I can hardly believe it...
Thursday, December 30, 2010
Friday, December 24, 2010
Mary and Joseph - Let the Whole World Know!
Even without facebook, the story of Jesus was known by the Shepherds. The Wise Men knew. Even Ceasar Augustus knew. The story of Jesus is known more than any status update ever on facebook, and much more reliable. =) People are continuing to share His story over 2,000 years later.
If you are familiar with fb terminology, this video is pretty neat. Mary even changes her profile pic. I love this. =)
If you are familiar with fb terminology, this video is pretty neat. Mary even changes her profile pic. I love this. =)
Thursday, December 23, 2010
Monday, December 20, 2010
Total Lunar Eclipse and Winter Solstice Tonight!
These two events are unrelated, but they do not usually happen on the same day.
You can see the eclipse if you don't mind staying up awhile!
I'm telling my kids that if they want to stay up, then they have to look up some information first and tell me a few things they've learned, hee hee!
The moon starts into the earth's shadow at 1:33am EST and will be totally eclipsed from 2:41 to 3:53 EST. This is when the moon will be red.
You lucky people in the Pacific Time Zone! Your clocks will be three hours earlier than mine!
I hope I can stay up! Maybe I need a nap. Zzzzz....
Thanks to Apologia posting this on Facebook.
Total Lunar Eclipse on Aug. 28, 2007, seen from Kapiolani Park in Honolulu, Hawaii. Shot thru a telescope, about every 5 minutes.
Why does the moon turn red? Simply put, it's for the same reason that sunsets are red.
White light is made of red, green, and blue. Our atmosphere filters out the shorter-wavelength light (blues, greens), so right on the edge of the earth's silhouette, the light from the sun that is hitting the moon is red.
If you were on the moon during a lunar eclipse, you would see a red ring around the silhouette of the earth.
The moon has no light of it's own and reflects whatever kind of light from the sun hits it.
--Last year in Physical Science, we did a very simple experiment (sheet of paper, red marker) that shows how the light spectrum works this way. (Scroll down -- it would be the last one, of course!)
►At EarthSky.org, watch a video and/or read why "there won’t be a total lunar eclipse this far north on the sky’s dome until December 21, 2485."
Scroll down for specific times for different time zones.
►More information on Lunar Eclipses, including a list of future eclipses, and from what region of the earth they can be seen. Scroll down.
♦Learn more about light and why you see a rainbow the way you do.
UPDATE: Here is the eclipse from yesterday.
Winter Solstice Lunar Eclipse from William Castleman on Vimeo.
Friday, December 17, 2010
JohnDavid made Deer Stew today! =)
He made deer stew all by himself, from start to finish. I'm proud of him!
He's done it before, but usually the girls would join in and help. Today, he did it all on his own.
and.... he let me take his picture!!! And post it!!! =D
And Bethany made chocolate chip cookies.
Ahhh, the deer stew smells soooo good!
He's done it before, but usually the girls would join in and help. Today, he did it all on his own.
and.... he let me take his picture!!! And post it!!! =D
And Bethany made chocolate chip cookies.
Thursday, December 16, 2010
The CUTEST little snowmen!
You could even use a 20 oz. soda bottle; just rubber band the white tube sock to the top instead of tucking in. Great to use as a centerpiece on a piece of batting. =)
Tuesday, December 14, 2010
Frozen Pipes? Nooooo!
It's supposed to be 11º tonight! What do you do when the temperature is going to be reaaally cold? There are many things people do to keep pipes from freezing. Of course, good insulation is always great. You know, the foam pipe type stuff you slip over the pipes. But do you know any other tips, little tricks, that you do other than leaving the water dripping (in the other room where you can't hear it, ha).
We also have vents that let air flow under the house. We close those when it's going to be really cold.
If this won't work for you, what kinds of tips do you have? Leave a comment for me and other readers. Thanks!
Monday, December 13, 2010
Biology, Module 7, Cellular Reproduction and DNA
Quizlet Vocabulary Game, M7
Videos, etc. for M7
Whew! Talk about something over my head! Well, I think I got it, thanks to Apologia's teachers being willing to email back and forth with answers to my questions. =) Thank. you. Andrea! (I don't know who she is, but she has to be the most patient person ever!)
Last week we did experiment 7.1, DNA Extraction.
What??? Extracting DNA!?! Yep.
But of course it was in clumps, or we'd never have been able to see anything.
In fact, it takes a powerful microscope to even be able to see the chromosomes, which are long strands of DNA in the nucleus that are coiled up and compacted. See image. (source)
Let's see... how big is a chromosome?
Well, two thousand average cells can fit in a line across your fingernail.
Breaking that down, each cell of humans has 46 chromosomes.
One chromosome is made of a single strand of DNA, that when stretched out, is about 6 feet long! And there are 46 of those in each cell!!! (um... 46 x 6 x 2,000 = mind boggled)
Experiment 7.1, DNA Extraction
--We put dried split peas in very cold salt water, and ran it thru my food processor. This was to expose the cells. Salty water will help the DNA solidify and appear in the alcohol later. We used cold water to help keep the DNA intact during the extraction process. (More about that in a minute.)
After running the food processor for several minutes, the peas still did not really grind up or anything, but the water did turn light green (but was not see-through). I wasn't sure if it should have been ground up more, but the experiment worked!
--Then we poured the pea liquid through a small strainer and added 2 Tbs. of clear, liquid hand soap, and stirred very slowly. (Supposed to work better than dish soap.)
But why add soap? Well, what does soap do? It breaks down fats and grease. The plasma membrane of a cell and the nuclear membrane are made up of phospholipids. Lipids are fats. The soap allows the cell and nucleus to open to expose the DNA. The cell's contents will now be mixed together.
We allowed it to sit awhile -- longer than the book recommended because we were going over some other stuff. Maybe 30 minutes!
--Then we added a little meat tenderizer, again stirring slowly. The DNA strands are wound around proteins, and certain enzymes in meat tenderizer help break these down. When we used cold water, it was to keep the DNA intact from the enzymes that are already present in the cytoplasm of the cell. The cold slows down the enzymatic reactions. (The purpose of enzymes being present in the cytoplasm is to destroy the DNA of viruses that may enter the cell.)
But at this step, we were now ready to break down the DNA proteins with enzymes, so we added the meat tenderizer.
--Then we finally added refrigerator-cold, rubbing alcohol. I found some 91% isopropyl alcohol. Yay! I'd read that a higher percentage would do better, and also that it would do better if the alcohol was cold.
We tilted the glass, and slowly poured the alcohol down the side (yes, the inside, lol), so that it would not mix with the green pea mixture.
We had instant results! Clumps of DNA! =) These clumps also contain RNA.
After waiting maybe 20 or 30 minutes more, we checked the glass again and this is what we had.
See the thin strings near the bottom? Those are not single strands of DNA. They are tangled strands of DNA.
I found a lot of this information on this page of FAQ's, and of course some was in the biology textbook. Those FAQ's had said for better results to allow more time for each step, which we unintentionally did! =)
Here are instructions (PDF version) if any other blog readers need them, and an instructional video. Neither are exactly like the textbook, but close.
I've found that if I look up the experiments we are going to do, I can find a tip here and there that might give me more insight as to the why of some things, and also maybe help prevent common mistakes. (Yes, I am prone to those!)
We also learned about DNA and RNA (of which there is more than one kind). Two kinds are messenger RNA (mRNA) and transfer RNA (tRNA). We learned about transcription and translation, the processes by which DNA makes proteins.
We learned about mitosis (asexual reproduction of cells) and meiosis (sexual reproduction), and about diploid and haploid cells.
We learned a little about how a virus uses human (or animal) cells to reproduce the virus, since a virus cannot reproduce itself.
This was a very interesting and complex module. I've said this before, but I am always amazed at God's awesome creation, and how intricate it all is! =)
Videos, etc. for M7
Whew! Talk about something over my head! Well, I think I got it, thanks to Apologia's teachers being willing to email back and forth with answers to my questions. =) Thank. you. Andrea! (I don't know who she is, but she has to be the most patient person ever!)
Last week we did experiment 7.1, DNA Extraction.
What??? Extracting DNA!?! Yep.
But of course it was in clumps, or we'd never have been able to see anything.
In fact, it takes a powerful microscope to even be able to see the chromosomes, which are long strands of DNA in the nucleus that are coiled up and compacted. See image. (source)
Let's see... how big is a chromosome?
Breaking that down, each cell of humans has 46 chromosomes.
One chromosome is made of a single strand of DNA, that when stretched out, is about 6 feet long! And there are 46 of those in each cell!!! (um... 46 x 6 x 2,000 = mind boggled)
Ummm... evolution did not do this. God is our Creator, and he did not need to use evolution. =)
Experiment 7.1, DNA Extraction
--We put dried split peas in very cold salt water, and ran it thru my food processor. This was to expose the cells. Salty water will help the DNA solidify and appear in the alcohol later. We used cold water to help keep the DNA intact during the extraction process. (More about that in a minute.)
After running the food processor for several minutes, the peas still did not really grind up or anything, but the water did turn light green (but was not see-through). I wasn't sure if it should have been ground up more, but the experiment worked!
--Then we poured the pea liquid through a small strainer and added 2 Tbs. of clear, liquid hand soap, and stirred very slowly. (Supposed to work better than dish soap.)
But why add soap? Well, what does soap do? It breaks down fats and grease. The plasma membrane of a cell and the nuclear membrane are made up of phospholipids. Lipids are fats. The soap allows the cell and nucleus to open to expose the DNA. The cell's contents will now be mixed together.
--Then we added a little meat tenderizer, again stirring slowly. The DNA strands are wound around proteins, and certain enzymes in meat tenderizer help break these down. When we used cold water, it was to keep the DNA intact from the enzymes that are already present in the cytoplasm of the cell. The cold slows down the enzymatic reactions. (The purpose of enzymes being present in the cytoplasm is to destroy the DNA of viruses that may enter the cell.)
But at this step, we were now ready to break down the DNA proteins with enzymes, so we added the meat tenderizer.
--Then we finally added refrigerator-cold, rubbing alcohol. I found some 91% isopropyl alcohol. Yay! I'd read that a higher percentage would do better, and also that it would do better if the alcohol was cold.
We tilted the glass, and slowly poured the alcohol down the side (yes, the inside, lol), so that it would not mix with the green pea mixture.
We had instant results! Clumps of DNA! =) These clumps also contain RNA.
After waiting maybe 20 or 30 minutes more, we checked the glass again and this is what we had.
See the thin strings near the bottom? Those are not single strands of DNA. They are tangled strands of DNA.
I found a lot of this information on this page of FAQ's, and of course some was in the biology textbook. Those FAQ's had said for better results to allow more time for each step, which we unintentionally did! =)
Here are instructions (PDF version) if any other blog readers need them, and an instructional video. Neither are exactly like the textbook, but close.
I've found that if I look up the experiments we are going to do, I can find a tip here and there that might give me more insight as to the why of some things, and also maybe help prevent common mistakes. (Yes, I am prone to those!)
We also learned about DNA and RNA (of which there is more than one kind). Two kinds are messenger RNA (mRNA) and transfer RNA (tRNA). We learned about transcription and translation, the processes by which DNA makes proteins.
We learned about mitosis (asexual reproduction of cells) and meiosis (sexual reproduction), and about diploid and haploid cells.
We learned a little about how a virus uses human (or animal) cells to reproduce the virus, since a virus cannot reproduce itself.
This was a very interesting and complex module. I've said this before, but I am always amazed at God's awesome creation, and how intricate it all is! =)
Sunday, December 12, 2010
Cousins singing at my brother-in-law's church ♪♫
Love this!
The girls sang too, and here they are singing after church.
The girls sang too, and here they are singing after church.
Tuesday, December 7, 2010
Family Game Night!
Well, it would have been Family. But the men declined. hee hee!
My old Clue game...
It was Mrs. Peacock, with the rope, in the conservatory. (I was not Mrs. Peacock.)
See my green "men" still in Start... we are now drawing from the second deck... I have yet to move. And Bethany already has a man in the home stretch. (Yes, I had little green men!)
And then I won! haHA!
Skip-Bo! I think I got to play one card from my stock pile in this round. It was an 8. =)
Phase 10 ended up being Phase 3. It was getting late...
Now I want to play Mancala. We only have the 2-player game, but I just saw at this site there is a 4-player game! Wonder if 3 could play? I'll have to drag JohnDavid into playing. =)
My old Clue game...
It was Mrs. Peacock, with the rope, in the conservatory. (I was not Mrs. Peacock.)
See my green "men" still in Start... we are now drawing from the second deck... I have yet to move. And Bethany already has a man in the home stretch. (Yes, I had little green men!)
And then I won! haHA!
Skip-Bo! I think I got to play one card from my stock pile in this round. It was an 8. =)
Phase 10 ended up being Phase 3. It was getting late...
Now I want to play Mancala. We only have the 2-player game, but I just saw at this site there is a 4-player game! Wonder if 3 could play? I'll have to drag JohnDavid into playing. =)
Monday, December 6, 2010
Cold Winter Predicted!
The Farmer's Almanac is predicting a very cold winter.
It must be true because the squirrels are gathering NUTS. Three of my friends have already disappeared!
Are you O.K.?!
It must be true because the squirrels are gathering NUTS. Three of my friends have already disappeared!
Are you O.K.?!
My Mom emailed me this. =D
Saturday, December 4, 2010
My kids in the snow!
 |
| My girls! |
 |
| My twins! |
 |
| My sweet kids! |
So snow is always exciting for us. =)
Friday, December 3, 2010
Li'l duckies in the wind...
At first I said, "Awwww," then I laughed and laughed.
Then I said, "Awwww" again, and laughed some more. =)
They look like leaves.
Poor li'l duckies... hahaha! (sorry!)
Then I said, "Awwww" again, and laughed some more. =)
They look like leaves.
Poor li'l duckies... hahaha! (sorry!)
Thursday, December 2, 2010
These are a "few" of my favorite things!
Ok, so I thought I'd post a few of my favorite posts...
Ummm... I like quite a few!!!
I did try to cut it down, but you know... I love all my posts, lol. So getting it down to 30-something posts out of over 200 was no small endeavor. =D
•Sooo Thankful! The day Travis decided to drive home instead of letting Rebekah drive.
•My fridge is CLEAN! And I just wanted a picture of it, lol.
•Rebekah is 15 - Picture of the girls and Bethany's first (and only so far!) cake made with fondant, last year when she was 12.
•Snow! We actually got 10 inches of snow last year!
•First Kill - JohnDavid is so funny!
•Egg on the Floor - JohnDavid also loves to play pranks. =D
•Return of the Dementia - Oh my! Anyone reading this will really have cause to wonder about me!!
•Root Observation, by JohnDavid, age 11
•Seed Experiment, by Bethany, age 11
•Sadie in Space, by JohnDavid, age 11. I love this! So funny. =)
•Sahm-I-Am ♥ my family
•They Did It! How my girls raised $400 in 6 weeks last year by selling pocketbooks they made.
•He Shoots! He Scores! Woo-hoo, Travis! (short video)
•Surprise Perks at Summer Camp - I can't believe my 10yo son did this! It was so hilarious and cool. hee hee!
•Homeschoolers - How We Do It - some funny pics I found online to demonstrate how we Moms really are when no one is looking, haha!
•Bethany's Scarf and how she made it.
•You Are My Hiding Place ♪♫ A World We Never Touch - both songs by the John Marshall Family
•Modesty - what guys say
•Diaper Cake! My Mother-in-law and I made this one.
•Four-part harmony ♪♫ one guy
•My girls singing with Kay Chandler ♪♫
•Vengeance is Mine (Mwah-ha-haaa!!!)
•Physical Science, Module 9 - See O'Dale, Leona, Breanna, and "nameless" compete for the win! =)
•Stuff we've made - mostly stuff the girls have made. =)
•Physical Science, Module 11, hahaha! I got 'em good! =D
•Error 1714 whew.
•No new thing under the sun
•I Love my Mom and Dad - in 2008, my Mom was diagnosed with cancer, but she stayed so faithful to the Lord! After 50 years of marriage, my Mom and Dad still loved each other very much. =)
•August 4, 2011, the granddaughters singing at Mama's funeral "I Saw Jesus in You" ♪♫
•The Best Husband ♥
•A man dies and goes to heaven...
•Travis ♥
•Standing on the Solid Rock ♪♫ My kids and their cousins, playing and singing
•Girls in the Rain. =)
•Physical Science, Module 10 - see the explosion; hear Abigail say, "Marty!" in disbelief because I let them do this in my kitchen! =D
•My kids use something and don't put it back...
•Biology, Module 6, The Cell (incredible, edible pizza and cake cells)
•Do you REALLY Want to be Like HIM?
•...and I hope you're with me...
♪ These are a few of my favorite things! ♫
Ummm... I like quite a few!!!
I did try to cut it down, but you know... I love all my posts, lol. So getting it down to 30-something posts out of over 200 was no small endeavor. =D
•Sooo Thankful! The day Travis decided to drive home instead of letting Rebekah drive.
•My fridge is CLEAN! And I just wanted a picture of it, lol.
•Rebekah is 15 - Picture of the girls and Bethany's first (and only so far!) cake made with fondant, last year when she was 12.
•Snow! We actually got 10 inches of snow last year!
•First Kill - JohnDavid is so funny!
•Egg on the Floor - JohnDavid also loves to play pranks. =D
•Return of the Dementia - Oh my! Anyone reading this will really have cause to wonder about me!!
•Root Observation, by JohnDavid, age 11
•Seed Experiment, by Bethany, age 11
•Sadie in Space, by JohnDavid, age 11. I love this! So funny. =)
•Sahm-I-Am ♥ my family
•They Did It! How my girls raised $400 in 6 weeks last year by selling pocketbooks they made.
•He Shoots! He Scores! Woo-hoo, Travis! (short video)
•Surprise Perks at Summer Camp - I can't believe my 10yo son did this! It was so hilarious and cool. hee hee!
•Homeschoolers - How We Do It - some funny pics I found online to demonstrate how we Moms really are when no one is looking, haha!
•Bethany's Scarf and how she made it.
•You Are My Hiding Place ♪♫ A World We Never Touch - both songs by the John Marshall Family
•Modesty - what guys say
•Diaper Cake! My Mother-in-law and I made this one.
•Four-part harmony ♪♫ one guy
•My girls singing with Kay Chandler ♪♫
•Vengeance is Mine (Mwah-ha-haaa!!!)
•Physical Science, Module 9 - See O'Dale, Leona, Breanna, and "nameless" compete for the win! =)
•Stuff we've made - mostly stuff the girls have made. =)
•Physical Science, Module 11, hahaha! I got 'em good! =D
•Error 1714 whew.
•No new thing under the sun
•I Love my Mom and Dad - in 2008, my Mom was diagnosed with cancer, but she stayed so faithful to the Lord! After 50 years of marriage, my Mom and Dad still loved each other very much. =)
•August 4, 2011, the granddaughters singing at Mama's funeral "I Saw Jesus in You" ♪♫
•The Best Husband ♥
•A man dies and goes to heaven...
•Travis ♥
•Standing on the Solid Rock ♪♫ My kids and their cousins, playing and singing
•Girls in the Rain. =)
•Physical Science, Module 10 - see the explosion; hear Abigail say, "Marty!" in disbelief because I let them do this in my kitchen! =D
•My kids use something and don't put it back...
•Biology, Module 6, The Cell (incredible, edible pizza and cake cells)
•Do you REALLY Want to be Like HIM?
•...and I hope you're with me...
♪ These are a few of my favorite things! ♫
Tuesday, November 30, 2010
Studying...
A friend and I were talking about ideas for studying and school in general. I told her of a couple of things I had read recently, and she said, "I'd better write this down."
So I decided someone else may like these ideas.
Taking Notes with a Twist
Have you tried in vain to get your child to take thorough notes?
I read somewhere that some parents let their child use their notes when they are taking quizzes and/or tests.
Wow.
This may seem like letting them cheat, but it will greatly encourage them to take better notes!
They will begin to realize that taking notes is one of the best ways to study.
Seeing, writing, thinking as they write, recall as they look back at the text to make sure what they wrote is correct...
The main thing is that they learn, right? Not that they can do a quiz without looking back. Many teachers have open book quizzes, so this is like that.
I've been doing this with my kids for Biology, and it's working great.
Notebooking and Lapbooking
Notebooking or Lapbooking is an illustration of what your child has learned. This is for the child to do, and it is a way of taking notes, but usually with drawings, maps, diagrams, labeling, etc. For lapbooking, it is usually like a fold-out scrapbook made with one or more colored file folders (to fit on a shelf), and is more crafty. Pictures, fold-out "books", pockets to put things in, etc. Lapbooking examples here.
I am focusing mainly on notebooking here since my kids are teenagers, and none of them are scrapbooky type of people. =)
Notebooking examples here.
►Here are links to some notebooking how-to's.
Notebooking Exhibit
Make Your Own
Lapbooking vs. Notebooking
►For math, notebooking can be explaining a rule, and illustrating it with math problems. Drawing and labeling (geometry), etc. It can be writing out a chart. We have done some of this even before I knew what notebooking was. We usually do ours rather simply, and just write in the regular math notebook on whatever page they are on, although I can see the benefits of having all the "rules" in one place. Also, for younger children, they enjoy looking back at their creations, and by looking at it again, are reinforcing what they've learned.
Here are some examples of math notebooking.
Here is the same site, but at the top. Scroll down a little to "Contents at a Glance." There are a few free notebooking pages too!
►I can see how this would also work for grammar, diagramming, punctuation rules, etc. Just think, "What would I put on a bulletin board in a classroom?" Ask your child what s/he would put on one. Find cute little illustrations online to print out.
►Here is a link to science notebooking. Scroll down for ideas for pages and for example pages, as well as a few links to printable pages. Keep scrolling! There are more freebies! One site has lots of free ones. Scroll a little further and find the labbooking pages for Chemistry and Physics. These can be revised for notebooking if you want.
►Notebooking pages for Bible. Drawing, illustrating Bible stories, a fold-out timeline, some free printables. These look great for younger kids. Some would be good for older ones, as well.
On this site, there are many links to other sites. Some free and some not. Bookmark your favorites! =)
Learning on their own
If your child is old enough, let them do their own research to find, for example, a good, labeled map of Europe.
By the time they have looked thru several to find the best one, they are already learning.
I let my oldest daughter look up videos to help her do her algebra. I have her tell me when she finds a good one so I can save it. By the time she's sifted thru several with the same concept and finds a good one, she has gleaned little things here and there from each instructor.
If you have any great ideas, I'd love to hear them! =)
So I decided someone else may like these ideas.
Have you tried in vain to get your child to take thorough notes?
I read somewhere that some parents let their child use their notes when they are taking quizzes and/or tests.
Wow.
This may seem like letting them cheat, but it will greatly encourage them to take better notes!
They will begin to realize that taking notes is one of the best ways to study.
Seeing, writing, thinking as they write, recall as they look back at the text to make sure what they wrote is correct...
The main thing is that they learn, right? Not that they can do a quiz without looking back. Many teachers have open book quizzes, so this is like that.
I've been doing this with my kids for Biology, and it's working great.
Notebooking and Lapbooking
Notebooking or Lapbooking is an illustration of what your child has learned. This is for the child to do, and it is a way of taking notes, but usually with drawings, maps, diagrams, labeling, etc. For lapbooking, it is usually like a fold-out scrapbook made with one or more colored file folders (to fit on a shelf), and is more crafty. Pictures, fold-out "books", pockets to put things in, etc. Lapbooking examples here.
I am focusing mainly on notebooking here since my kids are teenagers, and none of them are scrapbooky type of people. =)
Notebooking examples here.
►Here are links to some notebooking how-to's.
Notebooking Exhibit
Make Your Own
Lapbooking vs. Notebooking
►For math, notebooking can be explaining a rule, and illustrating it with math problems. Drawing and labeling (geometry), etc. It can be writing out a chart. We have done some of this even before I knew what notebooking was. We usually do ours rather simply, and just write in the regular math notebook on whatever page they are on, although I can see the benefits of having all the "rules" in one place. Also, for younger children, they enjoy looking back at their creations, and by looking at it again, are reinforcing what they've learned.
Here are some examples of math notebooking.
Here is the same site, but at the top. Scroll down a little to "Contents at a Glance." There are a few free notebooking pages too!
►I can see how this would also work for grammar, diagramming, punctuation rules, etc. Just think, "What would I put on a bulletin board in a classroom?" Ask your child what s/he would put on one. Find cute little illustrations online to print out.
►Here is a link to science notebooking. Scroll down for ideas for pages and for example pages, as well as a few links to printable pages. Keep scrolling! There are more freebies! One site has lots of free ones. Scroll a little further and find the labbooking pages for Chemistry and Physics. These can be revised for notebooking if you want.
►Notebooking pages for Bible. Drawing, illustrating Bible stories, a fold-out timeline, some free printables. These look great for younger kids. Some would be good for older ones, as well.
On this site, there are many links to other sites. Some free and some not. Bookmark your favorites! =)
Learning on their own
If your child is old enough, let them do their own research to find, for example, a good, labeled map of Europe.
By the time they have looked thru several to find the best one, they are already learning.
I let my oldest daughter look up videos to help her do her algebra. I have her tell me when she finds a good one so I can save it. By the time she's sifted thru several with the same concept and finds a good one, she has gleaned little things here and there from each instructor.
If you have any great ideas, I'd love to hear them! =)
Monday, November 29, 2010
A man dies and goes to heaven...
St. Peter meets him at the Pearly Gates and says, "Here's how it works. You need 100 points to make it into heaven. You tell me all the good things you've done, and I give you a certain number of points for each item, depending on how good it was. When you reach 100 points, you get in."
"Okay," the man says, "I was married to the same woman for 50 years and never cheated on her, even in my heart."
"That's wonderful!" says Peter. "That's worth two points!"
"Two points?!? Just two?" the man's mouth drops open.
After a moment, he continues. "Well... I attended church all my life and supported its ministry with my tithe and service."
"Terrific!" says Peter. "That's certainly worth a point."
"One point?!?" The man's eyes widen as he stares at Peter.
Worriedly, he continues. "I started a soup kitchen in my city and worked in a shelter for homeless veterans."
"Fantastic!" cries Peter. "That is certainly worth two more points!"
Exasperated, the man cries, "At this rate, the only way I'll get into heaven is by the grace of God!"
"Bingo! 100 points! Come on in!"
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
This is a fictitious story of course; no points are needed or no works need to be done to enter heaven.
But the only way to heaven is by the grace of God. He, and He alone will save us from our sin.
"Okay," the man says, "I was married to the same woman for 50 years and never cheated on her, even in my heart."
"That's wonderful!" says Peter. "That's worth two points!"
"Two points?!? Just two?" the man's mouth drops open.
After a moment, he continues. "Well... I attended church all my life and supported its ministry with my tithe and service."
"Terrific!" says Peter. "That's certainly worth a point."
"One point?!?" The man's eyes widen as he stares at Peter.
Worriedly, he continues. "I started a soup kitchen in my city and worked in a shelter for homeless veterans."
"Fantastic!" cries Peter. "That is certainly worth two more points!"
Exasperated, the man cries, "At this rate, the only way I'll get into heaven is by the grace of God!"
"Bingo! 100 points! Come on in!"
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
This is a fictitious story of course; no points are needed or no works need to be done to enter heaven.
But the only way to heaven is by the grace of God. He, and He alone will save us from our sin.
Friday, November 26, 2010
Thursday, November 25, 2010
Thanksgiving Menu
Every year, we say we should make fewer dishes.
And every year, we don't. =)
We had nearly the same foods last year, and the year before, and...
Therefore it stands to reason, why mess with a good thing? =) The only thing that may vary are the pies other than pumpkin, and sometimes a couple of extra dishes. Everyone always brings extra bowls, and while we are putting away the food, we share and take home leftovers. What a blessing!
(I think this year we have more dishes than people!)
Turkey (that's a given)
Gravy (it goes w/ the turkey, of course)
Cranberry sauce
Creamed Potatoes
Potato Salad
Homemade Yeast Rolls, with honey butter (sometimes homemade)
Squash Casserole
Sweet Potato Casserole
Broccoli Casserole
Green Beans
Baked Beans
Corn
Dressing Balls
Crockpot Macaroni n' Cheese
Deviled Eggs
Pasta Salad
Vegetable Casserole
Layered Salad
Pumpkin Pie with whipped cream
Other pies - this year, it's Apple Crumb, and Pecan Pie, plus some cookies.
And every year, we don't. =)
We had nearly the same foods last year, and the year before, and...
Therefore it stands to reason, why mess with a good thing? =) The only thing that may vary are the pies other than pumpkin, and sometimes a couple of extra dishes. Everyone always brings extra bowls, and while we are putting away the food, we share and take home leftovers. What a blessing!
(I think this year we have more dishes than people!)
Turkey (that's a given)
Gravy (it goes w/ the turkey, of course)
Cranberry sauce
Creamed Potatoes
Potato Salad
Homemade Yeast Rolls, with honey butter (sometimes homemade)
Squash Casserole
Sweet Potato Casserole
Broccoli Casserole
Green Beans
Baked Beans
Corn
Dressing Balls
Crockpot Macaroni n' Cheese
Deviled Eggs
Pasta Salad
Vegetable Casserole
Layered Salad
Pumpkin Pie with whipped cream
Other pies - this year, it's Apple Crumb, and Pecan Pie, plus some cookies.
Wednesday, November 24, 2010
How to Bathe a Cat
- Thoroughly clean the toilet.
- Lift both lids and add shampoo.
- Find and soothe cat as you carry him/her to the bathroom.
- In one swift move, place cat in toilet, close both lids, and stand on top so cat cannot escape.
- The cat will self agitate and produce ample suds (ignore ruckus from inside toilet; cat is actually enjoying this).
- Flush toilet 3 or 4 times. This provides power rinse, which is quite effective.
- Have someone open outside door; stand as far from toilet as possible, and quickly lift both lids.
- Clean cat will rocket out of the toilet and go outdoors where its hair will self-dry.
Sincerely,The Dog
From GCFL
Friday, November 19, 2010
Biology, Module 6, The Cell
Quizlet Vocabulary Game, M6, part 1
Quizlet Vocabulary Game, M6, part 2
Quizlet Vocabulary Game, M6, all
Videos, etc. for M6
We have been looking forward to this module since last year when we were doing Physical Science! I had seen the posts at Applie's Place, and I told the kids we would make pizzas for our Incredible, Edible Cells. (Links at my other blog to Applie's and Julie's cells.) I think the boys liked this "experiment" the best. =D
Our Incredible, Edible Cells.
Animal Cell. I love the celery centrioles (Isaac's idea) and the sausage link mitochondria. The ham is supposed the be the rough and smooth ER, but the bacon bit ribosomes are lost in the cytoplasm (cheese). Do you like the secretion vesicle? Looks like someone took a bite. =) We also made another pizza since there were three boys here! On that one, we just put whatever toppings we wanted.
The girls took care of the dough, sauce, and cheese, and I had the boys cutting and chopping. =) That Endoplasmic Reticulum ham was a little tedious. Isaac had gotten a good piece cut, and JohnDavid ate it thinking it was a leftover piece! It was our best piece of ER. Oh, well! (My son is not in the Biology class, so he didn't know something in such a strange shape would be important! lol) They all had a lot of fun sneaking bites now and then. I knew they would! We had some extra.
Our Plant Cell - We forgot the Golgi body! So this is a non-functioning plant cell, hee hee. =) The rough and smooth ER were improv since the poptarts that we had planned to use crumbled when cousin A tried to cut it to shape. The green jelly beans are chloroplasts so I guess the pink marshmallows will have to be both vacuoles and leucoplasts. (oops!) But it was a pretty tasty cake! =)
As you can see, we learned about plant and animal cells. We learned the 11 functions that a cell performs, and which organelles do which jobs. All that going on in one tiny cell. Wow! Isn't our Creator marvelous!?!
Then we learned about cellular respiration - how cells make their energy. We learned that the formula for cellular respiration was the opposite of photosynthesis. Your cells take in glucose and oxygen, and from the reaction of those two molecules is made energy, water, and the carbon dioxide that we breathe out.
It is a very complicated process, more so than what is in our textbook even! I've never been to college, nor do I remember much about biology from high school. (I do remember something about leaves...)
So it took me awhile to plow thru the explanations, and looking up stuff online. Once I got the gist of it, I decided to make a game. The kids love games. They will listen better if they know we're going to play games so they can win points for their team. So.... a game it is! =)
We had the 4 stages of cellular respiration to learn, plus the overall effect of what was used and what was the end result of cellular respiration. They learned a little at a time, and kept adding stages until they had (temporarily) memorized all 4 stages and the overall effect. We only played about 4 rounds because we were running short on time. This was a preview of the next part of the chapter, so we had to study it first!
Rebekah and cousin C's team won.
They placed the names of the molecules on the "blanks" to fill in the chemical formula. Each time we added a stage, they had to mix up all the cards. Eventually we had all 10 posterboard pieces on the bar! =D Even though they won't retain without more studying, at least they got a jump start on it.
Later I was commenting to Rebekah that it was amazing that all that could go on in such a tiny cell. And 2,000 of them can fit in a line across your fingernail!
She laughed, "Yeah, and we used the whole bar!" =D
We also learned about how substances traveled in and out of cells and about passive and active transport. Since we don't have a microscope, I posted pictures and videos at Homeschooler's Resources so they could see closeups of cells.
Each time I look through an upcoming module, I'm slightly overwhelmed at all the stuff that's way over my head! But I just keep re-reading until I get it, and I am pleased at how well I actually do understand it. I'm also a little astounded! I learned all this? And it's just a drop in the bucket compared to the vast information there really is!
I'm just in awe at all the things God created and how intricate they are!
Quizlet Vocabulary Game, M6, part 2
Quizlet Vocabulary Game, M6, all
Videos, etc. for M6
We have been looking forward to this module since last year when we were doing Physical Science! I had seen the posts at Applie's Place, and I told the kids we would make pizzas for our Incredible, Edible Cells. (Links at my other blog to Applie's and Julie's cells.) I think the boys liked this "experiment" the best. =D
Our Incredible, Edible Cells.
Animal Cell. I love the celery centrioles (Isaac's idea) and the sausage link mitochondria. The ham is supposed the be the rough and smooth ER, but the bacon bit ribosomes are lost in the cytoplasm (cheese). Do you like the secretion vesicle? Looks like someone took a bite. =) We also made another pizza since there were three boys here! On that one, we just put whatever toppings we wanted.
Our Plant Cell - We forgot the Golgi body! So this is a non-functioning plant cell, hee hee. =) The rough and smooth ER were improv since the poptarts that we had planned to use crumbled when cousin A tried to cut it to shape. The green jelly beans are chloroplasts so I guess the pink marshmallows will have to be both vacuoles and leucoplasts. (oops!) But it was a pretty tasty cake! =)
As you can see, we learned about plant and animal cells. We learned the 11 functions that a cell performs, and which organelles do which jobs. All that going on in one tiny cell. Wow! Isn't our Creator marvelous!?!
Then we learned about cellular respiration - how cells make their energy. We learned that the formula for cellular respiration was the opposite of photosynthesis. Your cells take in glucose and oxygen, and from the reaction of those two molecules is made energy, water, and the carbon dioxide that we breathe out.
It is a very complicated process, more so than what is in our textbook even! I've never been to college, nor do I remember much about biology from high school. (I do remember something about leaves...)
So it took me awhile to plow thru the explanations, and looking up stuff online. Once I got the gist of it, I decided to make a game. The kids love games. They will listen better if they know we're going to play games so they can win points for their team. So.... a game it is! =)
We had the 4 stages of cellular respiration to learn, plus the overall effect of what was used and what was the end result of cellular respiration. They learned a little at a time, and kept adding stages until they had (temporarily) memorized all 4 stages and the overall effect. We only played about 4 rounds because we were running short on time. This was a preview of the next part of the chapter, so we had to study it first!
Rebekah and cousin C's team won.
Later I was commenting to Rebekah that it was amazing that all that could go on in such a tiny cell. And 2,000 of them can fit in a line across your fingernail!
She laughed, "Yeah, and we used the whole bar!" =D
We also learned about how substances traveled in and out of cells and about passive and active transport. Since we don't have a microscope, I posted pictures and videos at Homeschooler's Resources so they could see closeups of cells.
Each time I look through an upcoming module, I'm slightly overwhelmed at all the stuff that's way over my head! But I just keep re-reading until I get it, and I am pleased at how well I actually do understand it. I'm also a little astounded! I learned all this? And it's just a drop in the bucket compared to the vast information there really is!
I'm just in awe at all the things God created and how intricate they are!
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