Lockdown 3
We had some fabulous news with a recent exam result for Ballet Girl, so she is only two assignments away now from completing her entire High School Diploma, and one SAT exam away from UCAS points.
Reflecting on homeschooling from the very beginning, I am so pleased that we chose this route. Within the steady flow of thematic units until they reach 13, I believe they learn diligence and interest in study, not held back or unnecessarily pressured by peers or government guidelines. The move to the four year High School Diploma felt natural for Ballet Girl and she was ready for serious study and qualifications. She is so close to finishing and I am so proud of her.
Monkey Girl and Panda Girl are still studying hard towards their own Diplomas, and Lockdown, in this regard, has no affect on their continued studies. Our lack of extra curricular activities however, courtesy of Covid, is another issue.
The Boy and Sunbaby are joining me in a Science thematic unit. I plan to spend a month or two on this subject as it's vast and wide-ranging, fabulously cross-curricular and all things fun.
The BBC have 'blessed' us with some fantastic Bitesize resources and programmes for the nation while Lockdown persists. I'm making full use of them and so The Boy has spent much less time with me than he normally does while he watches some of the programmes on offer but it's good to chop and change and learn all the ways we can.
We started with some colour fun with pipettes and coloured water.
The Boy started with a basic understanding of the Scientific Method.
Writing about the difference between scientists and engineers.
Play-dough play for Sunbaby.
Using play-dough to understand how atoms and molecules work.
Rainbow experiment with food colouring, washing up liquid and milk. The detergent weakens the chemical bonds in the milk, causing the reaction.
Maths in between
Electrical circuits
Raisins in lemonade. The bubbles attach themselves to the raisins making them buoyant. They rise to the top then pop and the raisin sinks again. Sunbaby loved it.
You can't beat this rainbow experiment!
Structures with cocktail sticks and marshmallows
Shaving foam and food colouring.
Painting ice cubes.
Properties of matter
A venn diagram for Sunbaby. Animals that live on land, animals that live in water, and animals that live on both.
Bicarb and vinegar fun.
Understanding the word 'viscosity'
Osmosis
Learning about density.
Playing with magnets and pipe cleaner pieces.
Water displacement with marbles (dummy in mouth because marbles are not ideal for toddlers).
Surface tension
Mixtures contains different chemicals mixed together. They are not chemically bonded.
They can be separated relatively easily.
Compounds are substances that have atoms which have been chemically bonded. They are not easy to separate.
Alloys are a mixture of metals or a metal and a non-metal.
More foam fun.
The Boy learning about atomic structure and his sister copying his diligence. :)
The human skeleton
Surface tension experiment
Ionic bonds, covalent bonds and a surface tension experiment with paper clips to demonstrate the force between molecules.
Chemical reactions: the breaking and making of chemical bonds.
Atoms and chemical equations.
A rainbow skeleton to continue her rainbow science :)
Marble run
BBC Bitesize
Another day ready for experiments!
Making a lava lamp
Shaving foam and cornflour.
Acids and alkali experiments with red cabbage water as a PH indicator.
Shaving foam and water
Lentils and lemonade buoyancy.
Taking a break from Matter with an elimination game about famous scientists.
Types of Reaction: Synthesis, decomposition and displacement.
Using acidic solution to strip dark copper oxide from the surface of an old penny.
Hand and foot prints.
Matching animals.
Volcano with dinosaurs
Pom poms in water
Glue and feathers
Sunbaby's science is now focusing on animals (including the Gruffalo!). We've morphed a little to child-led learning within the framework of biology to keep me focused and inspired. She spent a happy day playing all things Gruffalo.
The Boy and I went through all 118 elements of the periodic table, talking about their groups and uses, their atomic numbers and their discoveries.
A happy morning.
Nature activity book
The human body is 65% Oxygen, 3% Nitrogen, 10% Hydrogen plus others.
Three days of complete koala love.
Circuit maze game
More periodic table work.
Beginning coding game.
