Mummies & Medicinal Herbs

We are continuing our lesson in World History by learning out Ancient Egypt and the Egyptians believed that their people went onto another life in the afterworld if they were mummified. We read about this and then watch the IMAX movie Mummies so the girls could get a visual on what it was like for the priests and pharaohs back then. They were very intrigued that people had such different beliefs than we do. To integrate art into the mix we made bendable mummies by taking wire and shaping it into a body shape, then wrapping it in strips of fabric and using hot glue affix the edging and eyes. They of course had to gussy them up:) They had a great time  making these! I have a feeling they will be making guest appearances all over the classroom and the house in the near future!

In Science we discussed the different herbs we would be growing in the light hut. We decided to go the medicinal route since we did the culinary route over the summer and can do that again in the Spring. This will change things up a bit and it was very educational for them to learn about the different types of herbs and how they can help the human body in different ways. They have each started a scientific journal with the name of each herb and have listed the benefits each one provides so that we can decide whether it is best in tea or soap for the skin. Here are the herbs we chose:

• Echinacea, Milk Thistle, Peppermint, Yarrow, German Chamomile, St. Johnswort, Burdock, Fever Few, Lemon Balm, Valerian, Cayenne, Lemon Bergamot.

They were most interested in the Yarrow because it was used to treat battle wounds and control bleeding and several of these have allergy benefits which they cannot wait to try. There are so many benefits to the ones we have chosen that we cannot wait to get started. This also will bring on a very good lesson for them.....entrepreneurship! Now THAT I cannot wait for:)

Our Light Hut

We have finished the construction of our light hut to grow our herbs and plants during the Fall and Winter season. This space will be monitored and cared for specifically by the girls stemming from the choice of plants all the way to charting each phyla we choose and and putting those plants to good use after they grow. They are very excited about this project. Now that we have learned about the different types of plants we are ready to start growing so that we can learn about all the processes each plant takes from start to finish. We will also be monitoring them in this light box with and without our curtain to see how each plant develops in different temperatures and light exposure. The goal with the herbs is to make soap with them which is another project we will be working on later. You can definitely tell this light hut is owned by girls can't you?? We will be venturing out to a farm in KY to learn about green houses and how they work which coincides with our light hut experiment. We cannot wait for that! Plus, it will be with good company;) Aunt Steph is always a good hostess so they cannot wait to get the grand tour!

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The twins started learning cursive today which they were very excited about. they did not want to learn just one letter which is what I had in my lesson plan. They want to learn them all! Of course my TA decided to step in and take the reigns for a bit on this one. She is the handwriting expert after all!

A Field Full of Angiosperms

Blooms and Berries

The girls were able to do a corn maze and at each station was each of the 5 food groups with a hole puncher. I liked that they integrated learning with this activity.

The girls were so excited to see that each flower in the corn field represented an ear of corn that would grow. They looked at the field not just as a field of corn but as a field full of angiosperms.

We ended our adventure at one of our favorite places to see one of our favorite people.... Jen at DeSha's in Montgomery! We can always count on A+ service and food here and nothing beats seeing my best buddy on a school day! The girls agree 100% :)

All other subjects are going well. I feel like I am starting to get a handle on Literature and Writing which I was worried about in the beginning but I have found so many great sources from the library and from friends that I am finding all kinds of fun things for them to keep their interest while learning. I currently have 4 libraries in my classroom to keep track of which has been challenging as far as due dates for me! I have my own, Cincinnati Public, Clermont County, and a teacher friend of mine. We are heading to the library today so that I can get an Educator's Library Card which is going to help a TON because it automatically renews all of the books for you to eliminate late fees and also helps to group different books of the same subject matter when planning your curriculum. I FINALLY got my letter of refusal from the Superintendent of the county. That is my proof that I am an educator and it is finally official. This was a big deal for me because I got the approval on the first try. I was proud of myself:)

Monarch Adventure and Creek Hunt for Hieroglyphics

It has been a while since our last post. I have been so busy! I have taken on a part time position helping some amazing teachers do some amazing things:)

Here are some pictures from our Monarch Adventure and our Ancient Egypt lesson. 

In History we learned about the earliest forms of writing and how if it was not for the Ancient Egyptians recording history in Hieroglyphic form we would not know anything about them. For this exercise I thought it would be fun to let them make their own history by finding their own stone tablets and painting Hieroglyphics on them and putting them in the garden out back. I took them to a creek in Anderson so find some nice flat rocks. The steep hill down INTO the creek was not fun for me I will say...this is where I miss the health of my back, but I survived:) They thought this was the coolest thing ever. I did not tell them why we were collecting rocks. I only told them we needed them for an art project that day. They were up and down the creek searching and exploring and we decided, WE WILL BE BACK TO THIS CREEK! It was an excellent learning place. It also made a great opportunity for some pictures of course so I just couldn't resist.

Marissa read the chapter about Hieroglyphics while I graded papers. This has been working out so well. She reads with such affliction that it really keeps their attention. They look forward to this every day. 

______________________________________________________________

During the Monarch Adventure we took a 3 mile hike into the milkweed field exploring how caterpillars seek out this plant and how it is the key to their survival. It was the perfect time for us to go on this trip because we were just about to learn about the different types of seeds in Botany and how they are spread throughout nature whether it be by animals from stickers on the seeds, or by wind like the milk weed or simply by falling on the ground. They learned more about seeds than the butterflies themselves I think but it was still very cool to see the butterfly tagged and released. 

Tagging the Monarch

Inside the Milkweed pod are the seeds with the silky soft strands that fly in the wind helping to spread the seeds throughout the lands.

Milkweed seeds

They learned so much! They are LOVING the field trips!

Newport Aquarium Homeschool Day

We were very lucky to have class at the Newport Aquarium today. This week is Homeschool Days! Homeschoolers get in for half the cost and they have special classes and educational tours just for homeschoolers. It was amazing! Needless to say, they absolutely loved it and SO DID I!

We got a backstage tour of all the tanks where we learned how the filters clean everything, what types of tanks they have and all of the different fish in each tank (including their names) and how they rescue fish and quarantine them before they acclimate them in with the rest of the fish there etc. They were able to see the kitchen where they prepare all of the meals for all of the fish and the other animals that live there. They also got to see the friendly little penguins and boy were they cute! They ran right up to the window when they saw the girls coming! ADORABLE! The staff was amazing making it a very educational trip for us and it is something we will make a tradition for years to come.

Enjoy the pics! I am off to sleep, for tomorrow we have a 1.5 mile hike with a guide to the milkweed fields in Rowe Woods to catch and tag Monarchs and search for caterpillars. We have many  lessons in Botany and Entomology tomorrow! We cannot wait for this adventure!

Ainsley made a wish with a penny she had in her pocket. Her wish was that everyone's asthma would go away:( I wish for that too!

BONUS:They even got to see a barge!