We are reading The Evolution of Calpurnia Tate for our read aloud. This is a historical fiction book set in Texas in 1899. This is a great book for several reasons: it is very true to history and explains a lot of what life was like in our country at the turn of the century. It also gives some insight into the Civil War. The main character is learning to be a naturalist and makes observations about the plants and insects in her environment, which lines up nicely with our science activities. The book makes several references to Charles Darwin and his scientific discoveries. We will not have time to discuss much of his work, and I have encouraged the children to research him if they would like.
I have just started reading a book titled: The Brain That Changes Itself by Norman Doidge. Even though I have only read 10 pages, I highly recommend this book. It is about how the brain can change. It includes fascinating stories of doctors who have given blind people the ability to see, deaf people the ability to hear, and many other stories. The beginning of the book explains how you can use a different tool to see instead of your eyes. Your sensory tools can be trained for other jobs. Many of these miraculous stories can apply to typically functioning brains, too.
We are finishing up our biome activities, but please help your child learn more about different biomes and the plants and animals that live in different biomes. Our next science activities will be to learn about the scientific method, which will allow us to do some fun science experiments. If you have any science experiments to share, please let me know. I love to have parents help with science activities.
We have started studying earth science. We will be doing lessons on volcanoes, land forms, and geology. If you or your child find any books or magazines including information on earth science, now is a great time to share these resources with the class.
We are learning about the solar system so now is a great time to find some non-fiction books to read. The students are researching a planet of their choice and may want to find out more information about their planet. Tomorrow, we will do a lesson on galaxies, which will lead into learning about stars. Children are welcome to share books, magazines, and websites with the class about any of their findings in these areas.
