Tina's Dynamic Homeschool Plus

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Free Earth Science Lapbook & Unit Study Ideas

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

I have the rest of the minibooks to go with the free earth science lapbook, which is Earth’s Structures. Also, look at my page Lapbook Ideas for more homeschool lapbooks.

Too, I have a cover which can be used as a lapbook cover or for clip art to decorate notebooking pages.

Free Earth Science Lapbook & Unit Study Ideas

Remember, for this lapbook, I am using the free middle science book that I shared with you earlier as a quick science spine.

Update: Free books can come and go quicker than at times we can keep up with them. There does not appear a link anywhere right now for this book. However, I have still have plenty of free help for you.

First, look at these earth science topics that are in the CPO Earth Science book and I have listed some comparable free links below.

The Scientific Process Unit I

  • Chapter 1 Science is Everywhere
  • Chapter 2 The Science Toolbox
  • Chapter 3 Introducing Earth

Energy in Earth’s Systems Unit II

  • Chapter 4 Heat
  • Chapter 5 Density and Buoyancy
  • Chapter 6 Earth’s Surface and Heat
  • Chapter 7 Heat Inside Earth

Plate Tectonics and Earth Structure Unit III

  • Chapter 8 Plate Tectonics
  • Chapter 9 Earthquakes
  • Chapter 10 Volcanoes

The Shape of Earth’s Surface IV

  • Chapter 11 Water and Weathering
  • Chapter 12 Beaches
  • Chapter 13 Natural Hazards

Ecology V

  • Chapter 14 Resources
  • Chapter 15 Ecosystem
  • Chapter 16 Biomes

Next, look at these links which are free other textbooks.

Also, in the original book I focused on two units, which are Unit Three: Plate Tectonics and Earth’s Structure and Unit Four: The Shape of Earth’s Surface.

Even though it’s an easy science book, Tiny loves science and the longer you homeschool, the more you move away from grade levels. Really!

FREE EARTH SCIENCE LAPBOOK – MIDDLE SCHOOL

It’s liberating when you can make your homeschool journey easier by using what you already have on hand, whether it’s up or down a grade level or two.

Free Earth Science Lapbook & Unit Study Ideas

Too, because we couldn’t bring many books at all in our two suitcases when we moved here to Ecuador, free resources have been a huge help for me.

The first two miniboooks I have are match books about beaches. Be sure to read on the minibooks for the pages that your child needs to research to fill in these minibooks.

Free Earth Science Lapbook & Unit Study Ideas

The next one I have is a two tab book which is about natural hazards.  Simply fold over and cut to form two tabs.

Free Earth Science Lapbook & Unit Study Ideas

And then I have an easy accordion book about Features of Rivers & Stream.

River and Stream Features @ Tina's Dynamic Homeschool Plus

Fold accordion style and glue on the color cover or make your own.

Plate Tectonics

Also, I have a trifold book about Plate Tectonics.

Front Cover Earth Structure

Lastly, I have a cover that can be used for the front of the lapbook.

 Cut out the pieces and glue on the front flaps or you can use these pieces to decorate your notebooking pages.

from-sedimentary-to-metamorphic-rock

If you want to flesh this lapbook out some more, also grab my fun hands-on edible rocks here  Metamorphic Edible Rocks & Notebooking Pages .

Hope you like it and can use part or all of it to keep you moving along for fun science!

More Rock Hands-on Activities

Minibooks/Topics in the Earth Science Lapbook

  • Why Are Beaches Sandy
  • Summer Beaches Versus Winter Beaches
  • What is a Natural Hazard
  • Energy Sources for Natural Hazards
  • Features of Rivers & Streams
  • Plate Tectonics trifold book
  • Earth Structure Lapbook Cover
  • What is a Volcano
  • Earth Layers Book
  • Extreme Winds
Free Earth Science Lapbook & Unit Study Ideas

Next, add some more of these earth science activities.

Earth Science Hands-on Activities

How to Get the Free Earth Structures Lapbook

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

When you sign up to follow me, you get access to this freebie.

1) Sign up on my email list to follow me and get this freebie and many others.
 2) Grab the printable.
3) Last, look for my emails in your inbox as a follower. Glad to have you.

You’ll love these other earth science activities!

Free Earth Structure Lapbook & Middle School Science Book @ Tina's Dynamic Homeschool Plus

Hugs and love ya,

Middle School Hands-on Science : Extreme Winds + Free Minibook

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

Today, in sharing middle school hands-on science: extreme winds, I wanted to kick off our unit study with an easy hands-on activity and to use materials I already had in the house. Also, look at my page homeschool middle school for more fun tips.

You know I told you we were using a free middle school earth science book.

Too, since I like to always flesh out what Tiny is studying about, I add in enrichment, which of course are our lapbooks or notebooking pages and add in some of my own hands-on activities too.

Wanting to expand more on Tiny’s study of the earth’s structures, we honed in on studying about extreme winds.

Middle School Hands-on Science : Extreme Winds + Free Minibook

Look at this short list of supplies that you probably have around the house too that gives an easy visual about weird weather or extreme winds.

  • shoe box
  • plastic wrap
  • scissors
  • tape
  • 2 short candles if you have a regular shoebox or 2 taller candles if you have a taller shoe box like I had.
  • matches
  • sharp knife (to be used by mom or dad only)

Extreme Winds: Hands-on Activity

Start by gathering the supplies above.

Extreme Winds 1Extreme Winds 2

I had a bigger shoe box, but a smaller shoe box works just as good.  Depending on what kid of shoe box you have, either cut off the front or take off the lid.

If you have a normal size shoe box, turn it long way with the opening facing toward you.

Then cut 3 holes in it.

One hole is on the top (No. 1 on the right picture above) and one hole is on the inside bottom (No. 2 on the right picture above) and you cut them about 1/4 of the way over from the right edge and cut them about 2 inches wide.

You want them big enough for your candle to fit through.

Then cut a hole on the left side (No. 3 on the right picture above) about halfway about and about 2 inches wide as well.

Extreme Winds 3Extreme Winds 4

Next, cover and seal the opening with plastic wrap.

Be sure to tape it real well so no air can escape, but be sure to not cover any of the holes.

Then light one candle and place the box hole on the bottom gently over the top of the lit candle.

*Be sure the flame does not touch anything.

Extreme Winds 5Extreme Winds 6

Light the other candle and move it slowly over to the left side where the hole is.

Get the candle as close as you can to the hole without the flame touching the box.

Middle School Homeschool Science

Look at the picture above right where the flame on the left is already being pulled toward the right or toward the heat that was building up inside the box.

Middle school hands-on science: extreme winds science activity, I wanted to kick off our unit study with an easy hands-on activity and to use materials I already had in the house. We’re using a free middle school earth science book. Add this to the Free Earth Structure Lapbook. #middleschoolhomeschoolscience

What causes the air to move and the wind to blow? The point is to notice the second candle. When it’s lit, the flame is straight up.  But as you place it near the hole, it will move toward the hole.

When the first candle was lit, it heated up the inside. As the air was heated, it rose and of course became light.

When you blow out the second candle, the smoke moves in toward the hole, across the box and out the top. I didn’t put a picture of it because it was harder to capture the smoke, but be sure you watch which way the smoke goes after the candle is out on the left side.

So cooler air is also pulled in.  Just like the sun’s rays heats the earth and water.

Warmer air starts to rise. Because some of the earth’s surface is more heated than others, like over a desert, then some of the air rises faster.

The Santa Ana, shamal and sirocca winds all form over deserts.

Also, look at this mini weather station.

Middle School Science Activities

Look at these various winds and their easy definitions:

  • The Santa Ana winds in southern California are strong, hot winds that blow from the desert to Santa Ana Pass and out into San Pedro Channel beyond Los Angeles.
  • The Shamal winds are summer winds that blow over Iraq and the Persian Gulf.
  • The Sirocco winds are warm winds that blow over the Mediterranean Sea from the Sahara Desert.
  • The Gregale wind is a strong and cold wind that blows from the northeast in the western and central Mediterranean area mostly in winter.
  • Haboob is a strong wind that occurs primarily along the southern edges of the Sahara in Sudan and is associated with large sandstorms and dust storms.
  • Matanuska is a strong, gusty, northeast wind which occasionally occurs during the winter in the vicinity of Palmer, Alaska.

Grab my free minibook on our newest unit study on the earth’s structure.

Middle School Hands-on Science : Extreme Winds + Free Minibook

You’ll love these other posts

Middle School Hands-on Science : Extreme Winds + Free Minibook

Minibooks/Topics in the Earth Science Lapbook

  • Why Are Beaches Sandy
  • Summer Beaches Versus Winter Beaches
  • What is a Natural Hazard
  • Energy Sources for Natural Hazards
  • Features of Rivers & Streams
  • Plate Tectonics trifold book
  • Earth Structure Lapbook Cover
  • What is a Volcano
  • Earth Layers Book
  • Extreme Winds

How to Get the Free Earth Structures Lapbook

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

When you sign up to follow me, you get access to this freebie.

► 1) Sign up on my email list to follow me and get this freebie and many others.
► 2) Grab the printable.
►3) Last, look for my emails in your inbox as a follower. Glad to have you.

Middle School Science Hands-on Science Extreme Winds @ Tina's Dynamic Homeschool Plus-1

100+ Best and Free Tropical Amazon Rainforest Educators Resources

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

Updated 2021

Tropical Rainforest Amazon Educators Resources

The tropical rain forest Amazon was a huge unit study and co-op for us when we studied it a while back. I will be doing it again with Tiny because he was real young when we studied it the first time around.

Too, we might have a chance to visit the rain forest while we are living here in Ecuador. Update: Oh yes we trekked the Amazon Rain Forest while living in Ecuador.

Part of Ecuador borders the rain forest. So either by visiting Brazil or traveling here in Ecuador, I want to be sure we get by to see it because that will be one way to bring the study of the Amazon Rain Forest alive.

Because I didn’t get to share too many tropical rainforest Amazon free resources when I shared my unit study (I already had three pages here on my blog) I thought I would gather a few of them here and then well – – I kept adding and adding.

100 Tropical Rainforest Amazon Free Resources for Educators

I have over 100 free rain forest resources listed below.

Amazon Rainforest Free Educator Resources

Here are my three pages and then scoot down and grab more below.

Rainforest Amazon

Rainforest Animals

Rainforest Co-op Pictures

Free Tropical Rain Forest Amazon Teacher Guides

Free Tropical Rain Forest Amazon Lesson Plans

Free Tropical Rain Forest Amazon Coloring Pages

Tropical Rain Forest Amazon Lapbooks

The Basement Workshop Store

Tropical Rain Forest Crafts and Activities

Free Rain Forest Printables

Rainforest Facts – Infographics

Degradation of the Brazilian Rain Forest

Rain Forest Infographic

Rain Forest Media Resources

If you want to do a literature unit study with fun weather themed book for your young ones, you’ll love these online self-paced literature workshops for your kids.

Look at the course the book Raindrop Plop.

Check out ALL the online self-paced courses for your kids. They have classes for K to 12.

Best Rain Forest Books for Kids

You’ll love my Ultimate Unit Study Planner with my eye for detail! You can grab it below or see more pictures in my shop and check out the Unit Study Enhancer for Temperate Rain Forests.

100 Tropical Rainforest Amazon Free Resources for Educators

You’ll love these other resources:

Hugs and love ya,

Over 70 Free Amazon Rain Forest Resources! Great for a homeschool unit study or just learning about the Amazon Rain Forest. Click here to grab these AWESOME resources!

Fun Metamorphic Edible Rocks & Notebooking Pages

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

I have a fun metamorphic edible rocks activity. Also, look at my Free Earth Science Lapbook & Unit Study Ideas.

I have been trying to do easy and fun homeschooling projects. 

Well that sounds better than saying I’m a bad homeschooling momma because I have done the fun metamorphic edible rocks with my older boys, but not Tiny. 

Actually both of those statements are true.

Fun Metamorphic Edible Rocks & Notebooking Pages

Metamorphic Edible Rocks & Notebooking Pages

You know what I am talking about if you have done a lot of fun hands-on things with your older children and feel that tinge of guilt inspiration to keep it fun for your younger children too. 

I will be falling back on some of those ideas as we continue to sell our furniture and downsize.

Metamporphic Rock and Notebooking Pages

Talking about downsizing, look what went this week.

The table we used in our formal dining area for our homeschool is now gone.  

empty school room

We will move to our breakfast table for school now.

Actually, doing our hodgepodge school has been a welcomed change since we have to do a lot of start/stops in the day to show people our furniture as they call us.

Keeping it fun and easy is key for right now and making edible metamorphic rocks works today. 

Too, this fun and easy recipe is great to do with all your kids even though the older ones may know the basic differences in rocks.

First, look at some of these fun books about rocks.

Books about Rocks for Kids Who Love Rocks

I love living books when I can find them, then add other reference books to our reading diet.

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.

With 3 ingredients, a spoon, a bowl and some waxed paper you probably already have these ingredients on hand.

Fun Metamorphic Edible Rocks & Notebooking Pages

We absolutely love peanut butter in our house too, but giving you a heads up now that it uses peanut butter in case you have an allergy. 

Our Journey Westward

By the way if you try this recipe with a peanut substitute and it comes out good, let me know so I can let my other readers know.

Fun Metamorphic Edible Rocks & Notebooking Pages

Like the recipe above says, just mix the mini-marshmallows, chocolate chips and enough peanut butter so that it sticks or clumps together. 

Metamorphic Rocks Edible Recipe for Kids

We added a tad more because having made these before and because Tiny is a peanut butter addict, we wanted that creamy taste in our “metamorphic rocks”.

Fun Metamorphic Edible Rocks & Notebooking Pages

Then form the clumps.  Oh yes that is right, this is earth science. 

So then at this point, just point out that these are “sedimentary rocks” and the sediments of chocolate and mini-marshmallows are cemented together with the mineral peanut butter.

Of course the next point to illustrate is how the rocks change through heat.

So put half of them back into your bowl, zap in the microwave for about 20 seconds to 1 minute depending on the heat level of your microwave.  We gave ours a gentle stir.

The Basement Workshop Store

Then turn the mixture back out onto the waxed paper or drop by globs.

Fun Metamorphic Edible Rocks & Notebooking Pages

Besides this activity having a great easy wow factor for very little time and effort which is always the best kind of activities for us, they are absolutely delicious too after they cool. 

We love to stick our metamorphic rocks in the refrigerator and have them get a bit harder too.

Fun Metamorphic Edible Rocks & Notebooking Pages

I made a couple of easy rock notebooking pages with answers and a bit of background information to help you or your kids. Download them under the picture below.

Fun Metamorphic Edible Rocks & Notebooking Pages
Metamorphic Rocks Notebooking Pages 1Metamorphic Rocks Notebooking Pages 2

  Note if you want the recipe: Just right click the recipe picture at the top and “save as” a picture.

Moving on to some more bigger pieces of furniture, we are trying to move faster toward listing our house.  I hope I can keep up with it all, but probably not.

So I will just enjoy our different homeschooling things we will be doing until we have our final date for our move.

Fun Metamorphic Edible Rocks & Notebooking Pages

More Hands-on Rock Activities

Free 2 Notebooking Pages

Next, use my pages below to add your child’s thoughts about rocks.

  1. Metamorphic Rocks – Rocks that Change
  2. How Are Metamorphic Rocks Formed

How to Get the Free Notebooking Pages

Now, how to grab the freebies. They are subscriber freebies.

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

1) Sign up on my email list.
2) Grab the freebie now.
3) Last, look for all my emails in your inbox. Glad to have you following me!

Metamorphic Edible Rock Recipe and Free Notebooking Pages @ Tina's Dynamic Homeschool Plus

Free Fall Unit Study Ideas– For Older Kids Too

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

I have free fall unit study ideas for older kids today. Also, I have this page Fall Unit Study {Pumpkins, Leaves, Corn, & More} for more fall ideas.

If I close my eyes and wish real hard, cool air may blow into my back yard here in Texas.

Though today is officially the start of fall, the truth of it is that I am sitting here typing this in my shorts and sandals.

However, I’ve rounded up some free fall unit study ideas and some of older kids too.

Whenever cool weather gets here, we always take time to do something special. It could be simple poetry reading or a craft or two.

Last year, heaven forbid, we don’t cover an apple unit before we complete homeschooling, we finally did one.

Free Fall Unit Study Ideas

This year, since we are focused on South America some poetry and delish sounding fall recipes are looking good.

So I decided to round up some free resources and construct a unit study for you.

Too, because there seems to be a gazillion things for preschoolers, (you know I love them) but not many free resources to include the older kids, I have included some ideas for them too.

Even if you aren’t a unit study lover, I know everybody likes to get off the beaten path and this gives some variety and pizzazz to the day when you need it and well, it’s FREE. Have to love that.

Free Fall Unit Study Planning Ideas | Tina's Dynamic Homeschool Plus

Free Fall Homeschool Unit Study Ideas

I am using one of my planning pages from my Unit Study Planner to show you how ideas can be taken from an idea to a study topic.

You can see above at how I fleshed out my thoughts and I still did not have enough boxes to cover a few facts under history too.

More Fall Ideas for Teens

The life of Johnny Appleseed could make for a mini geography report on the states he traveled through without making it babyish.

First, there are many subtopics that can fit under fall and some of them are:

  • leaves,
  • trees,
  • pumpkins,
  • autumn-flowering plants,
  • migration, affect of weather on animals,
  • apples,
  • early time keeping,
  • sundials,
  • fall fruits,
  • even wine making or picking grapes,
  • getting sap from a sugar maple tree; and
  • making syrup.

Sometimes just a fact or two about the subtopics can spur the creative juices in both you and your children. Everybody will want to study something different each year to keep it lively.

Next, look at a few of these quick facts or ideas for each subtopic.

Awesome Autumn Vocabulary

Vocabulary ideas for learning about studying about fall for both younger and older children.

  • equinox
  • conifer/deciduous
  • seasonal growth
  • camouflage
  • sugar maple tree
  • Fall or Autumn?
  • supply/demand regarding farming commodities like corn
  • enzymes
 

Autumn Animal Study/Quick Facts

Some oral narration or a mini report focused on one of these animals would work for your animal lover.

Arctic Fox –  It’s fur is brown in the summer to match its surroundings, but in the fall, it sheds it fur and grows a new white fur for camouflage in the upcoming months.

Frogs – In the spring, they are part of the pond food web. In fall, they move onto land and become part of the meadow food web.

Dormouse – It feeds eagerly in fall to store up body fat for the winter

The Basement Workshop Store

Autumn Tree Study

Coniferous Forests – Pines and firs make up coniferous forests. These trees are evergreen providing shelter for animals all year long.

Deciduous trees – Their leaves fall off, but their berries, fruit and nuts provide food for the animals in the coming winter.

Maple Sugar – How to tap a maple sugar tree for sap.

Fall Flowering Plants

How does a scientist study in the fall? Preserving plants now to study later.

Do a hands on project and some nature art by sketching the plants, then putting them between two white sheets of construction paper and put a heavy weight on it and wait.

Retrieve them in the dead of winter when there are fewer plants to study and observe.

A chrysanthemum is normally a fall flowering plant and the topic could make a plant study.

Look at my Unit Study Historic Trees to put a history slant on studying about trees.

Fungi Great Decomposers

Field mushrooms – During the fall, field mushrooms spring up overnight in damp pastures and meadows.  Great topic for older students.

History in Autumn

The Ford Motor Company introduced the Model T in October, 1908. Check out the free printable and information.

The Panama Canal was turned back over to Panama in the fall. This would make an excellent topic for older students concerning the engineering feat of this project.

Links: Fall Printables & Lesson Ideas

Fall Apple GrowingFall Apple Printing
  • This site, Yakima Valley Museum has a 32 page download A is for Apple with the ideas and information pictured above for an easy craft for the younger kiddos and some for older kids.

One of the links is not working, but the others are on this scavenger hunt around the net about autumn things. The YouTube video is a math rap song by a teacher teaching perimeter. I ‘m impressed. But I am easily impressed because BELIEVE me you don’t want me singing, much less doing a math rap.

Decomposing

The decomposition column looks like a great idea for a fun and easy hands on project too.

Our Journey Westward
File:Leaf morphology no title.svg
Handprint Autumn Tree Craft
(Photo Credit: Free Kids Craft)
Football Snack Mix
(Photo Credit: Sweet Simple Stuff)

Autumn Music

We love classical music in our home and so we listened to The Four Seasons by Vivaldi on YouTube and that would make a great music focus.

Listen to Autumn at 20:59 or close to that number.

And then finally don’t forget that I have two full page here of free printables.

I have poetry, lapbooks, apples and art.

What do you think? Either you are hungry, ready to be inspired, or exhausted from reading all these ideas.

Winter NaturExplorers 735x1102 (Pinterest)

Do you have some fall activities you are doing or lined up?

Fall Ya'll Ideas for A Fall Unit Study - Ideas for Older Kids too. Click here to grab them!

Look at these other ideas:

Free Fall Unit Study Ideas - For Older Kids Too.

Hugs and tuck this away for when you need it, love ya,