Drummin' for fun!

Last year and again this year our boys have been enrolled in a public school band. They also take private lessons for the instruments they play.

In September, my oldest was a part of a Scottish Pipes & Drums band for one concert. He was so excited to have played in that band. He is hoping that the band will invite him again to play in January. For this concert, Matthew played the floor tom and large djembe. You can see him in the corner.

What I hope to do here is to put this video here...



More later!

Heidi

Science Experiment 4.1

Today, my son and I tried something different in his science experiment. We decided to video record it. He was so thrilled to get the attention... He performed well... Hopefully you will think so too.

You might say this was an experiment on more than one level... you see, I had to record it and put it together.

We had some goofy moments while working on this project...but I think I edited enough of them out so you won't get bored.

More later...

Heidi

Atmospheric Pressure Science Experiment

First let me say that this blog is not just for science experiments. However, we have had so much fun with these experiments that I wanted to write about them.

On this experiment, we were to learn about atmospheric pressure. My son grabbed two soda cans and put just a little water into them both... Only enough to cover the bottoms. Then heated them both up on the stove. Now, one thing that is VERY important on this experiment... You must get the water to boiling temperature. In our first attempt, we failed to get the temp high enough. The instructions said to heat up the cans until steam came out of the cans... but that really isn't enough.

So, we finally got the water to boiling and then put each can directly into ice cold water. The first can went into the water with the open on the top and the second with the can upside down.

The first can didn't do anything exciting except just sit there cooling down... However, the second can, as it cooled sucked up all the water that was in the bowl and proceeded to crush the can.

What we were able to see was that the first can, which was upright in the ice water had air inside. The air that was inside the can pushed against the pressure from the atmosphere, so there was no force on the sides of the can... However, with the second can, which was "upside down" in the ice water, it had very little air inside. Because of this, there was very little to push against the pressure from the outside of the can... so the atmosphere on the outside crushed the can.

We were very impressed with the outcome on this experiment. It really helped us to understand barometric pressure.

We have so much fun learning science! It's a blast.

More later!


Heidi

Oxygen & Fire -- Experiment 2.2

Scary thought was my first impression... teach an 8th grader how to make fire... Hmm...

Actually, we had fun with this one... in the end.

The purpose of this test was to show the effect of adding and removing oxygen from fire. We're hoping that we'll understand how to quench or feed fire. Simple, right?

HAHA!

First off, teach your student to read through the instructions before proceeding with the experiment. Make sure you have plenty of supplies. This didn't happen with us. I only wish I had photographs to show this experiment.

Here's what you need... You need 2-cups of Hydrogen Peroxide, and 1-teaspoon of bakers yeast (you know, the stuff you use to make bread... yeah, I had to remember that one). You also need a 1-liter plastic soda bottle, a candle, a jar to fit over the candle (heat resistant is best), and a balloon.

First off my son measures the 2-cups of Hydrogen Peroxide pours it into the bottle and adds 1-teaspoon of yeast. My job is to put the balloon over the mouth of the bottle. Easy enough... Oxygen begins to sneak out of the balloon... But now I have to shake the bottle. You know, I am already feeling warmth on the bottle, I'm worried that the bottle will melt or break, and they want mix it more? It doesn't take much, and within minutes I have a balloon full of oxygen... Now what do I do? My son tells me to take the balloon off and tie the end... Ok.. Balloon is tied... there ain't anything getting out of this balloon...

Meanwhile we're instructed to light the candle and put the jar over the top... Ok, can do. So we sit and watch the candle... of course, it goes out. No we need to relight... The next step says, now place the jar over the candle and carefully release the contents of the balloon into the jar. Say WHAT?

My youngest begins to laugh and my oldest looks at me with a sheepish look... My youngest say, "Well, you can poke a hole in it, Mommy." Yeah right! Try that will trying to "carefully" release contents... Nope... not me. Of course you can't untie the balloon... it was damaged coming off the bottle mouth. "Well, Mommy," says my oldest, "you can cut the knot off..." I can't believe I took it, hook, line, & sinker. When you cut the knot, you have nothing to hold onto... the yeast, after bubbling in the peroxide makes it all slimy so you can't hold it. I finally let go... experiment failed.

This is where I find out we don't have enough supplies to do it again... Yeah, I run off the store to buy more Hydrogen Peroxide... I think I bought the store out...Before I left, I insisted that my son REREAD the whole experiment. Make sure he understands what has to happen.

Upon my return, we start the experiment all over again. It was exciting to see how the oxygen from the balloon causes the candle to glow very brightly. When you take the balloon away, the bright light lingers a bit, then fades away. Add more oxygen and right away it brightens.

Even though this experiment was exciting and fun, one thing to remember is to read through the entire experiment first... Secondly, make sure you have enough supplies for two experiments... You never know if you'll need a do over.

More later,

Heidi

Science Experiment 1.3

So, now we are to accomplish another science experiment. The goal is to see how a Tums tablet can neutralize vinegar... Pretty cool. First you take 3-jars. In the first, you put 1-cup vinegar, the second, 1/2-cup vinegar, and the third, 1/4-cup vinegar... then drop a Tums into each jar. The chemical reaction causes the Tums to begin fizzing... Doesn't sound interesting? Well, it actually is... especially if you tend to have acid stomach. You begin to understand what happens in your stomach when you down a Tums.

The second part of this experiment is to do this experiment again, but this time you add enough water to make it 2-cups of liquid in each jar. So to the first jar, you add 1-cup water, to the second you add 1 1/2-cups of water, and finally the third jar gets 1 3/4-cups water. So as you can see, we're diluting the acid. Now you drop a Tums into each jar... Again, you see fizzing and bubbling, but this time it is not as much. This time the third jar hardly bubbles at all. In fact, it pretty much neutralizes in minutes... but the first jar.. fizzes until the Tums disappears.

Hmm, next time I have an acid stomach, should I drink more water?

More later,

Heidi

School Starts Again

So the saga continues... School begins again... 2007-2008 Yeah!

Well, this year "seems" to be off to a great start. I don't mean to sound negative, not even to the smallest degree... It is really easy for me to get all gloomy when the new year starts, however this year feels different. Both of my boys have an excitement about this school year that is so different than before.

My oldest son is now in 8th grade. This year he begins Algebra 1 and Physical Science and he is really excited about it! He jumps to his new found love almost immediately. He loves all the science experiments that he gets to put together on his own. He has set a goal for himself to complete his science modules done in under a week. (The modules are suppose to take 2 weeks...)

My youngest son, well he has, for some reason, set a high goal for himself. He is determined to pass his brother up in Math. He's in 6th grade right now. I have tried to impress on him that I don't expect him to put that pressure on himself.

Our core curriculum is a unit study called Weaver and we are on Volume 4. It is hard to believe that we made it through four volumes. Well, I don't mean that the curriculum is difficult... Not at all... With all the ups and downs of home schooling, it is interesting that we have pulled through all these years.

Well, hopefully more later...

Heidi

Science Experiment 1.1

So, my 8th grade son now has Physical Science in his scheduled curriculum. He's lovin' it!

The other day, we did an experiment that involved mixing water with baking soda and then taking two copper insulated wires and attaching each wire onto the positive and negative posts of a 9 volt battery.

We all know what happens to copper when it is allowed to be outside in the elements. It turns green. The statue of Liberty is a perfect example of this... but what we found interesting was the pretty color of bluish green that happens to the water.


We also found that the positive wire turn blue green while the negative wire turned black. What’s with that??

We had a lot of fun with this experiment. Wait til you hear about the next…

More later,
Heidi