Category: Science

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Human Body: Skeletal System

After we did an overview of all of the different body systems, we spent a couple of days reviewing the skeletal system.  The skeleton provides support, structure and protection for the body and its organs… and because it had been nearly a year since we went over the names of the bones it was time for a review. The kids put together our skeleton puzzle and then identified all the...

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Human Body Systems — Worksheets

Today I’m sharing our Human Body Systems Worksheets with you.  This set provides an overview of the Body’s major systems. It also talks about human cells, tissues and organs. Once a year, we usually learn about one of the human body systems.  One year, we went into great detail one year about the Skeletal System. Another year,  we studied the digestive system.  And recently, we learned about the circulatory system. We...

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Earth Space Science: Topographic Maps

We read the second chapter in the geology book we have from Real Science 4 Kids.  It talked about the different tools that geologists use — including topographic maps.  I wasn’t sure the kids thoroughly understood how the maps worked and looked around for some resources to help them understand. I found a couple of wonderful activities! We actually started with this topographic map page from the USGS: I thought...

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Making Measurement Man – Our Measurement Unit on Gallons, Quarts, Pints, etc.

Last week we spent the week doing a brief unit on measurement — the imperial units.  We didn’t touch on the metric system at all.  I wanted the kids to come away knowing the basic facts like 16 tablespoons in a cup and 4 quarts in a gallon. Day 1: I brought out a number of different bottles, cups and measuring spoons and the kids and I went over what...

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Minerals — Our Hands Activities, Seeing the BIGGEST Diamond in the World and more!

We finished up our close look at the three types of rocks and moved on to minerals. Last summer I bought a couple extra bags to pan for rocks and minerals when we were at an amusement park.  I saved it just for this unit and the kids loved it!!  It was a bit chilly out, so we had to use a big plastic bin in the bathroom rather than...

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Metamorphic Rock Activities

We brought the rock portion of our unit to a close with a look at metamorphic rocks.  The kids had a tough time deciding which rock sample was marble and which was quartzite. We also did the melted-crayon version to show how metamorphic rocks form under heat and pressure. Okay, so really we just made rainbow crayons, but the kids *said* they understood how the rocks can change because of...

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Sedimentary Rock Activities

Another day we read about sedimentary rocks in our books and filled in a bit of information in the  boxes on the sedimentary rock page, Three Types of Rocks Packet.  I brought out our rock collection. We had several different types of sedimentary rocks and the kids had to determine whether they were sandstone, limestone or shale by feeling the rock and grains.  We also filled in the next parts of...

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Igneous Rock Activities

This past week, we spent a lot of time delving into the three different types of rocks.  The first day we looked closely at some of the different igneous rocks. We started by reading about igneous rocks from a couple of books and filling in the boxes on our chart. (More about that free packet at this post about the Three Types of Rocks.) We then pulled out a rock...

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Free Montessori 3-Part Cards: Famous Rocks Around the World

Here’s another freebie from our Rocks and Minerals Unit: Free Printable Montessori 3-Part Cards on Famous Rocks Around the World! If your students are studying Rocks and Minerals they might enjoy this activity about Famous Rocks Around the World! This set includes the Sphinx, Stonehenge, Mt. Rushmore, Uluru, Arches, the Rock of Gibraltar and others.  Hope you find these helpful. 🙂 Have a great day! ~Liesl Famous Rocks Around the...

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Free Rocks and Minerals Packet

Are you studying Rocks and Minerals?!  This post has a free packet, great for supplementing your Rocks and Minerals Unit.  Find out more below! And be sure to check out the links to some of the fun hands-on activities we did while studying sedimentary, igneous and metamorphic rocks. We wrapped our chemistry unit and spent a few weeks on vertebrates and invertebrates.  It was time to tackle a new unit...

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An Amazing Nature Center (Nashville, TN)

While we were on our road trip we had the opportunity to visit an amazing Nature Center in Nashville, TN with my Sis and her (homeschooling) kids.  It had everything from taxidermy animals to look at, nature drawers to explore, microscopes, bird watching and identification, creative play with puppets, puzzles, costumes, blocks and more.  I wish we had a place like this near us!!   There was a full size...

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Nearsightedness Is on the Rise — Sending Kids Outside May Help Prevent This

We’ve all heard the experts tell us that time outside has huge benefits for kids.  It helps them concentrate and focus in school, boosts learning, helps fight obesity, and is even beneficial for social development. Research has proven that recess is good for kids: “A recent multicenter study of more than 11,000 eight- and nine-year-olds, led by pediatric researchers at the Albert Einstein College of Medicine, in New York, showed...

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World Animals — The Amazing Independent Work the Kids are Doing!

One of the wonderful things that has been happening here at the Homeschool Den is the amount of independent work the kids have been doing.  DD is always asking to learn more about animals so at the beginning of the semester, I downloaded Erica’s wonderful Expedition Earth: Discovering God’s Animals over at Confessions of a Homeschooler. It is a free animal unit study.  Erica has made animal mini-books for close to...

Where Do Things Come From 4

Farm Animals (Montessori Activities and More)

After our study of earthworms and flatworms, we went back to talking about vertebrates.  One day last week, we learned a bit more about domesticated animals. We talked about some pretty fascinating things with DD and LD. Can you guess out of the millions of animal species how many large animals have been successfully domesticated? I’ll tell you in just a minute below! For ED we pulled in a few Montessori...