Notebook Studies: Scientific method, and applied science.

This week is about finishing off what we didn't get to last time we did science and then moving onto the next section. This should leave us with geology for the rest of the term. I'm still blending hubby's website with Apologia. I have no idea why I'm trying to put the two together except that its easier than just following hubby's. (Eitherthat or I sell my Apologia books and use the funds to buy lab equipment. )

1. Finishing of the chapter on applied science. As an intro back into science well work through hubby's website on lab equipment.
   Then Following a method - Making a pumice-like rock. (effectively Hokey Pokey) what causes the mixture to foam up.
   
   Working through the experiment in Exploring Creation with General Science. The aim of this is to look at what we are trying to do when we do an experiment. Be careful with observations.
   
   
   
2. Work through how to draw scientific equipment in order to document experiments.
   Work on recording observations.
   
   Designing an experiment to use only one variable - looking at testing whether coffee with milk in it cools faster than coffee without milk.
   
   
3. Simple machines and Levers - read the section. complete the experiment with the leaver and 5 coins. Take notes on board as we go through the work to ensure that we have the right information. Have some fun working out mechanical advantages for different levers. We might want to get the How Things Work video out from the library for this one.
   
   
4. The Wheel and Axle. the pulley, the inclined plane and the screw. Following the process in the previous day. Again have some fun with the maths part of this. (There are some huge advantages of getting the kids to see that math contributes to science.)
   

Writing and Art: This hopefully is the last of our ski weeks. So for that reason I haven't sorted out a plan for our Art and Writing projects.

Art would come in the form of a nature journal of the students choice.

For writing Take one of these simple machines and right a poem reflecting on there use or benefits.

Or similarly take one of the simple machines and write an encomium about it. Work through ideas on the board first so that they have an idea of how this form could be applied to an object rather than a person.