Library Day 8/7/12

Tuesday, we took a family trip to the library. Cory immediately went to the information desk and asked where the dinosaur books were. He was amazed at all the choices, but here's what he decided on:

Just in the Dinosaur Wars book, we covered:

• Metric conversion chart, height/length comparisons (how many Daddy's it takes to match dinosaurs), weight comparisons (dinosaurs weight in tons = x amount of Daddy's truck). They really enjoyed doing this and got a huge kick out of dinosaurs equaling 10 or more of Daddy's truck. relating to that really helped them understand the size

• definitions- 
• herbivore-  Noun:   An animal that feeds on plants.
• carnivore-
  

  An animal that feeds on flesh. A mammal of the order Carnivora.

• prey- 

  Noun:	An animal hunted and killed by another for food.
  Verb:	Hunt and kill for food: "small birds that prey on insects".

• predator- 

  Noun:

  An animal that naturally preys on others.

• fossil- 

  Noun:

  The remains or impression of a prehistoric organism preserved in petrified form or as a mold or cast in rock: "sites rich in fossils".

• serrated- 

  Adjective:

  Having or denoting a jagged edge; sawlike: "a knife with a serrated edge".

• geography- Spinosaurus lived in Africa, Giganotosaurus lived in South America

Cory isn't the only one that got books, I racked up too. Can you tell I'm a little worried about teaching him to read? LOL

Earlier in the day, we had a special lesson and guest. Our Diabetes Educator came by and got Cory all hooked up to his insulin pump and continuous glucose monitor. We listened as she explained all the details and taught Cory the importance of wearing it and not getting it wet.  He's pretty proud, can you tell?

Throughout the day we discussed various topics including:

• ancestors of crocodiles
• how to fold shirts
• volume and capacity of containers (more on this another day)
• origins of the word dinosaur - Greek (Cory is really interested in the Greek language, thinks the words sound funny)
• importance of eating healthy foods and brushing our teeth
• weather
• writing worksheets
• what you can buy for $1/saving money/allowance for chores

Mara's letters worksheet

We were also lucky enough to be able to go to McDonald's play room while Daddy went to a class at church. That was a very fun filled 90 minutes of running and climbing goodness!

Old pic of Mara, but same McD's

All of these subjects have blended into today (Wednesday) also, which is fine by me, this is stuff they enjoy.  Later today they will be spending the afternoon and night with Grandma, so no updates from me till probably Friday  :)

first day of kindergarten 8/6/12

With today being the first day of school for public schools, we decided to start today to.  We spent the morning at Shelby Farms Park. First, we stopped by the lake and fed the ducks

We took the opportunity to hang out in the shade and ask the kids a few questions and laugh at the ducks and geese who realized they were missing out on a yummy treat. We were quite sad though that we didn't see any turtles this time but also thankful we didn't see any snakes either.  There is a beautiful lily pond on the other side of the road that we hope to visit when it gets a bit cooler. the kids are hoping to find frogs there.

Topics covered:

• habitats - water habitats & what animals live there
• anatomy of a duck - why do ducks have webbed feet? What purposes do their feathers serve?
• food chain - what ducks eat & who eats the ducks

Then we moved on to the playground where Mara took to the slides and had a snack. Mance took Cory over to the swings where they had talks of pulleys, levers and gravity. After that they headed over to the rope course where I'm told Cory climbed the whole entire course!  Lessons learned there were in agility, gravity, balance and hand/foot-eye coordination. I wish I would have been there to take pics. Oh well, there will be a next time!

As it crept closer to 11am, it got really hot, so we left to go to lunch. On the way out we spotted these guys, which prompted another good discussion.

Topics covered included:

• habitats - American plains
• endangered species - American Bison
• food chain/prey and predators - what bison eat and what eats bison
• weather - why bison have fur, temps ranges for our climate zone (zone 7)
• measurements (feet and inches) - how bison and dogs compare in size

On the way to the restaurant we also passed a solar farm. next time we will have to slow down so I can take pics. Here's a recent article about it.  This also prompted great discussion.

• How the sun makes energy
• energy conservation - if we conserve energy, we have more $ for other things
• costs or electricity - the more we use, the more $ it costs. 

Also covered: parts of speech, handwriting

Definitions of the Day:

Habitat:

Noun:

The natural home or environment of an animal, plant, or other organism. A particular type of environment regarded as a home for organisms.

Endangered Species:  a species whose numbers are so small that the species is at risk of extinction.

Extinction:  

Noun:

The state or process of a species, family, or larger group being or becoming extinct. The state or process of ceasing or causing something to cease to exist.

Conservation:

Noun:

The action of conserving something, in particular. Preservation, protection, or restoration of the natural environment, natural ecosystems, vegetation, and wildlife.

Solar:

Adjective:

Of, relating to, or determined by the sun: "solar radiation". Relating to or denoting energy derived from the sun's rays: "solar heating".

Agility:  the gracefulness of a person or animal that is quick and nimble.

Gravity:

Noun:

The force that attracts a body toward the center of the earth, or toward any other physical body having mass. For most purposes Newton's... The degree of intensity of this, measured by acceleration. All in all it was a great morning, too hot to be at the park, but we all had a great time.  Now they are down for rest time. Maybe we can get some more handwriting done this afternoon; Cory has decided he wants to be penpals with a friend that lives in Nashville.  :) First Day of School Pics: Cory, K, 5.5yo Mara, K4, 3.5yo