Unschooling Journal September 20-26, 2020

by | Sep 28, 2020 | Blog, Home Learning, Homeschooling, Unschooling, 언스쿨링 | 0 comments

Here’s what Ethan was up to this past week. We’re certainly thankful that Ethan is staying home and empathize with other families who are not able to do what we are, especially with the rise in coronavirus exposures in schools. For any parents wondering what it might be like to homeschool your children, we hope this blog helps provide some inspiration.

This week, I started to learn about Orange Shirt Day, started recolouring the whole world map, and learned some math and chemistry! I practiced piano and violin, too. I started to add videos to my YouTube channel, about things I learned! This week, I wrote about the universe too! I did taekwondo and swimming and violin.

Today, I REPRINTED my ENTIRE world map on thick paper and recoloured EVERYTHING (Well, I started.)!!!! because I wanted to have a bit thicker paper, so we can stick it onto poster board.
This week, I started my study of 45º-45º-90º triangles and 30º-60º-90º triangles.
This is the book in which I learned it from! its called “Geometry For Dummies,” by the way.
Here, I wrote about survivor planets, and super novas! read it here: http://www.howtodostuffwithethan.com/nasa-spies-possible-survivor-planet-around-a-white-dwarf/
And I learned it from the NASA website!
And I made a video about orbits and orbitals! see it here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WhCFXuMOnVg
Here is my cheat sheet about 45º-45º-90º triangles and 30º-60º-90º triangles.
And then, I did some problems about 45º-45º-90º triangles and 30º-60º-90º triangles! these problems were from “Geometry for dummies.”
45º-45º-90º triangle and 30º-60º-90º triangle problems!
Me learning how to play “Carol of The Bells” on piano.
Me making a video: 45º-45º-90º triangles and 30º-60º-90º triangles, What are they? here is the video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KJp_qYAjnmc
Learning about “Super Spiral galaxies” from the NASA website.
Here is the writing! check it out here: http://www.howtodostuffwithethan.com/astronomers-discover-super-spiral-galaxies/ 😀
Today, I learned how to calculate area formulas and areas of hexagons and octagons!
Here is the book, again, GEOMETRY FOR DUMMIES.
Me learning about different galaxy types! sorry… I forgot the title. (UPDATE: I found the book! the title was… wait… wait one second… *Runs and grabs the book* UPDATE: the book is called SPA- *Drops the book* -OoPs… one sec… *Picks up the book* *Takes more than one second* UPDATE: the book is called “SPACE” by scholastic!)
Read the writing here: http://www.howtodostuffwithethan.com/galaxy-types/
Today, I learned about Orange Shirt Day! Orange Shirt Day is a movement that officially began in 2013 but in reality it began in 1973 when six year old Phyllis Webstad entered the St. Joseph Mission Residential School, outside of Williams Lake, BC. Young Phyllis was wearing a brand new orange shirt for her first day of school – new clothes being a rare and wonderful thing for a First Nation girl growing up in her grandmother’s care – but the Mission Oblates quickly stripped her of her new shirt and replaced it with the school’s institutional uniform. September 30th is the day in which we celebrate freedom for kids. EVERY CHILD MATTERS.
https://www.ictinc.ca/blog/what-is-orange-shirt-day
So I attended a Class about Orange Shirt Day, and we are going to make a T-Shirt, from one of our drawings! the drawing has to represent freedom for kids.
Here is my drawing! it represents the freedom of a bird escaping from a cage. I chose blue, because it stands out against the orange.
I also coloured in this heart, for the Orange Shirt Day thing!
Then I learned about
UnFOILing! so undoing the foil.
Just reversing the prosess of FOIL.
This is where I got it from! (GEOMETRY FOR DUMMIES)
Then I learned about the states of matter. Solid, liquid, and gas! (This is “Chemistry For Dummies!”)
and how you can go between them.
Me making a Siphon! A siphon… well, just look it up.
A siphon is a way to get water (or some other liquid) From a high place to a low place. My dad used to have a fish tank, and when the fish pooped, he siphoned out all the poo!

LC Response

Hi Ethan, 

Another great reflection! I really liked how you gave a short summary paragraph at the beginning. It was a nice overview of the week as well as provided an outline of what I was about to read and see images of.  I am sure you heard the news that the FSA is postponed until January. 

I absolutely love your large world map!! It is going to look so good when it is all colored in and you have learned about each country. I hope you hang it somewhere special. 

My older sister once did a hand drawn and colored map of all the countries in Africa. My father framed it and put it in his office. When you put in the time to find, research and color each country I think you really learn it well. 

Will you be looking at Google Earth at all as well in collaboration with this project? It is incredible to go into satellite view and really “see” what these countries look like in terms of mountains, lakes, deserts, forest, mega cities etc. It can add a 3D element to this project that I really never had access to as a child. Happy mapping!!

http://projectilepixels.com/blog/20-3d-google-maps-images-that-look-almost-like-the-real-place/

https://www.thesun.co.uk/news/3374812/google-earth-update-3d-maps/

Now that we are unable to travel as freely due to Covid 19, the virtual traveling in google earth is a wonderful treat. 

This is a good write up on your blog, way less errors than last year, looks like you are proofreading and writing a draft first, look better and easier to read: http://www.howtodostuffwithethan.com/nasa-spies-possible-survivor-planet-around-a-white-dwarf/

Me learning about different galaxy types! sorry… I forgot the title. (UPDATE: I found the book! the title was… wait… wait one second… *Runs and grabs the book* UPDATE: the book is called SPA- *Drops the book* -OoPs… one sec… *Picks up the book* *Takes more than one second* UPDATE: the book is called “SPACE” by scholastic!)

Ethan you are so funny! Even when you write….your sense of humor is quite witty. Thanks for keeping me laughing and smiling. 

I am so glad you learned about Orange Shirt Day. How did it feel to learn about residential schools? What were your thoughts? 

Your drawings are beautiful and speak symbolically in the spirit of truth and reconciliation. 

Are you familiar with that phrase “truth and reconciliation”?

Perhaps you want to learn more: there are many resources here: https://fncaringsociety.com/shannens-dream-school-resources

Let me know if you would like to discuss or know more.  

Thank you again for your reflections and photos. 

“See” you soon!

Natasha

Submit a Comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *