Science Is All Around

Lu recently finished the book we used for science this year. A book all about our universe. A very thick book, with lots of information and beautiful illustrations. I thought it would take him all year, but we still have two more months of our school year. But this is not a problem in my house, with my science-loving kid. Lu will be in charge of his science curriculum for the rest of the year.

He's been doing daily science experiments 

that he finds on websites and on YouTube,

like this balloon launcher:

 

Science projects/experiments are so much more fun 

now that Lu is old enough to find all the stuff he needs, 

follow the instructions, and research the explanations

with no help from me. lol

The homemade thermometer:

Making a saltwater battery:

 Listening through a stethoscope:

Here Lu and a friend are building a forge.

They spent all day forging metal into knives and swords.

On Sunday, we went to our friends' goat farm

and Lu got a chance to play with the little ones,

and milk one of the mamas.

He drank a WHOLE liter of goat's milk!

We're lucky to have science learning built into our every-day lives.

And there's  so much wonderful stuff to be found online.

 Science is all around!

Building an Electric Generator

Last week, Lu got to participate in a 5-day workshop with ATC (Appropriate Technology Collaborative). They were building an electric generator using old microwave parts. He learned all about magnetism and electricity, and a bunch of other cool stuff. He's been very lucky to be able to participate in workshops like this with ATC, when they used our workshop space in the past.

At noon, he'd run up to the kitchen for lunch and show me all kinds of neat thingy'ma'jiggies and make them move with batteries and magnets, and - at about a gazillion words per minute - excitedly try to explain everything he was learning to his non-science-minded mother.

It's really cool to see my kid understand stuff I know nothing about. 

I love it when *he* can teach *me* something,

which he does. Often.

I can teach him what I know.

We can look stuff up together.

But it's SOOOO important to find opportunities to learn with other people, experts when possible. Like when he made sushi with a real sushi chef. Or took a plastering workshop with an expert in a specific technique. Last week he took a soap-making workshop. This week he started swimming lessons, to work on his form, with a certified lifeguard. Next week he'll be taking a 3-hour workshop on vegan and raw desserts. And of course his weekly guitar lessons, which are well worth the investment because he is really rockin'!

Some of these learning experiences are expensive, and  we can only afford a few classes. Others are free and just happen naturally with friends, or nice people we meet (like the sushi chef). Either way, the opportunity for Lu to learn with other people is always something we jump at whenever we can.

I, personally, prefer to spend 

whatever money we have for homeschool 

on experiences, rather than on packaged curriculum. 

Any day.

Great Scientists and Lots of Documentaries

Here's Lu with his collection of Famous Scientist posters:

This year, we worked with this book to learn about science through the great discoveries of scientists throughout history:

Each week, Lu would work on one scientist. First, he read and took notes. Then, he designed his poster in pencil. Finally, he colored in the illustrations. The whole process usually took him three hours, over two or three days.

This was an independent project that Lu did entirely on his own, with no mama involvement. But I loved being near when he was reading about the scientist of the week because he would often, with much excitement, stop and ask me things like "DID YOU KNOW that so and so discovered this AMAZING thing?!?!?!"

Learning about science through the scientists turned out to be a really excellent way for Lu to see the evolution of science, the links between discoveries, the arguments and competition, the struggles and frustrations, the politics in science, the role of religion, the setbacks, and the construction of ideas over time.

This book was lacking in women scientists and it didn't include Nikola Tesla. So Lu did some extra internet research to include Tesla, and is planning to do a special report on women in science.

We watched several science documentaries this year:

Nat Geo - Cosmos - A  Space Time Odyssey rocked our world!

BBC - Atom is a three part series that truly boggled our minds.

 

BBC - Life on Earth (1979)  

with our very favorite David Attenborough

We also watched:

History Channel - Scientific Genius, Benjamin Franklin

BBC - Charles Darwin and the Tree of Life

Nat Geo - Albert Einstein Biography

Nova - E=mc2

PBS - Nikola Tesla's Life

BBC - South Pacific

Nat Geo - Wild Kalahari

Watching science and history documentaries 

is something we do as a family at lunchtime, 

and it's one of my favorite parts of the day.

Cha doesn't smoke a pipe, or wear a suit unless someone's getting married, and it's more like the three of us and our four inside dogs (because we also have four outside dogs, I kid you not) trying to squeeze onto the day bed in front of my computer, holding big salad bowls between our knees (not the dogs, they don't like salad).

End of the Rainy Season

Rainy season is coming to an end, 

and our days are looking more and more like this:

Lu's been spending lots of time in the carpentry workshop,

and recently learned how to make 'empanadas'.

We learned all about the Nitrogen and Carbon Cycles.

 There's a Chess Club starting in town!

 We have a new, homemade ping-pong table!

It's still missing a proper net, 

but that hasn't stopped Lu and friends from playing,

with some Twister breaks in between matches :)

Pre-Columbian Societies, Non-Newtonian Fluids, and Natural Building

It's been raining hard and we were on hurricane alert

for a few days. 

Rain or shine, the boy is up and at 'em at 6am,

even though mama sometimes sleeps in until 7.

He's an early riser, no matter what time he goes to bed,

or how gray and cold it is outside.

We're still starting the mornings with guitar practice.

This week, Lu's been learning 

Metallica's Enter Sandman,

Guns 'n' Roses' Sweet Child O' Mine,

and The Beatles' Let It Be.

We've been using DK Eyewitness Books 

as history supplements for three years.

We're currently studying the Ancient Americas.

 Lu loves all the little info bits,

and I like the short-trip-to-the-museum feel of them.

We're usually in the same room when he's reading,

and he frequently stops to say something that starts with:

"MAMA!!! Did you know that......?!?!"

He did a great job on his map of Guatemala.

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I can't tell you how many times Lu has discovered yet another YouTube tutorial for making some kind of goo/slime substance that is then left in a HUGE tupperware, taking up way too much space in MY refrigerator, which after being played with a couple of times is never to be touched again until MAMA finally tosses it.

But this time, he nailed it.

This blue slime, aka a non-Newtonian fluid (aren't we smart?)

((lol. Well, I sure didn't know what that was until now anyway))

is REALLY AWESOME STUFF.

Lu brought it out a few times that we had (grown-up) friends over.

Everyone was playing with it. It's hypnotic.

And it doesn't even need refrigeration :mama happy:

 

  

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Cha had a group of university students from the U.S. 

come to learn about natural building, 

and Lu got to participate in the construction of this bamboo cabin.

 

Thanks for all the great learning experiences, Life!