Apologia Chemistry: Summer Prep

This past summer, I contacted all of my students and gave them a summer assignment: Periodic Table Cards.  I've been reminding and checking on the kids all summer.  It looks as though everyone has nearly completed their cards.  We'll see next week.

Human Biology

We met this morning and discussed infectious diseases, took an immunity quiz, and heard a presentation on Ebola.  I love infectious diseases.  We did a tour of Chapter 7 in the textbook.  Basically, I asked questions about the topics to see if they read.  Then we discuss interesting aspects of different diseases.  For example,  TB was called Consumption; one of our favorite saints, St. Therese de Liseaux, died from TB.  We talked about the bioethics of testing the Ebola and HIV vaccines in Africa.  The kids understand that large pharmaceutical companies test vaccines in Africa to avoid litigation.  I like to bring up a topic, such as Mad Cow Disease and have the kids think about how the prions were transmitted.  These informal discussions are fun to monitor.

We are continuing class through the end of September.  After September, the work load from Co-op and independent studies becomes substantial.  Next week, the kids are reading Chapter 9, Digestion.  There will be a quiz of digestive organs, their functions, and a question tracing a bolus through the digestive system out the rectum.  We spent a few minutes tracing the digestive system at the end of class.  The kids know quite a bit about digestion already.  I’m hunting for fun activities.

Apologia Young Explorers Human Anatomy: Skeleton

I was in Lowe’s and Michaels this week.  Both have skeletons available.  The prices range from $18-30.  Amazon has smaller skeletons from $12.99.  When I teach Human Anatomy or Human Biology, I have the kids memorize the names of the major bones.  I also ask them to determine if the Halloween skeleton is accurate.  While it’s absurd that Halloween supplies are available in August, home-schoolers can take advantage and buy an affordable skeleton model.

Apologia Chemistry: Fireworks and Elements

I’m taking a break from shoveling out the basement to get ready for Co-op Chemistry in a couple weeks.  The kids have a summer assignment to create a set of Periodic Table elements.  I’m determined to get more work out of the kids.  One assignment that dove-tails we’ll with the elements are Fireworks and Tattoos. The article is from ChemMatters, a magazine published for high school chemistry students by ACS, the major chemical society.  Sometimes, I assign the questions in the teacher’s guide; other times I incorporate risk assessment and writing.  For Tattoos, I have the kids make a list of pros and cons.  Then I ask them to write a paragraph: Should you get a tattoo?  Explain.  
Even the most reluctant student writes volumes on this topic.  This is a great opportunity to use Claim-Evidence-Reasoning or CER.  A kid might claim that a tattoo is safe, cite a passage in the article, and go on to support their reasoning.  So, this year, I’ll use Tattoos and Fireworks to introduce CER and get the kids to write.

Apologia Chemistry: Fall Prep Resources

Chemistry Co-op is meeting this fall at my house.  I’m going to miss the huge screen tied to the desktop computer in the Maker Space.  I’m going to figure out how to use a jump drive with my TV.  But most of the time I can pair by LCD projector with the laptop.  Our WiFi broadcasts down to the basement or outside to the garage.  Sometimes, I just want a static image—actually often, I use the huge TV like a poster.  So, I bought Old school overhead transparencies for Chemistry.  (Prentice Hall Transparencies are good, too. Transparency packages from General Chemistry textbooks designed for high school are best for Apologia. Don’t pay more than $10. ). I bought my overhead projector at www.shopgoodwill.com for less than $25.  It’s hard to find poster sets with electromagnetic waves, periodic tables, etc.  It used to be a nightmare to locate replacement bulbs for the projectors.  Amazon has loads.

This year, I’m going to be much more in tune with the struggles parents have to provide Chemistry at home.  Once I gut my basement, I’ll test the projector and post pix.

Apologia Chemistry: Fall Co-op Prep

My husband and I both teach Co-op classes.  Tuesday, we submitted room requests for fall to the library.  After three years using the Maker Space twice a week for Physics, Chemistry, and Biology, we are no longer permitted to teach Chemistry or Biology.  Such a shame.  The problem was the class meets two days a week for two hours-with prep and clean-up.  People complained the Maker Space wasn’t assessable.  People used the copier, visited the fish tank, browsed shelves, and asked about the class (during class) all the time.  But, the Space was not available for people to eat lunch or spread out their copies—not STEM.

So, we are going to teach at my house this fall.  Yes, we have explored a number of alternate sites.  We have a large basement with a utility sink, outlets, and all my shelves of equipment.  Fortunately, I have taught out of my house before.  Our former church allowed Biology (not dissections—held off site at a park) but not Chemistry.  One year, I taught Physical Science and Chemistry concurrently at my house: kitchen, dining room table, den, and garage.  We plan to teach in the basement and use the dining and breakfast tables for tests.

My husband and I are going to share the basement.  So, we bought four six foot folding tables and five folding chairs at Walmart.  We have some chairs on hand.  Two of the tables had scrapes on the surface.  The manager reduced the price on those two tables ten percent.  Chemistry gets the damaged  tables.  We are working on whiteboards, too.  Classroom white boards are usually porcelain and magnetic.  They’re designed for heavy use.  Melamine dry erase boards with an aluminum frame are much cheaper than porcelain.  Melamine white boards are harder to mount and can stain if not cleaned every single time.  I have used the melamine boards in my garage and for VBS.  I plan to buy a $50 board instead.  I’ll let you know how it works.  In the mean time, I need to reorganize the basement (shovel out), check the WiFi connection downstairs, look for a screen for the LCD projector, and jump for joy!  I won’t have to pack and haul lab equipment to the Maker Space!  I bought old fashioned Chemistry transparencies.  I hope the whiteboard or wall works as a screen.  My  computer might be large enough for eight kids.  

The Co-op setting probably better mirrors the classroom situation for many of you.  I’ll keep you posted as we adapt.

Human Biology: Introduction to Immunity

Update: We are back!  Two of the kids had their presentations on diseases ready.  They gave brief presentations.  I started the quiz on the immunity questions at the end of Chapter 7.  The kids were stumped.  We spent 30 minutes discussing each question before doing a POGIL immunity packet together.  Wilkie had a great analogy for primary and secondary immune response.  A primary response is like saving a document to a jump drive, transferring the drive to a copier, and finally (slowly) printing directly from the jump drive to the copier.  A secondary response is like taking an original hard copy and printing it.  Yes, that is all we did for two hours yesterday.

Today we are beginning Immunity--right after the blood flow quiz.  Our textbook (Human Biology 14th edition by Mader) has a scheme of blood flow through the body (p.103).  After the quiz, we're going to review a tons of terms in Chapter 7, make paper and clay antigens, and do Immunity with POGIL (Immuniity Student Copy).

We only finished the quiz and the overview today.  Next week is VBS and no class.

We spent time discussing vaccination and Edward Jenner.  We used the analogy of police, military, Homeland Security, sheriff’s office etc. for immune defense in the body.  For example, B-cells are like police traveling through the blood and lymph systems.  We also talked about macrophages having loads of lysosomes, cell organelles loaded with enzymes.  Basically, we went over the chapter together.  The kids are going to prepare presentations on their favorite virus, such as Ebola and read the next chapter.  Next time, we’ll make paper and clay models, present viruses or diseases, and quiz. Also, I have the POGIL Activity cited above to complete.

Human Biology: Blood

Last week we went over Blood: components, blood types, red blood cells, and white blood cells.  The kids wanted to type blood again.  So we did.  Fun!  We also discussed sickle cell anemia with this activity and ABO blood types (POGIL). Lastly we sketched blood microscope slides.

Apologia Biology: Equipment

Update: www.shopgoodwill.com has an escience kit up for bids today.  It looks like a chemistry kit.  It’s a perfect example of the kits I like most: thermometer, test tubes, graduated cylinder, pipers, goggles, beakers, etc.  I canabalize these escience kits for supplies.  There’s a Galileo glass thermometer available, which would last five minutes in my classroom.  I am tempted to bid on the kit.  I’m not because I have two large bins full of these same materials.

Are your kids at church camps?  Are you prepping for fall?  Yes, I’m back promoting www.shopgoodwill.com.  Today there are loads of microscopes—even a full size skeleton.  I saw a pack of anatomy flash cards, too.  I encourage you to registar. Goodwill does NOT save credit card or PayPal information, just your name and address.  It’s important to check the shipping.  I’ve been using Goodwill online for several years.  Initially, I made that mistake a few times and did not check the shipping and was stung.

I always compare with Amazon and eBay, too.  I factor my max bid and shipping when I compare prices.  I have purchased graphing calculators, microscopes, escience kits, Microscope slides, molecular model kits, stethoscopes,and blood pressure cuffs. These purchases are a gamble.  However, whenever I have had a problem, the shop has been terrific.  For example, my husband is going to teach two teens how to play guitar.  I bid on a guitar; the shop emailed me that the guitar was not as described, but was pretty battered.  They issued a full refund.

Right now, we are using a plastic skeleton from Target I bought for $15.  (This one is similar and available on Amazon.). After buying several microscopes from Goodwill, this summer we’re using a digital microscope (available on Amazon) attached to a laptop.  We focus the slide, print a screen shot, and the kids have a static image to sketch.  One laptop serves three or four kids.  (I bought used chrome books from Goodwill, too.).

I shop local thrift stores, too.  I was all over the used book table at the Home School Conference. Many of the Goodwill stores are posting their best items online rather than in stores.  Take a look.    Try a search with “science kit” or “microscope” and see what pops up.

Human Biology: Circulatory System and Blood

I’m prepping my lesson for Thursday.  I want to finish Circulation, review how to take blood pressure, what is pulse, diastolic and systolic pressures, and flow of blood through the heart and body.  Chapter Six is Blood.  This hematology packet/lesson is a great introduction to blood disorders.  After the review of Circulation, we’ll sketch microscope slides of blood.  I’m using both microscope slides and Histology images, (these, too.). Once we finish sketching blood, we will work on ABO and rH with this POGIL activity.  I plan to review Punnett Squares of ABO and rH groups, too.  Here is a tutorial.  I think all of the kids have performed blood typing before.  I’m ordering a couple kits in any case.  Then we have loads of vocabulary to conquer.  I need to break down Greek and Latin roots with the kids and get them in the habit of looking up the word’s etymology, such as ‘ology’ means ‘study of’.  I’m pretty sure we won’t finish everything.  If we do, we’ll work on blood disorders.  This activity with clay and plastic tubing demonstrates sickle cell issues.  The link has a case study, too.  I like to have four or five different activities each class.  The two hour class flies.  Fun!

Quick update: Only two kids attended class.  We quizzed on the bones in the skeleton and blood flow through the heart and body.  After we reviewed ABO blood groups and Punnet Squares.  We completed the ABO activity.  That’s it.  I did start reviewing terms.  One of the kids hadn’t done Punnett Squares.  The ABO lesson took most of class.

Apologia Chemistry: Periodic Table Cards

I just assigned the fall Chemistry Class summer homework: Periodic Table Cards based on this activity from the Journal of Chemistry.  The kids make cards for Groups 1,2, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, and 18.  Group 1 is red, 2 orange, 13 yellow, 14 green, 15 blue, 16 purple, 17 pink, and 18 black.  If the kids follow the same color scheme, they can play the game described in the article cited above.  Apart from the transition elements, most of the elements the kids need to memorize are here.  We’ll color blank periodic tables using the same color scheme.  This activity helps the kids to learn the names and symbols for the elements.  For each element, the child draws an image to help remember the element, such as a balloon for helium, a salt shaker for sodium, or a banana for potassium, nearly every single time.  The kids can write the information on index cards and mount them on to construction paper or simply color the edge of the index card the correct color for the family.  Kids can complete the research and the index cards in an afternoon—or stay up until midnight the night before class resumes.  Below are photo examples.