Number Lines

Yesterday, at a party, one of my favorite seven year olds explained she failed a test in subtraction.  Last night, I thought about this issue and remembered number lines.  I think we forget how abstract math can be for younger children. Teachers used to tape number lines on to desks.  You can use a ruler or yard stick to show kids how to add or subtract.  Once the child understands the concept she won’t need it.  But what a boost for a child struggling.

Science Help

My passion is teaching Chemistry.  My husband and I are teaching Chemistry for high school and Apologia’s Young Explorers’ Chemistry and Physics for the elementary siblings concurrently.  The blog is https://mrsstevenschemistryclasses.blogspot.com/. The Young Explorers series are all excellent.  The labs are easy to understand and replicate.  The lab notebook journal has the syllabus.  We just started the Young Explorers class.  Many families are intimidated by science instruction.  Check out the blog!

Open Court Phonics

Once upon a Time, schools used Open Court Phonics to teach kids how to read.  The program used Phonics Cue Cards and stories, such as Millie and the Cowboy, to teach vowels and constants.  This program’s resources are here.  If you want more background on Open Court basal readers, try Let’s Kill Dick and Jane.  I recommend using the older Open Court basal readers for primary students, such as The Headway Program.  (Scroll down through the testimonials for a list of titles in the series with tables of contents and titles.). These books contain a variety of fiction, fables, poems, etc.  Fabulous!  I’m old enough to remember reading all of the stories in my readers—probably when I should have been paying more attention to math!

NSTA Review: 'Who Made My Lunch?'

Librarians, looking for a series to support National School Lunch week?  'Who Made My Lunch?' by Bridget Heos and illustrated by Stephanie Fizer Coleman is ideal.  This six book series includes all the components of a typical child's lunch: peanut butter, jelly, wheat bread, cheese, ice cream, and chocolate.  The six titles are 'From Milk to Ice Cream', 'From Milk to Cheese', 'From Cocoa Beans to Chocolate', 'From Grapes to Jelly', 'From Peanuts to Peanut Butter', and 'From Wheat to Bread'.  Few children grow up on farms.  Instead children are disconnected from the origins of the food from the grocery store.  What offers more appeal than chocolate bars and ice cream or a classic PB& J sandwich?  The series is intended for the early elementary grades, K-3.  The text is clear without condescension.  For example, in 'From Wheat to Bread', the authors explains, " The wheat sprouts quickly.  But this is winter wheat.  During the cold months, it goes dormant.  That's sort of like taking a nap."  (p.6).  In 'From Peanuts to Peanut Butter', Heos includes interesting details, "At the peanut butter factory, you'll roast the peanuts in a hot oven.  The tray moves up and down so that the peanuts shake while they bake.  This way, they cook evenly." (p.15). At the end of each title is a map displaying where the grapes, peanuts, cocoa beans, etc is grown.  (p.23). On the last page (p.24) are brief glossaries, websites, and bibliographies.  The websites, while brief, are germane.  In the Chocolate book is a link to Fair Trade information and Peanuts includes a site about peanut and tree nut allergies.  The Grapes, Wheat,and Peanuts books could serve as springboards for class discussions about plant growth and cultivation before a science lesson planting seeds.  Any of these titles dovetail with nutrition lessons.  I'm confident children will find these books engaging.  The 'Who Made My Lunch?' Series would make an excellent addition to any library or classroom.

Chemistry at home...

This fall my husband and I are teaching a home-school Co-op at the local library.  The librarian mentioned she is friends on social media with a young man in Sri Lanka.  Really.  He doesn't have many resources--but has a strong interest in science.  He followed us last year when we taught Physics.  So I'm working on resources to learn Chemistry at home.
1. Home Science Tools has great ideas for Chemistry projects.
2.  Typical home chemistry projects, like slime.
3.   Shakashiri hosts 'Science is Fun'.  He does annual Christmas science demos.
4.   Instructables Home Chemistry Lab has tips for scrounging materials to create lab equipment.  Great ideas--but this is about creating a full scale lab in the garage.
5.  Kid Chemistry has bath bombs. Yes!

Summer Science!

Try these!

TOPS Science

If you haven't heard of TOPSScience, try this sample lesson.  All of their lessons use simple equipment and materials, even Electricity and Magnetism.  I've used these two for Physical Science.  Stellar resources!