Home Science Tools - Geography and Biology Supplies

Just a quick post today to remind everyone moving along in the elementary albums or those who are preparing for next year --- Home Science Tools carries a Montessori kit that includes most of the science supplies needed for AMI Elementary Geography and AMI Elementary Biology. If you have Keys of the Universe albums, your materials lists will specify further details. If you have other AMI albums, check those albums for a materials or scan the materials for each album page.

If you have other Montessori albums? I can't guarantee a perfect or even a close match - however, Home Science Tools is a fantastic source for your science supplies regardless of doing Montessori or something different. They cater to small schools and homeschools. Fantastic customer service, fantastic prices, small amounts of chemicals....

The kit is 10% lower than purchasing the items individually; and coupon codes DO STILL apply - so a free shipping coupon is great (they have a flat rate of $7.95 regardless of order size - I ship out a lot with my Garden of Francis business - this is a fantastic shipping price!) - or a 10% off coupon still takes another 10% off the kit itself. I bought mine for $83 or so. Their computer automatically generates the kit price according to current prices of the other items.

Caveat: chemicals can only ship to continental US (check your order contents if you live elsewhere).

NOTE: If you live elsewhere, contact me with your location, and the science supply companies that you do have access to - I'll see if I can set up a kit or package with them for Montessori homeschoolers in your area.



Home Science Tools

Botany Product Review: Kidzerbs Garden Kit

Growing an Herb Garden
Here is the webpage from Learning Herbs about growing an herb garden (we found the Kidzerbs kit when we were at Mountain Rose Herbs looking to purchase individual seeds from A Kids Herb Book for children of all ages. That's when we also found Wildcraft, which led me on a price comparison which led to the discovery of the Learning Herbs site (where the game is slightly more expensive, but comes with TONS of free stuff!). (whew - deep breath ;) )

Description from Mountain Rose Herbs:

Kidzherbs Gift Seed Pack

A Kid's Guide to Growing Medicinal Plants includes:
Kidzherbs written and illustrated by Sena Cech. In this booklet, Sena and her mouse, Cheesie, give you a tour of her garden of medicinal herbs. Full of cartoon and botanical illustrations, stories and recipes.
Each kit also includes 12 packets of seeds from Sena's garden (organically grown of course). Basil, Borage, Calendula, California Poppy, Catnip, Chamomile, Fennel, Feverfew, Flax, Johnny Jump-Up, Lemon Balm and Love-in-a-Mist.
A wonderful gift idea at a great price.

From there, things have blossomed - almost literally (we took a long time to get things planted, then we needed to replace, but our learning has certainly blossomed!).

Here is Legoboy's review of the Kidzerbs Garden Kit for Growing Medicinal Plants.

The Contents - or What is Included in the Kit:

• This kit also included craft sticks. 

Is it what you were expecting?      
Yes.

What wasn't as expected?
Nothing.

Any surprises? What were they?
Yes. The craft sticks.

How have you used this kit thus far?
All I have done with the kit is planting the herbs. We have not used them yet because we didn't have enough sunlight. We are replanting during the winter.

Are there any components you've not used? Why not?
I have not used the craft sticks. I taped the name of the herb to the side of each box.

Would you recommend this kit to a friend interested in growing or learning about herbs? Why or why not?
Yes. I think that this kit is a good starter kit.

Is the price a fair price? Too low? Too high?
Yes. It is cheaper than buying them individually.


Anything you'd like to say about customer service from the company where you purchased this kit? 
(note from Mama: we bought it from Mountain Rose Herbs, but it is actually created by Horizon Herbs)
No.


Anything else you'd like to share with people who might possibly purchase this kit? 
I like it and would buy it again.

Review Post: Kingdoms of Life Connected

I have the current edition as of December 2013: 2nd printing, published in 2008/9

I own the pdf version;
purchased for my own use

Short story: I cannot highly recommend this resource. I can recommend it with much trepidation and with several caveats - as a potentially useful resource for an older discerning student (adolescence and above).

This resource is not appropriate for elementary Montessori students except those who are keenly interested in the subject matter at hand.

If you have a focus on Biblical-based Creation, this is NOT the resource for you at all. It is clearly an evolution resource, with no qualms about pointing out the outdated beliefs of Creationism. There is simply too much modification work to be done, to really be of value (unless you receive a copy for free - even then, the modification work is heavy). Could you gain some tidbits? Probably; not worth spending the money for the tidbits though.

Short-short story: I find this book at odds with the Montessori approach to scientific classification at the primary and elementary ages.



The author presents a great lay-out and makes an earnest attempt to "update" the Montessori scientific classification materials. There are so many examples of snubbing what has been previously given to the children that it leaves a bad taste about the rest of her words, accurate words or otherwise - it leaves me questioning her rather strong bias. If the information could be presented without the strong emphasis on anything but the information in this book being "outdated", implying that children have been harmed in the process of their past learning - and without the accompanying emphasis that "we don't have a final system in place but we have to teach the children something so we're going to give them something that is based on what they can't observe and that is changing very quickly in the scientific world, so we'll go with this one which will ALSO be outdated very soon" - well, that just doesn't sit well with Montessori - so if she could leave out the very strong statements to these affects, I could work with the remaining information much more easily. Except that elementary need to work with what they can observe. Molecular levels need to be saved for strong interest and middle/high school.

Thus this resource is simply a mis-match of content and age, if the bias is left out.

There are a few places where she lists old names with new names, which is oh-so-helpful for those of us genuinely trying to "update"; I think this information can likely be found elsewhere though.


From chapter 1 - some quotes - italics and parentheses are mine:

Classifications with fewer than five kingdoms belong in the history of science, not in current studies.

(ignoring that for the young children first presented with these concepts in a Montessori setting, 5 Kingdoms is getting too detailed - instead we focus on "plants and animals" and slowly build from there as the child is ready to explore how Kingdom Vegetalia has been replaced with 4 other, more accurate Kingdoms --- we need to leave children room to explore, pointing them in the right direction and providing the materials - by giving them too much, too soon, we risk (and very likely are guilty of!) filling them with information rather than exploring with them. Best to start with plants and animals, add in fungi upon interest (typically before 1st grade), then the other two in middle to upper elementary)

What changes have recently been made in the kingdoms and phyla? 

Changes are part of classification. They reflect the dynamic nature of science. Students need to learn terms that they will encounter in current encyclopedias and juvenile literature, not obscure or obsolete labels. Here are some suggestions for changes in lessons on classification. At the same time, older publications may have useful information about organisms, and it helps to know something about previous identities of organisms.

(So do the children need to know the obscure and obsolete labels or not? The auther is not clear.)

For introductory study, it will be better for them to define plants as organisms that are adapted to life on land.

(yet many children have direct experience with aquatic 'plants' (algae are not plants, they are protists) --- fish tanks... If she is striving for greater accuracy in teaching an evolutionary hypothesis (yes, she says the arrangement taught is only an hypothesis), and is upset about the present/past Montessori experience of scientific classification, then let's keep these definitions accurate too!)




This part, I am ok with:

Should we use kingdoms to classify life?

Kingdoms classify whole organisms. Children who are able to perceive the characteristics of whole organisms, but not yet able to think abstractly about cells and molecules are likely to be most engaged when they are working with kingdoms. They can learn that there are three “true” kingdoms (fungi, animals, and plants), and two “kingdoms” that we group together for convenience (prokaryotes and protists).

(we are saying here that we can indeed start with what children can observe (fungi, animals, plants) --- and move into the prokaryotes and protists which are less easily observed (these are not going to be a typical lower elementary study - and almost never a primary study)).



The straight information on observable characteristics is great. The activities contained in the book that could be perfect for elementary and middle school students are readily found in other resources on the same topic. Nice to have in one place? Yes.



In the end, the biggest factors for me relate to the BIG picture being presented:

• too hypothetical - while I agree that we need to teach children what we have available even if the information is changing as new discoveries are made ---- there is TOO much hypothesis here that is CONSTANTLY changing - links between the different forms of life
• the children can't "see" it - boh because of the hypothetical nature and the reality that the children can't go back in the past - when they look at a set of organisms, Kingdoms of Life Connected will lead to children believing that they can't trust their own sense of observation, but instead must be fed information by someone else before they can do any real work with classification. Rather the Montessori way is to provide "keys" and encourage the children to explore, to come to their own conclusions, to discuss and share and perhaps change their conclusions - but ultimately learning to trust in their own powers of observation and intuition as well as collaboration with others. I see the "direct teaching" happening far more heavily on the front-end here, in contrast to the Montessori way of exploration first.

Thus even as an evolution-based resource, I CANNOT recommend this resource at the elementary level. Perhaps at adolescence and/or high school. 

A more useful reference for biological studies that does not get into creation OR evolution (minus the potential of the last chapter), but simply what children can observe with their own eyes:
The World of Biology by John Hudson Tiner
(I have neither read, reviewed nor utilized any of his other books)
Good basic information on each kingdom - easily understandable. Combine with some good living books and videos and real life experiences.

Herb Love

Here's a post that has been a while in the making - for something so simple! 

We started various herb studies around this time last year. 

Our indoor garden went downhill fast after some dear friends over-watered; and we had a pest issue with the mulch used - our treatments were too-little-too-late :( 

But the marshmallow lives on! Can't beat that!

We started Herb Fairies when they opened up this past spring. We're not exactly "fairy" people in our home, but it is a neat concept and storyline to teach the various properties and uses for a wide variety of herbs. 

Each month, a new story is released. Legoboy reads the book via the computer and takes a look at some of the other information. He's more on top of things than I am ;) 

Eventually (generally long after that month has passed), I will sit down and print out selected pages for our binder. 

We then listen to the audio-book together while we each color our own coloring page. Again - we're not exactly coloring page people here, but it is nice to color in the flowers and leaves of the plant at hand while listening to a story about it. 

It is really much better to do the stories in the month they are received, because that is the when the plant is already in bloom and going to be in bloom out in nature already. We attempted to grow things inside, but we had a series of unfortunate events - now that winter is soon upon us again (we have a south-facing window and grow tomatoes inside during the winter - they don't grow as much in the summer for us), I think we'll start again with fresh seeds.

I try to print on the lowest ink setting possible - and use up low ink cartridges - so our pages turn out light. It just means we can fill in the details we like (and get the information through our hands again!).


The great thing about our binder is that, even if we did the work in the actual month provided, there is SO much there - that you can easily pick and choose a few things this year; and cycle back around to it next year. We also have a beautiful binder full of recipes, crafts, additional activities, uses, journal pages and background information (like scientific classification information). One would have to cut back on other studies in order to do everything provided in one month. It has really been worth every penny spent.

I myself am really learning a lot and enjoying every minute of it!

Elementary Biology - Scientific Classification

Within the AMI elementary biology album, there are two levels of classification:

• simple classification - primarily for the lower elementary student as plants and animals are being explored; simple classification based on observable characteristics - essentially "practice sorting" while being able to explain one's choices
• scientific classification - primarily for the upper elementary student. The "traditional Montessori" system utilizes a dichotomous system for Kingdom Vegetalia and a not-so-dichotomous for Kingdom Animalia.

The simple classification is truly simple - it is organizing specimens that are on hand or through photos. No extra or particular materials necessary. 

The scientific classification though... not so easy. And that is where Legoboy is heading in less than a very few number of days. I have intended to get this material prepped at various times over the course of the last 4 years, but it just hasn't happened. So here we are. 

And oh my. What a chore! 

What troubles I am causing for myself: 

• studying up on others' takes on the Montessori approach, including a prevalent science author with materials available on several Montessori websites. I purchased some of the material to get a feel for it. It doesn't sit well with me - particularly the sections that say, "We'll use those old outdated ways for now until the scientists get all the new naming structures in place." It is all just very complicated. And if you're looking at anything from a faith-based perspective? Well, her intention straight-out in the introduction to the book I own is to get away from humans as stewards of the earth - we are simply part of the earth (she's puts the words "an important part" in parentheses perhaps to downplay the anti-stewardship statement she'd just made?). Sorry - the whole attitude rubs me entirely wrong. 
• studying up on more recent scientific classification methods, without the Montessori component. Yep, up in the air. At least the above-mentioned author is right on that one. So whatever I create now to "match" will be in-progress anyway, needing updates sooner and often. 
• There are so many varieties of classification. 
• the fact is that evolutionary-based classifications, which can only be based on current hypothesis (which change as the times change) are simply not appropriate to provide to young children. We want to give them the unchanging facts first - then with that solid foundation we can build upwards into the unknown or unclear areas. 
• And some kids won't care - so let's give them the foundation they need for a solid education and let them be, without over-complicating the matter. 
• Convincing myself that the Montessori materials for scientific classification are outdated - is spinning me around in circles. The only clear path is to accept the materials as they are, present these to the children.....
• and leave "The Tree of Life" and other materials for adolescence, where they belong; NOT in elementary.

With that load off my shoulders, I can move forward, create the materials I received in training, enjoy my son's childhood instead of nitpicking all of these details - and if it works for him, we'll pick up further biological studies down the road. 

So our material might still include phylum for the plants - and that may be outdated for now (the above author states they might come back but with a different name) - but this system is based on observable characteristics that an elementary child can handle. 

Like utilizing the mind for foreign languages, this work will prep the children for further classification down the road - it is not the only way to organize the world - it is ONE way. And it is one way that works for the elementary child. 

UPDATE 10/15/2013: Progress is being made! I hope to have a download available for purchase at Garden of Francis and Keys of the Universe very soon. Keys of the Universe discussion community participants will access it for free ;)

Botany: Herb Growing

We have decided this year to forego vegetables and fruits (except for our refuse-to-die tomato plants) and see what we can do with an indoor herb garden. We are combining our herb studies with Herb Fairies (opens up once a year in the early spring - sign up for their newsletter to get an announcement next April), other courses from LearningHerbs.com, my previous health-related studies and the book that started it all: A Kids Herb Book for children of all ages.

Our other Herb posts:
Biology Studies for 2013
Initial post that started the herb studies
Healing Herbs - using grocery store items
A review of Kidzerbs: A Kid's Garden Kit for Growing Medicinal Plants (coming soon)

Other posts labeled as Botany on Montessori Trails


Legoboy takes over the post from here:
(he needed some prompts, so I typed in the questions for him)


What is growing: 

• Calendula
• Flax
• Borage
• Johnny jump-up
• Yarrow 
• Fennel
• Marshmallow
• Poppy
• Basil
• Love-in-the-mist
• Dandelion and
• Chamleomile

What is not yet growing:

• Plaintain
• Mullein
• Licorice
• Lemon Balm
• Catnip

Why did you start this garden? 

Because I thought it would be fun to grow herbs ourselves (note from Mama: fresh herbs have different uses from dried herbs; and store-bought can be SO expensive). Because I can do with my Mama. 

Why is it indoors? Why not on the balcony? 

Because of snow and hail in the winter. Because we have neighbors who smoke and we don't want that yuckiness in our food and medicine plants. And because I spill water and the neighbors below don't like it. 

What is your favorite herb right now? 

Plaintain and Lemon Balm

What are you going to do with these herbs to keep them growing? 

Water them and add more soil when needed. We are buying some flower pots and some clear small storage tubs for transferring next week. 

What are you going to DO with ALL these herbs? 

Plaintain for if I got devil’s club thorns (note from Mom - it's in Herb Fairies but I don't know if we have that here??), or make syrup for coughs and sore throats and when I'm hungry. 

Marshmallow for coughs and sore throats.

Chamomile for bedtime tea.

Why did you choose these herbs? 

Because these are the herbs in the Kids Herb book and some came in the Kidzherb kit which we bought because it had many of the herbs we wanted. When we ordered seeds, we didn't know what would be included in the Herb Fairies series. Now we have more than we wanted, but not all that we would like. 

Our indoor garden:

seeds won't grow without soil.
we added soil. 

Biology - Coconut Oil

Stemming from our biology studies - botany in particular, Legoboy has fallen in love with coconut oil. Well, maybe not that extreme, but he sure does have an appreciation for it!

For someone who doesn't like coconut, fresh or dry, he was really hesitant to try the oil - so was I because I don't like coconut flavor either! The "expeller-pressed" version of the organic coconut oil does it for both of us. We have even purchased fresh coconut and done the whole "milk" thing and fresh coconut from the shell... didn't cut it. I am so happy there is a healthy, organic option without the flavor!

Note: I am not into "miracle" foods; instead I am interested (and cultivating in my son an interest) in eating wholesome variety of natural foods to maintain health; and use those same foods in different proportions for other needs: health ailments, body cleansing, household cleansing. We don't need man-made chemicals or processed "food" to live in the modern age! We just need hygiene and we can return to many of our ancient roots in a much more life-fulfilling manner! 


Uses for coconut oil as listed by Legoboy, with my explanations:

• 2nd coolest use for coconut oil: weather gauge. Check the glass jar we store small quantities in for quick access; if it is solid, wear warmer clothes; if it is liquid, wear lighter-weight clothing; if it is solid on bottom and liquid on top, better layer! ;) 
• cooking (we use refined, so there is NO coconut flavor) - used for sauteeing, stir-frying, baking (in place of other vegetable oils) - Legoboy notes that Mama makes really good eggs on hashbrowns, but the use of coconut oil instead of olive oil makes them even better!
• moisturizing dry spots - he used to have eczema and still has occasional dry spots in the same locations. (note: over-use of coconut oil is actually drying)
• soap-making - it makes VERY HARD bars of soap with decent lather and moisturizing. I make the soap and he serves as guard with the buckets of water and vinegar in case of lye spillage. Once the soap is done, he grates it to mix with other soaps (olive oil is the other top seller for our family business; 100% olive oil; 100% coconut; varying blends of those two; sometimes we'll do lard or other vegetable oils for customers; Legoboy wants me to note that our laundry soap for our personal use is made from odds and ends of left-over bars or the scrapings from the molds); we could make the blends from the start, but it is easier on both of us to do batches of one-fat/oil and re-mix. 
• deodorant - for those who want a rub-on deodorant like store-bought (mix 1 part each of cornstarch, baking soda and coconut oil; fill an old deodorant container)
• mix with smoothies for a smooth texture
• chapstick
• taken internally as well as rubbed just inside the nose can improve allergy symptoms (we're testing this one!)
• Additional uses at Wellness Mama
• Additional uses at Tropical Traditions
• in gallon size, it is not only affordable per ounce, but a little boy gets to use the really heavy metal tool to open the lid! Next time they have free shipping we are ordering the 5 gallon bucket - we go through it SO fast with all that just we do with it! 

1 gallon from Tropical Traditions -
sign up for their newsletter and be ready to order
when Free Shipping comes along.
WELL worth the wait!

Botany leads to Chemistry leads to Anatomy!

One direction our Herb studies have gone is into healing - medicines from our very food and even from our weeds!

During our Supermarket Herbalism E-Course (7 days, totally free, less than 5 minutes a day, truly all typical grocery items), we learned some great things that garlic can do for your body. Legoboy just LOVES the fact that the chopped-up garlic soaked in olive oil creates a fantastic oil to be rubbed onto one's toes for overnight. No cough! And the congestion has all but cleared up. And he gets his toes rubbed every night ;)
(he has spring allergies and this has been a life-saver! and NO allergy meds needed yet!)

That led to questions about what components in the foods cause the various responses. How is it that the essential garlic particles are diffused into the olive oil; then the olive oil, along with those wonderful components (particles) are soaked upwards through our bodies where the garlic takes up residence in one's lungs (endocrine system) - thus cleaning out the airway passages. In the meantime, we explored the reactions of soaking garlic in other substances - what would happen - sometimes a physical reaction, sometimes a chemical reaction. Which are safe to consume and which not? Of the safe ones, what are the options for taking it? (chopped up garlic in olive oil can make a great salad dressing! and if you like vinaigrettes then soak some chopped up garlic in the vinegar type of your preference)

We just had to take a look at the insides of the body to check out the respiratory system.

Not our favorite book due to lack of detail; but
interesting with the pop-ups - it's the one he used several
years ago to first learn about the body.
he keeps it on hand for the 3-d ;)
there are so many wonderful options out there!

Side-tidbits learned: 

we are still working on several
vitamin e bottles of capsules
NOTE: just buy in liquid form
and use an eyedropper ;)

• when you eat a lot of garlic and can't brush/clean it out of your mouth? it's because it is in your lungs, where it should be. 
• we always use vitamin e added to basic lotion as an insect repellent. Our studies above recalled this fact to his mind and Legoboy asked me, "What else does vitamin E do?" It helps with healthy nails and hair, which are the same thing - the particles are just re-arranged. He didn't believe me. 
• I then pointed out that diamonds and coal and our bodies are made of the same stuff - carbon - just with the particles arranged in different manners. He didn't believe me. 
• We then pulled out the crystals he'd previously made of alum - white powder as far as he is concerned, but forms crystals. He finally believed me!
• DOING is a better way of learning than lecturing ;) 

Now, I've hit on things kind of lightly here - mostly because, to give you more details, I would have had to chronicle every tidbit as it happened, and that would be a LONG blog post (or series of blog posts) that would show what happened only here in our home, not necessarily a "program" of study (program being pre-planned). We simply worked through the biology elementary Montessori album and took off on rabbit trails (extensions). ;) Thus, here are some of the highlights of where it could go!

We had long conversations, explored the books we have, used the internet (especially learningherbs.com, but others as well), culled a friend's 5 acres of land, visited the library some, scheduled a visit with a local herbalist... and otherwise really took a lot of time with this. We followed my own interests as well as Legoboy's interests and had a lot of fun along the way. Some days, not much happened; other days it was our sole focus. (past tense! haha! We're still in the middle of all this!)

Present the keys and follow the child (guiding to make sure the path is a healthy one ;) ). Then express such joy when your son brings you these:

Half-dead
but he can tell me the type of leaves; the type of flowers;
what kind of roots they had;
and what kind of seed they came from.
How they are pollinated.
And how they lovely they smell on our kitchen table :) 

Happy Mother's Day!!!

Biology Studies

So here we are in the spring time again - and the skies are finally blue! We typically re-start our botany studies in the winter because we have so much sunlight in our south-facing balcony doors - but this winter just dragged on... So we got started on herbs, but didn't get just too far - not far enough.

And it is admission time - we do not follow an academic work plan every single week. We DO meet each week and talk about the upcoming week, what needs to be done, what is scheduled, what we would like to do. About half the weeks of the year we are quite heavy on the academics, about 1/4 of the weeks in a year we have some academics and the rest - we blow off.

Or do we? We're still meeting, we're still planning, we're still working - we just might not be doing specific math skills or specific album pages in ANY subject. But we are still learning, exploring, discovering, and experiencing REAL life. THIS is the reality of Montessori - not how many album pages we worked on in a week, but how deep are we studying? Album pages can be flown through if the right foundation is there, enthusiasm for learning and the right timing.

Thus our last few weeks (since our return from out of state in fact) have been focused on practical life (spring cleaning), closing up school year events (my busiest week of this semester, I had 8 atrium sessions - he assisted in teaching 3 of them; and joined me for 3 others; but we also have other school-year related events), preparation for the next TKD belt test, preparing materials for the atrium, co-op, and homeschool, and getting ready for a new niece and nephew. Oh - and lots and lots of Legos ;)

Legoboy has been busy. I'll have a few blog posts about what he has been doing.


Starting with his herb studies, it has branched out from there. (click that link for the first post about herbs)


A few weeks ago, I posted this message to a couple of yahoo groups - I thought I'd posted it here, but the scheduled time didn't get it up - sorry! It's available next year (sign up now to get the message when it re-opens):

"A few months back, through a rabbit trail style of Montessori elementary, my son fell in love with herbs. I've shared a bit about it before and I have a few blog posts to get up about it... in my free time (haha!).

My son and I discovered this site - http://learningherbs.com - they have a great herb learning game (Wildcraft), which is a bit cheaper in other places, but the BONUSES this site provides are far more than worth the extra cost! All sorts of downloads - my son just loves them (think: a boy who is excited to learn about herbs!).

Only until Saturday, they have opened up their Herb Fairy learning system - they open up once a year, provide monthly stories and activities about specific herbs that correspond with that month (probably most matches northern hemisphere, but you could start it and save them for later if you are in the southern hemisphere).... I'm short on time to list all the benefits, but I wanted to share that if you have children interested in botany and/or herbs, or that might be - and you have $97 for an entire year's curriculum (that comes with a LOT), now is the time.
http://herbfairies.com

(note: this is NOT an affiliate link - I'm just sharing this opportunity because of my son's enthusiasm and how *thoroughly* pleased we've been with their materials thus far) "

(note - after the fact - we're on month 3 of this herb learning system and all I can say is "it is WORTH every penny!!!!")

Here are some of Legoboy's botany studies this winter/spring: 

Herbal Remedies
left: garlic chopped and soaking in olive oil (massage into feet to clear up coughs overnight)
right: onions chopped and simmered in honey - take small amount every 15 minutes
during a sore throat and/or cough
More information at LearningHerbs.com

growing 1-1/2 year old tomato plant in the house; mixed itself with the flowers...
We need to move these out to the balcony, but we're both nervous to separate out the branches. 

Legoboy just had to try to replicate Mama's success in growing mint from seed
(usually not an easy task for anyone; and I have a black thumb)
Results: SUCCESS!
(tip - just cut back your mint stalks and they'll re-sprout from the roots on the stump)

The jungle mess of a 2 1/2 year old tomato plant - still growing (tiny but edible) tomatoes!
This one is housed in Legboy's bedroom - south-facing window.

What was left of the dandelions after making cookies and teas
(see learningherbs.com for more information!)

All photos courtesy Legoboy. 

Geography Album and Potassium Chromate

Oh wow. Am I scared. We almost made a HUGE blunder.
(ok maybe not that huge, but it sure made me sick to my stomach)

We have these chemicals we use according to album pages in the geography album (forms of matter, chemical interactions) and the biology album (needs of the plant).

I have had supplies on hand to use with my son and have had the *correct* items. Tiny amounts purchased from a Montessori school that also used the same chemicals. We labeled each smaller container very carefully and everything was FULLY accurate. Still is. I'm just running low.

To do the presentations, I reviewed the album pages beforehand, used all proper safety procedures, and all has been *wonderful.* We don't use chemicals with similar names, so it is easy to keep them organized; and we only get out the chemicals we need when we need them.

The problem showed itself when I went to replace these chemicals the other night. I used the supply lists I created for my geography and biology albums, added stuff to my cart, but came up with two items that were not available at the top-notch science supply company I have come to love the absolute most because they are so homeschool-focused: Home Science Tools.

I e-mailed a Montessori comrade to ask where she got her supplies for potassium dichromate (geography album) and calcium nitrate (biology album).

Did you catch what I just wrote? 


Some background: 
In AMI training, the presentation is given to the trainees. The trainees furiously take notes by hand or on their laptops, while also trying to watch what is going on. Monday of each week of elementary training (primary was a bit different), all album pages from Monday through Friday of the past week are printed out, page-numbered, tucked into a large envelope and handed in. Album readers stop by the training center after-hours (so we can't know who they are and follow them home! ;) ), to drop off what they reviewed from last week and pick up the new week's set. The envelopes are THICK - anywhere from 80-200 pages each week.

A "lucky" few were then read by the trainers as well, before being returned sometime later in the week.

Changes are made based on the comments. Album pages can be required for re-submission or not, based on the trainer's thoughts; then final album-checks/reads are done at the end of the course.

But SO many typos slip through, grammatical errors... but the accuracy of the album page is supposed to be there.


I was one of those lucky ones that always had my album pages double-checked (probably to make sure I wasn't inserting Catholicism and homeschooling into a Catholic woman's work).


Yes, I just said that, and yes you probably read my voice tone accurately. I am extremely disappointed and disillusioned with AMI elementary training as it is - as far as the personalities and agendas of the people involved today (the content is fantastic!) - but through that many readers (and even my own use! but then, I had the material on hand and skimmed the page, there isn't another chemical with a similar name, and we're not supposed to be reading from the album pages as it is - they are supposed to be used for skimming/reviewing - I was using them properly! They were supposed to be error-free!).... and well, I just don't know what the chemical reaction would have been.


The fact is potassium dichromate is a vivid red-orange color; potassium chromate is yellow-gold. And I know that you are supposed to use just enough to make a brilliant gold color in the water - when a bit of lead nitrate is mixed in, a sediment precipitates down (you'll have to research that one to find out what is happening ;) ). So I would NOT have actually used the orange-red material, had I purchased it, opened it and saw a different color like that.

But the fact that it COULD have happened... scares me.


I am SO glad that Home Science Tools doesn't carry it.

Potassium chromate is a yellow chemical 

indicator used for identifying concentrations

of chloride ions in a salt solution with 

silver nitrate. It is a class two carcinogen 

and can cause cancer on inhalation. 

Wikipedia

Density: 2.73g/cm³

Density: 2.73g/cm³

Potassium dichromate, K2Cr2O7, 

is a common inorganic chemical reagent, 

most commonly used as an oxidizing agent

in various laboratory and industrial applications. 

Wikipedia

Formula: K2Cr2O7 Molar mass: 294.185 g/mol IUPAC ID: Potassium dichromate(VI) Boiling point: 932°F (500°C) Density: 2.68 g/cm³ Soluble in: Water

Formula: K2Cr2O7

Molar mass: 294.185 g/mol

IUPAC ID: Potassium dichromate(VI)

Boiling point: 932°F (500°C)

Density: 2.68 g/cm³

Soluble in: Water

I spent the next 4 hours combing through my albums to make sure every other indication was absolutely correct. That is the only such potential safety error. Whew. A few more grammatical errors; a few missing commas or periods. Ok.

Home Science Tools does carry the potassium chromate, so in the cart it went. Geography - CHECK.


Now for Biology: 

But in doing further research on the calcium nitrate, I wonder if I should be adapting that presentation to use a more natural substance. This one is man-made and people going for organic don't typically use it from what I read.
****Does anyone have a suggestion for replacement? The Biology presentation here is to set up an experiment with plants growing in several different glass jars of water - one is just water; one is calcium nitrate in water; one is magnesium sulfate in water; one is potassium phosphate in water; one is ferric chloride in water; the last jar is all those items in the water for a fully healthy plant.
(NOTE: magnesium sulfate can be bought very cheap in the pharmacy section - it is simply "Epsom Salts")
Ideas for the calcium nitrate?


UPDATE: I am still looking for a replacement for the calcium nitrate - something natural, organic....

Homemade Vanilla

The resident child (hehe) has been studying a bit about herbs of late. And it has been on our plans to make homemade vanilla extract for quite some time. 

Obviously, not something he can do on his own... He can cut the beans, he can drain the extra fluid, he can drop in the beans, label it all and seal it up, he can store it. 

But I had to make purchase. My first alcohol purchase of my life! The things we do for our children! It does seem ironic I just purchased an alcohol for my son, though! 

(for the record, I am not opposed to alcohol, I just don't tout it or drink very much, and I have not had a reason to purchase it before now.... wait.... when I lived in Belgium, I bought some wine to bring home to family, but that was a different culture - alcohol was out with the sodas!). 

Grandma was given this kind of rum/vanilla; and we
were so happy to find it stocked at Kroger.
It has fantastic flavor, so we are excited! 

The beans we purchased from Mountain Rose Herbs: 

http://www.mountainroseherbs.com/index.php?AID=135782&Redirect=/search?page=1&q=vanilla+beans&utf8=✓

We have the "1oz Vanilla Bean organic and fair trade" and it smells right! ;) I do wonder if we got quite the driest beans (apparently you are supposed to use grade B beans - but I also wanted fair trade, etc). These seemed more most than I anticipated. So we'll see. Either way, it will work from what all sources say - it's just a nuance ;)

He has been looking at the history of the use of vanilla - and true to Montessori style, we want to look at the PEOPLE involved. Most fascinating is that a 12 year old child worked out how to hand-pollinate the vanilla so that it could be grown outside of the Latin America countries. 

Forget gold and corn and other such things - the greatest gift that the Europeans found in the Americas: VANILLA! 

Ever had chocolate without it? 

We did! Never again, thank you! 

Vanilla brought chocolate to the impoverished Europeans! And now they make the best chocolate in the world. One plant changed the world! One little boy's discovery! 

Daily life Montessori style

I've received a few comments that I don't post much about my son's actual daily work and it would be nice to see how it all works together.


The trouble is - I don't monitor everything he does. I wish I could! But he has his work plan, his work journal, times to meet with me, and he does a LOT of independent researching; a LOT of building with Legos; a LOT of reading high-quality literature (re-reading Fellowship of the Ring as I type this); and as much snuggle time as we can get in. Within there somewhere are the Montessori math materials, the language materials and some geometry yet. But mostly at this point he is working with materials that are not specifically Montessori in nature, but are used in a Montessori way.

That is the result of a Montessori education ;)

We start with the Montessori materials and presentations and totally branch off from there.


For example, this past year we delved into the Montessori botany album heavily again, re-discovering eco-systems, parts of seeds and plants, classifying leaves, etc. A friend offered some space in his not-so-great-but-better-than-nothing-at-all garden space and we planted beans, broccoli, squash and watermelon. We didn't get much (in fact we got a bit more off our balcony space and that wasn't much either!) but it did provide lots of all-too-real lessons on sunlight, wind, soil, gravity and nutrients. We also had a variety of plant leaves to explore; flowers to dissect; unripened and underdeveloped fruit/vegetables to explore the various stages of growth (did you know certain squash, if under-developed, can be treated as though it were zucchini - just chop it up and add in with mixed vegetables where you would have zucchini. ???)

This same friend gave us some mint to grow in our home. Noone can kill mint. HAHA! I did! Three times over in fact! And then, suddenly, it lived! And we have had our own fresh mint tea for several months now! This, along with references to natural poultices in his literature as well as his Young Man's Handybook, led to some interest in plant usage for more than food and fun tea.

mint, dried, laying on the stove
because our counters were full at the time. 

grinding mint leaves with mortar and pestle

Somehow or another we discovered a children's herb book on Amazon. I finally purchased it and it arrived. My son was interested but not overly excited at the time of its arrival. Perhaps that is because the order also included the long-coveted Minotaurus Lego game ;)

But he did sit down to read it - and now he is devouring it! It is so nicely laid out for children, including silly songs, interesting information, decent size font, with non-cluttered pages.... recipes, remedies, history, and more; it even gets into the best materials to use for tea-making (earthenware and the like is best; stainless steel if metal must be used, but preferably not) and all the reasons why. It far exceeds my expectations! And he has started a list of herbs he wants to start growing this winter inside - just a few for the most important things.

He gets a kick out of this one:

He said to me, laughing,
"Just give me this when I start whining, Mama -
you'll never have a problem with me again!" ;) 

I could get used to this song ;) 

All this, from starting with the Biology album again!

So, in a nutshell what happens in elementary Montessori is that the albums are used heavily at first - but then you SHOULD BE MOVING AWAY from the albums. Mathematics is relatively continuous, but all the other albums keep moving away and coming back, moving away and coming back. The albums are touchstones to personal and practical research, daily learning and personal growth. We don't need an album presentation every single day, because we are taking advantage of a multitude of learning opportunities - branches off from the album presentations.

Montessori and 'Building Foundations of Scientific Understanding'

One non-Montessori resource we use is Building Foundations of Scientific Understanding, Volumes 1, 2 and 3. Together, these books comprise 109 (or 110) lessons covering grades K-8, with approximately one lesson per month for a year-round school (give or take in Montessori fashion! Technically it comes out to 12.2 lessons per school year if you really want an average...).

I use these volumes to guide my further conversation within the context of daily life. Guide "natural" follow-up experiences; help me to be sure I have the bases covered beyond the AMI Montessori albums.

But why am I adding in this resource when I have these fantastic AMI albums?

Short answer: because AMI albums tell you to do so.
(people want me to give a short answer, but my short answers always beg more questions ;) hehe)

WHAT!?

yep.

You want a longer answer ;)




Long answer: 

• AMI albums are a framework with lots of meat. But if your children learn ONLY what is in the albums, they will not have everything they actually need. The point to the framework/meat analogy is that there is a LOT there - but your children are SUPPOSED to be exploring their own interests, going deeper. They are NOT supposed to have everything handed to them. Period. No long tedious lessons just because they need to get it (even if it is a great Montessori lesson! if it is long and tedious and does NOT spark interest, toss it out!). If you present everything in AMI albums AND provide time/space for interests to develop, THEN your children will get *everything* they need. 
• Therefore your children will NEED other resources. Of your choosing as to appropriateness, but of their choosing as to personal interests. 
• Yes, you can dictate some outside requirements (have I said this before? ;) hehe) - family requirements, local educational standards. But these requirements plus the Montessori albums should still not be ALL your child learns. 
• Thus children should be taking cues from the lessons, exploring on their own and with classmates and coming to new discoveries of new subject areas. Positive peer influence! We want more of that!
• But within a homeschool setting, especially with an only child (or the oldest child), well... it doesn't happen quite as much. You will want something to spur on conversation and interest that replaces that classroom dynamic. You don't want more work for work's sake, but you do want to provide for what is negatively lost when homeschooling Montessori. We do this in a variety of ways - doing work when the children work; creating materials when the children are working; doing a lot more Goings Out; focusing more on the family dynamics. And pulling in resources that will help guide our conversations. 
• And if you have limited science background or just don't trust your background/skills, the AMI Montessori albums are great, but what do you do with those expanded interests that are outside the realm of the albums? (ah! now I am seeing why so many people want the fully detailed albums with an album page for every single topic and possible interest of science and geography! despite the fact that now the child's interest will be dictated by the album rather than the inner guide. I understand those feelings - I am a homeschool mom too - and there are areas where I had doubt in my abilities too! there is hope!)

Benefits of BFSU specifically:

• BFSU is set up as a conversation of sorts - it is NOT meant to be read to the child or even with the child; it is meant to be read by YOU and then discussed with your child. Dr. Nebel lays out the information your child needs for the topic at hand. This is a great way to take the Montessori lessons and extend them. MOST especially for those people who are just not confident in their science skills and knowledge. You probably know more than you think you do; but it is nice to have a guide to show that to you! 
• There are 4 main threads (Nature of Matter, Life Science, Physical Science, Earth/Space) which are interwoven with suggested flow charts - COSMIC EDUCATION! 
• All the lessons point out ways to look for the taught concept in daily life. Cosmic Education again!
• The Earth/Space section is a blessing when it comes to fleshing out the AMI albums (one weak area in AMI - see previous posts on this one), without adding undue stress of a multitude of lessons. It is one of two bases I am utilizing to organize an AMI astronomy album. 
• The idea is to spur interest - at 12.2 lessons per year, it's ok if a new lesson doesn't happen every week; it is ok if one lesson takes a month because (get this!) it spurs interest! And conversation! And insight in daily life. 
• The threads can be intermingled and jumped around or follow one straight through the particular volume until interest and ability hit a brick wall. Then take a break and jump somewhere else. Just like AMI albums!
• There is a lot of what we in the Montessori world would call "theory and application" so that the adult comes to have confidence in oneself. 
• The author focuses on science we can see and experience, so until ONE lesson at the end of the 3rd volume (intended for middle schoolers), there is no direct discussion of evolution or not. However, there is a lot of preparation for it (Baloney Detector guide, development of scientific process and reasoning) so that the child is prepared to deal with the plethora of information that fly from both sides and can enter into the conversation leaving emotion out of it. 
• Downloadable (but not printable) pdfs are available for $5 at the publisher's website.

Drawbacks: 

• Those of you with a strong science background and/or are very-very confident in your abilities in this area, will find it stifling. Don't use it - it's ok! 
• Planning: Some people have commented about planning taking too much time. I have not personally found this to be the case, but perhaps I approach it different? I look ahead to suggested books and resources, try to locate those on Netflix, library, etc. Make sure I have any needed materials on hand (almost everything is from around the house or the grocery store). Then read through the lesson before I do it with my son. I might read it a month ahead, a week ahead or right after I tell him, "Hey (insert the pet name I use for him on that particular day), meet me in the big chair for snuggling and a chat in 5 minutes." I really-really-really try to emphasize the rather impromptu nature of science, because the principles are ALL AROUND US all the time, so science is not something that is 20 minutes every day or 1 hour once a week. It is always - all the time. Exploring. Asking questions. Testing answers. Finding exceptions. How do they all fit into the big picture? Yes our Montessori work plan might say that we meet at a particular time (and we do), or it might say "cover this lesson at some point" and we do it that way too. Some things just have to be planned into a time slot. 
• It IS one more thing to read ;) 

One last benefit: 

• I have put together a spreadsheet with the title of every lesson and where it is found in AMI primary and elementary Montessori albums. This is NOT a perfect work, but a general idea of what connects where. Please use this as a guide only - for introducing the Montessori album page and material, and following up with BFSU (right after, or even years later); or starting with BFSU earlier on and working on the Montessori album pages later. At least you can see basically what fits together. 
• The document is here (click here and it should download to your computer) currently in Excel; open to modification (and spell check! My keyboard keeps sticking and Excel does NOT have spell-check!). Please leave a comment or send an e-mail if you have any feedback, suggestions for changes, questions, type corrections, or you want to come help me clean my house ;) (just thought I'd try anyway ;) ). 

Pollinator Week - Biology

Pollinator week is June 18-24 and we'll be doing what we can at our home. How about you?

We'll be continuing our balcony garden, as well as the gardening at our friend's home; and we'll be on a "Pollinator Hunt" all week to see what we discover. My son also wants to do some research to see what plants and insects/animals go together for pollination purposes.

He has already started our list for when we move into a house - he knows which plants he wants in order to attract certain butterflies for example ; )


Kids Discover
This great article has a list of resources for more information, as well as activities and background information.


When planning your pollinator-friendly garden, choose native plants whenever possible. The Pollinator Partnership has a native plant guide (http://pollinator.org/guides.htm) that tailors recommendations to your region. Plant a variety of species that will flower successively over the entire growing season.

Who Pollinates?

Lentils – bees and insects
Artichoke – bees
Figs – wasps
Honey – bees
Eggplant – bees
Onions – bees and flies
Garlic – bees and flies
Sesame Seed – bees, flies, wasps
Chili Peppers – bees
Sweet Potatoes – bees
Yellow Potatoes – bees
Garbanzo Beans – bees
Herbs – bees
Lettuce – bees and insects
Grapefruit – bees
Currant – bees
Avocados – bee, flies, and bats
Tomatoes – bees
Spinach – insects
Almonds – bees
Lemons – bees
Sugar Cane – bees
Cocoa – flies
Cherries – bees
Bananas – birds, bats
Vanilla – bees
Raspberries – bees
Strawberries – bees
Coffee – bees and flies
Tea – bees, insects, and flies
Cranberries – bees
Apples – bees
Tequila – bats
Oranges – bees

Find out more at Kids Discover 

Primary albums in our family

The primary albums I used for my son were my AMI primary albums in exercises of practical life, sensorial, language and mathematics. All the other subjects were interspersed into appropriate places therein (ie art was spread out, music, geography, botany, zoology - all was spread out in the appropriate subjects).

I am slowly adding these albums for sale at Keys of the World. While I found them complete in themselves, many people may like to use other albums available online for supplementing for interested children or just for another perspective.

While I am entirely sold on pure AMI for elementary, I feel there is more flexibility with the primary years. As long as the same topics are covered; a child is neither forced ahead and intentionally held back, most of the primary albums available are wonderful options. I'm just throwing my own into the mix for a good AMI balance. I will not be specifically providing online support for the primary albums, however most people reading this blog know that I am more than happy to be of service privately or at any of the online groups where we meet :)

TIP: No matter what albums you use, start with the theory album - at the appropriate level. It's the nitty-gritty and allows you to utilize ANY album in the proper manner. It's where the "real Montessori" is.


UPDATE: I have primary and elementary theory albums, as well as the elementary Biology album posted at Keys of the World. Online access and online support are available for the elementary albums at Keys of the Universe Course Access Site.