Community Involvement

We've discussed communities of various sizes in different countries. Ivy has had an email exchange with her grandparents who are doing relief-type work in the Domincan Republic. They discuss food, housing, schooling and lifestyle.

At the local level, Ivy spent a morning at the SPCA with friends to learn about what they do for animals. She has been to the food bank and is eager to find a way to contribute to it. Together with her Brownies group she did a walking tour in Summerland and they paid particular attention to public art.

Before Christmas we spent some time talking about what we are thankful for and where we might want to help people out. We took a more global perspective and the girls chose to put together a shoebox for a girl aged 7-9. Our extended families put money together at Christmas to send to a helping organization instead of buying each other too many gifts. This year the Paper Kite Foundation was the choice as it was founded by several of my brother's friends. We read through the website to see what the money was going to go towards.

Neighbours are a major component of our community so we are making a little more effort into these relationships. We called an elderly former neighbour and met her for coffee. Our neighbours are very generous and help us out by clearing our driveway of snow and giving us food from the orchard. We try to give back in small ways but I think we need to pick up the pace in that department!


Issues in Communities/Homelessness

Through the contact with the food bank and a having a grandma that works at a homeless shelter, we had the resources to talk through many scenarios where people might have to use these services. The girls did some role playing and came up with some of the challenges they'd face. Some of their solutions were very creative! Being homeless they'd need to find shelter (electricity - extension from outdoor plug next door, blankets, cope with seasons, bathing), food (scavenge, rely on handouts, shelters, food banks, finding odd jobs, how to cook?), clothing (re-purposing or reclaiming what others have rejected, making do with less, toiletries).

Two books that helped us understand more about it were The Boxcar Children and Family Under the Bridge.

Gluep & Ooblek

Ivy is enjoying some free science time, meaning she's free from curriculum and can explore whatever she's interested in. She came to me this morning with recipes for gluep & ooblek. It was a smashing success and we had a lot of fun doing it.

Gluep
Dissolve 1 tsp borax in 6 tbsp water. In separate bowl mix 1 tbsp white glue with 1 tbsp water. If you want it coloured, add one or two drops of food colouring to the glue mixture. Add 2 scant tsp of the borax solution to the glue. Mix until it turns into gelatinous goo and then play with it.

Ooblek
This was was a little trickier as the instructions were vague. Fill a small bowl half full of cornstarch and add water. There's a magic sweet spot where it's in limbo between solid and liquid. If you try to stir quickly it chunks up like a solid, but when you put it back down it oozes together. Ivy's assessment was that it was like it was "...on a timer for solids. It's solid for a few seconds and when time runs out it turns into a liquid".


From the book: Science Smart: Cool projects for exploring the marvels of the planet earth, Gwen Diehn, Terry Krautwurst, Alan Anderson, Joe Rhatigan, & Heather Smith

Ivy's art

Ivy's brush painting

Ella's term 2 art

Recent sketches & paintings

web games

Several times a week we spend about half an hour on the computer playing games that we feel are both fun and educational. Here are some of the most recent favorites.

Science - Matter


or link to game

Typing practise

Story making (mostly Ivy)

Math patterning(Ella)

Custom Oven

Ivy was inspired to devise her own oven in January. She had been hoping for a kid's oven for Christmas but didn't receive one. Jeremy worked with her on the basic design. They brainstormed, experimented and modified numerous times until they came up with one that worked. Ivy is delighted to report that although we burned her miniature brownie, her marshmellows toast well in it! The attempt to make popcorn was not successful but enjoyable anyway.

Drama

The girls have written and performed several skits together. Ivy tends to do most of the writing but they collaborate on ideas and making the props.

While they were still working on their unit on Animals in science, they were inspired by one of Ella's assignments in which she was asked to colour an animal and then cut it out and find places in the house where it was well camouflaged. Ivy wrote a play and they made puppets and a backdrop for it. Here's the video:



Ivy ad Ella occasionally spend days with their Grandma who helps facilitate some of their learning. In January they co-wrote and performed " Alice Saves Coneland". We regret that we did not take video or photos of the performance but we have pictures of the props. (note the cursive writing Ivy is working on!)

Pets

We finished our "Animals" units a few months ago but have only recently acquired some small pets for the girls to observe. Ivy has successfully raised a family of sea monkeys to the point where they are reproducing and we've found them surprisingly compelling. She feeds them herself on a carefully noted schedule. Ivy took them to her Brownies class for pet day and earned a "Pet Pals" badge.

We purchased a small fish tank and the girls actively participated in planning and choosing fish. Sadly we are down to 1 out of 3 fish but it has lead to teachable moments.

Origami

Ivy and Ella have been experimenting with Origami since December. They have enjoyed making "balloon" covers for the Christmas lights, Japanese dolls and small puppies, among many other projects.

Animal Units

We hiked down below our property to look at the bones from a deer that died in summer. The girls identified the jawbone, teeth, vertebrae and skin. We talked about how it might have died and what animals may have benefited from that.

I went over a list of animals in North America that are listed as endangered. The girls each chose one to represent on a poster. We discussed reasons for their decline including natural cycles, direct human contact and indirect damage through the environment. We would love to go to the South Okanagan Rehabilitation Centre for Owls but they are not open to the public at this time (according to their website).

Ella's unit pointed out different ways that animals can defend themselves. One exercise involved making puppets, colouring them and then finding a spot in the house where they would be camouflaged. Ivy also participated by making her own additional puppets. The girls then proceeded to script a play, make a backdrop and perform it for the family.

There is a buffalo field near our home but on the morning of our visit they were at the far side of the enclosure so we did not get a good look. They were so far away that they might actually have been cows. In any case, we read up on the many ways that First Nations used the whole buffalo. Eating the raw brain got the most reaction from all of us but using the tongue as a hairbrush was fascinating. It lead to a discussion of how we raise/consume meat. What is ethical consumption? Do we want to eat meat at all if practices are unhealthy & wasteful? Great discussion with no easy answers.