The boys jumped right into the first shoebox learning center this morning, with Carter reading Hamster Champs
Archie: I made a pyramid!
Carter: (still building) Actually, Archie, it’s a triangular prism.
Me: (Inhaling to urge Carter to respect Archie’s joy of learning by not constantly correcting him, pausing because I can’t figure out how to convey my message without constantly correcting Carter)
Archie: (just as gleeful as his first exclamation) I made a triangular prism!
It takes more than a bossy big brother to quell his excitement.
The first shoebox center consisted of Hamster Champs
As soon as Carter read the book, they started making ramps and testing them with the cars. Carter used the protractor to measure the angles on his ramps.
The other shoebox center was a science “magic” trick. There’s a video of it on Saturday’s science links.
In the box was a towel, a white bowl, pepper and a small container with dish soap in it. I asked for two volunteers- one to shake pepper on the water and one to stick a finger in it. While they were distracted sprinkling pepper, I dipped my finger in the dish soap. Archie had volunteered his finger, so he stuck it in the middle of the pepper resulting in no change. I waved my “magic” finger in the air and then plunged it into the water. The pepper scattered.
Both boys tried it, and somehow graduated to mixing in green cupcake sprinkles, baking soda, vinegar and oil, which they measured, then boiled, then measured again. Pepper and vinegar boiling make for a smelly house.
Notes: The pepper/soap trick has to do with soap breaking the surface tension of the water, causing the water to move. Pepper and vinegar boiling and smelling up the house is not a requirement of this shoebox.