How Many Seeds In A Pumpkin?

We met up with friends from our Nature Club and did a fun project based on the book 'How Many Seeds In A Pumpkin?' by Margaret McNamara. This a fun book that walks a class through an experiment to see how many seeds are in pumpkins and why that might be.

For our group we started with pumpkin observations, estimations of how many seeds might be in our various pumpkins, then the seeded them and counted, graphed their results and we compared our results. This is a fun project to do this time of year with a small group because it makes the collective data more interesting versus just one or two pumpkins.

A great fall activity!!



Spelling Fun

With Holly's spelling each week I try to mix it up a bit. Typically I will set her up with an art project focused on her spelling words or a secret code game, maybe a scavenger hunt or riddles to solve. This week I broke out our little word tiles that are linked with coins. She spelled each word on her list, added up the total and wrote it next to that work in her book. After she was all done, I paid her for the most expensive word. Before she started she made a prediction as to which word would be the winning word... she learned her prediction was wrong. This was a fun lesson that tied in both math and spelling!!

Apple Lapbook & Lesson

After out visit to Lattin's Cider Mill yesterday we had to have a good school day of apples. Holly enjoyed it so much and has asked to do the same with pumpkins in a few weeks... I'll be organizing that very soon. In the mean time today was filled a lot of apple fun - inspecting an apple, revisiting the parts of an apple, seed estimation, tasting various kinds and comparing, watching a video on the apple industry and orchards, discussing the health benefits of apples, reading a few books, apple stamping, sentence organizing and writing, an experiment and more!

With all of these projects on tap I had Holly work on a lapbook - a great way to keep all of her work. A lapbook seems to break up the daily grind of reading, writing & recording. She loves them and so do I. This is a pretty basic lapbook but one that Holly could do all by herself with little help from me... meaning she feels very proud when she is finished!

Blueberries For Sal

We spent a second day on the book Blueberries for Sal. Holly started off with reading this book aloud to Hudson and I. After reading it we talked about a Story Map reviewing the theme of the book, the setting, the characters, the problem and the solution. Holly then completed a story map on Blueberries for Sal - all on her own. I am quiet impressed with how well she did too!! Holly also created a Venn Diagram comparing the two characters of Sal and Little Bear. She enjoys doing these -- I need to plan in some more that would work well while she masters this skill.

After she completed these two assignments we made blueberry muffins. We used a recipe I have used many time, so a keeper that is very simple and not over the top. Holly really enjoys cooking, this made for another great kitchen experience.

Here is the recipe we used: Easy Blueberry Muffins

Weekly Cooking ~ Chicken Tacos

Today Holly decided her weekly meal would be chicken tacos. We discussed the ingredients she would need, evaluated what we already had on hand and created a shopping list. Then we headed to the market to buy supplies (some day I'll bring my camera along to that too) and she helped with the entire transaction with the cashier.

Once home she unloaded the groceries and prepared. We did an easy version of this in which she shredded chicken from a roasted chicken, measured & mixed all of her ingredients and spices. Then she sauteed it all on the stove top... yes, the stove top. Under much guidance of course!!! She simmered it all down and sauteed the meat mixture - she also warmed the tortillas in a pan too! When all was said and done they were GREAT! This was a fun lesson for her with a meal she really enjoyed.

Hands On Math

Along side of our 'workbook' math we will be enjoying a lot of hands on math, a lot! She really enjoys the rainbow colored math books however the hands on learning - a visual - is in my eyes more important. We had toyed with a completely different math program for this year however I was afraid she would miss the workbook aspect, so I am creating my own hands on program along side of her workbook curricula.

Today we worked from a book of math poetry we own (we did this on her first day as well). The poem was about pairs of bugs in jars that a little girl collects. So, I found some free 'empty jar' graphics online I could print out and trimmed them all up. I made a page of bugs and trimmed them all up. And... a lesson was formed!

We read the poem and from it we talked about how certain types of poem end in rhyming words, like this one. So, we took the ends of stanzas and brainstormed out own list of rhyming words.

After did this we looked at the poem more carefully and talked about pairs. Then I had her take out all the paper jars & bugs I created and I presented her with math story problems. We did several of these, physically working them and she shared with me her results. "Teresa collected 24 bugs and put three in each jar. How many jars did she use?" (division/multiplication) Holly loved this! To finish the project she took some jars and drew her own bug collection in them. A fun lesson indeed!