Back in February, while my husband was basking in the semi-warm sun in Del Rio, Texas and we were dodging record snowstorms here in Ohio, Neal, Allie and I checked Google Maps and ventured out to the Challenger Center in downtown Dayton.
The Challenger Center is one of 50 learning centers in over 30 states and a few foreign countries. Homeschool groups, Scout troops, school classes, and such can make reservations to take part in a simulated space mission. Allie and Neal's mission involved studying a comet, but other ones include visits to Mars and the Moon.
Kids are given various jobs on their chosen mission, and guided in performing them. Allie was in medical, and Neal was in communications. They had a really good time, and enjoyed working with the other homeschooled kids. The adults who led the program were very enthusiastic and communicated well with the kids.
We'll be looking forward to visiting the Final Frontier again soon!
Showing posts with label learning. Show all posts
Showing posts with label learning. Show all posts
Monday, March 29, 2010
Wednesday, November 4, 2009
Free Science Lessons-Physics
How Stuff Works
All ages. How do computers work? How do malaria drugs work? What if I tried to drive my car underwater? A great site for the bored kid...and a great resource for the Eternal Questioner.
Fizzics Fizzle
All ages. A Thinkquest site which gives a very good introduction to physics. There are games and animations that reinforce the information presented. A great reference, introduction or refresher.
Reeko's Mad Scientist Lab
7 and up. A fun site with many experiments and good explanations of the results. Also has games and puzzles!
MadSci Network
For all ages. Another great site for the bored child. "represents a collective cranium of scientists providing answers to your questions. For good measure we provide a variety of oddities as well." Really fun, and has an 'Ask a Scientist' program!
NASA Beginner Guide to Rockets
Ages 11 and up. Look at various types of rockets - from bottle and stomp rockets to full-scale boosters. Find out how the work.
Life, the Universe, and the Electron
For teens. An exhibit about atomic structure.
Teach Engineering
Lessons all ages.
Glencoe Physical Science
Has quizzes and web resources for ninth-grade textbook in physical science. Can be useful.
Optics For Kids
Ages 10 and up. Learn about light, lenses, and lasers.
The Atoms Family
11 and up. Basic physics in a fun and memorable way!
Physics Life
11 and up. A look at the physics pf things in our everyday world. Nice interactivity.
Antimatter: Mirror of the Universe
8 and up. A look at the CERN particle accelerator and the quest for antimatter. Good for the teen who likes mysterious subjects. There is a kids' section!
Science Hobbyist
8 and up. Fun and useful articles and experiments. Includes the famous resource, Is Your Child's Science Textbook Wrong?
The Particle Adventure
8 and up. Activity sheets, graphics, animations..all explaining the subatomic world.
PHet Simulations
All kinds of Java physics demonstrations! Colorful and insightful!
EdHeads Simple Machines
Ages 6 to 12. Activities, animations, etc. all explaining how simple machines work.
Science with me
A cheery, colorful website with games, animations, worksheets and coloring pages for preschool to about age 10. Subscription required, but it's free!
Physics Behind Four Amazing Demonstrations
10 and up. I can walk on burning coals...can you? Here's how we all can...
Unwise Microwave Oven Experiments
All ages...but watch out!! What would happen to this if I put it in the microwave??
Physics of Superheroes
All ages. A Youtube lecture on the way things DON"T work in the world of comic book heroes! Really funny, and informative. Good for adult as well as kid enthusiasts, and for anyone who's ever watched a cartoon and marveled at how they are a bit different from real life!
Amusement Park Physics
7 and up. Design your own roller coaster, and see how gravity and friction affect your choices.
Skateboard Science
7 and up. Your future Tony Hawk will enjoy knowing how the tricks are done, and how to improve his or her own skating.
All ages. How do computers work? How do malaria drugs work? What if I tried to drive my car underwater? A great site for the bored kid...and a great resource for the Eternal Questioner.
Fizzics Fizzle
All ages. A Thinkquest site which gives a very good introduction to physics. There are games and animations that reinforce the information presented. A great reference, introduction or refresher.
Reeko's Mad Scientist Lab
7 and up. A fun site with many experiments and good explanations of the results. Also has games and puzzles!
MadSci Network
For all ages. Another great site for the bored child. "represents a collective cranium of scientists providing answers to your questions. For good measure we provide a variety of oddities as well." Really fun, and has an 'Ask a Scientist' program!
NASA Beginner Guide to Rockets
Ages 11 and up. Look at various types of rockets - from bottle and stomp rockets to full-scale boosters. Find out how the work.
Life, the Universe, and the Electron
For teens. An exhibit about atomic structure.
Teach Engineering
Lessons all ages.
Glencoe Physical Science
Has quizzes and web resources for ninth-grade textbook in physical science. Can be useful.
Optics For Kids
Ages 10 and up. Learn about light, lenses, and lasers.
The Atoms Family
11 and up. Basic physics in a fun and memorable way!
Physics Life
11 and up. A look at the physics pf things in our everyday world. Nice interactivity.
Antimatter: Mirror of the Universe
8 and up. A look at the CERN particle accelerator and the quest for antimatter. Good for the teen who likes mysterious subjects. There is a kids' section!
Science Hobbyist
8 and up. Fun and useful articles and experiments. Includes the famous resource, Is Your Child's Science Textbook Wrong?
The Particle Adventure
8 and up. Activity sheets, graphics, animations..all explaining the subatomic world.
PHet Simulations
All kinds of Java physics demonstrations! Colorful and insightful!
EdHeads Simple Machines
Ages 6 to 12. Activities, animations, etc. all explaining how simple machines work.
Science with me
A cheery, colorful website with games, animations, worksheets and coloring pages for preschool to about age 10. Subscription required, but it's free!
For Fun!
Physics Behind Four Amazing Demonstrations
10 and up. I can walk on burning coals...can you? Here's how we all can...
Unwise Microwave Oven Experiments
All ages...but watch out!! What would happen to this if I put it in the microwave??
Physics of Superheroes
All ages. A Youtube lecture on the way things DON"T work in the world of comic book heroes! Really funny, and informative. Good for adult as well as kid enthusiasts, and for anyone who's ever watched a cartoon and marveled at how they are a bit different from real life!
Amusement Park Physics
7 and up. Design your own roller coaster, and see how gravity and friction affect your choices.
Skateboard Science
7 and up. Your future Tony Hawk will enjoy knowing how the tricks are done, and how to improve his or her own skating.
Thursday, September 3, 2009
First Day, First Week
Monday was our first day of "official" school. So far it's all gone quite smoothly and happily, so here's a few things I've learned about my Students:
1) Allie tends to go to bed right after her story time (which is Book 3 of the Belgariad
right now), so she has no formal bedtime, but she gets in at about the same time each night. Neal, on the other hand, has no bedtime but he does have an arising time. As long as he can get up when he's supposed to and be relatively cheerful about it, I won't impose bedtime.
2) It's very nice to have Allie up for an hour or so before Neal gets up. That allows us to get through most of her academics without competition or interruption.
3) Neal believes that he is unschooling. While I'm sure that his definition wouldn't gel with some purists, he did pick out his subjects and books, and he studies mostly on his own, with a bit of encouragement. Sounds pretty close to unschooling to me.
4) I send emails to the kids most mornings with computer-based activities listed for the day. It may be a website to check out, or a workpage for their writing club, the The LOLcats and Phun Gnomes Society (Club Oath: We will not kick gnomes, and we will respect LOLcats. Excellent free lesson plans for a writing club)
5) Writing is much more fun on a laptop, even if it's Dad's. Having fun writing is more important than perfecting handwriting.
6) Subjects that have Girl Scout badges to go along with them are great!
1) Allie tends to go to bed right after her story time (which is Book 3 of the Belgariad
right now), so she has no formal bedtime, but she gets in at about the same time each night. Neal, on the other hand, has no bedtime but he does have an arising time. As long as he can get up when he's supposed to and be relatively cheerful about it, I won't impose bedtime.2) It's very nice to have Allie up for an hour or so before Neal gets up. That allows us to get through most of her academics without competition or interruption.
3) Neal believes that he is unschooling. While I'm sure that his definition wouldn't gel with some purists, he did pick out his subjects and books, and he studies mostly on his own, with a bit of encouragement. Sounds pretty close to unschooling to me.
4) I send emails to the kids most mornings with computer-based activities listed for the day. It may be a website to check out, or a workpage for their writing club, the The LOLcats and Phun Gnomes Society (Club Oath: We will not kick gnomes, and we will respect LOLcats. Excellent free lesson plans for a writing club)
5) Writing is much more fun on a laptop, even if it's Dad's. Having fun writing is more important than perfecting handwriting.
6) Subjects that have Girl Scout badges to go along with them are great!
Sunday, January 25, 2009
History Notebooks....
When drawing up plans for this year, I was going to try using history notebooks to keep track of what we'd done. For some reason, I didn't follow through, which is something I regret a bit.
So here I am, on a trek through the Dark Ages, making a history notebook for Neal and Allie.
I took a few old notebooks and put blank cardstock pages (bought on clearance at Kroger for really cheap!) with the years being studied on each page. The pages start with the 1400s, and have a century per double page until the 1800's, when it goes to a double page per 50 years. The 1900s change to a double page per decade. I used a page from Homeschool Launch for the title page (The BOOK OF CENTURIES.)
I'm in the process of using Timeline Index to make a page for each section that has important people and events from each era , along with a representative picture. After learning about an artist, writer, statesman, etc, the kids can cut the picture out and glue it to their page.
Neal dislikes the endless study of this war, followed by that war, and this other war that was happening concurrently. It's really discouraging to him, I think. So, while we won't totally disregard the conflicts, we'll focus more on arts, science, culture, and how people lived.
Neal saw a 36 part, 50 minutes-an-episode series in the Teaching Company catalog about European History in the 1800s, which he asked for. Somehow, I don't think he'd finish it, so I said that if he still coveted it after we'd studied that time period, we'd think about it. We did order a set of videos about the middle ages done by Terry Jones of Monty Python fame. We'll try to pull in more videos and such for later lessons, too. With Neal's video memory, he should learn a lot. Allie is happy about this, too, and Ken says that it might be good to check out some Medieval history....
So here I am, on a trek through the Dark Ages, making a history notebook for Neal and Allie.
I took a few old notebooks and put blank cardstock pages (bought on clearance at Kroger for really cheap!) with the years being studied on each page. The pages start with the 1400s, and have a century per double page until the 1800's, when it goes to a double page per 50 years. The 1900s change to a double page per decade. I used a page from Homeschool Launch for the title page (The BOOK OF CENTURIES.)
I'm in the process of using Timeline Index to make a page for each section that has important people and events from each era , along with a representative picture. After learning about an artist, writer, statesman, etc, the kids can cut the picture out and glue it to their page.
Neal dislikes the endless study of this war, followed by that war, and this other war that was happening concurrently. It's really discouraging to him, I think. So, while we won't totally disregard the conflicts, we'll focus more on arts, science, culture, and how people lived.
Neal saw a 36 part, 50 minutes-an-episode series in the Teaching Company catalog about European History in the 1800s, which he asked for. Somehow, I don't think he'd finish it, so I said that if he still coveted it after we'd studied that time period, we'd think about it. We did order a set of videos about the middle ages done by Terry Jones of Monty Python fame. We'll try to pull in more videos and such for later lessons, too. With Neal's video memory, he should learn a lot. Allie is happy about this, too, and Ken says that it might be good to check out some Medieval history....
Sunday, November 9, 2008
IMs for Learning
Allie is a reluctant writer - or at least she used to be.
Until she discovered the joy of instant messaging.
When she is on the computer in the schoolroom, and I am on my laptop in the dining room, the messages fly.
-What are we having for dinner?
-I don't know. Any ideas?
-How about noodles? Or maybe-
Allie pauses to call to me through the open door,"Mom, how do you spell 'crepes?'"
Her spelling and written grammar have improved immensely in a very short time. Spelling now has a use - communicating with someone else.
I try not to be too much of a 'Grammar Nazi' at this point. I simply type back the correct form of her misspelled word in a question, like we tend to do with mispronunciations.
Until she discovered the joy of instant messaging.
When she is on the computer in the schoolroom, and I am on my laptop in the dining room, the messages fly.
-What are we having for dinner?
-I don't know. Any ideas?
-How about noodles? Or maybe-
Allie pauses to call to me through the open door,"Mom, how do you spell 'crepes?'"
Her spelling and written grammar have improved immensely in a very short time. Spelling now has a use - communicating with someone else.
I try not to be too much of a 'Grammar Nazi' at this point. I simply type back the correct form of her misspelled word in a question, like we tend to do with mispronunciations.
Thursday, August 28, 2008
Early Learning Online
At our house, the younger kids have been able to get online since they were three. (They had way more outside time and reading-with-mom time than computer time though!) I tried to make sure that their computer time was well spent. Here are a few great educational sites to add a bit of fun and learning.
Preschool and Kindergarten Learning Games Online
Starfall
This fun and free site will help you teach your child to read! It starts with an introduction to the alphabet and basic phonics, followed by beginning phonetic stories. then vocabulary building and more reading for experience. The site is colorful and has cheery graphics, without being too overdone. It is a very useful addition to any reading program. If you're not sure how to teach your little one to read, use this site as a guide! It is also free, though they do offer various helps for sale.
This fun and free site will help you teach your child to read! It starts with an introduction to the alphabet and basic phonics, followed by beginning phonetic stories. then vocabulary building and more reading for experience. The site is colorful and has cheery graphics, without being too overdone. It is a very useful addition to any reading program. If you're not sure how to teach your little one to read, use this site as a guide! It is also free, though they do offer various helps for sale.
Science With Me
A colorful, engaging site that uses fun animated characters to teach science to preschool-to-ten-year-olds. Fun games, worksheets, coloring sheets, experiments, and more. Requires registration, but it is free!
Building Blocks
Matching, a recording studio, discerning feelings...some very nice games!
Matching, a recording studio, discerning feelings...some very nice games!
Poisson Rouge
An adorable site with several learning games.
An adorable site with several learning games.
Sesame Street
Easy, fun learning games...even if your kids don't watch the show!
Easy, fun learning games...even if your kids don't watch the show!
Build a Neighborhood
...with Mr. Rogers. A sweet game that teaches about the communities we live in.
...with Mr. Rogers. A sweet game that teaches about the communities we live in.
Nick Jr.
A bit commercial, but there are so many resources here that it's hard to leave off. Games, coloring pages, activities, crafts...and a great search feature that lets you find things by age , subject, etc.
A bit commercial, but there are so many resources here that it's hard to leave off. Games, coloring pages, activities, crafts...and a great search feature that lets you find things by age , subject, etc.
Alphabet Bears
Learn alphabetizing with this fun flash game.
Learn alphabetizing with this fun flash game.
Learn the months
...with this cute song. You'll be singing it in the car for months!
...with this cute song. You'll be singing it in the car for months!
Boowa & Kwala
Cute and fun educational games
Cute and fun educational games
Gamequarium Jr
A Portal to many online games for small ones. The links are ain the pull-down menu at the top of the page....
A Portal to many online games for small ones. The links are ain the pull-down menu at the top of the page....
Funschool Preschool
An assortment of games and fun for little ones. Some ads.
An assortment of games and fun for little ones. Some ads.
Homeschool Preschool and Kindergarten Websites for Parents
Preschool Express
A monthly activity calendar, recipes, activities, art projects.....very useful!
A monthly activity calendar, recipes, activities, art projects.....very useful!
Preschool Printables
Need a coloring sheet for W? A finger puppet pattern? Kindergarten writing paper? Find it here!
Need a coloring sheet for W? A finger puppet pattern? Kindergarten writing paper? Find it here!
Preschool Resources
A list of online activities from About.com Homeschooling. Really useful and creative.
A list of online activities from About.com Homeschooling. Really useful and creative.
Stormie's Preschool Curriculum
A month-by-month preschool/kindergarten idea list. Many activities are clever, creative, and actually educational. A great place to look for new ideas!
A month-by-month preschool/kindergarten idea list. Many activities are clever, creative, and actually educational. A great place to look for new ideas!
A to Z Kids Stuff Preschool and Kindergarten
A compendium of ideas for units on everything from bugs to rainbows to scissors....
A compendium of ideas for units on everything from bugs to rainbows to scissors....
Internet 4 Classrooms Kindergarten
A huge list of games, help sites, idea sites, etc.
A huge list of games, help sites, idea sites, etc.
Free Handwriting Worksheets!
Handwriting is a subject that tends to bring out strong opinions...either good handwriting is the hallmark of an organized mind, or it is becoming obsolete and is no longer important.
My kids opt for the latter view.
They still do a bit of handwriting practice here and there, though, or their scribbles become illegible rather quickly. I do try to keep it connected with their studies and interests, though, so that making letters is not the only thing that they learn. That's where these worksheet makers come in handy. Why write disconnected sentences and random words when you can do handwriting and learn to spell 'diplodocus' or the name of your best friend's horse at the same time? Younger children especially seem to enjoy tracing sentences about themselves and their family, and it is an excellent way to practice spelling without doing spelling lessons.
Some of the sites also have premade pages, for those days when your imagination, or your desire to type out the names of prokaryotic organisms, is flagging. HER has especially nice ones.
ESL Writing Wizard
This wonderful site lets you choose your style (Zane-Bloser or D'nealian, print or cursive), size, page layout, line setup...and then write your own text! There are many premade ones available, and you can save your own, and make them public if you wish.
TampaReads.com
Basic print, D'Nealian print and cursive are available.
FirstSchool.ws
Basic printing, and really nice sheets with days of the week, months, etc. Also some mazes, which are excellent pre-writing and warm-up activities. Blank handwriting paper also!
H.E.R. printables
Very nice premade sheets with basic printing and cursive. The sheets have coloring pictures, illustrations, and more. These are very beautifully done!!
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