I just got a puppy - and named her Tazuna. She is an Australian Shepard and beyond adorable (picture at the end of this article). Tazuna is a Japanese name that comes from one of m college courses this semester - I am taking Japanese 103 - the first college year of the Japanese language. Well - totally rambling, but the breeder we got her from lives on a farm and they have a ton of cows. It got me thinking about a Cow Life Cycle activity that I could share with you. Why a Cow Life Cycle Learning Poster? I have told you before how my mom did a lot with learning posters when I was smaller, so this lapboard - or learning poster seemed like a perfect idea! You can engage the kiddos with coloring, cutting, and gluing all items - have no fear, all the directions are in the PDF file for you! Cows are pretty cool animals, actually - they are devoted mothers and are known to walk for miles to find their calves. Cows have an excellent sense of smell. They can detect odors up to five … [Read more...]

The planet Jupiter is a gas giant, and it lacks a true surface. It is made up of about 90% hydrogen and 10% helium. Jupiter has a faint ring system, and it is second in terms of the number of satellites only to Saturn. It has 79 moons, four of them, the Galilean moons, helped shape our view of the Universe. Know Your Planet Jupiter If that isn't enough to excite your budding astronomer to learn more about it, I don't know what is. That is why I have my Know Your Planet Jupiter today - as part of my series on our solar system. Get your free printable worksheet here: Other fun posts for your young astronomer: … [Read more...]

My love of all things astronomy are what got me into college early. I really wanted to take Astronomy 100 at the University of Wisconsin but there were prerequisites that I had to do first so I would have to wait. I ended up taking Meteorology first. Still, I ended up taking it through Arizona State University and aced it - ha! No prerequisites were needed and I learned about the planet Venus, and more. Know Your Planet Venus Venus's orbit around the sun is the 2nd fastest orbit of all the solar system planets. Venus is the slowest rotating planet and rotates backward. Venus is the hottest planet in the solar system and can reach an amazing 900 degrees. Venus orbits the sun in 225 days, which means 1 Earth year on Venus is 225 days. And that is just some of the simple facts. This worksheet is for the budding young astronomer and one of a series. Have fun with it! You can print this worksheet off yourself right here: Other things a budding young astronomer might … [Read more...]

I know a lot of people think of Edison as the whiz kid of that time, but Tesla was the real brain! Nikola Tesla Accomplishments out-range those of his competitor and still have a lasting effect. Let's look at a few of them. This booklet I have for you will not only help budding writers, but teach them a little about the legacy of this amazing man and his inventions. Do me a favor (and your kids) do NOT dumb down anything - kids are super smart and CAN grasp concepts. Nikola Tesla Accomplishments and Legacy : AC Induction Motor: An induction motor or asynchronous motor is an AC electric motor in which the electric current in the rotor needed to produce torque is obtained by electromagnetic induction from the magnetic field of the stator winding. An induction motor can therefore be made without electrical connections to the rotor. Tesla Coil A Tesla coil is an electrical resonant transformer circuit designed by inventor Nikola Tesla in 1891. It is used to produce … [Read more...]

Mission to Mars. So many attempts have been made to explore the solar system and various planetary bodies. The planet Mars has been one to attract the attention of man the most. Mars was one of the first known planets discovered by man; Mars is also the fourth planet from the sun and the second-smallest planet in the solar system. It is also true to say it is the closest planet to Earth. I am sure those facts are not strange to most of us, but what we might not know are facts about how man has attempted to explore this planet (Mars), guess what? You are in luck. I will be giving you 20 facts about Mission to Mars. Some of which you have heard about and others you will see for the first time. 20 Facts About Mission to Mars Did you learn anything new about Mission to Mars? Check out some of our other space posts: … [Read more...]

Third grade science teaches how a star is born. This worksheet of mine is a great way to help learn and nail that concept! A star is born when atoms of light elements are squeezed under enough pressure for their nuclei to undergo fusion. All stars are the result of a balance of forces: the force of gravity compresses atoms in interstellar gas until the fusion reactions begin. If you Google "How a Star is Born" you are likely to get about a million posts about the movie Directed by Bradley Cooper. With Lady Gaga, Bradley Cooper, Sam Elliott, Greg Grunberg. A musician helps a young singer find fame as age and alcoholism. Not exactly what you want to teach a little in science! It is not really something out of Scientific American either, LOL! Use this free printable worksheet of mine to help get the basics understood by your little astronomer - it is age-appropriate and will let you study further if there is a real interest. If you see signs of real interest, the best thing … [Read more...]