The Gun Powder Plot. Gudio Fawkes 1605

Building with boxes part 2. Math Revision.

 Our cardboard community was so much fun to make...and a whole lotta math revision to boot!

See Building with Boxes Part 1 for more on this!

It's easy to make your own box community and the addition of lights makes it the results that much more amazing. It helps that my son has an obsession with them:)

 This community could easily be a single house or themed to your own preference.

I can imagine it snow covered for winter, haunted for Halloween..pink for a princess...

 Come on in...there's a party inside!

May your nest be blessed,

Lisa

Linked to: Wow us Wednesdays

Study Star- Revision Idea

 

 This is a 'study star' I made to help my daughter revise her work for an upcoming science exam. (I made it as she has a physical disability making writing laborious and also resulting in individual notes flying everywhere!) I'm sharing in case there are others, like me who have had trouble finding interesting and useful ways of revising a lot of written information!

 She's studying the human digestive system so I started with the mouth, teeth and tongue and saliva. I listed all the enzymes and other key things involved in each stage then moved on to moving food. This covered the oesophagus (esophagus in American spelling I believe...) peristalsis and so on. 

 The 4 pointed star has 3 'pages' per point giving 12 spaces to order and organize all the facts she will need up to the small intestine.  It's easily transported too so she can do a quick cram on the way to the exam :)

To make your own study star simple cut 2 large squares the same size and one smaller (cut more squares for more pages/flaps.) Fold the corners of the square into the middle so the points touch. (See pic one) repeat with all the layers and glue JUST the back of each square (when unfolded it's easy to see the fold lines that make a square) onto the front of the square behind it...

Write the details and personalise it last, you will be surprised how much information these study stars will hold!

May your nest be blessed,

Lisa

Cupcakes, Chemical Change and Pepsin Enzymes!

Yes it is Easter, Easter and more Easter at our house...but most of all...HAPPY Easter to you all!

I hope you have a hot cross bun on the ready with a nice cuppa as you visit today:)

 Above: Our table display, it's not much but I like it's simplicity.

Below: Easter Cupcakes!

 To make these yourself mix and bake your preferred cupcake mix. When cool drizzle over melted white chocolate and place on top a Easter themed chocolate. I made the chocolates using choc molds. One thing I like about these is that by changing the colours and chocolates you can make these for adults of children without any extra expense or hassle.One batch two purposes!

 You can see more of this Easter embellishment I made using recycled and scrap materials on my other blog if it takes your fancy!

 When you teach at home you quickly learn to utilize all opportunities! I wanted a Easter decoration for the window and my son needed to review chemical change...add the two together and you have a burning/chemical change/products Easter egg!

 Did you know carbon glows yellow when it is heated? The yellow part of a flame contains carbon, carbon dioxide and water. Grey in the flame is unburnt vapors and blue is complete burning with carbon dioxide and water present.

 We produced black carbon (soot) by putting tin foil in the yellow part of the flame. 

A change that produces new substances is called CHEMICAL CHANGE. The substance produced by chemical change is called a PRODUCT. In our case Carbon which we used to make these adorable and funny bunnies. Yes my son did put a bunnie in a pot and shoot one out of a canon....BOYS!

 My daughter is studying the digestive system as part of her NCEA science course. Not to be left out she created a Easter Egg showing the break PEPSIN ENZYME breaking down PROTEIN MOLECULES.

 Eventually the protein is broken down so small it can pass into the blood stream (as AMINO ACIDS)

 Pepsin bunnies...check out Little Miss Cute Bunnie and Big Pepsin.

 Smaller protein molecules...unfortunately I forgot to photograph the even smaller bunnies in orange!

 Baby blue Amino Acid Bunnies, next to Too Dang Cute Bunnie from the protein stage...

Can you tell we had fun??

May your nest be blessed!

Lisa

Also linked to:
Share the Joy 

Science Fun 5.Digestive System.

 My daughters gummy snake digestive system. 

We put tracing paper (lunch wrap) over top of a poster and used it as a guide.

Then using the poster and book as a guide she typed labels for each part of the digestive system.

It's pretty cool when after the lesson you get to digest it too!

May your nest be blessed,

Lisa

Science Fun 4: Transpiration and Photosynthesis

 Today we learned about stomata and photosynthesis. The book we are studying looks at how plants live, what processes must take place and why. Transpiration (involving stomata) and photosynthesis are just two of these processes.

 After the book work I decided we should follow up with some fun, hands-on work to really cement what we had learned so this is what we made.

Above: Drawing on the icing lines, turns out he's pretty good with an icing bag!  Conveniently our biscuits also had holes which represented stomata.

The process of transpiration is similar to human's sweating, it is the release of a substance through pores. In the case of plants the pores are called 'stomata' and they are located on the under side of the leaf. Also, the leaves aren't sweating they are breathing.

Carbon Dioxide IN

Oxygen OUT

(The opposite of the exchange that takes place when we breathe.)

This diagram shows both the process of transpiration and photosynthesis.

Photosynthesis is the production of energy (carbohydrates.)

Not all plants do this with the entire leaf but in out diagram it does. We used the image below to make ours.

What a great way to learn! Not only will it be remembered it was thrifty, fun and made me feel like it was the start of spring here and not the start of autumn.


As always, may your nest be blessed.
Lisa


This post is also linked to the French Country Cottage SPRING PARTY. See other entries here.

Science Fun- Specialised Cells. The Goblet Cell.

The goblet cell is a specialized cell. It's purpose is to discharge mucus- aka SNOT and PHLEGM. Exciting stuff for a 13 year old boy and I had no trouble at all getting him actively involved!There are of course many specialized cells in the human body. I chose this one because it was boy friendly!

 Marshmallows represent the Goblet Cell. He used the small pink lollies to represent cilia as well as cells within the gel mucus. That was his idea and I am happy to improvise where needed!  The coloured lolly-sticks are pieces of mucus being discharged but shown in the varying colours mucus (yes the snot!) can come in.

 Icing made not only a good glue but a wonderful cell mucus. It is different to the mucus discharged by the goblet cell, it's more of a lubricant to keep everything working well.Again, my son's input!

 

 Next to the Goblet cells my son made a scale to show the different types of mucus which may end up on your tissue and what they mean in regards to your health.

Next science post is SNOT ROCKETS aka the SNEEZE. Check back soon if you want to see the results of our activities.

May your nest be blessed!

Lisa

Science Fun- Alveloi, Bronchial Group and Gas Exchange

 We are having an amazing, productive week. I love it when things roll this way!

Above: The makings of a fabulous physiology session focusing on the respiratory system.

Below: Reconstruction of the bronchial group and alveloi. They are located inside the lung organ. 

You can click on any image to enlarge them.

 The large pink reconstruction shows large alevolar sac. Ironically the small pink lollies are called 'smokers.' I remember these from when I was a kid, they taste like aniseed but I am not sure how they got there name.

 The above photo shows airway tubes being affected by asthma and as it should look.

The photo below shows gas exchange taking place.

My son reconstructed the Goblet Cell, a specialised cell that discharges mucus, please check back soon to see the lesson :)

May your nest be blessed,

Lisa


Post shared on Pinterest and Share the Joy Thursday.