Scout's net

How do we test skill retention in home school?

This morning I found scout out on the dock.  She had fashioned a net out of tule and string,  and had already caught 14 fish.

Those eco academy and wilderness conservation classes at Deering have created a survivalist.  :)

Economic collapse?...Bring it on!

Solar ovens

Scout made a solar oven all by herself from tinfoil and cardboard.  She tried it out this morning making nachos. It worked great! It was so hot inside, the cheese melted in 10 minutes.

She got the idea from her big sister who was assigned to do it for her middle school science project.  Her sister had to melt/make a smores treat.

I'm so glad to see my girls with survival skills.

Writing

Scout and I are doing a writing workshop this year called Writer's Craft.  This is her notebook,  and her first sample of writing.  It will be great to compare it to her writing at the end of the year.

Spelling scrabble

Scout does lots of activities and games to study her spelling words.  Today we are using the scrabble tiles. Montessori style.

Art class

Scout and I have stumbled upon the most amazing art class ever.   Candace, the teacher,  has the most amazing techniques for bringing out the original creativity of each person.

We are so honored to have found this gem.  She doesn't advertise,  and if she did,  she would soon be overrun with interest and the class would lose the feel that makes it so incredible.

I hope all my friends will come and join the class too - check out her WEBSITE!

Butterfly Hatching

Over the course of a month, we watched over a hundred caterpillars turn into butterflies.  These are the Wasp Moth caterpillars. 

We had so many we took them to Eco Academy and gave them away to each classmate... and we still had over 50 left.  Each day Scout would walk down the street to the oleander bush in the neighbor's yard to collect leaves for them to eat.  Some caterpillars were tiny tiny when we first found them.  Less than a centimeter.  They grew over the course of a few weeks, then turned into a chrysalis. 

One day we looked in the cage and saw that a whole bunch had hatched at the same time.  Usually there was only one or two a day. 

Here Scout is letting them fly for the first time. 

They look like a wasp for protection and camouflage, that's how they got their name. We learned that butterflies stand their wings up on their backs, and moths lay their wings flat - that is the distinguishing trait.  Since these lay their wings flat, they are in the moth family.  Both butterflies and moths fly at night, and can be an array of colors, so those aren't distinguishing characteristics.

After letting them go, Scout studied them on the internet and painted a picture of the life cycle.

The difference between moth and butterfly is - moths wings lay flat while butterfly wings are upright and together.  This harmless moth's wings look like a wasp as part of its camouflage from predators.  

Weekly Homeschool Activities

Working on vocabulary and grammar.

Scout was sick today, but wanted to read Calvin and Hobbs anyway.  She read 'til she fell asleep. 

Working out with dad as part of her PE program

Every morning she gets up and does her own hair.  She's getting really good at it.

Clay Sculpture

ART DAY - Scout did some clay sculptures

She made some pizza, pancakes, bacon, and eggs for her Doll House.

 

This art project was drawing the next chapter in The Red Book. 

Part of her writers workshop.

One day she created a bunch of play money

One day she spent painting her sculptures.  She just loves to paint these.  She has done several sets.

 

Gymnastics

For 4 hours each week, Scout comes to Gymnastics.   She loves it and can climb the rope faster than anyone in her class.  She's getting big muscles in her arms as well.

Piano lessons

For music class this year, Scout took piano lessons.  She loves them and is making lots of headway.  She practices every day and meets with Debbie Carr once a week.  She even wrote her own song.  Her favorite thing about piano is to know how to read music and all the symbols.

Eco Academy - Canoeing

The moon is giving off a huge pull this month so the tide was very high.  The water was coming up over the sea wall - but just barely.  It's about 3 feet higher than normal. 

 South Beach is on the news - flooding.

15 canoes and kayaks set sail today - and one motor boat

 We went out just a bit and found a tunnel in the mangroves.  Tech went first and led the group. Gray, Scout, and I went in last. 

 We paddled "through the woods" and over the stumps.  It was the first time for most of them.

We sang our canoe song and Scout taught Gray about mangroves.  The three kinds, their roots, seeds and leaves, and how they expel salt.

She remembered!  

Experiencing these classes is so much more effective in learning for her than sitting in a conventional classroom.

Scout caught a cuban tree frog.

It reminds me of the time we did it at John Pennekamp.

2005!!  HOLY COW! has it really been that long?!?

 

 

 

 

Eco Academy - Biomes

Today in our outdoor classroom, we learned about biomes and made our own.

 

 Here is Scout, putting hers together.

 

 For each class, the teachers put together a power point presentation and teach us about the topic.  Then, for the second half of class, we experience it.  This time, we made the cryosphere with a 2 liter bottle and some smoke and warm water. 

After putting the lid on, squeeze.

When you let go, the bottle gets very "smokey" inside. 

Congratulations!  You have just made a cloud! 

Now squeeze the bottle again.  This creates high pressure and the cloud immidiately disappears. 

Scout learned how storms are created from low and high pressure systems.  How's that for textbook!
She is learning so fast and remembering so much because she is EXPERIENCING it!!

 

Eco Academy - Plankton and Cell Biology

Today was FANTASTIC!
  
 Panama taught us how to make plankton nets from a 2 liter bottle and a panty hose.

Everyone worked together!  What a great family activity!
 

The teachers use a smart board to explain the lesson each week.  I had no idea that sea stars and jellyfish started out as plankton.  So do crabs and shrimp. 

Champ posted facts about plankton around the room and the kids learned all about them.

Then we went outside to catch our plankton.

 

We walked along the bank, dragging our nets slowly behind us to catch all the little guys.

 

Then we pulled our nets out of the water and took them inside.

We looked at the water under the microscope and discovered all sorts of drifters.

Panama found a tiny live shrimp.  He put it on the microscope for the class to see and we all sat in awe as we watched; pump, pump, pump.  The class erupted in applause.  It was so fascinating to see it's microscopic heart beating. 

The kids loved taking pictures of the great discovery. 

 Far more learning goes on in these classrooms than in a conventional one.  Each child is engaged and interested, and therefore absorbing the information like a sponge.  It is so amazing to hear my daughter repeat the entire class point by point to her dad when she gets home. 

She DOES remember!

 

THANK YOU DEERING!!!