- Gabby (Personal Money and Finance Unit Study by Homeschool Learning Network)
- Starla (Science Jim's Bite-Size Physics: Static Electricity by Science Jim)
- Ina (Physics of Force webclass by Science Jim)
- Mary (Thomas Edison Graphic Biography by Saddleback Educational Publishing)
- Homeschool Bits (Hands-On Experiments: Gravity, Magnets, Electricity by Remedia Publications)
This week marks the 131st anniversary of Thomas Edison's invention of the light bulb
So...how does a homeschooler change a light bulb??
First, mom checks three books on electricity out of the library, then the kids make models of light bulbs, read a biography of Thomas Edison and create a lapbook based on his life.
Next, everyone studies the history of lighting methods, wrapping up with dipping their own candles.
Next, everyone takes a trip to the store where they compare types of light bulbs as well as prices and figure out how much change they'll get if they buy two bulbs for $1.99 and pay with a five dollar bill.
On the way home, a discussion develops over the history of money and also Abraham Lincoln, as his picture is on the five dollar bill.
Finally, after building a homemade ladder out of branches dragged from the woods, the light bulb is installed.
And there is light.
Thomas Edison was a brilliant scientist, inventor, and businessman. Do you have a budding scientist living in your house who would gladly take apart a light bulb (or a computer or TV) to see how it works? Mondays are great for blog hopping so share with us how you teach science. Do you enjoy teaching this sometimes messy subject? Do you use a curriculum or just learn science through everyday experiments?
We also have some great giveaways for this week! Everyone who submits a related post will be entered. If you don't want to write a blog post but still want to be entered, just leave a comment. PLEASE BE SURE THAT YOUR PROFILE CONTAINS OR THAT YOU INCLUDE AN EMAIL ADDRESS. (If you are reading this on Facebook, be sure to leave a comment on the actual post.) This giveaway will be open until 10:00pm EST Friday, October 22nd. Please see our rules for more details.
Prizes include:
Personal Money and Finance Unit Study by Homeschool Learning Network
Money is such an important part of our lives that one might be tempted to think that it's always been around. But if humankind is a relative newcomer in the story of this planet, then money is a relative newcomer in the story of humanity. What is money; where did it come from; and how did it come to be so important to us?
Science Jim's Bite-Size Physics: Static Electricity by Science Jim
A light-hearted approach to serious physics. These are not your typical boring text books. They are also not your typical mish-mosh of experiments that may or may not work and may or may not illustrate a concept. This is a fun, lively approach to physics that combines powerful explanations of physics concepts with easy to do, effective hands-on activities.
Physics of Force webclass by Science Jim
Force is a fascinating and mysterious area of physics. Einstein himself called force "spooky action from a distance". How can one thing effect another thing over, potentially, hundreds of thousands of miles with out ever touching it i.e. the Sun and the Earth? How does a magnet hold itself to the refrigerator even though it can't hold itself to the wall?
Thomas Edison Graphic Biography by Saddleback Educational Publishing
Fast-paced and easy-to-read, these 32-page graphic biographies teach students about historical figures: those who lead us into new territory, pursued scientific discoveries; battled injustice and prejudice; and more.
Hands-On Experiments: Gravity, Magnets, Electricity by Remedia Publications
Make science class a blast with these fun, easy-to-do experiments using everyday materials found around the home or classroom! These inquiry-based science activities help students discover interesting facts about gravity, magnetism, and electricity. Contents include 15 experiments.
Help your little scientist learn even more about science from the incredibly funny Science Jim, who offers ebooks and classes.
Leave your link below and be sure to share this blog hop with your friends! Feel free to copy any of the text from this post!
I think for science to work best it needs to be a combination of planned and improvised. Because you need some kind of plan, but it's also good to follow their interests.
ReplyDeleteGreat post to get me thinking about science today! I wrote a little about how I teach science on my blog:
ReplyDeletehttp://homeschoolbits.blogspot.com/2010/10/how-you-teach-science.html
We are brand new to Homeschooling. My kids are in 5th and 2nd grade. With my 5th grader, we use a text book but if she isn't grasping the concept, I look online for hands on activities to SHOW her what I am trying to teach. With my second grader, we use lesson pathways but we supplement. I also have them watch "Life" and "Planet Earth" to pique their interest in Biology.
ReplyDeleteWe are seasoned homeschoolers and we use a curriculum because science is not my strong suit. She really enjoys chemistry and learning about the body. We also do every Science Jim class that I run across that she has not done before. She always gets so excited when it's time for one of his classes.
ReplyDeletemhb.howard@gmail.com
My husband is a science teacher and I have been letting him do the training. We have not started a curriculum as of yet. We do have the book "The EVRYTHING KIDS SCIENCE EXPERIMENTS BOOK" that we are going through. Ans also a kids science experiment book that our son is doing on his own. I would like to check oukt the Science Jim class though!
ReplyDeletesampson20@msn.com
I absolutely loved the "how a homeschooler changes a lightbulb" - hilarious! I posted about it on my blog, and linked up.
ReplyDeleteWe use the library and lapbooks (many from CurrClick!)along with a few random experiments for our science.
I enjoyed reading about how others do science. We are having a science week. I had most of it planned but still had a gap. Then when I read this it was an ah-ha moment. Thomas Edison would be the perfect addition to science week. So off to the library and on the net and I had the day planned along with building a light bulb. I linked my post to here.
ReplyDeletehttp://inax5.blogspot.com/2010/10/we-made-light-bulb.html
Very cute story. We DO make a learning experience out of everything don't we? I guess the key is to word it in such a way that our children don't realize they are learning.My goal is for my children to love learning way beyond 12th grade!
ReplyDelete