ADV Weeks 16-17

[Marie]

Adventures in MFW Weeks 16-17

[Julie - Staff]

Posted by Toni@homezcool4us » Thu Jan 18, 2007 5:15 pm
When I tried to show the kids that cold air contracts by demonstrating that the plastic bottle collapses when crushed ice is shaken inside,....well uh, nothing happenin', Professor.

Okay, so let's move on to the property of warm air expanding. The empty glass bottle was supposed to elevate the coin placed over its opening when I poured hot water into the bowl that the bottle was sitting in. Uh, that lil' coin sure was stubborn (Toni sighs in homeschool mom defeat).

My 7yo put a positive spin on my science flops though, stating, "Don't worry, Mom. I already know that cold air contracts and warm air expands. They showed us at the science place last week. That's why marshmallows expand. And their container collapsed just fine." Well thank YOU, Miss Science!


Posted by bethben » Thu Jan 18, 2007 6:05 pm
We've put a small balloon in the freezer which demonstrates it very nicely if you want to try again. Also the same with the glass bottle. Put it in the freezer and you should have a bit more luck.


Posted by mfwrocks » Thu Jan 18, 2007 6:13 pm
Our coin "jumped". It took about 1 minute. And then it moved up just a little. Not a big jump or flip.

[Ariasarias]

I reluctantly made the ginderbread people -- one for each child and one for God with each child. My children have really enjoyed seeing "themselves" on the table with God. My 2yo dd points out who is who and that Jesus is with them always.

[Brandi]

Thanks for your encouragment to "go head, it will be fun" post. It seems like everytime I feel reluctant about a particular project someone posts a positive note and it encourages me to go ahead and try it. So, thank you. I'm genuinely looking foward to this project. Did you use paper or cookies?

[Ariasarias]

I just used paper and let the girls choose their own color. One decorated hers. I imagine the cookies would be fun to decorate if you have time and energy.

[bethben]

I checked our local library and they have a lot of different versions of The Nutcracker on book and video or dvd. The thing is, I'm not familiar with The Nutcracker and I want to choose something that is "original" and not remade or adapted....so I have no idea what I'm looking for.

Can someone help me? Can I get a specific book name and author or more specific info. on a video or dvd that would be true to the story?
Melissa B.

Posted: Mon Dec 03, 2007 3:45 pm

The one MFW recommends in the Adventures TM is the one with Mikhail Baryshnikov. We watched bits of it here and there. It was well done, but I have 2 boys; one of whom was very embarrased for the men because he felt they were only half dressed (ballet tights...)
Beth

[lyntley]

Posted: Tue Dec 04, 2007 7:48 am

That version is wonderful and he most famous but is a bit different than the original story or book. Gelsie Kirkland plays Clara as well as the other main characters instead of meeting them. You can always get the book and discuss how they are different. You might actually enjoy going to a performance by your local dance school. They usually stay the closest to the original story. And it's much more exciting even for boys to see everything in real life. Especially the soldiers and the rats battling.

[Heidi]

Posted: Wed Dec 12, 2007 10:58 am

My 5 year old is a Nutcracker conniseour. He has watched at least 4-5 different versions nearly every day for the last 2 years. We have found them all at the public library. They are all a bit different and all worth watching in my opinion. I have our Tivo to catch and record all ballets. Sometimes we get some really weird ones - but, right now - Ovation is doing a "Battle of the Nutcrackers" by showing different versions each night at 8pm. I always screen anything I have never seen myself. The one by Mark Morris was very different - and certainly not for small children - but, a great way to show what different artists can do with the same music and storyline - for a highschooler interested in dance or headed towards the performing arts.

The Bolshoi Nutcracker is his favorite - they have done a new one this year also with the same story line and choreography but new dancers. This is true to the storyline. Excellent dancing.

Then he likes The Royal Ballet Covent Garden version with Rudolph Nuryev and Margot Fonteyn. Excellent dancing. This one is also true to the storyline - but, still very different.

His next favorite is George Balanchine's - the one with Macauly Culkin in it. Lovely costumes and artistry combinine a bit of TV magic as well.

Then he likes the one with Mikhail Baryshnikov.

[RachelT]

We have been trying to expand the ping pong ball and make the coin jump but neither has been successful today. Although I have reminded the children that even an experiment that doesn't work as planned is still a learning experience they are not really buying it! :)

Any tips on how to get the dent in the ping pong ball to expand back out? We've already tried:
larger container of water
hotter water
We are using a small sized (8oz.) glass coke bottle
We have put a quarter and a half-dollar on it
We have made the warm water hot

We'd appreciate any assistance available.

Hi! We didn't do the ping pong ball and I still haven't found any of those, so I don't know when we will get to it! Anyway, we got a half dollar coin to "jump" but it was very slight and quick. You had to watch and listen for it really closely. We used a wine bottle with an unusally long, slim neck.

My husband is the true scientist in the family, so when he came home at lunch that day I told him about our experiment. He said, "Well, they could really see it work with a balloon." So, I got out the balloons and he stretched one over the bottle. He ran hot water over it for a couple of minutes and the balloon started to inflate, then we stuck it in the freezer with the door open and it deflated fairly quickly! We went back and forth several times with the hot and cold and the kids thought it was fun. Maybe this would be another way to do this science demonstration.

Rachel

[cbollin]

It's been a while since we did the coin jump. I remember it took about 1 full minute and it didn't jump much or very high, but it did move up and fall down. It just took some time.

While waiting for everyone else to chime in, I'm going to go try that one again :-) I'm off to have fun....

In the last couple of minutes, I re did both experiments.

Coke bottle, 8 oz size, just like you did. it was a little cold to the touch from being in the closet.
1. Wet the Rim!! of the bottle
2. Put bottle inside another bowl (I used a plastic 1 qt measuring cup)
3. hold bottle by the neck
4. put quarter over the top of the wet rim!
5. pour warm water into bowl, I poured it so it was about 3 cups worth in the measuring cup (that includes the displacement of course)
6. I waited all of 5 seconds and the quarter jumped 5 times in a row

***********
The ping pong ball experiment
I found one really fast in the basement. Some cheap thing from walmart???? it's a cat toy in our house.
mushed a dent into it. the dent was about the size of two tips of my thumbs (I'm petite).
I microwaved the water. It was boiling when I took it out of the microwave.
poured hot water into a baby food sized jar almost to the top
put dented ball in. seems to do best when the dent is under the water
cover the rim with a lid (I used a lid from a larger jar of applesauce b/c it was within reach
waited about 10 seconds and took the cover off
and ping pong ball is restored.

2nd time I tried it without the lid but just pushed it under with a chopstick. My oldest watched it pop.

My 9 y.o is repeating it and loving it!
-crystal

Posted by cbollin » Tue Dec 16, 2008 5:00 pm

My oldest just tried something else while I was typing!

Put water in a glass cooking pot.
Heat the water.
Dent the ball
Put the dent size down in the hot water (no lid needed)
Roll it around with a spoon to see that it changed.

It happens fast.
remember to turn off the stove

-crystal

[LA in Baltimore]

Thanks for the feedback Rachel and Crystal!

We redid both.
The quarter did great!
I was using plastic containers before. This time we switched to glass and it was smaller than what we had used.
The quarter didn't move a lot, but you could hear it drop back about 5-6 times.
They loved it!!
It is SO MUCH more fun when the experiments actually work.

Rachel-If it hadn't worked I would have gone back to the balloon. Since we had used the balloon for the yeast experiments earlier this year I didn't think it (balloon) would be as impressive the second time around, but at least it would have worked!!

The ping pong ball doesn't seem to be cooperating.
We tried again and I used a container with a seal tight lid, but it's still dented.
I even switched it from a plastic container to glass, but no success.

One out of two isn't bad! I'll wait until tomorrow to have them write it up.

Posted by LA in Baltimore » Sat Jan 03, 2009 11:31 pm

We were away for the Christmas holiday.
We redid the ping pong ball experiment on the stove top and WOW - it worked wonderfully! Even my teenager wanted to give it a try. :)
Thanks for all your help,

[LA in Baltimore]

WINTER TREE...
Week 17 was a perfect time to draw our tree again (see Week 9).

[klewfor3]

Just a fun suggestion....I would recommend watching Tom and Jerry's Nutcracker movie. It is not super educational because it is not true to the storyline but, on the other hand, it does a great job incorporating all of Tchiakovsky's music. My kids have been watching this Christmas special since they were really little but I hadn't realized how well they had become familiar with all of the pieces of music. We were so blessed to be able to go see a Nutcracker ballet in our beautiful local theater (I wish I could post pictures) and I was so excited to see my kids all were humming to the music. They were thrilled to be able to look down from the balconey into the orchestra pit to see it played on real instruments. As funny as it sounds I am especially thankful for the movie since my 8 year old son to be able to enjoy and find common ground in beautiful ballet. Loving MFW!

[Julie in MN]

I am not familiar with the Nutcracker...I know, I've lead a sheltered life! I read over the Nutcracker book included--to my "jaded" imagination, it seems really strange--sorry, I'm not trying to offend anyone! I know it's just as so many people LOVE it. So here is my dilemma...my 7-yr-old has a hard time w/comprehension--the Tchaikovsky recording went over her head completely; she could not follow it at all. She needs pictures & simple narration to grasp things.

Anyway, we have the opportunity to see a live performance of the Nutcracker geared to children, in that it is narrated. It's kind of pricey too but I hate to skip over a great learning opportunity. I thought about just getting a DVD from the library but I doubt that it would be narrated, plus I think the live performance might be cool. But I will we NO help explaining things if she doesn't understand !

Thought or comments would be welcomed!

Hi Brenda,
I was wondering if you could ask whether the site has a "school rate" or special school performances. Our local orchestra has tickets for like $4 or 5 for school kids (including homeschoolers), though our big ticket theater does not.

I love live performances, and very much enjoyed a narrated Nutcracker we used to attend (before homeschooling, I brought my Girl Scouts). The narration made all the difference. But every family is different.

Julie

[TriciaMR]

Having been to several ballet performances, I think it is a great opportunity, especially if it is narrated. I wouldn't have got the "story" if one of my friends hadn't explained it to me. (But, one of my kids is a dancer and LOVES ballet... So... Can you find someone else who has gone and get more details?)

[MuzzaBunny]

I'd go to the live performance if I could! My dd has loved the whole Nutcracker unit and we've read several book versions. There's a ballet troupe doing the performance in a nearby city but's being done just a couple nights before Christmas and we'd have to drive into the city at night.... I think I'm stuck with the DVD. I say Go to the Ballet!

[manyblessings]

I agree, see the ballet if you can, it is popular with families My oldest dd is a professional ballet dancer and I have seen several Nutcracker performances over the years-I enjoy it more each time, and it will definitely enhance your study. Of course, I may be a little biased

[Brendainnj]

Thank you all...I have gone ahead and ordered the tickets for the performance which is Dec. 20. We are blessed in that the theater is only 5 minutes away at our local college so there is no travel involved. I am just hoping the "fight" scene is not too scary as it's a nighttime show & it will be bedtime when we get home.

[4Truth]

The fight scene shouldn't be too scary. Usually these performances are very well done, and in good taste, and it'll be done in the full context of the story.

Did you read the Step Into Reading version that MFW sells with your daughter? How about having her read it aloud to you (for reading practice), discuss, and then watch the DVD. Our favorite version that's kid-friendly is the one with Macauley Caulkin as the prince, and narrated by Kevin Kline. (I say "kid-friendly version" because for younger kids, I want one with more animation vs. just a strict ballet -- especially given the way male characters often dress for ballets and the one with Macauley Caulkin uses children for many of the main roles.) Then have her read the book again. Then go see the live ballet. And somewhere in there, play the Tchaikovsky CD again. (The music CD with the Nutracker on it.) The more she becomes familiar with it, the more she'll "grasp" the story.

But I highly recommend the DVD version with Macauley Caulkin first, before going to the live performance.

This will be a good, safe introduction to the "arts" for your daughter.

[Mom2theteam]

The fight scene shouldn't be too scary. Usually these performances are very well done, and in good taste, and it'll be done in the full context of the story.

Did you read the Step Into Reading version that MFW sells with your daughter? How about having her read it aloud to you (for reading practice), discuss, and then watch the DVD. Our favorite version that's kid-friendly is the one with Macauley Caulkin as the prince, and narrated by Kevin Kline. (I say "kid-friendly version" because for younger kids, I want one with more animation vs. just a strict ballet -- especially given the way male characters often dress for ballets and the one with Macauley Caulkin uses children for many of the main roles.) Then have her read the book again. Then go see the live ballet. And somewhere in there, play the Tchaikovsky CD again. (The music CD with the Nutracker on it.) The more she becomes familiar with it, the more she'll "grasp" the story.

But I highly recommend the DVD version with Macauley Caulkin first, before going to the live performance.

This will be a good, safe introduction to the "arts" for your daughter.

I don't really have anything to add to this thread, but I wanted to say thanks for the above. I found this movie on Netflix (DVD, not streaming) for us to watch. Perfect season for studying this! I've better get on it.

[kw4blessings]

The fight scene shouldn't be too scary. Usually these performances are very well done, and in good taste, and it'll be done in the full context of the story.

Did you read the Step Into Reading version that MFW sells with your daughter? How about having her read it aloud to you (for reading practice), discuss, and then watch the DVD. Our favorite version that's kid-friendly is the one with Macauley Caulkin as the prince, and narrated by Kevin Kline. (I say "kid-friendly version" because for younger kids, I want one with more animation vs. just a strict ballet -- especially given the way male characters often dress for ballets and the one with Macauley Caulkin uses children for many of the main roles.) Then have her read the book again. Then go see the live ballet. And somewhere in there, play the Tchaikovsky CD again. (The music CD with the Nutracker on it.) The more she becomes familiar with it, the more she'll "grasp" the story.

But I highly recommend the DVD version with Macauley Caulkin first, before going to the live performance.

This will be a good, safe introduction to the "arts" for your daughter.

I want to say thanks, too, for this suggestion! My dd and I will be seeing a live production, the full ballet, in December and I think it will really help to have seen a narrated version beforehand. I'm really hoping this will be a good experience as my dd is very sensitive about "scary" things. In one of the books we got from the library, she even had me paperclip the pages with the mice on them, so she could read the book without seeing them! Hopefully more exposure will help ease her into what to expect during those parts.