Science Fun with Gelatin

..and lots of candy!

Who knew science could be so fun, and calorie-filled? (ha)

For science this year, we are using Apologia's Young Explorer Series book "Exploring Creation with Human Anatomy and Physiology."  So far, we are all enjoying it very much.


Do you know the difference between anatomy and physiology?

Sara says, "Anatomy is how your body is made, and physiology is how it works."

We made cell models out of gelatin, which represented the cytoplasm. Then we inserted several different candies to show the different organelles, or "little organs," such as mitochondria (ever read "A Wrinkle in Time?"), lysosomes, and the endoplasmic reticulum, to name a few.

Is it obvious that Kyla does not like gelatin?

Curriculum Reviews

Hello Everyone!

Yes, the school year is winding down--just a few more weeks to go, can you believe it?

If your thoughts have turned to what to do for next year, and you aren't sure what curriculum to use, we are here to help! Beginning soon, we will be posting reviews of various curricula, written by actual local users of said products, so you will get a first-hand idea of what they are like (and you can ask the users more questions, and possibly examine the materials yourself).

Here are a few we will cover . . .

Sonlight
Konos
Saxon Math
Horizons Math
Miquon Math
Winston Grammar
Explode the Code
Beyond the Code
Mystery of History

If you are especially interested in reading about one of the above, or if you are interested in a particular curriculum that is not listed, please leave a comment. We will do our best to get some info posted regularly over the next few months, so you will have some time to make an informed decision about next year.

Speaking of making a curriculum decision, this video lists 5 mistakes that families make when buying curriculum:




If you have you used a curriculum (whether listed above or not) and would like to write a fair, balanced (pros and cons) review for the product, please contact me.

In the meantime, click here to visit a link with curriculum reviews written by other homeschoolers.

Blessings,
Selena Campbell

Curriculum Need

Fellow Homeschooling Families,

If anyone has any curriculum for 10th grade that you would be willing to pass along (or sell at a deep discount) to a new homeschooler in need of supplies, please contact me directly, or put a comment on this post.

Thank you!

Selena Campbell

Curriculum Chaos

Anyone who has seen the Rainbow Resource catalog -- a full two inches thick -- knows how overwhelming the curriculum choices can be to homeschoolers. There are literature-based curricula, unit-studies, classical method and scripted curricula, to name a few. And you may ask, "Who is Charlotte Mason and what is a living book?"

All homeschoolers, even the seasoned ones, have curriculum quandaries at times. If you are new to homeschooling, the endless sea of materials and styles can be bewildering. With that in mind, click here for a website that can help you peruse some of your options.

More importantly, THESIS is a support group, and we want to support our homeschooling families by helping each other with this all-important decision--what and how to teach our children.

Future posts will address some basic styles of curriculum, and cover different teaching approaches. If you have any questions or concerns about something, feel free to comment and we'll do our best to get you an answer promptly!

Blessings,
Selena