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Showing posts from March, 2019

The Science of Parabolas with "A Computer Called Katherine" Book

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At Christmas, my daughter, Dragonfly (age 7) got the movie Hidden Figures  as a present.  The video tells the story of three female mathematicians, who stood against racism, sexism, and helped the USA win the space race.  The movie is a great introduction to the history of NASA, racial segregation, and women in science, while still managing to only be rated PG.  It's a great video for moms and daughters to watch together (although my husband enjoyed it as well).  If you haven't yet seen the movie, I highly recommend it. One of the inspirational women was Katherine Johnson, worked long mathematical equations by hand in the years before computers were in wide use.  Even after the first "calculating machines" were available at NASA, Katherine still double-checked the computers work!  I love how Hidden Figures shows women working complicated math problems, as it encouraged my own daughter in her math learning.  As a mom, I'm always looking for women to inspire

The Human Body Stuff for Kids

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Updated- March 29, 2019 to include more information and update graphics. Skimmer (age 4) is obsessed with the human body, particularly skeletons.  We're very happy to feed his interest.  We even have a skeleton model named is Bona.  Here are some of the things that we love and some that are on our list. Human Body Activity Book for Kids - I was given a free copy of this book to review.  It's a great resource for kids who love the human body, full of crossword puzzles, dot-to-dots, and fascinating facts. Bones in the Human Body - This book teaches kids the names of the bones in the human body. Amazing X-Rays: Human Body - My kids LOVE this book!  There's a mini x-ray viewer on the book and a set of x-rays for exploring.  Each page of the book talks about a different x-ray from teeth to broken bones.  Also, look for the companion books for Pets and Exotic Animals. Human Body Encyclopedia - 3D pictures show kids both how their bodies look and how they work. 

Montessori-Inspired Frog Life Cycle 3-Part Cards

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All winter long, Dragonfly (age 7) has been daydreaming of catching frogs in our yard.  It's her very favorite thing in the world!  She's even convinced that she's seen them already, even though we're still covered in snow. Over the years, I've written quite a bit about frogs and we've studied them a few times in our homeschool, but I haven't created many printables for them.  As I was working on the ladybug life cycle cards last week, I looked over my other metamorphosis printables (scroll down to see all of them) and realized that I hadn't made a frog life cycle set. I set out to remedy that problem immediately!  Fortunately, it was easy to find real pictures for these Montessori-inspired cards.  They match the Safari Ltd frog life cycle toys and work great with sensory bins. The cards can be used to work on reading and spelling, especially when combined with a moveable alphabet. > > > Click Here to Download the Printable <

Montessori-Inspired Ladybug Life Cycle 3-Part Cards

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I was going through all my 3-part matching cards for Safari Ltd products and realized that I hadn't done all the life cycle sets yet.  Since it's springtime and many homeschoolers are studying birds and bugs now, I decided I'd better get busy getting all the life cycle sets done.  We're still covered in snow, but these bright pictures of green leaves and red ladybugs are lifting my spirits. > > > Click Here to Download the Printable < < < We like to use the life cycle set in sensory bins, alongside the cards.  Kids can use the printables for simple matching activities in the traditional Montessori 3-part cards method ( explained here ) or can combine them with a moveable alphabet  for a spelling practice. It's also fun to get out all your Safari Ltd life cycle sets and set them up so each stage of the insect life cycle matches each other (scroll down for more matching cards), all the eggs together, all the larvae, etc.  It's a

Books about Insect for Kids

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I love doing these round-up type of posts with books for every subject .  Although we still have snow on the ground, the warmer days have the kids anxiously waiting for springtime and the return/awakening of the insects.  If you're looking for some awesome, general knowledge books about insects for kids, this list is a great place to start.  I've even ordered a few for our own collection. Big Book of Bugs On Beyond Bugs: All About Insects 100 Bugs: A Counting Book The Icky Bug Alphabet Book Bugs Pop-Up Book Insects: A Look Inside Their World Backyard Bugs Bugs are Insects Pin It! Science Toys for Learning About Insects

Tide Pool Learning Ideas

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My family is getting very excited about our upcoming Oregon Coast road trip.  One of the best parts about visiting the ocean is Oregon are the tide pools.  My kids remember them very well from our trip two year ago (read all about on my travel blog- Party Through the USA ).  We're all looking forward to what we'll find this trip. It's a great time for some special homeschooling lessons on tide pools.  I've scoured the internet and asked my friends at the Kid Blogger Network for some great printables, sensory bins, science lessons, and more.  Be sure to check out my post on the travel site about books for learning about the Oregon Coast, too. Interactive Notebook // You've Got This Math Experiment // Buggy and Buddy Scavenger Hunt Printable // Rainy Day Mum Tide Pool Lesson // A Day in First Grade Sea Urchin Craft // I Heart Craft Things Creating a Tide Pool // JDaniel 4's Mom Tide Pool Small World // The Imagination Tree

NYC Gilded Age Book Recommendations

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Updated- March 16, 2019 with books that I've read.  Originally published on Feb. 9, 2017. This is perhaps a sort of shameful confession from a mother in her thirties, but I'm quite obsessed right now with Broadway's Newsies .  Last spring, I got to see the musical on tour with my siblings.  Ever since, I have been listening to the music .  It always makes me smile to hear the perky beats and defiant lyrics.  I'm very excited this month to see the show in the movie theater , and I'm really hoping that Disney will release it on DVD this summer. The Newsies have reawakened my interest in the Gilded Age.  The time period is fascinating because of how quickly the world was changing and what those changes meant for the next century.  Horses were being replaced by automobiles, factory workers were demanding their rights, and reformers were working for change.  This is the era of the telephone, the railway, and the lightbulb.  Immigrants were pouring into our co

Homeschooling Ideas for Learning about Dolphins

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After completing the Dolphin sensory bin post a few week ago, I knew I wanted to do one more post about marine mammals.  I teamed up with my friends at the Kids' Blogger Network to bring you a fun list of dolphins- sensory ideas, crafts, printables, and more.  I have also included a list of picture books for learning about dolphins.  My hope is that this post will serve as a launch pad for your own homeschool studies about these amazing animals. Dolphin Slime // The Frugal Navy Wife Corner Bookmark // Red Ted Art Sensory Bin // Homeschooling My Kinetic Kids Dolphin Fact Spinner // A Little Pinch of Perfect Ocean Writing Tray // The Imagination Tree Parts of a Dolphin // Montessori Nature $ Paper Plate Dolphin // The Frugal Navy Wife Dolphin Tot School Printables // 1+1+1=1 Paint like a Dolphin // Think Magnet Kids Hope for Winter Dolphins at Daybreak Our Amazing World: Dolphins A Whale of a Tale Winter's Ta