Grandma Rosie's Texas Home
• Sat 9 Aug 2008 - Will Survive (the first year of homeschooling) *Or* any year homeschooling
A friend sent me this. It is priceless!
Will Survive (the first year of homeschooling) *Or* any year homeschooling
Originally written and produced by Freddie Perren and Dino Fekaris
Originally performed by Gloria Gaynor
Mercilessly altered with apologies by Natalie Criss
First I was afraid
I was petrified.
Kept thinking I could never teach
´Cause I´m not certified.
But we spent so many nights
Reteaching homework that was wrong.
I grew strong,
so now I teach my kids at home!
We study math
and outer space.
I just kept on despite the fear
with a big smile across my face.
I bought a set of Base Ten blocks.
I bought books with answer keys.
My parents think we´re nuts,
but they don´t even bother me
Come on, let´s go walk out the door.
We´re on the road now,
'cause we´re not home much anymore
My friends would laugh and say we´d be unsocialized.
I heard one mumble
that I´d give up by July.
Oh no, not I!
I will survive!
As long as I know how to read
I know we´ll be alright.
I've got all my life to learn.
I've got energy to burn.
and I'll survive.
I will survive.
It took all the strength I had
not to fall apart.
Decided to attend
a play date at the local park,
and I met oh so many moms
who offered eagerly t o help.
They used to cry.
Now they hold their heads up high,
and so do we!
My kids are cool!
They´re not those chained up little people
stuck inside at school.
So if you feel like dropping by
and just expect us to be free
you´d better call ahead first
´cause we´re probably busy!
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• Tue 1 Jul 2008 - NASA Science News for July 1, 2008
• Thu 15 May 2008 - Homemade Chalk
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Best for ages 4 and up
Materials
- Toilet tissue tube (or an ice cube tray to create smaller chunks for younger hands)
- Duct tape
- Aluminum foil if you are using a toilet paper tube (or petroleum jelly if you're using an ice cube tray)
- Disposable plastic container
- Plaster of Paris (Playbox plaster of Paris, about $4 for 4 1/2 pounds, dickblick.com)
- Water
- Liquid tempera paint (Prang Ready-To-Use tempera paint, about $5 for six colors, dickblick.com)
- Spoon
Instructions
Step 1
Cover one end of the toilet paper tube with duct tape. Loosely roll an 8- by-41/2-inch piece of aluminum foil and slip it into the tube so that it lines the inside, fitting snugly. (Or coat the inside of the ice cube tray with petroleum jelly.)
Step 2
Set tube upright (duct tape side down) on protected surface.
Step 3
In a disposable plastic container, help your child mix 1 cup plaster of Paris with 1/2 cup water. Stir slowly and thoroughly until plaster is dissolved, about 1 minute.
Step 4
Immediately add 2 tablespoons paint (or more for brighter chalk color, but be careful it can stain). Mix thoroughly.
Step 5
Spoon into the tube (or ice cube tray). Tap gently so mixture settles to the bottom.
Step 6
Let dry overnight before using.
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• Sat 26 Apr 2008 - The Physics of Whipped Cream
• Mon 7 Apr 2008 - 35 Kitchen Tips - A Collection Of Timeless Wisdom
• Tue 18 Mar 2008 - Vanishing Rings of Saturn
• Fri 28 Dec 2007 - Science Projects: Polymers ..I love this site
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Science Projects: Polymers
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Science Project: Make a Colorful Bouncy Ball
Polymers are used to make numerous things, including clothing, plastic containers, nonstick cookware, and bulletproof vests. Try this experiment to see how polymers can make a toy.
Materials:
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1 tablespoon white glue
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1/2 teaspoon borax
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1 tablespoon cornstarch
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2 tablespoons warm water
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2 plastic cups
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2 wooden craft sticks
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Food coloring
What To Do:
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Pour the glue into one of the plastic cups. Add a few drops of food coloring to the glue and mix with one of the craft sticks until it's the color you want.
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In the second cup, combine the water and borax together and mix with the second craft stick. Stir until dissolved.
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Add the cornstarch and 1/2 teaspoon of the borax solution to the glue and let stand for 15 seconds.
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Stir with a craft stick until fully mixed together and it becomes very difficult to stir.
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Mold the ball in your hands. It will be sticky at first but will become more solid as you roll it in your hands.
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You now have a bouncy ball. Try bouncing it. How high does it go? Store your ball in an airtight container or Ziploc bag so it doesn't dry out and crumble.
What's Happening?
The white glue contains polyvinyl acetate, a strong and flexible polymer that gives the ball strength. Cornstarch contains amylopectin, a polymer whose shape is best described as "branched" - it sticks out like the branches of a tree - and gives the ball the property of elasticity. Elasticity allows the ball to return to its original shape after being compressed or stretched, such as when it hits the floor. So instead of splattering everywhere, the ball bounces back up. The borax is needed to help the glue and the starch stick together. This connects the two polymers into a netlike formation, keeping the ball from crumbling or becoming slime when it is bounced.
Science Project: Make Scented Gel Air Fresheners
Polymers have numerous uses and have made our lives much more comfortable. One way is to help make your home smell fresh.
Materials:
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Unflavored gelatin
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Water
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Fragrance oil
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Food coloring
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Table salt
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Small jars
What To Do:
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Boil one cup of water and stir in four packages of gelatin until dissolved. Remove from heat and add in one cup of cold water.
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Add about 10 to 20 drops of the fragrance oil to the gelatin. If you would like, add a few drops of food coloring as well.
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Add one tablespoon of salt to the gelatin mixture to keep mold from growing.
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Carefully pour the gel into the small jars. Allow the gel to set either at room temperature or in the refrigerator.
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Set them around your home and smell the fragrance coming from them.
What's Happening?
Gel air fresheners are able to scent the air for a long time because gelatin is a polymer. Specifically, the polymer is collagen, a protein that forms a matrix-type structure, allowing the gelatin to hold its shape. The fragrance oil particles are suspended in the matrix of the gel, which keeps the scent trapped inside. As the gel evaporates, the scent particles are released from the matrix, causing a continuous scent to be released from the air freshener.
From the Archives: More Chemistry Projects
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• Fri 28 Dec 2007 - Bath Salts and Soft Water..Homeschooling project
Not just the scents are at work here to make your bath more relaxing. Try this project and learn what salts can do.
Materials:
What To Do:
- Mix together the Epsom salt and sea salt in the mixing bowl.
- Add glycerin to the salt mixture and mix through. The glycerin is not necessary, but it helps the colorant and oil get dispersed evenly through the salt.
- Add a few drops of fragrance oils and a few drops of colorant. (Both of these items can be found at a local craft store.) We recommend getting skin-safe colorant from a craft store or else leaving out the colorant.
- Wet your hands with tap water, add a drop of soap to your hands, then run together to form a lather. Observe how much lather forms, then rinse off your hands.
- Fill a sink with water and add about an 1/8 cup of salt mixture to it. Use your hands to stir the water to help the salt dissolve. With your hands still wet from the salt water, add a drop of soap to your hands and rub them together to form a lather. How much lather formed this time?
- Store the rest of your salts in a jar, keeping the lid on tight to keep moisture out. Use about 1/4 cup of the salts in your bath.
What's Happening?
You may have noticed that it was much easier to form lather (and more of it!) when using the water with salt rather than the water with no salt. This is because of the difference between hard water and soft water.
Most households in America have hard water. Hard water has a high mineral content, usually with calcium and magnesium, whereas soft water contains very little if any of these minerals. Generally, hard water is not a problem until it is used for cleaning purposes. The problem lies in the calcium and magnesium ions in the hard water - they react with the soap, forming insoluble gray flakes called soap scum rather than a lather. This results in more soap needed to get clean and the bathtub getting a grimy ring around it from the leftover soap scum. One way to soften hard bath water is to add bath salts. The calcium and magnesium ions in the water are replaced with sodium and potassium ions from the salt, allowing the soap to lather much more easily. (If your home has soft water, you may not notice too much of a difference in how well the soap lathers in the water with your bath salts and the water without the bath salts.)
Another benefit of adding bath salts to your bath has to do with osmosis. Osmosis is the movement of water through a membrane (such as your skin) to achieve equilibrium. Your body contains water and salt, whereas an ordinary bath contains mainly water and very little salt. Therefore, water will pass through your skin in an effort to balance the concentration of water and salt in you and in your bath. This excess water causes pruning. Adding bath salts to the water causes a more equal balance of salt and water in both you and in the bath, so less water enters your skin and less wrinkling occurs
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• Wed 26 Dec 2007 - Free E books.....
I have been using this site since Thanksgiving. You can download three e-books a day for free. Lots of great classics here as well as other good stuff for homeschoolers. You'll love it!
WOWIO
Please be forewarned: This is not a Christian site. Many of the books posted are not for Christian Homeschoolers. Just take what you like and ignore the rest.
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• Mon 17 Dec 2007 - Great give Away at Wisdoms Way of Learning.
• Tue 11 Dec 2007 - 12 blogs of christmas!~
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The 12 Blogs of Christmas
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12 of your favorite homeschool bloggers have reviewed some of the best HomeschoolEStore curriculum available, have interviewed our inspired and talented publishers, and have challenged YOU to great contests and loads of fun! 12 winners will receive a $50 gift certificate to HomeshcoolEStore.com!
No purchase necessary to participate. Contestants may enter only 2 of the 12 contests. HomeschoolEStore employees and their families as well as HomeschoolEStore publishers, employees and families may not participate.
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I have been honored with an invitation to participate in this great contest sponsored by The Homeschool e-Store. I am hoping to get many entries! Here are my guidelines for this contest.
This is a writing contest. You can enter any type writing you would like. A poem, a story or any form you would like your tale to take. This is open to all homeschool students of any age.
Ok, here we go:
It is Christmas Eve, the Christ child is born and you are there. You can be anyone or anything you want. But your piece must be written from the viewpoint of your chosen character. Are you a wise man? Maybe a lamb belonging to the Shepard's. You might be the beautiful star the wise men followed. You could be the Angel who spoke to the shepherds are maybe you were in the Heavenly Host and sang. Write and tell us what you saw, what you did and what your impressions were of that Holy Night. Mail your entries to me at doug@itexas.net |
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• Tue 11 Dec 2007 - The 12 Blogs of Christmas...From my HomeschoolE Store newsletter!
• Mon 10 Dec 2007 - Don't Forget About our Great Contest Sponsered by Homeschool eStore
• Mon 10 Dec 2007 - Enrichment4You..What a great learning tool!
May grand kids absolutely love this curriculum. It is not only very informative, easy to follow and packed with information it is also very hands on. Each package has projects the child can complete to reinforce the object and lessons learned from the unit. We have used several of their products.
Our Favorites?
Concrete Poetry in Focus
Interviewing & Oral History
Volcano Multimedia Collection
The Wind & Anemometers
(This is not the only units we have done here at grandma Rosie's. But these are a few of our personal favotires.)
I always print them out and put them in binders for the kids. These can be adapted to any age. I can highly recommend all we have used here!
Read what these folks have to say ( taken from the website):
Welcome... and thank you for visiting Enrichment4You.com. Our basic philosophy is that "learning is for life". Enrichment4You.com is designed to do just that by introducing and assisting teachers, homeschool parents and young people to a selection of highly imaginative hands-on activities that complement many subject areas in both public and homeschool curriculums.
Each of our Enrichment4You e-guides is specifically oriented to provide hands-on learning materials that inform, encourage, stimulate and excite both youth and adults alike. Unlike a typical lesson plan, our guides are like mini adventures to different times, cultures and experiences.
Our e-guides are inexpensive and ready to print as PDF files that complement existing curriculum. Each e-guide has been carefully developed by Jean Henrich, an educator with 18 years of teaching and curriculum development experience. With the encouragement and assistance from her husband Steve, a retired Air Force Colonel (test pilot and project manager) and her very capable and talented "A" student teenage son, Ian, Enrichment4You.com offers you an invitation to discover new areas of interest.
Our primary goal is to instigate a desire to learn - beyond the four walls of a classroom and into the grand world of discovery and knowledge. With the premise that doing promotes learning, most of our e-guides have original projects that will facilitate a better understanding of the sciences, history, the arts, language arts, and much more while achieving academic excellence in the best way possible - experiencing by doing.
As Christians, we believe that our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ gave each of us innate gifts that we are to grow and share with others. Our gift to you, is this web site. We hope and pray that you will find something new to learn and venture into the thrilling world of our Creator. |
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• Sat 8 Dec 2007 - Free Audio Books..Classics
• Thu 29 Nov 2007 - Christmas Art Projects for Kids
Christmas Art Projects for Kids
ShowKidsTheFun
Remember how much you had creating Christmas art projects? Nothing brings out the kid in you better than sharing some together time with your own children and there's no better time to do it than during the holiday season! Start the season with some cute and fun to make Christmas crafts that your kids will love.
Candy cane Reindeer
What you'll need:
Candy Canes
Glue
Brown Pipe Cleaners
Small googly eyes
Small Red Pom Poms
Thin festive ribbon
Small jingle Bell
Instructions:
Take your brown pipe cleaner and twist it into a V shape under the curve of the candy cane, or ‘neck' of your reindeer under construction. Bend the pipe cleaner again to shape into antlers. Take your googly eyes and glue them onto the candy cane. Glue a red pom pom on the candy cane for a ‘reindeer' nose. Tie the thin ribbon around your reindeer's neck and string the jingle bell on for the final touch! You might want to glue the ribbon to the candy cane to secure. Make a bunch of these cute candy cane reindeer, and hang them on your holiday tree!
Pasta Holiday Wreath
What you'll need:
Small Paper Plates
Variety of different pasta shapes
Glue
Holiday color tempra paint
Festive ribbon for bow
Instructions:
Cut the center out of your paper plate. Choose some really interesting pasta noodles, and glue them all around the outer ring of the plate. Try real hard to cover the entire plate! After the glue has dried, take your tempra paint and color the pasta. Have an adult tie the ribbon into a bow and then glue it to your wreath. Display them all around your home during the holiday!
For more crafts and activities for your children, visit ShowKidsTheFun.com. And, don't miss Free Online Preschool Themes for more fun ideas to spend time with your children.
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• Tue 18 Sep 2007 - Seventh Year in Print for Traditional-Values Children's Newspaper
Seventh Year in Print for Traditional-Values Children's Newspaper
The Current Events is reaching out to Christian schools, homeschooling families, and other Americans as it enters its seventh year. The newspaper, founded and published by school teacher Suri Roth and her husband, Mendy, has been successful with kids and parents alike because it reflects and supports wholesome values while it educates and informs.
"It is the kind of educational tool I want in my children's classrooms; in fact, it is the kind of newspaper I am proud to have in my home," says Mrs. Roth. "The Current Events features informative and fun-to-read articles on American and world events, economics, science news, American history, world leaders and more without conflicting with biblical mores. In contrast to many, many of today's mainstream educational materials, the images and text in our newspaper are carefully chosen and developed by educational experts and journalists in order to educate, not indoctrinate.
"We believe that children should be free to be children. We also believe that parents, have the right and responsibility to teach their kids morals and values- especially those in conflict with today's mainstream culture. Therefore The Current Events does not report on any news concerning sexuality, theory of evolution, and religion.
"We give young minds the chance to develop perspective and understand the importance of context as they explore the news and the concepts behind the news. I thank God that we have the opportunity to help children understand the world we live in while supporting family values."
"I am pleased to notice you did not "spin" the news.
Nancy Plent, Founder of the Unschoolers Network of NJ and author of An 'A' in Life: Famous Home Schoolers (with Mac Plent), and Living Is Learning Curriculum Guides.
The Current Events makes learning come alive in a way that textbooks can't - even after school hours. Each article targets a specific reading level so you can help your child learn to love to read. Even very hesitant readers can learn to enjoy reading with our photo- essay features. More advanced readers will love to get in-the-know with our challenging news and world- events articles, political cartoons, maps, charts, and illustrations. Students can challenge themselves as their fluency, vocabulary, and comprehension skills improve.
The Current Events prepares students for standardized tests and helps them hone their reading, comprehension, analytical, and interpretative skills. It also contains a Teacher's Guide for educators and/or parents that shows how to make the most of each issue. The Teacher's Guide features a multi-activity lesson plan which focuses on building the skills most important to your child, whether at home or in the classroom.
If you would like to try a free sample subscription to The Current Events, call: (718) 256-3100 or log onto www.thecurrentevents.com.
We offer four issues designed for various reading levels in grades 2-12. Our staff will be happy to discuss with you which issue is right for your child.
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(Source: Christian Newswire) |
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• Mon 11 Jun 2007 - Jump Rope Rymes...Lots of memoties here!
KIDS GAMES
There are probably as many of these rhymes as there are games!
Before I list all the skipping rope rhymes, I've started a new category for hand clapping games, which has been a popular request from you the viewers. Please check out the following Clapping Rhymes/Games
You can also do Miss Mary Mack, I Had a Little Puppy, and several others as hand-clapping games.
OK, now here's the jump-rope rhymes:
3 Blind Mice
A My Name Is Alice
All In Together Girls
Apple Tart
Apples, Pears, Peaches, and Plums
Blondie
Blue Bells, Cockle Shells
Bo Bo Skee Watan-Tatan
Cinderella
Cinderella 2
Coffee and Tea
Doctor
Down by the River
Down in the Valley
Dum Dum Dodo
Dutch Girl Jump Rope Rhyme
Engine Engine Number 9
Fannie May
First Grade Peaches/Babies
Found a Peanut
George Washington
Had a Little Sportscar
Help
I Had a Little Puppy
Ice Cream Soda
Jack be Nimble
Last Night and the Night Before
Lemon and Lime
Mabel Mabel
Miss Brown
Miss Mary Mack
Miss Susie
Not Last Night But the Night Before
Peel a Banana
Postman Jump Rope Rhyme
Queen Bee
Red Hot
Rich Man Poor Man Jump Rope Game
School
Strawberry Shortcake
Teddy Bear
Texico
Tinikling
Two Little Dickie Birds
Uno, dos-ee-ay-say
Vote Jump Rope Rhyme
Would You Marry Me? |
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• Sat 2 Jun 2007 - Kids Crafts
• Wed 24 Jan 2007 - Play Dough
Play Dough
Start to finish: 10 mins
1/2 C kosher salt
1 C all-purpose flour
1 T cream of tartar
1 T veggie oil
1 C water
Liquid food coloring
In small saucepan, combine all ingredients except the
food coloring.
Stir until well-mixed; add food coloring a few drops
at time until desired color reached. Mixture will
start out soupy.
Set saucepan over medium heat and stir until mixture
begins to clump, dry and gets difficult to move the
spoon thru: About 3-4 mins.
Remove from heat, transfer dough to dry work surface.
When dough cooled to touch, knead until smooth and
cool.
Store in refrigerator in plastic bags.
Makes about 2 C of dough.
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