science Archives - Page 4 of 4 - Look! We're Learning!

10 Kids’ Picture Books about Bugs

April 19, 2016 by Selena Robinson Leave a Comment

Bugs are super popular with kids, especially during the warm months when we start to see more ants, bees, and other creepy critters around more often. Personally, I’m not a fan. But my boys (in particular) think they’re super cool!

So, I’ve worked up the nerve to start putting together a bug unit study. And part of that unit is reading some great picture books about bugs!

Here are ten kids’ books about bugs that are awesome for showing kids different kinds of insects and helping them learn about how they live and co-exist along with us.

10 Kids’ Picture Books about Bugs

If you try one of these, let me know which one is your favorite! And if I missed a great bug book, tell me your pick in the comments!

For more buggy fun, check out these posts!

And get more ideas for science learning from my It’s Science board on Pinterest!

Hands-On Learning about Taste Buds

February 11, 2016 by Selena Robinson 9 Comments

Studying the human body is always a fun unit with kids. And one of the basic concepts is the five senses, right? But it turns out that every time I cover this unit, I learn something new. This time it was about how our taste buds work.

Now I’m probably exposing myself as an ignoramus, but I really never thought much about taste buds. Not what they did, not what specific tastes they detect, and certainly not where they were located. But I know a lot more about them now and so do my kids!

Check out our hands-on learning about taste buds, including a fun paper craft that you can recreate with your little ones!

Learning about Taste Buds

What really got me started on this activity was reading the Sesame Street book My First Book About the Five Senses with the kids.

This is going to be really pathetic, but I didn’t know that there are different taste buds on different parts of our tongues!

See? The taste buds at the back of the tongue are for bitter tastes, while sour and salty taste buds are located on the left and right sides. The tip of the tongue is where the sweet taste buds are located. Neat!

So I created a similar “tongue” on pink construction paper with taste bud “zones”.

Pretty close, right?

After we read the book, I handed Roo the paper tongue and some torn pages from a magazine so he could find pictures of food and glue them in the correct taste bud “zones”.

Any time there’s a chance to use scissors, he’s raring to go.

See that image of coffee on the table? Roo didn’t know where to put that picture on the paper tongue. After all, he’d never tasted coffee.

Time to do a taste test and find out!

He was super excited to taste a grown-up drink. But afterward, he came to the instant conclusion that…

Black coffee definitely belongs in the “bitter” zone.

So, he finished finding pictures and gluing them in the right places.

And while he worked, I read about taste buds with Piglet. As you can see, she had a pretty good time.

And Roo is all done! Coffee and onion are in the “bitter” section, pickles and grapefruit are in the “sour” section, salted nuts and chips are in the “salty” section, and a brownie and a clementine make up the “sweet” zone.

A tad bigger than the tongues in our mouths, but you get the idea.

We really enjoyed this project and Roo was so proud of his work that he ran out into the living room to show the rest of the family.

For more hands-on science fun, follow my It’s Science board on Pinterest!

And don’t miss the other fun human body learning activities this week from the Early Elementary Blogging Team!

STEM Respiratory System Investigation Asthma versus Healthy from Life Over C’s

What’s Inside Your Blood – An Edible Model from Preschool Powol Packets

Human Body Printables for Kids from Living Life and Learning

Telling the Time – Body Clock from Rainy Day Mum

Human Body Games for Kidsfrom The Natural Homeschool

5 Senses Unit from 123 Homeschool 4 Me

Bones from Sugar Aunts

Human Body Math from Planet Smarty Pants

Parts of the Eye Painting from Still Playing School

Simple Heat Conduction Experiment with Air is Not Oxygen!

February 11, 2016 by Selena Robinson 1 Comment

How many of you parents are extremely comfortable with teaching science? And I mean extremely comfortable.

If you’re not, you’re not alone! I’m not much of a science buff myself. I got good grades in it as a kid, but I haven’t really ever been interested in it. (Except for astronomy. Astronomy is awesome.)

So when it comes to teaching science, I find it hard to get a good grasp of the concepts so I can teach them to my kids. And that’s why I was thrilled to get a chance to review a great science book and try some of the activities, including a simple heat conduction experiment!

Read on to see why I loved this book and to see one of the included hands-on activities!

Disclosure: I received this product in exchange for this post and I was compensated for my time. All opinions are my own and I was not required to post a positive review.

Science Concepts for the Non-Scientific Parent

As I mentioned earlier, I’m not super comfortable with science. And what’s worse – I’ve forgotten most of what I did learn in school. Fortunately, I’ve recently gotten a copy of the book Air Is Not Oxygen: Essential Science You Should Have Learned … But Probably Didn’t! and I have to say: It. Is. Incredible.

It’s a thorough overview of several scientific concepts, including light, heat, animal behaviors, and more. So it’s a good introduction or re-introduction to the same things you and I learned in school.

I had so many “Ohhhhh!” moments reading this book. For example, when Dr. Morelan talks about heat, he explains that you can generate heat through physical or chemical reactions. And for a physical reaction example, he tells you to rub your hands together (warming them) and then wave them in the air (cooling them).

Now did you ever think of that as friction or an example of how heat is generated? I didn’t!

And the book is written in a witty, conversational manner that just makes sense. I actually found my husband reading it later. That’s how good it is.

Simple Heat Conduction Experiment

After I read the section about how heat is generated with the kids, we tried one of the experiments in the book to observe heat conduction in action.

What is heat conduction? It’s how heat travels from one object to another. For example, when you touch something made of metal, it feels cold, right? Know why?

Because the metal is sucking the heat out of your body! For real! Just another thing I learned from Air is Not Oxygen. (Seriously, buy it now. You’ll be glad you did.)

It turns out that metal is an excellent heat conductor. And to test that statement, the book recommends experimenting by comparing to two other materials to see which one conducts heat the best. We took butter and spread it onto a plastic spoon, a metal spoon, and a pencil.

Then we stood all three up in a glass and added hot water.

Like so.

And slowly but surely, the butter on the metal spoon began to soften.

We watched with bated breath…

Until it finally melted!

The butter on the pencil softened, but the butter on the plastic stayed fairly firm.

Yep. There’s no doubt that metal is the best conductor of the three. Science works!

This whole experiment took about half an hour. And most of that was spent in the observation phase. It was a really simple science experiment and a great way to “see” science in action.

And I finally understand what heat conduction is!

To brush up on science concepts and give your kids a chance to try a fun and simple heat conduction experiment, get your copy of Air is Not Oxygen from Amazon!

For more science fun, check out my It’s Science board on Pinterest!

And you can get even more ideas for teaching all kinds of homeschooling subjects, including science, in the book “The Big Book of Homeschool Ideas” from iHomeschool Network!

The Big Book of Homeschool Ideas by iHomeschool Network

5 Fun Ways to Learn at the Zoo

October 20, 2015 by Selena Robinson Leave a Comment

What child doesn’t love visiting the zoo? Naturally, zoos are popular for homeschooling field trips, but you can also make them into genuine opportunities to learn. Read on to find out 5 fun ways to learn at the zoo!

It’s Tuesday, so it’s also time for the Laugh and Learn linky! Check out our favorite posts from last week and read even more great homeschooling and parenting posts today!

5 Fun Ways to Learn at the Zoo

We love the zoo in our family. In fact, we were just there last week for a homeschool class. My boys learned about black and white animals (lemurs, pandas, etc.) and my oldest daughter learned about the strongest animals on Earth. Trivia: Did you know that, when you measure according to the ability to pull its own weight, the Rhinoceros Beetle is stronger than a lion? Neat!

Homeschooling classes are just one way to learn at the zoo. Today I’m sharing five more over at Thinking Outside the Sandbox!

5 Fun Ways to Learn at the Zoo – Thinking Outside the Sandbox

Onward to the linky!

Welcome to our 55th week of Laugh and Learn – Homeschool and Parenting Linkup!

Laugh and Learn – Homeschool and Parenting Linkup will be open by 6 am every Tuesday morning.

Each and every week, all of the hosts pick one favorite post to be featured on the next week’s linkup. All of your links will be shared on five blogs.

We are also sharing the top posts on Pinterest: #LaughLearnLinkup {Featured Favorites}. It’s added exposure for your awesome content!
Reminder: Please share this linkup! You can help us build a great homeschool and parenting group.
[bctt tweet=”Share your favorite #parenting or #homeschooling post with #LaughLearnLinkup. #ihsnet #ibabloggers”]

Your Fabulous Hosts 😉

Tina

Tina lives abroad in Latin America with her husband and four children. Currently in Mexico, Tina is active in homeschool, travel, and her Bible ministry. She blogs about all of their adventures, and more at Los Gringos Locos.
Find Tina at her blog link above, and on the following social media networks:
Facebook
Twitter
Pinterest
Google +
Linkedin

Selena

Selena is a writer and a homeschooling mom to four kids, including three with ADHD/SPD. Selena and her husband, Jay, are committed to teaching their children at home and loving every minute of it! You can read about the family’s homeschooling experiences at Look! We’re Learning, written by Selena!
Find Selena at her blog link above, and on the following social media networks:
Facebook
Pinterest
Twitter
Google +
Instagram
Sarah

Sarah lives in Kentucky, USA, where she and her husband homeschool three children. Sarah writes for and about, families with special needs. She hopes to provide support and encouragement to all special needs parents in the homeschool community. Visit Sarah at Dedicated Homeschooler.
Find Sarah at her blog link above, and on the following social media networks:
Facebook
Instagram
Pinterest
Twitter
Haley

Haley hopes to encourage stay at home moms. She wants to help them learn how to make an extra income, to stretch a budget, to make crafts, and other useful information. Haley always has updates on the kids, and their funny antics. Visit Haley at Haley’s Vintage Finds & Deals.
Find Haley at her blog link above, and on the following social media networks:
Facebook
Pinterest
Instagram
Twitter
Google+
YouTube
Lindsey

Lindsey is a passionate writer eager to touch the hearts and minds of homeschoolers and parents abroad. As a devoted mother to two, happy homeschooler, and scatterbrained housewife, she’s on a mission to find love and joy in “the simple life” and invites you to join her! Visit Lindsey at Nitty Gritty Homeschooling. Find Lindsey at her blog link above, and on the following social media networks:
Facebook
Google+
Instagram
Pinterest
Twitter
YouTube

Grab a Button / Badge:

If you were featured this week, we would love for you to use this badge below. We really appreciate all your hard work, and sharing with us each and every week!

We would also love if you could use this badge on any post you shared with us. Or a text link would also be greatly appreciated. More shares and links helps us build a better and bigger linkup for all us to benefit from.

The Winners for the Week of October 20th:

Tina’s pick for this week…

Note from Tina:
I am going to save this for our boys. Outer space is always cool!
[bctt tweet=”Outer space is always a cool homeschool study unit! By @momteaches2 #LaughLearnLinkup”]

Selena’s pick for this week…

[bctt tweet=”Finding balance while homeschooling by @classichomesch #LaughLearnLinkup”]

Sarah’s pick for this week…

$Lego Math Race with FREE Printable$
Note from Sarah:
I’m really not crazy about math, and two of my kids hate it. But when you add Legos…even I want to do math.. Thanks for this great little game.
[bctt tweet=”Have fun with Lego Math Race by @alldayeverydaym #LaughLearnLinkup”]

Haley’s pick for this week…

Note from Haley:
My kids would love these!
[bctt tweet=”Teddy Bear Kindergarten Worksheets by @learning_2walk #LaughLearnLinkup”]

Lindsey’s pick for this week…

Note from Lindsey:
These works of art are amazing!
[bctt tweet=”Fall Into Art by @AmyOes #LaughLearnLinkup”]

Thanks to everyone who submitted a post. Please check out the post above by clicking on the image. If you enjoyed these picks as much as we did, please share them also!

Have you joined our Pinterest Board yet?

Follow Tina Ernspiker’s board #LaughLearnLinkup {Featured Favorites} on Pinterest.

Now give us your best posts!

An InLinkz Link-up

Amazing Hurricane Books for Kids

August 18, 2015 by Selena Robinson 2 Comments

It’s hurricane season! And we’ve been talking about hurricanes, tropical storms, and tropical depressions with the kids lately. We even got to review a Hurricane Lapbook a few weeks back.

As part of our hurricane studies, I put together a list of kids’ books about hurricanes that are awesome for introducing this topic to children and explaining it in an interesting way.

Check out our picks below! And if you want even more ways to learn about hurricanes, don’t miss our hurricane unit study!

Amazing Kids’ Books about Hurricanes

1. Eye of the Storm: A Book about Hurricanes by Rick Thomas

2. Hurricane by David Wiesner

3. Hurricanes by Seymour Simon

4. Hooper Finds a Family: A Hurricane Katrina Dog’s Survival Tale by Jane Paley

5. Tornadoes and Hurricanes! by Cy Armour

6. Hurricane! by Celia Godkin

7. Where Albatross Soar: A Beachside Story of Waves and Storms by Bryan Knowles

8. Read about Hurricanes by Sally Morgan

9. Hurricanes! (First Graphics Wild Earth) by Marcie Aboff

10. The Superstorm: Hurricane Sandy by Josh Gregory

11. Hurricanes: Earth’s Mightiest Storms by Patricia Lauber

12. Zane and the Hurricane: A Story of Katrina by Rodman Philbrick

13. Hurricanes by Gail Gibbons

14. Hurricanes Vs. Tornadoes Vs. Typhoons: Wind Systems of the World by Baby Professor

15. Drowned City: Hurricane Katrina and New Orleans by Don Brown

16. Hurricanes! (Hello Reader) by Lorraine J. Hopping

17. Hurricane Watch! (Let’s Read and Find Out Science 2) by Melissa Stewart

18. Storms by Seymour Simon

19. I Wonder Why Hurricanes Have Eyes (and other questions about natural disasters)

20. Hurricanes (Wild Weather) by Jim Mezzanotte

Do you have any go-to books about hurricanes that you’ve read with your kids? Share your picks in the comments!

For more hurricane learning ideas, you might also like:

For more tips to make your kids into readers, check out my Reading for Kids board on Pinterest!

This post is part of The Massive Guide to Homeschool Reading Lists by iHomeschool Network! Click over to read tons of awesome booklists shared by my fellow homeschooling bloggers!

10 Simple Science Printables for Kids

August 1, 2015 by Selena Robinson 15 Comments

We’re going to be focusing more on science during the upcoming school year than we have in the past. Science is NOT one of my favorite subjects to teach. I was a humanities major. 😉

But, thanks to some of the great resources available from Enchanted Homeschooling Mom, I’m finding it easier than ever to plan my science lessons this year! Here are 10 of the simple science printables for kids you can find at Enchanted Homeschooling Mom, including a complete weather science curriculum!

10 Simple Science Printables for Kids

1. Dinosaur Science Writing Prompts – Enchanted Homeschooling Mom

2. Printable Cloud Wheel – Enchanted Homeschooling Mom

3. Shark Coloring Pack – Enchanted Homeschooling Mom

4. All About Butterflies Pack – Enchanted Homeschooling Mom

5. Penguin Friends Pack – Enchanted Homeschooling Mom

6. Dolphin Anatomy Lesson Game – Enchanted Homeschooling Mom

7. Plant Journal – Enchanted Homeschooling Mom

8. Duck Mini-Unit – Enchanted Homeschooling Mom

9. Scientific Words Journal – Enchanted Homeschooling Mom

10. Weather Detective Science Curriculum – Enchanted Homeschooling Mom

And these are just a few of the printable resources available from Enchanted Homeschooling Mom! If you’d like to get access to all of these printables, plus tons more, you can join the EHM Members Only site for a one-time fee of just $15! Click the image below to learn more!

On a personal note: I want to say that Jill was the first professional blogger to take me under her wing. She gave me tips, support, and encouragement when I had absolutely no idea what I was doing. 🙂 It’s a privilege to be able to support her this time around.

This post is part of the Blog Hop for Enchanted Homeschooling Mom – a project to support Jill of EHM during her difficult time! Be sure to stop by to see my fellow bloggers and their roundups of fabulous resources from Enchanted Homeschooling Mom!

Not Back-to-School Picnic Ideas – Stir the Wonder

10 Fun Gross Motor Ideas – 3 Dinosaurs

Sensory Bins – Brain Power Boy

Space Activities – Preschool Powol Packets

Storybook Activities – Growing Book by Book

Spring Crafts for Preschool – Kidz Activities

Around the USA – Trillium Montessori

Disney Themed Crafts – Life with Moore Babies

10 Free Coloring Packs – Sunny Day Family

Disney Printables – In The Playroom

10 Simple Science Printables for Kids – Look! We’re Learning!

Pray Species – Fall Crafts and Activities

Superhero Activity Sheets – Crafts on Sea

Kids Activities to Prepare for a Disney World Trip – Mess for Less

Enchanted Preschool Printables – Itsy Bitsy Fun

Living Montessori Now – Living Montessori Now

Sensory Bins Based on Children’s Books – Mom Inspired Life

Science Ideas to Start the School Year – Capri + 3

Free Butterfly Unit Study

May 26, 2015 by Selena Robinson Leave a Comment

Do you have butterflies fluttering around your neighborhood? This is a great time of year to study them with your kids!

Recently, I got to share a free butterfly unit study over at Year Round Homeschooling that’s got videos, books, printables, and butterfly crafts for all ages!

Today is also Tuesday, which means it’s time for another Laugh and Learn linkup! Read on to see our favorites from last week’s party and get some new parenting and homeschooling inspiration!

Free Butterfly Unit Study

I’m not a fan of caterpillars, but I love butterflies. They’re so fragile and graceful and pretty. One of the things I didn’t know, though, was that butterflies cannot fly immediately after emerging from their cocoons.

It takes about 30 minutes for their wings to fully extend upon release. Their bodies pump fluid into the wing membranes to make them stand up. Then, they’re ready to fly! Cool, right?

Learn even more fascinating details about butterflies along with your kids with the free butterfly unit study over at Year Round Homeschooling!

Free Butterfly Unit Study – Year Round Homeschooling

Linky time! 🙂

Welcome to our 34th week of Laugh and Learn – Homeschool and Parenting Linkup!

Laugh and Learn – Homeschool and Parenting Linkup will be open by 6 am every Tuesday morning. We will pick our five favorite posts and feature them on the following weeks linkup. Be sure to link your best content and maybe we will pick you! When you link your post with us it will be featured on five blogs.

We pin our favorites to a special Pinterest board for #laughlearnlinkup – homeschool and parenting posts. Check the board out here: #LaughLearnLinkup {Featured Favorites}. It’s added exposure for your awesome content!

Your Fabulous Hosts 😉

Tina

Tina lives abroad in Latin America with her husband and four children. Currently in Mexico, Tina is active in homeschool, travel, and her Bible ministry. She blogs about all of their adventures and more at Los Gringos Locos.

Find Tina at her blog link above, and on the following social media networks:
Facebook
Twitter
Pinterest
Google +
Linkedin
Tsu

Selena

Selena is a writer and a homeschooling mom to four kids, including three with ADHD/SPD. Selena and her husband, Jay, are committed to teaching their children at home and loving every minute of it! You can read about the family’s homeschooling experiences at Look! We’re Learning, written by Selena!

Find Selena at her blog link above, and on the following social media networks:
Facebook
Pinterest
Twitter
Google +
Instagram

Sarah

Sarah lives in Kentucky, USA, where she and her husband homeschool three children. Sarah writes for and about, families with special needs. She hopes to provide support and encouragement to all special needs parents in the homeschool community. Visit Sarah at Dedicated Homeschooler.

Find Sarah at her blog link above, and on the following social media networks:
Facebook
Instagram

Haley

Haley hopes to encourage stay at home moms. She wants to help moms learn how to make an extra income, to stretch a budget, to make crafts, and other useful information. Haley always has updates on the kids and funny things that happen. Visit Haley at Haley’s Vintage Finds & Deals.

Find Haley at her blog link above, and on the following social media networks:
Pinterest
Instagram
Facebook
Twitter

Lindsey

Lindsey is a joyful mother, happy homeschooler, scatterbrained housewife, and passionate blogger. She writes about the joys and challenges of home educating, conscientious parenting, and “loving the simple life”. Get inspired with Lindsey at Simply LindseyLoo.

Find Lindsey at her blog link above, and on the following social media networks:
Facebook
Twitter
Google+
Instagram
Pinterest

Our Favorite Posts for the Week of May 25th:

Written by Emily at Mom on the Move

Written by Tina at Tina’s Dynamic Homeschool Plus

Written by Heather on Learning 2 Walk

Written by Yanique at Kiddie Matters

Written by Tara at Embark on the Journey

Thanks to everyone who submitted a post. Please check out the posts above by clicking on the image.

[bctt tweet=”Come join the #laughlearnlinkup and share your favorite #parenting or #homeschooling post!”]

Now, let’s see your best posts for this week so we can share them as next week’s favorites!

An InLinkz Link-up