Some Super Scientific Fun with Liam and Laney

In an effort to save some curriculum money, I decided that this year I would use the library and the books I already have on hand to teach science.  After three weeks of frustration & uncertainty, I stumbled upon the fact that the Apologia Educational Ministries recently published a chemistry/physics book for the junior crowd.  I was sooo thrilled and immediately purchased the book--Exploring Creating with Chemistry and Physics.  I felt sheepish to tell Barry of my impulsivity, but part of me didn't care as I am not one to re-create a curriculum wheel.  I'm good at making a someone else's plan work for my needs, but I'm not good at creating my own lesson plans.  (Picture of paper pieces are to show that things get smaller and smaller, so small that eventually we can't see them with our eyes and will need a microscope to see the ity bity atoms that make up this wonderful world we live in.)

So with the help of this book we are beginning to have quite a lot of fun.  We are exploring atoms, chemical matter and physical matter.  Properties, matter, volume, and mass, density, buoyancy and luster are (hopefully) somewhat embedded in my two littles brains.  If they are anything like me-- probably not....but at least I better understand it now.  However, if they are anything like Connor  they have probably figured it out by now and  one day I'll have two or three physics oriented brainiacs.  (By age 6 Connor said he realized Newton's first law of motion, although he didn't have the words to express it.  Such and observant child.  I do see these qualities in Liam with science.  Delaney's such a deep thinker too it will be wonderful to see where this goes.)

The book has so may "Try This!" projects, note-booking activities and larger science projects that we will be busy, busy busy this year.

These pictures represent the experiments we've done to observe density, buoyancy and volume.  Above, the rock outside of the measure cup and then inside--volume.
The egg in the two jars--one of them has water, the other salt water--density
Below--the four different colored water cups--this was about density too, but he experiment-- didn't work--I'm sure there will be more of these, but we still had fun.

This was our favorite....the layers--honey, corn syrup, dish washing soap, milk, rubbing alcohol, vegetable oil and water.  After the different liquids settled into their layers (due to density) we then dropped in different objects and watched them sink until if found a level that was more dense that it did.  Obviously.....

....the die was the densest object and sank to the bottom!