John Isaac's Ocean Current

We tried the ocean current experiment.  I posted more pictures and commentary on my personal blog.  Spoiler alert: it was a big flop.

Julie

More on ocean currents

Here's a Bill Nye video on Oceanography and kind of a corny one on ocean currents--and the short video I promised in the last post and flubbed. (Oops.) We're doing the science experiment from the last post right now!

Valentine's Day crafts to do together

Here are some Valentine's Day crafts designed for you to adjust to your child's capabilities...and maybe just perfect for a snowy day.

Phonics "Mystery Cards"

Vamping off an idea I saw at a learning store, I made these simple cards for my son out of cardstock and tape in an effort to build his phonics--and excitement about reading.

To make your own Mystery Cards:

1. Fold a piece of cardstock in half width-wise.

2. On one side only, cut a 3-1/8x 1/4" slot in the lower half.

3. Tape the edges of the cardstock closed.

4. Cut 3 x 8-1/2" cards out of another sheet of cardstock.

5. On the cards, write simple, phonetically-correct words, letters widely spaced apart. You might add a small illustration at the end to solve the "mystery."

To use, insert the cards into the slot and pull the edge out. Your child can read one letter at a time, guessing at the full word as he or she reads more.

Ivan the Great

Our history fact this week, as often is the case, can be put to "The Wheels on the Bus" if your kids would like the help.

Here are some beautiful photos of the Kremlin he rebuilt and a photo tour.

Last but not least--a lesson plan with comprehension worksheet for older students.

Ocean currents

Here's a video of an easy experiment you can try at home to simulate ocean currents. You only need a 9 x 13, some food coloring, ice in a zip-top bag, water, and a lamp.

This short video doesn't mention our content this week, but it does give some insight on ocean currents.

Question #4 on this page gives a great visual diagram for inquisitive kids.

And here's a very comprehensive site on ocean currents for older students.

Hamlet puzzle: Time to make it a little harder

If you used the Hamlet puzzle last week, try cutting up the first few lines into phrases--they should know them well enough by now!

Don't forget to add this week's lines to the puzzle.

Mad Libs: Fun parts of speech practice

...That pretty much sums it up. Here are some online Mad Libs for a little language arts craziness, and some more specifically for students.

Ending Sounds

Montessori for Everyone posted a cute ending sounds sorting "game."  Perfect for the beginning reader: ages K4 - 1st grade.

I printed it for my first grade son, who's reading well - but it will be good practice for him.

Make sure to check out the other freebies, too.

-Julie

Hamlet puzzle

I listed the lines of Hamlet's soliloquy on different-colored strips of construction paper, along with some pictures to make the words more memory-grabbing. I then asked my son to put them in the right order as a puzzle. I'm hoping the repeated reading will help cement the poem in his mind--and it's great for visual learners!