Water Cycle in a Jar

Ever since we've moved past biology, zoology, and even botany, I am bored out of my skull with 7th grade Science. Right now we're studying, "The Amazing Atmosphere." After weeks of electromagnetic waves, thermospheres, ionospheres, and who-cares-ospheres, we're finally onto a topic I can teach with some degree of confidence: the water cycle.

Today we did a demonstration of how the water cycle works, albeit on a drastically smaller scale. First fill a metal can with ice and set it aside to get cold. Then put 1/2 cup boiling water into the bottom of a tall flask or canning jar. Quickly place the can of ice cubes on top of the jar. Notice what happens to the air inside the jar as the hot water warms the air. Since warm air can hold more water vapor than cool air, some of the water begins to change into vapor (evaporation).

As the vapor rises up towards the cool air near the can of ice on top, the vapor will begin to condense and form a cloud. Many of these droplets will combine to form larger water drops which will precipitate down the sides of the jar. Remove the can and watch your cloud float away.

Experiment taken from A Beka Science: Order and Reality; page 192.

We's In The City Now, Pa

I embarrassed Jeff with all my picture taking when we visited the state capitol yesterday. He said I looked like a country bumpkin in the big city... which is ridiculous! I have all my teeth and I was wearing shoes. LOL

Aside from all the picture taking, the day went pretty much as I expected. We met with the Chair of the Education Committee. She informed us that a bill had just been introduced that would accomplish exactly what we want, though she made it clear, in a very nice way, that she was not supporting that bill. As it turns out, the bill is not what we want anyway. While it does allow homeschoolers that meet certain requirements to play school sports - yay! - it also takes away one often used form of assessment - Boo! We do not need any more restrictions on homeschoolers. West Virginia is already more regulated than 24 other states.

After our meeting, the boys paged in the House of Delegates. Paging is slang for getting coffee and carrying papers. LOL Adam managed to spill someone's coke all over his podium and Ryan finagled a Marshall University clip from a state delegate. I'm not sure how much, if anything, they learned but they enjoyed it. Jeff and I observed from the gallery, where the most interesting thing to do was study the amazing architecture of the building while delegates introduced everyone in the gallery. The session wasn't very long and the majority of time was spent with introductions! My next bill idea will be to abolish introductions from the house floor. What a waste of time!

We met with our delegate, Carol Miller, after the boys finished paging. She showed us her office and talked with us for a while. She's a very nice, Christian lady but I'm not so sure she supports equal access to school sports. She didn't say one way or the other. I gave her some papers that I hope will sway her opinion to my side. {BWG}

Mr. Smith Goes to Charleston

We're off to the state capitol tomorrow. It's our first effort at getting state laws changed to be more fair to homeschoolers. You see, my 10 year old is a football fanatic. He's quickly aging out of our local city league. Kids who want to continue playing after elementary ages play for the middle school team. But Ryan isn't allowed to play for our middle school team because he doesn't attend school.

This issue has been brought before our legislators and state supreme court many times. They have their standard arguments about cost and grade point average. I'll immediately throw the cost thing out. We're saving them far more money by homeschooling our child than we'll use by participating in extracurricular activities. I don't even think it will cost them more money to include the 3-5% of homeschooled kids that may take advantage of this opportunity. In West Virginia, that would be, at most, 313 kids or six kids per county. They already have the fields, the equipment, the coaches, the uniforms... and extra expenses are usually covered by booster clubs, not school boards. AND, they already offer other services to homeschoolers so this point is moot.

The biggest obstacle is the grade point average requirement. Student athletes are required to maintain a 2.0 average in at least four classes that count towards graduation. The lawmakers have refrained from accusing homeschool parents of faking grades but they did voice concern about the lack of uniformity in curriculum... as if every school across the entire state uses the same curriculum, teaching methods, and grading stategies. Lawmakers also point out that athletically-gifted, yet academically challenged, students may withdraw from school to "homeschool" when they are failing a class. They actually said allowing homeschoolers to play would "invite mischief." Is it my responsibility to make sure there is no "mischief," within the public school athletic community? I'm sure there aren't any coaches or teachers fudging the grades to make sure their star athlete is on the field... yeah, right! I think this could be easily solved by red-shirting new homeschoolers.

Ryan emailed our legislators about his problem. Most ignored us, but we got a form letter from one and an invitation from another. Carol Miller invited the boys to page in the House of Delegates tomorrow. We'll also meet with her to discuss our issue and she set up a meeting with the chair of the education committee. It seems so promising, but I know many West Virginia homeschoolers have already done the same thing and gotten no where.

If you're a homeschooler or a West Virginia resident, this is your battle too. You can find your legislators by zip code at the West Virginia Legislature Web Site and send them a quick email. Out of staters can email too. This is a national issue since only 24 states currently allow homeschoolers to play on public school sports team. Getting a law passed in our state could help your cause.

And just for fun...

Can you name the Miami Dolphins defensive end who was homeschooled for 10th through 12th grade? He lost his college scholarship when university officials claimed he was ineligble b/c he was home educated. He fought back and played for the University of Akron on a full NCAA scholarship before he joined the NFL.

Can you name the homeschooled student who won the Heisman Trophy last year? That's right. His home state of Florida welcomes homeschoolers on their teams and look where it took him. Doesn't Ryan deserve the same chance?

You'll Get Dirty

Don't wear white... ... if you're sitting five rows back from this.

WHY?

• Why does the child who whizzes through long division, multiplying fractions, and algebraic equations get confused and frustrated with rounding off?
• Why are the jeans I bought just a couple months ago too short for Andre the Giant, aka Adam? There's not even a bit of wear of them and yet, they're worthless.
• And yet... Why are there holes in the knees of all the wind pants and sweat pants that still fit him?
• Why does Inspector Hector Plaque Detector stain my sink and bathroom towels a shocking shade of blue, but have no effect on the plaque on the children's teeth?
• Why do they expect me to watch transforming robots with them but they won't watch a little Hannah Montana with me? Sweet Niblets!
• Why am I still sitting here at 10:39am when we haven't even started school?

You Be The Judge

Let's say two hypothetical parents take their four hypothetical children to Big Arena for the Big Event. As Big Event is concluding, Child #3 needs to use the bathroom. Parent #1 takes Child #3 and Child #4 (with the hypothetically small bladder) to the bathroom. Parent #2 remains in the assigned seats with Children #1 and #2.

Since Parent #1 left just before Big Event was over, the bathrooms are still empty. Children #3 and #4 do their business and they exit the bathroom quickly. Now Big Event is over and they are in the crowded hall of Big Arena. They do not see Parent #2 and Children #1 and #2 because they are still waiting patiently in the seats where they were left.

That's when Parent #1 sees a random exit door. Parent #1 decides to use this exit door to get out of the crowds and drags Child #3 and Child #4 out the door, despite the fact that it is on the wrong side of the building, it's thirty degrees outside, Child #4 left his coat in his seat, and Parent #2 and Children 1 & 2 are still sitting in their seats waiting!

Meanwhile, Parent #2 is beginning to wonder just how crowded those bathrooms are. Almost everyone else has left the arena. But Parent #2 knows that Parents #1 and #2 will only be able to find each other if Parent #2 stays right where he/she was left (since Parent #2 regrettably left his/her cell phone at home). Parent #2 does leave Children 1 & 2 in their seats and steps out into the hall several times to look for Parent #1 and Children 3 & 4, not venturing very far lest the safety of Children 1 & 2 be compromised. Finally, a security officer asks Parent #2 and Children 1 & 2 to leave the arena. They do. They check all the now empty bathrooms for Parent #1. They walk the entire hallway and even check the autograph line, knowing that Parent #1 would not be there but not thinking of anywhere else to look. They look everywhere except outside b/c there's no way that Parent #1 would have left the building without Parent #2, especially considering that Parent #2 is carrying Child #4's coat and it's COLD outside.

Parent #2 is beginning to panic. Could Parent#1 have had an accident and been whisked away in an ambulance with poor little scared Children 3 & 4 along for the ride? Did Parent#1 lose Child 3 or 4 and is now sitting in a security office trying to remember what they were wearing? Maybe Parent #1 decided to walk to the van two blocks away? No, that doesn't make sense.

Finally, Parent#2 begs the use of someone's cell phone and calls Parent#1's cell phone. Parent#1 is livid that Parent#2 is not outside in the freezing cold walking around the entire city on the off chance that perhaps Parent#1 is outside with Child #3 and poor coatless Child #4... and also that Parent#2 forgot the cell phone which they pay a lot of money for and why do they even have a cell phone if it's not going to be used... blah, blah, blah.

So, the choice is yours.. which Parent is at fault here? The Parent who waited patiently where he/she was left... or the Parent who exited the building without first checking for the other Parent where he/she was left?

Time Out

I was looking forward to this totally empty week on my calendar. We were going to get into a routine and knock out some book work this week. Um, no... the best laid plans...

We did great on Monday. Tuesday was a snow day, but we did get a few subjects done. Adam and Ryan took their first science tests of the year. We just finished Chapter 4 but it's the first chapter I felt like they needed to prove to me that they knew the information. They did. And I admit to being estatic to be done with chemistry and physics for the year... though I suspect it will come up in later topics.

On Wednesday morning, Adam and Ryan both woke up puking (chemistry and physics will do that to you). I thought it was just the little bug that Evan had last week but it lasted past the afternoon and then I got it. I didn't actually throw up. I (almost) never throw up. But my tummy was hurting so badly I couldn't get out of bed. Jeff came home early to take care of Matthew b/c he was driving me insane. The three of us were sick Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday. Needless to say my school plans were blown to smithereens.

But with another big winter storm forecasted for next week, I suspect we'll be stuck at home for another week. Despite what the calendar has planned, I forecast we'll be snowed in and able to catch up on all the stuff we didn't get done while we were sick. And if we don't... well, there's always the next week!

For more productive Weekly Wrap-Ups, visit Kris at Weird Unsocialized Homeschoolers.