DNA Experiments

We're beginning to learn about the human body in Science class, and I stumbled upon the most amazing set of unit studies designed for homeschool co-ops!  David and I were just as amazed about the things we learned as the kids were.

The genetics experiments we used can be found here.

Making DNA models using toothpicks, marshmallows, and Twizzlers

Making a helix of the model

Did you know that if you untwisted your DNA, each DNA molecule is about 1 meter long?!

Our last experiment was to extract DNA from a strawberry.  Ethan was completely sure it wouldn't work, but it did.  It was so neat to see!

Smooshing the strawberries

Straining the pulp from the liquid

Those are all the clumped up DNA strands from David's strawberry!

2015 Festival of Machines

The kids were thrilled.  Daddy got to join us this year for the Festival of Machines at Conner Prairie!

Looking in on a helicopter

Checking out the ultralite

Sitting in a real humvee

Trying to navigate the cones with the robot - Ethan zoomed
right through it!

Of course we had to get a picture of the
Cicero, IN fire truck!

Civil War era sewing machine.  We got to see the
mechanization.  So cool!

A little down time with friends

2015 Fall Adventurer Weekend

The kids look forward to each Adventurer Family Weekend, even though we only go down for Sabbath.  Of course, it wouldn't be Adventurer Family Weekend without rain, and it poured...while we were on our family walk on the far side of the lake!

Shelter we found while on our nature walk

Beaver evidence

Exploring a spring bubbling up from underground

He wasn't too thrilled at the thought of running
through the rain.

This year's theme was the Sanctuary.  We were privileged to have Pastor Clark bring down the Sanctuary model from the church, and after our walk we got to go around to various stations learning about the different furniture found in the Sanctuary.

Niagara Adventure

I'm married to a wonderfully spontaneous husband, and Labor Day weekend he was itching to do something, go somewhere, do anything different.  We were packed up and driving out of Elwood within 2 hours!  We drove for a few hours Saturday night and then continued the rest of the way to Niagara Falls Sunday.

Katie's first journal of her own writing rather
than dictation and copying

Keeping a journal of our adventure

Family Time

 Monday the guys won over the girls and we ended up at the Buffalo Naval Museum.

Ethan looking at the USS Croaker, a submarine we were able to tour

USS The Sullivans

About to enter the belly of the whale, oh, I mean submarine :)

We stopped at the welcome center in Pennsylvania and saw signs all over the building saying, "Please don't bring the grapes into the building."  Of course we had to go exploring.  The welcome center butted up against a vineyard, and the owner had planted grape vines all along the fence for the travelers to enjoy.  The Concord grapes were perfectly ripe!

 Finally, we drove the rest of the way home on Tuesday.  We spent some time along the shores of Lake Erie.  We've now been to and put our feet in four of the five Great Lakes.  Lake Superior is on our bucket list!

Fundraising

The kids love playing on the neighborhood play set, despite David's and my unease at the safety of the equipment (rusty, broken foot-holds, slide only partially attached, etc), and when one of the neighbors pointed out to us that the massive tree hanging out over the play equipment was split in two all the way to the ground, that was the last straw.  They're pretty bummed at the ban we've placed on the area.

So we got permission to raise funds for a new play set to be put in a new part of the neighborhood commons.  We (well, mostly I) made fresh homemade bread and jam to sell.  We practiced a speech with the kids, and off we went.  The first house was a flop (speech-wise, but the neighbors still so kindly bought), but it got better each time, and by the end I couldn't believe how excited they were to go up to the door and talk with the strangers.  What an improvement!

Prophetstown State Park

Today we took our first field trip of the school year.  We met up with our homeschooling comrades and enjoyed a day of exploration.

1920 Laundreyette washing machine

Supposedly this machine washes and dries your laundry...or at least dries it enough so that it's ready to be hung on the line.

1920s "cadillac" stove.  Funny how different stoves were 50 years later.  I should really take a picture of my own 1970s "cadillac" stove.

Games from the 20s

Thomas Edison records.  They were round tubes that you put on the machine.  I'd never seen anything like it before.

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What a gorgeous (hot!) walk through the prairie to get to the Indian village.

Council house, such as the one Tecumseh and his brother the Prophet sat in.

Ethan's sure this is a John Deer plow, because the dirt just fell off the blade.

On our way home we stopped by the battlefield.  Unfortunately, due to construction you couldn't get to Prophet's Rock.  Ethan was really hoping to see it, so we'll just have to go again sometime.

At the battlefield they had a small nature center.  This lady was a walking encyclopedia of everything nature related and native to Indiana.  We learned a lot just listening to her for the few minutes we had before leaving for home.

Dissecting Mushrooms

We're formally doing Science this year, and the kids finally got their first big science activity.  It still wasn't an experiment like Ethan is begging for, but it was still tons of fun to do.

U.S. Geography Fun

This year we're learning the regions of the United States.  When I was in 8th grade I remember our teacher having us make salt dough U.S. maps, and I thought it was a fun project then, and I still think it's fun!  So our first day of school we made our maps.  What a wild time! 

Making the dough.

This picture blessedly hides the drama that had just ensued.  Our "fun" project started out with one child flipping out over the feel of the salt dough, flinging arms wildly in the air, and socking the other in the eye.  So I ended up with one flipping out over texture, the other bawling in pain, and the only thing I could think of was "and this was supposed to be fun!"  At least I could laugh about it afterwards and everyone calmed down and finished the project.

Katie's map.  She did really well!  I like her cone-shaped mountains.

That's part of the fun of the project.  Each child's map was so different, but both were representative of the U.S.  Then the long task of waiting for the dough to dry...

A week later, we finally got to paint the maps.  Ethan's finished map.

Katie's finished map.