The Library of Things!

Our library system is located in a large DC suburb; it’s quite innovative.  There are  Maker Spaces with 3D printers, Make and Take kits, and even The Library of Things. Whenever possible I browse the local library for ideas.  Our local library has a dedicated shelf for its Library of Things.  Today, the shelf has crochet, bocce, a thermal detector, and air quality kit.  Next summer, I plan to borrow several kits for Science Camp.  I want to borrow the radon kit, thermal sensor, and air quality sensor.  Your library may have similar devices to loan.  Check and see!  If you want to borrow environmental devices, see if you have a NASA Outreach Center.  I’ve used the center in Katherine Johnson Center located in Fairmont WV.  These centers have an assortment of tools, such as GPS devices or IR thermometers to loan.  Check with the local Soil and Water Conservation District to see if there is an educator.  Usually, Soil and Water acts as a clearinghouse for resources from several agencies.  

Ionic Blocks Update

 I posted here about nomenclature quizzes with blocks.  Last week I had an epiphany; I already have wooden blocks.  My husband spray painted them for me.  Below are the completed blocks.  The foam blocks are tiny and hard to read.  These blocks are much easier to read.

Family Science: STEM Kits!

Our little family does a lot of science on the side.  Our son-in-law is a software engineer who loves to buy fancy kits.  Ken drops off Paul and the complicated kit for us to navigate. Have you considered buying a STEM kit for Christmas?   Good Will online has a LEGO Boost, Snap Circuits, and Makey Makey kits available.  Makey Makey is a simple circuit kit.  However, this kit has clear instructions and fun ideas; kids use play doh and bananas to complete circuits.  LEGO Boost and LEGO Droid Commander are much more complicated.  First, the LEGO kits must be assembled. (You need to like building with LEGOS.  I mention this because our little family is NOT fond of building with LEGOS.) The controller needed to program the assembled robot can be tricky to insert.  (Ask me how I know.)  Our little family made the LEGO Boost kits family projects.  Programming the assembled robots was intuitive for Paul; but his daddy is a software engineer.  Paul was coding at seven.  I could understand the coding instructions from the LEGO Boost app.  I have no background or seemingly any aptitude for coding.  Look for sealed, used sets or kits.  Check at your library, too.  Ask if they have a Makey Makey kit, Snap Circuits, or other stem kits available.  Libraries with Maker Spaces often have these kits to try.  See if your kids even like Snap Circuits.  

 

Geocaching!

 n another life I used Garmin eTrex GPS devices to map sites for studies.  Families can geocache with these work horse devices.  But, you don’t need a GPS eTrex to geocache.  Instead download the free app on your cell phone to get started.  Here is an introduction to geocaching.  Look over this list of rules and geocaching etiquette before you start.  Sometimes, the cache has small prizes.  Here are ideas for small prizes to leave in exchange, such as keychains.  Does your family craft together?  Our little family likes to stamp leather keychains and bracelets, ideal as a small prize.  Try geocaching!  See if this fun activity resonates with your family.

School on a Budget: Salt Dough Projects!

  Do you make salt dough for projects?  Here is a simple recipe from Celebrating Chemistry with suggestions to vary the flour and salt—making the dough activity more inquiry-based.  I recommend experimenting with several salt dough recipes.  What can you do with the dough?  Make cell models, landforms,  fossil casts, layers of the earth, and salt dough plants (Make the models scientifically correct.). You can make salt dough maps.  If you make extra dough, plan on using it for salt dough ornaments.   There was a suggestion on social media to use the corrugated campaign signs as bases for the salt dough projects.  Ha!  There are certainly many still up in our area since the election.

Shop Good Will!

 Do you shop Good Will online?  Good Will stores across the nation post lots online here. It’s a fabulous place to find science books, kits, and equipment.   Below are current listings.  Take a look!

Portfolio Season

 Some states require home-school families to have a licensed teacher prepare a letter testifying she has reviewed a large body of sample work for each student in the family.  West Virginia is one state with these requirements.  For a number of years, I have reviewed portfolios for families.  Here are a few tips.  First, create a Slideshow, a digital portfolio.  I include photos of the books, sample work, tests, etc.  Additionaly, I include a few notes about progress in each subject.  When I review portfolios, I write a lengthy letter for the local Board of Education (BOE).  In the first,paragraph, I explain the curriculum and extracurricular activities, such as Scouts, service, sports, etc. The main paragraphs describe each school subject.  Frequently, I add excerpts from essays the child has written.  When I write letters to the BOE, I include facts and the positive attributes of the family’s program or curriculum.  I add any suggestions or recommendations to the family, not the BOE.  Here is a letter I wrote for a family based on a lengthy interview.  Below is a short letter which may be useful for your BOE.

Does your teen want to start a business?

 My husband, Rob, teaches Personal Finance and Consumer Math classes.  One of the teens wants to start a business.  This type of project is a great way to teach!  Where do you start?  Start at the library.  Chances are the library will have books about starting a small business.  Here are ideas for teens to consider.  Does your child want to sell homemade jewelry on Etsy?  Here is a link explaining how to open an Etsy shop. Here is the Young Entrepreneur’s Guide from the Small Business Association.  Here is a great guide from Scholastic.  

I sold goods on Amazon when I was raising money for teens when we went on a pilgrimage.  I sold books and media: CDs, DVDs, and my husband vinyl collection.  Additionally, we held loads of yard sales, which can be profitable.  My experience is based on raising money for my church, VBS, the science camp, the pilgrimage, or my son’s missionary year.  One idea was to host a toy, book, and media sale to raise money for VBS and Science Camp at church.  I ran these sales in advance of the church’s big yard sale.  Any goods unsold went to the yard sale.  

Let your child dream a little.  Let her do the research to see what the costs are to run a shop on Etsy, eBay, or Amazon.  What does it cost to make the jewelry, soap, or knit hat?  How much time does it take?  What is her competition?  Has she looked to see if there is a local farmer’s market?  What are the costs for a booth?  How much competition is there at the market?  Has she considered Facebook Marketplace?  Has she considered the costs to ship her goods?  The process can make an interesting elective course for your portfolio—whether or not she starts her small business!

Random Resources: NASA

 I’m assembling resources for Amy summer science camp and came across this Activity Book from NASA.  There are alphabet letters to copy, crafts, matching, etc.  Take a look!

The Book Bundler

 The Book Bundler sells books by the foot or by color.  Search the website for nonfiction books. I’m teaching French I next Fall.   I bought two bundles of French Language books, which are expensive to buy individually.  The assortment was excellent!  There were some classics, such as Babar.  Browse the site.

Finally decided on a quote…

 I assigned a project for my Brit Lit: write your favorite quote on an object.  I have a stack of these chairs.  The kids are writing all types of quotes on the chairs.  I’m saving one chair for my husband.  He wants to write quotes from his favorite philosophers, Mick Jagger and Elvis Presley.  Take a look.

Download and Save

 Here is the blog post with the literary study guides produced by Glencoe publishers.  Here is the study guide for The Canterbury Tales.  Please note that Glencoe is retiring these resources June 22nd.  Open, download, and save these guides.  

Tie Dye Easter Eggs

 Call it Art!  Here are instructions for tie-dyed Easter eggs from Better Homes and Gardens.

Don’t forget the library!

I live outside Washington DC, near Quantico Marine Base.  We are lucky to have a robust regional library.  We are at the library all the time.  Our libraries offer free copy, fax, and computer service.  Each month, the Central Rappahannock Regional Library ( CRRL) publishes a monthly magazine.  Open the link to see a sample of resources our library has, such as the MakerLab Badges.  Once you are ‘badged’ or trained, you may use the equipment, such as the 3D printer.  

Show your librarian some of these resources.  Your library may already have access to a Library of Things, Kanopy Kids, or student and teacher resources.  Ask!  More libraries are setting aside space for MakerLabs similar to the IdeaSpace.  Libraries apply for grant funding to obtain equipment to open Maker Spaces.  Here are funding resources for Maker Spaces.  Hey! It’s all free!

Robinson Crusoe Outline

We have identified several themes in Robinson Crusoe: isolation, Divine Providence, Suffering, struggle against adversity, etc.  The kids are creating an outline for their essays.  We discussed how to create a basic, five paragraph essay.  

  Better Man Outline

1. Introduction

1. Thesis Statement (Tends to be the last sentence in the introduction paragraph)

                  2.   Body

2. Main point 1 - Background on Crusoe

3. Main point 2- Crusoe’s spiritual journey on the island

4.  Main point 3 - Overall impact, positive and negative, the island had on Crusoe

                  3.   Conclusion

5. Reword the thesis statement

6. Briefly re-instate what was talked about in the paper

7. Conclude your paper.

Robinson Crusoe Mini-Projects

 The kids read The Prodigal Son and Jonah and the Whale to draw parallels between the two Bible stories and Robinson Crusoe.  Additionally, they are working on island sketches and journal entries.  Below are samples.

Robinson Crusoe

 Update: Here is a document with today’s assignments for Robinson Crusoe.  

The kids are going to make a map of their own islands, including a giant map of Minecraft islands.

The Brit Lit class read Robinson Crusoe over the summer.  I’m assembling the lessons.  The first lesson is Who is the Real Robinson Crusoe?  Scholars propose four possible inspirations for Defoe’s Robinson Crusoe.  We are going to examine key themes from a Catholic Christian perspective: Divine Providence, Faith in God, Crusoe’s Christianity and maturation in faith.  

The British Library has the story about Alexander Selkirk, a castaway, published in 1709.  Here is a map of Crusoe’s journeys and island from the Library of Congress.  The Core Knowledge Foundation has a study guide with detailed questions.  This packet from Macmillan Readers may be useful for kids who struggle with reading.  I especially like lesson which compares Robinson Crusoe and the Swiss Family Robinson.  This lesson is designed for ages 11-13.  The ideas are great for kids with learning differences.  Hope this helps!

Instagram Book Reports

 I was browsing social media and came across an idea called Instgerms, using an Instagram template.  The same idea can be applied to a book report.  Here is a TPT worksheet with instructions.  Here are free instructions.  Here is a template.  Doesn’t it sound like fun?  I took five minutes and created an example with Jamboard.

Play Dough Fractions!

I ran across another idea on social media: Play Dough Fractions. Let your kids make play dough.  I use tempera paint instead of food coloring because it’s cheaper.  See if making the play dough helps them own the fractions.  You can add a bit of tech, too. Have your kids take photos and label the fractions in a slideshow.  Google Slides are free.

Olympics Actvities!

 In horoscope of the Olympics, here are some elementary and middle school ideas.  Take a look!

Great Post about Visiting Washington DC

 One of my favorite bloggers just posted about budgeting for her family’s trip to DC here.  Take a look at the cost breakdown—especially if you want to use public transportation.  Look at the list of attractions! Here is the website for admissions at the Smithsonian.  N.B. the rules for admissions change frequently.  Here is information about the MARC train.  Here is the website for the DC Metro.  Here is the website for the Fairfax Connector, with a map.  Here is the site explaining how to get to the Udvar-Hazy Air and Space Museum, which is outside DC, close to the Dulles Airport.  (There are three airports near DC: Dulles, Reagan, and BWI.  Reagan has direct Metro access.  Here is advice about connecting between Dulles and Reagan.  BTW, it’s a hassle.)

Our family lives outside DC.  I like to visit the museums and take groups.  Go during the day and stay near the Smithsonian museums and the monuments.  Use the Metro during the day.  We usually drive and park at Union Station’s underground parking lot.  Both the trains and Metro connect through Union Station.  The monuments, the Capitol, the White House and Smithsonian museums are about three miles from Union Station.  When I take a big school group, we walk.  Yes, this hike involves a great deal of griping.  

Read the blog post.  What a terrific trip!