Tina's Dynamic Homeschool Plus

Activity, Change, Progress

Middle School Homeschool

Erosion Hands-on Easy Homeschool Science Activity

| 12 Comments
This post may contain affiliate links. For more information, please see my full disclosure policy.

Easy hands-on homeschool earth science activity @ Tina's Dynamic Homeschool Plus

Tiny still hasn’t had his fill of easy hands-on science so we are keeping our science groove going. Today, I am sharing an erosion hands-on easy homeschool science activity to learn about earth’s changes.

Using the the book Air Is Not Oxygen: Essential Science You Should Have Learned … But Probably Didn’t ( which is a total keeper for us at this point), Tiny has been going through one fast activity after another.

Earth Science – Exciting?

It has been a nice break from the chemistry which has he has been doing. Me?

I love the fact that most of the activities are so easy he can do them on his own, the supplies are easily found in my house and the activities don’t take much time to do.

Earth changes 1

Look at what he gathered up to learn about earth changes:

  • Pie pan.  (we already had this big roaster pan so are using it, but you could easily use a small pie pan. nothing fancy)
  • Sand. (we had a jar in our storage room when we left overseas and are loving the fact that when we come back, we had instant supplies. Of course it would be better if we could grab some sand outside, but we don’t really have sand near where we live now.)
  • plastic cup and plastic spoon (for wave making). Tiny grabbed a straw too in case he wanted to compare the spoon to the straw. After he started doing it, he grabbed some blue dye for the water and we had some sea shells we used just because we had them. But dye or seashells are not necessary either, we just had them.
  • dry measuring cup, ruler and permanent marker.
earth changes 2
Geography bundle -- North Star Geography and WonderMaps
earth changes 3

The instructions called for pouring a couple of cups of sand in one end of the pan, so Tiny decided he needed to measure it.

He ended up pouring all of the sand in the pan because he realized our pan was bigger than a cake or pie pan.

Next, the instructions said to put an inch of water in the pan. He measured an inch before he started pouring the water.

earth changes 4

Then he started slowly pouring the water so as to not disturb the sand.



At this point, we decided to add the shells because not only did we have them, but they could be used as visual markers for how the shore moved.

earth changes 7

Then grab the plastic spoon and start making waves.

Hands-On Science Bundle

You’ll also want to check out these fun hands-on science ideas!

earth changes 6

Though our erosion was fast, it was pretty easy to understand how the earth changes over time when we compared the two shore lines.

We talked about earth changes that were slow like weathering and erosion and other changes that are fast like earthquakes and landslides.

I am telling you, if you want easy hands-on science activities for any age and that are quick, you’ll love Air Is Not Oxygen: Essential Science You Should Have Learned … But Probably Didn’t.

Yikes, we are loving having an all science week.

Hugs and love ya,

Also, grab these other activities we did from this book:

Electricity Hands-On Science Activity
Free Moon Journal Activity and I have a free Earth Science Lapbook that would go great with this activity.

Learn About Leap Year Free Notebooking Page & Resources

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

Learning about Leap Year free notebooking Page

Seizing the moment or in this case the year, the leap year, we took a rabbit trail off our unit study to look up a few websites and read about the leap year. Today, in learn about leap year free notebooking page, I rounded up a few websites to learn about why a leap year was started.

Can you believe poof in 4 years how your homeschool and kids will change? Anyway, the subject this month is too cool to pass over, so we took a day today to dig in and learn about it.

Look at few facts to think about or research:

    • February normally has 28 days.
    • Every fourth year, February has 29 days.
    • The fourth year is called a Leap Year.
    • When did the practice of adding leap year begin?
    • What is significant about 1582?
    • How do you keep track of your birth day if you’re born on February 29?
    • What are the differences between the Gregorian and Julian calendars and why it matters?

Look at these free downloads and background information:

Download the Free Leap Year Notebooking Page!

Hugs and love ya,

Don’t forget to follow BOTH of my Pinterest accounts for more AWESOME pins.

Visit Tina Robertson’s profile on Pinterest.


Visit Tinas Dynamic Homeschool ‘s profile on Pinterest.

5 Free History Websites for Homeschooled Middle School Kids

| 16 Comments
This post may contain affiliate links. For more information, please see my full disclosure policy.

In putting together history unit studies, I know you too are on the prowl for free and fun history websites to enrich your homeschool unit studies.  Also, look at my page homeschool middle school for more fun tips.

Today, I have rounded up 5 free history websites for homeschooled middle school kids that are not only super helpful in bring history alive, but really informational.

5 Free History Websites for Homeschooled Middle School Kids @ Tina's Dynamic Homeschool Plus
5 Free History Websites for Homeschooled Middle School Kids @ Tina’s Dynamic Homeschool Plus

Interactive History Equals Hands On Homeschooling & Learning

Most of the sites can be used for your younger and older children too, it’s just that I am focusing on homeschooled middle school kids because some sites are too babyish.

This website has 8 short films about significant early American history moments. The movies are:

The Ben Franklin Story
The Life of George Washington
Declaring Independence
Paul Revere, Messenger of the Revolution
The Shot Heard Around The World
The Treason of Benedict Arnold
The Real Face of George Washington
Molly Pitcher, An American Heroine

From the website:

Of added interest for viewers, each film tells its story using scenes and portraits from our collection of Early American Images. Many of the images are primary source documents — engravings, woodcuts and drawings that date back to the early to mid-1800s.

2. TEACHING HISTORY (actually has something free for elementary, middle and high school kids)

From the website:

Teachinghistory.org is designed to help K–12 history teachers access resources and materials to improve U.S. history education in the classroom.

It is funded by the U.S. Department of Education and has free activities for each grade level along with activities and ideas.

Not only will you be clicking in each grade level, but each grade level has several activities and topics that will keep you planning.

Also, grab the awesome free posters under Print Materials at the bottom left.

There is so much on this website too that you will need to space out your visits so that you have time to explore it all.

Are you planning for an upcoming unit study about the Oregon Trail?

Take a virtual trip to learn about the Oregon Trail and the landmarks along the way.

Click on the various tabs at the top right side of the page. There is background information on each landmark. Great for geography too.

Click on Trail Tour to get started.

As homeschoolers we always voice our worry over whether or not our homeschooled kids will be ready for the “real world”.

Well, let them take a practice run at it with this free online game.

From the website:

Mapping Your Future’s Show Me the Future is a financial literacy and life skills game, designed to help 12-20 year olds prepare for their futures.  The game helps players understand:

  • the cost of living;
  • budgeting, which is vital to financial freedom;
  • the difference between wants and needs;
  • the importance of financial planning;
  • the need to set career goals; and
  • the value of higher education.

I haven’t tried this one with Tiny yet, but it looks great as well. It is one I have marked for some “real life” learning.

This is an awesome website too with interactive stories.

It has 4 missions.

Mission 1 is for Crown or Colony, Mission 2 is Flight to Freedom – Will You Find a Path to Freedom, Mission 3 is a Cheyenne Odyssey – Can You Help Your Tribe Survive Life on the Plains and Mission 4 is City of Immigrants, How Will You Start a New Life in America?

You’ll love the educator’s guides and your middle school kid will love the interactive games. The Think Fast part is super fun!

Mark these and keep them to add to your next unit study.

Also, look at:

Hugs and love ya,

3 Tips for Raising Homeschooled Middle School Book Lovers

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

With one foot in the elementary grades and high school on the horizon, homeschooling middle school is a challenge. Also, look at my page homeschool middle school for more fun tips.

Add in a struggling middle school reader and it seems it is almost impossible to prepare them for the reading load of the upper grades.

Today, I want to share 3 tips for raising homeschooled middle school book lovers that have worked for me.

3 Tips for Raising Homeschooled Middle School Book Lovers @ Tina's Dynamic Homeschool Plus

I was sponsored by Read Brightly and Random House and I was paid for my time. However, paid for my time does not mean paid off.  ALL opinions are my own and for sure I will always tell you what is on my mind. And I have the choice of whom I partner with because I feel it may be beneficial to my followers. Read my full disclosure here.

Raising a Brood of Book Lovers – Not A Better Job Ever

Hopefully, one of these tips will click with your middleschooler.

Let them lounge in picture books.

There is no rush to get to greater and better novels that come in high school.

Picture books have a way of massaging the imagination. A reluctant reader may need more help visualizing the plot or characters. Associating a picture with a concept builds a love of reading.

Unexpected Benefits of Reading Aloud to Your Middleschooler

It is not only beneficial for your child to continue to hear you read aloud to them in the middle school years, but it can help to identify any potential problems.

I have one son that took me a while longer to figure out why he struggled with reading.

I noticed that when he read on his own he wasn’t that enthusiastic. I thought maybe it was his choices of books that didn’t motivate him and I gave him guidance on books that piqued his interest as boy.

However, each day as I got ready to read aloud to him, he just breathed in every word I was reading. He literally begged me to ready two or three more chapters.

Soon, I found out that he was a strong auditory learner.

Knowing this, I have been able to feed his love for reading by not only reading aloud to him but helping to him find suitable audio books.

By mixing in reading aloud, audio books and having him read on his own, I have been able to lead him down the road to a lifelong reader.

Create a Reading Routine – Don’t Crowd it Out with Boring Worksheets

Middle school kids have a new found taste for freedom and with that comes learning how to create a reading routine.

They don’t have it down yet, which means you have to help them. The way I help my sons find time for reading is by not demanding that each book have an overwhelming amount of activities, if any, to accompany it.

Reading is about – reading. It’s about finding time to dive into a book without worrying about reading comprehension, boring worksheets or book reports.

Though I am concerned with my boys analyzing what they read, dissecting every book they want to read reduces reading to one boring project after another. Then we wonder why kids don’t like to read.

Check out my article What Makes Reading Painful for Homeschooled Kids. Let Go of Busy Work to Raise Lifelong Readers.

Let middle school kids be kids a bit longer, but especially let them find their reading groove while they are still in middle school.

(post updated because the giveaway has closed)

Hugs and love ya,

Tina Signature 2015c

Save

Plains Indians Free Writing Prompts. For Elementary, Middle and High School Homeschooled Kids

| 8 Comments
This post may contain affiliate links. For more information, please see my full disclosure policy.

Plains Indians Free Writing Prompts.

You know my passion for unit studies and some things like writing, I just taught on the spot and took topics from books or things we were learning about. Isn’t that the best way to teach writing anyway? Also, look at my page homeschool middle school and how to homeschool high school page for more fun tips

Then, writing has a meaningful purpose to either a budding writer or an advanced writer.

So I have started working my way through creating writing prompts and topics for you on each of my unit studies here on my site.

You can look over and grab the first set of ideas for my Ancient Civilization unit study here on 20 Ideas For Bringing Writing Alive Through Unit Studies.

Today, I have created writing prompts from my Plains Indians Unit Study and Lapbook page.

Also, I divided them out by grade level, not that I so believe in grade level, but because I know that like my kids, your kids too are at different levels for their writing ability.

Plains Indians free writing prompts for elementary, middle school and high school homeschooled kids @ Tina's Dynamic Homeschool Plus

This will give you choices for a range of difficulties. Too, I have topics that are both factual and creative depending on what skills you are looking to strengthen in your child’s writing.

Middle to High School Plains Indian Writing Prompts and Topics

(Remember, for some of these topics, you will need to look at my Plains Indians Unit Study and Lapbook Page.)

■When Ten Bears he said he was born on the prairie, do you think he was talking only about his birth?

■How would you feel if you were forbidden to speak in your native language?

■If you were a pioneer traveling West, what Native American tribe would you want to encounter and why?

■Use pictographs and write (draw) a Native American tale.

■Choose one of the tribes from the Plains and write about their life, the food they ate and why buffalo were so important to them. Look here at ledger drawings to understand how they felt about their life on The Plains.

■What are the elements of a myth? Read a myth that the Plain Indians believed in and write about why they believed in it.

■Sign language was invented out of necessity. Was sign language for the Plains Indians for the deaf? Write (and illustrate) about some of the sign language the Indians used.

■Indians used many different kind of wild plants for food. Acorns (shelled and ground into meal) and Sotol and Lechuguilla are plants of the agave family. The bulbs of these plants were cooked and eaten. Write about some of the food that the Plains Indians ate and how they made it. (Include a recipe too.)

■What are two ways that the flat area of the plains affected the Native Americans?

■What are 4 major contributions by the Plains Indians?

■(On my Plains Indian page). After reading the short story about the captivity of Lorinda Bewly with the Whitman group traveling to Oregon, write a brief essay about the meeting of two different cultures? Or were they that different after all? What do you think and why?

■What are two major differences between the Plains Indians and other Native Americans of that time?

■How are Plains Indians making contributions today?

■What was the view of woman during the times of the Plains Indians and compare that to how people feel today?

■Describe the social structure of the Plains Indians.

■In your opinion, did the early American settlers try to help or hinder the progress of Native Americans?

■Describe the art, beading and leather working of the Plains Indians.

■Do you think the Indians should have been paid for their land? Why or why not?

Elementary

■Why was a dog and horse important to the Plains Indians?

■What did the Plains Indians live in? Describe how they decorated their tipis and draw your own design.

■What was winter like on the Plains compared to other Native Americans living at that time?

■What is pemmican and why was it important to the Plains Indians?

■Explain the many uses of the buffalo.

■Do you think the Plains Indians had pets? If so, what kind? How would you take care of a pet when living on the wide open plains?

■What do you think life would have been like in a tipi?

■Describe the life of a hunter and why hunting was important to the Plains Indians

■Why was corn important to the Plains Indians? Look here at my Fall Unit Study page to read about corn.

■Do you think the kids of the Plains Indians did school? How did they learn?

Hope you enjoyed these brainstorming ideas as well as some of the topics we wrote about. I have more free writing prompts coming on my other unit studies soon.

You may also love these other resources:

Hugs and love ya,