A Net in Time

Curriculum and book reviews, faith, homeschooling and more!

Homeschooling

Ara: the Star Engineer

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Allow me to introduce Ara, the Star Engineer.  This little book focuses on Ara, who has a problem she wants to solve. She is a young lady who loves numbers and has a helpful sidekick robot but together they don’t know quite enough to find a solution to Ara’s problem.   Enter in Innovation Plex.   This story walks us through Ara, and the different people she meets, that help her solve her problem. 

ara star engineer

From the Back Cover:

Ara loves numbers – big numbers. She wants to program her droid DeeDee to count all the stars, but she’s not sure how.  In this upbeat adventure, Ara visits Innovation Plex to enlist the help of four tech trailblazers – inspiring real-life engineers of Google.   With her new friends, Ara discovers an algorithm for success that can solve BIG problems and be lots of fun: courage, creativity, code and collaboration.

What do you get?

A cute book geared toward girls that inspires them to think in terms of STEM and working with computers.  Innovation Plex is part of google and is host to some of the brightest engineers.   Ara turns to four women to help her solve her problem.  Each woman specializes in a different area so they can help Ara when she faces each new problem. 

Bright, colourful images fill the pages, bringing the story to life.  Each of the four focus words is highlighted.  In the image below we see COURAGE. Creativity, code and collaboration are done in a similar manner.  I liked that each time we met a new character her name and position were highlighted. 

Ara, Star engineer

As you read you will notice different words are printed in bold.  Many of these words will found in the glossary at the close of the book.  These are words that introduce important concepts to readers from 5-9 years old. The illustrations by Ipek Konak are spot on, giving voice to the working environment for these four engineers as well as to the joy of thinking and problem-solving.

ara, star engineer

My Thoughts

I thought this book was well done and applaud the authors for not dumbing it down.  Too many books don’t use language that is varied or specific enough to not only entertain children, but to educate them as well.   This book succeeds in doing both.   It would be so easy to expand this book to include various ages…from researching the helpers, to learn more about coding and computer language, to adding in a STEM project or two to put the learning into a hands-on format. Brightly coloured images with an excellent storyline following Ara through the various stages of completing her project. Well done.

 

ara star engineer

 

Ara, the Star Engineer.
Komal Singh et al
Illustrator: Ipek Konak
Page Two Books
40 pages, Hardcover (though I received a trade paperback)
STEM, engineering, girls
ages 5-9

Reviewed for Raincoast Books.
NOTE: there is a website to go along with Ara, Star Engineer. You can find it here. It has a fair number of printables to expand the ideas found in this lovely picture book.

disclosure

Geography Crafts for Kids

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You know, I’ve had this book sitting on my shelf for a while now and have looked at it off and on.  Not quite the same as when I’m looking at a book to tell someone else about it though.  Geography Crafts for Kids is filled with 50 different projects and activities to help expand one’s knowledge of geography.   I really like this book!

Geography Crafts for Kids

From the cover: 

  • How did early explorers keep from getting hopelessly lost?
  • Where is the center of the world
  • What does a cow in Finland sound like?

Want the answer?   Check inside, and soon you’ll be doing and creating cool things that will help you experience geography like never before!   Map your friend’s face, predict the weather, and find out if you have what it takes to pass your own country’s citizenship quiz.  Search for eco-invaders in your backyard, or turn tomorrow’s trash into treasure.  You’ll never look at Earth the same way again!

Geography Crafts for Kids

What you Get

Five chapters, templates and 50 different projects.

The five chapters are

  • Where in the World are you?
  • Maps, Maps, and Even more Maps
  • We are different, we are the same
  • The Earth Shapes you
  • You Shape the earth

Geography Crafts for Kids

Each chapter contains a number of interesting projects such as making a Mariner’s Cross Staff, a compass, a timezone clock, an antique map & case, a novel map, stamp box, world drum, take a citizenship quiz, read tree rings, make a Pangea pudding puzzle or even a debate book.   So many different and exciting options to try.   Learn the history or the reason behind each craft.

Geography Crafts for KidsTHIS I liked.  Projects in a geography book that you wouldn’t expect.  Who would think about putting a project about brick making in a book about geography?  But when you stop and think about it, homes all over the world are made from bricks, so it makes sense. Many of the projects are ones that I would not have anticipated. 

Lots of different ways to make maps were explored, one I thought was unique was printing off an antique map and printing it off on a t-shirt or pillow case.  It’s just a matter of finding some transfer paper.  Some were ones I expected like doing a neighbourhood or a trade route map.  It’s great to mix the expected with the unexpected isn’t it?

My Thoughts:

I love the variety presented within the pages of this book.   To see the options available to help your students learn geography its a great thing.  This book would be an excellent addition to any teacher who wants to add hands on elements to teaching geography.   I hope to make a cross staff with my lad when we study war by sea. We are taught how to use it as well.   I even found a video that talks about this navigational tool.  Another excellent book is can be found here. 

Geography is such a comprehensive topic, there are many approaches to studying it, and this book is just another helpful addition.

Geography Crafts for Kids

 

Geography Crafts for Kids
Joe Rhatigan
Heather Smith
Lark Books
Hardcover, 144 pages,
Geography, Art, Crafts, Projects.

Remembrance Day

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Remembrance Day 2018

Remembrance Day has taken on new meaning this year.

Taking the time this year to study the wars with my son has brought into sharp focus the pain and suffering that men (and even women) suffered for the freedom that we enjoy.   Popular or not popular wars, these people deserve our respect and acknowledgement for the choices they made so we can live lives of freedom.   Freedom to make good and bad decisions.  Lives free from oppression from another country and all that goes along with that. 

Let’s take that one minute of silence and remember those who have gone on before. 

and when that is over, listen….

Seven experiments for Science Co-op

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Seven Co-op science experiments

I’ve been teaching a science class this current co-op season.   I had a couple of books that inspired me The Element in the Room and The Electric Pickle.   Here are seven experiments for a co-op science class. 

We discussed hydrogen and oxygen and learned to separate them with electrolysis. 

We learned the iodine turns purple when it connects with a starch.  This also gave us the opportunity to discuss diffusion. 

iodline

We had a lot of fun playing around with mentos and pop.  We got a lot of different pops, let the boys figure out an hypothesis, and test their ideas, their goal.. figure out why mentos reacted strongly with some pop but not with others.   They got pretty close to figuring it out too!  We ended up turning to the internet for the answers.  It’s a combination nucleation and the the gum arabic and gelatin ingredients of the Mentos, combined with the potassium benzoate, sugar or (potentially) aspartame in diet sodas.   The boys were shocked that the no sugar pepsi had the greatest reaction and had traced that down the aspartame.  And my son had mentioned the bubbles that form on the mint mentos.  We actually took two class periods to research this. 

The boys were delighted to test out chip bags in the microwave.  They excitedly showed them off to a homeschool mom who asked “did you do those in the oven?”  They told her the microwave and she asked about sparks.  We learned that two seconds in the microwave works fine. It was NOT my idea to do one with the contents still in it, but the boys thought it pretty cool.  🙂

chip bag microwave

Magnetic fun

One day we played around with magnets. I hadn’t anticipated this one but came prepared in case they were curious.  I brought four different kinds of cereal and some milk.   They floated the cereal and determined which ones had the most iron in them.  Fruit loops of all things!!!!!   Crushed them and discovered tiny amounts of iron filings.   This was a total eye opener for them.   Then of course, boys being boys, they played magnet hockey…in the process discovering north and south, and how magnets vary in strength. 

iron filings

Our last experiment was in discovering the joy of black snakes. Working with carbon was very exciting for these two lads. It was a windy day so we struggled getting things going and the bbq lighter was a bit of a challenge to use. 

Since we are on vacation this week I didn’t actually plan an experiment for day six.  I expect the lads will be too busy just setting things up and I always have stuff we can play around with.   🙂

Five Reasons to Share Your Writing

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Do you know that when I first started writing poetry as an adult that it was REALLY hard to let people know I liked to write poetry much less let them read it?   MAN that was so hard… and to be honest, it’s still hard but, other than at a writer’s conference I attended, no one has even dissected it and made me feel less than. It is so hard to do though, especially when you start.  I want to encourage you with five reasons to share your writing. 

five reasons to share your writing

I’ve learned to avoid writer’s groups … at least at this point because I don’t know enough about how to dissect someone’s poetry to be very comfortable about having others dissect mine.. I dunno .. does that make sense?   This doesn’t mean I can’t share my poetry with others though.  It’s an excellent thing to do.

Why?

SO glad you asked.

  1. It gives us confidence to continue writing.  Doesn’t it do you good when someone says “I really liked that piece”.  Makes you feel like a million bucks doesn’t it?  So then you want to do it again right?  It’s a huge confidence booster isn’t it?
  2. It gives our words meaning.  We can’t just write for ourselves… writing is meant to be shared.  Even if all you do is write back and forth to your best, longest lived friend.  Or have a small blog in your corner of the universe, or have a mega blog with so many readers it boggles the mind. 
  3. It could be useful.  Perhaps that poem your wrote, or article you spent time agonizing over, is just what the reader needed as an encouragement or to spur them on to better things, or was a balm to a wounded soul.  Maybe that piece of non-fiction taught a 13 year old something he didn’t know before!
  4. Feedback… Even though it’s hard and can crush your spirit.. feedback can also show you what you are doing well and how to make the rest even better. It’s a bit of a two-edged sword right?  The side benefit is if you share your work with discerning writers (so not your very best friend or your mom who will probably like everything you do), you may just end up reading their work and finding your mind sharpened just a bit more.  Fire feeds fire you know?
  5. New readers, new friends, new opportunities.  You never know where your writing will take you.  Someone might read one piece, and then decide they need to read more, and then more and they will share it with their friends and before you know it, you might have a whole following.

What do you say?   Give it a chance?  Let iron sharpen iron?  Find yourself encouraged?   Finding readers that are encouraged or helped?  Isn’t it a lovely thing?   Share it!

 

Arty Facts: Our Bodies & Art Activities

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Are you doing a human body study and looking for art projects to enhance your learning adventures?   Arty Facts is a wonderful book to enhance any study of the human body.  Let me tell you about this excellant art book resource, entitled Our Bodies & Art Activities, that will nicely round out your studies.

arty facts: our bodies & art activities

What do you get:

21 Chapters with titles such as strong bones, taste buds, touch and feel, brainbox and sound catchers, the human body is discussed and art activities suggested for each area of the body.

arty facts: our bodies & art activities

This isn’t just an art book with a little bit of info, it’s also a science book with good information about the body. I found the text geared to grades three and up.  There is much younger children could learn, but for reading independently, probably grade three as a minimum level. 

arty facts: our bodies & art activities

Each page of learning comes with an accompanying art activity.  There is a great range of activities from working with paper Mache, sewing, or drawing etc.    You get to work with paper, glue, buttons, foil, shells, paint, sponges, sequins and more.  Some of the crafts are “Salt Dough Fruit Basket”, “Textured Touch Art”, “Circuit Board Collage” and “Puffing Bellows”.   I found that the crafts ranged in complexity, some being suitable for upper elementary students, and others for lower.  Pick the crafts/art activities that match the level of your students.

arty facts: our bodies & art activities

You’ll notice that the list of needed supplies in done on a red sidebar with pictures and words.  The instructions were clear making it very easy to teach.  There is a materials guide at the close of the book which tells you what some of the materials are and what suitable alternatives could be used.

My thoughts:

I think this is a great book and makes me want to go out and gather a bunch of kids together. Then I can do art and learn about the body at the same time.  This book is great for kinetic learners to cement learning.  I was pleased they didn’t include the Robotic Hand which I often find in stem and art books about the human body. 

arty facts: our bodies & art activities

 

Our Bodies & Art Activities
Editor: Ellen Rodger
Crabtree Publishing
48 pages, softcover,
Art, Kids Crafts, Human Body, Science
Series: Arty Facts.

 

 

Jack the Police Dog

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Today my son and I joined other members of the HOPE group to see a police dog demonstration.  We got to meet Jack and his Handler Jackie.    She is the smallest dog handler and has the largest dog in this area.  She talked with us about the work that Jack does with her, his training, his likes and dislikes and demonstrated some of his skills.

Police Dog Jack

Jack spends most of his time during general duties – going on patrol, clearing houses, looking for people, and other such normal activities for a police dog.  He has also been trained in drugs and one other thing… bombs I think.  My memory isn’t completely clear.

Came from Czechoslovakia  when one year old $10,000.  They work with European breeders because they need the pedigree of solid working dogs with good noses. 

His handler did all the training with him.  Jack works for his toy (a ball with a rope on it).   His ball is his “good job” marker.   They are trained using positive reinforcement only.  She trained Jack in London and returns there twice a month to maintain training.   

police dog and handler

Carries a gun, pepper spray and a tazer.  Tazers come with an inbuilt confetti that is marked with the number of the tazer.  So forensics can always tell which tazer was used.

The students (and some of the moms) asked good questions that ranged from size of Jack (75-90 lbs), to ammunition needed (carry two clips with 14 bullets), to items they need to carry.  The fun of trying to keep with a dog who can clear a 10 foot fence.   Jack is currently the largest dog in the London, St. Thomas, St. Mary’s and Stratford area.   He is a black German Shepherd.  

He has had 6 apprehensions in his life.  An apprehension is when a dog bites a suspect to hold them.   They are trained to bite and hold rather than to bite and reposition.  This training minimizes damage to the suspect. 

She helped us understand why a police dog can clear a house quicker than a person can.  Having a powerful nose lets them know if a person is hiding in a room even if a door is shut and locked.   Means the officer doesn’t have to wait for a key to gain entrance nor do they have to search every cubby, closet or even the ceiling. 

His handler was pleased to show us some of Jack’s skills.  He SO loves his ball and watched it eagerly be tossed away and did everything he was supposed to before he finally was able to keep it.  He ran through his exercise twice showing off different skills I only caught the first part on camera. 

His handler ended up being called back to duty, but before she headed off, we were shown a secret from the police car.  She has a button on her suit that can remotely open the back door of the vehicle.  Jack is trained to burst out in full protection mode.   Unfortunately Jack got the protection sleeve off his handler before I got the camera out and snapping a pic.  

emergency releaseWe learned that Jack lives with his person 24/7.  At night he has an outdoor kennel that keeps him comfortable.  The police vehicle is equipped with Jack in mind, with a temperature controlled environment and everything.

It was a great demonstration and I’m glad we went.