Ivory Soap

This idea came from Toys in the Dryer.

My Feingold friend Rachel, at Real Life Eating, shared it with me.  This is fun, and seems like magic.

Take one new bar of Ivory soap (new works best because it's not all dried out yet).

You only need one quarter of the bar! 

Put it in the microwave for about 2 minutes.  It will probably be done before the time is up.  I put ours on a paper plate.

 Final product!  Luci says she likes to break off a piece to wash her hands.  

 

Why does it work?

According to wikiHow:

The expanding effect is caused by the heating of the water that is inside the soap. The water vaporizes, forming bubbles; the heat also causes trapped air to expand. Likewise, the heat causes the soap itself to soften and become pliable.

I want to do an Experience!

Um, I think that would be experiment, Luci.

JT peeled the apples with his handy-dandy pocket knife.

One apple was covered with a salt and baking soda mixture.  The other is our control.  In one week we'll see what happened.  Replicating some of the mummification process with these apples.

My favorite line in the experiment's directions:  Set the bowls where they will not be in your mother's way.

Thirty Days of Thanks

Homeschooling--so thankful that we are allowed to homeschool, and for the support of my husband in this endeavor. Here is a shot of an experiment done yesterday, demonstrating the density of different items. We are using Apologia Science this year. So far, so good with it.

Science Experiment--From Alpha Omega Publications

This fun fall science experiment that teaches children how to see the rainbow in a leaf. An easy project that only requires simple household materials, this leaf chromatography experiment reinforces why leaves turn different colors in the fall and other fascinating photosynthesis facts found in LIFEPAC® and Switched-On Schoolhouse® sixth grade science lessons from Alpha Omega Publications®. Plus, your child will also gain a deeper understanding of God's marvelous design of a leaf.

Materials:

Assortment of green leaves

Small jars (baby food jars work great)

Jar covers, aluminum foil, or plastic wrapRubbing alcohol

White paper coffee filters

Shallow pan

Hot tap water

Tape

Pens

Plastic knife or spoon

Kitchen timer

Scissors

Notebook

Procedure:1. Gather two or three large leaves from several different species of trees. (Maple trees and other trees that have dramatic fall color changes work best). In a notebook, designate a page for each of the leaves and record the different colors you see in each of the leaves.

2. Cut two long, thin strips of coffee filter paper for each jar. Use half of the coffee filter strips to label the jars with each tree's name and location.

3. Tear or cut the leaves into tiny pieces and put them into separate small jars.

4. Add just enough rubbing alcohol to cover the leaves in each jar. Carefully chop or grind them into the alcohol using a plastic knife or spoon. NOTE: Isopropyl rubbing alcohol can be harmful if not used correctly. Read label warnings and directions carefully.

5. Loosely cover the top of the jars with lids, plastic wrap, or aluminum foil.

6. Place the jars into a shallow pan filled with one inch of very hot tap water.

7. Allow the jars to stand in the hot water for at least a half hour (longer if necessary) until the alcohol has become colored (the darker the solution, the better). Gently swirl each jar every five minutes and replace the hot water if it starts to cool.

8. Uncover the jars and remove them from the water.

9. On one end only, label the remaining coffee filter strips with each tree's name and location.

Then, place the strips into the appropriate jars, so one end is immersed in the alcohol, and the labeled end is wrapped around a pen suspended across the top of the jar. Secure the piece of paper with tape.

What you'll observe: The alcohol will slowly begin to travel up the paper, bringing the colors in the leaves with it. After an hour or two, the colors will travel different distances up the paper as the alcohol evaporates.

Depending on the type of tree, your homeschooler should see different pigment shades of green (chlorophylls), yellow (xanthophylls), orange (carotenoids), and red (anthocyanins) from the leaves.

10. Remove the strips of pigmented paper before the alcohol reaches the top and allow them to dry. The finished paper strips are called chromatographs. Tape them to the pages of your notebook and record your observations. How many colors are visible? Could you see the same colors in the leaves before the experiment? Based on your fun fall experiment, which tree leaves do you think will turn the brightest and least bright this fall?

Experiment Update

This experiment demonstrated osmosis--that the water would want to move from a wetter area to a drier one (from the glass to the ribbon). Both glasses had 1 tablespoon of baking soda mixed in them, and this was the result after 48 hours. Crystals!

The W. School for the Exceptionally Brilliant is open!!

This could also be called More Painless School Review...

I'm trying to get the kids into a school mindset. Mostly it involves a certain child (the redhead, wouldn't you know?) getting upset that he's having to think. I found several little workbooks at Target for a dollar each and bought a multiplication book, one on the planets, and this little science experiment book for the boys. Since they were just a dollar, they got their own and no photocopying for mom.

Now, don't turn your noses up at that Grades 2-3 on this book. The experiments cover osmosis, capillary action, chemical reactions, carbonation, acids, surface tension, refraction, chromatography and a few others. Here are the kids getting started on an experiment on osmosis: Bryan
JT
and the whole student body!
Above: Will osmosis make the gummi bears grow bigger? Below: What will happen to the ribbon? There is baking soda in the glasses of water.

School at Home, part 2

Oh my, this was fun. For me. Here, you can see JT's reaction at breakfast.



The boys packed up their backpacks and were given a sack lunch and milk money.


We got in the van at 7:22 and started our journey to school. I dragged Luci out of bed (NO she did NOT sleep through the night) in her pajamas. We drove about 2 miles and told the boys that Luci and I would surely have fun at McDonald's this morning while they were in school. Bryan and JT looked at each other and then me--"WHAT? WHERE is this school? I thought it was at HOME!" I said it was, but it was just fun to tease them a little more. Luci was more practical and said, "I in my 'jamas! I no go to McDonald's!" She really cracked me up. Her thought processes are so clear sometimes.

Then we drove right past R. school, the public county school (K-12) just a mile from our house. JT almost quit breathing. I even got in the line of mommies dropping off their kids for the day! My! How mean is that?! When we pulled past the drop-off point without dropping off any children, JT started normal respiration again.

They had to schlep all of their stuff everywhere they went. If anything was left behind, it would be confiscated and returned at the end of the day. Just like at a regular school, when you leave something behind, you might not see it again--lunch, that homework, a nice backpack. We hope everyone is honest but I wanted the boys to have the pleasure of carrying everything from class to class the way their friends do.


Between class periods, the boys had to move to their next class. To make it sort of realistic (not just sitting at the dining room table all day--we have never had school desks for our schooling), I had the boys walk laps between classes. We have an open floor plan and they walked the circuit from class to class. At one point, JT had to walk "way down the hall" to the bathroom--2 laps. Then 2 laps back, but oh no! He forgot to wash his hands. So back he went for 2 laps there, 2 laps back. All the while holding the lovely potty pass.

After walking 5 laps to Social Studies, Bryan made the observation that "I really feel like I'm going somewhere." Here he is going to class:



JT was starving by 9 am. He decided he loved his tuna sandwich, but like in "real school," he could not even nibble until lunch time.


I found ed Helper.com and it was a great resource. Almost all of our stuff for today came from there. I will be using it more in the future for supplementing our studies. Great for "regular" schooling and homeschooling alike, and for moms at home who want to help their kids review things taught at school. You do have to join (about $20 for the cheaper version) to have access to the printable stuff.

Here's the teacher. Do you know any teacher who is not part actor? I had the best time today being a different teacher in each class period. The boys had to deal with the different names and personalities. I think they really liked the "free spirit" who was the English teacher.

Bryan trying to keep busy without talking after getting done early with his work. The boys only had access to the dining room (classroom), bathroom and circuit (laps to to the next class). They were not allowed to go to their rooms to get anything, or snack, or play games.





Waiting in line for lunch. P.E.

Luci even got into the action in P.E.



Do you like "regular school"? Having the day last much longer than normal, no breaks when you want, having to be in the same room as your brother all day?

What about Homeschooling?



I sure hope that means the attitudes will be better. Still doing our checklist, to keep track of attitudes and behaviors we desire to see in them.

Things that I learned:

• It is ok to change things up radically to achieve the results we want--"school at home," using a new resource (ed Helper.com)


• I really, really like my kids. All of them. Really.


• I can use my teacher voice more (the one I used to use with my students in TX and LA 'way back when) instead of my impatient-mother-"don't-you-understand-yet?" voice that I too often use with the boys.


• No one wants to earn extra credit by changing a dirty diaper.