Category: Science Units

Geologic Time Line Activity 6

Geologic Time Line Activity

The Montessori teaching albums have an exercise called the “Clock of Eras.” I felt that would not work as well for our family as DD really doesn’t “get” the idea of a clock fully.  I didn’t think it would really teach them the enormity of time as well as a long set of ribbons would… so instead I used the proportions of the clock and made a very long geologic...

The Purple Strip 0

The Purple Strip

For those of you who know much about Montessori, you’ll recognize “The Black Strip.” This is an impressionistic activity that is meant to impress kids with the enormity of time on earth.  Our version was the purple ribbon strip — and it is only 21 feet (as my ribbon ream was 7 yards!).  But it still shows how very little time we humans have been on earth.  I’m showing you...

Timelines 3

Timelines

Montessori uses five “Great Lessons” as an introduction to all topics.  It provides children with a big picture to demonstrate how sciences, art, history, language and geography are interrelated.  This idea resonates well with our learning style.  We did our own version of the first Great Lesson last year and LD still talks about it (and the science experiments and activities that followed). This year we’re off to explore the...

Want to make a “TRASH-O-SAURUS”??!! 2

Want to make a “TRASH-O-SAURUS”??!!

I lost my internet connection this week.  That’s a total bummer since writing on the blog is a major outlet for me since we’re so new to the area (and I know very few people yet). The kids and I had busy, fun week and I hope to start sharing some of our activities later this weekend. We’ve been working on our timeline unit (I’ll explain more soon, though a...

Nature Around the Yard 13

Nature Around the Yard

We had a lot of fun outside yesterday. We caught lots and lots of little tadpoles (and then let most of them go), as well as a couple of 3-inch frogs.  We came across a snake which I’ve tried and tried to identify.  My best guess is that it is a water snake (another book to borrow from the library!). And finally, we found another quite amazing looking mushroom growing...

Egg-speriments! 14

Egg-speriments!

To make our bird unit especially appealing to LD we, of course, had to add in some science egg-speriments! While DD and I were unable to smash our eggs… LD did!!  We’re not quite sure why, but then when he tried it with a second egg he couldn’t break it no matter how hard he tried.  Anyway, this experiment was designed to show how strong egg shells are and how...

And more Egg-speriments! (Eggs and Pollution) 4

And more Egg-speriments! (Eggs and Pollution)

We looked at the air bubbles coming out of this egg when it was placed in vinegar and talked about why the shell is porous.  This lets the growing embryo get oxygen.  We then talked about how since it is porous it can let things through — like acid (vinegar), acid rain and pollutants.  We talked about DDT (how eagles nearly became extinct)– and how poisons, pesticides and so forth...

The Developing Chick-Egg Set 4

The Developing Chick-Egg Set

This summer, I saw a really interesting tool for studying chickens at My Montessori Journey.  It was a chicken hatching set that you can buy for about $35.  It was a great idea, but I decided the kids might get more out of it making their own.  So, earlier this summer at Grams’ house, I printed out some chicken embryo pictures.  One set has the developing chicken embryo with the...

Common Five-Lined Skink 0

Common Five-Lined Skink

We have lots and lots of empty boxes out on the porch. Today it was time to break down lots of them and we found this seven-inch lizard in one of the boxes.  We think it is a ‘common five-lined skink’ — probably the adult version of the smaller, blue-tailed lizards we see all over (the Internet indicates that the blue tails fade as they mature.)

Nature Journals 0

Nature Journals

“This is the best day of my life!”  That’s what LD had to say about the nature journaling we started a couple of days ago.  He was SO excited about drawing all the things we had discovered in the woods that he kept begging for more and more time.  WHAT?!!!  Our son said that?! It’s wonderful to find somethings that is so appealing to him (especially if it involves writing/drawing)....

Exploring the Woods 0

Exploring the Woods

We are thoroughly enjoying our new environment. It is completely different than the Outback, but has so much to offer in its own beautiful way. These next few postings will show how much we’ve enjoyed exploring! We are so, so happy in our new home. We just wish Daddy weren’t having to work such long hours. 🙁 LD found this cute orange salamander.  We see lots and lots of blue-tailed...

Nature, the Best Teacher! 0

Nature, the Best Teacher!

I am being challenged to learn about our surroundings just as much as the kids.  Every time I turn around, there’s something else to look up and learn about.  Some of these pictures are reminders to myself to “go look it up!!” Up until this summer, the kids hadn’t ever seen moss.  Now they point it out everywhere and notice how different it can be. DD examined a bird’s nest...

Bad Bugs, Good Bugs 6

Bad Bugs, Good Bugs

Earlier today LD, DD and I went out to collect some fossils for some cyber-friends. As LD reached under a rock he got stung by something pretty terrible. I know there are scorpions in Missouri as hubby once stepped on one here in Grams and Gramps’ house. We don’t know what it was exactly that got LD today, but cold ice compresses and benadryl spray seemed to alleviate most of...

Delicate Looking Fossil Impressions 0

Delicate Looking Fossil Impressions

We walk Boomer around Grams and Gramps’ neighborhood several times a day. Now that we know there are fossils around we keep our eye out for new discoveries. This morning, ED wanted to jump off a big, flat boulder. I leaned down to have a closer look and noticed these delicate fossil impressions. The rock face was a different consistency than rocks in which the crinoids (see the posts below)...