Have I mentioned I love math?

One of the members of our local homeschool group recently gave a presentation on learning styles at one of our Mom's meetings.  I was so interested in what she had to say I sought to find an online test for assessing children's learning styles.  Turns out both of my girls are visual learners just like their dear old Mom.  One is actually equally visual and kinesthetic which apparently a lot of younger children lean more heavily towards the kinesthetic (or hands on).  Which is something I think a lot of homeschoolers should know.  If I could stand up and shout out to all homeschoolers across America, I would shout this:  DO NOT MAKE YOUR CHILDREN SIT ALL DAY AND DO WRITTEN SEAT WORK!!!!!!

Anyway, I also did another online test by Scholastic and guess what?  Turns out my girls are also Analytical Learners. 

As an analytic learner, your child thinks logically and numerically, and tends to discern patterns easily. An analytic learner does well in math or science, and often gravitates to board games. She uses a methodical approach to problem-solving and prefers black-and-white solutions to more amorphous ones....

Well imagine that.  I love my sweet little analytical learners to pieces...every sorted (not sordid) and organized little piece of them.

So, I guess it goes without saying that we tend to really like Math.  I love Saxon but left just as they present, well, sometimes leaves a little to be desired.  So, I like to throw in some fun every now and then.  Recently we covered the (idiotic, imho) English system of volume measurement (gallons, quarts, pints, cups).

 Why, oh why can't the U.S. just convert to metric?  I digress...  If we MUST use the disgusting system it must be learned visually with a little kinesthetics thrown in.  Hence Gallon Man to the rescue....

First of all I showed them a real skeleton so that they would understand our bone structure.  I then showed them the picture of Mr. Gallon Man.

Then we made our own.  For each gallon man you will need 4 pieces of construction paper in colors of your childs choice.  (Hey I am listening to Love & Logic and I'm all about letting THEM have as much control as possible, these days.)  We used a whole sheet of construction paper for the Gallon.  Cut one whole piece into 4 strips for the Quarts.  Cut another piece into the same 4 strips then cut them in half the long way for 8 pints.  Cut another piece as for the pints except one making one more cup making 16 cups.  Have them label each and voila.

Notice Lil' Bit called hers Mrs. Gallon.  Not that there's anything wrong with that!  I hung them on my math wall.  This is my happy place.  I know.  I'm weird like that.  I embrace it.

What can I say?  We're visual, people!!!

100th Day Revisited - 2010 Edition

Well, it is that time of year again.  Here's a quick run down of our Hundred day activities.  I have a wonderful neighbor whose daughter is in the girls' dance class that used to teach 1st grade.  She so graciously let me borrow her "box" of 100 day magic.  Thanks Michelle!

We started the morning with our calendar activities.

Last day of the US puzzle and the unifix hundred line.

 

First thing, we read the 100th Psalm

Then, we read some cute books that I had checked out of the library. 

Centipede's 100 Shoes by Tony Ross and  Emily's first 100 Days of School by Rosemary Wells

Then it was on to our first set of activities.  What can you do in 100 seconds?

How many bunnies can you color?

 

How many sets of 10 hearts can you circle?

How tall of a tower can you build?

How many hearts can you cut from squares of paper?

Now here's where the Industrial Engineer in me just couldn't let this one rest.  I asked them if they thought they could do it faster and how.  Ms. Priss immediately suggested that one of them do the folding and the other do the cutting (Mommy was beaming).

Look how many more there were!!!  17 to be exact (as opposed to their combined total of 11 from before our little job analysis).  I even helped them figure out their time per heart.  Hey, Ms. Priss utilized her new divistion skills here.

How many jelly beans can you eat in 100 seconds?  (the caveat was they had to completely chew and swallow one before eating another.

How many staples can you staple in 100 seconds?


100 pieces of snack mix.

 

Then we were on to some fun stuff.  We determined weight and volume of 100 things...  I intended to have them graph these but by this time we were kind of running out of steam.

First the counting....

100 Nerds, teddy grahams, pompoms, marshmallows, m&m's (peanut AND plain)

100 droplets of water and 100 tablespoons of water

Next the measuring and weighing (which I guess you could still technically classify as measuring)...

Weighing 100 tablespoons of water...

The total volume of 100 tablespoons...

Weighing the pompoms...

the marshmallows, nerds, teddy grahams, and m&m's...

now to determine the volumes

 

 

Notice we changed measuring vessels for more accurate results and/or for verification purposes.  All VERY official stuff here. 

In case you're interested in our results...

Item (100 of…)	Weight (grams)	Volume	unit of measure
Peanut m&m's	283	2.75	c
Regular m&m's	95	0.5	c
Marshmallows	65	1.25	c
Teddy Grahams	67	1	c
Pom Poms	25	3	c
Nerds	20	1	Tbsp
Drops of Water	3	1	tsp
teaspoons of Water	567	2.5	c

Then it was outside for a little vitamin D for our mad scientists.  They ran approximately 100 yds to the corner (and back)...I believe 3 times.  Mommy didn't.  She was on the porch with the camera.

And last but not least, our hundred glasses (from last year) but this time with a twist... with 100 googly eyes.

Hope you enjoyed our 100 day.  It was 100 total immersion for us.

Make your own playing card holders

Have you ever seen one of these?

In case you've never seen one, this is a playing card holder.  A very ingenious device!  However just a little too rich for my blood.  If you've been reading my blog for long you will notice a recurring theme.  I AM CHEAP.  Enter exhibit A, my home-made playing card holder. 

Wanna know how?  Here goes... Gather 2 lids (one larger than the other) from old yogurt, cream cheese, sour cream, or butter containers.

You're also going to need a punch set (or something else like an ice-pick that you can make a small hole with).  Like how I store my punch set?  Before you go judging me...I made this a few years ago in attempt to win a contest for scrapbooking storage supply solutions.  Because if you lure me with something free, I will spend inordinate amounts of time and energy in that endeavor.  I actually won the contest (not with this box, though)...and got just what I needed:  more scrapbooking supplies.  This is one of those boxes from Costco that I just recovered with some shabby chic scrapbooking paper, tied some riboon around, and hot glued a silk flower on top.

Back to our regularly scheduled programming....Punch holes in the centers of both of the lids.  There is usually a little raised bump which is helpful in centering.

You're also going to need a brad, decorative is always nice.  See my collection of "pink" scrapping supplies?  Now are you understanding the tongue in cheek above comment about needing more scrapping supplies?

 Place the lids top sides facing each other and attach with a brad.

Give the girls a sheet of stickers and let them have at decorating.  I helped them place a large butterfly to completely cover the back side of the brad.

Oh yes, I just have to mention.  This kind of thing really bugs me.

 

So, if you don't already have some go today and purchase you some 100% acetone.  Don't settle for any of that watered down Sally Hanson junk...get the full monty.

This stuff will take just about ANYTHING off.  I have removed so many labels and repurposed many things thanks to a handy bottle of 100% acetone.  Plus it is REALLY good at getting dark/bright fingernail polish off.

See that?  Like magic!

And there you have it 2 pretty, inexpensive playing card holders...

Front side

Back side

We have been playing a lot of crazy eights in the evenings and I've been wanting to do something like this to help them hold their cards.  Anyway, today Lil' Bit's Saxon math book, of all places, suggested playing a game called "Make Ten".  You play by dealing 7 cards to each player.  You lay out 0, 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5 in a circle and each player tries to make a sum of 10 by laying a card on top of another.  So you wold place an 8 over a 2 or a 6 over a 4, etc..  If you don't have any cards to play you have to take 2 cards from the stack.  The first person to play all of his/her cards is the winner.  It is actually a pretty fun game and it helps retention of those 10 facts.

My girls love playing cards with us, it is fun for all, and I think it is a great way for our family to spend time together.  Go fish!