What are you doing?

Roof tiles fell and shattered to the floor. Lightning brooded in the plume of Mt. Vesuvius. And people remaining in Pompeii on August 24, 79 AD, fled as far as they could before the pyroclastic flows and ashfall finalized the fate of the Roman city. It was no better in Herculaneum and several other small towns near the base of the volcano. Museum Victoria in Australia provides a fabulous recreation of the experience of this natural disaster. Both Joey and Ezra were amazed by the visual effects. We all ducked when the pyroclastic flows proceeded on the screen!

Joey and Ezra pouring vinegar into the volcano.

Joey's first few weeks of homeschooling have included learning about volcanoes. He loves science and seeks for its inclusion in every day of the school week. As I mentioned in the previous post, A priceless picture, we investigated how pressure and heat are important to a volcanic eruption. Joey also got to simulate his own volcanic eruptions, from stratovolcanoes to shield volcanoes, via Discovery Kids' Volcano Explorer. And, smiles erupted as much as vinegar and baking soda in our paper mache volcano, complete with their model dinosaur toys.

In addition to how a volcano erupts, Joey was also curious as to where volcanoes are found. A globe, atlas, and maps were vital in showing Joey the location of The Ring of Fire, Italy, Indonesia, as well as myriad other site names associated with volcanoes. We read "Volcanoes" by Franklyn Mansfield Branley (1985), watched "Fire & Ice: Hawaii & Alaska" made by Adventures in America's Western Parks series, and perused geography books for pictures of volcanoes. And, for volcanoes associated with Virginia, I sifted through a website with tons of information, especially on Mole Hill in Rockingham County and Trimble Knob in Highland County. We discovered that the columnar basalt we always visit near Limberlost Trail in Shenandoah National Park are from ancient volcanic activity in the Blue Ridge Mountains (myriad other trails also provide glimpses at volcanic rock). It's always great when the boys can have a tangible experience related to their learning - so a hike was a must!

To round out Joey's first project exploration, we investigated the volcanic eruptions of Krakatau and Anak Krakatau. Again, Joey got to see where in Indonesia the volcanoes are (or in Krakatau's case, was) located, learn how other natural disasters (like earthquakes, tsunamis, etc) are often associated with volcanic eruptions (especially when they're really powerful and near water), and - throughout the entire few weeks - has applied terminology relevant to volcanoes (like lava, magma, crater, vent, et cetera). During play time, Joey took a break to draw in one of (actually my) journals.

"What are you doing?" I asked, a bit bewildered at his lines at first.

"Oh, I'm drawing Vesuvius about to erupt." Joey replied nonchalantly. 

"See, here's a theater with lots of seating. And, here's a house." Joey pointed out the buildings sprawled about the base of a volcano looming in the background.

"Oh, and here's the eruption!" Joey used his pen in powerful strokes to show the violent upheaval that would have resulted from a volcanic eruption.

As Joey's mother and his homeschooling teacher, it's extraordinary to see him connect his learning to everyday life. I have an unprecedented position to mold his education in a way that not only enhances his interests, but also builds on his knowledge base by incorporating life experiences that connect his learning in ways sometimes not noticed by the often disjointed reality of public education. Our family can maximize on the learning and on the fun - together! How does your family have fun learning? Share in the comments section.

A priceless picture

Joey (5 yrs) on his first day of school.

Opening envelops and reading words of encouragement on the cards we received from many family members and friends, Joey delighted in the love and support that surrounded his first day (and week) of Kindergarten. Although we did some basic assessment the first week of school, such as ascertaining his knowledge-base of the alphabet, numbers, writing his name, blending phonemes, rhyming, etc, Joey (and Ezra) had tons of fun amidst the learning.

No, the first day of school did not entail my son, loaded with a backpack, standing at the end of the sidewalk and waiting for a big yellow bus to appear on the horizon. No, the Pledge of Allegiance was not the first recitation of the day (or even a part of his day). No, my son did not experience the climate of a large-class environment.

Instead, he prepared for the day (even wearing a beaded necklace that he threaded over the weekend), helped clean up after breakfast, and then started the day with our usual morning worship service. He recited the Lord's Prayer with me, did a scavenger hunt to discover his Bible verse for the week, and then learned about the importance of volcanoes in creating the atmosphere for our planet in the early stages of Earth's history. Over the course of the first week, we compared the creation story with the geological time scale; and surmised from this highly-constroversial topic that God created the earth and all that is in it - regardless of how scientists and theologians hash it out. We made a paper-mache volcano (thanks to an Amazon packing box, Elmer's glue, shreds of Northern Virginia Daily, a recycled Stonyfield yogurt tub, and an empty spice container), painted it, and plan to "erupt" it as close to August 24th as possible (yes, I'm a classical archaeologist at heart). Joey learned that heat and pressure are two important necessities for a volcanic eruption to occur. We used the "Fountains of Fun" activity in Laboratory 13 of the "Science Lab: The Ultimate Science Pack Laboratory Manual" (1997:28). The experiment requires filling an empty plastic bottle 2/3 with water, shoving in a drinking straw, sealing the opening around the straw with modeling clay, and then blowing air into the bottle through the straw. The boys were delighted to see the jettison of water result when they moved their lips from the straw. This was a good way to illustrate pressure's importance in a volcanic eruption. To illustrate heat, I plan to melt red wax in a water-filled beaker - but, that's week two.

Ezra, the robot - up close and personal.

Amidst the science fun, the boys reviewed numbers, played Sequence Letters, learned the concept of one less and one more, and became more familiar with a globe, magnets, levers, and a balance. Joey is enjoying the beginnings of German, piano, and has art-infused into each day. But, there is still so much time for them just to have creative play. For example, during the second day of school, the boys claimed a larger Amazon packing box for the basis of a robot costume they wanted to make. I helped them by cutting out holes with an exact-o knife, but otherwise, the ideas were their own. They each had fun wearing the costume around the house and decorating the box with creative shapes and colors.

I had no idea what to expect for the first week. I definitely did not expect quite so much creative play and demand for learning. The boys are so inquisitive - and, I have to try to keep up with their yearning to know more. It was an exhausting week. And, I felt my public-school-learned self pushing against the more liberal way of homeschooled learning with less rules and more freedom. The best advice I received from an inspiring friend was to have patience with myself. Perhaps I have much more to learn than my boys do!