Lighthouses Week #3 (and North Carolina Study)

Tot School – 33 months

Boat Stamps

Building a Flashlight (one of many great Montessori activities found in the Montessori at Home ebook)

Sailboat Pattern Cards

Sailboat Magnet Page (printed in color)

Letter B box

Do-a-dot Boat Page (printed in black and white)

5yo – K

Tangram Lighthouses

Lighthouse Word Search

Lighthouse dot-to-dot

We also did week #3 from Amanda Bennett’s Lighthouse Unit Study

Lighthouse Science (These activities were taken from the book Lighthouses for Kids: History, Science, and Lore with 21 Activities (For Kids series)

Making our own polish and polishing pieces of copper pipes (in place of brass)

Fresnel Lenses and how prisms bend light

How ball bearings helped to turn lenses

Experimenting with the density of liquids (Fresnel lenses were floated in mercury to help them turn faster), Float or sink?


Building a working lighthouse

North Carolina Study

North Carolina 3 Part Cards

Making Chocolatey Pudding Surprise (North Carolina is the leading US Sweet Potato producer, at 40% of all US Sweet Potato production)

The baby liked it best!

And my Awesome Aunt Jackie sent me a ton of North Carolina Lighthouse Postcards!!

Books we read

Other Lighthouse Units:
Week 1 - Massachusetts
Week 2 - Oregon

Week 3 - North Carolina

Week 4 - Maine

Linking up with (see buttons on the right sidebar for links)
Tot School
Montessori Monday
Teach Me Tuesday
Link & Learn
What My Child is Reading
Preschool Corner
No Ordinary Blog Hop
Science Sunday
The Sunday Showcase

DIY Light Box

Well this was quite the process, I think I drove my husband crazy with this little project, but good news is that I have hopefully worked out any kinks, which will make the project all the more easier for you! 

Prototype 1 -

I felt like I had the perfect thing for a light box, it was a wooden box with a slide plexi-glass top, I coated the plexi glass with white contact and went and bought a light…but it was too thick.  So I returned it and got a different light…they fit, but were too close to the plexi- glass surface, so basically I determined the wood box was not DEEP enough.  This COULD have worked if it was about twice as deep as it was.

Prototype 2 -

I decided to try out another container I already had – a plastic shoe box.  I lined the bottom with white contact paper, and cut black paper to line the sides, and placed aluminum foil in the lid (for the bottom) with the lights on top.  This worked well, but the working surface was so small.  I may still use this one, but I really wanted a larger surface area.

Prototype 3 -

I went to the store to find some Christmas lights on clearance to try out in Prototype 1, and they were all sold out.  I did find a larger, deeper plastic container on sale for $6 and picked it up.  I lined the top half with contact paper, and the bottom half with aluminum foil, and places the 3 pack of lights inside that  I had bought previously.  They were not bright enough…so I pulled out some Christmas lights I had, and they worked well, except that a large section was not lit. 

Prototype 4 – THE FINALIST

Using the same container, I purchased some frosting paint, and some black plastic spray paint.  I also purchased a long florescent light and some spray glue.  I removed the contact paper and aluminum foil that I had on it (as pictured above) and painted it (as pictured below). I mounted the new light on the side, and glued a piece of aluminum to the bottom.  I think I may add one more florescent light to the opposite side, but otherwise I’m very happy with the results!

I got my ideas and suggestions for materials to use with the light table from a variety of sources you can find them pinned on my Light Box board at pinterest.

Here is some of the great stuff I’ve ordered to work with on the table (I know I got a bit carried away)

Butternut Squash (more CSA recipes)

 

Another use for our CSA Butternut Squash, I used this Rachel Ray Recipe to make a deceptive Macaroni and Cheese Dish.  This is only half of the recipe, the other half I threw in the freezer.  It was good, but wasn’t my favorite or the kids, I think it might taste better if you threw some ham into it or something to make it a more hearty main dish.

CREAMY ONE POT PASTA

Another dish I made (and forgot to take pictures, sorry) with our CSA broccoli and our own garden cherry tomatoes – It’s a spin off of a Pampered Chef recipe..

Creamy Pasta with Broccoli and Tomatoes -

Ingredients -
1T olive oil
4 large garlic cloves peeled and sliced
3 cans chicken broth (5 1/4c)
1 lb shortcut pasta (like penne)
1 head of broccoli (2c)
2 cups cherry tomatoes
4 oz cream cheese
1/4t salt
1/2t pepper
1 1/2 t dried oregano
1 1/2t dried basil
Parmesan cheese, grated

Directions -
1.  Place garlic and 1T of olive oil into an 8qt stockpot, cook over medium heat 2-3minutes or until garlic is golden brown, stirring occasionally.  Remove from heat; add broth.  Return to burner; increase heat to high.  Cover and bring to a boil.  Add pasta; cover and simmer vigorously 8-10min or until pasta is almost cooked but still firm, stirring occasionally.
2.  Meanwhile, cut broccoli into small florets and set aside with tomatoes.
3.  Cut cream cheese into cubes.  Add vegetables, cream cheese, salt and black pepper, oregano, and basil to pasta; stir until cream cheese is melted and fully incorporated.  Reduce heat to medium; cover and cook an additional 2-3min or until vegetables are tender.  Top with Parm.

Field Trip #31 Friday Blog Hop

Field Trip Friday!

 

A Blog Hop designed to share 'FIELD TRIP' related Blog Posts

(does not have to be a 'home school field trip', can be any trip to any place with your children!)

 

 

Saturday we went to the shopping center to watch the lion dancing for the Chinese New Year.  The lions would dance outside of a store and even around inside it.  At the end of the dance the lion reaches up to eat a cabbage, or other fruit or object suspended above the doorway.  People also feed the lions dollars.  We fed a couple of bills and ensured our good fortune in the next year. Q's luck was so good that he even won a gift certificate at a spin the wheel.  Zane didn't care for the lions and needed a little assistance.  The band playing for the lion was very loud, and a lot of the participants wore earplugs.  No fireworks, but it was still pretty fun to watch. 

 

 

 

**NOTE:  Before linking up please review guidelines HERE

Homeschool Brag Time Thursday Hop #12

<center><a href="http://chestnutgroveacademy.blogspot.com/p/brag-time-blog-hop.html" target="_blank"><img alt="Chestnut Grove Academy" src="http://i783.photobucket.com/albums/yy117/williamsmk/HSBlogHeader-004.jpg"/></a></center>

Welcome to Homeschool Brag Time Thursday!

Come link up your Homeschool related posts to 'brag' about the great things you and your kids are doing! Browse around and see what others are up to as well! (Please link up the direct URL of the post you are 'bragging' about!)

Please Follow your hosts and grab our Brag Time Button to display in your post or on your blog so others can join in the fun as well! (Failure to follow these specific guidelines will result in your link up being deleted, so PLEASE be sure to 1) link up the direct URL of your post and 2) post the hop button on your post or blog (where we can find it).  We also kindly ask that you follow us, we WILL follow you back!) Thank you!

Montessori Print Shop turns 8!! Giveaways!!

I use several of the Montessori Print Shop Materials in our Homeschool....and now you have a chance to win some of them for FREE!  Montessori Print Shop is celebrating their 8th year, and is hosting several giveaways with really GREAT Prizes!!

You can find all the details HERE

Here is what you could win!

#8   4 Primary Montessori Teaching Manuals
       Starts Thurs Jan 19 - ends Thurs Jan 26th, 2012.
        

#7 - Zoology Nomenclature Cards Bundle
       Starts Thurs Jan 19 - ends Thurs Jan 26th, 2012.

   

#6 - Geometry Bundle
       Starts Fri Jan 20 - Ends Fri Jan 27th, 2012

 #5 - Animals Bundle #2
Starts Fri Jan 20 - Ends Fri Jan 27th, 2012

#4 - Montessori At Home! Materials Bundle and Montessori At Home! eBookStarts Mon Jan 23 - Ends Mon Jan dt, 2012



#3 - World Maps Bundle & Land and Water Forms Bundle
Starts Mon Jan 23 - Ends Mon Jan 30th, 2012
      

#2 - Pink, Blue & Green Language Series Bundles
Starts Tues Jan 24 - Ends Tues Jan 31, 2012
Montessori Pink Phonetic Language Series Bundle


Montessori Blue Phonetic Language Series Bundle


Montessori Green Phonogram Language Series Bundle

Birthday Gift #1 - Deluxe CD Rom CollectionStarts Tues Jan 24 - Ends Tues Jan 31, 2012
All 1077 Montessori Files in a 2 Disc CD Rom Collection.

Lighthouses Week #2 (and Oregon State Study)

This was a short week, we started off with a field trip on Monday, and then Tuesday was co-op, so that only left Wed-Fri for workboxes…but here is what we did!

Tot School – 14mos

I just could not resist when I found this lighthouse on Amazon, it has windows and little stuffed sea animals. Unipak 12" Light House (New).  c had a lot of fun pulling the animals out, we talked about each animal, their color, etc.  Z (2.5) also had fun with this.   

If you haven’t already check out my Week 1 post, do so, it’s got lots of printables and other great resources for Lighthouses!!
For Z this week, we kept his boxes the same as last week, he’ll get some new stuff next week!

C’s workboxes (5yo, K)

Lighthouse math – using non-standard measurement we measured the height of the lighthouse, we also talked about it’s shape, estimated the number of bricks that were used to build it, estimated the number of windows and counted all the squares. The picture was taken from The Lighthouse Activity Book.


This is the master piece C drew when he was suppose to be doing a worksheet from his Math U See curriculum….what’s most ironic is that this child flat out refuses to draw when I ask him, this has to be the most elaborate picture I have ever seen him draw, typically he only draws smiley faces.  At the top of the large hill to the left is a lighthouse. 

More lighthouse math – skip counting by 10s.  He also did a zero and one addition facts worksheet, and had lighthouse counters (sorry I was just informed that offering this printable on my blog was in violation of copyright, I made the printable with MyMemories Software using the Weekend on the Beach Kit)


Oregon State Study – 3 part cards, we also had some Nutella on graham crackers.  Hazelnuts is Oregon’s state nut, 99% of Hazelnuts grown in the US come from Oregon!  (We also made a yummy chocolate hazelnut cake…see below).


A lighthouse maze (from The Lighthouse Activity Book).  C has never been into coloring, writing, etc…  But he loves mazes!  It’s a great way to encourage writing skills and build their hand muscles for later!

Not pictured
I don’t have pictured our regular weekly activities, such as Scriptures, Phonics, Math U See, etc.  We also used continued to use the lighthouse 3 part cards.

 Fun for everyone!


Cup lighthouses – The link I found called for battery powered tea lights, but I could not find any (I saw them everywhere from Halloween – Christmas).  I found these lights in the floral section, they have different colors, but they served their purpose, and I’ll be able to incorporate them in other sensory activities.

Lighthouse stained glass pictures – color with crayons and paint with vegetable oil, makes them see-through.  I should have had them cut them out first though.


Solar cooking smores – We talked about how the first lighthouses had mirrors to reflect the light, so we put the reflection power to the test and toasted up some smores!

See my Pinterest Board for links to the ideas listed here and MORE!

Decadent Chocolate Hazelnut Torte (a Pampered Chef Recipe, featured in the Fall/Winter 2010 Season’s Best Recipe Collection pamphlet)
We took this to the church for a dinner, and I forgot to take a picture of it first, but I can say that there was none left!

Books we read

(We read only about The Lighthouse of Alexandria from the above book)
 

Other Lighthouse Units:
Week 1 - Massachusetts
Week 2 - Oregon

Week 3 - North Carolina

Week 4 - Maine

Linking up with (see buttons on the right sidebar for links)
Math Monday
Tot School
Montessori Monday
Teach Me Tuesday
Link & Learn
What My Child is Reading
Preschool Corner
No Ordinary Blog Hop
Science Sunday
The Sunday Showcase