MEL Science - Chemistry Experiments Delivered to Your Door

I won't lie, when I opened the box I was a bit intimidated.  All those unfamiliar chemicals looked quite "official" and a little scary.  But I am an adventurer and LionHeart looked too excited for me to let him down.  Besides, sometimes text books can suck the fun out of learning.  These kits definitely  looked like they were about to kick the fun factor up several notches.

Experiment #1 Burning Magnesium

The first experiment we tried was Burning Magnesium.  Thank goodness for the video links to all of the experiments.  LionHeart is a visual learner.  While I poured over the written instructions, he watched the video.  Here's what happened:

Experiment #2 - Fire in A Bottle

After opening the contents and setting everything up, imagine how disappointed we were to discover that the ethanol alcohol was not included - either that or I had misplaced it! We substituted isopropyl (rubbing) alcohol.  A quick Google search taught me that the two are not the same chemically.  I was ready to give up when LionHeart, my little scientist, urged me to try anyway.  Each time LionHeart inserted the lit skewer, it kept going out before he could get it to touch the alcohol.  For the short time that it was lit, we saw a slight fire in the bottle. LionHeart was intrigued by the bubbly cauldron effect created and spent another 30 minutes toying around and discovered that if you insert the skewer sideways the fire stays lit.  That's what I really love about science - it stokes the fire of  a curious mind.

Molecular Balls as viewed in the app

How It Works

MEL Science is a subscription service.  Each month you'll receive a chemistry set with 2-6 experiments.  The kit will include just about everything you need.  There are a total of 38 interactive hands-on chemistry sets.  Each set comes with all of the supplies and a description card that gives a quick overview of the experiment, safety precautions and a link to the video that demonstrates the experiment.  The MEL Sciene app serves as a virtual 3D microscope that enables your child to better visualize what happens in each experiment at the molecular level.  The website also provides more information about the topic if your learner is interested.

When you purchase a subscription, your first shipment includes two chemistry sets and the Starter Kit, The starter kit includes includes a Borosilicate glass beaker and flask (for use with excessive heat), virtual reality glasses (to observe molecules and crystal lattices from the inside - wow!), a macro lens that turns your smartphone into a microphone (so cool!), a tablet stand, large syringes, safety glass (of course), tray and Lion Heart's favorite, the solid fuel stove burner for use with experiments that require an open flame.

The Experiments

Click here to see a list of the experiments available through the MEL Science subscription service.  MEL science takes the intimidation factor out of chemistry and inserts the WOW factor.  This is how  children get really interested in science.  The mind-bending chemistry formulas can come later.  For now, let them fall in love with chemistry.

Virtual Reality Lessons

MEL Science also offers virtual reality lessons that cover all main topics of chemistry.  Difficult chemistry concepts are easily explained in bite-sized 3-7 minute virtual reality videos.  Students can use the VR glasses that come with the starter kit to enjoy these mini-lessons.  What fun!

Why I Love myON ~ Independent Summer Reading

I found a wonderful way to keep LionHeart engaged with reading and to ensure that Fortnite doesn't take over his life this summer.  myON is a digital book library, containing thousands of enhanced and age-appropriate titles for PreK-12.  I like that it suggests books based on his interest.  He chooses what he wants to read and the placement test determines the appropriate Lexile level.  He even has the option of having it read to him and the words are highlighted.  My favorite aspect of myON is the comprehension quiz.  He already knows that he must score 3 out of 5 or higher in order to "earn" his game time.  I still believe in reading to my child, so in addition to his independent reading, I chose books that he would probably cruise smooth past in the library.  Together we'll read about Wangari Maathi, Ida B. Wells, Bob Marley -- important historical figures he should know.  But when he chooses what to read, he can enjoy his Fantasy Basketball and Greatest MMA fighters.  I think having choice in reading material is very important.

Digital Texts

myON has unlimited access to digital texts available on and offline for reading.  The placement test ensures that book titles match reading and Lexile level. The more a child reads in his current level, the more confident he becomes and the more his reading improves.

Literacy Tools

I really love the literacy tools! There is an embedded dictionary and a zoom feature.  Also, because each digital book is a personal copy, your child will be able to use all sorts of literacy tools to really interact with the text.

Drawing Tool (Brush)

Students can identify important concepts in photos and illustrations throughout the book.

Sticky Notes

Students can annotate and add symbols while reading to mark passages, document theories, ask questions, remember connections or respond to the text. Sticky notes can be attached to highlighted text.

Shapes

Students can create on-page shapes and reposition, resize, change the color or remove them.

Journal / Notebook 

Students can create long text notes within the book reader that can be accessed within their account journal, and used to complete parent assigned writing projects.

Citation Creator

Students can learn the importance of citing sources and proper formatting, helping avoid plagiarism.

 Students can use a highlighter, brush tool, shapes and sticky notes to identify, markup and connect story concepts.

To Purchase

I purchased myON through the Home Buyers Co-op for $39.95 for the year! So glad this resource is now available to homeschoolers and families.  Initially, it was only available through school districts.  To purchase, click here for myON.

Normal Isn't Real

"The best part of school for me was being done with it."  That quote from the film Normal Isn't Real really stuck with me.  Imagine if you are a child and five days a week for seven hours a day you have to go to a place that makes you feel like crap and no one gets you.  Imagine what that does to a child's self-esteem and mental health.  According to Normal Isn't Real, 1-5 children have a learning difference and don't receive the support they need in school.  Instead, they are made to feel dumb, ostracized and full of shame.  Every educator, parent or anyone who touches the lives of children, should see this film.

LeDerick Horne, myself and a fellow homeschool mom at the DC premiere.

LeDerick Horne

Imagine intentionally putting yourself in situations that could result in the loss of your life.  That was what LeDerick Horne did to escape his feelings of torment about being different in school.  Today, Horne, who is featured in this film, is a successful author, poet, public speaker and disability advocate.  He earned a BA in mathematics with a Fine Arts minor from New Jersey City University and also studied mathematics at Middlesex County College.  He has also written a book Empowering Students with Hidden Disabilities:  A Path to Pride and Success.  Horne said that something that would have made a huge difference in his life -- having a successful mentor who also had a learning difference.  One of his biggest issues was struggling with low self-esteem.  But, his life changed when he had a shift in perspective and began to embrace his differences.  He learned the importance of self-advocacy and positioning himself in places that played to his strengths.

The Director

Krys Kornmeier, the Director of Normal Isn't Real, discovered her own son had learning differences and ADHD 20 years ago.  What she discovered along the way to finding the resources that her son needed is that many children with the same issues as her son are often highly creative and some of our most successful leaders in every field. "But these same issues can result in early school failures that spiral into a loss of self -esteem and derail a bright future. A disproportional number of youths in correctional facilities have been diagnosed with LD and ADHD issues."

Vision for the Film

The vision for the film was not about scientific brain research, but to allow a window into the everyday life experiences of four people who struggled with learning differences and ADHD, yet grew up to be successful. The four unique individuals in the film talk about their lives, their talents, their frustrations and the strategies they used to become successful. Through their unique stories the film aims to promote understanding and most importantly acceptance through real life examples of successful people with learning differences and ADHD.

Mastering Yourself

One of the keys to success as pointed out in this film is the mastery of self.  You have to know yourself and your strengths.  When children are younger, they need parents, educators and the community to advocate for them.  This gets easier as you get older.  Embracing your weaknesses is just as important as knowing your strengths.  Horne said it took him 5 years to finish community college.  But he did it! Confronting challenges, managing them, seeking help and utilizing disability resources is key.  Finding support from others who learn differently is important as well.  A recurring theme in the film was that finding something that you are really good at positively impacts everything else you do.




Support the film and host a screening.  For more information, click here.

Curriculum Plans for LionHeart 2017-2018

LionHeart and Ronnie Sidney, author of Nelson Beats the Odds

I can't believe its been almost two years since I did a curriculum share.  It's amazing to look back and see what you said you were going to use and compare it with what you actually used.  That's the beauty of homeschooling, the ability to change gears in mid-stream and do what's best.  This year I am trying something different with LionHeart.  The focus will be more on living books and experiences and less on curriculum, per se.  I have paid close attention to what he loves and incorporated it into our learning. I have also been doing lots of teacher development, first in a 3-day seminar through the Center for African Studies at Howard University focusing on Ethiopia, Mali and Ghana, followed by the Warrior Healer Builder workshop through the AYA Educational Institute.  I feel so full as a mother/teacher and excited to share what I have learned with my children.

Songs of the Baobab Tree

I found this gem at the African Art Museum.  Songs of the Baobab Tree will be the sounds we wake up to in the morning.

Young Living Oils

Everything is important with a Right Brain Learner.  They are sensitive and observant.  I plan to set the morning tone by diffusing Young Living Oils.  GeneYus and Vitiver essential oils top the list. These oils help supports the young mind in attention and focus. I'll also add a tasty essential fatty acid to the mix. Either Omega 3 Creme Delight or Coromega Omega 3.  Then after a healthy breakfast, learning can begin.

Reading Comprehension

I have found that pairing books with audio books helps LionHeart's fluency and comprehension.  He loved Crossover by Kwame Alexander.  The Red Pencil is written in a similar poetry fashion.  My aim is to create my own African-centered version of Sonlight.

Reading Comprehension and Character Development

 

A Treasure Within is a book of short stories in which young people have encounters with ancient African Ancestors to learn traditional morals, values, and culture.  The goal is to develop academic skills and cultivate character development as well as cultural awareness.

 Character Building for African Centered Scholars will also be used as a part of our character development studies.  This guide teaches character building principles from Ma’at, Iwa Pele, Nguzo Saba, the Adinkra Symbols ... I can't wait.  I get so excited because often I am learning too!

Grammar and Writing

We are still using Language Lessons for Today for grammar. I like the literature-based, Charlotte-Mason feel.  LionHeart's Right-Brain learning style tends to do better when learning about pieces as they relate to the whole.  A string of isolated grammar rules will make zero sense outside of a sentence.  We will do more writing this year utilizing a resource I learned about in one of the best books I ever read: The Dyslexic Advantage.  Educators Publishing Service also produces another one of my favorite homeschool resources - Explode the Code.

Science

In addition to our homeschool cooperative classes, LionHeart will do Astronomy at home.  We will look deeply into the Dogon people as a part of our science studies. We'll use Exploring Creation with Astronomy as our spine and have some hands on fun with MEL science.  I will be doing a full review of MEL science later this fall.

History

Crosswords are a fun way to learn history and an easy way for LionHeart to get started in the morning while I am making breakfast.  In fact, Seek and Learn: Journeys in Black Legacy will be the morning meal ticket.

 History is one of my favorite subjects, so we'll use lots of resources.  We will start from the African center and fan our way out.  We'll use the Howard Zinn Project to plot our timeline.  History is so vast that you can't possibly cover everything, but what you do cover should be important to YOU and venerate your history.  Kamali Academy is where you can find 50 Afrikans You Must Know and whatever you do, get a copy of Dr. Runoko Rashidi's book Assata-Garvey and Me: A Global African Journey for Children and follow him on Facebook.  It will change your life!

Since LionHeart is not yet ready for the seminal work The Philosophies and Opinions of Marcus Garvey (ok, I'll be honest, I have not read it yet),  we will start exploring  Marcus Garvey using the Marcus Garvey Activity Book.

World Religions

Children help you stretch and grow.  LionHeart certainly is doing that for me.  He has a keen interest in African spiritual systems and sadly, very sadly, I know very little.  So we will learn and explore together.  Luckily, we have friends who are Muslim, Buddhist, Akan Priests and more.  This month we will visit a Buddhist Temple and observe Buddhist Monks creating Sand Mandalas.  Our world is a beautiful and diverse place filled with amazing people, cultures and traditions to learn about.

 It was difficult to locate children's resources on the Akan spiritual system.  This series pictured above on Buddhism can be purchased through www.tharpa.com.

Ordinary People Doing Extraordinary Things

Ordinary people doing extraordinary things will be a key feature of our homeschool this year.  I learned about the importance of sharing these kinds of stories with our children during a workshop facilitated by the amazing educator team Wekesa and Afiya Madzimoyo, founders of the AYA Educational Institute.  When we start looking for the heroes in our own families and communities, we are less likely to fall into the super hero trap crippling our minds from thinking that individual people cannot affect change. I picked up these books at festivals.  I purchased directly from the authors.  Nelson Beats the Odds is about overcoming Dyslexia and was written by a school therapist who struggled with learning disabilities. Noah's Walk is about a man who decided to walk 1,800 miles to highlight homelessness.  Truly ordinary people, doing extraordinary things.

Math

Right-Brain learners grasp math very differently.  Sometimes they understand complex concepts, but not the simple math facts.  Their creative side leans toward real life mathematics, like money and cooking.  Personification of math concepts also gives "Velcro" to random math facts for Right-Brain learners.  I have found that if the concept or math fact is wrapped up in a good story, he's got it.  Child First Publications produces an assortment of Right-Brain friendly learning materials.  I love the philosophy of the founder who believes, "in every child’s ability to learn," especially when supported in their own unique gifts. 

Entrepreneurship

Like his father, LionHeart is always thinking of ways to make money.  He definitely has the entrepreneurial spirit.  Last spring he and a friend taught a sports class in our homeschool collective.  I admired his confidence and tenacity.  I have always had a side hustle too, but for some reason didn't think of myself as an entrepreneur.  I'm definitely not a salesperson, but when an opportunity to arose to become a Young Living Essential Oils distributor, I took a leap.  I was told all I had to do was share my story about the oils.  They have changed my life.  My goal is to share what I have learned with LionHeart and one of our projects will be to create a signature cologne, using essential oils, that he can sell at our African Marketplace during our homeschool collective.

Percussion Instruments from Around the World

Last, but certainly not least I plan to use something that he absolutely loves to teach research skills, geography, presentation skills and writing.  There is no curriculum to purchase, so this one I am creating on my own, as I go. We'll attend concerts, seek out musicians, find percussion workshops and just have fun with it.  The resource that I will use to kick off my study is the Glossary of World Percussion Instruments. Studying our way through this list will probably take us all year.  Stay tuned for how it all works out.

I am feeling good about this year and though we may not get through all of it, having a plan is the best way to start.

Clever Dragons ~ Online Learning for Boys

As a working, single-parent homeschool mom I am busy.  Busy, beyond busy! There are times when our day moves like a bullet train.  If we don't get as much done as I would like, my homeschool guilt surfaces.  We homeschoolers bear a heavy responsibility and we want to make sure we get it right.  When I had the opportunity to review Clever Dragons, an online curriculum that could potentially lend a helping hand, I jumped at the chance.

Clever Dragons 

My Right-Brain learner is computer savvy and uses YouTube to teach himself anything he wants to learn.  I had my fingers crossed that he would like Clever Dragons.  I loved all of the things I read about it so I really wanted him to like it.  It's an online, game-based learning environment created specifically for boys ages 7-12.  When he logged on and was immediately excited about creating his Mini Me (avatar) that was a definite plus.  He was pretty impressed that Nike was included in the gear he could purchase for his Mini Me, but disappointed that more African-American hairstyles, like Afros and Locs weren't included.

Learning Paths


The Learning Paths are the core educational areas.  The math section was the first area LionHeart visited.  The philosophy behind Clever Dragons is that drills and practice don't have to be boring.  Practice and repetition are always more fun in game format.  The more you play, the more you master.  There are no feelings of feeling of failure, just fun.  I watched LionHeart answer a question incorrectly and say to himself, "I'm going to keep trying so I can earn some coins." Core subject areas of Clever Dragons include Language Arts, Science, Geography & History, Music & Arts, and World Language studies. I especially love that keyboarding is included in the curriculum - a necessary skill. Parents can create unique learning paths based on the child's interests and strengths.  LionHeart loves dogs, so I will be sure to add the learning path on Dog breeds. Click here to read more about learning paths.

 Videos

LionHeart is a visual learner and the use of videos as a teaching tool are perfect for him. He has been skipping the videos and heading straight for the lessons. He likes to work this way.  It's almost as if he has to see the need for the learning video first.  He loves that the videos are short and the explanations are straight forward, but would like to see more animated graphics.  His favorite videos are the ones uploaded by users, probably because he creates NBA2K17 videos.  I'm sure he'll be uploading his own.

Games

This is what I love most of all about Clever Dragons ~ the learning through games.  My son is a Right-Brain, kinesthetic, visual learner.  Exploring, discovering and watching is how he learns best.  He is also an avid video game player so learning games are especially appealing to him.  Best of all he can earn coins by answering questions correctly.  Virtual currency is a powerful motivator.  Virtual currency can be used to build castles on Castle World, feed virtual pets and more.  In the process, users learn budgeting skills. Re-taking a quiz is not drudgery when you can earn more coins. Through games, LionHeart can learn the states, how to type, classical music and more.  I noticed that he was much more willing to explore core subjects and new concepts through games.  A homonym worksheet would be a struggle, but learning homonyms through a game is a way to earn coins.  It's all about the coins! He loves earning gold coins and gives me constant updates about how many coins and badges he has earned.  The pride is real!

The Clever Dragon Weekly

The writer in me really loves the newspaper feature of Clever Dragons.  Another core subject area ~ writing ~ is interwoven into the program in a fun way.  The newspaper is written by Clever Dragon users and moderated by staff.  Users will have the opportunity to practice different writing formats, including poetry, prose, recipes and more.  I plan to encourage LionHeart to write about his “cheat codes” for NBA2K17.  As an incentive for submitting writing, users get a free issue of the paper as well as special items for their Mini Me.  Deadlines are each Thursday.  I just love it.  Real world experience!

My World

LionHeart is a very creative child and he loves to use his creativity in the My World section.  He can create clothes, have a pet, decorate a home and connect with online friends.  What kid doesn't want to have his own house! In My World he can also practice pet care-taking skills because he actually has to feed the pet.  He can even design his own clothes and sell them to his online friends.  Wow! LionHeart is a budding entrepreneur and this feature will allow him to hone those skills. There is also a feature that allows you to indicate when your online friends are also your real life friends (pictured above with his twin homeschool buddies who also use Clever Dragons).  When you can't learn with friends in person, the next best thing is online.  The chat rooms are heavily moderated for safety concerns.  According to the website, Clever Dragons provides a "Facebook-like experience for kids, all in a safe, controlled setting."

For the Parents

If you need documentation for your homeschool portfolio area, the Parent Portal is your friend.  Opt for the premium subscription, which allows you to customize the learning experience by assigning specific lessons, requiring a specific lesson be complete before exploring other areas, and see a list of incorrect answers, which can be used for further learning.  The premium subscription also allows you to set goals with your child, track how much time is spent on specific tasks, and document the learning through custom reports.  You can also designate the grade level as you see fit or stretch across several grade levels, as I did.  Parents also receive weekly email reports.  I personally love this feature because it reminds me to utilize all the parent features.  Having the option of choosing specific assignments, educational videos, practice work, and learning assessments makes Clever Dragons much more than an educational game fill-in.  


The Founders

Dr. Johannes and Swenja Ziegler, parents of five, are the creators of Clever Dragons.  They, along with a team of team of educational experts including teachers, academics, and homeschooling parents, developed this program with boys in mind.