HS Valentine's Day

Every year the home school group gets together and throws a big Valentine's Day party.  Great fun was had by all on Feb. 12.

The kids gathered and things got organized.

The older kids played a get-to-know-you game with a list of things people can do, then they had to go around to the other kids and see if they could find a different person to sign each of the different things.  There was speak Spanish, had a broken bone, etc. etc.

L. enjoying a very red frosted cup cake and other delicious foods.  Parents brought in all sorts of yummy snacks.

Parents had a list of all the children who were going to participate and the children made valentines for each other. Each child also brought a box for others to put valentines in.  It is a highlight of the event.

A fun string game where yarn gets wrapped around each participant in a circle.  Two circles compete to see which one can wrap the yarn around then unwrap the people and wind up the yard into the original ball first.

A BINGO game using words found on candy hearts was played.

Not quite BINGO yet.

Candy Heart chopstick grab.  My B. excelled at this.

J. with her stash back at home.

One Hundred Day

February 3 was our One Hundredth Day of school so we celebrated by doing things related to 100.  There are lots of ideas for what to do on this day.

J and J in front of our chalk board.  The challenge was to see if we could find one hundred words made up of the letters from the words "ONE HUNDRED DAY".

100 kisses.  Made by ....

J. C. and G.B.

One hundred unifix cubes. Ten of each color, ten colors.

J and J. stacking the one hundred unifix cubes.

It stretched from one end of the counter to the other.

Same stretch of unifix cubes.

A game played with cubes on a 100 board.

A circle of one hundred cubes.

A mess of 100 cubes.

B. took more then one hundred steps measured on her pedometer.

B. wrote different math problems that equal 100.

Fifty dollar sized pancakes....

plus fifty more....

Makes one hundred pancakes.

Some of the eaters of the one hundred pancakes.

One more eater of the one hundred pancakes.

Last pancakes.

Last bites of the one hundred pancakes.

All gone.

We found about 80 words.

Slime

Playing catch up here - this science project was done on Jan 25. We've been working our way through a book on the Periodic Table with bunches of fun experiments to do, some are better then others.  This one was a success and involves Boron.

Boron is commonly seen today in the form of Borax, a laundry enhancer.  There is a story about 20 mule teams used to haul Boron from the mines, across the desert.

You take some borax, boil it in some water then let it cool.

After it is somewhat cool, take a cup (disposable is good) and add half water and half gel-type glue.

The 1 tablespoon at a time, add the borax mixture to the glue mixture and stir.

It gets goo-ier the more you add the borax mixture.

 and goo-ier

until there is not much of the glue-water mix left. It looks like this:

and this:

 We decided to add some color:

It took a little while for it to mix in completely.

It, in the end, became a lovely shade of blue-violet and it lasted for a couple of weeks.

Amazement Square (again) and Civil Rights

15 January 2010 - We ventured back to Amazement Square in Lynchburg, VA this time with our History Group and to focus on Civil Rights. Amazement Square is a four story building near the James River.  In the center is this amazing climbing structure.  The entrance is on the second floor.  Kids can climb down to the first or up to the fourth without using the stairs (which are amazing in themselves) or the elevator (which opens on both sides.

 

A new exhibit that opened up since we were there last time is one on accessibility.  The guide talked to us about various disabilities and the tools used to help people with those disabilities.

 

The kids got to try on different goggles that demonstrated what it was like to have different vision impairments. There was a children's book in braille and a braille machine.  They also talked about hearing imparements. 

There was a wall with different smells and another wall with different textures.  There was a short bowling alley with a device to help aim the ball.

 

Athletic wheelchairs were tried out to experience wheelchair basketball.  What are the rules about dribbling and carrying the ball?

 

Then we went upstairs to a classroom where the teacher talked to us about significant people in Virginia history.

 

Everyone listened intently.  Everyone had a chance to participate.  The rocket ship was an outline of important people and times in Virginia history.

 

C., C., D. & J. were in the part about native residents in Virginia and the early settlers.  J. & D. are holding early boats.

 

J., B., D. and K. participated in talking about the Revolutionary War in Virginia and significant Virginians.

  

J. had a revolutionary war soldier. B. had George Washington and D. is holding the Declaration of Independence 

 

This group talked about the Civil War and Reconstruction.  C. has the Emancipation Proclamation. R. got to be Abraham Lincoln.

 

R. as A. Lincoln

 

This group talked more about reconstruction and what happened afterwards.  One person they mentioned was a Maggie _____________ who started a separate bank for freed slaves in Virginia who otherwise could not get a bank loan.

 

The last person they talked about was Arthur Ashe and his experiences as a black athlete breaking the race barrier in tennis.

 

Here are a few view of the incredible climbing structure.  The elevator and stairs run near the structure and cameras are strategically placed so parents can check to see where their kids are in the structure.

 

B.

 

  

  

  

There are tubes to slide down, ladders to climb up and even a zip line.

The zip line cleverly pulls itself back with the help of a weight.

Other exhibits included - heart health and exercise

 

A model of the James River and

 

working models of locks with wooden boats the kids can float on the water.

 

C. and J. Completing electric circuits.

 

D. & J. doing experiments with ping pong balls and forces.

 

Nintendo rock band.

 

A glass room to paint on the walls in.

 

The awesome stairs light up as people step on them (and break the electric light beam). The climbing structure is to the left.

 

The newest member of our homeschool group in the arms of our senior homeschool person.

 

Group photo in the lobby of Amazement Square.  The panels list donors and they are actually on buttons, one letter per button, that can be pushed in to create patterns and shadows.  When done there are handles to the side to pull out and make everything level again.

It was a nice enough day to picnic outside (if you sat in the sunshine - it is January).