Expedition China

This week we did Download N Go's Expedition China.  This was really a crazy week...an unexpected morning of helping my grandmother with Alzheimer's, doctor appointments, several days of rain....just not a great week but we were still able to complete all of the lessons.  Honestly, I tried to do too much!  I don't know if I have mentioned this before but I have a problem with perfectionism AND I hate to waste stuff.  I purchased this unit in the summer after having only completed one Download N Go unit.  I printed EVERY page and because I did this I felt that we had to DO every page.  I would not recommend doing this.  There is so much in this unit, it's really too much to try to do in one week.  I think it would have been better if we had chosen a few things to focus on. With all that being said, we still enjoyed China.

Panda bears are so cute!

Emma was the only one that really completed the work in this unit.  Some of the kids watched the videos and did some coloring but Emma went through all of it.  (I did make her do too much.  I'll try not to do that anymore...LOL)

The week before we started Expedition China, I started reading, These are My People by Mildred Howard.  It is a biography of Gladys Aylward, a missionary to China.  We are enjoying reading it and I hope to finish it in the next few days.  I also got a stack of books from the library list but we haven't really read any.  I think I will read some before we return them to the library though.

I originally planned to cook some kind of Chinese food but we ended up going to a local Chinese restaurant with a few of the kids tonight.  It was fun and we got to try chopsticks.  They also have a fish tank with goldfish (one of the animals we studied this week) and it had a pagoda in it.

Emma trying to use chopsticks. (I'm not sure what Connor is doing.  LOL)

checking out the goldfish in the tank

So, my recommendation for this unit would be to buy it but, do one of two things:

1) Complete it in a week but pick and choose what you want to cover.

OR

2) Do all the lessons but take a much longer time to do it.

There is PLENTY here to fill several weeks especially if you add library books.  I am finding that I like to spend a week on a Download N Go unit (or 6 days if we add a field trip).  I just need to learn to scale back when I do this! :)

Rocking Robots

Our most recent Download N Go unit is Rocking Robots.  We spent an enjoyable week learning about robots from the first toy robot to how robots are used today and how they might be used in the future. As with all of the Download N Go unit studies there are 5 days of lessons.  We spent 5 days working on the unit and then on the 6th day we took a field trip and made a special robot treat!

In Rocking Robots you will find:

Day 1: What Is a Robot? 
Day 2: The History of Robots
Day 3: People and Places of Robots
Day 4: Science Secrets of Robots 
Day 5: Goodies and Gadgets of Robots

Although I did get a stack of books about robots out of the library.  We didn't really use them or need them.  (My husband and older son did enjoy reading some of them.)  I really didn't have much interest in robots and the kids weren't that thrilled with it either but any time I've been hesitant about a Download N Go unit we end up having a good time so we went for it.  I think we all learned a lot and it was fun to watch the robot videos.

I didn't take any pictures while we were working on the unit but we visited the Mystic Aquarium where they have a large exhibit that features underwater robots and videos with Dr. Robert Ballard.  It was a great way to end our study.  Well that, and the robot cake! (You'll find links to the directions in the study.)

Dr. Ballard (a sign as you walk in to the exhibit)

a life size replica of Jason

I can't remember the name of this ROV (you'll learn what that is)
but the kids can climb down inside.

Inside the ROV. The port holes have "movies" going by so it seems as if you are underwater.

A Titanic exhibit where the floor is a movie screen that is like the sea bottom

I think I'll pass on that ticket even at the original price!

one of the movies

decorating our robot cake

Emma, Ryan and Jenna with our robot

We really enjoyed Rocking Robots and I was amazed at some of the videos and the things robots can do. You can read more reviews on the Download N Go blog tour.


* I received a free copy of Rocking Robots in exchange for my honest review.

Becca's senior pictures

If you read my blog you'll notice that I don't post very often about the older children.  It isn't really intentional it's just easier to blog about the things I am doing with the younger kids.  Anyway, Becca is a senior this year.  It really doesn't seem possible that we have homeschooled her since day 1 and she is in her last year.  Wow does time fly!!  We got her senior pictures taken a few weeks ago (she hasn't had professional photos done in 9 years...sad but true.)  Here are a few shots:

Outdoor Hour-Challenge #1

Today we completed the Outdoor Hour Challenge #1-Getting Started from the Handbook of Nature Study blog.  Over the past several days I read pages 1-8 of the Handbook of Nature Study.  It has been raining for the last several days so today was the first chance we had to get back outside.

I didn't have any agenda but to just go out and see what we could find.  Emma (7) and Jenna (5) came with me today.  We recently went looking for mushrooms and so now the girls have an eye for that and kept pointing out lots of mushrooms on our walk (many that I just passed right over.)  I took a few pictures of mushrooms that we hadn't seen before and some that they liked.  Emma also picked up quite a few leaves and filled my pockets with giant acorns.

When we came inside, Emma laid out all of her treasures (except for the oak gall because I thought it probably had bugs in it.) Then we looked at the acorn section on the Handbook of Nature Study.  After that we looked up a few websites on Oak Tree identification.  We think that the oak trees we have are Scarlet Oak. I cannot find my Tree field guide (and it's driving me crazy!!) so we relied on the internet.

I am really coming to love our little nature study walks.

acorns

I thought this leaf was pretty

This was a neat mushroom.  It didn't seem to have any gills.  It was very spongy.

another mushroom we hadn't seen before

bright yellow

There is a tall mushroom between the girls...we took it to show
how big it is but somehow you can't tell!

mushroom growing in a dead tree on the ground

mushrooms on a different tree on the ground

Emma notices tree roots.  She pointed out this Elm tree growing
over a rock. It's pretty cool.

Near the end of our walk we found this cool purple mushroom.

Time for a swing.

a gall

Emma with her "goodies"

Ryan's Reading List

I want to keep track of the books Ryan is reading and I thought a blog post that I can update would be a nice easy way to keep a running list.

Trapped at the Bottom of the Sea
Ben-Hur
These are My People
Coyotes
Deer
Mountain Lions
Mr. Popper's Penguins
Save the Florida Key Deer
Homer Price
Bengal Tigers
Amazing Tigers
True Book-Tigers
Tigers


Voyage of the Dawn Treader (read aloud)
The Silver Chair (read aloud)

New Look

I've given my blog a new look.  The old one was too summery and I wanted a fall look.  Tell me what you think.

Editing to add that I messed up my whole sidebar.  I hope I can get it back the way I had it.  UGH

Editing again to say I fixed it.  I'm not sure it's exactly the same but it's close.

Happy Birthday DNG!

Download N Go is celebrating its first birthday this week.  They are celebrating with a different special every day this week starting on Monday, October 4.  Each special will only last one day so be sure to check the Birthday Bash Specials page each day.  In addition, they will be giving away 20 lbs of fudge! Click here for details.