Thursday was animal tracks day here at LaPaz, and we explored them in several different ways.
First off, JBug filled some latex molds of farm animal tracks with plaster of Paris to cast her own replicas:
And Superboy used some high-quality latex casts of actual Alaskan wildlife tracks to make replica tracks in wet plaster. He did wolverine, otter, mountain goat, and wolf:
Both methods produced mixed results, and as far as plaster of Paris goes—what a mess!!! It was fun, but it won’t hurt my feelings if we don’t use it again any time soon.
While we waited for the plaster to dry, we all used some really neat Alaskan animal tracks stamps to fill a page in our nature journals:
Then we went outside to make some tracks of our own:
and see if we could spot some animal tracks in the snow, such as these distinct snowshoe hare tracks:
A very fun day!
Original post by lapazfarm
Yesterday was hair/fur day here at LaPaz. We spent the day examioning pelts of a wide assortment of Alaskan animals.
Here are a bunch of foxes, showing off the variation in coat colors:
These are a summer arctic fox, two red foxes, two winter arctics, and a silver fox.
Here JBug shows off pelts from a lynx, a river otter, and a mink or ermine:
Superboy has here a wolverine, a wolf, and a sea otter:
The wolf was as tall as he is, and the sea otter nearly so. We also examined beaver, muskrat, snowshoe hare, dall sheep, caribou, and moose hides.
Then we looked at the structure of the hairs under our microscope, comparing the hair diameter and pattern of the cuticle among different animals:
Seeing these pelts really gave me some mixed feelings because I am not a fan of hunting for trophies. But then again, the use of animals for their fur has […]
Original post by lapazfarm
Ok, so I’ve had several people ask me where we get all this nifty animal stuff to stock our home nature center, so I thought I’d address it, and hopefully give you some ideas of where you can get similar things.
We do have an assortment of our own stuff: fur, bones, teeth, leaves, seeds, shells, and various other animal and plant parts collected here and there over the years, which add up to make a fairly decent nature collection, but not nearly enough to satisfy our needs. So we borrow.
And you can, too!
Most of the stuff you saw on the shelves in this post was borrowed from the Fairbanks-North Star school district media lending library. It’s a fabulous resource which, as homeschoolers registered with the district, we have free access to. They have all of this stuff and much, much more which I intend to make full use […]
Original post by lapazfarm
I am a little behind in posting, but here are some pics of the kids’ reindeer-related activities from monday:
Labeling a photo with the “parts of a reindeer:”
We watched a slide show and read about the history of reindeer in Alaska. Then Superboy read about how to make Eskimo Ice cream (hint: yuck!) while JBug did her copywork of “Reindeer words.”
Then it was time to have a cup of tea and, inspired by the Skull Alphabet Book, they started sketching the reindeer skull:
They both concentrated and worked so hard to make their pictures accurate…
and detailed…
Here is JBug’s finished product:
And here is Superboy’s:
I am so pleased with both of them!!! All that sketching in our nature journals is really paying off!
Not bad for a monday!
Original post by lapazfarm
Hello sunshine! The weather in Fairbanks this week has been nothing short of spectacular! Sunny and mild with just a hint of fall in the air. We are getting out daily to enjoy it while it lasts!
One of our stops was to the lovely Botanical Gardens at University of Alaska Fairbanks.
You’ve heard of the giant cabbages grown in Alaska, right? Well…here you go!
Imagine harvesting a row of these giants! The kids and I were definitely impressed!
And the gorgeous red of these highbush cranberries caught my eye!
We walked all around enjoying the vegetable plots, the flowers, the streams, the sunshine and fresh air, the views of Denali…
What is it about eating outdoors that makes even good old PBJ seem like a treat?
Superboy couldn’t resist a snooze in the luxurious carpet of shady grass.
Ahh…another day in paradise!
Original post by lapazfarm
Our current read-aloud is this wonderful book:
In a Patch of Fireweed by Bernd Heinrich
The children and I are utterly absorbed by Heinrich’s descriptions of his adventures as a budding naturalist. This passage we read today rang especially true for us as nature-centered us-schoolers:
(After a short description of the value of play in young foxes)
…Foxes who play the most learn the most-and they survive. Almost anything a fox learns will come in handy later in his life.
We, too are predators, though we live much longer than any fox and our environments are much more diverse. Small wonder play is such an important aspect of our lives, especially when the environment is unfamiliar. Growing up in Maine, I played a lot, but I never connected it to “education.” Education in our modern conception, is usually associated with a training toward some practical end. My education was largely outside that mold. My […]
Original post by lapazfarm
We bought six painted lady caterpillars. Two are still in cocoons. Three have become butterflies, and have been released. Before we set them free, Sarah helped me research what kind of plants we needed to create an appropriate habitat for them, and we are starting a butterfly garden.
Trishy particularly enjoyed this.
She, James and I also read Butterfly Story by Anca Hariton, a lovely picture book about the butterfly’s life cycle.
And the kids got to see baby bunnies at a good friend’s house.
Original post by tribeofautodidacts
We had a picnic and the kids explored the creek for a while. It was teeming with frog eggs and tadpoles.
Then we went to the lake
Original post by tribeofautodidacts
Here are some pictures of the kids at a get together at Riven Rock today. They played in the creek and looked at tadpoles and fish. Sarah also found a spot where a multitude of Swallowtail butterflies was gathered. “It must have been mating time.”
James and Aengus, one of his very best buds, functioning on about 5 hours of sleep after a “sleep” over
Trishy
Sarah kicking butt and taking names in a water fight with the younger kids. She considered at least one mom to be fair game, too.
Original post by tribeofautodidacts
Sorry I’ve been so lax lately in posting here. I’ve had migraines which have kept me off the computer. Those of you who suffer migraines know excatly what I am talking about–just looking at the screen is painful. Thankfully I am feeling much better this afternoon.
So, what have the kids been up to while mom has been curled up in a ball on the couch?
Well…mostly they have been exploring the woods and fields around the house, keeping a sharp eye out for anything new and interesting.
Superboy’s ever-sharp eyes spotted this neat game trail in the woods out back. I imagine it was made by our elusive resident moose, plus some snowshoe hares. Looks like the perfect place for Superboy to hone those snare-making skills he’s been reading about.
And JBug has been stalking some small prey of her own.
She found this lovely lady crouched under our front deck. She is some […]
Original post by lapazfarm
Our first day back to school. Whatever that means.
Superboy’s highbush cranberries.
JBug’s Larkspur (Yes, I know it’s poisonous. Yes, we were very careful).
Hope your first day is/was as bountiful.
Original post by lapazfarm
Care to follow JBug on a walk around our new yard?
We have so much to discover!
Original post by lapazfarm
An online friend is having some fun with Queen Anne’s Lace using its royal perogative to grow where it isn’t wanted. Hmmm…roll through the mental rollodex and….
Queen Anne is nature study (pictures), as the butterflies prefer to lay their eggs leaves of plants in the parsley family (Apiaceae) including Queen Anne’s Lace, carrot, celery and dill.
Queen Anne’s Lace is wild carrot and so could be eaten. Well remember it is an ancestor so is very tough and strong. Strong could be an understatement there. Let’s just say that around here, it would wait until hard times before I started eating the root.
Queen Anne’s Lace is also jelly - for spreading on toast not the jello kind. Recipe below is from The World Carrot Museum which has a great description, history, and how to ID this plant. You wouldn’t want to accidentally eat hemlock would you?
That recipe (one of many I’m sure):
Queen Anne’s Lace […]
Original post by stephanieinar
Well…we were bored so we spontaneously decided to go ahead and take off for a day trip to Denali National Park, rather than waiting for the weekend. It is only a short 2 hour drive from our house, which is shorter than I thought or I’d have been there several times by now! Ed had to work so he couldn’t come along, but the kids and I really needed to get out of the house. So we did!
Anyway, we left around noon, got there around 2-ish, which was too late to catch the bus we wanted to take into the park (private cars are not allowed to drive very far into Denali Park in order to preserve the wilderness character of the place), so we made reservations for the morning bus and camped out for the night. Luckily we had thrown our tents and sleeping bags in the truck just […]
Original post by lapazfarm
We saw a LOT of bears on this trip. Most were black bears (about a dozen, including a couple of mother and cub duos), and of course the Spirit bear of my last post.
And then there was this guy/gal.
Grizzly. Big. Not friendly. You could tell by the look in his eyes he was not happy about having his grazing interrupted by 4 gawking tourists in a pick-up truck. And unlike the Spirit bear (which we got out of the car to watch), we decided we’d best do our peering at this guy from the safety of our vehicle. After all, he was a only mere yard or so (at most!) away from our truck!
And that’s when the dogs caught scent of him from the back of the truck and the hysterical barking began.The bear did not care for that at all. He was eying the dogs closely and I honestly […]
Original post by lapazfarm
We are home!!!! We got to Fairbanks yesterday around midnight and are so glad to be here!
But what a wonderful trip we had! Two weeks of traveling, 4996 miles, and so many wonderful sights seen across an entire continent. What a trip! And it was a blessed trip in so many ways.
I have many, many photos to share, and many blessing to relate, but wanted first to share what I thought was the most special sight of our trip.
While crossing through gorgeous British Columbia, Canada, we were blessed to have spotted this amazing, rare animal:
This is a Kermode bear or “Spirit Bear” which is a rare white color (not an albino) of a rare subspecies (Ursus americanus kermodei) of black bear found only in a small area of BC. I cannot believe we were so lucky to be able to see this one!
We actually were able to observe this bear […]
Original post by lapazfarm
Last night we had another gorgeous guest come to bid us farewell. An absolutely stunning Luna moth flew in through an open window and perched on the wall just above the baseboards. The children were, as you can guess, absolutely stunned by his beauty.
I snapped this shot, however, just before he flew headlong into our spinning ceiling fan! We quickly turned it off but he had quite a wild ride for a moment! Hoping he was not injured, we gently scooped him up and put him outside, but he hung around the window…
still attracted to the lights inside the house. So, we turned them all off and waited quietly as he flew away, guided by a sliver of a moon, on his wings and our prayers. May God grant him, and all travelers, a safe journey and a gentle landing.
Original post by lapazfarm
I am buried in boxes, books, and junk. Lots of junk.
I have absolutely nothing worthwhile to say.
So, I’ll just share a photo.
Mr. Polyphemus stopped by for a visit last night, but by this morning he was ready to move on.
You and me both, buddy.
Original post by lapazfarm
Today was one of those days when life is too full to fit into the pages of a book…
when the cool of the water…
and the warmth of the sun on the rocks…
and the sand between your toes…
the companionship of your family…
and the simple joy of being alive…
combine to make a perfect day.
Hope yours was as bountiful.
Original post by lapazfarm
Or…the benefits of neglecting your lawn and garden!
Dewdrop on clover
Ground Ivy or Creeping Charlie
Must be my lucky day!
Original post by lapazfarm
We’ve had a blast with our spring Montessori trays! And thanks to a fun discussion at the 4Real boards, I’ve been brainstorming some ideas for more garden-themed nature trays for the littles. We will certainly be giving these a try in the next few weeks! And as soon as I do, I will put up pictures for you visual folks (like me!) too!
Here are the trays I’ve come up with so far:
Soil pH would be an easy test for the littles to do: get some pH strips (or litmus papers), some different soil samples in bowls, a jar or dropper bottle of water, some small jars or vials with lids, water dropper. Child takes a pinch of soil, puts it into a vial, adds some water, puts on lid and shakes. Then tests pH by dipping strip into mixture or dripping a drop onto litmus paper. Check color against […]
Original post by lapazfarm
We are having so much fun with our botany and gardening! The littles like it so much I decided to put together a few trays for them to continue the work on their own. I can’t wait to introduce them tomorrow!
The first tray is for painting clay pots:
There are clay pots, some tubes of paint and a tray for mixing colors, some paint brushes, a pitcher of water, and a jar for washing brushes. Very simple!
The next activity, planting seeds, takes two trays.
The first is choosing seeds and labeling:
This first tray contains an assortment of seeds to choose from, some clay pots, and some metal garden tags and a stylus to write the name of the plant on the tag. They can copy the name from the seed packet onto the tag.
Here is the second half of the activity–planting the seeds!
This tray contains a bucket of potting soil and scoop, […]
Original post by lapazfarm
Since I started a day late, these are days 3 and 4, but only my second set of pics. Whatever, right? Anyway, here are pictures to go along with my April theme of “batteries not included,” where I take and share pictures highlighting activities we do which do not require batteries. Hoping to learn a bit about photography in the process.
Day 3 pic:
Content-wise, I think this one speaks for itself. Photography-wise, I like the way the orange lines of the book cover intersect with the frame of the picture, and the way the whole story is summarized in just the few words caught in the upper left corner. I just am very pleased with the layout of this picture.
Day 4 pic:
Content wise: planting azaleas. We are all about beautifying the property in hopes of selling very soon.
Photography-wise, I like the interesting lines in the picture: the bricks, the RR ties, […]
Original post by lapazfarm
In order to learn more about digital photography, Jennifer of the S/V Mari Hal-O-Jen has started blogging a picture a day in April, and she has invited others to join her. Go check out her April Shower of Photos and then pick up your camera and post your own!
Despite the fact that my dh has the good camera in Fairbanks, I’ve decided to take up the challenge and have chosen a theme for the month:
“Batteries not included”
Here is my first entry. It is actually three photos because who can post just one, right?
So, for this month I will be blogging pictures of things the kids and I do together that DO NOT require batteries. Should be fun!
Hope you’ll join us!
Original post by lapazfarm
The focus of our science studies for the next few weeks will be mammals. So far it has been fun. We are reading books about mammals, watching DVD’s, and doing fun activities.
Here are just a few:
Our mammal library, a muskrat pelt from Alaska, and some mammals/not mammals sorting cards.
A fur matching activity, and some fur-bearing animal 3-part cards.
The horse center with horse books, parts of a horse puzzle and cards, and a parts of the horse booklet to make.
Animal tracks activity tray, some bones to look at, and a microscope with a prepared slide of skin with hair follicles, and slides for looking at and comparing our own hair and the hair of other animals.
Simple mammal words for JBug to read.
We will be having a great time with all of this stuff and more! We have been sketching mammals in our nature journals, trying to learn all of the mammal […]
Original post by lapazfarm
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