Finally, a science textbook

Awesome news!

  Just fabulous!!

  Homeschoolers, there is a GIFT for U!!  

Many moons ago a great friend of ours began to venture into the teaching and writing world of science.  She had always been a scientist at heart; 

her mind just worked in the way of botany, biology, and organisms.  

This friend had an idea; that idea has been gifted to the home educating world.

Discovering Intelligent Design

by

Gary Kemper, Hallie Kemper and Casey Luskin

available here

Yes this is a TOTAL PLUG, absoluetely!  

Why?

Because, I took her course, I was one of many guinea piggies homeschooling parents that was asked to teach and study this book, and finally because this is a factual, evidence packed, science book that has inspired our kids to ask real questions about the science behind Darwin, evolution, and through investigation come to their own conclusions, that "life is complicated".

Our kids took this course in the 8th and 9th grades.  Which was, I think, a great starter point before they hit biology and chemistry classes.  They are there now and I can tell you by my own Lucy's experience, this book and course totally prepared her for those heavier classes.  

 "Discovering Intelligent Design is a comprehensive curriculum that presents both the biological and cosmological evidence in support of the theory of intelligent design. It equips young people and adults to critically analyze the arguments in the debate over evolution and intelligent design, and it encourages them to follow the evidence wherever it may lead."

From chapter 10

"... the biggest head-scratcher in evolutionary biology would have to be the origin of the holometabolous insect larva"

Why?  There is such a large jump in complexity for an organism to survive and complete metamorphosis that the theories explained in Darwinian evolution just don't cut it.  The book explains whys in laymen terms.

By the way,

There is also a workbook!

Also available here

*DISCLAIMER::

Yes, I personally know two of the authors.  Though, I was gifted the textbook and workbook I am not affiliated with the publishers and am NOT getting a single cent from this plug. 

 Honest!  

Plugging Science blogging

Lucy has been writing a lot lately.  In fact, there is a stack of essays and reports in her file that I have yet to go through, edit, and grade. Sorry mija.

Have I ever mentioned that editing is NOT my area of strength?  Editing and fractions... (add a shudder of chills here please).

But, that doesn't stop Lucy from writing; and waiting patiently for her papers back.  Bless her heart!

Her latest trend is a cool one though.  It's a science blog.  "A science JOURNAL, mom", she yells out as I say 'blog'.  Okay, it's science, JOURNAL!!

She just started it and shared it with me.  It was nicely done with not a lot of clutter.  Knowing my child, this online journal is going to get a good amount of her attention.  I, then, would like to encourage her.  So I'm going to ask you, who may pop in to read this, to check her stuff out. Especially if you are into science.

If you can offer her any feedback, that would be great!  She's into science.  So any thoughts on what she is observing, or editing of her narrations, would be so very cool of you.  Really it would be cool :0).

Much obliged!!!

Here is the link to the blog journal:

http://scientia-biology.blogspot.com/

Kitchen Science

It's the last week of school (officially anyway).  The kids are excited over the relaxed days of summer fun.  I'm looking forward to getting to those 'undone' and 'need to start' projects laying around the house.  But, since we are a home educating family; school never really goes on break. 
We just tweak things a bit.

Yesterday, we had some kitchen science fun

It was chemistry,

but with taste!

Why does soda pop fizz?

After pouring the water into the test tube of

citric acid and baking soda

they watched the fizz grow.

And had their answer..

"It's the white stuff, it's the white stuff that make the bubbles", yelled out Cecilia.

But how does it taste?

They added some 'artifical' flavoring....

Max chose raspberry and wasn't impressed.

Rose liked her grape and drank it up.

Cecilia took one look at Max and ran out of the room.

Suits me just fine.

The kids don't drink soda anyway.

I think we're off to a good start on our 'summer break'

Next up,

Why do cupcakes rise?

Bent, blue, and sparkling

Snowflakes!

 

Lucy had to tug hers out of the jar

it's best to use the suggested WIDE mouth jars for this project...I just didn't have any around

It was a chemistry lesson

with fabulous results

Snowflakes for Southern Cali

Unless we take a drive up to the mountains we don't get the kind of weather that is currently hitting Texas.   But, we like the snow and more specifically, snowflakes.   It being winter and with the storms that we are seeing through out the states; a snowflake theme was just screaming for attention.

We happily obliged.

In our science basket we've been reading

     

 

For art

we allowed the talented Kathy Barbro to teach and inspire us.  We used her "snowflake resist watercolor" grid lesson.  So easy and cute!  

Then we had fun making our own snowflakes.

there are a few sites with the directions, here is one

The kids twisted and cut their 'snowflakes'

then with some boiling water and borax

a little bit of magic happens

tomorrow we get to see the results

very excited

Bird Watching for our nature studies

I am excited to see so many options available for our nature study.  Here are some areas I want to look into for the kids and the cousins to participate in:

1.  ebird

• a year long bird count and FREE

2.  project feeder watch

• a winter watch program
• $15 charge but comes with a research kit and has good homeschool resources on the site

3.  the great backyard bird count

• this is the one our friend does every year and it's free
• only 4 days in Feburary