Fun With the Sun!

Teaching my kids is just so much fun! I am Bean's science teacher at our homeschool co-op this year. I started allowing the kids to choose a project to correlate with the topic we are studying during a certain unit. The unit we are ending tomorrow is on astronomy which means tomorrow is project day. Bean and I worked on her project this weekend and had so much fun! She wanted to make a telescope, but I am not the engineer type thinker to pull that off. So she chose to make a solar system model. I wanted to do something from scratch that she could do most the work herself. One of my biggest pet peeves as a teacher was and still is not allowing the student to do 'his' own work. So since that is true, I tend to stand back after giving the how to instructions and see what happens. Bean loves that! She just takes off with whatever project we tackle together and enjoys the creative flow.

Bean painting planets

So, while Doodle was in ballet on Saturday morning, Bean and I went shopping for her supplies. I can not tell you how cute she was in the craft store! She flitted from one thing to the next trying to figure out what she wanted. After seeing the choices where too many, I helped her narrow it down. We were able to purchase the supplies quickly, pick Doodle up and get home to tackle our solar system. Bean jumped right in and started painting the planets the colors she chose at the store after I had cut the dowel rod to the various sizes she needed. After the paint dried, we glued the dowel rod in the planets to be sure none would fall off in transit. Once dry, she added the planets to the sun securely with more glue. Add labels and you have one happy girl!

Bean and her Solar System

Now, I know I have friends that think I am nuts to attempt some of the projects that we do, but truly my kids soar with this stuff. We do great reading about the subjects in books, but when we pull in a project that ties in what we have learned to their artistic side, BOOM! They finally get it. So, although I did not see my kitchen bar most the weekend because it was covered with plastic place mats which were covered with paint, Styrofoam planets and the such, I am so happy that I am able to see past that mess and enjoy the process. I just have to show you how she did!!!

Bean's Solar System

I may be biased, but that is the best looking solar system (besides God's of course) that I have ever seen. By the way, seeing her excitement is priceless. After this project, she wanted to get on the internet to see what else she could find out about the solar system. Oh? What's that? That is what I call a love of learning. Man, I love my job!

Now, to be fair, I must take time to post a picture of Doodle while she was making a model of the ocean's floor for her science class last week. She has now reached the age where she likes to work alone for the most part. She calls for me when she needs help and that is about it. She is confident in what she is doing and manages to come up with some great projects. So here she is in the process of painting the background. I will add the finished product picture once she gets it tomorrow. We turned it in before we took a picture! Can you imagine the insanity?! I just feel I need to say it one more time: Love my job!

Doodle painting the backdrop of the ocean for her ocean floor model.

Here is Doodle with her completed ocean floor model.

The Ocean Floor

Doodle's Bedmaker 3000 invention for science

The child never ceases to amaze me with her creativity.