Volcanoes.

Just after Christmas L did an outschool class on blue animals, we both learnt lots, how most animals aren't actually blue it is how the light reflects of them, how a chameleon changes colour. It led to us looking at rainbows and how they are formed and then spending a lot of time having fun mixing colours, starting with primary colours and then secondary colours. L created her own colour wheel and we talked about warm and cool colours too. Then did some art using only warm colours and then one using only cool colours and comparing how they made us feel.

Before Christmas we had been reading bits about the Romans, lots on the myths and legends, which L loves. I introduced L to the first in the Roman mysteries series, The Thieves of Ostia, missing the bits when it got a bit gory or upsetting around the dogs dying, then read The Secrets of Vesuvius, which she found fascinating, we have since watched so many you tube videos on volcanoes and enjoyed reading Tsunamis and Other Natural Disasters. This led to L asking if we could make a lapbook and learn all about volcanoes, this spread out to earthquakes, tsunamis, mudslides, how mountains form and then looking at Yellowstone National park and their geysers etc. I love the Super Earth Encyclopedia the photos in it are amazing, to say the least. We have made a model of the earth using play dough, recreated earthquakes, using a tray with rice in it, adding some blocks and people and shaking it, starting gently and making a note of what happened and then shaking it stronger, to demonstrate the different strengths. Photo below of some of the other books we have read, not all of them cover to cover but we are getting there.

 L's lapbook.

We created an experiment to demonstrate how acid rain can cause erosion, using vinegar and chalk, you can't see clearly from the photos but it bubbles really well producing the gas carbon dioxide, we then dried the chalk out and compared the difference, see holes where there weren't any before.

Setting up an experiment to show how stalactites and stalagmites are formed, we used epsom salts mixed with water, weighting the string down in each jar and

2 days later we have our stalactite. Think I might have to find out our copy of Caves (One Small Square)  as we have been talking a lot about where you would find stalactites and stalagmites, the one small square books are really informative and beautifully illustrated, we have a read few around different habitats.

My plan now is  to look at the polar regions, using Ls interest and love of penguins! We have started watching David Attenborough Frozen Planet and then used this Mystery Science lesson to map the climate around the world, it means we have a large map of the world with its climate, might end up looking at weather and climate change too.

Some of the books I am planning on using, as L loves adventure/mystery stories I am hoping she might like to learn about some of the explores, as well as the animals.

A few stories to read and drawing book, L loves these, though when she first opened it up she said she liked the drawing but wouldn't do the writing, which was fine with me but actually nearly every time she draws a new animal she copies the writing too.

Now for Christmas Evie was given Vincent's Starry Night and Other Stories, it has a 2 to 3 pages story about an artist, some paintings etc so thought it would be nice to use in conjunction with the art group we go too. Then came across the  Usborne Art Activity Pad , it will go very well together and can't wait to start using them both, hoping L feels the same!