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6 Resources for Making Homeschool High School Science Easy

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I have 6 resources for making homeschool high school science easy. Also, look at my page How to Homeschool High School.

Science has been a subject that we have always tried to add naturally into our day.

Too, I folded it into our unit studies even at the high school level.

However, we do love spending our time reading about history and geography.

So, I wanted to be sure as the boys entered high school that they received more formal training in science.

6 Resources for Making Homeschool High School Science Easy

It didn’t mean we had to give up our hands-on things we were doing with our unit studies, but I wanted to be sure our activities were high school level because I wanted our transcript to reflect that.

Like history, science is a subject that you and your teen need to determine how in depth to cover it.

Though my boys loved science, like me, they had a bent toward history and geography so that did affect their choice as to curriculum.

If you’re a science minded family, its important which science track your teens takes.

Even if your teen is not choosing a career in science, the advantages of covering science at the high school level go far beyond just college or career.

5 Questions Before Purchasing A High School Science Program

Before I mention those advantages for us, look at these things to mull over before you pull the trigger on a high school science program.

  • Do you want to only cover the  major sciences like biology, chemistry and physics?
  • Do you want to cover subjects outside the traditional subjects, like astronomy or botany? Having homeschooled from the beginning, this is what appealed to my sons. They could feed their minds on subjects they were passionate about. So not only does science stir up a deep appreciation for creation, but the logical thought process that science teaches sticks with your child lifelong.
  • Does a Christian or secular view matter?
  • Is any teacher prep involved?
  • What kind of costs are involved for hands-on and lab? We stuck to curriculum that just used items we could find around the house and purchased a few other things like microscopes and lab things, but for the most part, we just used what we had.

Mr. Senior 2013, enjoyed the textbook approach of Apologia during his junior years but when it came to high school, he wanted a change.

He was pursuing some electives like public speaking that he wanted to focus on and writing.

But first, look at some of these how to homeschool high school books.

How to Homeschool High School Books & Resources

How to homeschool high school can be daunting at first. With a little help and these great resources, you’ll be a homeschool pro in no time.

Too, Apologia had advanced courses like Advanced Physics that I knew we could come back to later if he wanted to pursue science in more depth.

So after reading about the interactive content Switched-on Schoolhouse used, he decided to use SOS Integrated Physics & Chemistry.He enjoyed the video clips, animations and games.

He ended up really liking their courses because they had courses that were outside of the traditional approach and kept science fun for him.

That program was discontinued but I find that 1) Glencoe Science Integrated Physics and Chemistry was similar and used with my second son.

Too, courses like 2) family consumer science are offered. Such practical courses in preparation for adulthood are sometimes not easy to find.

So, my next son didn’t follow a traditional approach either.

Random Efforts Can Pay Off

He liked more of a simplified approach to science and wanted to study only subjects that interested him like the stars.

So we used 3) Lift Up Your Eyes On High: Understanding the Stars (Christian Liberty Press High School Curriculum) .

And he also liked 4) Biology: A Search For Order in Complexity, 2nd Edition.

Too, Christian Liberty Press borrows some of their books from A Beka and Bob Jones.

Then for Mr. Awesome 2015 we also used part of 5) Biology by Bob Jones and then back to Christian Liberty Press for part of Chemistry or it was really by Bob Jones.

Lastly, we loved the straightforward approach of 6) Lifepacs. They are like worktexts which are good for independent learners. We loved Lifepac Biology.

Mr. Senior 2015 stayed on just one or two science providers.

Mr. Awesome 2015 was all over the place on subjects but liked the combinations.

Too, the process of scientific investigation is critical to higher thinking skills and logical thinking ability is a lost art not just among teens, but among adults too.

These are skill sets my boys should have.

So we didn’t follow a traditional approach by a family that would be pursuing a science career.

But we enjoyed having the variety of topics that fed my sons’ curiosity at the high school level,

However, it kept their passion for science.

What has worked for your family or what are you mulling over?

More High School Science Tips

6 Resources for Making Homeschool High School Science Easy @ Tina's Dynamic Homeschool Plus

A Simple Geronimo Stilton LEGO Tutorial For Mouse Loving Kids

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

Create a simple Geronimo Stilton LEGO to commemorate your child’s love of the mouse. Also, look at my page Geronimo Stilton Books for more great activities.

Too, this activity encourages the skills of creativity, fine motor skills, and following directions.

Do you have a mouse loving kid?

A Simple Geronimo Stilton LEGO Tutorial For Mouse Loving Kids

And by mouse, of course, I mean the adventure loving, time traveling mouse -Geronimo Stilton.

If you do, I have a really fun 2D Portrait Geronimo Stilton LEGO tutorial for them.

In addition, I have a roundup of other unique crafts and ideas to go along with many of the books in the series.

Geronimo Stilton Books for Kids

Geronimo Stilton Books 1 - 20

It is not necessary to go in order, each book is its own stand-alone story, and the main characters are properly reintroduced each time.  So, you can choose the books based on your child's current interest, the season, or a unit study topic.

What I love about the books besides the fact that they are intriguing to kids and build reading fluency and vocabulary skills is that they have great illustrations.

They show actual artifacts, clothing, and people throughout history as well as current places to naturally build geography skills through familiarity.

The series is humorous and contains lots of great facts presented in an entertaining way, he definitely has earned a portrait of his own.

The majority of the bricks needed for this craft, or a very close substitute can be found in the LEGO Classic Large Creative Brick Box.

More Geronimo Stilton Book Series Activities

A Simple Geronimo Stilton LEGO Tutorial For Mouse Loving Kids

Geronimo Stilton LEGO Tutorial

The cone we used for the nose is not in the basic brick boxes, but you may have it in your stash, if not there are other tapered bricks that can give you a similar look.

I highly recommend that even if your child has a lot of LEGO bricks already that you purchase one or two of these and keep them separate from all other bricks to use for builds like this.

They are also really fun for challenges and can be used during reading aloud to keep hands busy.

You will need:

  • 2 LEGO Eyes
  • 1 single brown round stud
  • 2 Pink 1×2 LEGO Bricks
  • 9 Tan 2×2 LEGO Bricks
  • 6 Tan 1×2 LEGO Bricks
  • 2 Tan Studs (single)
  • 3 Red 2×2 LEGO Bricks
  • 6 White 1×2 LEGO Bricks
  • 10 Green 2×2 LEGO Bricks
  • 2 Green 1×2 LEGO Slope Bricks
  • Small baseplate

First, place your 9 tan 2×2 LEGO bricks in the center of a small baseplate to form a square, any plate 16×16 and larger will work great.

A Simple Geronimo Stilton LEGO Tutorial For Mouse Loving Kids

Place your 3 red 2×2 bricks right down the center right to the bottom edge.

A Simple Geronimo Stilton LEGO Tutorial For Mouse Loving Kids

Now put the white 1×2’s down either side of the red to form his shirt and tie.

A Simple Geronimo Stilton LEGO Tutorial For Mouse Loving Kids

Place three 2×2 green bricks down either side and then 2 of the 2×2 green bricks outside of that, topping them with a sloped brick to create the appearance of shoulders/arms.

If you don’t have those sloped pieces, no worries, just use another couple 2×2 bricks.

A Simple Geronimo Stilton LEGO Tutorial For Mouse Loving Kids

Starting at each of the top corners of the head make ears by placing your 3 tan 1×2 bricks and the single 1×1 tan brick in a “circle”

A Simple Geronimo Stilton LEGO Tutorial For Mouse Loving Kids

Fill in with a pink 1×2 brick.

A Simple Geronimo Stilton LEGO Tutorial For Mouse Loving Kids

Finally place a brown round single stud on top of a cone or other sloped piece and press in the center of the face and add your eyes.

A Simple Geronimo Stilton LEGO Tutorial For Mouse Loving Kids

What a handsome mouse he is!

A Simple Geronimo Stilton LEGO Tutorial For Mouse Loving Kids

7 Fun Geometry Hands On Activities For High School

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

Fun geometry hands-on activities for high school can mean the difference in just getting by and really getting engaged in lessons. Also, look at my page How to Homeschool High School for more ideas.

Just because your child is in high school does not mean that they’ve set aside their love for Lego.

A fantastic way to incorporate Lego into lessons is to use them to create examples and identify angles.

7 Fun Geometry Hands On Activities For High School

We have done Lego math in the past. But you can even use it for high school manipulatives for learning geometry.

First let’s talk about what geometry is.

Geometry is the part of mathematics that we use for calculating the distance around a circle, the angles that make up a triangle, or the amount of room inside of a cube.

We use it daily in art, navigation, in construction, sports, and even simple household tasks like measuring a surface area for wallpaper.

So, you can see why it is a necessary skill for your teen to learn.

7 Fun Geometry Hands On Activities For High School

Next, look at some of these activities.

These activities are a wonderful way to create a break in the typical textbook, worksheet lesson of high school geometry and can help make complicated lessons more understandable.

  1. Look at this LEGO for geometry idea Pythagorean Theorem Lego Proof.
  2. This Geometry Roller Coaster Project is a large scale lesson in engineering and problem solving. Although it’s written for a classroom, it can be used for one or two students.
  3. Using Hands-On Inquiry in High School Geometry gives you ideas for creating some hands-on geometry lessons that include their observations and geometry tools.
  4. Play the Simplyfun Shape Whiz game for an enjoyable lesson to reinforce some basic geometry shape information.
  5. Bonus, this one post includes 5 Geometry Projects for Middle and High School that are fun while
  6. Grab your deck of uno cards and try Using Uno as an Intro to Teaching Proofs for an advanced geometry lesson.
  7. While Geometric Art For Kids is geared to younger kids I still really think it has value and appeal for the high school bunch as well.
7 Fun Geometry Hands On Activities For High School

Also, look at my post Ancient Greece Unit Study Play Stomachion Like Archimedes {Explore Geometry} to add a math element to your favorite unit study.

The resource Everything You Need to Ace Geometry in One Big Fat Notebook is a fantastic supplement to any curriculum.

In addition, it can be used for independent study and worked well to use with my LEGO activity I have for you today.

Teaching Geometry With LEGO Activities For High School

You will need:

  • LEGO
  • LEGO Baseplate
  • cardstock
  • Pen
7 Fun Geometry Hands On Activities For High School

Single row, long LEGO bricks work best for these activities.

And if you need a good basic set of LEGO because you don’t already have them lying around the house this is a fantastic option.

Two ways we discovered to practice basic geometry are through learning terms and identifying examples of them as well as identifying different angles.

The first way I have to practice geometry is a way to introduce or reinforce geometry terms.

Geometry Vocabulary

  • Point- Indicates a location.
  • Line-a straight path that extends infinitely in both directions.
  • Line segment –Part of a line with two endpoints.
  • Ray- Part of a line that starts at a point and extends infinitely in one direction.
  • Vertex  –The point of intersection of two or more line segments.
  • Triangle – A shape with 3 sides and 3 vertices.
  • Angle- is formed of two rays with the same endpoint, vertex.
  • Parallel lines- Two lines in the same plane that are at equal distance from each other and never meet.
  • Perpendicular lines– Lines that intersect at a 90 degrees angle.

Write each of these terms onto cardstock and cut them into small strips to create labels.

7 Fun Geometry Hands On Activities For High School

You can carry out the activity in one of two ways, either create examples of the terms using various LEGO pieces or lay down the terms onto the base plate and have your highschooler create an example by building it with LEGO bricks.

7 Fun Geometry Hands On Activities For High School

Get creative with using single row bricks to create the examples, use single studs for your points, and make arrows at the end of rays with smaller pieces.

7 Fun Geometry Hands On Activities For High School

In the same way, create labels for acute, right, and obtuse angles and make examples for your student to match or let them create an example of each using random LEGO pieces.

7 Fun Geometry Hands On Activities For High School

Because LEGOs are meant to snap together at right angles and not obtuse or acute you will need a little help. Place your long skinny bricks on single studs to lift them above the base plate

7 Fun Geometry Hands On Activities For High School

You will then be able to swing them around freely to create different angles.

7 Fun Geometry Hands On Activities For High School

11 Awesome Beach Theme STEM Activities | Quick Sunscreen Painting Experiment

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

Beach theme STEM activities are a wonderful way to bring some learning into a fun experience. Seashore Beach Watching Unit Study and Seashore Lapbook.

As a homeschool mom you know that learning can take place anytime, anywhere, even on the beach.

There are many ways to learn during a simple trip to the beach, even just through observation.

11 Awesome Beach Theme STEM Activities | Quick Sunscreen Painting Experiment

Your child will take in and process so much information.

However, there are still many ways to be more intentional about the learning.

I have an easy and quick sunscreen painting experiment.

You need two simple items.

This will demonstrate a simple concept on the sun’s harmful rays.

And what we can do to protect ourselves when we are at the beach.

From edible beach treats that incorporate math to learning all about shark vocabulary I have gathered up plenty of awesome beach theme stem activities.

These activities make your surf and sand theme unit study full and fun.

Beach and Ocean Books for Kids

First, look at some of these books about beaches and oceans.

Add them to your home library.

16 Ocean Books for Kids Who Love to Read and Be Read To

Choose a few of these ocean themed books to go along with your study of the Oceans. Whether you're looking for a spine for a unit study or literature, you'll love this roundup.

Next, look at these hands-on beach activities.

11 Awesome Beach Theme STEM Activities

  1. Cooking definitely falls under STEM by covering science and math, Make Your Own Edible Beach Sand And Shells: A Creative And Delicious Recipe.
  2. Check out this awesome Epic Sand Volcano for some explosive beach STEM fun.
  3. At home, create your own beach model (or diorama) to demonstrate the creatures that make their home in and near the water.
  4. Bring a little of the beach home and have fun Comparing Beach Sand Under The Microscope in the comfort of your living room.
  5. Practice addition, subtraction, and multiplication using seashells as manipulatives, carry them home with you to continue the beach themed math.
  6. Explore the reaction between seashells and vinegar in the Seashell Acid Base Experiment to see what happens.
  7. Find seashells and shark teeth, take along an identification guide and see how many you can name. A waterproof folding book is perfect to toss in your bag.
  8. How to Create a Hands-on Fun Shark Vocabulary Anatomy Activity.
  9. I love a good lapbook as you know and my Seashore Beach Watching Unit Study and Seashore Lapbook is a great way to learn more about everything from the strand line to zones of the ocean and more.
  10. See what causes beaches to erode with the Beach Erosion Project.
  11. Make a sundial with a stick placed in the sand and observe how far the shadows distance moves each hour.
11 Awesome Beach Theme STEM Activities | Quick Sunscreen Painting Experiment

Next read about the science behind sunscreen.

The Science Behind Sunscreen

Before you begin your sunscreen painting, talk about why we use sunscreen and how it protects us.

When we go to the beach or outside and use sunscreen it creates a protective barrier on our skin that blocks most of the sun’s UV rays.

And keeps us from getting a sunburn.

Some of the ingredients in sunscreen reflect the sun’s rays and some absorb the sun’s rays before they can reach our skin.

Recreating a similar effect on paper quickly and easily demonstrates for children how sunblock works in relation to the sun’s UV rays.

For older children you can take it a step further by using different brands or levels of SPF in the sunscreens to see if there is a difference in the papers.

Have your child make a hypothesis as to which brand or number will do the best job.

Check the paper after an hour, two, four, etc. to see if there is a difference in the paper color where there is no sunscreen.

Quick Sunscreen Painting Experiment

Instead of colorful paint this activity kids will be painting with just one color that becomes see through as it dries but it is no less fun and intriguing to your little sun lover.

You will need:

  • Black construction paper
  • Sunscreen
  • Paintbrushes
  • Paper plate
11 Awesome Beach Theme STEM Activities | Quick Sunscreen Painting Experiment

Squirt some sunscreen on a plate and offer your child a couple different sizes of paintbrush.

Place black or dark blue colored paper on the ground, weighing the corners down with stones or something so they don’t blow away.

11 Awesome Beach Theme STEM Activities | Quick Sunscreen Painting Experiment

Encourage your child to paint a scene on the paper, while leaving a good portion of it unpainted so that they can see the obvious color difference later.

11 Awesome Beach Theme STEM Activities | Quick Sunscreen Painting Experiment

Lay the sunscreen painted images out in the full sun with something to weigh them down.

11 Awesome Beach Theme STEM Activities | Quick Sunscreen Painting Experiment

Let them sit for several hours, at least 3-4.

Bring them inside and notice the difference, see how the painted areas are still dark while everything unpainted has faded quite noticeably?

Just like sunscreen protects your skin from the sun’s UV rays it keeps the paper protected and reduces the effects of the sun (color fades in this instance).

The UV rays break down the chemicals in the paper and fade the color.

11 Awesome Beach Theme STEM Activities | Quick Sunscreen Painting Experiment

Under the Sea Science Activities With Amazing Disappearing Octopus Ink

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

Under the sea science activities can teach your child so much more about the amazing creatures that live below the ocean than any worksheet ever could. Also, you’ll love more ideas on my Oceans Unit Study and Lapbook.

I have always been a hands-on teaching mom, preferring an activity to or in addition to books and papers.

Today I have an amazing disappearing octopus ink science experiment for you and more great under the sea science activities to get excited about.

Under the Sea Science Activities With Amazing Disappearing Octopus Ink

And learn amazing things about the depths by testing saltwater density, watching animals live in action, or creating a memorable ocean themed lapbook.

If you are studying oceans for any length of time a must have reference book for studying undersea science is Ocean Anatomy by Julia Rothman.

I found wonderful illustrations and interesting tidbits about the octopus as well as other ocean creatures inside.

Under the Sea Science Activities With Amazing Disappearing Octopus Ink

Under the Sea Books For Kids

Next, add some of these books to your home library to add to your unit study or just for fun reading.

16 Ocean Books for Kids Who Love to Read and Be Read To

Choose a few of these ocean themed books to go along with your study of the Oceans. Whether you're looking for a spine for a unit study or literature, you'll love this roundup.

Also, learn why does an octopus shoot out ink.

We are going to investigate and find out at the same time as we learn how to make food coloring disappear.

Two fantastic science investigations rolled into one with a fun ocean theme.

Take some time to do a few of the other ideas listed with your child.

15 Under the Sea Science Activities

  1. First up is my Shark and Oceans for Kindergarten Fun Sight Word Activity. While this is heavily language arts based, building the shark together and talking about the makeup of the shark and what they eat turns it into a science lesson as well.
  2. Find out all about coral chemistry and learn the effects of ocean acidification on coral reefs.
  3. Learn all about the different layers of the ocean from the trench to the sunlight zone with Fun Making Ocean Layers Soap | Summer Activities for Middle Schoolers.
  4. Watch one or more of these Live Aquarium Webcams to see sea creatures in action.
  5. Grab my Free Ocean Lapbook and Fun Homeschool Unit Study Ideas
  6. Include some sensory play into your learning with Ocean Waves in a bottle.
  7. How To Make Your Own Edible Beach Sand And Shells: A Creative And Delicious Recipe
  8. Learn How do Fish Breathe Underwater Fun Activity & Animal Science Homeschool Curriculum.
  9. Try out the Salt Water Density Ocean Experiments for Kindergarten for kids of a variety of ages and find out what happens to mass in fresh vs. salt water.
  10. A great selection of plastic ocean animals can be used to observe their features up close, to create sensory bins, dioramas, toppers for cakes, and so much more.
  11. Have you ever wondered How Does Sound Travel Underwater? This activity is a simple way to find out!
  12. Making Ocean Layers Soap
  13. Beware of Ocean Pollution: Fun Science Activity for Kids
  14. How to Make a Fun Paper Plate Fish | F is for Fish
  15. Exciting Swiss Family Robinson Activities | From Oyster To Pearl

Before we get into the activity, I have for you let’s dive into how it works so you are ready to amaze and astound your kiddos!

Why Does Bleach Make The Color Fade

Depending on the concentration of bleach and how much you use your ink may fade or completely disappear.

What makes inky water clear up is the sodium hypochlorite in the bleach and that oxidizes the food coloring.

The color molecules remain in the water, but their shape is changed which means that it no longer absorbs and reflects light the same way and loses its color.

Amazing Disappearing Octopus Ink

You will need:

  • Large clear bowl
  • Plastic octopus
  • Water
  • Food coloring
  • Bleach
  • Dropper

First, place your octopus on the bottom of your glass jar or bowl.

Under the Sea Science Activities With Amazing Disappearing Octopus Ink

Fill the container with water until your octopus is completely covered.

Under the Sea Science Activities With Amazing Disappearing Octopus Ink

Add a few drops of food coloring and talk about what happens as the water darkens around the octopus. Why do they do that? How does it help them?

Under the Sea Science Activities With Amazing Disappearing Octopus Ink

The ‘ink’ creates a great veil for them to get lost in, we could barely see him in the water.

Under the Sea Science Activities With Amazing Disappearing Octopus Ink

Now begin adding bleach a few drops at a time until the water, we started with the blue and while it is a fantastic demonstration for how they use it to hide and escape it would not disappear no matter how much bleach we added. 

Under the Sea Science Activities With Amazing Disappearing Octopus Ink

So to demonstrate our disappearing ink experiment a little better we tried it with yellow which has a much more dramatic reaction to the bleach.

Under the Sea Science Activities With Amazing Disappearing Octopus Ink

Add the bleach a dropper full at a time and watch the magic happen.

Under the Sea Science Activities With Amazing Disappearing Octopus Ink

As you add more bleach the yellow begins to disappear almost completely from the water.

Extend the lesson-

Try all the colors to compare the differences, use cold water and also try it with hot water. Was there any difference?

Under the Sea Science Activities With Amazing Disappearing Octopus Ink