Weekly Wrap-Up

 

     Hey everyone! It's time for my weekly wrap up again. This week we have been learning about intergers in Pre-Algebra. It seems that most math is hard until you understand how to use the methods or the order of operations with the formulas. We have learned to pause when necessary to know beyond any doubt, what & how to do our work correctly without GUESSING answers. Hands-on is a great way to understand most anything.

Sarah Grace is using checkers to learn how to work with intergers. Looks like fun.

Sarah's equation is -6 + 8= She placed 6 red checkers on the negative side of zero and 8 black checkers on the positive side of zero. After visually looking at her problem she picked up one black checker at a time until she had all of her red checkers covered, canceling all of her negative numbers. The black checkers that remained on the positive side of zero was her answer.
   We worked many problems like this. If it was two negative numbers we were adding  we placed both negative numbers on the negative side of zero in two different rows. Then we added both rows to see what our negative integer would be. If we subtracted two negative numbers we made our two rows, placing the larger number on top and then stacked our checkers again as we had done earlier. The remaining checkers that did not have another checker stacked on top of it was our negative integer. Enough examples of how we did them. I think you are probably catching on to how we did it. Anyway, we mastered the concept. Hands-on & knowing the Order-of-Operations makes algebra so much easier.

This week in Exploring Creation With Physical Science we are doing experiment 1.3 "Concentration" (the quanitity of a substance within a certain volume of space). Our material list is; a spoon, vinegar, 6 Tums, 3 large clear glasses & measuring cups.

Start by putting vinegar in glass A=1cup, B=1/2cup, C=1/4cup. Drop in 1 Tums (calcium carbonate) tablet each glass. Now observe for about 10 minutes and write in your lab notebooks the results or changes.

Now empty the glasses, wash thoroughly and pour in the same amount of vinegar. Only this time we add water to each glass; A=1cup, B=1&1/2cup, C=1&3/4cup. Stir each glass thoroughly. Then drop in  1 calcium carbonate tablet in each glass and write in your lab notebook your results.

If you look hard you can see the bubbles from the tablet. The tablet tries to neutralize the acid in the vinegar and makes bubbles that are a gas called carbon dioxide. The results should be about the same with each glass as each has a presence of acid.

You can see the bubbles better in this picture. The tablet disappears as it neutralizes the vinegar. When the water was added the glass with the most water and less vinegar the tablet dissolved slower.

Here you can see all 3 glasses with vinegar and Tums disolving. When water is added all 3 glasses are equally 2cups.

     At the end of our journey this week Sarah & Matthew both had dental appointments. Of course we schooled while we were in the waiting room at the Dentist. Then Sarah was called in to see the Dentist first. Matthew, while waiting, did his History pre-test so quick it scared his dad. I made sure he knew how happy I was with him.


     That about does it this week. Go over to Kris's blog and make sure to checkout this weeks featured blog links. I love seeing what other homeschooler's are doing, and making new friends.

Traci