Happy Birthday Antonie van Leeuwenhoek!
It began with a hefty dose of imagination, a glass pearl, and some strands of fabric. Antonie van Leeuwenhoek, the very first microbiologist never intended to be the world’s first microbiologist. He was actually a tradesman who had never studied…
Collecting Echinoderms
If you are adventuring through our brand new unit, Taxonomy of Living Things: The Five Kingdoms of Life, meander with me for a moment… Echinoderm? Whoever said, “It’s all in a name,” sure got it right. Echinoderms got their name because…
Art of Words
Collagraphy is printmaking process that is related to the art of collage. Do you see the connection between the words? It is sometimes called "relief printing" because the subject to be printed is raised from the print block. You can print…
Before and After: A Lesson in Aesthetics
Aesthetics is a set of principles that inform the outcome of a work of art. Aesthetics taps into that part of our being that connects with beauty. Last spring, after reading The Mozart Season, I knew the section of the…
Head in the Clouds
Before the observing begins, explore the science of clouds. The invisible air around us contains droplets of water we can not see until they mingle above to form a cloud. This formation is the result of warm water on Earth…
Discover Research: Elemental Journal
Get to know the elements! Chemistry is much more than complicated theories and experiments in the lab. Chemistry is the foundation of literally everything we know. But for our children, chemistry is at best a daunting subject, at worst downright…
Dive into Research and Discover Diversity
There are two types of things in the world: Living and Non-living! Everything you can imagine is either… We are pleased to announce a brand new addition to our selection of Research Discovery Guides: Taxonomy of Living Things: The Five…
Considering Milkweed
Common milkweed, when broken, drips a milky sap. Likely this is how it earned its name. The caterpillars of the Monarch butterfly feasts on this particular plant. The nectar of Milkweed is precious. Anyone who has studied this butterfly…
Out of Print
Three of the saddest three words are: out-of-print. Perloo the Bold is a terrific fantasy tale for our Level two readers. I can't tell you how sad I was to learn this news! Immediately Memory Lane was flooded by my…
For Those Who Love Hats
It is one of those moments where you realize you've lost something precious. You know the moment. Shoulders shrugging. Eyes remembering. Breathless. Enter the bear. The bear who lost something precious. The bear who lost his hat is at once…