Neat Videos to Watch

I love Bill Nye!!  Sorry about the short ads that may be attached to videos.

Erosion video (24min) close the add and video will start
http://www.teachertube.com/viewVideo.php?video_id=274944


Rocks and Weathering (23min)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9Xv1DoqkARQ

Week 4 - Wind and Water

This week we took what we learned about erosion and weathering and tried to figure out how to stop it or at least slow it down.  The students made erosion blockers on a soil bed and watched the water wash it away.  We had a blast doing this project.  Then they made small posters about how to help farmers slow down the wind on their farms.  What a bunch of great ideas!!  I'm adding a link with a neat weathering and erosion video.  Enjoy!!

http://www.unitedstreaming.com/videos/dsc/externalApplications/interactiveVideos/index.html?vid=32

Mr. Dan and Miss Beth

Week 3 - Wrapped up how Earth changes...

This week we wrapped up "How the Earth changes".  Students made great posters depicting the change of a tombstone over a 300 yr. period.  We then finished everything up with a wonderful Jeopardy Game on weathering and erosion and the forces that cause them.  The students had a great time!!  Next week we will be focusing on water and wind and how they change the land.  This will be a short unit with landforms following.

Week 2 - Earth's History

Week 2 of home school is in the books.  We have been working really hard on Earth's History.  How the Earth changes sometimes very quickly and sometimes very slowly.  Weathering and erosion play a large roll in this.  We witnessed some weathering around Eldridge Park and started our own past, present, and future weathering posters.  We will be wrapping up this unit next week.  Thanks again everyone for all your hard work and see you on Thursday!!  Nice new link I've added.  Check it out!!

 Mr. Dan and Miss Beth

Week 1 - Home School Science Welcome!!!

Welcome everyone to the new EPEEC Home School Science blog.  This is an exciting year for us.  We have a brand new home school curriculum featuring a no-repeat format. This will enable the home school families the opportunity to continue to take part in a program year after year and not repeat topics, lessons, or curricular units.  The program, as designed now, will run for about 3-5 years with other options in the future.

This first year of roll-out will encompass Earth Science.  We will be covering many of the Next Generation Science Standards as adopted by the state of Illinois.  Here is the focus for the 2013-2014 school year:

Earth Science Year 1

30 week course - 2 hours per week

 A. The universe and its stars / Earth and the solar system

1.      Patterns of movement of the sun, moon, and stars as seen from Earth can be observed, described, and predicted.

B. The history of planet Earth

2.      Some events on Earth occur very quickly; others can occur very slowly.

C. Earth materials and systems

3.      Wind and water change the shape of the land.

D. Plate tectonics and large-scale system interactions

4.      Maps show where things are located. One can map the shapes and kinds of land and water in any area.

E. The roles of water in the Earth’s surface processes

5.      Water is found in many types of places and in different forms on Earth.

F. Weather and climate

6.      Weather is the combination of sunlight, wind, snow or rain, and temperature in a particular region and time.  People record weather patterns over time.

G. Biogeology

7.      Plants and animals can change their local environment.

H. Natural resources

8.      Living things need water, air, and resources from the land, and they live in places that have the things they need.  Humans use natural resources for everything they do.

I. Natural hazards

9.      In a region, some kinds of severe weather are more likely than others.  Forecasts allow communities to prepare for severe weather.

J. Human impacts on Earth systems

10.  Things people do can affect the environment but they can make choices to reduce their impacts.

We will be covering many interesting topics this year. We can't wait to meet everyone and begin this wonderful journey together.  Thank you for choosing the Elmhurst Park District.

Mr. Dan West and Miss Beth Kosson