Free Life Science Curriculum

I haven't had a chance to look at what this all included, but this could be perfect for some of our Classical Conversations science weeks. Enjoy....

Download a free copy of the Classic Science Life Science curriculum. This curriculum is designed for ages six to nine and is a complete curriculum which takes 36 weeks to complete.

I found this through Crystal. :)

Helping Kids Understand the Food Chain

In our third week of science, we are discussing the three main parts of the food chain - producers, consumers and decomposers.

I found a fantastic site with a Free Powerpoint Presentation on the Food Chains and much, much more for both the kids and teachers.

Mr. Skeleton

This information was taken from a new blog that I just came across called Homemade Homeschoolers. How perfect that they are sharing a free 5 foot long skeleton "unit" study, to accompany our human body weeks.
They mentioned that I should go tell my friends, so I am...you!
Thank you so much, Homemade Homeschoolers, for sharing your hard work.
Go on over to their blog and give them some comment love. :)

(taken from their blog)

Mr. Skeleton and Osteology

We have a fun craft project that we are giving away FREE this week! Mr. Skeleton is about 5 feet tall and very easy (and cheap) to make! We have had one in my parent’s home that I can remember hanging every Halloween as a child. My mother informed me yesterday that that particular skeleton has hung around for 36 years! Even your youngest can easily participate in this craft and it can be a keepsake tradition for your family. For the older kids, I thought that it would be an opportune time for learning the real names of all those bones. So, I have gathered some links to learn the names and test them as well.

Vocabulary

Defining terms you will be using throughout a study is a great way to introduce vocabulary words and an important part in understanding new concepts. Besides the names of the bones, there are some other terms you may encounter. Have your kids take turns looking these up in a dictionary as a good way to develop dictionary skills as well as finding the answers. You can look in an online dictionary, but I prefer the paper version to teach the kids research skills. My kids write vocabulary words on index cards (word on one side, definition on the other), to use as flashcards throughout the study.

• osteology, joint, tendon, ligament, axial, appendicular, irregular, sesamoid

Naming the Bones

Next, I would learn the names of the bones. My favorite is a cute, but very informative movie at Science With Me. You must register on their site, but it is completely free and well worth it. To see the skeleton movie, go to animations and click on Stanley the Skeleton. Turn up the volume and enjoy. I think this works well even for older kids, but, if yours want something more “grown-up”, there is a labelled diagram of the skeleton you can use. I would label index cards with the names of the bones, mix them up, and have the kids lay them out as though they were building a skeleton. Breaking them up into groups can also help. The two groups of bones, based upon where they are located, are Axial and Appendicular. The five types of bones, based upon their shape, are Long, Short, Flat, Irregular, and Sesamoid.

Once they have the names down pretty well, there are some good links to interactive skeletons to test themselves and solidify their learning.

• BBC Interactive Body has a Skeleton Game.
• Get Body Smart has an Interactive Skeletal System.
• Label the bones on this animation.

There are also free printable worksheets available at Science With Me and Lesson Tutor.

Here is your FREE skeleton craft:

Mr. Skeleton Pdf Just right-click and save to your computer! Tell your friends!!

More sites to browse/time line figures

I have not checked every single site thoroughly, but have browsed briefly to make sure that they are working links

This page has links for free printable time line figures. Most graphics
can be resized to whatever size you need.
http://www.squidoo. com/homeschooltimelines

Learninggamesforkids.com is true to its name! It is loaded with learning games. Guess what, our Foundations kids can quiz THEMSELVES on their geography location with a quiz on the 50 states. Some favorites on this site are the keyboarding games and the science songs. There are a lot of good tools located here.

Here is a great site of all kinds of educational games for kids from K-8. Just scroll to the bottom to change levels. there is a mix from a variety of sites, and they tell you what they help with and under what subject.
http://www.internet 4classrooms. com/month2month. htm

http://kids. nationalgeograph ic.com/ It has some games and activities.

http://www.nps. gov/webrangers/ Geared for 6 and up but you might be able to help the with younger children. It has a variety of different parks,history, science and other fun things. You earn stickers to put on a passport after you complete the park online.

http://www.zoobooks .com/

http://www. sprout.com

www.pbskids.org
www.lookybook.com
www.scholastic.com
www.funschool.kaboose. com
www.kidzone. ws
www.almanac4kids. com

Fingerprint Identification

We had some lively discussion during our science experiment last week. We collected and observed the patterns of fingerprints, discussed the hypothesis, and debated the results.

As we know, there are no two people with the exact same fingerprints.
One student asked if that was true even with identical twins.
Great question! God, with His unique design of the human body, even gave identical twins completely different fingerprints.

The hypothesis suggests that the pattern on each of our fingerprints are the same - each person has a fingerprint unique to that individual.
Many of our students and tutors disagreed with this hypothesis. They felt that some of their prints differed.

This is a fascinating study, and one that boys will especially enjoy digging deeper. Mention Forensic Science, and they are all over that subject.
What did you find out? I would love to hear.

Here are some more questions to assist in your probe of the material.

How did this practice begin? When was it discovered to be an effective means of identification? Are mistakes ever made in the identification process? How long do prints stay on an object? Can we pick up a print off of someone else's body? What is the latest trend in identification? (eyes) What steps are being taken in various forms of identification?

Science - weeks 4-6

Carrie is amazing...she has graciously shared her science work as well.
Click here to see her document,

and then go visit her blog to say thanks.
I know you friends haven't gotten the comment thing down yet...hint, hint.
Really, we bloggers are an easy bunch. We don't even mind anonymous comments.

The books that she is using are:
The Usborne Complete Book of the Human Body: Internet Linked (Complete Books)
Science Encyclopedia (Usborne Internet-Linked Discovery Program)

• Blood and Guts (Brown Paper School Book)

4 – Nervous System

UHB p. 38-41

B&G p. 116-117

- test reflexes, levitate arms, catch a dollar

USE p. 365 #2m p. 367 #1, #3

• Brain is the body’s boss. Nerves send messages from body to brain.

• Sensory neurons collect info; motor neurons carry instructions to muscles; connector neurons (in brain and spinal cord) process info.

5 – Senses

UHB p. 42-49, 52

USE p. 371 #3, p. 373 #5, p. 375 #3, #5

• 5 senses are the brain’s tool for detecting the world around you.

• Sight one of the most important for humans. Eardrum transmits noises. Taste and smell are connected and are closely related to memory. Touch is THE most important.

6 – Digestive System

UHB p.65-71

USE p. 355 #1, #4