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Geoscavenge – A Rock and Mineral Hunt: Day 6 Hands-on Learning

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

I think we’ve skipped winter here in Texas and are going straight to spring. So to celebrate spring, I’ve prepared this geoscavenge or a scavenger hunt list for a rock and mineral hunt.

I geared it toward middle school, but younger kids can join in too. Just print how many copies you need.

Geoscavenge Hunt. Grab this free printable and get the kids outdoors while learning about products made by rocks and minerals. Click here to grab the free printable over @ Tina's Dynamic Homeschool Plus

I put a slight twist on it for middle school which is to not only find the items while your kids are out and about but to also identify which items are petroleum, mineral, coal and rock products.

Hands-On Geology

This can also be fun done as a team if you’re doing a co-op. But the point is that it gets your kids outside while learning.

Too, I have another fun hands-on idea if you’re studying rocks. Look here at my yummy recipe for metamorphic edible rocks and notebooking pages.

To help you out with the geoscavenge, look at this list of items I made of where products come from. This is just a quick list to help your kids. You probably can think of more to add to it.

Petroleum Products: plastic food bag, nylon stocking, plastic eyeglass frames, plastic garbage bag, petroleum jelly, plastic fork or spoon and even lipstick.

Mineral Products: pottery, windows because most glass is from sand, dish washing detergent, toothpaste, chalk, pencil lead, clock or watch, metal scissors (steel),

Coal Product: shoe polish. My dad still uses this.

Rock Products: cement, stone building and rock tombstones.

How to Get the Freebie

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

That means when you sign up to follow me, you get my emails in your inbox and 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!

Also, if you’re on a hands-on activity roll like we are, grab some other ideas.

Day 1: Make a Hair Hygrometer, Day 2: Desert Sand Art, Day 3: Make Zopf (Swiss Style Bread), Day 4: Exploring Edible Cactus (Learning about the Desert), 365 Days Hands-On Homeschool Activities – One for EVERY Day of the Year and How to Build the Alamo: Day 5 Hands-on Learning (Free Texas Unit Study).

Hugs and love ya,

Signature T

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

Visit Tina Robertson’s profile on Pinterest.


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Making Math Count for Middleschool When You’re Not the Math Mom

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

Overcoming a fear of homeschool subjects we feel less than qualified to teach becomes the norm for the homeschooling lifestyle we choose. We’re not afraid of challenges. Also, look at my page homeschool middle school for more fun tips.

Besides, pushing through fear of subjects we are weak in doesn’t have to be a negative because it makes us work harder to obtain accurate facts and tried-and-true teaching tips.

My idea of how to teach math has changed positively and considerably over the last 19+ years of my homeschooling. Look at these 3 ways to make math count for middle school when you’re not the math mom.

Making Math Count for Middle School When You're Not the Math Mom @ Tina's Dynamic Homeschool Plus

     ONE/ Just because you’re the teacher, it doesn’t mean you have to understand every concept.

One mistake I wish I could take back was to not be so hard on myself thinking that I had to understand every math concept. While it’s true that you want to have an idea of what you’re middle school kids will be learning, it’s not necessary that you understand every concept.

Part of the challenge in teaching is to be a humble learner yourself.

After jumping into math assignments with each son, I knew that if the curriculum could teach a middle schooler how to learn math that I could learn right alongside them. If you model an eager attitude to learn math, your middle school kid will too.

     TWO/ Choosing the correct math program is essential to nurturing a math lover.

I have used numerous math programs throughout my years and each one served a different purpose.

I don’t buy into the thought that one math program is superior to another, but one is superior for my boys’ learning styles to others. And the other equally important thing I learned was that my teaching ability mattered many times more than the curriculum.

That may seem like a contradiction after I mentioned that you didn’t need to know every concept, but let me explain.

Not having the ability is quite different than finding math challenging. From the time we started homeschooling, we always question our confidence. The point is that if you and your child both struggle in math, then you will want to find a math curriculum which gives you more help in explaining concepts.

However, if your child is a strong math learner, then follow his lead by choosing a math program that suits his learning style.

For example, two math programs that I used for middle school, which gave me more teacher help were Calvert Math and Rod and Staff. Each one had it’s strengths and comparing costs, Rod and Staff is more inexpensive, but then it is written for a classroom.

Calvert math was written for the homeschooled mom in mind.

Math-U-See is another favorite I used in middle school for my math lovers. Though Math-U-See touts that it is for the non-math person, the amount of concepts and pace it moves at is just right for the math lover. The mastery approach is appealing to a child who loves the challenge of math and wants to move at a faster pace.

Too, unless I watched the videos with Math-U-See alongside my son, I couldn’t just pick up the teacher’s manual and explain it. This is why I recommend it more for the mom who has had experience teaching math or for the motivated math learner.

     THREE/ Project based learning is for math too.

Another important way to make math meaningful for middle school is allow more project based learning instead of rote memorization. Project based learning gives your child a chance to solve real-life problems.

I’ve learned that I don’t want to follow the masses instilling a hate or worse yet indifferent attitude toward math. How did math ever get such a bum rap?

That means I have to let go of my thinking which is that completing math worksheets means that my sons are grasping math facts and more importantly seeing value for numbers lifelong. It does not.

How to Make Math Move from Miserable to Meaningful

Project based learning, however, gives a child a real meaning for learning math. For example, one project that we jumped into for a month was to focus on learning the differences between customary and metric measuring.

See, back in the 70’s, the U.S. tried to switch to the metric system like the rest of the world, but it didn’t go over. Now, we live in a world where a majority of what our children see each day can be a mix of the metric system and customary measurement. On top of that, many kids are still confused by our customary measurements.

We kept a journal of things we measured in both the metric system and our customary measurement. Explaining to my sons why the U.S. was so different helped them to see that they would constantly need to be aware of the two types of measuring systems.

Most math programs are similar when they explain very little about the metric system and how it got its name from the meter, which is the principal unit of measure.

Taking on a challenge and tying math to something I have a passion for like history, we were able to read about how the metric system got started. During the French Revolution, the academy of science was looking for a better way to measure.

This project based learning where my sons chose books about the metric system along with the French Revolution and keeping a math journal made our month project based activity memorable.  And no, I still can’t recall instantly all the metric measurements, but I love a challenge and more important is that my sons have a love for the history of math.

This type of learning gives them a spark to be more number aware. From the beginning, teaching children that patterns are found in everyday things like a garden and even music gives them a love for math that they will carry into adulthood.

What strengths in math can you bring to your middle school kids?

Also, grab some tips from 25 Creative and Tasty Edible Math Activities that Keeps Learning Fun and 5 Tips on Teaching Homeschool Subjects I Loathe.

Hugs and love ya,

Signature T

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

Visit Tina Robertson’s profile on Pinterest.


Visit Tinas Dynamic Homeschool ‘s profile on Pinterest.

Switzerland Homeschool Geography Unit Study (and Lapbook)

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

I have a Switzerland unit study. Also, look at my page Best Homeschool Unit Studies.

Covering the history and geography of European countries has been light this year.

So I leaped at the chance to use CASE OF ADVENTURE travel series unit study, Destination Switzerland, The MEGA Travel Activity Pack and Cuckoo Clock Secrets in Switzerland. 

Also, Destination Switzerland unit study has many valuable parts to this unit study which makes it very convenient if you’re pressed for time or if you’re inexperienced in putting one together.

Switzerland Homeschool Geography Unit Study (and Lapbook)

It is a hands-on geography and history study, has an easy (always my standard) huge lapbook, includes videos and background information for each chapter of the living book, Cuckoo Clock Secrets in Switzerland (it has a christian worldview) and is laid out.

Do you know how hard it can be to find all those features in one unit study? Our new Switzerland unit study was just too irresistible to pass up.

Switzerland Homeschool Geography Unit Study (and Lapbook)

I was given this product for free 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. Not every product will get a positive review. Too, because I carefully sort through numerous offers for reviews,  it means I’m giddy about the product when I do accept it. Read my full disclosure here.

Did I mention the book is about a homeschooling family that travels? We can so relate to that having lived overseas.

Even if you or your family have never traveled overseas you’ll love how Cuckoo Clock Secrets in Switzerland makes learning about Switzerland come alive.

Solving a mystery about an ancient coin while learning about geographical features and landmarks like the beautiful Matterhorn, cheese making, the culture of the Swiss people and of course cuckoo clocks not to mention yodeling, your kids will love this unit study.

Having used unit studies that required information based just on web links, which may be outdated, it was a breath of fresh air to have background information about the country of Switzerland that we could read about in Cuckoo Clock Secrets in Switzerland.

How to Learn About Switzerland In 12 Lessons

If you begin the unit study by printing the teacher’s guide which is suggested to do first, you can track which activities you want your children to do while reading the mystery novel.

Switzerland Homeschool Geography Unit Study (and Lapbook)

The teacher’s guide, which I had coil bound has three parts.

Preparation, read-aloud and virtual travel and activities and craft are the different sections and from there you can choose which material you want to cover for the day.

Like most unit studies, it is not necessary to cover all of the material or print off all of the activities. A lot of the activities are geared toward younger kids like the fun Discovery Agent Clue cards.

One of the best parts we loved about the unit study was that you can learn about Switzerland in just 12 lessons.

Unit studies can drag on and details can becoming boring if you try to cover a huge amount of information.

Unit studies don’t have to last a month or bore your child if they’re not interested in certain sub-topics within the unit study.

Flexibility is the key to a well-written unit study. So if you want to learn at a slower pace, each lesson can easily be adapted into a two day study. Your unit study about Switzerland can last for a month if that is your pace.

Another way we have covered unit studies is to turn the 12 lessons into a unit study for the quarter. If your kids are especially young, all under 7 years of age, then covering the 12 lessons by doing one lesson per week keeps the unit study from overwhelming your young learners.

Geography Activity Packs

So what I’m saying is that there is enough activities to make Destination Switzerland unit study a quarter unit study or twelve weeks when you include the The MEGA Travel Activity Pack.

The MEGA Travel Activity Pack contains fun things like printable money, journals and airplane packs which really make the virtual traveling part fun.

Hands-on activities, not clicking numerous links are the heart of a well-planned out unit study and Destination Switzerland unit study has activities for both older and younger children to choose from.

Tiny really loved making Zopf, a Swiss style bread while we read about our adventure for the day.

Switzerland Homeschool Geography Unit Study (and Lapbook)

Then, having created many unit studies, which include lapbooks and doing my series 10 Days of Diving Into Unit Studies by Creating a Unit Study Together with you, you know I love simple and uncomplicated lapbooks.

About Switzerland

Unless you’re working on your kids fine motor skills, having to cut every minibook and fill out every minibook can become monotonous though many homeschool moms continue to make their kids do that. Don’t forget that some of the prep work can be done when you help cut out the minibooks.

Switzerland Homeschool Geography Unit Study (and Lapbook)

There are many lapbook minibooks to choose from along with information that your child can glue inside the books instead of a bunch of blank useless pages. Again, because I’m short on time, I prefer lapbooks that have back ground information that my child can glue in especially when we don’t have time to research every topic.

CASE OF ADVENTURE may be a good fit for you and your kids:

  • If you don’t like to have to gather a lot of materials and you want background information at your fingertips.
  • If you want to cover literature, history, geography and have hands-on ideas laid out for you.
  • If you don’t want a complete unit study and prefer to add in some of your other subjects like math, grammar, a list of vocabulary words and spelling.
  • If you’re like me and have multiple ages of children, you want the option of choosing hands-on activities for younger and older kids.
  • If you don’t want to lesson plan and write out your lesson plan ideas each day.
  • If you want the ability to cover the unit study in broad strokes, then do it in 12 lessons or if you want to expand it, then take two or more days, weeks or even a quarter to cover the unit study.
  • If you like easy lapbooks like I do. My lapbooks are not lessons in how to color and cut. You can do that if you want to, but I want the emphasis on hands-on fun, not drudgery. Look at my post Beware of the 3 C’s of Lapbooking.
  • If you want unit studies that use living books.
  • If you want living books that follow a series. This is her first book and unit study. More are coming.
  • If you don’t mind printing all of your material.
  • If your children like to watch videos instead of doing research papers.
  • If you’re inexperienced at unit studies and need one that is laid out.

About Switzerland

What I would like to see change.

There are some features that I feel could make this unit study more helpful.

Try to remember that I value organization because my time is limited. So some of these things I’m going to mention may not bother you, but I think they are worth mentioning.

It would be helpful if the Teacher’s Guide had hands-on activities, printables for hands-on activities and lapbook printable separated under each chapter.

Sections in the teacher’s guide for each chapter of the novel can be Read-Aloud, Hands-on Activities, Lapbook Printables and Media Content. This would help me not to have to take so much time sorting through them.

This would allow me to see the flexibility for each chapter. For example, one time we may not want to do a lapbook and may want to read and do just hands-on activities. The next time we cover Switzerland I may want to print out the lapbook.

It keeps all the content easily organized when you can see all the choices at a glance for each lesson.

Also, receiving two emails up front about how to print made it a bit confusing. Receiving setting up and printing instructions would be less confusing if they were only in the download. Then, it’s all in one place at my fingertips on my laptop instead of having to flip back to read my email while reading on my laptop.

Tightening up the places to go to read about how to do the unit study keeps it from being too heavy on instruction and more importantly gives you one place to read for set up and printing.

I know these are just organizational and cosmetic preferences. They don’t really affect the content which is really more important.

Switzerland Unit Study and Lapbook @ Tina's Dynamic Homeschool Plus

How to purchase it.

  • Product Names: Destination Switzerland Unit Study, MEGA Travel Activity Pack, and Cuckoo Clock Secrets in Switzerland (Case of Adventure Travel Series Book 1) .
  • Website: CASE OF ADVENTURE
  • About the product: Cuckoo Clock Secrets in Switzerland is Book 1 of the CASE OF ADVENTURE Travel Series. “There was a cracking noise and the crumbling of mortar. Rome put his Swiss army knife to work and carefully ran it around the edge of the stone, scraping away the plaster. He
  • signalled to Ren, who pulled harder. Suddenly the whole stone came away from the wall. Together, they slid it out and gazed at the gaping hole that was left behind.” Dive into adventure with Ren, Rome, Jake, Libby and Tiffany as they discover an ancient coin and a mystery connected with a cuckoo clock
  • which takes them to the beautiful land of Switzerland. In their quest to solve the puzzle, they unearth some fascinating history and recover a lost fortune.
  • Suitable for Ages: Younger (5 to 7 years old) Older (8 to 13 years old)
  • Formats: Grab the book, Cuckoo Clock Secrets in Switzerland (Case of Adventure Travel Series Book 1), in Kindle or paperback and visit CASE OF ADVENTURE to purchase the Destination Switzerland Unit Study and the MEGA Travel Activity Pack.
  • Worldview: The novel has a Christian worldview, but the unit study can be tweaked to add your view. The novel mentions Bible study and prayer. If you want a strictly secular view, it’s possible to purchase the lapbook which comes with the video content and not read the novel.That would be the best way to tweak it. Again, the novel is about a Christian family and there is a mention of a Christian life style in the novel, but the curriculum is not a Bible curriculum.

You’ll find helpful my post How to Grade a Homeschool Unit Study for an Older Child (& high school assessment) and Ultimate Homeschool Unit Study Planner – Which Lesson Planning Pages to Use.

Hugs and love ya,

Signature T

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

Visit Tina Robertson’s profile on Pinterest.


Visit Tinas Dynamic Homeschool ‘s profile on Pinterest.

Exploring Edible Cactus: Hands-on Learning (The Desert)

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

First, we found a few sites and pictures to learn about cactus.

Look at this page that shows anatomy of a cactus from the Cactus Museum which is a good overview.

Because we are learning about life in Texas during the time of the Alamo and we have an upcoming desert unit study, we took time today to read about cactus.

Exploring Edible Cactus. Learning about the desert. @ Tina's Dynamic Homeschool Plus

Exploring edible cactus was the next step because we have never tasted it and if anything involves food we are in.

Edible Cactus

Saguaro cactus (Carnegiea gigantea) one of the prominent plants in the Sonoran Desert.

(pic attribution)

Then we focused on the saguaro cactus (Carnegiea gigantea) because it is one of the prominent plants in the Sonoran Desert.

Here are some of the things we learned and some things we already knew:

►It’s the world’s largest cactus.
► Cacti don’t have leaves; they have prickly spines.
►It can live up to 200 years.
►One of the coolest things is that it is a habitat in itself. It provides food, water, and shelter to many different animals.
► The saguaro cactus saves and stores huge quantities of water in its roots and stems.
► In spring time, white flowers grow on the saguaro.
►The term tree is used to describe how high it can get, which can be up to 60 feet tall.
►They are found only in the Sonoran Desert.

Books About the Desert for Kids

Look at these books where we got a lot of helpful information.

18 Desert Books & Resources for Kids Who Love Reading and Being Read To

Add some of these living books and references books about the desert to your library.

The Seed & the Giant Saguaro

Children's reader on the subject of deserts and what lives there Large book with very large kid friendly illustrations

Cactus Hotel (Rise and Shine)

It is another hot day in the desert. Birds and other animals scurry about looking for food. When they get tired they stop to rest at a giant cactus. It is their hotel in the desert!Many different animals live in the cactus hotel. It protects them; and they protect it, by eating the pests that could harm the cactus.The cactus grows larger and larger and will live for about two hundred years. When one animal moves out, another moves in. There is never a vacancy in the cactus hotel.This story--about a desert, a giant cactus, and the animals who live in it--is one that even the youngest child will understand and enjoy.

Desert Giant: The World of the Saguaro Cactus

A venerable saguaro cactus stands like a statue in the hot desert landscape, its armlike branches reaching fifty feet into the air. From a distance it appears to be completely still and solitary--but appearances can be deceptive. In fact, this giant tree of the desert is alive with activity. Its spiny trunk and branches are home to a surprising number of animals, and its flowers and fruit feed many desert dwellers. Gila woodpeckers and miniature elf owls make their homes inside the saguaro's trunk. Long-nosed bats and fluttering white doves drink the nectar from its showy white flowers. People also play a role in the saguaro's story: each year the Tohono O'odham Indians gather its sweet fruit in a centuries-old harvest ritual.

Where Is the Sahara Desert?

Imagine over three million square miles of sand dunes that are as tall as a ten-story building. That place is real -- it's the Sahara Desert! Vast, yes! And home to fascinating creatures such as ostriches and fennec foxes as well as amazing plant life. The shallow roots of the mesquite tree can grow almost 200 feet across to absorb water. Readers will also learn about the famous trade routes of the past with caravans of up to 10,000 camels, European explorers to the region (some very unlucky ones), and native populations like the Berber and Tuareg, the faces of the men are blue from the dye in the veils they always wear.

Where Is Antarctica?

Antarctica, the earth's southernmost continent, was virtually untouched by humans until the nineteenth century. Many famous explorers journeyed (and often died) there in the hope of discovering a land that
always seemed out of reach. This book introduces readers to this
desert--yes, desert!--continent that holds about 90 percent of the
world's ice; showcases some of the 200 species that call Antarctica
home, including the emperor penguin; and discusses environmental dangers to the continent, underscoring how what happens to Antarctica affects the entire world.

A Desert Scrapbook: Dawn to Dusk in the Sonoran Desert

In the early morning hours, an artist stirs. Gathering her paints and notebook, she heads into the Arizona Sonoran Desert to explore its treasures. Sketching, painting, and writing, she records all that she sees and as night falls, she spreads out her pictures to make this scrapbook of her day, from dawn to dusk.

This Place Is Dry: Arizona's Sonoran Desert

Surveys the living conditions in Arizona's Sonora Desert for the people and unusual animals that live there. Also describes the engineering accomplishment of Hoover Dam.

Desert Solitaire

In Desert Solitaire, Edward Abbey recounts his many escapades, adventures, and epiphanies as an Arches National Park ranger outside Moab, Utah. Brimming with arresting insights, impassioned arguments for wilderness conservation, and a raconteur’s wit, it is one of Abbey’s most critically acclaimed works.   Through stories and philosophical musings, Abbey reflects on the condition of our remaining wilderness, the future of a civilization, and his own internal struggle with morality. As the world continues its rapid development, Abbey’s cry to maintain the natural beauty of the West remains just as relevant today as when this book first appeared in 1968.

Coyote Raid In Cactus Canyon

While the rest of the animals hide from view from a group of rambunctious coyotes, the fearless gang takes full advantage of the open space of Cactus Canyon and participates with great zeal in an array of nighttime activities, but an unexpected encounter with a rattlesnake quickly puts an end to the coyotes fun as they are sent running for cover, too!

Roxaboxen

Marian called it Roxaboxen. There across the road, it looked like any rocky hill—nothing but sand and rocks, and some old wooden boxes. But it was a special place. And all children needed to go there was a long stick and a soaring imagination.

Why Oh Why Are Deserts Dry? All About Deserts

n this latest installation of the Cat in the Hat's Learning Library, the Cat takes Sally and Dick to explore different kinds of deserts around the world,  from the hot, dry Sonoran and Mojavi to the bitter cold Gobi and Antarctica. Young readers learn why deserts are dry, and how plants and animals—including cactus, kangaroos, camels, penguins, roadrunners, and many others—have adapted to survive the unforgiving climate. Also included: how sand dunes are formed; the reason we see mirages, and how shallow water beneath the surface of the ground can create an oasis. Fans of the new PBS preschool science show The Cat in the Hat Knows a Lot About That! (which is based on the Learning Library series) won't want to miss this hot new addition to the series!

One Day in the Desert

‘A wounded mountain lion moves from his mountain habitat to a Papago Indian hut in Arizona’s Sonoran desert during a record-breaking July day. All creation adapts to the blistering heat until a cloudburst causes a flash flood. With a measured yet vivid style, this introduction to desert ecology makes a memorable impact."

Deserts

This intriguing yet simple description will captivate young readers who have an interest in the unfamiliar.

A Walk in the Desert (Biomes of North America)

Take a walk through the desert. This hot, dry biome of the southwest is full of life. How do plants and animals of the desert live? As you wander through the desert, discover how each and every plant and animal relies on the others to live and grow.

Wildlife of the Southwest Deserts

Learn about the fascinating creatures of the desert Southwest including: Venomous Animals Insects and Arthropods Rattlesnakes, Lizards, Desert Tortoise The Roadrunner and other Birds Bighorn Sheep, Kit Fox, Coyote.

Indian Uses of Desert Plants

Now in its fourth edition, this is a beautiful book with both historical and contemporary images showing the most important plants used by Native Americans. Medicinal, food resources, tools and shelter are just some of the uses discussed. Plants shown and described are among the most widespread plants in the desert Southwest.

Desert Snakes

Learn all about desert snakes with the beautiful book by James W. Cornett.

The Namib Desert

An excellent introduction to the natural history of the Namib Desert of southwest Africa. At its heart, second only to the Atacama Desert of Chile and Peru as the driest place on Earth. Also, it is the oldest desert on our planet and the only desert with a megafauna including elephant, giraffe, and rhinoceros. The lofty orange dunes, highest in the world, are also shown and discussed.




Next, we picked up some cactus at the grocery store because Tiny has never tasted cactus.

Looking around the kitchen to see what we could cook with we used just a few ingredients.

First, we started by scraping the edges of the cactus with a sharp knife.

Exploring Edible Cactus: Hands-on Learning (The Desert)

We also used a vegetable peeler to be sure we got all the spikes off and cut off the edge and dark spots. I rinsed it several times.

Exploring Edible Cactus: Hands-on Learning (The Desert)

Learning About the Desert for Kids

Then we sliced it into pieces.

Exploring Edible Cactus: Hands-on Learning (The Desert)

We boiled it in some red onion, fresh garlic and salt and pepper for about 20 minutes or so until it didn’t look slimy any longer.

Instead of eating it by itself, we think anything tastes better with guacamole and we’re almost sure they had guacamole when the soldiers were in the Alamo (just kidding).

We grabbed some fresh avocado, salt and pepper and tomatoes to make an easy guacamole.

Exploring Edible Cactus: Hands-on Learning (The Desert)

After we boiled it, it came time to the taste test.

Exploring Edible Cactus: Hands-on Learning (The Desert)

Uhmm, Tiny’s face says it all.

He didn’t really care for it.

I never really have liked the flavor.

It’s a texture thing for me, but we always don’t mind trying new things.

Tiny said it’s not as bad as he thought and adding spices to it really helps. It does taste like a mild green bean.

Exploring Edible Cactus: Hands-on Learning (The Desert)

We put it in some great tasting guacamole with chips and had a few more bites.

We had a fun morning reading about cactus and trying a bite or two of it.

Then, I found this wonderful illustration, which has pictures of several different cactus. How many can you name?

Look at this link to see the names of them.

Exploring Edible Cactus: Hands-on Learning (The Desert)

We are loving our hands-on learning on different topics.

Look at these other ones we have done.

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

Visit Tina Robertson’s profile on Pinterest.


Visit Tinas Dynamic Homeschool ‘s profile on Pinterest.

Make Zopf (Swiss Style Bread): Day 3 Hands-on Learning

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

Make Zoph. Swiss style bread. Day 3 of Hands-on Learning Activities @ Tina's Dynamic Homeschool PlusFor another switch in our routine, we read Cuckoo Clock Secrets in Switzerland (Case of Adventure Travel Series Book 1) and have been working our way through a fun and interactive Unit Study called Destination Switzerland by CASE OF ADVENTURE. Today, we made  Zopf (Swiss Style Bread) and you talk about delicious!

We basically followed the recipe suggested by Case Adventure, which is Zopf Bread. It required just a few ingredients and a slow morning while we did school.

Though the recipe suggested white flour, I had more whole wheat. And even though we didn’t get the combination right of white to wheat so that it didn’t become too crumbly without the gluten, it still was so delicious and a fun project.

After Tiny mixed it, we let double in size for about an hour. I think it was longer because he was doing math and we forgot about it. So I think it was closer to two hours.

Then he decided to go ahead and try the four braids instead of two and talk about challenging.

I’m not much help to Tiny because the poor kid has a spatially challenged mom (you know I have to turn the map sideways or the direction I’m facing to get it right), but he found a site that showed him how to braid 4 pieces.

Actually the Step 2 on the Instructables website was what he used because it was more helpful. So much fun for him as he loved the challenge.

The important part was to try to make the pieces even, but so not perfect is perfectly acceptable.

As you can see, he was pretty proud of himself and he should be because it was so delicious and the smell in the kitchen just permeated.

Again, it was crumbly because of the lack of white flour, but it didn’t affect the taste any.

Besides having a hot piece of buttered bread while reading the novel Cuckoo Clock Secrets in Switzerland (Case of Adventure Travel Series Book 1) and putting together our new lapbook and unit study about Switzerland was more fun this way.

I have a review and pictures about it coming up soon on our newest Switzerland unit study. But you can grab it now if you’re wanting to follow along.

Destination Switzerland CASE OF ADVENTUREAlso, grab these other hands-on ideas from Day 1: Make a Hair Hygrometer, Day 2: Desert Sand Art: Hands-on Learning (Colors of the Desert) and 365 Days Hands-On Homeschool Activities – One for EVERY Day of the Year for more ideas and look at my category for hands-on ideas for your unit studies

Hugs and love ya,

Signature T

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

Visit Tina Robertson’s profile on Pinterest.


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