

I obviously have my biases based upon my own family’s journey while educating at home. Yet, regardless of your teaching methodology/ approach to learning, I believe you can create an environment that enhances the relationships your children might already enjoy with one another. Creating and building relationships is very different than reciting a short-term memorization of facts that will later be lost and gone forever. How do we build upon that foundation of familial relationship to make learning together even more meaningful? Consider the following:

Game time and tea time (even for a boy!) can be as educational, though informal, as any text you might find. This one-liner from a fellow homeschooler opened my eyes to all new possibilities…

When dd was young and we were asked what curriculum did we used, I used to say Milton Bradley; we used a lot of games for early learning.

Sharing books, and sharing conversations over books, brings a family together in the same way that a family movie favorite will, only it occurs during the “school” day. I personally like to stop that read-aloud right at the point where it creates a good cliffhanger. The kids are delightfully annoyed. “MOM!” My son will exclaim.

Making books together has been a more recent, but very effective way for our kids of all ages to learn and to show off their handiwork and talents to one another. The books are personal keepsakes, and I don’t miss an opportunity to have one child teach another based upon what he/she has already learned and documented.

For the families that like to get out (not our pajama-clad clan), school on the road, as in a local library or Barnes and Noble, can stimulate any bored and stale homeschool.

You may have your own methods for building friendships among your children as you build collegians. Learning isn’t always fun, and not every day will be one that calls for a Kodak moment. For this reason and more, we should pay special attention to the signs of accomplishments in their hearts as well as in their minds; the former are not gradable.

A while back, the oldest prepared for science—learning about density via adding salt to water and observing an egg that sank initially gradually float. She had to fight with her sister and brother to drop teaspoons of salt and the egg into the glass of water. As we read about Sebastian Bach walking 200 miles for the opportunity to attend music school, the same kid broke into a mini math lesson to see how long this walk would take for a child. You could feel the hush of shock and sadness over the kids as they looked at pictures while I told the story of the Holocaust. Our younger two then had some great quality time together as we all sipped on peppermint tea. Later, over a morning snack of Fuji apples, the oldest exclaimed, “Thanks, Mom. These are my favorite kind.” I thought she said these are my favorite times, and so I smiled inside and out as I replied, “Yea, mine, too.”

Belinda Bullard is a wife and homeschooling mother of three, Belinda is an author and the owner of A Blessed Heritage Educational Resources, a literature-based history curriculum featuring African-American presence in history, as well as the contributions of other races to American history. A chemical engineer by formal education, she also serves as adjunct faculty for college distance learning programs.

November 10, 2009 By Lynn 2 Comments

For Part 2 of this month’s unit helper on weather, I have put together some experiments you can add to your existing curriculum. In Part 1, I shared craft ideas on many different kinds of weather, from clouds to hurricanes and tornadoes. Part 2 will show you how to make some experiments about weather from air pressure to making your own cloud in a bottle. I pray that these projects will bless you and your family.

Make Your Own Cloud in a Bottle

Supplies Needed:

Empty 2 Liter Bottle
Matches or Lighter

Instructions:

Fill the bottom of a 2 liter bottle with warm water
Light a match and let it burn for a few seconds
Blow it out.
Let the smoke fill up inside the bottle and try not to let any leak out.
Once you see that the smoke is disappearing quickly cap the bottle.
Squeeze the bottle 6 times fast and one long squeeze and let go.
You should see clouds form at the top of the bottle..

Can You Hear the Thunder?

Supplies Needed:

Three balloons
Pin

Instructions:

Blow up three balloons all in different sizes. Small, medium and large
Pop each balloon separately and discuss the sound, comparing the sizes of the balloon
Optional- Use plastic sandwich bags

Hurricane in a Bucket

Supplies Needed:

Bucket or large cup
Water
Food Coloring
Spoon

Instructions:

Take a tub, food coloring and a spoon.
Fill it with water
Stir it fast
Place a couple drops of food coloring in the center and watch the coloring swirl outward just like a hurricane..
We did this several times and used different colors.

Tornado in a Bottle

Supplies Needed:

2-2 Liter Bottles or Soda Bottles
Water
Duct Tape

Instructions:

Pour water about 3/4 of the way into one bottle
Place empty bottle on top of other bottle and seal both lids together
Spin bottle several times
Flip upside down and watch it swirl into other bottle forming a tornado

Make Your Own Hygrometer

Supplies Needed:

One Paper Cup
Index Card
Pin
Modeling Clay
Blotter Paper
Tape
Scissors
Straw

Instructions:

Cut an index card in half. These halves will form the support for the balance arm.
Turn a paper cup upside down.
Use tape to attach each half of the index card opposite sides of the cup. Each half should stick up from the flat cup bottom.
Insert a pin through both index card halves and through the center of the straw. The pin should act as an axle, allowing free movement of the straw.
Tape several pieces of blotter paper together.
Secure this stack of paper to one end of the straw.
Place a lump of modeling clay to the other end of the straw.
Adjust the amount of clay so the straw is balanced.
Experiment with your hygrometer by moving it to places of different humidity levels. Such as a bathroom with the shower running for several minutes.

Make Your Own Barometer

Supplies Needed:

Scissors
Round Balloon
Wide-Mouthed Glass Jar
Rubberband
Plastic Drinking Straw
Transparent Tape
Index Card

Instructions:

Cut off the neck of the balloon
Stretch the balloon around the mouth of the jar tightly so the surface is flat.
Wrap the rubberband around the balloon and jar to keep the balloon from slipping
Cut one end of the straw to form a point.
With a small piece of tape, attach the uncut end of the straw to the center of the balloon
Push down lightly on the ballon, and watch what happens to the end of the straw.
By pushing down on the balloon, you imitated an increase in air pressure.
Put your barometer in a safe place. It doesn’t need to be outside.
Tape the index card to the wall next to the barometer.
The straw should come to about the middle of the card.
Mark the card where the straw points. Write the date and time next to your mark

How it works.. If the air pressure is falling or your straw is dipping down, then a low pressure air mass is on its way probably bringing rain.. If the air pressure is rising or the straw is moving upward, then high pressure air mass is moving in, and fair skies are likely..

Make Your Own Anemometer

An Anemometer is an instrument that measures the speed of the wind.

Supplies Needed:

Scissors
4 Small Paper Cups
Marking Pen (any color)
2 Strips of Corrugated Cardboard
Stapler
Pushpin
Pencil with Eraser
Modeling Clay

Instructions:

Cut off the rolled edges of the paper cups to make the cups lighter.
Color the outside of one cup with the marking pen.
Cross the cardboard strips so they look like a plus sign.
Staple them together.
Staple the cups to the ends of the cardboard strips, making sure that all the cups face the same direction
With the pushpin, attach the center of the anemometer to the eraser end of the pencil.
Blow on the anemometer to make sure it spins freely.
Place the modeling clay on a surface, such as a rock or table top.
Stick the sharp end of the pencil into the clay.
To take anemometer readings, hold it up to your eyes and count the number of times the colored cup passes by in a minute. You will measure wind speeds in turns per minute.
Professional meteorologists convert turns per minute to miles per hour, but this is not necessary for your weather watching..

Make Your Own Thermometer

Supplies Needed:

Tap Water
Rubbing Alcohol
Clear, narrow necked plastic bottle. Soda or water bottle is good
Food coloring
Clear plastic drinking straw
Modeling Clay

Instructions:

Pour equal parts of tap water and rubbing alcohol into the bottle, filling it about 1/4 of the way up.
Add a few drops of food coloring and mix well.
Place the straw in the bottle
Seal the neck of the bottle with the modeling clay so that the straw stands straight upright.
Hold your hands on the bottle or place in a warm area and watch what happens to the liquid in the straw!

Make Your Own Weather Vane

Supplies Needed:

Plastic Cup
Straw
Pencil
Pin
Construction Paper in two colors
Scissors
Double Sided Tape

Instructions:

Cut out one medium sized triangle and one large triangle
Cut four little squares that will be the directions of N, S, W, E on the cup from other piece of paper
With double sided tape, tape both medium and large triangles onto either side of straw
Push pin through straw and connect with the eraser of the pencil
Poke hole in cup to put other end of pencil inside. Then use double sided tape to mark your N, S, W, E on your cup with the small triangles.
Your weather vane should be able to spin on the pin.

Air Pressure Experiment

Supplies Needed:

Clear Plastic Drinking Glass
Tap Water
Index Card- big enough to cover the top of the glass
You must have access to a sink

Instructions:

Fill the glass to the brim with tap water
Place the index card over the glass.
Be sure the top of the glass is completely covered.
Standing over the sink, hold the card against the glass as you turn the glass upside down.
Let go of the card.

The water stayed in the glass because the air pressure against the card was stronger than gravity pulling the card down. After a while, though, water will soak into the card. The card will become too heavy, and gravity will overcome the air pressure. The card will fall off the glass, and the water will pour into the sink…

Resources:

Teaching Ideas:

Lynn is a blessed wife to a wonderful husband of 12 years, a mom to three children, ranging from 15 to almost 8, and in the process of expanding their family through adoption. They are in their fifth year of homeschooling, using a hands on/eclectic approach to learning. You can find out more by visiting her blogs @ Learning By Living and Ladybug Chronicles.

July 1, 2009 By Angela 1 Comment

Summer does not mean that the learning has to stop. In fact, it is an ideal time to do this cool, hands-on science project!

It was so beautiful outside yesterday that after the kids were done playing I got the bowl I’d been saving in the freezer and set up a mini-excavation site on the back porch. I told the kids they could use salt, a spoon, and warm water to try and figure out the best methods for extracting all of the little things frozen in the ice. I also announced that the person who collected the most would win a prize. They loved it–and they learned a few things too about the states of matter. That is our theme this week!

Things you will need:

bowl to freeze water in
food coloring if you choose to color it
little things from around the house like buttons, paper clips, etc. to freeze
spoons
salt
water
cups
and anything else on hand you think they could use.

Here’s a tip–freeze it in layers or all of the goodies float entirely to the top or the bottom and that’s no fun!

Angela DeRossett is military wife, homeschooling mother, and an advocate for autism research. Angela can be found blogging at Homeschooling the Chaotic Family and Memoirs of a Chaotic Mommy.

June 30, 2009 By Amy Bayliss 16 Comments

Our family has become quite accustomed to building our own books. We do a loose combination of all of the popular forms of booking: lapbooking, scrapbooking, notebooking, altered booking, etc. We have actually simply started calling it “heartbooking^©” since our style fits none of these exclusively and because we base the foundation of our education on God’s word which teaches us that we must examine the condition of our hearts. Studying history, science, and the especially the bible can give us the opportunity to examine our hearts and motives in certain situations.

Recently while studying about the Vietnam war my son became appalled by the fact that some soldiers were spat at upon their return from overseas. This gave me the opportunity to dig deeper into their hearts and question them as to whether or not if they were in a situation with one of their neighborhood friends and they believed that friend had done something wrong, how would they react to them? That is what heartbooking^© is about; using our current studies to build Godly character through self examination.

One of our favorite heartbooking ^© techniques is done by altering old books. We find old hardback books at thrift stores or library sales and we take them home and refurbish them with new content from whatever we are studying. We build new content on the already existing pages by simply gluing cardstock down and then adding all of our elements. We have absolutely enjoyed adding elements of a personal nature when we can. For example, when we studied the Vietnam war we were able to use some of my grandfather’s photos, paraphernalia, and documents that he had kept from the two tours he did there. We made lots of secret hiding places within the book to hold special things that belonged to my grandfather during the war.

We started the refurbishing with the cover of the book. We used sandpaper to buff off the smooth surface so that the glue would adhere properly. After that we kids filled in each page after a weeks worth of studying we were also careful to chronicle our heart lessons into the documentation. This has served us well and given our boys an amazing piece of history that is very close to their heart!

You can find basic instructions for altering books here: Amy Bayliss’ post and here: Amy Stults’ post.

Here are some photos of our Vietnam War book:

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What kinds of creative ideas does your family use when it comes to “booking” of all types? Be sure to leave links to your “booking” posts so we can check them out!

amyb Married to her best friend and “main squeeze”, Amy Bayliss is a 4th year home/co-schooling mom to three boys. She enjoys writing about the eclectic teachings that bring a glimmer of curiosity to the eyes of her sons. In addition to being the co-owner of Heart of the Matter, she writes for Internet Cafe Devotions. Be sure to visit her blog, AmyBayliss.com and her family’s homeschool blog: Integrity Academy.

May 17, 2009 By Shawnee Leave a Comment

Science and Biology often give us more than we can stomach. A homeschooler may or may not be able to handle the hands-on experiences of the lab experiments in Biology research. My own daughter is certainly not a candidate for dissecting frogs.

Although I do admit, there truly is no substitute for the actual hands-on lab experiment, great alternatives for the child who simply can’t stomach the dissections and other gory details of lab work can be found. The days of the internet have provided a much more acceptable alternative.

My daughter simply couldn’t stand the thought of putting a knife to a toad, even if it was for a grade and science. So what if the toad would be dead and was supposed to be used for lab experiments? She enjoys science, but this part of the process of learning was out-of-bounds for her.

So, I gave her the choice to go online and research the toad and its body parts, functions, and so on. She then wrote a detailed report, with pictures she had to draw and label. A printed copy off the computer was not acceptable. We compromised and she learned without losing her lunch.

I have learned about teaching within limits from my own experiences. Working at a vet’s office as a technician part-time has taught me that I have a stronger stomach than I would have believed. I thank God for helping through the process. I never even liked tolerating graphic movie images, which I knew were fake. So, when I discovered that the curriculum we use recommended lab experiments and reports, I could sympathize with my daughter. Yet, I knew that God would help me figure out a way around having to put my daughter through torture just as He had helped me accept the negative aspects of being a veterinary technician.

There is much to be said about homeschooling freedom and the compromises we can apply to the learning process. Children don’t have to dread their assignments or play hooky from school with a fake illness to avoid science class. I can help my child appreciate Science and Biology if I use my creative mind and put some thought and effort into the process. Lazy parenting or being a drill sergeant-parent provide no benefits in homeschooling. Imagination and compromise are welcome friends.

Be kind to your homeschoolers. Learn to respect their limits and how to help them around those limits in ways they can tolerate.

shawnee Shawnee Bowlin is a homeschool mom of a 10th grade daughter, also an aspiring writer and artist. She works as a veterinary technician and has been writing for the public since 2006. She lives in Northeast Texas and enjoys animals, nature, reading, writing, and riding motorcycles. You can visit her blog at Shawnee Paints.

April 20, 2009 By admin 36 Comments

All of us here at HOTM would like to wish the beautiful and talented Amy Bayliss an uber fabulous birthday! Amy, you are an amazing woman of God and we all hope your day is as special as you are.

In honor of Amy’s birthday, we are giving away a very cool gift valued at $125!!

Jonathan Park Creation Adventure Audio Library (5 CD Albums)

Follow young Jonathan Park and his paleontologist family on their exciting creation adventures around the globe. Each Jonathan Park episode is based upon real places and facts, featuring action-packed storylines that reveal specific evidences for Scripture’s creation account. Join Jonathan’s family and the Creation Response Team as they recover amazing treasures from Earth’s past, discover biblical answers to scientific issues of the day, and debate evolutionists about the true history of our world! Each 12-episode Jonathan Park album comes with its own corresponding study guide.

We would like your help in promoting and livening up our new forum. We will be taking the giveaway entries from the posts on the forum, so all you need to do is simply register and post. You can post about anything you would like, on any of the 50+ different sub-categories. Reply to someone or start your own topic. You can enter this giveaway up to 7 times with 7 different posts…although please feel free to post as much as you would like.

And don’t forget to leave Amy a happy birthday comment!

April 7, 2009 By Dana 2 Comments

When Jesus taught, he often used object lessons drawn from the everyday experiences of His audience: drawing water from a well, making bread, a wedding celebration, the harvest, etc. These experiences were an integral part of the culture of Jesus’ day, giving His listeners practical examples of the spiritual principles He was teaching. Today, however, even such simple tasks like making bread or sowing seeds can be as foreign to children as the spiritual lessons they were intended to illustrate.

This unit focuses on how Christian character is developed through studying the parable of the sower. Children are given an opportunity to help plant a garden and tend it through the harvest, while the parent takes time to draw spiritual applications from the work being done, “here a little, there a little” (Isaiah 28:10). Although the foundation of this lesson rests on the parable of the sower found in Mark, chapter 4, take some time before each session in the garden to reflect on what you will be doing and locate an appropriate verse to guide your children toward a more spiritual discussion.

Scripture

He that hath ears to hear, let him hear. –Mark 4:9 (KJV)

This unit focuses on Mark 4:3-20, The Parable of the Sower. It begins at a concrete level, in order to build knowledge and vocabulary, while leading slowly into the abstract, including Jesus’ message in this well-known parable. The first half of the study will tie in closely with science as you and your child discover how seeds grow. The first five days focus on understanding the literal meaning of the parable, with a break taken to really gain a practical understanding of how seeds are sown and how we protect them until the harvest.

Look at the artwork and talk (discussed later) about what the subject is doing. This is how a field was sown for generations before tractors were invented.
Begin reading Mark 4:3-4. Discuss what happened to the seeds and how they could be protected from this fate.
Read Mark 4:5-6. Discuss what happened to the seeds and how they could be protected from this fate.
Read Mark 4:7. Discuss what happened to the seeds. Why were they able to produce so much fruit?

Take a break here. Give your child plenty of practical, hands on experience with these concepts through the demonstration activity in the science lesson and the building/planting project in the reading lesson. Allow your child to really get a grasp of the concrete ideas in this passage so the interpretation will be more meaningful. Each part of the discussion you have with your child will later be relevant, as you talk about ways to prepare and guard the heart as the fertile soil for the seed of God’s Word. When this is accomplished, begin to transition to the abstract and prepare to apply the themes to all the activities in all subject areas.

Compare Mark 4:3-4 to Mark 4:15. Discuss its application in your life, your child’s life, and any other events you know of. What does this look like in a person’s life?
Compare Mark 4:5-6 to Mark 4:16-17. Discuss.
Compare Mark 4:7 to Mark 4:18-19. Discuss.
Compare Mark 4:8 to Mark 4:20. Discuss. What kind of fruit do these people bear?
Begin talking about how to prepare the heart as fertile soil for God’s Word. This is actually a lifelong pursuit as we strive to be more like Him. The culminating activity will draw heavily from these discussion and ideas.

Art

And I have filled him with the spirit of God, in wisdom, and in understanding, and in knwoledge, and in all manner of workmanship. –Exodus 31:3 (KJV)

I have always found it interesting that the first mention of the indwelling of the Holy Spirit was in conjunction with craftsmen working on art for the tabernacle. This forms the foundation of our study of art as we look at the lives and works of various artists, and judge what is glorifying God, what is good and beautiful, and what is glorifying that which is base and against God.

As you work through this unit, take some time to look at each of these artists and their work, and spend some time comparing different interpretations of “The Sower.” Much more information can be found on each of these artists and many others, if you and your child are interested in a more in depth study.

Albrecht Dürer was considered one of the greatest artists of the Northern Renaissance and gained fame early in his life because of his exceptional talents. He was a prolific artist, with recognized accomplishments including altarpieces and other religious works, portraits, self-portraits, and copper engravings.

Raised a peasant, Jean François Millet naturally displayed an interest in the peasant life as a theme in his artwork. He was distrusted in his day for alleged socialist leanings, although it’s unclear whether he actually shared such views. Still, the body of his work gives us a glimpse into the life of “the common man” in his day. His work is widely studied and recognized, with his subjects reappearing in other works. Several other artists’ interpretations of the sower (as well as larger versions of the two works above) may be viewed at Biblical Art on the Web.

Geography

Who covereth the heaven with clouds, Who prepareth rain for the earth, Who maketh grass to grow upon the mountains.–Psalm 147:8 (KJV)

The physical geography of the United States is made up of several climate zones and a variety of land features, including tall mountain peaks, deserts, plains, swamplands, river and lake systems, and even tundra and volcanic islands. These features support an immense diversity of plant and animal life, some of which can only be found in isolated parts of the country. When horticulturalists are planning a garden, they make special consideration of their climate zone and other land features. Before choosing plants for the backyard garden, you must know several things. Research the answers to the following questions together with your child. You local garden store or a more experienced gardener is an excellent source for all the knowledge you need to know about growing plants in your area.

What is the soil like in your area? Is there a lot of clay? Sand? Rich loam? What is the pH?
What are the daily high and low temperatures like during the growing season?
When can you expect the last frost of the winter? The first frost of spring?
What is the average rainfall?
What kinds of pests will you likely encounter?

Map Skills

Map reading is an important skill. It is needed to plan a trip, locate your position, find the best route when lost, giving directions, learning about new places, and even for planning a garden. It’s shocking how little our young people know about the nation’s geography and the geography of the world.

This can be overcome by taking the opportunity to regularly and systematically study maps to locate places mentioned in a book, compare topographical features of areas, and to show children where they are on the map in a mall or a rest stop. Maps have five key parts: the title, the compass rose, the legend, the scale, and the neatline (or border of the map). There are also several kinds of maps, including climate maps, resource maps, physical maps, elevation maps, political maps, road maps, and topographic maps.

Find a good political map of the United States. Help your child identify the parts of the map and discuss the purpose of each part. Locate different places on the map, including your state, city, and the location of friends and relatives. What information can be gleaned about these areas just from looking at this map? Use the scale and a piece of yarn to estimate distances between different places on the map. Help your child determine the purpose of a political map and thereby the types of information that can be found on one.

Comparing Maps

Studying geography with children often focuses on the lowest level of Bloom’s Taxonomy. Students are taught to label, identify, and recite. While these are necessary skills, higher order reasoning is important, as well. Comparing maps provides an excellent opportunity to help your children develop their reasoning skills. For this unit, you will need three maps for comparison; a political map, a weather map and a map of growth zones.

AccuWeather provides a variety of weather maps, including temperature and precipitation projections. Ask your child to compare the different zones between maps. The fronts, temperature differences, and precipitation differences all tend to occur along similar lines to the various growth zones for plants. Help your child reason why this is and how the growth zones might have been originally determined. Use the information you gather to determine when it is safe to plant the seeds you have selected. Ask your child what areas of the country can plant sooner and later and discuss possible reasons why this is. Mark your planting dates on a calendar together.

Mathematics

Thou shalt not have in thine house divers measures, a great and a small. –Deuteronomy 25:14 (KJV)

Diverse measures lead to inconsistencies and inaccuracies. At the least, careless measuring results in recipes which do not turn out right or projects that do not fit together. At the worst, it can be a method for stealing or showing favoritism by selling using different standards. Accurate measurement is important in planning a garden, as well. Practice using a ruler, a yard stick, and measuring tape together in the house. Look over instructions for the project you intend to work on with your children and determine what skills they will need to complete it successfully. A more in-depth study of measurement may be found here. Even following the planting instructions on the back of a seed packet will require measuring accurately, but you could also take time to make a raised garden bed, or a window box.

Reading

And he took the book of the covenant, and read in the audience of the people; and they said, All that the Lord hath said will we do, and be obedient. –Exodus 24:7 (KJV)

All texts are written for a purpose. The three main purposes are to inform, to persuade, or to entertain. Oftentimes, the purpose of a text can be deduced by looking at the cover, the title, and other features, such as a table of contents and the presence of an index. If the purpose is to inform, the author usually provides text features which make it easy to find information quickly, such as charts and graphs, indices, a table of contents, and chapter headings and subheadings. If the purpose is to persuade, the author will somewhere make a plea or a call to action. With the current trend toward “edutainment,” it is becoming increasingly difficult for children to differentiate between informational and entertainment texts. It is, therefore, important to select texts wisely when first introducing these concepts.

The Seed Packet

The back of a seed packet has a good example of an informational text. It has a specific structure designed to present the necessary information about the plant and how to care for it.

The top identifies the plant.
A brief description follows.
The author provides information on planting the seeds.
Notes on care are provided.
Instructions on how and when to use the plant are provided.
Often, there is a graphic summarizing important information.
A date is printed somewhere on the package to assure freshness. Information about the company is also provided.

Activities

These are not meant to be done in a single day, but rather over the course of the study.

Obtain several seed packets, preferably of plants you plan to actually sow. Begin by asking your child what the purpose of the text is. Discuss how you can tell it is an informational text. What kind of information is presented? Discuss how the information is organized to make it easy to get the needed information quickly.
Read the packet or have your child read it. Identify each part of the text, including the title, description, planting instructions, care instructions, usage, the freshness date, and the company information. My seven year old was able to deduce the purpose of each section of text after I read from several packets for comparison.
Compare different seed packets. Look at packets from different companies. Each packet is laid out a little differently, but the same kind of information is provided. Have your child note similarities and differences. Also look at seeds from plants of varying usages, such as ornamental flowers, herbs, vegetables, and flowers ideal for cutting.
If the seed packet indicates a website, visit it with your child. Discuss how the information is organized to make it easier to obtain the information you are looking for. Find information about the plant you selected. What different information is provided on the website? Why wasn’t it included on the seed packet?
Have your children sort the packets. There are several ways to group plants. They can alphabetize them for ease of finding a specific packet later. They can group by fruits, vegetables, and flowers. They can sort them according to some aspect of their care. Have them practice sorting the packets by different characteristics and discuss what the purpose would be of the different methods.
Cut out labels for each feature of this type of text. Have your child tape the labels next to the appropriate section to gain familiarity with this type of text structure. This will be particularly helpful for the writing assignment at the end of this study.
Have your child follow the instructions to plant the seeds.

Instruction Set

For our study, my family is constructing a raised garden. The directions we used may be found here. This may not be in everyone’s ability or interest to do. However, there are several similar, smaller projects you can complete with your children that will have the same benefits.

Here you can find instructions for building your own window box.
Here are some ideas for making your own container garden.

Analyze the text you choose in a similar fashion to the seed packet. Guide your child through questioning to note the similarities in structure. Almost all instructional texts include these basic elements: a description of the finished product, materials necessary for completion, step-by-step instructions, and some additional information or a listing of resources for more information. It is not intended to analyze this set of instructions as in-depth as the seed packet. The goal is to help your child recognize those features common across instructional texts. Help your children think of other instructional texts they are familiar with. Recipes, game instructions, and directions on a test are all examples. Ask your children why they think all of these types of texts include similar information. What would happen if different parts were left out?

Science

For the earth bringeth forth fruit of herself; first the blade, then the ear, after that the full corn in the ear. –Mark 4:28 (KJV)

Following are some simple activities to allow your children to see some of the unseen processes your plants undergo as they germinate and grow.

How does a seed grow?

Demonstration Activity

Materials:

Plastic bag
Dried beans
Napkins or paper towels
Small amount of water

Procedure:

Moisten napkin
Place in plastic bag
Place 3-4 beans on the moist napkin
Observe over several days.
The bean should germinate within a few days and your child can observe the developing root, stem, and first leaves. Several may be started to use in later experiments.

How do weeds choke out a plant?

Weeds compete for water and nutrients found in the soil. They tend to grow quickly and can even shade out slower growing garden plants. Some plants use allelopathy to protect themselves form intrusive neighbors. This is a chemical process which keeps other plants from growing too close. From Sciencemadesimple.com: There are several ways in which an allelopathic plant can release its protective chemicals:

Volatilization – Allelopathic trees release a chemical in the form of a gas through small openings in their leaves. Other plants absorb the toxic chemical and die.
Leaching – Some plants store protective chemicals in the leaves they drop. When the leaves fall to the ground, they decompose, giving off chemicals that protect the plant.
Exudation – Some plants release defensive chemicals into the soil through their roots. Those chemicals are absorbed by the roots of other nearby plants, which are damaged.

Check experiment number three in the above link to demonstrate this process to your children.

How do plants get water from their roots to their leaves?

Read and discuss Psalm 147:8. This site has a good overview of the water cycle, complete with coloring pages for your child. It does have one small reference to evolution. Enjoy the process God created in order to provide for all his creation! This coloring sheet summarizes the basic water cycle.

The water cycle can also be demonstrated through a simple activity in your home. All you need is a houseplant, a plastic bag, and a rubber band. Place the plastic bag around a leafy portion of the plant and close using the rubber band. Be careful not to damage the plant (it doesn’t need to be tight). Leave overnight.

Within a day or two, you will notice droplets of water beginning to form on the inside of the plastic bag – your own miniature cloud. Why? The plant’s roots absorb moisture from the soil and carry it to the leaves through the stalk and stems. Small holes in the leaves, called stomata, release small amounts of moisture along with other byproducts of photosynthesis. The process is called transpiration. It is a necessary process to replace water used during photosynthesis as well as supply other minerals from the soil that the plant needs. When the rate of transpiration is faster than what can be replaced by the water in the soil, the stomata close in order to conserve water. Eventually, the plant will wilt.

How important is sunlight to plants?

Every plant has different sunlight needs. Some like bright sun while others like shade. Sunlight gives plants the energy they need to grow through a process called photosynthesis. To show the importance of sunlight to plants, take some of the bean plants you started to grow in different light conditions, including full sun, partial shade, and complete darkness. Check on the plants regularly and note differences in growth and appearance. When we did this, the one in the closet turned white but initially grew much faster than the other beans. Some other ideas for teaching about photosynthesis may be found here.

Writing

And the tables were the work of God, and the writing was the writing of God, graven upon the tables. Exodus 32:16 (KJV)

Students will take notes throughout this unit, as well as write answers to discussion questions which will provide the bulk of the writing. The final project, however, combines the personal application of the scriptures combined with the form of the seed packets studied. Reread the Parable of the Sower and look at one of the seed packets. Have your child design his or her own seed packet with directions on how to grow God’s Word in your heart.

Suggested Reading

Nonfiction
A Handful of Dirt by Raymond Bial

Kids Container Gardening : Year-Round Projects for Inside and Out by Cindy Krezel

Gardens from Garbage by Judith F. Handelsman

Buried Treasure; Roots and Tubers by Meredith Sayles Hughes and Tom Hughes

Roots, Shoots, Buckets & Boots: Gardening Together with Children by Sharon Lovejoy

Green Thumbs: A Kid’s Activity Guide to Indoor and Outdoor Gardening by Laurie Carlson

The Gardening Book by Jane Bull

Ready, Set, Grow!: A Kid’s Guide to Gardening by Rebecca Spohn

The Jumbo Book of Gardening by Karyn Morris

Fiction

Spring Haiku Story by George Shannon

Spring Thaw by Steven Schnur

A Tree Is Nice by Janice May Udry

Check out my article on page 38 of the funky flipbook edition of Heart of the Matter Magazine.

Dana Hanley is a fourth year homeschooling mom to three girls and a boy. In her column, she will be taking a look at homeschoolers who have affected the news and news that affects homeschoolers. Dana is the host of Home School Talk, a weekly one hour broadcast focused on homeschool news and opinion. Visit her blog, Principled Discovery.

March 15, 2009 By Valerie 2 Comments

Science offers so much in the understanding why certain things exist. Science can be controversial depending on your belief system (Christianity, Evolution, Intelligent Design, etc). However, one thing that we can all agree upon is the fact that Science is intriguing. It is exciting and new every day! Whether you have a student who is in Kindergarten or High School, these 12 links will be a great addition to your Internet bookmark.

Fun News:

Science News - A place where kids can see the latest scoop on thing happening around us

Science Alert – A more serious news reporting site that will help students see what is being studied by scientist

Science Experiments:

Science Experiments – Lots of fun science experience and learning tools that can be tried at home

Science For Kids – Fun activities to learn more about chemical and physical change.

Topical Science:

Animal Science - Discovery Kids offers a fun interactive site where you can learn first hand about animals and much more

Space Science: Study about the Supernova and the Solar System with fun videos and fact cards

Environmental Science: Lots of different links from the National Institute of Environment concerning the environment through song, jokes, worksheets, videos, and much more

NASA Kids – A great scientific approach to studying space with suggestions for viewing real life photos from the NASA channel

Kids Corner – Worksheets and visual science for the topic of Biology

General Science Weblinks:

Science With Me – Help Your Children Learn Science the Easy, Hands-On Way with Science

Cool Science – At Cool Science, real live scientist entertain questions of all kinds through interactive computer programs. They encourage young scientists to get their hands dirty-virtually. Great for junior high and high school students.

Dr. Universe - Lots of great tools for studying anything from dinosaurs to gravity

valerie Valerie is a born and raised Southern California girl. On her little corner of the beach, she homeschools her three wonderful blessings. Before marriage, she wrote for public television, taught kindergarten, and was a live-in Nanny. She is the Moderator of an International Yahoo group (Just4homeschoolfamilies), as well as Senior Editor of an e-mail monthly newsletter (Words Of Encouragement). For daily happenings, she has a homeschool blog (Homeschooling With Encouragement) where you can read about her personal ups and downs of homeschooling.

March 2, 2009 By Chris 9 Comments

Had anyone asked me two years ago, I would have declared unequivocally that I was terrible at science. Give me English or history, but leave the goggles and graduated cylinders to someone else, preferably someone with a pocket protector and thick glasses. Me? I only needed sharp pencils, a note pad and an overused library card.

But since we made the decision to homeschool, I have done more than teach my son – I have expanded my own horizons in ways I never thought possible. Guess what? I like science. I like it a lot, so much that I now have a kitchen cabinet that has been allocated for lab storage and I am about to order 500 mealworms for an upcoming activity.

Yes, mealworms. I am not making that up.

As I teach my 10-year-old, I have learned about the Fibonacci sequence and the glorious complexity of physics. We made a nitrogen atom out of Rice Krispie treats and extracted DNA from an onion. And don’t even get me started on owl pellets.

I have learned many things about myself through this journey, but one of the most startling lessons has come in finding and filling the holes in my own education. A graduate degree prepared me for the bar exam, but not for fifth grade science. Like parenting, the lessons are learned by doing and asking questions and finding what works for us.

There is a lot of learning going on here in our homeschool. I’m pretty sure my son is benefiting, too.

And I am probably going to need that pocket protector.

Chris Worthy is mom to Caroline (15) and Nolan (10) and will soon celebrate 20 years of marriage to her favorite person, John. Chris practiced law before becoming a writer and stay-at-home mother more than 10 years ago. She enjoys cooking, crafting, spoiling dogs, green living and rummaging though old books. Follow along at www.chrisworthy.com

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