Tuesday, April 29, 2014

Medieval Times, Lesson 38

More World Exploration

Thursday
  • Read The Usborne Medieval World by Jane Bingham (pages 90-91).
  • Completed HO map work for Lesson 38, Main Lesson.
  • Started reading Columbus by Ingri and Edgar Parin D'Aulaire. (Completed as a bedtime read-aloud.)

Following Monday

Following Tuesday
  • Started reading Magellan's World by Stuart Waldman. (Completed as a bedtime read-aloud.)

* HO = History Odyssey

Friday, April 25, 2014

Medieval Times, Lesson 37

The Start of the Renaissance

Tessa is a huge Geronimo Stilton fan. She has listened to the The Mona Mousa Code on audiobook no less than twenty times (probably more), so she was crazy excited to learn a little about the real Mona Lisa.


Friday

Following Monday

Following Tuesday

Following Wednesday

* HO = History Odyssey

Thursday, April 24, 2014

Welcome to the Daisy Flower Garden - Watering Can Award

It's Your World - Change It!: A Leadership Journey
Girl Scout Daisies

I see why Welcome to the Daisy Flower Garden is often the first Journey new Daisy troops tackle. There is so much overlap between it and earning the Daisy Learning Petals, it really makes the most sense to work on them simultaneously. Tessa already has a very good handle on the Promise and Law from earning the Petals these past several months, so I have decided to zip-a-dee-doo-dah through this Journey. We will read through the girls’ book and stick close to the guidelines for each award.

Daisy Flower Garden Badge Set


Welcome to the Daisy Flower Garden - Watering Can Award


This first award represents girls being "responsible for what I say and do." Girls earn the award by caring for their mini-garden and beginning to understand how the Promise and the Law play out in their daily lives. The watering can, a source of nourishment in a garden, also serves as a dual symbol: The girls nurture their mini-garden while they nurture themselves by learning the Promise and Law.


What We Did
  • Read introduction (pages 4-15), "Chapter 1: One Little Daisy Shining in the Sun" (pages 16-21) and "Chapter 2: A Smiling Bee and a Special Key" (pages 22-31) from Welcome to the Daisy Flower Garden girls’ book. Completed associated questions and activities orally along the way.
  • Created "Grass Head Guys" from Spoonful.com for Tessa's mini garden.
  • Uploaded official Girl Scout Promise and Law video to Tessa's Kindle to watch and practice. (Downloaded via YouTube with SaveVid.com.)
Tessa has sprouted so many lima beans, etc. in cups for science that I wanted her to try something totally different for her Watering Can Award. After pulling up several ideas via Pinterest, she chose "Grass Head Guys" from Spoonful.com. Another good option that I really like is "Cute Plastic Bottle Planter" from Good Home Designs. I'm curious to see how well her grass head grows because so far the soil doesn't seem very moist. Although the directions don't say to, I'm thinking about having her mist the seeds every day or two.

Note: For whatever reason, "Grass Head Guys" didn't work out well for us. We had problems with our heads not absorbing water. We ended up moving them into small clear plastic cups. It was also difficult to keep from getting the paper on the yogurt cups wet. As a result, I cannot recommend this particular project as written.

Tessa started her grass head by measuring out two tablespoons of grass seed and a cup of potting soil. After pouring them into a nylon stocking, she tied a knot to close it. I helped her tighten the knot to make a firm head, but I'm not convinced we got it tight enough. Her grass head ended up being a little on the saggy side.
Tessa started her grass head by measuring out two tablespoons of grass seed and a cup of potting soil. After pouring them into a nylon stocking, she tied a knot to close it. I helped her tighten the knot to make a firm head, but I'm not convinced we got it tight enough. Her grass head ended up being a little on the saggy side.

Tessa traced around a pattern I created ahead of time to make a dress for her grass head.
Tessa traced around a pattern I created ahead of time to make a dress for her grass head.

After cutting out and taping the dress onto a re-purposed yogurt container body, Tessa embellishment it with buttons.
After cutting out and taping the dress onto a re-purposed yogurt container body, Tessa embellishment it with buttons. 

Tessa designed her grass head to look like Elsa from Disney's "Frozen." She thought the blue patterned paper she chose for the dress looked a bit like snowflakes. Glue dots worked great for adhering the eyes and buttons. She used a black Sharpie to draw on the smile.
Tessa designed her grass head to look like Elsa from Disney's "Frozen." She thought the blue patterned paper she chose for the dress looked a bit like snowflakes. Glue dots worked great for adhering the eyes and buttons. She used a black Sharpie to draw on the smile.

Related Activities from Earlier in the Year
Many songs from Girl Scouts Greatest Hits, Vol. 11, Amazing Daisies by Melinda Caroll are perfect for Welcome to the Daisy Flower Garden. Be sure to check it out!



Growing Girls Scouting Helpers Logo
Looking for more Girl Scout Promise activities?

Check out my Garden Friends: Girl Scout Promise Practice Pages - Girl Scout Daisies & Brownies printable scouting helper.

Thursday, April 17, 2014

Earth Science: Astronomy, Units 6, 7 & 8

Earth's Moon, Space Exploration & Astronomers

That's a wrap! Our study of astronomy (and subsequently Earth Science) is officially complete. Tessa is non too happy about it. She can't imagine an entire summer without science.

Talk about perfect timing. Our study of Earth Moon's culminated on the eve of the April 15, 2014 total lunar eclipse. We camped out on top of an open sleeping bag in front of the picture window in our schoolroom where we followed the progress of the eclipse. Tessa declared it "pretty cool."

Note: We ended up skipping Unit 7 (Evan-Moor ScienceWorks for Kids: Exploring Space, Grades 1-3 "The Earth's Movements Through Space Cause Day and Night and the Seasons") since we just studied the exact same information at the end of our study of Weather.


Monday - Earth's Moon

Tessa had a little bit too much fun making "moon craters" by dropping rocks of various sizes into a tin of flour. She learned the size and height from which a rock is dropped effects the size and depth of the resulting crater.
Tessa had a little bit too much fun making "moon craters" by dropping rocks of various sizes into a tin of flour. She learned the size and height from which a rock is dropped effects the size and depth of the resulting crater.

Tuesday - Earth's Moon

Wednesday - Earth's Moon

Following Monday - Earth's Moon & Space Exploration

Following Tuesday - Astronomers
If you're wondering where Galileo is, we will cover him next week in history during our study of the Renaissance.


Following Wednesday - Space Exploration

Tessa completed a rocket-shaped timeline of some of America's most important spacecrafts.
Tessa completed a rocket-shaped timeline of some of America's most important spacecrafts.

Tessa blew a "rocket" off the end of a straw during one of three rocket experiments we attempted from our from Thames & Kosmos Space Exploration kit.
Tessa blew a "rocket" off the end of a straw during one of three rocket experiments we attempted from our from Thames & Kosmos Space Exploration kit.

Following Thursday - Extra

Medieval Times, Lesson 36

Turks & Ottomans

Ooh...we're getting close to the end now! We have just a few pages left to read in The Usborne Medieval World and are already moving into Usborne World History: The Last 500 Years. There wasn't anything of interest in the children's section at our library about the Turks and Ottomans, so we enjoyed a couple of leisurely days.


Wednesday

Thursday

* HO = History Odyssey

Monday, April 14, 2014

Between Earth and Sky - Clover Award

It's Your Planet - Love It!: A Leadership Journey
Girl Scout Daisies

Another Journey completed! I can hardly believe it. We had so much fun with Between Earth and Sky that it felt like it took no time at all. After following ...3 Cheers for Animals! nearly to a tee, it was refreshing to break away from the suggested activities in the leader guide this time around. Instead of feeling mentally and physically exhausted, I feel happy and inspired to tackle our final Journey. Stayed tuned. We will be starting Welcome to the Daisy Flower Garden very soon!

The activities Tessa completed to earn her Clover Award are outlined in Days 3 & 4.

Between Earth and Sky - Clover Award


Between Earth and Sky - Clover Award


Girls earn this third award as they team up to protect a natural treasure in their region The award is named for flower friend Clover, who helped preserve the natural habitat of Alaska by convincing her cousin White Sweetclover to leave the state so that its natural vegetation can flourish.

To earn the award, the girls:
  • learn about and commit to protecting a natural treasure in their region.
  • educate and inspire others in their community to join with them to protect the local treasure, too.

Day 1
  • Read “A Salty Lake and the Smell of Pine" (pages 52-65) from Between Earth and Sky girls’ book. Completed associated questions and activities orally along the way.
  • Continued mapping the Flower Friends' journey across the US. (See Firefly Award, Day 2 for a picture and more information.)
  • Conducted "Salt Water Experiment" from Brilliant Beginnings Preschool blog. (Similar to "Salt, Water, and You!" (page 61) from Between Earth and Sky girls’ book.)
  • Conducted "Growing Salt Crystals" experiment from Mama Smiles: Joyful Parenting blog.

Tessa found it fascinating that an egg placed in super salty water floats!
Tessa found it fascinating that an egg placed in super salty water floats!

Tessa created a mini aquarium for her salt crystals to grow on and then squirted super salty blue tinted water all over it to get the process started. I cut a fish shape from a standard dry sponge ahead of time. The coral is a curled pipe cleaner and the pebbles pompoms.
Tessa created a mini aquarium for her salt crystals to grow on and then squirted super salty blue tinted water all over it to get the process started. I cut a fish shape from a standard dry sponge ahead of time. The coral is a curled pipe cleaner and the pebbles pompoms.  

Tessa's salt crystal aquarium exactly two weeks later. Pretty cool, eh? If I can ever remember to buy some blank slides, we are going to look at a sample underneath our microscope.
Tessa's salt crystal aquarium exactly two weeks later. Pretty cool, eh? If I can ever remember to buy some blank slides, we are going to look at a sample underneath our microscope.

Day 2
  • Read "Toward the Coast of California" (pages 66-77) from Between Earth and Sky girls’ book. Completed associated questions and activities orally along the way.
I considered growing fungus for this chapter but felt that was too similar to our salt crystal experiment above...a lot of waiting involved. It would have been fun to taste piñon nuts, but they are too difficult to come by where we live. In the end, we simply read this chapter one day when Tessa was sick with a fever.


Days 3 & 4
I had a couple of grandiose ideas for Tessa earning her Clover Award...ones that involved a lot more learning, input and planning on her part. While I really liked one idea in particular, which was doable on our part (although, it would have cost a good bit more and taken a lot more time), I decided to hold onto it for later. It would have a greater impact if implemented in a troop setting at the Brownie, Junior or Cadet level.

To keep Tessa's Clover project simple and affordable for the two of us, I went ahead and planned it out. Tessa made smaller decisions within the project and did a good chunk of the work.

Miss Lady Bird's Wildflowers: How a First Lady Changed America by Kathi Appelt was the perfect complement to Tessa's seed bomb project. More so, it's about a real girl who grew up to make a real difference in America. I love that Tessa's project celebrates Lady Bird Johnson's legacy and the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center's mission "to educate people about the environmental necessity, economic value, and natural beauty of native plants."

The cost of Tessa's Clover project was about $12-$15. We bought the Crayola air dry clay from Hobby Lobby with a 40 percent off coupon. The compost mix (around $2) and wildflower seed mix (around $6) came from Lowe's. We could have gotten away with a smaller bag of wildflower seed mix. The little flowered Chinese takeout containers were just a dollar for a pack of eight at Dollar Tree. They are a seasonal design, but Dollar Tree carries others throughout the year. We already had the green cardstock, yarn, crinkle paper and a few other minor items on hand at home. Our mixing containers were recyclables.

After scooping and measuring the ingredients of the seed bomb recipe, Tessa mixed them all together. I had to add a little water and finish up the mixing. The clay is stiff!
After scooping and measuring the ingredients of the seed bomb recipe, Tessa mixed them all together. I had to add a little water and finish up the mixing. The clay is stiff!

Tessa pinched off half-dollar sized pieces of clay/compost mix and then generously dabbed them into wildflower seed mix.

Afterward, she folded over her clay/compost bits and shaped them into balls.
Afterward, she folded over her clay/compost bits and shaped them into balls.

The seed bombs need 2-3 days to dry before packing them up. Tessa placed a bit of green crinkle paper and then five bombs into each container.
The seed bombs need 2-3 days to dry before packing them up. Tessa placed a bit of green crinkle paper and then five bombs into each container.

After folding the containers shut, Tessa cut yarn to length while I tied on the tags.
After folding the containers shut, Tessa cut yarn to length while I tied on the tags.

Tessa will pass out her completed seed bomb packets to the other girls in her troop this week to "educate and inspire" them to help protect our country's native plants. Tessa said this will help make the world a better place!
Tessa will pass out her completed seed bomb packets to the other girls in her troop this week to "educate and inspire" them to help protect our country's native plants. Tessa said this will help make the world a better place!

Friday, April 11, 2014

Medieval Times, Lesson 35

Central & South Americans

After our study of Native North Americans it only made sense to head south to spend a couple of weeks with Native Central and South Americans. This lesson begs for a craft, but we've hit our crafting threshold for now with Girl Scouts. Check out the other resources of interest below for a couple of good books with crafts by Nomad Press. We'll probably use them during our next round of Medieval Times.


Main Lesson Part 1: Aztecs

Main Lesson Part 2: Maya/Toltecs

Main Lesson Part 3: Incas

Other Resources of Interest
* HO = History Odyssey

Friday, April 04, 2014

Earth Science: Astronomy, Unit 5

Planets

Did you think we got sucked into a black hole or something? Naw, it just took us a while to get through our study of the planets. Wowzers...did we ever learn some fascinating facts! A lot of new information since my stint in fourth grade. Tessa's all set to build a space rocket in the backyard so she can zoom off for a first-hand look.


Introduction

Mercury

Venus

Earth

Mars

Jupiter

Saturn

Uranus

Neptune

Pluto

A page from Tessa's completed "My Pocket Planet Guide." Did you know Titan, one of Saturn's moons, has an atmosphere?
A page from Tessa's completed "My Pocket Planet Guide." Did you know Titan, one of Saturn's moons, has an atmosphere?