Cajun Cottage Under the Oaks

Update on George the Flea

Remember our pet flea science project?

Anyone?

Well, we found dear George deceased as of Saturday, Jan. 28th.  So he lived in a ziplock sandwich bag for approximately 5 days.  I think he would have lasted longer had he not exerted so much energy trying to get out of the bag.

On-going Science Project

<p>Homeschoolers will classify anything as science.</p> <p>Our science project this week has become...<a href="http://caygibson.typepad.com/cays_cajun_cottage/2006/01/humility_or_inv.html">the flea</a>!</p> <p>Day Two:&nbsp; <a href="http://caygibson.typepad.com/cays_cajun_cottage/2006/01/humility_or_inv.html">the flea</a> is still alive.&nbsp; How long will he last with no food, water, nice warm hairy dog to munch on, ...</p> <p>Stay tuned...</p>

On-going Science Project

Homeschoolers will classify anything as science.

Our science project this week has become...the flea!

Day Two:  the flea is still alive.  How long will he last with no food, water, nice warm hairy dog to munch on, ...

Stay tuned...

Mouse on Wheels

<p><a onclick="window.open(this.href, '_blank', 'width=800,height=408,scrollbars=no,resizable=no,toolbar=no,directories=no,location=no,menubar=no,status=no,left=0,top=0'); return false" href="http://caygibson.typepad.com/.shared/image.html?/photos/uncategorized/mouseonwheels_1.jpg"><img title="Mouseonwheels_1" height="51" alt="Mouseonwheels_1" src="https://caygibson.typepad.com/cays_cajun_cottage/images/mouseonwheels_1.jpg" width="100" border="0" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 5px 5px 0px" /></a> As I said in an earlier post, we have been very lax with science around our house...other than nature study.</p> <p>So I've been allowing lots of Discovery Channel viewing and pulling lots of living science books and strewing them around the house and vehicle.&nbsp; I also pulled out the <a href="http://www.setonbooks.com/viewone.php?ToView=P-SC02-11"><strong>Grade 2 Seton Science book</strong></a> because we use workbooks at table time.</p> <p><a onclick="window.open(this.href, '_blank', 'width=727,height=1008,scrollbars=no,resizable=no,toolbar=no,directories=no,location=no,menubar=no,status=no,left=0,top=0'); return false" href="http://caygibson.typepad.com/.shared/image.html?/photos/uncategorized/starmouse.jpg"><img title="Starmouse" height="138" alt="Starmouse" src="https://caygibson.typepad.com/cays_cajun_cottage/images/starmouse.jpg" width="100" border="0" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 5px 5px 0px" /></a> DQ reads a chapter aloud to me and we discuss each page as we go.&nbsp; </p> <p>After our science &quot;lesson&quot;, as she ran off to watch yet <em>another </em>episode of Animal Planet, I spied the picture (upper lefthand corner) in her science book.&nbsp; If you look closely you'll see a little mouse on wheels racing across the orbit.&nbsp; </p> <p><span style="color: #cc0000;">(To see the little mouse, click on each bigger for a larger version.)</span></p> <p>I flipped the pages of her science book and saw this little mouse literally living amongst the stars as you can see in the second picture.</p> <p><a onclick="window.open(this.href, '_blank', 'width=800,height=595,scrollbars=no,resizable=no,toolbar=no,directories=no,location=no,menubar=no,status=no,left=0,top=0'); return false" href="http://caygibson.typepad.com/.shared/image.html?/photos/uncategorized/mouserocket.jpg"><img title="Mouserocket" height="74" alt="Mouserocket" src="https://caygibson.typepad.com/cays_cajun_cottage/images/mouserocket.jpg" width="100" border="0" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 5px 5px 0px" /></a>Here's a picture of him rocketing through space and another one of him waving from a stopwatch and one of him reading his science book.</p> <p><a onclick="window.open(this.href, '_blank', 'width=757,height=881,scrollbars=no,resizable=no,toolbar=no,directories=no,location=no,menubar=no,status=no,left=0,top=0'); return false" href="http://caygibson.typepad.com/.shared/image.html?/photos/uncategorized/stopwatch.jpg"><img title="Stopwatch" height="116" alt="Stopwatch" src="https://caygibson.typepad.com/cays_cajun_cottage/images/stopwatch.jpg" width="100" border="0" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 5px 5px 0px" /></a> I find myself so eager to see where this little mouse's next adventures will take him.&nbsp; He'll make our journey into science just that more exciting.</p> <p><span style="color: #cc0000;">(To see the little mouse, click on each bigger for a larger version.)</span></p> <p><a onclick="window.open(this.href, '_blank', 'width=780,height=437,scrollbars=no,resizable=no,toolbar=no,directories=no,location=no,menubar=no,status=no,left=0,top=0'); return false" href="http://caygibson.typepad.com/.shared/image.html?/photos/uncategorized/bookmouse.jpg"><img title="Bookmouse" height="56" alt="Bookmouse" src="https://caygibson.typepad.com/cays_cajun_cottage/images/bookmouse.jpg" width="100" border="0" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 5px 5px 0px" /></a> </p> <p>Pictures are taken from <a href="http://www.setonbooks.com/viewone.php?ToView=P-SC02-11"><strong>Seton's Science 2 book</strong></a> for the sake of showing off DQ's spacemouse.</p>

Mouse on Wheels

As I said in an earlier post, we have been very lax with science around our house...other than nature study.

So I've been allowing lots of Discovery Channel viewing and pulling lots of living science books and strewing them around the house and vehicle.  I also pulled out the Grade 2 Seton Science book because we use workbooks at table time.

DQ reads a chapter aloud to me and we discuss each page as we go. 

After our science "lesson", as she ran off to watch yet another episode of Animal Planet, I spied the picture (upper lefthand corner) in her science book.  If you look closely you'll see a little mouse on wheels racing across the orbit. 

(To see the little mouse, click on each bigger for a larger version.)

I flipped the pages of her science book and saw this little mouse literally living amongst the stars as you can see in the second picture.

Here's a picture of him rocketing through space and another one of him waving from a stopwatch and one of him reading his science book.

I find myself so eager to see where this little mouse's next adventures will take him.  He'll make our journey into science just that more exciting.

(To see the little mouse, click on each bigger for a larger version.)

Pictures are taken from Seton's Science 2 book for the sake of showing off DQ's spacemouse.

Edible Science ~ Yum!

<p>This week I'm searching for edible science projects to do next week.&nbsp; It helps to do this in advance because one must go shopping to stock the lab.&nbsp; &nbsp;There are three candy projects mentioned here.&nbsp; I think we'll do those on Monday-Wednesday-Friday so we don't overdo the sugar rush.</p> <p>Here are some links I've found so far:</p> <p><a href="http://www.madsci.org/experiments/"><strong>Edible Science Experiments</strong></a> (make sure it says 'edible'---I'm eager to try the <a href="http://www.madsci.org/experiments/archive/860029125.Ch.html"><strong>Chewing Light</strong></a> experiment for Chemistry, easy-no-fail experiments are right up my alley.)</p> <p>Two Books:&nbsp; <a href="http://www.directclassroom.com/fs99245.html"><strong>A Taste of Science</strong></a> &amp; <a href="http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/asin/0316034436/houseoflitera-20"><strong><span style="color: #990099;">Blood and Guts</span></strong></a></p> <p><a href="http://www.lessonplanspage.com/ScienceEdibleAtomLab-ForPeriodicTableAtomsGoodIdea46.htm"><strong>Edible Atoms and Periodic Table</strong></a> (candy alert!)</p> <p><a href="http://www.mada.org.il/website/html/eng/6/6-17.htm"><strong>DNA Strand Made From Candy</strong></a> (candy alert!)</p> <p><span style="color: #cc0000;"><strong>(Candy alert!) </strong></span><span style="color: #cc0000;"><strong>Four Components of blood and their amounts</strong> (this is from a slip of paper that I wrote a long time ago---back when oldest was in 4th grade---and have used every year since.&nbsp; I don't remember what book I copied it from, but just so you'll know it is not my idea):</span></p> <p><span style="color: #cc0000;"><strong>Red Hots </strong>44% (Red Blood Cells carry oxygen and carbon dioxide around the body. They live for about 3 months but are continuously produced in bone marrow.)</span></p> <p><span style="color: #cc0000;"><strong>Corn Syrup</strong> 55% (Plasma is syrupy, thick, clear, yellowish liquid that carries dissolved food and wastes.)</span></p> <p><span style="color: #cc0000;"><strong>White Jelly Beans </strong>1/2% (White Blood Cells are bigger than red cells, odd-shaped cells that 'eat' bits of old blood cells and attack germs.)</span></p> <p><span style="color: #cc0000;"><strong>Candy Sprinkles </strong>1/2% (Platelets are bits of cells and cytoplasm that helps your blood to clot.)</span></p> <p>Enough candy.&nbsp; Let's...<a href="http://sciencekit.com/article.asp_Q_ai_E_265#edible"><strong>Make a Salad with all the parts of a flower</strong></a>:</p> <p>Here’s what you do: </p> <li>Put in some ROOTS – shredded carrots, chopped onions </li> <li>Put in some LEAVES – lettuce, cabbage, spinach, </li> <li>Put in some SEEDS –sunflower seeds, poppy seeds, peas, chick peas </li> <li>Put in some FRUIT – tomatoes, green beans, cucumbers slices, orange segments </li> <li>Put in some STEMS – celery, asparagus </li> <li>Put in some FLOWERS – broccoli, cauliflower </li> <li>Mix your salad all together. Put on your favorite dressing and enjoy eating a plant!</li> <p>We'll focus on the <a href="http://kidshealth.org/kid/stay_healthy/food/pyramid.html"><strong>Food Groups and Food Pyramid</strong></a> for the sake of the little girls and to refresh our memory.&nbsp; <a href="http://www.printablechecklists.com/checklist84a.shtml"><strong>Printable Food Pyramid.</strong></a>&nbsp; <a href="http://www.printablechecklists.com/checklist85a.shtml"><strong>Color version.</strong></a></p> <p>We will keep a <a href="http://class.fst.ohio-state.edu/FST201/syllabus/foodchart.htm"><strong>food chart and track our food intake</strong></a> for 5 days.</p> <p>And if you want to feed the birds at the same time, here's a keen <a href="http://www.birdwatchersdigest.com/site/backyard_birds/gardening/seed_chart.aspx"><strong>backyard bird food chart</strong></a>.</p>

Edible Science ~ Yum!

This week I'm searching for edible science projects to do next week.  It helps to do this in advance because one must go shopping to stock the lab.   There are three candy projects mentioned here.  I think we'll do those on Monday-Wednesday-Friday so we don't overdo the sugar rush.

Here are some links I've found so far:

Edible Science Experiments (make sure it says 'edible'---I'm eager to try the Chewing Light experiment for Chemistry, easy-no-fail experiments are right up my alley.)

Two Books:  A Taste of Science & Blood and Guts

Edible Atoms and Periodic Table (candy alert!)

DNA Strand Made From Candy (candy alert!)

(Candy alert!) Four Components of blood and their amounts (this is from a slip of paper that I wrote a long time ago---back when oldest was in 4th grade---and have used every year since.  I don't remember what book I copied it from, but just so you'll know it is not my idea):

Red Hots 44% (Red Blood Cells carry oxygen and carbon dioxide around the body. They live for about 3 months but are continuously produced in bone marrow.)

Corn Syrup 55% (Plasma is syrupy, thick, clear, yellowish liquid that carries dissolved food and wastes.)

White Jelly Beans 1/2% (White Blood Cells are bigger than red cells, odd-shaped cells that 'eat' bits of old blood cells and attack germs.)

Candy Sprinkles 1/2% (Platelets are bits of cells and cytoplasm that helps your blood to clot.)

Enough candy.  Let's...Make a Salad with all the parts of a flower:

Here’s what you do:

Put in some ROOTS – shredded carrots, chopped onions

Put in some LEAVES – lettuce, cabbage, spinach,

Put in some SEEDS –sunflower seeds, poppy seeds, peas, chick peas

Put in some FRUIT – tomatoes, green beans, cucumbers slices, orange segments

Put in some STEMS – celery, asparagus

Put in some FLOWERS – broccoli, cauliflower

Mix your salad all together. Put on your favorite dressing and enjoy eating a plant!

We'll focus on the Food Groups and Food Pyramid for the sake of the little girls and to refresh our memory.  Printable Food Pyramid.  Color version.

We will keep a food chart and track our food intake for 5 days.

And if you want to feed the birds at the same time, here's a keen backyard bird food chart.

One Brick at a Time

Building Interest in Science (One Brick at a Time) by Michael Hill

"The crowd whoops and claps. Referees in striped shirts watch over young robot-makers who anxiously track their Lego creations zipping and turning on tabletops.

"They want to kick-start interest in science and engineering among kids ---a subject that is lately preoccupying American business and academic leaders. The fear is that a dearth of new science students will erode the nation's competitive advantages as the 21st century progresses. Some educators have responded by adding a little sizzle---going beyond books and lectures to teach concepts through cartoons, videos and competitions like the long-running FIRST series that made a recent stop at RPI.

"The goal is to create in the culture passion among kids to do something," said FIRST founder Dean Kamen, best known for inventing the scooter-like Segway. "I think the trouble is our culture does create a passion for kids, but their passion is related to one of two industries: entertainment or sports."

There's widespread fear that too few kids are interested in science these days and that the pipeline producing the next generation of American scientists is dribbling."

"...the kids are asked questions in post-competition interviews like 'How'd you feel about that round?'  The robots stall and ram into walls a lot.  When machines miss their marks, the kids try over.

Just like scientists."

Go inside the LEGO factory and click the #'s to see how a LEGO brick is made and packaged.  The Making of a  Brick.

Here's an interesting twist.  Is there a gender gap in Children's Toy?