Ecology Study Ideas, Projects and Resources

We actually started this the week of Earth Day buuuuut we kinda dragged it out a bit.... ;)

We started out with the recycling kit from Young Scientists. 

Those kits are so much fun! 

The experiments included:
Make recycled paper
Make colored recycled paper
Cover a leaf in one cup of peat and cover plastic in another cup of peat. Which one decomposes?
There was something else but I have already forgotten!!! YILES!!!!

Then we planted strawberries, sunflowers, daisies and poppies. Due to the cats knocking the pots off the windowsill repeatedly, we only have the sunflowers left, but they are doing wonderfully!!!

We got some toadpoles from a friend and are watching them grow. Yes, toadpoles! I looked them up to try to see what kind of frog they would be. Turns out they aren't frogs of any kind but toads! LOL 

Then we started making papier mache globes!

Deanna and I did this our first year of homeschooling.

This is what we used:

Large balloons

Phone book (for the paper scraps)

Papier mache glue (1 part water to 1 part glue OR 1 part flour to 2 parts water)

Paint

We did 2 layers of paper and glue.

Put one layer on and let it dry completely before adding the other layer.

Then we painted the water on after the 2nd layer of papier mache dried. 

Once the water dried it was time to paint on the land. 

If you leave the balloon intact, you can use the end of it to tie on string and hang your globe from the ceiling! :D

Here are a couple of books that we used:









We also watched quite a few Magic School Bus episodes.

Magic School Bus 
      Hops Home
      Meets the Rot Squad
      Wet All Over
      Goes to Seed

After all that, we watched Planet Earth all over again! Can't get enough of it!!! 
     

Other topics that fit in with this theme:

Earth Day-
Earth Day Resources  (because Earth Day should be everyday)

Plants-
Plant Activities 

Plant Resources

Worms-
Worm Activities

Worm Resources


More Earth Science Recources


HAVE FUN LEARNING!!!!!

Chemistry Experiments

YIPPEE!!! I got a new laptop!!! After weeks of fighting with the old one and then over a week without one at all, I am so relieved! No more fighting The Hubby and Cailey and Colin over the desktop! LOL

I was taking to Cailey and Colin yesterday about what they wanted to do next in science. Colin says, "I want to be a mad scientist! I want to mix stuff together!" Ok, chemistry it is! ;)

This post is all about the hands on of chemistry. The more technical stuff (with printables and all that) will come later. Right now I just want to introduce them to the fun side of it and learn that way. ;)







We will be using this book.

































There are TONS and TONS of science experiments books out there. Search your library system, you are sure to find more than enough. ;)







Chemistry Science Fair Project Ideas - Science Buddies

Kitchen Chemistry - PBS Kids

Chemistry for Kids - Ducksters (mostly info)

Chemistry for Kids - Science Kids

Chemistry Activities - ACS.org

More Activities from ACS

Chemistry Activities for Kids - Chemistry.About.com

Real World Examples of Chemicals and Chemical Reactions - Chem4Kids

Kitchen Chemistry - The Scientific Mom

50 Kitchen Science Activities - Science Sparks

Chemistry Resources - Unschool Rules







Chemistry Kits at Amazon





HAVE FUN MESSING UP THE KITCHEN! ;)

Mad Scientists

So sorry for my lack of sewing posts lately. I did manage to cut the pieces for Cailey's Tinkerbell costume! Step one - complete! LOL  I should have a tutorial up by the end of the week.

Then Deanna comes in yesterday and tells me that she would like me to make her a long black skirt to wear to the Halloween party on Sunday. Nothing like waiting until the last minute! LOL AND she wants makeup like this -





Yep... Nothing like the last minute! ;)





Anyway, since I have a lot of sewing to DO but nothing to SHOW, I thought I would do a post about hands on science for homeschooling! FUN! ;)





Here are some fun and easy botany experiments from The Adventures of Bear.





Montessori inspired skeleton units put together by Living Montessori Now




OH! Legos!!! A great hands on unit for boys especially!! This is from The Homeschool Post.


(Missing Pic)


This is an AWESOME idea for this time of year!!! Basically you just fill your pumpkin with soil, water it every so often and watch the seeds grow! :) This idea comes from Growing in PreK. Although it says Pre K, I think this would be excellent for any elementary age child!









I <3 the Crafty Classroom!!! This fossil craft would be an AWESOME addition to a fossil or dinosaur study! The page has more hands on idea for fossils. And you should check out all the other themes on the right side bar. AH-MAZ-ING!!!!!!









This is BRILLIANT!! What a great way to show the molecules in the different layers of the atmosphere! A really good visual from Science Matters.









E Is for Explore has a lot of great ideas to show static electricity!  And we are quickly approaching the time of year when static electricity will be zapping us on a daily basis..... LOL



(Missing Pic)

I thought this was just brilliant. I would never have thought to use a soggy graham cracker to represent the tectonic plates! Thank you to the Homeschool Den!!!! This page has a lot of other ways to explore plate movements. ;)

Another perfect for fall science experiment!!! This one was put together by Science Sparks with a guest post by Rainy Day Mum.











The Science Behind Who Gets Magical Powers would be great for high school biology. It's not exactly hands on but it is definitely an attention grabber for those HP fans!!!







[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r-c5GpoD8wI?feature=player_embedded&w=640&h=360]



If this shows up (FINGERS CROSSED!!!) it will be a video from BBC One that shows how your ear works.











An experiment about brain fluid from Life With My Giggle Girls.






Here is an engineering idea from Relentlessly Fun, Deceptively Educational.









Launch a rocket from a spinning planet with this guide from NASA Space Place.









Water Cycle Wonders from Practical Pages. And while you're there, check out allllll the other amazing things on this blog!









Another brilliant idea!!! This can be found at Momma Owls Lab.






Here is another one that isn't actually hands on but definitely an attention grabber. It shows the skeletons of different cartoons!! How cool is that???



Speaking of skeletons, we had an interesting science time yesterday. LOL Cailey was petting Bonnie and asked if a cat has bones in its tail. Instead of just saying yes and moving on, I looked up cat skeletons on Google to show her. Then we dragged out our DK Eyewitness Skeleton book and looked at all the different types. That led to dragging out the starfish as an example of exoskeletons! LOL

Whenever your kids ask a question, don't just answer it. Help them explore it. See where it leads! You never can tell..... LOL Science is a natural topic for kids. They are always wanting to know the how and the why of everything around them.

We haven't been doing any "actual" homeschooling since we decided to move. There have just been a thousand things going on around here.... BUT they have still been getting their daily dose of science just by being interested in the things around them. Such as, "why are the leaves turning colors and falling off the trees?" "Why do squirrels collect nuts?" "Why are the buzzards circling over there?"

Sometimes you even get really lucky and can add some history in, too. ;) "Why do we use pumpkins on Halloween", can be both a science and a history question!

And don't forget with Thanksgiving just around the corner that the opportunities to combine the two subjects will continue! Weather, crop growing, and the different animals of the New World just to name a few science items to go along with the history!

And I just had to pause this post to explain how the earth tilts for the different seasons and why there will most likely NOT be any snow in Georgia this winter.... LOL Geography AND science in one question! LOL



I need to get sewing on Cailey's costume but all I reallllly want to do is take a nap! LOL I am trying to fight an oncoming cold..... WAH!! I do NOT need a cold right before we move!!! AND right before Halloween!! Not to mention that I am still having awful fibro flares. I think they are due to having to get up at 4 am this week to take The Hubby to work. WAH!!!!! BUT when we move he will have more decent hours! YAY!!!!