My son’s favorite continent (according to him)! is finally up in My SHOP! I am so excited and happy to announce that I’ve completed our Europe in a Nutshell learning material and is now cooking in the printer, to be laminated and will be used in a couple of weeks for our Europe study! Mavi just loves my Nutshell Geography series and can’t wait to try it with Vito in the near future!
Showing posts with label printables. Show all posts
Showing posts with label printables. Show all posts
How to Teach the Anatomy of the Human Heart to Kids
Sunday, September 27, 2015
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Mavi was so excited about this. He has always been so curious of the human heart and how it works. Because he reads some biographies, he would encounter terms like “died of heart attack” LOL and most probably triggered his curiosity and enthusiasm in learning about the heart. So I worked hard to create learning materials for our study and I’m so happy that they turned out pretty good, and Mavi loves them!
Objectives on why we study the human heart:
Learning about the human heart might be too advanced for a 7 years old. But Mavi was persistent, and because I created the materials suitable for his age (lots of graphic presentation) he was so engaged the entire time we talked about this important internal organ. Another advantage of learning this at home is that I get to filter “complex” concepts. This means, I set aside information that he can’t absorb yet and save it once he’s old enough to understand complex functions of the heart.
So let me share with you how we worked on our human heart. Links to the materials used are provided at the end of this post, including where to buy heart models.
The Human Heart and its Parts
It’s always been a practice that we always start learning about different parts of our subject. And in Mavi’s case, he learns and absorbs everything with the use of The Human Heart 3-part cards. We’ve been using this technique since he was 3 years old and so far he’s used to learning this way. The retention is great, he can remember the parts by working on these cards over and over again.
Of course, having a heart model adds up to the fun in learning. It’s the closest we can get to visualize what the heart really looks like, unless we dissect a pig’s heart
Aside from the 3 part cards, we also used the definition booklet included in The Human Heart learning pack. It was so handy whenever I needed to describe each part, its function and how it works. We took turns in reading and discussing the parts.
Afterwhich, Mavi worked on the activity sheets, also included the The Human Heart learning pack. It’s basically making his own heart anatomy booklet (less the description).
How the Human Heart Works
This part was for Mavi to understand how the blood flows in and out of the heart. To demonstrate how this works, we used our materials mentioned below, plus pipe cleaners to trace the flow of blood.
In this part, we used the materials The Human Heart learning pack and Cardiovascular System Information Diagrams to learn how the heart works. I created the information diagrams to see how the blood flows in and out of the heart and the blood distribution to the rest of the body.
As you can see, we used pipe cleaners to demonstrate the blood flow in the left ventricle (blue pipe cleaners) and the red pipe cleaners for the right ventricle.
So now, Mavi knows which part of the heart is responsible for distributing deoxygenated blood to the lungs and the part which distributes oxygenated blood to the rest of the body.
Heart Diseases
I just have to include this to answer Mavi’s question about “heart attack”. Included in my Cardiovascular System Information Diagrams, is a presentation of the different heart diseases. One of the main focus of our study is the coronary heart disease which is the main cause of a heart attack. Here, I pointed out which part of the heart is affected and how it is causing the problem.
Our model comes with arteries showing the progression of fatty residue that limits the flow of blood flow. See how Mavi discovered that there’s not enough space for the blood to flow when the walls of the artery is covered with fats.
Now his question is, can he still eat fatty foods? Now that’s another story and will be included in my Circulatory System post next month.
By the way, if you wish to demonstrate this with your kids, you can either use a straw or a hose, tissue rolls can also be used, and for the fatty residue Playdoh would be best.
And that’s about it, our human heart study. I hope you find this post helpful!
Materials Used:
- Cardiovascular System Bundle Pack, this is the bundle that includes Cardiovascular System Information Diagrams, The Human Heart learning pack, and The Cardiovascular System
- Cardiovascular System Information Diagrams
- The Human Heart
- The Cardiovascular System
Where to buy Heart Model (US):
Where to buy Heart Model (UK/Europe):
- Eason’s (if not available online, visit the store)
- Hamley’s (if not available online, visit the store)
- 4D Human Heart Anatomy
- Learning Resources Human Heart
I know you’ll be needing this for later, so here’s a pinnable image for you!
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FREE Farm Animals Matching cards
Tuesday, September 8, 2015
Continent Study of South America
Sunday, August 30, 2015
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South America Continent Maps and Flags
Whenever we worked a geography lesson at home(for elementary only!), I always start with maps and flags because I wanted him to know the location and flags of certain cities from that continent. We travel a lot, crossing countries and continents almost every year and so knowing all these will be useful. The Montessori Continent Puzzle that we are using is from Tower High Learning.Dental Unit for Kids
Sunday, August 2, 2015
Baby and Adult Teeth
We started this unit with the presentation of the baby and adult teeth. We differentiated the two set of teeth, from the sizes and the teeth count. Mavi asked the following questions during this activity:
I answered his questions through scenarios, like, as we get bigger we eat solid foods. Most of these are hard to break down and needs a solid set of teeth for it to be digested. So our body provided us with a much stronger set of teeth to be able to chew, chop and grind the foods properly.
And as we go deeper into the knowledge of teeth sizes and shapes, we also examined the different kinds of teeth that adults have. We have this lovely dental model (Science Time Dentistry Deluxe) of the adult teeth. I got this from our local shop and it was perfect for our study. What I love about it is that we can remove some of the teeth, specially the four major types, thus we’re able to take a closer look into it. I swear, the teeth looks and feels real!
Different Kinds of Teeth
Now this is how our adult dental model looks like. As I mentioned earlier, we can remove the four major types of teeth for examination. I created the definition cards for Mavi to use, so he can learn more about each type and their functions.
With the materials I provided, Mavi is now able to tell which tooth is for chopping, which tooth helps in swallowing, and which one is an expert in grinding! He’s like “I didn’t know that!”. Download a copy of the definition cards from here or click the image.
And here’s a closer look at the teeth, sorry, I just love looking at them!
Tooth Cross Section
After which, we also looked into the cross section of a tooth. To read more about this, click the image below or the link here.
The nomenclature cards that we used are from here.
How Cavity Develops
Moving on, another activity I decided to add in our unit is the presentation of cavity development. This explains the effects of acid and sugar in our teeth. The aim of this activity is for Mavi to understand the importance of brushing our teeth, to avoid tooth decay. The image below is a snapshot of the manual included in the dental set (Science Time Dentistry Deluxe).
The cards below are homemade. It’s the development of cavity in a tooth, which I had Mavi arranged in order. You can get the printable file from here or click the image for the link.
Care for the Teeth and Dental Hygiene
So now, the biggest question would be, how can we take good care of our teeth to avoid premature extraction. These food cards are included in our dental set (Science Time Dentistry Deluxe) and provided us information of the foods that are essential in dental health. He’s happy to see carrots and apples, eggs, milk and cheese, these are his favorites! And I didn’t know that green tea is good for the teeth, how enlightening!
We also identified how to maintain a clean and cavity free teeth.
- Brushing. The most effective way of removing plaque from the exposed surface of your teeth is by brushing it using a flouride toothpaste. It is essential to brush every after eating especially before bedtime.
- Flossing. To clean in between your teeth, a dental floss is needed. It is a piece of waxy string that is inserted in between your teeth to remove food particles that brushing cannot reach. Basically, it removes plaque that get stuck in between your teeth.
- Dental Visit. The dentist and hygienist helps check whether your teeth are developing properly, and see if the gums have any problems. It is important to see the dentist every 6 months to make sure that your teeth are taken good care of.
And this concludes are dental unit study. It was an amazing week of learning about our teeth! Hope you find this post helpful, informative and inspirational. Till next time!
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South America in a Nutshell
Monday, July 20, 2015
If you have been following my blog, you know that we love studying geography! This month, I am happy to share my South America in a Nutshell learning material. And just like its predecessors (Asia in a Nutshell and Africa in a Nutshell), this is packed with lots of information about South America, its flora and fauna, culture and people. Here’s a walkthrough of the learning material.
Sorting Musical Instruments
Monday, July 13, 2015
Yesterday, we started our Montessori-inspired activities for Music. This is in preparation for our Montessori Music post this coming Friday, the 17th of July for 12 Months of Montessori Series.
Now, I just wanted to highlight this activity, of sorting musical instruments. There are lots of instruments out there, but I think it is important for the child to identify the groups or families of these instruments to understand how they work.
The Helpful Garden has this amazing file of musical instruments! It was created as a Montessori 3-part cards, but in our activity, we sorted them out according to their categories. So I started off by presenting the instruments to Mavi and how these instruments make sounds. (We also watched videos on how these instruments are being used)
Now, I just wanted to highlight this activity, of sorting musical instruments. There are lots of instruments out there, but I think it is important for the child to identify the groups or families of these instruments to understand how they work.
The Helpful Garden has this amazing file of musical instruments! It was created as a Montessori 3-part cards, but in our activity, we sorted them out according to their categories. So I started off by presenting the instruments to Mavi and how these instruments make sounds. (We also watched videos on how these instruments are being used)
Guide to Space and Heavenly Bodies Study for Kids (with FREE Resources)
Friday, July 10, 2015
I’ve been planning this unit since last month because I wanted to prepare ahead of time. We’ve done A LOT of space and heavenly bodies unit in the past and I wanted to upgrade the lesson, add something new for Mavi to learn. So right now, I’m sharing our Space and Heavenly Bodies Study for this year. I’m also putting a bunch of links from our previous lessons and activities for your reference. I hope you find this post helpful.
Space and Solar System
Solar System and Planets Part I
Solar System and Planets Part II
Planets and Solar System for Preschoolers
Moon Phases
The Moon
Phases of the Moon
A look at the Northern and Southern Sky
We looked into the star constellation maps seen in the northern and southern hemisphere. This is to make Mavi aware that there are stars that can be seen in the northern part of the world but not visible on the other side.
Stars and Constellations
For the details of our constellation study, click here or click the image below. The material we used here is the Fantacolor pegboard.
Space Exploration History
I made chronological cards of the space exploration history. The pictures and the fact cards were all taken and referenced from Wikipedia and Wiki Commons. Though Mavi can read this straight from the site, I wanted to have something tangible and something that we can work on, like arranging the timeline and matching it with objects.
The cards I created contains the year and a title of the major event that occurred in that year. The description is very much readable by kids though there were a few words that Mavi couldn’t pronounce well or he needed to ask me for the meaning. Such a good material to improve reading skills, spelling and vocabulary!
After which, I showed him how we can arrange the cards according to their timeline. This gives him a visual presentation of the order of events.
Aside from arranging the cards chronologically, you can also use them to match objects. Here we used Safari Toobs Space, Safari Toob Insects (fly) and Safari Toob Farm (dog).
So if you wanted to have a copy of the cards for Space History Timeline, click here for the link.
Parts of a Space Shuttle
The parts of a space shuttle is something that Mavi really looked forward to. Oh boy he was so happy that I made him another “flying object”. The first one was the Airplane Nomenclature Cards, and here’s the newest Space Shuttle Nomenclature Cards. This is based on the NASA’s space shuttle design. Using the cards, a child will learn the different parts of a space shuttle. I wrote the parts’ functions in a notebook because I was out of ink.
To get a copy of the Space Shuttle Nomenclature Cards, click here.
Sensory Tub
Now, this is something I prepared for both of the boys to play with. Xavi had his own Letter S: Star Unit study last week so it was timely that I prepared this Space Sensory Tub for the boys. Figures are from Safari Toob Space, homemade PlayDoh planets and homemade Earth felt.
Space and Solar System
Solar System and Planets Part I
Solar System and Planets Part II
Planets and Solar System for Preschoolers
Moon Phases
The Moon
Phases of the Moon
A look at the Northern and Southern Sky
We looked into the star constellation maps seen in the northern and southern hemisphere. This is to make Mavi aware that there are stars that can be seen in the northern part of the world but not visible on the other side.
Stars and Constellations
For the details of our constellation study, click here or click the image below. The material we used here is the Fantacolor pegboard.
Space Exploration History
I made chronological cards of the space exploration history. The pictures and the fact cards were all taken and referenced from Wikipedia and Wiki Commons. Though Mavi can read this straight from the site, I wanted to have something tangible and something that we can work on, like arranging the timeline and matching it with objects.
The cards I created contains the year and a title of the major event that occurred in that year. The description is very much readable by kids though there were a few words that Mavi couldn’t pronounce well or he needed to ask me for the meaning. Such a good material to improve reading skills, spelling and vocabulary!
After which, I showed him how we can arrange the cards according to their timeline. This gives him a visual presentation of the order of events.
Aside from arranging the cards chronologically, you can also use them to match objects. Here we used Safari Toobs Space, Safari Toob Insects (fly) and Safari Toob Farm (dog).
So if you wanted to have a copy of the cards for Space History Timeline, click here for the link.
Parts of a Space Shuttle
The parts of a space shuttle is something that Mavi really looked forward to. Oh boy he was so happy that I made him another “flying object”. The first one was the Airplane Nomenclature Cards, and here’s the newest Space Shuttle Nomenclature Cards. This is based on the NASA’s space shuttle design. Using the cards, a child will learn the different parts of a space shuttle. I wrote the parts’ functions in a notebook because I was out of ink.
To get a copy of the Space Shuttle Nomenclature Cards, click here.
Sensory Tub
Now, this is something I prepared for both of the boys to play with. Xavi had his own Letter S: Star Unit study last week so it was timely that I prepared this Space Sensory Tub for the boys. Figures are from Safari Toob Space, homemade PlayDoh planets and homemade Earth felt.
FREE Space Shuttle Nomenclature Cards
Sunday, July 5, 2015
We are learning about space exploration and currently discovering how a space shuttle works! Click the cards for your free copy or the link below.
Download your FREE copy of Space Shuttle 3-part cards! Hope you like it. Enjoy!
Download your FREE copy of Space Shuttle 3-part cards! Hope you like it. Enjoy!
FREE Insect Habitats Learning Material
Saturday, June 27, 2015
Here are some of the learning materials that we used in our activity, Complete Guide to Insect Study for Grade-Schoolers. You can now download a free copy of the file, I’m sharing it for everyone to enjoy.
Complete Guide to Insect Study for Grade-Schoolers
Wednesday, June 17, 2015
We just concluded our study of insects and oh boy, both Mavi and Vito had a wonderful time learning all about these creatures! We’re having zoology (animal study) for this month (12 Months of Montessori Series) and I’m going to give you a complete guide on how to study insects with your kids.
What is an insect?
Start your unit study by learning what is an insect. Put it simply, it is an animal that has 6 legs with segmented bodies. And yes please, spiders are definitely NOT insects. Now for Mavi to have a wider understanding of this subject, I've set up a sorting activity of the 4 major groups of the Arthropods. Since we've done this last year, Mavi has a prior knowledge of the difference between insects and spiders. He got confused with the crab though, if its either arachnids or crustaceans LOL. Initially he placed it in the Arachnids These animal figures were from Safari Toob Insects and Insect Lore.
The Life Cycle of an Insect
Now after learning about the animals that belong to the insect family, we looked into the life cycles of an insect. Here we talked about the insects that undergo “complete metamorphosis” and those with “incomplete metamorphosis”. Note complete metamorphosis means, it has the stages of: egg-larva-pupa-adult.
Parts of an Insect
We also learned about the different parts of an insect. I have a separate post on this one and you read it here or click the image below.
Insect Habitats and Bug Hunting
I created guides on hunting insects in different habitats. We have insects found in woodlands (in the forest), those found in rivers and lakes, the ones found everywhere and in the meadows/fields. We used these guides as we go “bug hunting”.
We were able to catch a few insects like ladybird (escaped from our net after a few hours), this unidentified insect in the outdoor stairs and ants.
Vito was fascinated with ants! He also had a separate insect study for toddlers.
Previous Post on Insects
- The World of Arthropods Part One
- The world of Arthropods Part Two
- FREE Arthropods Chart
- Insect Activities for Preschooler
- Life Cycle of a Butterfly for Preschoolers
- Grasshoppers
- Parts of a Ladybird
- Life Cycle of a Ladybug
If you need some learning materials about insects you can also buy the following from my printable shop:
The Arthropods Learning Pack
The Insect
The Ant
The Grasshopper
The Dragonfly
This post is part of the 12 Months of Montessori Learning which is hosted by Natural Beach Living and The Natural Homeschool.
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