Great day despite Mother/teacher being sick ...

Well, the mean old cold that has been going around got me! My throat is so sore and after a full day of teaching my voice is about gone.  I knew I would lose my voice, but I had to keep teaching.  This is one of the only days that we are home for the entire day this week, and I couldn't let those teachable moments go.  Besides the kids had to be entertained one way or the other.  So my big teen finished up U.S. History II today.  This course had just a few hours left over from last year, and I had told him that the last two hours of the course were reserved for a final exam/project.  So his final exam today was to prove to me through oral questions and some kind of project that he remembered a lot.  He decided to cut up magazines and paste them down with explanations and a model of the island Iwo Jima, where the six marines raised the American flag during WWII.  Considering his learning difficulties and the lack of warning he was given, he did great. 








The big teen and little kids also got into studying camouflage today.  We decided to do an experiment and see how camouflage works.  The big teen boiled 12 eggs.  He left 6 of them white and colored 6 of them to match the grass and leaves. Then he hid them outside and we let the little ones go out and find them.  They found the white eggs easily and 5 of the camouflaged eggs with more difficulty.  However, we never found one of the eggs! That camouflage really worked well.  It was a fun hands-on activity that really got the point across.  Here you can see how the white egg stands out next to the camouflaged egg.








We also had fun with the Amazing Dinosaur plant www.dinosaurplant.com.  We talked about how plants, such as a tulip bulb, can become dormant.  The neat thing about this dinosaur plant is that it can go to "sleep" for years and then "wake up" in only an hour.  Perfect for kids that like things to be instant!  We have had this same plant for two years and have done this twice with the big teen, but this was the first time with the little ones.  They were amazed.  I love watching their faces as they discover God's world.











Well, I wish I was done for today, but I promised to discuss my big teen's layout of his International Night project so that he can stay on schedule.  So off I go and then I'm going to cozy up on the sofa for the rest of the evening.