History Projects!

 Good Will has this People Long Ago resource box about pioneers.  I thought similar kits could serve as inspiration for History projects.  Look!  There are pioneer clothes!  You could sew historic clothes! There are free American Girl patterns.  These are discontinued sewing patterns for the original Pleasant Company dolls.  The original dolls’ clothes were extensively researched; however, people would not have had many clothes. (I may or may not be currently obsessed with sewing American Girl period clothes.)  Your project could include doll clothes!  It could also include songs, money, historic events, and field-trips!  Create a diorama or a lapbook.  Make a video or a slide deck!  Write a play based on a figure from the period.  Have a blast!

Lakeshore Learning has other kits for inspiration.

Good Educational Material at Good Will

 Good Will has several interesting listings.  Look at this Rocks and Mineral Kit.

I did bid on this pioneer kit for my friend who teaches History.

Look at these math sets.

Winter Olympics

  I love the Olympics!  Science Sparks has Easy Winter Olympics STEM, with simple materials, such as paper plates and ice cubes to examine the underlying science involved in different events.  Little Bins has Winter Olympics Activities; here are great ideas from the Demo Guy.  Frugal Fun has LEGO Builds.  Decorate with these Winter Olympics Activities from Red Ted.  How about Coding?  Finally NBC has 100 ways to celebrate Milan Cortina 2026!  Yeah!

Snow Day: Boredom Busters

 Here are 50 Snow Day Boredom Busters.  Make a numbered list the ones you like and have the supplies you already own.  Write numbers on to popsicle sticks.  Select one at random whenever the kiddos start to whinge.  Make your own list: knit, bake (while the power is still on), play a board game, build catapults and knock things down in the basement, complete a puzzle, etc.  Let your imagination roll!

Snow Day: Unplugged Coding

  we get the snow or ice forecasted, we’re all going to need some ideas.  What about unplugged coding?  This article’s Code a Friend’, ‘A Loopy Routine, etc are ideal for siblings.  It has simple activities, such as origami, to help kiddos understand the concepts underlying coding.  Start with ASCII Code and make a Binary Bracelet, necklace, code with Twizzlers, knit in Binary Code (I knit a scarf in binary.), create a game with egg cartons, and Code a Snowman.  If your wifi doesn’t crash, learn to code with MIT’s Scratch.  We needed a book to work through the steps to get the kitty to jump.   I hope everyone impacted by the up-coming storm stays safe!

Snow Day: Secrete Codes

  If your kiddos like coding, they might like secret codes.  This introduction to ciphers includes Morse code, Pigpen Cipher, the Phonetic Alphabet, Tap Code, Grid Code, and more. Here, here, and here are Morse codes to decipher.  Make a decoder wheel.    Have you tried cryptograms?  They are like secret codes and very addicting.  Here is a free site.  It’s easier to solve cryptograms if you copy them on to paper.  Would you like to write a secret message?  The ACS Invisible Ink uses alcohol, turmeric, and sudsy ammonia.  This invisible ink involves a white crayon and water colors.  Have you tried Lemon Juice Invisible Ink?  HST Invisible Ink includes the type I use with phenolphthalein (PHTH) and another with cobalt chloride, which looks fun, too.  If you use PHTH, and test it with Windex, be sure the Windex has ammonia.  I just use a little sudsy ammonia.  

Why do I use Apologia textbooks for science classes?

  As a teacher, I had any number of science textbooks available.  Often private school teachers have the autonomy to select their textbooks, unlike public school teachers.  I did like several of the mass-marketed textbooks.  However, I’m sticking with Apologia’s Science textbooks for all grades.  Why?  They are Christian.  I don’t have to worry about odd propaganda inserted to make the textbook more current.  (I’m looking at you Climate Change!). The National Biology and National Chemistry  groups are promoting Next Generation Science Storylines currently.  Previously there was a huge push for Project Based Learning (PBL) and Flipped Classroom. (Look at the NSTA conference to get an idea about current trends.). Science teachers try to insert the basics of their disciplines around the current  instructional flavor.  You don’t have to navigate trends.

Sooner or later, science teachers revert to the basics.  Stick with Apologia’s textbooks.  The core topics, ideas, and skill sets are all there.  Apologia understands the hand of God is written over every aspect of science.  Do I supplement?  Yes, all the time.  I know teens need more problem sets in Chem than Apologia offers.  I like to add labs, such as the Bubble Membrane or a lesson such as Borneo Cats (unintended consequences) to Bio.  I’ll raid any number of Physical Science textbooks to add fun labs.  But at the core is Apologia.  I’m sticking with the fundamentals.