Shawna Huggins, teacher, author, and professional tutor, has a
cure for the boredom blues! In her four-booklet Mom I'm Bored! Series,
she provides instructions, hands-on activities, and worksheets
for fun and educational projects. Each booklet is available in
two digital formats. The $.99 Kindle version, which is downloadable
but not printable, is available on Amazon. The $2.99 version, available
at www.teacherspayteachers.com,
is downloadable, printable, and includes writing templates and
handouts for kids.
Each booklet contains an outline, a short introduction, a supply
list, step-by-step instructions, and an explanation at the end.
Pictures are provided as well. Worksheets are included in the TPT
(Teachers Pay Teachers) version.
In Book One: Goop. Not Just a Science Project, children
will be inspired to write creatively through a fun and messy science
project. After reading a Dr. Seuss book, children will make Goop
and write a "How to" manual about caring for this Goop, which is
now their best friend. Grade levels for this project are 4th -
8th.
In Book Two: Make a Rainbow in a Jar: Discovering Density,
children will complete a project using water, salt, and food coloring
to demonstrate density. Grade levels for this project are 4th
- 9th.
In Book Three: How to Make a Lava Lamp, Shawna adds
zip to understanding density. It isn't required, though, that children
must do the project in Book Two in order to make a lava lamp. Grade
levels for this project are 4th -10th.
In Book Four: How to Use Galileo and Skateboard in the Same
Sentence, children will perform a hands-on physics lesson
using a skateboard and a ball. Grade levels for this project
are 4th -12th.
All homeschoolers will benefit from doing these experiments together.
However, younger children may need assistance from older siblings
or parents in order to complete the projects and assignments.
My children, ages 12, 9, and 6, had fun making the lava lamps.
In fact, all three bottles are still sitting on the counter, and
my kids like to give them a good shake every once in a while to
watch the colorful bubbles rise again. We are saving the rest of
the projects for when we take a holiday break. I can't wait to
make Goop with my kids!
I think Shawna's Mom, I'm Bored! Series is an inexpensive
way to get kids excited about science, especially those who may
not have access to science books and curriculum with a lot of extra
projects. For children like mine, these booklets can provide Christmas
or summer break activities. I am thankful for teachers like Shawna
who make learning fun!
Product Review by Brandi Tesreau, The Old Schoolhouse® Magazine,
LLC, November, 2011
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