Homeschool 2011-2012 Week 2

Getting into a good grove.  We got all our science books in the mail and started our study of Earth and space.  Our first experiment helped to illustrate why the Earth’s heat level remains constant (to better understand the role our atmosphere plays in temperature control.)

We put a thermometer inside a small plastic bag filled with air and secured the opening with a twist tie.  Then we put the small bag in a larger bag, also filled with air and secured with a twist tie.  Then we placed the bags in direct sunlight and put a thermometer nearby.

After 30 minutes the temperature outside the bag was 120 degrees!  The inside bag was 131 degrees.  Yikes.

Next the bags were placed in a dark closet.  Hmm, the towel shelf looks low, need to do a load soon.  And while it looks bright and shiny, it’s just my flash, the closet is indeed dark.

Don’t know what this has to do with our experiment, but it was part of the pics ds3 took.  Look at the cute markings on her belly.  :)  So, after 30 minutes in the dark closet, the thermometer outside the bag read 69 degrees (prompting me to seriously think of moving into the closet for the remainder of the summer) and the bag inside was 78 degrees.  I then had the boys narrate their findings and observations to me and I filled in their worksheet.  As the year progresses I will have them write these narrations on their own.

In geography, ds3 has been learning about using scales to measure the distance between cities.  When he is actually doing the worksheets it seems like he isn’t interested, but he surprised me with a homemade map, complete with scale, of some place in his Legend of Zelda video game.  Stuff like that is always reassuring to homeschooling mamas.

We spent the week doing school mainly in the afternoon, which I have never liked.  I guess it’s all those years of going to school for me that has ingrained in my brain that the morning hours are for work and the afternoon hours are supposed to be free.  But there were various reasons everyone slept in a lot this week and it was just easier to start school after lunch, when normally we are done before lunch.  I was surprised that we did actually get school done, and I guess we can keep afternoon schooling open as an option, but for the record, I still don’t like it.  :)  Week 2 is through.  Now excuse me while I pack for my move to the closet (now known as Mom’s Summer House.)