Simple Machines

"The front of the boat is a wedge, Mom."

Simple machines are explored in physics this week with games.

Do you know the list of 6 simple machines? Not first class this or 3rd class that, SIMPLE.

More about Laws of Motion

Newton's 3rd Law of Motion describes an action and reaction. We saw this when the "paddle" on the carton boat was wound up on a rubber band and then allowed to rotate and make the carton boat travel the length of the bathtub.






The Ping Pong Popper was fun for each of my Gs because I let each one make the project and "shoot" each other with ping pong balls as well as heavier rubber balls. We compared the distance each could travel.  The re-use of toilet paper holders was wonderful ;-)



October was Busy

October is almost over. We've made a Native American Indian costume for our Indian Princess (pictures later). We've visited a fire station during Fire Prevention Month.   We learned that it is ok to call the 911 number for emergencies and that firemen all dressed up in their protective gear are ok to help us in an emergency.

  There was a friend's birthday party in the park with kickball. We haven't played that much organized kickball and it was a blast!  The home school family nearby held their annual bonfire in their backyard for many folks.  And we got to play in the dark with many friends. Then we made s'mores. We were all very tired after that trip.

We went to the corn maze again this year and found new stuff to enjoy.  Yes, that is a concrete culvert that was made into a platform for the slide from a home store.  The remainder of the sides were stabilized by wood chips.  A wonderful season of soccer was enjoyed by all 3Gs on the same team with a favorite coach.  There was raking and jumping on the neighbor's trampoline. It was a good month.

We got to have another French lesson at our tutor's home which included playtime with her son who is also the same age as these 3Gs. And finally, we got to visit the water treatment plant with another friend's dad who works there.  He took several hours to teach our whole family important lessons about our finite amount of water resource we have and how it is treated with several different systems after people in this city use it.

Physics Rocket?

Laws of Motion

St Paul's Cathedral

After Munich, Salzburg, Ankara, Izmir, Istanbul, Rome, Edinburgh and now London, we've many sites to use for comparison of elaborate buildings.  The organ concert on Sunday evening was a positive for this church.  Lord Nelson's grave site was a positive too. AND it WAS too BIG for an entire picture of the front facade after all. 

Edinburgh & a Glasgow Suburb

Scotland's Expensive Parliament Building from inside.

This is an abbey from medieval times near Glasgow.

This is our first professional futbol match. Scottish Premier league.

French Lessons with a Saint

I first called her an angel, but I KNOW that she'd never accept that title. BUT, she can not deny that she is a SAINT. She memorizes scripture because she lives for Jesus. Or the other way around. She is a full-time wife and mother, daughter and sister. She glows in front of us and aches with us when we hurt.

She is taking over French lesson duty b/c the Daddy has seen his limitations with working for our living AND teaching Latin. God said, "Here." Our saintly French teacher came into the scene and took over the French lesson yesterday with a swhoosh.

Complexions and Proportions

    

Have you ever thought about how to draw a face with the correct proportions. THEN, there is also a challenge to paint a face with a different complexion than yours (ie. camouflage, African American or Native American). Our Artistic Pursuits lesson described Mary Cassatt's work as well as how to paint people in everyday life. Cassatt was an American Impressionist painter who was not allowed to do her work in public. So, she painted the everyday life of people she knew, women and children.

GEARS

Physics this week delved into the reproduction of seven machines which use gears.  The Way Things Work by David Macaulay conveyed wonderful information using mammoth power to cause work to the gears went right along with the K'nex Education kit. I struggled with the amount of money spent on the kit for 7 projects. BUT, it did cause people to learn.  They didn't actually always learn how to make something work, but how to handle disappointment when something didn't work. The projects were VERY independent. Thus the money spent on this kit was well worth it in that in the form of a childcare correlation. I wonder if books will someday be "worth" more when these three spend peaceful time learning independently.  Below are pictured the blender, chainsaw and phonography.

Reflections & Observations of the Ancient at the British Museum

Assyrians and the Fertile Crescent

The Rosetta Stone

 

When you hear Elgin Marbles,

don't think round glass balls.

 "Mummies, are you serious Mom?"

Under a Harvest Moon In London

Trafalgar French Cannon Lions
Jubilee Bridge (Queen Victoria)

 London Eye from Jubilee Bridge
Roman Wall Remains

Science & History Field Trip

To Westminster Abbey with the sun shining in London.

There was a BRILLIANT children's activity.  Four pages of well designed questions that didn't necessarily have to have a correct answer!  AND, a 3" diameter chocolate coin when you turned in the clipboard at the end.  SCORE!
BONUS: We visited Isaac Newton's burial place in the second picture near the end of the visit. We were feeling pretty snarky by then to have done all the work on the first day off the plane without a nap.

Near Salisbury England - Field Trip Stop to Stonehenge

We helped Papa check off something on his bucket list.
I wonder if my 3Gs will fathom the depths of their experiences someday...
Said the Mum