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Welcome

Ikat Weaving and Makana Shawl in Gualaceo Ecuador

October 11, 2015 | 2 Comments
This post may contain affiliate links. For more information, please see my full disclosure policy.

Ikat weaving and makana shawl in Gualaceo Ecuador was one fun adventure. Also, look at my page Free South America Printable Lapbook and Fun Hands-on Unit Study Ideas.

I couldn’t have planned a more perfect way to spend the day.

For a year now, I have been wanting to go to the La Casa de la Makana to see the ikat weaving and makana or shawls in Gualaceo Ecuador.

Ikat Weaving and Makana Shawl in Gualaceo Ecuador

We headed to Gualaceo, which is about a 40 minute drive from where we live.

Ikat Weaving and Makana Shawl in Gualaceo Ecuador

We finally got to go with some other gringos and homeschoolers we have become friends with while we have lived here in Cuenca, Ecuador.

Ikat Weaving and Makana Shawl in Gualaceo Ecuador

Ikat – Tying and Dying – Natural and Ancient Arts

What is so amazing about this cultural experience is that the ikat pattern is not only an ancient pattern and art passed down from previous generations, but this family is one of only about a handful of families that practice this ancient hand work.

Ikat Weaving and Makana Shawl in Gualaceo Ecuador
Ikat Weaving and Makana Shawl in Gualaceo Ecuador

The word ikat actually means “to tie”.

The shawls, which normally have a fringed edge has been the typical dress along with the Panama hat for the people in this region for probably close to a hundred years, but it is a dying art because a lot of the locals are getting “modernized”.

Ikat Weaving and Makana Shawl in Gualaceo Ecuador

This family though is preserving the tradition.

Ikat Weaving and Makana Shawl in Gualaceo Ecuador
Ikat Weaving and Makana Shawl in Gualaceo Ecuador

Too, this family, like a lot of families in this area who have their own businesses, both live and work in the same dwelling.

(You can see the tyed yarn in this picture before it’s dyed naturally and weaved.)

Like most homes here, this home has an outside space for working and normally an inside space or separate space for cooking and for sleeping.

Ikat Weaving and Makana Shawl in Gualaceo Ecuador
Ikat Weaving and Makana Shawl in Gualaceo Ecuador

We loved the decorations and old exterior and charm this place had.

Ikat Weaving and Makana Shawl in Gualaceo Ecuador

But first, I have to tell you about this very unique craft.

Like I mentioned, this family has been making shawls and using the ikat pattern for about 5 generations.

It has been a skilled passed down to each generation.

Also, look at some of these books for kids.

Books for Kids About South America

13 Resources for a Study of South America

Add some of these fun books and resources to your study of South America.

South America (Rookie Read-About Geography: Continents)

An incredible variety of climates and biomes span the territory of South America. As a result, the continent contains some of the greatest biodiversity on Earth.

Rookie Read-About: Continents series gives the youngest reader (Ages 3-6) an introduction to the components that make each continent distinctive and exceptional. Readers will get to know each continents' geography, history, and wildlife. In this book readers learn about the continent of South America, including the geography, native animals, people and more.

Ancient Civilizations: Aztecs, Maya, Incas!: With 25 Social Studies Projects for Kids (Explore Your World)

A full-color, compelling book for ages 7 to 10 offers a deep dive into the three sophisticated ancient civilizations of Mesoamerica―the Aztecs, Maya, and Incas― through hands-on STEAM projects, essential questions, and loads of fascinating facts!

Why were there more than 3,000 steps built at Machu Picchu? Why did the Aztecs roam Mexico for nearly 200 years before finding a place to settle? How did the Maya study the movements of the stars and the planets? Ancient Civilizations: Aztecs, Maya, Incas! With 25 Social Studies Projects for Kids takes kids ages 7 to 10 on a guided tour to experience the history, culture, economics, and daily life of the Aztecs, Maya, and Incas.

Biblioburro: A True Story from Colombia

A man, his burros, and his books bring joy to children in remote Colombian villages in this inspiring book based on a true story by celebrated picture book creator Jeanette Winter.Luis loves to read, but soon his house in Colombia is so full of books there’s barely room for the family. What to do? Then he comes up with the perfect solution—a traveling library! He buys two donkeys—Alfa and Beto—and travels with them throughout the land, bringing books and reading to the children in faraway villages.

Secret of the Andes (Puffin Newberry Library)

An Incan boy who tends llamas in a hidden valley in Peru learns the traditions and secrets of his ancestors. 

My Mama's Little Ranch on the Pampas

In the sequel to On the Pampas, the author recalls her first year on the small Argentinian ranch purchased and managed by her mother, in an account that includes a visual dictionary of the Spanish words and geographical terms used in the text.

Tales from Silver Lands

Atmospheric woodcuts illustrate this Newbery Award–winning collection of 19 South American folktales. Charles J. Finger heard the tales firsthand from native storytellers, whose fables of talking animals, witches, giants, and ordinary people in supernatural settings provide remarkable insights into regional values and culture. The first of the stories, "A Tale of Three Tails," tells of an age when the rat had a tail like a horse, the rabbit had a tail like a cat, and the deer's tail was plumed like the tail of a dog. "The Magic Dog" recounts an act of kindness to a stray animal that helps overcome a witch's curse. In "The Calabash Man," the creatures of the jungle assist a suitor in winning his bride, and in "El Enano," a greedy troll's insatiable appetite leads to his downfall. Packed with adventure and full of surprises, these and other stories emphasize the importance of hard work, courage, and loyalty.

Turn Right at Machu Picchu: Rediscovering the Lost City One Step at a Time

In 1911, Hiram Bingham III climbed into the Andes Mountains of Peru and “discovered” Machu Picchu. While history has recast Bingham as a villain who stole both priceless artifacts and credit for finding the great archeological site, Mark Adams set out to retrace the explorer’s perilous path in search of the truth—except he’d written about adventure far more than he’d actually lived it. In fact, he’d never even slept in a tent.

Journey to the River Sea

With the memorable characters and plot twists she brings to her best-selling fantasies, acclaimed author Eva Ibbotson has written a hair-raising novel, set in turn-of-the-last-century Brazil.Accompanied by Miss Minton, a fierce-looking, no-nonsense governess, Maia, a young orphan, sets off for the wilderness of the Amazon, expecting curtains of orchids, brightly colored macaws, and a loving family. But what she finds is an evil-tempered aunt and uncle and their spoiled daughters. It is only when she is swept up in a mystery involving a young Indian boy, a homesick child actor, and a missing inheritance that Maia lands in the middle of the Amazon adventure she's dreamed of. Readers of every generation will treasure Ibbotson's lush historical adventure that harkens back to the beloved classics of Frances Hodgson Burnett and Louisa May Alco

This Place Is Wet

Can you imagine living in a place where there is so much water some houses need to be built on stilts to protect them when the river rises? Or where it is so wet that some plants can grow on the sides of trees with their roots gathering water from the air? In This Place Is Wet, you'll find out all sorts of things about what it's like to live in the rain forest of Brazil. Try to imagine living there!

Bolivar: American Liberator

It is astonishing that Simón Bolívar, the great Liberator of South America, is not better known in the United States. He freed six countries from Spanish rule, traveled more than 75,000 miles on horseback to do so, and became the greatest figure in Latin American history. His life is epic, heroic, straight out of Hollywood: he fought battle after battle in punishing terrain, forged uncertain coalitions of competing forces and races, lost his beautiful wife soon after they married and never remarried (although he did have a succession of mistresses, including one who held up the revolution and another who saved his life), and he died relatively young, uncertain whether his
achievements would endure.

Ada's Violin: The Story of the Recycled Orchestra of Paraguay

Ada Ríos grew up in Cateura, a small town in Paraguay built on a landfill. She dreamed of playing the violin, but with little money for anything but the bare essentials, it was never an option...until a music teacher named Favio Chávez arrived. He wanted to give the children of Cateura something special, so he made them instruments out of materials found in the trash

Mayans Aztecs Incas Coloring Book: Coloring Pages of Ancient Mexico Civilizations for Adults and Teens

Mayans Aztecs Incas Coloring Book – Fun And Education For Adults and TeensMake the perfect gift for anyone who loves coloring! Enjoy this Mayans Aztecs Incas Coloring Book for Adults and Teens. Click the cover to reveal what’s inside!About this book:

  • 40 original pages drawings of Symbols, Warriors, Masks and Mandalas.

The Inca Empire (A True Book: Ancient Civilizations) (A True Book (Relaunch))

Explore the Inca empire, including how the Incas survived in the mountains, how the empire was built, and why it disappeared.

A True Book: Ancient Civilizations series allows readers to experience what makes each ancient civilization distinctive and exceptional as well look at its influence on the some of the practices of the modern world. This series includes an age appropriate (grades 3-5) introduction to curriculum-relevant subjects and a robust resource section that encourages independent study.

Do you know the beautiful and ancient pattern of ikat?

Look at these patterns to give you an idea of why I was so stoked to learn about this beautiful craftsmanship up close and personal. (Can I have one of each please?)

Ikat Weaving and Makana Shawl in Gualaceo Ecuador
Ikat Weaving and Makana Shawl in Gualaceo Ecuador

                                                                        

Ikat Weaving and Makana Shawl in Gualaceo Ecuador

More Activities About South America

  • Ikat Weaving and Makana Shawl in Gualaceo Ecuador
  • Finding a Home in Cuenca, Ecuador
  • Everyday Life in Cuenca, Ecuador
  • 5 Things I Love About Cuenca Ecuador
  • Effigies, Celebrations and Customs of Cuenca, Ecuador

Here the mother is using a warping machine to wrap the yarn. This determines the size of the shawl.

Ikat Weaving and Makana Shawl in Gualaceo Ecuador

But what is really AWESOME, is the natural method of making dye, which is still practiced today.

Each barrel makes color and from that color they make several more colors.

You can see the color that is being made inside by the barrel by the color scarf on the outside.

Orange, light walnut (guess what nut that is in that barrel soaking with water) and indigo are some of the colors being made here.

South America Family Crafts

To make these natural dyes they used walnuts, worms, rocks, plants and cochineal.

Some of the natural dyes take days to make and still others months.

Cochineal is a bug that lives in the cactus here in South America and from that bug it makes the color carmine (reddish).

But look at this video as our guide adds lime to make one color (like an brown-ish orange-ish) and then baking soda for yet another color (purple).

Also, in this video you can see at the end of the video when she grabs the long ropes of thread that actually comes before the dying process.

Ikat Weaving and Makana Shawl in Gualaceo Ecuador
Ikat Weaving and Makana Shawl in Gualaceo Ecuador

So after warping and dying, next comes the weaving.

The focus here  is to be sure the pattern stays the same and stays in sequence.

Can you see why this ancient art is being lost? It takes time and skill to make just one well-made shawl.

Ikat Weaving and Makana Shawl in Gualaceo Ecuador

The family also had a showroom upstairs. Of course I can’t wait to go upstairs to drool over all their handicrafts.

They provide the patterned material to make shoes to the local shoe maker. So you can have this beautiful pattern on a great looking set of high heels.

Ikat Weaving and Makana Shawl in Gualaceo Ecuador

Look at some of their finished products.

Of course the price here is HALF of what it is in Cuenca or other stores.

The shawls, purses, and shoes are about $25.00 to $30.00. Of course they first said $35.00, but I always ask for a “descuenta” (discount) but that is the norm here.

People expect you to negotiate.

Ikat Weaving and Makana Shawl in Gualaceo Ecuador

But one thing that hangs in their showroom that they are EXTREMELY proud of and that is not for sell is the 150 year old hand embroidered piece made the family great grandmother.

Ikat Master Weavers

They have it hanging up in their showroom to show off not only their proud heritage but the intricate quality.

It has humming birds on it and the seal of the Republic of Ecuador.

Ikat Weaving and Makana Shawl in Gualaceo Ecuador
Ikat Weaving and Makana Shawl in Gualaceo Ecuador

Too, I had to show you a close up of this one loom that is 150 years (on the left) and that is still used by this family.

Ikat Weaving and Makana Shawl in Gualaceo Ecuador

Of course, I couldn’t leave without buying an item or two.

I just drooled when I saw this wool and ikat blue bag and had to have it.

I think I will go back and grab a few more shawls and maybe even a pair of heels.

Ikat Weaving and Makana Shawl in Gualaceo Ecuador

Then, of course the day is not complete with a great fabulous meals at one of the local and CLEAN restaurants.

I went upstairs to snatch a picture real quick before we devoured our delicious meal.

Hope you learned something about the cultural of Ecuador that we are just soaking up while we are here!

I think I could decorate my whole house in the ikat pattern because I have fallen madly in love with it.

Ikat weaving and Makana shawl in Gualaceo Ecuador. The ancient art of tying and natural dying material to create the ikat pattern@ Tina's Dynamic Homeschool Plus

2 CommentsFiled Under: Geography Based, Living Abroad, Science Based

Pinterest Secret – The 3Cs of a Smart Pin. From a Homeschool Mom Who Grew Her Followers to 35K Without Complicated Algorithms.

October 10, 2015 | 19 Comments
This post may contain affiliate links. For more information, please see my full disclosure policy.

Social media tops the list of things that can engulf a blogger’s time.

However, social media is also inextricably linked to a blog’s success. If you want your blog to succeed, then Pinterest demands your attention.

Pinterest is my number one referrer to my website and it always commands my time each day.

Pinterest Secret - The 3Cs of a Smart Pin from a homeschool mom who grew her followers to 35K without complicated algorithms. You can too @ Tina's Dynamic Homeschool Plus

And because I don’t have time to be analyzing algorithms constantly, sharing my pinterest secret of growing my Pinterest following to almost 34K followers, I hope will speed up your pinterst learning curve.

No-Fail Pinterest Tips

The first key tip growing your audience regularly is to be consistent. Wait. Don’t get discourage though if you think you have to squeeze one more thing into your day.

Consistent on Pinterest means a completely different thing than it does for blogging.

For example, you need to ask these questions:

■When are the majority of my followers pinning?
■Where are the majority of my followers located?

For example, I know that a majority of my followers are from the U.S. and a good amount of them are in Los Angeles.

Los Angeles is two hours behind me.

And knowing that one of the prime times for followers on my blog are between the hours of 7:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m., I know that I can start pinning from about 9:00 my time onward.

This is information I found out from my analytics after I made my blog a business account. Look at my tips on my article, 11 Amazing Tips to Grow Pinterest That You Need to Know Now.

That is just one way I have of gauging the amount of time I need to be on Pinterest.

Of course, if you are using schedulers like Buffer or TailWind, you can schedule those pins.

In addition, because I know I want to grow my followers from other places, I choose other times of the day that I think my followers would be on.

Knowing that a good amount of my followers are homeschool moms like me, I know that sharing a few pins before I start school always garners new followers for me each day.

So that is an are of the day I am expanding on.

As you can see, consistency gets very doable once you have a handle on when a majority of your followers are pinning.

That is a good starting point.

The Three Cs To a Smart Pin

The second tip is for your pins to be creative.

And no, I am not an artist or professional graphic designer. I just learned a few things the hard way about what makes a pin captivating.

Bright, clean and big photos work best.

But, also you can use:

■free dingbats
■free fonts
■free clip art
■and color to make your pins live.

Look at this pin that has received thousands of pin and where I have tastefully combined all the above elements.

Pin 1 @ Tina's Dynamic Homeschool Plus

I  started off with my bright photo, added fonts with color and added free dingbat (fish).

Now, it’s not necessary to add all of these elements and you want to be sure to not overcrowd a pin and take away from the photo.

However, because this pin was about sea levels, labeling with text added to the appeal of this pin.

This last tip took longer to learn, but it’s just as important. Sharing constructive and helpful tips on your pins is another must do.

Ban These Saying From Your Pins

I am still going back to some of my earlier pins and correct things I did like this on my pins:

:), yum, okey dokey, yes, give me some, ok, must have and awesome.

None of those things are constructive, descriptive for your followers or worst yet they can’t be found when followers search potential pins.

When describing your pins, give your followers helpful and pertinent information and a reason why they should pin your image.

The area where you describe your pins is like a second chance for your pin. Your image and text on your image is your first chance to make a good first impression and your description is your second chance.

This is not where you want to put some cool saying or smiley face, but a place to put key words that will propel your follower to not only follow you, but repin.

Be helpful and give your followers tips in the description.

Consistency, creativity and constructive pins are three small but very powerful tips on growing your audience quicker.

Have you implemented these tips yet?

Hugs and love ya,

Tina Signature 2015c

Follow Me on Pinterest
Visit Tinas Dynamic Homeschool Plus’s profile on Pinterest.

Also grab iBlog Pro for taking your blog to the next level and read more about my Pinterest tips.

19 CommentsFiled Under: Pinterest

Body Part Labeling and Skeleton Quiz Human Body Unit Study

October 9, 2015 | 2 Comments
This post may contain affiliate links. For more information, please see my full disclosure policy.

The body part labeling and skeleton quiz minibooks are part of the completed human body unit study.

The human body lapbook was free for a limited time.

Body Part Labeling and Skeleton Quiz Human Body Unit Study

Body Part Labeling and Skeleton Quiz

Be sure to grab the other activities we have done so far with our Human Body Unit Study.

Also, make an eazy peazy DIY Stethoscope and a great project for a middle school kid is the Heart Pump activity. Too, do the rigid versus flexible bone activity too.

Today, I have two more minibooks for the Human Body Lapbook.

You already have the heart minibook and the Did You Know heart facts minbook.

One minibook is titled I am Wonderfully Made and it is a labeling of general body parts.

This book  can for sure be used for a younger child and a middle school kid.

Human Body Hands-on Unit Study Ideas

Because we have only read about the human body and not really done any written work, I wanted to be sure Tiny had a good visual placement of the major body parts.

I Am Wonderfully Made

The human body minibook is a triple fold book. Triple fold and put the cover on the outside.

Human Body Unit Study

Too, remember, because I don’t like to waste paper, the cover page for this body labeling book you already downloaded with the heart minibook.

Be sure to grab it and place it on this minibook.

Skeleton System Quick Quiz

This next fun minibook is a 4 question quiz about the skeleton system.

The four questions are:

■ How many bones are in your body?
■How many bones are in your skull?
■What is the largest bone?
■What is the smallest bone?

We generally pull out our file folder at this time and start trying to place the minibooks we have so far on the lapbook. But we don’t glue them yet until we are finished.

Generally though when I have about 4 minibooks or so, I do try to start laying them. Not all the time do I chose portrait position on the lapbook.

This lapbook just feels like it might look pretty hot if we turn the lapbook landscape. But that is generally what I do right now, which is to start looking at the layout.

However, we are still undecided, which is why we also keep the minibooks in a ziploc bag until we’re done.

Completed Human Body Lapbook

  • Dynamic and Fun Human Body Lapbook for Multiple Ages

    Dynamic and Fun Human Body Lapbook for Multiple Ages

    $5.00
    Add to cart
Body Part Labeling and Skeleton Quiz Human Body Unit Study

Lastly, more human body unit study activities coming! (Update: The hands-on activities are all at the bottom of this post. Click on each one for all the fun hands-on ideas.)

Grab all of the lapbook printables and hands-on activities below.

What is blood hands on activity and free blood components minibook for a human body homeschool unit study @ Tina's Dynamic Homeschool Plus featured
Making Bloodhttps://www.tinasdynamichomeschoolplus.com/homeschool-unit-study-human-body-4/
Homeschool Unit Study Human Body. Hands-on Activity 5. Edible Skin + Skin and Major Body Systems Minibook @ Tina's Dynamic Homeschool Plus Featured
Edible Skin https://www.tinasdynamichomeschoolplus.com/homeschool-unit-study-human-body-5/
Mega List Free Resources for Human Body Homeschool Unit Study @ Tina's Dynamic Homeschool Plus featured
Free Resourceshttps://www.tinasdynamichomeschoolplus.com/human-body-homeschool-unit-study/
Body Part Labeling and Human Skeleton Quiz Free Minibooks - Free Human Body Unit Study @ Tina's Dynamic Homeschool Plus FEATURED
Body Part Labelinghttps://www.tinasdynamichomeschoolplus.com/body-part-labeling-and-skeleton-quiz-free-minibooks/
Human Body Unit Study. Rigid versus Flexible Bones Hands-on Activity @ Tina's Dynamic Homeschool Plus featured
Rigid versus Flexible Bonehttps://www.tinasdynamichomeschoolplus.com/homeschool-unit-study-human-body-3/
Human body unit study DIY Heart Pump @ Tina's Dynamic Homeschool Plus featured
DIY Heart Pumphttps://www.tinasdynamichomeschoolplus.com/homeschool-unit-study-human-body-2/
20 Human Body Books for Middle and High School Homeschooled Kids @ Tina's Dynamic Homeschool Plus featured
Human Body Bookshttps://www.tinasdynamichomeschoolplus.com/human-body-books-for-middle-and-high-school-homeschooled-kids/
Human body unit study DIY Stethoscope. Hands-on Learning @ Tina's Dynamic Homeschool Plus featured
Stethoscope Activityhttps://www.tinasdynamichomeschoolplus.com/homeschool-unit-study-human-body/
Free Human Body Lapbook and Unit Study @ Tina's Dynamic Homeschool Plus featured
Beautiful Humanhttps://www.tinasdynamichomeschoolplus.com/free-human-body-lapbook-and-unit-study/ Body Lapbook and Fun Unit Study

Hugs and love ya,

Body Part Labeling and Human Skeleton Quiz Free Minibooks - Free Human Body Unit Study @ Tina's Dynamic Homeschool Plus

2 CommentsFiled Under: 1. My FREE Learning Printables {Any Topic}, Free Homeschool Resources, Science, Science Based Tagged With: hands-on activities, handson, handsonhomeschooling, homeschool, human body, lapbook, lapbookresources, life science, science, sciencecurriculum

How to Write a Simple But Effective Homeschool Lesson Plan

October 7, 2015 | 4 Comments
This post may contain affiliate links. For more information, please see my full disclosure policy.

The skill of how to write a simple but effective homeschool lesson plan is one that you will need your whole homeschool journey. Also, look at my page The Dynamics of How to Homeschool Easily and Smarter.

Too, the advantages of learning how to plan a well thought out and organized lesson can mean the difference between a mediocre home educator and one that soars.

Here is the first secret. Beginning lesson planning start with the basic understanding that lesson planning is part journaling at the end of the day. I will explain more on that in a minute.

Lesson planning for the beginner homeschooler has two components.

One part is journaling (at the end of the day) and one part prior (before your day begins) lesson planning.

How to Write a Simple But Effective Homeschool Lesson Plan @ Tina's Dynamic Homeschool Plus

When I learned to lesson plan, I realized I was doing the same thing over and over, which was documenting what we had accomplished for the day and erasing what I had planned for the day.

Basic But Effective Homeschool Lesson Plans

The two concepts were not the same in the beginning.

Like most inexperienced homeschoolers, I had over planned.

It wasn’t a realistic view of what my kids could do.

I learned that if I wanted accurate lesson plans for my children’s ages, I had to have a realistic view of what they could and could not do. That meant jotting down what we did for the day as a way to gauge what was realistic.

It’s not the way professional teachers learn for sure, but then again I wasn’t a professional teacher.

However, it is a creative and extremely beneficial way to learn how to lesson plan.

By jotting down what we did each day, I could then start planning similar activities for the same amount of time.

It was a great way to start off lesson planning because then my lesson plans fit my children’s ability.

Also, look at my video How to Homeschool Lesson Plan EZ.

Too, lesson plans are just visual presentations.

There is no right or wrong on lesson planning. There is just right for your children.

Lesson Plans Equal Visual Mapping

A mom that can visualize where she is going with a subject will get better use with her time when her goals are met instead of the goals not being clear.

Write down those lesson plans.

Look at these parts to the basics of lesson planning that helped me to plan something I wanted to cover for the day.

  • 1. Subject – Start with the subject or topic that your lesson plan will be about.
  • 2. Age/Grade Level – Are you writing this for all your children or designed for one child in mind?
  • 3. Description/Explanation – This is where you describe the purpose of your lesson plan. If you are clear in your mind about what you are accomplishing, your lesson plan will be of great value because you hit your target.
  • 4. Process/Plan – This part is the actual detailed lesson plan of how you will accomplish what you want your children to do. If you don’t know and it’s not clear to you, how will your children know?
  • 5. Supplies Needed – This is your list of supplies and hands on items you will need for any projects.
  • 6. Assessment – Here I write if I felt like my children learned what I intended for them to or I describe in this section how I could have done something different and I also explain what they liked or didn’t like.

If you’re a new homeschooler, look at my book below.

Grab My Book on How to Homeschool

Homeschooling 31 Day Boot Camp for New Homeschoolers is a real eye-opener on homeschooling. It will alleviate a lot of the anxieties about getting started homeschooling.

Reading each chapter’s highlights will give you encouragement, knowledge, guidance, and peace of mind to homeschool with confidence. The best part is that you’ll be educating the person who loves your kids the most in this world--YOU! Armed with the knowledge to make better choices in curriculum will empower you to continue the path of home education. Unlike many books based on one family’s experience, Homeschooling 31 Day Boot Camp for New Homeschoolers is also based on Tina’s many years of mentoring hundreds and hundreds of new homeschoolers at live workshops.When you don’t know where to begin Homeschooling 31 Day Boot Camp for New Homeschoolers equips you to successfully homeschool your children.

How to Easily Lesson Plan

All of the above serves as a plan to look back at on when you study another subject.

It gives you a glimpse into what your children liked and did not like.

Lesson plans for us as homeschoolers do not have to be so detailed as to overwhelm us.

Yes it can get time consuming and that may appear to be a disadvantage.

However, the time saved in preparing a lesson plan that does not need a lot of extra work or review is of immense value. Your time is actually freed up to explore other things about that subject or topic.

Don’t be intimidated by lesson planning. It is just visual mapping and can be of great help in not being tied to boxed curriculum.

I love this quote.

“You will never change your life until you change something you do daily. The secret of your success is found in your daily routine.”

~ John C. Maxwell~

You’ll love these other tips:

  • 3 Risks of Not Tracking Your Homeschool Lessons (Even If They’re Laid-Out) 
  • 4 PRE-Homeschool Year Planning Pages (and tips to use them)

Hugs and love ya,

4 CommentsFiled Under: Lesson Plan Tagged With: lessonplanning

Homeschool Unit Study Human Body. Hands-on Activity 3. Rigid versus Flexible Bone Activity.

October 6, 2015 | 5 Comments
This post may contain affiliate links. For more information, please see my full disclosure policy.

Today, in our homeschool unit study on the human body, I have another hands-on activity to learn about the makeup of human bones. Also I have this Human Body Crafts page for more fun ideas.

Human Body Unit Study. Rigid versus Flexible Bones Hands-on Activity @ Tina's Dynamic Homeschool Plus

Homeschool Unit Study Human Body

By the way, this is a 24 hour activity meaning your child needs to observe it over night.

Look at these ingredients that I had on hand:

■bleach
■vinegar
■water
■three or four bones
■pot for boiling
■3 plastic cups
■masking tape and sharpie

The object of this hands-on lesson is to test how rigid or how flexible are our bones.

Bones Activity 1 @ Tina's Dynamic Homeschool Plus
Bones Activity 2 @ Tina's Dynamic Homeschool Plus

So we started by gathering up all of our supplies. Too, try to get all the grizzle and meat off the bones so your child can observe it better.

Then we boiled the bones in water for about 25 minutes or so and took them out to cool.

Bones Activity 3 @ Tina's Dynamic Homeschool Plus
Bones Activity 4 @ Tina's Dynamic Homeschool Plus

Tiny went ahead and took a test try of the bones to see how rigid or flexible the bones were.

Tiny made an observation and then he guess how they would be after he exposed each one to water, bleach and vinegar over night.

Then we set up each glass and placed one or two bones (depending on how many you have) in each glass.

He covered each one with liquid. I poured the bleach over the one bone.

Bones Activity 5 @ Tina's Dynamic Homeschool Plus
Bones Activity 6 @ Tina's Dynamic Homeschool Plus

Then Tiny took tape and labeled each glass and set aside for the night.

More Human Body Crafts

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  • How To Make A Fun Bones Of The Hand Labeled X-Ray Craft
  • 7 Human Skull Facts and Cool Human Skull Anatomy Activity
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  • DIY Heart Pump
  • Kids Stethoscope Activity
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  • Rigid versus Flexible Bone Activity.
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Sticks and Stones May Break My Bones

The next morning, he took each bone out of the liquid to test the flexibility of each bone.

Bones Activity 7 @ Tina's Dynamic Homeschool Plus
Bones Activity 8 @ Tina's Dynamic Homeschool Plus

He tested each bone by trying to move it back and forth.

Which ones bend and which ones did not is the secret for your child to find out.

Here is some information to help you.

■Bones are both stiff and flexible and can bend a bit without breaking if healthy.
■Soaking the bones in acid, which is the vinegar dissolved the calcium. What was left was collagen and they were much more flexible.
■Bleach is a strong base that breaks the collagen and the bones became brittle and broke.
■Soaking the bones in water didn’t do anything.

This was a great activity to help explain the care of bones and healthy eating habits.

Grab all of the lapbook printables and hands-on activities below.

What is blood hands on activity and free blood components minibook for a human body homeschool unit study @ Tina's Dynamic Homeschool Plus featured
Making Blood + Free What Are the Components of Blood Minibook
Homeschool Unit Study Human Body. Hands-on Activity 5. Edible Skin + Skin and Major Body Systems Minibook @ Tina's Dynamic Homeschool Plus Featured
Edible Skin + Free Minibook About Skin & Body Systems
Mega List Free Resources for Human Body Homeschool Unit Study @ Tina's Dynamic Homeschool Plus featured
Mega List Free Resources for Human Body Homeschool Unit Study.
Body Part Labeling and Human Skeleton Quiz Free Minibooks - Free Human Body Unit Study @ Tina's Dynamic Homeschool Plus FEATURED
Body Part Labeling and Skeleton Quiz Free Minibooks
Human Body Unit Study. Rigid versus Flexible Bones Hands-on Activity @ Tina's Dynamic Homeschool Plus featured
Rigid versus Flexible Bone Activity.
Human body unit study DIY Heart Pump @ Tina's Dynamic Homeschool Plus featured
DIY Heart Pump + Free Heart Mini Book
20 Human Body Books for Middle and High School Homeschooled Kids @ Tina's Dynamic Homeschool Plus featured
Human Body Books for Middle and High School Homeschooled Kids
Human body unit study DIY Stethoscope. Hands-on Learning @ Tina's Dynamic Homeschool Plus featured
DIY Stethoscope
Free Human Body Lapbook and Unit Study @ Tina's Dynamic Homeschool Plus featured
Free Human Body Lapbook and Unit Study

Hugs and love ya,

 

5 CommentsFiled Under: Hands-On Activities, Science, Science Based Tagged With: hands-on activities, handsonhomeschooling, human body

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