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George Washington Carver Fun Peanut Quick Unit Study & Notebooking Pages

January 24, 2023 | Leave a Comment
This post may contain affiliate links. For more information, please see my full disclosure policy.

George Washington Carver study makes for a fun peanut unit study. Also, you love my Gardening Projects For Homeschool Easy Composting With the Amazing Dr. George Carver (Free Printable About Compost and my page Best Homeschool Unit Studies.

Besides, National Peanut Butter Day is January 24th and I have some fun ideas to learn about peanuts and peanut butter.

George Washington Carver Fun Peanut Quick Unit Study & Notebooking Pages

We are celebrating it by making a batch of easy 3 ingredient peanut butter cookies and enjoying a mini peanut unit study.

Learn about the process, the people, and fun facts about the peanut while you enjoy peanutty treats.

Peanuts are versatile and used in much more than just peanut butter.

First, you’ll love some of these fun peanut facts.

For example, Jimmy Carter, our 39th president, came from humble roots in Plains, Georgia.

He took over his father’s peanut farm prior to becoming president.

Jimmy Carter sold peanuts on the streets at just 5 years old, peanuts are in his blood.

Too, Thomas Jefferson, the third president of the United States was a peanut farmer and a botanist.

He is credited with the boost to the peanut’s popularity as he was the first American president to grow peanuts. He was famed for his other amazing garden treasures at Monticello.

More Peanut Facts

  • There are four different types of peanuts – Runner, Valencia, Spanish and Virginia.
  • It takes roughly 540 peanuts to make one 12-ounce jar of peanut butter.
  • There have been two peanut farmers to have been elected president of the USA – Thomas Jefferson  from Virginia and Jimmy Carter from Georgia,
  • Peanuts are not actually “nuts” they are classified as legumes, related to beans.
  • There are 6 different cities in the United States named Peanut:
  1. Peanut, California
  2. Lower Peanut- Pennsylvania
  3. Upper Peanut, Pennsylvania
  4. Peanut, Pennsylvania
  5. Peanut, Tennessee
  6. Peanut West Virginia
  • “Goober” is a nickname for peanuts.
  • The highest peanut producing states are: Georgia, Florida, Alabama, Texas, North Carolina, and South Carolina, Arkansas, Virginia, Mississippi, and Oklahoma. Do you live in one of these peanut rich states?
  • It is believed that the peanut plant probably originated in Brazil or Peru.
George Washington Carver Fun Peanut Quick Unit Study & Notebooking Pages

Then, learn about the science of peanuts.

And I have some notebooking pages for you too.

A Pea or a Nut?

First, Argentina, Brazil, Malawi, Nigeria, Senegal, South Africa, and Sudan are major peanut-growing countries.

However, the peanut is not really a nut such as a pecan or walnut but are the seeds of the peanut plant.

As the plant grows, it puts forth yellow flowers that pollinate themselves.

Additionally, the peanut is a legume—a member of the pea family.

And peanuts do not grow on trees, but they grow on low bushes.

They produce their fruit underground.

George Washington Carver Fun Peanut Quick Unit Study & Notebooking Pages

Next, learn about Dr. George Washington Carver.

About George Washington Carver

Carver was born in 1861 near Diamond Grove, Missouri and died January 5, 1943 in Tuskegee. Alabama.

Carver was the son of a slave owned by Moses Carver. He was separated from his mother at a young age. He taught himself using books and learned from his experiences.

During this time, he supported himself by various jobs, including hotel cook, laundry man, farm laborer, and other odd jobs.

And he was an American agricultural chemist. He experimented with peanuts, sweet potatoes, and soybeans.

George Washington Carver Fun Peanut Quick Unit Study & Notebooking Pages

One of the most well-known things he did was to help teach people of the South to care for their soil.

A lot of farmers grew cotton, and the dreaded cotton boll weevil would devastate their crop.

He suggested peanuts as a source of income in place of cotton. But also, because it enriched the soil.

Also, he spent most of his career teaching and conducting research at the Tuskegee Institute in Tuskegee, Alabama.

Thereafter, in 1903 George Washington Carver had begun research into new uses for the peanut plant.

He eventually developed more than 300 products from it.

Look at this site List of Products made from the Peanut By Dr. George Washington Carver.

In addition, add some of these books to your study.

Learning About Peanuts Resources

Add in some fun facts about the history of peanuts and some fun books for a quick unit study.

The Life and Times of the Peanut

What are peanuts - are they peas or are they nuts? Do they grow above or below ground? Who invented peanut butter? In the same spirit as his award-winning Life and Times of the Honeybee, Charles Micucci explores one of America's most favorite and enigmatic snack foods. This fascinating picture book, with its concise, detailed text and abundant illustrations, ranging from the humorous to the scientific, offers a spirited introduction to the life cycle, many uses, and historical influences of the peanut. 

Food Anatomy: The Curious Parts & Pieces of Our Edible World

Get your recommended daily allowance of facts and fun with Food Anatomy, the third book in Julia Rothman’s best-selling Anatomy series. She starts with an illustrated history of food and ends with a global tour of street eats

Who Was George Washington Carver?

Born in 1860s Missouri, nobody expected George Washington Carver to succeed. Slaves were not allowed to be educated. After the Civil War, Carver enrolled in classes and proved to be a star student. He became the first black student at Iowa State Agricultural College and later its first black professor. He went on to the Tuskegee Institute where he specialized in botany (the study of plants) and developed techniques to grow crops better. His work with vegetables, especially peanuts, made him famous and changed agriculture forever. 

Who Is Jimmy Carter?

How did a peanut farmer from a small town in Georgia become the 39th President of the United States? Find out in this addition to the #1 New York Times best-selling Who Was? series!Everyone was rather surprised when small-town farmer Jimmy Carter first announced that he’d be running for president in 1976. When Jimmy told his mother, she replied, “President of what?” But this former naval officer and governor of Georgia was ready for the role.

Hands-On Peanut and Peanut Butter Activities

Next, try a few hands-on activities to make the learning more fun and memorable.

  • Gardening Projects For Homeschool Easy Composting With the Amazing Dr. George Carver.
  • Learn How to Make Your Own Peanut Butter.
  • How to Make Edible Peanut Butter Playdough.
  • Use shelled peanuts as counters for simple addition and subtraction, or skip counting.
  • Make this super cute George Washington Carver Paper Plate Peanut Craft.
  • Grow your own peanuts with these Peanut Seeds.
  • Make a winter nature craft: How to Make Easy DIY Bird Feeders.
  • Have a peanut taste test. Try them in every form you can- in the shell, as peanut butter, honey roasted or other flavors, in cookies, peanut brittle, or peanut candies.

Too, here are some videos to add to your quick study.

Videos about Peanuts

Add these YouTube videos.

  • Check out Food Network’s Unwrapped- How Peanut Butter is Made to learn about the process of creating the base for one of America’s favorite sandwiches.
  • Watch How Peanuts Are Made to learn how peanuts are processed and packaged for sale.
  • Follow the Story of George Washington Carver with the Sci Kids to learn about the important contributions he made to agriculture and society.
  •  Learn the Top 10 Health Benefits of Peanuts.

Further, let’s make some easy delicious peanut butter cookies.

Easy 3 Ingredient Peanut Butter Cookie Recipe

Ingredients:

  • 1 cup creamy or crunchy peanut butter
  • ¾ cup granulated sugar
  • 1 large egg

You will also need:

  • Bowl and hand mixer or stand mixer.
  • Baking sheet

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

Place peanut butter, eggs, and sugar in a mixer bowl and mix until well combined.

George Washington Carver Fun Peanut Quick Unit Study & Notebooking Pages

Roll the mixture into ping pong sized balls in your hand.

George Washington Carver Fun Peanut Quick Unit Study & Notebooking Pages

Place balls on a cookie sheet.

Smash each one down with a fork.

George Washington Carver Fun Peanut Quick Unit Study & Notebooking Pages

Sprinkle cookies lightly with additional sugar.

Bake for 10-12 minutes or until the edges are golden brown.

Allow to cool for 2-3 minutes then move to a cooling rack.

George Washington Carver Fun Peanut Quick Unit Study & Notebooking Pages

In addition, you’ll love these free peanut and carver notebooking pages.

How to Get the Free Peanut Notebooking Pages

Now, how to grab the free printable. It’s a subscriber freebie.

George Washington Carver Fun Peanut Quick Unit Study & Notebooking Pages

That means when you sign up to follow me, you this freebie.

 1) SCLICK HERE ON THIS LINK TO SIGN UP ON MY EMAIL LIST & TO GET THIS FREEBIE

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Leave a CommentFiled Under: Hands-On Activities Tagged With: earth science, hands-on, hands-on activities, handsonhomeschooling, homeschoolscience, life science, peanut, science

Quick Unit Study & Easy Salt water Density Ocean Science Experiments For Kindergarten

January 23, 2023 | Leave a Comment
This post may contain affiliate links. For more information, please see my full disclosure policy.

Begin your ocean unit study with this salt water density experiment for ocean science experiments for kindergarten. Also, grab my other tips, ideas, and crafts for kindergarten on my page Kindergarten Homeschool Curriculum.

While there are many fascinating animals, plants, and shells in the ocean there is so much more to learn about.

As a matter of fact, only 5% of the ocean has even been explored.

Quick Unit Study & Easy Salt water Density Ocean Science Experiments For Kindergarten

But beyond that for simple learning purposes there is much to cover beyond sharks, fish, and coral.

There are also the tides, ocean depth zones, and currents.

And today we are going to learn about salt water density and the effect it has on objects in it.

I have a fun but simple hands-on science experiment to learn about saltwater density.

Before we dive in, here are my suggestions for must haves for an ocean unit kindergarten to make it fun, immersive, and memorable.

Books for Kindergarten Ocean Unit Study

Kindergarten Ocean Unit Study Resources

Add a fun ocean unit study resource for kindergarten to your study for the day.

Big Book of the Blue (The Big Book Series)

Following the wild success of The Big Book of Bugs and The Big Book of Beasts, The Big Book of the Blue is the third installment in Yuval Zommer’s beloved series. Alongside everything the young oceanographer needs to know, Zommer’s charming illustrations bring to life some of the slipperiest, scaliest, strangest, and most monstrous underwater animals.

Ocean Anatomy: The Curious Parts & Pieces of the World under the Sea

Julia Rothman’s best-selling illustrated Anatomy series takes a deep dive into the wonders of the sea with Ocean Anatomy. Follow Rothman’s inquisitive mind and perceptive eye along shorelines, across the open ocean, and below the waves for an artistic exploration of the watery universe. Through her drawings, discover how the world’s oceans formed, why the sea is salty, and the forces behind oceanic phenomena such as rogue waves. Colorful anatomical profiles of sea creatures from crustacean to cetacean, surveys of seafaring vessels and lighthouses, and the impact of plastic and warming water temperatures are just part of this compendium of curiosities that will entertain and educate readers of all ages. 

Nature Anatomy: The Curious Parts and Pieces of the Natural World

See the world in a whole new way! Acclaimed illustrator Julia Rothman combines art and science in this exciting and educational guide to the structure, function, and personality of the natural world. Explore the anatomy of a jellyfish, the inside of a volcano, monarch butterfly migration, how sunsets work, and much more. Rothman’s whimsical illustrations are paired with interactive activities that encourage curiosity and inspire you to look more closely at the world all around you.

100+ Pcs Beach Seashells Starfish, Various Sizes Ocean Seashells

Package includes about 100 or more pieces mixed beach sea shells. As shown in the picture, random matching includes seashells, starfish, tiny volutes varieties and sea snail, etc.

These seashell decors are exquisite and colorful, which are carefully handpicked and cleaned, generous size from 0.3" to 2.3", weigh about 250g, a wide variety of unique shells for crafts.

All-Natural Brown Play Sand for Mixing

This box has 2.5kg (5.5lb) of natural brown Kinetic Sand to mix, mold, squish, cut and more! Once you pick it up, you won’t be able to put it down! What will you create?

Shark Teeth in Bag Genuine Fossilized Specimens

Real Genuine Shark Teeth

Approximately 30 teeth per bag (plus fossils and bones!)

Great for classroom learning, Arts & Crafts and play "dig sites"

Animal Toy Figurine Models Including Sea Lion, Eagle Ray, Starfish, Turtle, Penguin, Octopus, Humpback Whale, Sperm Whale, Moray Eel, Hammerhead Shark, Tiger Shark, and Dolphin

SET OF 12 FAVORITE FIGURINES – This TOOB brings together 12 of your favorite ocean-dwelling friends, including a sea lion, eagle ray, starfish, turtle, penguin, octopus, humpback whale, sperm whale, moray eel, hammerhead shark, tiger shark, and dolphin!

Also, add in some hands-on ocean activities while learning about ocean science experiments for kindergarten.

Ocean Unit Study Hands-on Ideas

  • Super Easy and Fun Aquarium Jar Craft
  • Fun Making Ocean Layers Soap
  • Beware of Ocean Pollution
  • Ocean Scavenger Hunt
  • Edible Ocean Layers
  • Message in a Bottle
  • Edible Geography – Sea Levels
  • Ocean Slime
  • Free Ocean Lapbook and Unit Study
Edible Geography Sea Levels
Edible Geography Sea Levels

Too, look at more kindergarten homeschool curriculum and craft ideas below.

Kindergarten Homeschool Curriculum And Crafts

  • Bird Craft For Kindergarten Make an Adorable Fun American Robin Foot Print
  • Kindergarten Crafts for Winter An Easy and Fun Polar Bear Fork Painting
  • How to Make A Fun ABC Flip Book Fingerprint Activity for Kindergarten
  • Homeschool Kindergarten Life Science – Hands-on Fun Nature Tree Study
  • 40 Awesome Earth Science Movies for Kindergarten
  • Growing a Seed Activity For Kindergarten Science Kids Activity
  • Native American Activities For Kindergarten Create A Fun Cradleboard Craft
  • Rainforest Science Activities For Kindergarten Amazing and Fun Living Terrarium
  • Pond Life for Kindergarten Activity Build a Fun Beaver Dam
  • Easy and Fun Pine Cone Snowy Owl Winter Craft for Kindergarten
  • 4 Fun and Engaging Bat Activities for Kindergarten
  • Native American Crafts for Kindergarten How to Make a Kids Pinch Pot
  • 10 Best Homeschool Phonics Curriculum For Kindergarten
  • 15 Fun Resources For History for Kindergarten Homeschool
  • 19 Fun Hands-on Rainforest Activities for Kindergarten
  • Rainforest Crafts for Kindergarten: Make an Easy Paper Plate Monkey
  • How to Create the Best Homeschool Schedule for Kindergarten (free printable)
  • 60 Favorite Top Homeschooling Materials for Kindergarten
  • 10 Affordable and Complete Homeschool Kindergarten Curriculum
  • How to Effortlessly Blend Kindergarten Homeschool Subjects & Life
  • BEST Free Kindergarten Homeschool Curriculum With A Gentle Approach (List)
  • Delightful Kindergarten Homeschool Curriculum Which Promote a Love of Learning
Quick Unit Study & Easy Salt water Density Ocean Science Experiments For Kindergarten

Finally, let’s do a hands-on easy salt water density experiment.

Ocean Science Experiments For Kindergarten Salt Water Density

So no special supplies needed.

Quick Unit Study & Easy Salt water Density Ocean Science Experiments For Kindergarten

You will need:

  • 3 clear cups
  • Salt
  • Warm tap water
  • 3 raw eggs
  • cardstock/pen
Quick Unit Study & Easy Salt water Density Ocean Science Experiments For Kindergarten

Place 3 clear cups out, you can use plastic or glass just make sure all 3 are the same.

Add equal amounts of warm tap water in each cup.

Measure 1 Tablespoon of salt into one cup, 2 teaspoons in another, and put nothing in the third.

Quick Unit Study & Easy Salt water Density Ocean Science Experiments For Kindergarten

Stir to combine the salt into the water completely.

Quick Unit Study & Easy Salt water Density Ocean Science Experiments For Kindergarten

Make a label for each of the cups to keep them straight and place it in front.

Quick Unit Study & Easy Salt water Density Ocean Science Experiments For Kindergarten

Carefully drop an egg into each cup.

Why happens?

The egg in the cup with the most salt water floats near the top because the density of the water is greater than that of the egg.

The water with less salt water sits about halfway in the water because the density ratio of water vs. object is close.

The raw egg in plain water sinks quickly to the bottom, the reason this happens is because the egg has less density than the water.

Ask your child some questions to get them thinking – Which egg is floating?

What happened to the egg with no salt in the water? Why do you think that happened?

Quick Unit Study & Easy Salt water Density Ocean Science Experiments For Kindergarten

Leave a CommentFiled Under: Hands-On Activities Tagged With: earth science, elementary science, hands-on, hands-on activities, handsonhomeschooling, homeschoolscience, kindergarten, ocean, science

Rock Activities For Kindergarten And Fun Edible Rock Cycle

January 14, 2023 | Leave a Comment
This post may contain affiliate links. For more information, please see my full disclosure policy.

If you’re doing rock activities for kindergarten, you’ll love this easy edible rock cycle. Also, grab my other tips, ideas, and crafts for kindergarten on my page Kindergarten Homeschool Curriculum.

Hands-on activities are one of the best ways to teach a new concept, especially if you can add in the delicious aspect of eating your project.

This edible rock cycle is a great addition to your list of rock activities for kindergarten to teach it in a simple and fun way.

Rock Activities For Kindergarten And Fun Edible Rock Cycle

Books, video, and hands-on experiences looking at rocks themselves will go a long way in teaching your child about geology, the rock cycle, rock types, and more.

Then add some fun rock vocabulary.

Rock Cycle Vocabulary

  • Geologist (Answer: Someone who studies what the Earth is made of and how it was formed)
  • Rock (Answer: A rock is a solid that is made up of a bunch of different minerals)
  • Rock Cycle (Answer: The processes in which the three main rock types: igneous, metamorphic, and sedimentary transform from one type into another)
  • Sedimentary Rocks (Answer: Rocks formed from years of sediment compacting together and becoming hard, this can be grains of sand, mud, pebbles, minerals, fossils or plants)
  • Metamorphic Rocks (Answer: A rock formed from great heat and pressure inside the earth’s crust
  • Igneous Rocks (Answer: A rock formed through the cooling of magma or lava)

Also, look at some of these fun books.

6 Rock Unit Study Books & Fun Resources

Whatever grade you're teaching, you'll love adding one of these books or resources to your day.

1. A Rock Is Lively (Family Treasure Nature Encylopedias)

From dazzling blue lapis lazuli to volcanic snowflake obsidian, an incredible variety of rocks are showcased in all their splendor. Poetic in voice and elegant in design, this book introduces an array of facts, making it equally perfect for classroom sharing and family reading.

2. LED Lighted Pocket Microscope

 A pocket microscope is a great addition to a science shelf or to add to your bag for nature walks.

3. Rock Cycle Kit, 12 Pieces - Includes Metamorphic, Igneous & Sedimentary Rocks

You can grab a set like this one to start your collection, it contains rocks from each of the 3 types- Sedimentary, Metamorphic, and Igneous.

4. My Book of Rocks and Minerals: Things to Find, Collect, and Treasure

Identify colorful gemstones, sparkly crystals, the toughest rocks, and ancient fossils. Packed with fun facts, information, and extensive photos all about the rocks and minerals that make up the world around us.

Basher: Rocks & Minerals: A Gem of a Book

Simon Basher is back with another zany primer to science! Following his 3 successful titles on the basics of chemistry, physics, and biology, BASHER SCIENCE: ROCKS AND MINERALS is an in-depth look at the ground beneath our feet. Like his other titles, Basher presents these topics through charming and adorable illustrations and pairs them with basic information told from a first person perspective. He develops a community of characters based on the things that form the foundations
of our planet: rocks, gems, crystals, fossils and more. And what's more, he makes it understandable, interesting, and cute. It's not what you expect out of a science primer.

Everybody Needs a Rock (An Aladdin Book)

Everybody needs a rock -- at least that's the way this particular rock hound feels about it in presenting her own highly individualistic rules for finding just the right rock for you.

Geology Movies for Kindergarten

Next, you’ll love this roundup of fun geology movies.

10 Geology Videos for Young Kids

Fine one or two movies about geology to add to your day or unit study.

Photo Credit: www.youtube.com

What Causes Earthquakes?

What Causes Earthquakes?
Photo Credit: www.youtube.com

Rocks for Kids

Rocks for Kids
Photo Credit: www.youtube.com

Rock cycle video | Learn about Types of Rocks |

Rock cycle video | Learn about Types of Rocks | Rock cycle for kids
Photo Credit: www.youtube.com

Structure Of The Earth |

Learn about the Structure Of The Earth with Dr. Binocs.

Photo Credit: www.youtube.com

Ecosystems for Kids

Ecosystems for Kids
Photo Credit: www.youtube.com

Volcanoes for Kids |

Volcanoes for Kids | A fun and engaging introduction to volcanoes for children

Photo Credit: www.youtube.com

Be a Rock Detective!

Be a Rock Detective!

The Magic School Bus Season 2

The Magic School Bus
Photo Credit: www.youtube.com

How Glaciers Change the World! | Winter Science |

How Glaciers Change the World! | Winter Science | SciShow Kids
Photo Credit: www.youtube.com

The Rock Cycle

The Rock Cycle

Also, look at these other tips and kindergarten homeschool curriculum below.

Kindergarten Homeschool Curriculum And Crafts

  • Kindergarten Crafts for Winter An Easy and Fun Polar Bear Fork Painting
  • How to Make A Fun ABC Flip Book Fingerprint Activity for Kindergarten
  • Homeschool Kindergarten Life Science – Hands-on Fun Nature Tree Study
  • 40 Awesome Earth Science Movies for Kindergarten
  • Growing a Seed Activity For Kindergarten Science Kids Activity
  • Native American Activities For Kindergarten Create A Fun Cradleboard Craft
  • Rainforest Science Activities For Kindergarten Amazing and Fun Living Terrarium
  • Pond Life for Kindergarten Activity Build a Fun Beaver Dam
  • Easy and Fun Pine Cone Snowy Owl Winter Craft for Kindergarten
  • 4 Fun and Engaging Bat Activities for Kindergarten
  • Native American Crafts for Kindergarten How to Make a Kids Pinch Pot
  • 10 Best Homeschool Phonics Curriculum For Kindergarten
  • 15 Fun Resources For History for Kindergarten Homeschool
  • 19 Fun Hands-on Rainforest Activities for Kindergarten
  • Rainforest Crafts for Kindergarten: Make an Easy Paper Plate Monkey
  • How to Create the Best Homeschool Schedule for Kindergarten (free printable)
  • 60 Favorite Top Homeschooling Materials for Kindergarten
  • 10 Affordable and Complete Homeschool Kindergarten Curriculum
  • How to Effortlessly Blend Kindergarten Homeschool Subjects & Life
  • BEST Free Kindergarten Homeschool Curriculum With A Gentle Approach (List)
  • Delightful Kindergarten Homeschool Curriculum Which Promote a Love of Learning

In addition, I have some rock resources for your older kids.

Besides, you want to teach all of your kids when you’re learning a topic.

Rock Activities For Kindergarten And Fun Edible Rock Cycle

Rock Activities for Older Kids

First, look at my free Earth Science lapbook.

Furthermore, add these other resources:

  • Edible Rock Cycle Fudge and Hands-on Rock Activities
  • Geoscavenge – A Rock and Mineral Hunt
  • Metamorphic Edible Rocks & Notebooking Pages
  • Free Homeschool Geology Unit Study And Easy DIY Eggshell Geode
Rock Activities For Kindergarten And Fun Edible Rock Cycle

Finally, let’s make this edible rock cycle.

You will need:

  • Chocolate morsels
  • Butterscotch morsels
  • White chocolate
  • Cookies
  • Grater
  • 3 bowls
  • Microwave

Directions:

First, crumble cookies and grate white chocolate block.

This is a great opportunity to introduce erosion, weathering from wind and rain, and how it turns larger rocks into sediment or the small bits.

Rock Activities For Kindergarten And Fun Edible Rock Cycle

In 3 bowls place a little of each type of morsel as well as crumbled cookies and grated chocolate.

For the first bowl have your child press down with their fingers to compact all the small bits together to create a larger piece. This is how sedimentary rocks are formed.

Place the next bowl into the microwave for 30 second increments just until it begins to melt.

Use the back of a spoon sprayed with nonstick cooking spray to press it all together. Allow to cool and harden.

This demonstrates how metamorphic rocks are formed through heat and pressure.

Rock Activities For Kindergarten And Fun Edible Rock Cycle

To demonstrate how igneous rocks are formed, take the third bowl and melt until completely liquid in the microwave.

Then place in the refrigerator to harden completely.

Rock Activities For Kindergarten And Fun Edible Rock Cycle

Write the 3 rock types on a piece of paper and label each of your types in the rock cycle.

Now you can enjoy taste testing each of the different rock types in the rock cycle.

Science has never tasted so good.

Rock Activities For Kindergarten And Fun Edible Rock Cycle

Leave a CommentFiled Under: Hands-On Activities Tagged With: earth science, earthscience, elementary science, hands-on, hands-on activities, handson, handsonhomeschooling, homeschoolscience, kindergarten, science

Galileo Discovery of Jupiter Moons and Fun Hands-On Moon Crater Experiment

January 7, 2023 | Leave a Comment
This post may contain affiliate links. For more information, please see my full disclosure policy.

This fun hands-on moon crater experiment is a great introduction to learn about Galileo Galilei and his discover of Jupiter’s moons. Add it to my Exploring Space and Astronomy Free Unit Study for a fun study.

On January 7th, 1610, Jupiter’s first four moons were discovered by Galileo Galilei through a homemade telescope.

It is one of Galileo Galilei’s most important contributions to science.

Galileo Discovery of Jupiter Moons and Fun Hands-On Moon Crater Experiment

The 4 Galilean Moons are named lo or Jupiter 1, Europa, Ganymede and Callisto. 

Earth has 1 moon, but did you know that there are over 200 moons in our solar system?

 Most of the major planets, except Mercury and Venus have moons. 

Even Pluto and some of the other dwarf planets have small moons. Some asteroids even have moons.

If you look up at our moon, even with the naked eye you can see craters.

These craters were formed when rocks or comets smashed through space to hit the surface of the Moon.

And we’re going to do a fun moon crater experiment, but first look at these fun facts about Galileo Galilei

Facts about Galileo Galilei and the Jupiter Moons

  • Galileo Galilei was born in the year 1564.and he was born in the town of Pisa, in what is now Italy.
  • His father was Vincenzio Galilei who was a cloth merchant and musician.
  • Although Galileo’s dad wanted him to be a doctor, Galileo was good in math and didn’t want to be a doctor.
  • He invented the telescope and realized his telescope could magnify things to be large.
  • One of his first observations was the moon. At that time people thought the moon was smooth. However, Galileo said the moon was full of bumps and craters.
  • In 1592, Galileo became a professor of mathematics at the University of Padua.
  • One of the many things that set Galileo apart was that he believed in the Copernican system. There were 3 things he believed was 1 ) rotation of the earth on its axis 2) that the planets revolve around the sun  and 3) conical axial motion of the earth to explain a fixed earth’s orientation in space.
  • Ganymede is the largest moon in the Solar System, is larger than the planet Mercury.
  • Io or Jupiter 1 is covered in volcanoes and lava.
  • Europa is covered in ice and has a huge saltwater sea beneath the ice.
  • Callisto is thought to be a dead world with hardly any geologic activity on its surface.
  • 57 more of Jupiter’s moons have been given names and the rest are waiting.
Galileo Discovery of Jupiter Moons and Fun Hands-On Moon Crater Experiment

Also, add some moon vocabulary words.

Moon Vocabulary Words

Additionally, learn moon vocabulary words which can be added to your lapbook.

For example, look at these moon vocabulary words below.

  • Moon (Answer: A celestial body that makes an orbit around a planet)
  • Celestial (Answer: A natural object that exists outside of the earth’s atmosphere)
  • Orbit (Answer: The path an object makes around a particular point in space, like around the earth)
  • Crater (Answer: Holes on the surface of moons caused by the impact of meteoroid)
  • Lunar (Answer: Something that is related to the moon)
  • Revolve (Answer: To move in a circle around a fixed point)

Too, here are some fun books and resources.

12 Resources and Books For Studying About the Moon and Galileo

If you want to focus on the moon in your astronomy and space unit study, add one of these fun resources to your day.

1. Who Was Galileo?

Like Michelangelo, Galileo is another Renaissance great known just by his first name--a name that is synonymous with scientific achievement. Born in Pisa, Italy, in the sixteenth century, Galileo contributed to the era's great rebirth of knowledge. He invented a telescope to observe the heavens. From there, not even the sky was the limit!

2. The Moon Book (New & Updated Edition)

This newly revised edition, available in time for the 50th anniversary of the moon landing, incorporates new, up-to-date information based on recent discoveries, and includes an updated map of the moon's surface. Thoroughly vetted by an astrophysics expert, The Moon Book is a perfect introduction to lunar phases, orbit, the history of space exploration, and more.

3. Galileo and the Magic Numbers

Sixteenth century Italy produced a genius who marked the world with his studies and hypotheses about mathematical, physical and astronomical truths. His father, musician Vincenzio Galilei said, “Truth is not found behind a man’s reputation. Truth appears only when the answers to questions are searched out by a free mind. This is not the easy path in life but it is the most rewarding.” Galileo challenged divine law and the physics of Aristotle, and questioned everything in search of truths. And it was through this quest for truth that he was able to establish a structure for modern science.

4. Moon: A Peek-Through Picture Book

It’s the perfect light nonfiction book for young stargazers—and an ideal bedtime book, ending with a giant moon hovering over a sleepy town hunkered down for bed.

5. Moon Lamp

Novelty Moon Lighting: Realistic Colorful Star Galaxy printed 🌌 Moon Lamp with advanced 3D technology. Now decorate your bedroom, hall, office or desk with our Space Theme gorgeous Galaxy Lamp. Your guests will definitely admire the beauty of this lively moon light.

6. Refracting Telescope for Kids Beginners

Quality Optics: 400mm(f/5.7) focal length and 70mm aperture, fully coated optics glass lens with high transmission coatings creates stunning images and protect your eyes. Perfect telescope for astronomers to explore stars and moon.

7. Jupiter (Planets in Our Solar System)

Everything about Jupiter is big! Its size is big. Even its storms are big! Get the big and small facts about this gas giant that can be seen glowing in the night sky.

8. Galileo Galilei (Genius Series)

Astronomer, physicist, and philosopher Galileo Galilei was referred to as "The Father of Modern Science," because of his groundbreaking research. Making observations about nature, and using mathematics to back them up, he proved the Copernican Theory true: the Sun, not the Earth, is the center of the universe. Join Galileo on his pioneering journey to see why his work had such long-lasting implications, and why the Catholic Church even condemned him for heresy.

9. What the Moon is Like

Imagine that you're walking on the moon. What is it like? For thousands of years people looked up at the moon and wondered about it. Now we know what the moon is like. There is no air on the moon and nothing grows, but there are towering mountains and deep craters—and much more.

Colder than the desert, the hotter than the desert, the moon is an amazing place to explore.

10. A Kite for Moon

What would it be like if the moon was your friend? Find out as you walk alongside a little boy who journeys through life to achieve his dream of becoming an astronaut. And then blast off with your little one as you zoom to the moon together!

The story begins when a little boy, who is flying his kite, notices a sad Moon. He sends up kites to her, writing notes promising he will come see her someday. This promise propels him through years of studying, learning, and training to become an astronaut. Until … he finally goes up, up, up in a big rocket ship with a fiery tail.

A Kite for Moon:

  • Features over 20 gorgeous illustrations by award-winning artist Matt Phelan
  • Is the perfect storybook for children ages 4 to 8
  • Celebrates every child’s fascination with space

11. Large Massive Meteorite Specimen

You could also grab these meteorite specimens (artificial) to let your child use for impact craters!

Moon! Earth's Best Friend (Our Universe, 3)

Meet Moon! She's more than just a rock―she’s Earth’s rock, her best friend she can always count on. Moon never turns her back on her friend (literally: she's always facing Earth with the same side!). These two will stick together forever. With characteristic humor and charm, Stacy McAnulty channels the voice of Moon in this next celestial "autobiography" in the Our Universe series. Rich with kid-friendly facts and beautifully brought to life by Stevie Lewis, this is an equally charming and irresistible companion to Earth! My First 4.54 Billion Years and Sun! One in a Billion.

Additionally, look at these hands-on moon activities and space and astronomy activities.

Moon Activities and Space and Astronomy Ideas

  • Exploring Space and Astronomy Free Unit Study for Multiple Ages
  • Make a fun Puffy Moon Craft (Glow in the Dark) to display with more craters.
  • Track the moon cycles with my Free Moon Journal.
  • Quick astronomy and space study.
  • What a fun moon craft. 3-D Light Up Moon with Tissue.
  • Make an EASY Straw Rocket

Also, add this fun hands on Exploring Space and Astronomy Lapbook.

Galileo Discovery of Jupiter Moons and Fun Hands-On Moon Crater Experiment

And these minibooks can be used for notebooking pages or a lapbook.

Galileo Discovery of Jupiter Moons and Fun Hands-On Moon Crater Experiment
  • Dynamic Astronomy Lapbook for Multiple Ages

    Dynamic Astronomy Lapbook for Multiple Ages

    $4.00
    Add to cart

Finally, do this fun moon crater experiment with your kids.

Galileo Discovery of Jupiter Moons and Fun Hands-On Moon Crater Experiment

Moon Crater Experiment

You will need:

  • A round shallow dish
  • Baking flour
  • Different sizes of weighted objects- rocks, marbles, etc.

Directions:

First, place a round dish on the floor.

Too, take this outside so the mess is easier to contain as the flour will spread and settle out a bit.

Smooth the flour a bit by hand or with a paintbrush.

Galileo Discovery of Jupiter Moons and Fun Hands-On Moon Crater Experiment

Have your child drop the objects from various heights to recreate the impact of comets and rocks hitting the moons surface.

You could also grab these meteorite specimens (artificial) to let your child use for impact craters.

Carefully remove the objects and point out to your child how the objects colliding into the surface left impressions in much the same way impacts in space leave craters.

Smooth your “moons” surface and repeat as many times as your child wants.

Galileo Discovery of Jupiter Moons and Fun Hands-On Moon Crater Experiment

Leave a CommentFiled Under: Hands-On Activities Tagged With: earth science, earthscience, elementary science, Galileo, hands-on, hands-on activities, handson, handsonhomeschooling, homeschoolscience, science

Gardening Projects For Homeschool Easy Composting With the Amazing Dr. George Carver (Free Printable About Compost)

January 6, 2023 | Leave a Comment
This post may contain affiliate links. For more information, please see my full disclosure policy.

If you’re looking to do some beginner gardening projects for homeschool this easy composting idea will get you started. Too, learn about the amazing Dr. George Washington Carver will make it a fun day. Check out more ideas too at Easy Seed and Gardening Unit Study for Kids (Middle – Upper Elementary).

And because January 5th is George Washington Carver Day, it’s the perfect time to learn about him.

Gardening Projects For Homeschool Easy Composting With the Amazing Dr. George Carver

Focus on his hardships and he overcame them, what he did to help people understand about crops and to help people in the south better understand soil.

George Washington Carver made many contributions to his time that are still very relevant and helpful today. 

While most of us know him for his work with peanuts and sweet potatoes there is so much more to it than that.

Gardening Projects For Homeschool Easy Composting With the Amazing Dr. George Carver

About Dr. George Washington Carver

Dr. Carver was born into slavery and all the way through his graduate studies he struggled to find schools that would admit him because he was African American.

George Washington Carver was born sometime during the Civil War,

He was known as “Carver’s George,” and was enslaved to Susan and Moses Carver, successful Missouri farmers.

He taught and was the head of the Agriculture Department at Tuskegee Institute.

Dr. Carver was a botanist, agronomist, chemist, and inventor as well as a teacher.

Also, Dr. Carver worked with people in the south to help improve the soil and maximize crop yields.

Additionally, he encouraged farmers to improve their soil without commercial fertilizers either through planting legumes that improved the nitrogen of the soil and were great sources of protein for people but also by using compost.

If you are interested in gardening or homesteading on any level, composting is an easy thing to start with.

It is literally just gathering kitchen and yard waste and tossing it in a bin to decompose into free, nutrient rich soil that is perfect for improving small or large gardens.

Composting also helps cut down on the waste in your garbage and landfills by almost 30%.

Rather than filling your bins and landfills with this type of waste, you can turn it into soil for gardens or container plants.

First, add in some books about George Washington Carver for your gardening projects for homeschool.

11 Gardening and Composting with Dr. George Washington Carver Activities and Resources

Whether you're doing a gardening unit study or want to learn about the scientist Dr. George Washington Carver, you'll love a few of these resources.

1. In the Garden with Dr. Carver

Sally is a young girl living in rural Alabama in the early 1900s, a time when people were struggling to grow food in soil that had been depleted by years of cotton production. One day, Dr. George Washington Carver shows up to help the grown-ups with their farms and the children with their school garden. He teaches them how to restore the soil and respect the balance of nature.

2. Trees, Leaves, Flowers and Seeds: A Visual Encyclopedia of the Plant Kingdom

Explore the incredible world of plants, from the smallest seeds to the tallest trees, whilst you discover all about the weirdest, smelliest and deadliest flowers on our planet, with this engaging
encyclopedia for children aged 9-12. 

3. Who Was George Washington Carver?

Born in 1860s Missouri, nobody expected George Washington Carver to succeed. Slaves were not allowed to be educated. After the Civil War, Carver enrolled in classes and proved to be a star student. He became the first black student at Iowa State Agricultural College and later its first black professor. He went on to the Tuskegee Institute where he specialized in botany (the study of plants) and developed techniques to grow crops better.

4. Farm Anatomy: The Curious Parts and Pieces of Country Life

Learn the difference between a farrow and a barrow, and what distinguishes a weanling from a yearling. Country and city mice alike will delight in Julia Rothman’s charming illustrated guide to the curious parts and pieces of rural living. Dissecting everything from the shapes of squash varieties to how a barn is constructed and what makes up a beehive to crop rotation patterns, Rothman gives a richly entertaining tour of the quirky details of country life. 

5. Compost: A Family Guide to Making Soil from Scraps (Discover Together Guides)

Teach your kids that composting is fun with this funky guide that takes you from the nitty-gritty of compost composition and care to Worms and Ladders, a fresh take on a traditional board game.

6. Compost Stew: An A to Z Recipe for the Earth

Kids everywhere are seeking knowledge about the environment and climate change. Not only is composting becoming more common in households and residential gardens, but many school gardens feature compost piles, too

7. Nancy B's Science Club Garbage to Gardens Compost Kit & Decomposition Book

If you don’t have the yard space or just want to teach your child how composting works on a smaller scale you can grab a mini countertop Compost Kit to watch the breakdown.

8. Worms Eat My Garbage

How to Set Up and Maintain a Worm Composting System: Compost Food Waste, Produce Fertilizer for Houseplants and Garden, and Educate Your Kids and Family.

9. Outdoor Compost Bin

The compost bin is made of high quality and durable PP material, which is environmentally safe and can withstand cold winters, perfect for gardens, farmland, yards. In addition, the PP material is very durable, can retain heat while regulating moisture, and produce fertilizer as quickly as possible.

10. Roots, Shoots, Buckets & Boots: Gardening Together with Children

Here are 12 spirited, easy-to-implement ideas for theme gardens that parents and kids can grow together, connecting children to nature through gardening. Each project includes a plan and the planting recipe--as well as a "Discovery Walk," activities and crafts to make with what you grow. And each is illustrated with author Sharon Lovejoy's lyrical watercolors.

11. Gardening for beginners

Great book for beginners.

Moreover, here are some fun gardening projects to add to your unit about George Washington Carver.

More Gardening Projects for Homeschool

  • How to Easily Garden Plan With Kids Using LEGO
  • Kinder Gardening to Celebrate Nature and Science
  • Easy Seed and Gardening Unit Study 
  • Growing a Seed Activity For Kindergarten Science Kids Activity
  • How to Easily Make Fun Seed Tape With Kids
  • How to Make a Fun Kids Root Viewer

Then add a simple compost lesson.

How to Teach Kids to Compost

To start composting all you need is an indoor compost container.

You can use something as simple as a designated bowl for it.

However, you will want to empty it into your outdoor compost bin at least once a day to avoid drawing bugs and having it emit an odor.

Gardening Projects For Homeschool Easy Composting With the Amazing Dr. George Carver

 If you use a small countertop compost container like this one below they have a charcoal filter up top and seal nicely.

With this you can empty it outdoors every other day or so and still have no odor.

Gardening Projects For Homeschool Easy Composting With the Amazing Dr. George Carver

As you have kitchen waste, just toss it in the compost container like eggs, coffee grounds, fresh fruit, and vegetable scraps, etc

Gardening Projects For Homeschool Easy Composting With the Amazing Dr. George Carver

Next, you will need a compost bin for outdoors, this is where the real action will take place. The combination of waste will help everything break down into a healthy soil.

Create your own or buy a ready-made one.

Gardening Projects For Homeschool Easy Composting With the Amazing Dr. George Carver (Free Printable About Compost

“Stir” your compost pile with a rake or limb every 3 to 4 days to encourage decomposition.

Gardening Projects For Homeschool Easy Composting With the Amazing Dr. George Carver (Free Printable About Compost

A properly maintained compost bin will heat up and break down items faster than one that is not kept up. 

The proper percentage of compost waste is 50% green compost and 50% brown compost.

Green is fresh recently dead materials with life still evident-fresh grass, veggie and fruit scraps, manure, etc.

Brown is older dead materials like straw, twigs, dead leaves.

Finally, grab this free printable below. Laminate and put it on your refrigerator.

Too, you can add it your gardening notebook.

How to Get the Free Compost Printable

Finally, how to grab the free compost printable. It’s a subscriber freebie.

That means when you sign up to follow me, you get this freebie.

 1) CLICK HERE ON THIS LINK TO SIGN UP ON MY EMAIL LIST & TO GET THIS FREEBIE.

2) Grab the freebie now.

3) Last, look for all my emails in your inbox. Glad to have you following me!
 

Leave a CommentFiled Under: Hands-On Activities Tagged With: earth science, earthscience, garden, gardening, hands on history, hands-on, hands-on activities, handson, handsonhomeschooling, science

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