We studied electricity last week - and are again this week. As with most things, we play it by ear. I found some books at the library about circuits, and wiring. Checked out the Magic School Bus and Max Axiom books, both of which always have great ways to teach kids, especially boys, about science. We've talked about magnets, and static electricity. We've talked about the filament in lightbulbs, and how they have evolved over time.
I keep saying we are going to do a "real" experiment one of these days - create a circuit with a 9v and wire, and an on and off switch.... but I keep chickening out. I sure wish Daddy wasn't out of town!
Our quote of the week is from Thomas Edison, "Genius is one percent inspiration and 99 percent perspiration", which makes a beautiful handwriting exercise, as well as stretching his vocabulary.
We've thrown in some spelling words. Besides the obvious ones; electric, wire, magnet, Edison, I wanted him to think about ways to create electricity; Solar, wind, coal. I even threw in a doozy - Lightbulb. We'll see if he can memorize that one!
I nearly fussed at him, thinking I had lost his attention altogether - I wanted him to at least try to pay attention, even if it was above his grade level.
But then I looked down and saw what he was scribbling.
The other page, and remember, it was spur of the moment so don't judge his handwriting or drawing skills by this example, has a picture of: 1) Edison having a brilliant idea, a lightbulb going off in his head! 2: oh, wait, that picture is the automatic telegraph machine... 3: The first motion picture Edison recorded on film was a sneeze. Canaan thought that was cool. 4: Edison also invented the phonograph, or record player. Canaan's idea of exactly what that is might be slightly warped... he calls it a giant CD player!
That is a day in our life. The thing is, our days change so much, you never know what you are going to get!
Yesterday morning we decided to repot several houseplants - and because of that we googled the parts of a plant, and talked about fertilization, pollenating, and honeybees, and Canaan became the teacher for a while, telling his brother that we need plants because they "clean the air and give us oxygen".
A Trio Bumble bee (with batman wings)After playing in the dirt I needed to shower. I told them that after their handwriting was done (Zion had to write his Bb's, Canaan his spelling words and quote of the week) they could cut from old magazines and make collages. When I came out Canaan was trying to decide if the shape he had created had a name. I told him to count the sides - it had eight. That means it is an Octagon. "But Mommy, a stopsign is an Octagon, and this doesn't look anything like a stopsign." Back to the internet we went. I found a fabulous site with the definition spelled out, the geometric angles explained, and a part that lets you create any shaped irregular octagon you want. Canaan got really creative with his Octagon-ing.
I suppose that is why I love the term "unschooler". We study what strikes us that morning. Obviously, if nothing strikes us, I have to have a backup plan... because we can't sit around all day every day playing Legos. But most days, something strikes us, and we are off!
And that, is a day in the life....