Zack -- week 1

When I asked Zack what he wanted to learn about this week, he said, "I want to learn about SCIENCE!" (What is it with my boys liking subjects that I can do, but I'm not very good at?) So, off to picking my brain (and the internet! Thank goodness for technology!)

I ended up scoring a jackpot over the summer. Through the wonderful publisher at TOS, I got about a dozen or so FREE unit studies. And guess what one of them was called? "Let's Be Scientists"!! No joke! Man, does God love me or what?

So, basically with Zack, his brain isn't wired like Nathan's. He's a classic ADHD kid. He literally bounces wherever he goes (which is why we call him Tigger). I read a book this summer that totally changed my approach with him. It's called "How to get your kid off the fridge and onto learning" by Carol Barnier. She's amazing and funny, and has a son just like Zack (except older). Anyway, I highly recommend this book for anyone who has a son/daughter who's brain is wired differently!!

So, with this unit study, I also got Noeo Science curriculum. It's really neat stuff. The unit we purchased was the Elementary Biology set. Basically, it's following the same things that the unit study does, but adds a new layer of depth to it all. An it pulls in real books in the process.

So, all last week (and for the next 3 weeks) we're studying weather. So far, we've learned how the sun affects our weather, the different types of clouds, and the water cycle. We made our own little experiment to help us understand how the water cycle works, and set up a thermometer outside to take daily readings (yeah, so far, only half of one day's readings have been taken.....).

The most fun we had last week was making his first lapbook. He's put in all his little pictures and readings from his experiments and charts. On Friday, when we were making the lapbook, it was about 11:30, and I said, "Zack, as soon as you finish that last thing, you can be done with school for the day."

Zack said, "But mom, I don't want to be done with school for the day!"

Ahh, an "Ah Ha! moment", if ever there was one!