Week Two Photos

sharing the Cut-Out Labeled Fraction Circles

but doing fraction work differentiated to their own level

adding and subtracting with the Small Bead Frame

mixing up some yummy Sweet Potato Biscuits

reviewing the Second Great Lesson -- How Life Came To Be --

by assembling the beadline for The Cosmic Story

carefully holding a worm

looking at rocks & minerals of Illinois during a special guest presentation

the baby bean plants sprouted in a paper towel

painting sunshine

happily swinging from the branches of our massive magnolia tree

looking at insects trapped in fossilized amber

my Geologic Periods Book Set 

and the matching Timeline of Life Fossil Collection

completing the fossil hunt

our special guest shares fossils from Illinois

students quickly notice that this piece matches the shape of Illinois!

some of our new classroom materials have come in gigantic boxes

perfect for imaginative group play

washing vegetables for Stone Soup

and our stone

a heart-shaped piece of jasper from the Etsy seller ilovelotus

laying out our Tree of Life on my new

Tree of Life Mat

using a dictionary to help with a Classification Word Study activity

the steps in forming peat

looking at a sample of peat from Illinois

comparing peat and coal side by side

wait, the Tully monster might be related to the lamprey?

we just learned about the lamprey in the Tree of Life!

my gorgeous new Rock Cycle Mat

from Waseca Biomes

the wooden arrows match the art on the rock cycle mat on one side

and have information about what is happening on the other side

giving a lesson on this work to a friend

Science Club dissection of barn owl pellets

a pellet before dissection

all the fur, bones, and other inedible parts of its prey

the owl's digestive system wraps these pieces up into

a tidy bundle and the owl coughs it up... fascinating!

a huge rodent skull!

and a tiny rodent skull

in my pellet we find a set of vertebrae all still connected

Becca and I decide to look for petroglyphs at

Piney Creek Ravine Nature Preserve

the signage at the rock art site

when you see the sign that looks like it's telling

you to walk across the stream...

yes, it's telling you to walk across the stream

a fun little hike on a beautiful day

This post contains affiliate links to materials I truly use for homeschooling. Qualifying purchases provide me with revenue. Thank you for your support!