Topics of Study

 Lakin: Dinosaurs. With clay fossils and handwritten lists of dinosaur names by a little boy who normally "doesn't know how" to write. His beloved prehistoric predator documentaries on Netflix. Stacks of heavy dinosaur encyclopedias and a camera filled with photos of model dinosaurs.

Cohen: Whales, sharks and other sea life. With Blue Planet and Shark Week on Netflix. A list of whale species. Clay dolphins and an oil pastel orca.

 Rylna: Vehicles. With a list of questions about the inner workings of tractor trailers and the speed and cost of the fastest cars. Books on Modern Aircrafts and How to Draw Flying Machines.

Cale: Volcanoes and Earthquakes. With a mud packed volcano. Baking soda, vinegar and red food coloring. A second attempt with a few additions to make the lava flow more impressive and longer lasting. National Geographic and Discovery Channel videos of eruptions and the history of Pompeii. And of course a little volcanic duct tape creating planned for tomorrow.

We started something new this week. More record keeping and accountability. Learning contracts and a couple project helps to get them moving forward and digging deeper. Yesterday I met with each of the boys to go over their new contracts and to discuss my expectations and theirs. I asked them to pick a topic to study while we tried this new system and with the exception of Cohen they all picked something new...Dinos, Vehicles and Volcanoes/Earthquakes. And so far, 2 days in, I am seeing some good changes coming.