Pawpaw Holler Home

A classic chemistry experiments ebook is today’s free resource at Homeschool Freebie of the Day:

The Golden Book of Chemistry Experiments (PDF ebook) – Here’s a great Chemistry experiments book from the 1960s that was actually BANNED and removed from libraries across the country for being too “dangerous” for young experimenters. Even though most of the activities and experiments in this Golden Book are safe, a few will need parental supervision should you decide to persue them.

Just in time for gardening season, American Montessori Consulting has a new unit study out:

Montessori PreK-Grade 8 Gardening Unit Study -This is an online unit study for a complete summer gardening unit study. Contains links to articles, hands-on activities and other exercises for reading, language arts, life skills, social studies, science, art, math and more.

In The Hands of a Child offers a free semi-annual project pack and right now you can get one about America’s first ladies:

First Ladies of the United States Project Pack -Contains a complete lapbook unit and notebook unit about the first ladies of the United States of America. For grades 3-6.

Blessings,

Denese

In honor of International Bird Day, Homeschool Freebie of the Day has two wonderful resources for us:

The First Book of Birds by Margaret Williamson (PDF ebook) -A delightful introduction to birds of all types; how and why they can fly; where they live; what they eat; why they build nests; and much, much more. Heavily illustrated with Williamson’s fine black and white line illustrations, this is a great chapter book for use with younger learners.

Birdwatching for Beginners: A Guide for Homeschoolers (PDF ebook) — An excellent starter guide on birdwatching… How to get started, what resources and equipment you need, where to find birds and how to identify them, how to keep records of your sightings, “etiquette” for watchers, how to attract birds to your own back yard, and much more! An educational and fun hobby that is perfect for these glorious spring and summer days!

Stop by CurrClick for a couple of more free resources for studying birds:

Nature Study ~ Birds ~ Notebooking Pages —This set of 50 notebooking pages will compliment any study of birds and will work nicely as narration pages or copywork practice pages. The illustrations are black and white and could be colored in to add more beauty to these already lovely pages. Included in this set are 2 title pages, one for narration and the other for copywork, as well as basic and primary lined pages.

Birdcall Memory Game with Audio —This is a free, fun excerpt from “My Favorite Backyard Bird” that includes 8 high quality recordings along with pictures that can be matched up to the audio recordings. This activity also includes a description of what each bird call sounds like so kids can have fun figuring out which bird call matches up with each bird.

The Cornell Lab of Ornithology has quite a few Citizen Science Projects to participate in, including:

BirdSleuth —Citizen-science curriculum for middle school kids.

Celebrate Urban Birds! —Promotes conservation in cities through gardening, the arts and observing birds.

eBird —A real-time, online checklist program.

NestWatch—Learn how to effectively monitor nests & collect breeding data to track the reproductive success of all North American breeding birds.

Denese

Classic Audio

This week’s free audio from Homeschool Radio Shows is a great summertime history program, the little known story of pioneer adventurer Jim Bridger.

Jim Bridger & The Discovery of Yellowstone –Jim Bridger’s stories and travels helped uncover and preserve the natural wonders which became a part of Yellowstone National Park. This excellent wild west “living history” program was originally broadcast as an episode of “Cavalcade of America” on March 2, 1937.

Available through Monday, August 17th.

Unit On Manners

This week, SchoolExpress has a free unit on Manners, along with some new phonics flashcards and math worksheets. Sign up for the SchoolExpress newsletter to receive weekly updates by email of new, free worksheets and units.

Let’s Be Scientists!

The Old Schoolhouse freebie this week is their Planner Module: Let’s Be Scientists.

Have fun with your children while learning real science! In this unit you will learn:

How to make ice cream in a baggie.
The five “states” of matter.
How to make your own weather chart.
The systems of the human body.
How to create your own “gross garden.”
What “oobligook” is.
How you can help to take care of the wonderful world God has given us by reducing trash, reusing what you can, and recycling anything else.
The science behind tasting your favorite food.

Includes a study guide, coloring and activity pages, copywork pages, recipes, resource pages and web links.

This unit is normally $7.95, so get it now while it’s free!

You can get more free educational resources every week from The Old Schoolhouse Magazine, when you sign up for their Freebie Friday Newsletter.

You might also be interested in:

Homeschool Freebies: Log Cabins, Puzzles, Home Management, First Aid

Homeschool/Education Freebies: Manners, Homeschooling Boys, The Brownies, Hairstyles

Blessings,

Denese

For even more free homeschooling resources, please check my educational freebies tag archive and my Free Homeschooling Page.

Sites About Fireflies

The Firefly Files –facts, resources and fun

What Makes A Firefly Glow?

Great Smoky Mountains National Park Synchronous Fireflies

Unit Studies On Fireflies

Fireflies Unit –free monthly unit from SchoolExpress (scroll down for link)

Fireflies: Twinkling Lights Of The Meadows –extensive online unit geared toward beginning readers, lots of hands-on activities. From Evelyn at Hands-On Learning.

Firefly Printables

Firefly or Lightning Bug Printout –science printable

Catching Fireflies Coloring Sheet

Citizen Science: Firefly Watch

Museum Of Science Firefly Watch –going on now. Sign up and share your observations of fireflies in your backyard to help scientists learn about the geographic distribution of fireflies and their activity during the summer season. Wonderful educational activity for the whole family.

Related posts:

• It’s Firefly Time In The Smoky Mountains

Blessings,

Denese

This Week’s Freebies From Homeschool Freebie Of The Day

• Monday, July 13th: Getting Kids to Help by Jill Cooper (pdf ebook) -Jill Cooper of Living On A Dime shares advice and tips on how to get kids of all ages to do their share (and then some) of the household chores.
• Tuesday, July 14th: Brownie Phonograms (pdf ebook) -The classic Palmer Cox Brownie characters are featured in this simple and fun phonogram teaching guide for primary students.
• Wednesday, July 15th: Air! (pdf ebook)  -A classic introductory guide to the air of our atmosphere.
• Thursday, July 16th: Being a Boy (pdf ebook) -Charles Dudley Warner’s classic book of boyhood in early New England.
• Friday, July 17th: Speaking & Writing English (pdf ebook) -A classic course of study for first through eighth grades, with practical suggestions for teaching composition and a full set of composition standards.

Don’t forget –each freebie is available for one day only!

Note: A couple of freebies they had last week are still available at the publishers’ websites:

• Hot Rods and Hope Chests: Boys and Girls and History -MP3 Audio Seminar by Michelle Miller, from Truth Quest History.
• American History Resources From HomeschoolPatriot.com

Homeschool Radio Shows

You can still get last week’s free radio program, “Typhoid Mary” -the true story of Mary Mallon, better known as “Typhoid Mary”.  Mary was the first person in the United States to be identified as a healthy carrier of typhoid fever. Over the course of her career as a cook, she is known to have infected 53 people, three of whom died from the disease.

You can only get Typhoid Mary today -a new show will be available tomorrow.

Fortunately For You Books

There are three freebies this month from Fortunately For You Books:

• Pockets of Time for Junie B., First Grader: Aloha-ha-ha!
• Olympics Activity
• Fortunately For You Book’s Travel Journal –for your child.

Heart Of The Matter Online

Sign up for the free newsletter from Heart Of The Matter Online and receive their newest ebook, “Summer Fun 2009” -free!

Related Posts:

• More Homeschool/Education Freebies For This Week

Blessings,

Denese

There be four things which are little upon the earth, but they are exceeding wise:

The ants are a people not strong, yet they prepare their meat in the summer;

The conies are but a feeble folk, yet make they their houses in the rocks;

The locusts have no king, yet go they forth all of them by bands;

The spider taketh hold with her hands, and is in kings’ palaces.

Proverbs 30:24-28

I know, I said I wouldn’t have any posts ‘til this weekend -but I heard about a couple of super summer movie specials and just had to pass them along!

Regal Theaters Free Family Film Festival

At 10am every Tuesday and Wednesday, through July, participating Regal theatres are showing ‘G’ and ‘PG’ movies –for free!

Tickets are available at the theater box office on the day of the show and seating is limited to theatre capacity –first-come first-served.

Regal has theatres all over the United States and there are three in the Knoxville area:

Knoxville Center Stadium 10
3051-B Mall Road North
Knoxville ,TN 37924
865-544-1546

West Town Stadium 9
7600 Kingston Pike
Knoxville ,TN 37919
865-769-4230

Pinnacle Stadium 18 & IMAX
11240 Parkside Drive
Knoxville ,TN 37922
865-966-3506

To find a participating Regal theatre near you and to see a list of movies that will be playing during the Free Family Film Festival, please visit the Regal Entertainment Group’s website.

Carmike Foothills 12 Cinema $1 Summer Movies

For those of you in the Maryville/Blount county, TN area who don’t care to drive to Knoxville:

Every Tuesday, at 10:30am, you can see a family movie at Foothills Cinema -for only $1 and get $1 popcorn and drinks!

Foothills Cinema is located at:

• 507 FOOTHILLS PLAZA
  Maryville , TN 37804
  Phone: (865) 977-4489

Today’s $1 movie is Charlotte’s Web –please call the theater to find out what’s playing in up-coming weeks.

Thanks so much, Jennifer and Monica, for the heads-up!

Blessings,

Denese

Smooth Solomon’s Seal (Polygonatum biflorum)

Great Solomon’s Seal (Polygonatum canaliculatum –or- Polygonatum biflorum var. commutatum)

Solomon’s Seal is a common woodland wildflower found in full to part shade throughout most of North America, from Saskatchewan west to Quebec, south through Florida to New Mexico. It is called Solomon’s Seal because when the leafstalk falls off, a scar is left on the root and it resembles the official seal of King Solomon.

This graceful plant has an unbranched, arching stem with opposite leaves. The 1/2 inch long, pale-green, bell-shaped flowers appear from May-June and hang down from the leaf axils.

Smooth Solomon’s Seal grows to a height of 2-3 feet, with no more than two flowers per cluster, and the tip of the stem curves down -almost to the ground.

Great Solomon’s Seal may grow to a height of 7 feet and has 2 or more flowers per cluster.

The Great Solomon’s Seals here in the Pawpaw Holler grow to a height of 4-5 feet and the plant is a paler green than the Smooth Solomon’s Seal.

After flowering, green berries appear which turn dark blue-black in late summer and fall.

Caution: The berries of Solomon’s Seal are poisonous!

The roots of Solomon’s Seal are starchy and were used for food by the American Indians and colonists.

Solomon’s Seal may be seen along many trails in the  The Great Smoky Mountains including:

• Ace Gap (Cades Cove/Rich Mountain Rd. area)
• Cove Hardwood Self-Guided Nature Trail (Chimneys Picnic Area)
• Deep Creek (north of Bryson City. NC)
• Kanati Fork (north of Oconaluftee Visitor Center,NC)

For Great Smoky Mountains trail and wildflower information:

• Wildflower Walks in the Smokies
• Where To Look For Spring Wildflowers in Great Smoky Mountains National Park
• Directory of Trails by Location Within Park

Learn More About Solomon’s Seal

USDA Plants Profile: Polygonatum biflorum smooth Solomon’s seal

Native Plant Database: Polygonatum biflorum -Smooth Solomon’s seal, Great Solomon’s-seal

Plants For A Future :

• Polygonatum biflorum -Small Solomon’s Seal
• Polygonatum commutatum – King Solomon’s Seal

Picture of Solomon’s Seal root

Where To Buy Solomon’s Seal

Shadeflowers.com

Sunlight Gardens

Prairie Nursery –will ship seeds internationally with minimum order of $250

Crocus –UK (different variety)

Blessings,

Denese

Spiderwort (Tradescantia virginiana)

Spiderwort is another dainty wildflower that can be found in dappled woods, meadows and thickets in most of Eastern North America, from Maine to Minnesota and southward.

Spiderwort grows to a height of 1 1/2 to 2 1/2 feet with blue, purple or white flowers in spring and summer. For it’s height, spiderwort’s flowers are very small –only 1 to 2 inches across. The leaves are long, pointy and folded lengthwise, forming a channel.

Spiderwort is a perennial but also self-seeds abundantly –here in the holler they come up everywhere and they’re very hard to kill (not that I try to!).

These spiderworts grow in almost full shade and the flowers are a darker blue than the ones I have in the sun. I’ve also noticed that the shaded plants don’t have as many stalks as the ones in the sun do.

White spiderwort is rare in the wild -the flowers on this plant are almost white.

Spiderwort may be seen in The Great Smoky Mountains on Ace Gap Trail (Cades Cove/Rich Mountain Rd. area).

Learn More About Spiderwort

USDA Plants Profile: Tradescantia virginiana L. Virginia spiderwort

Native Plant Database: Tradescantia virginiana L. Virginia spiderwort, Spider lily

Plants For A Future Database: Tradescantia virginiana – L. Spiderwort –propagation and cultivation info

Where To Buy Spiderwort

Enchanters Garden

Pase Seeds

Chiltern Seeds –United Kingdom

Blessings,

Denese

I have sooo many wildflower photos to share that I’ve decided to post a different one each day –hope you all like them!

Four-leaved Milkweed (Asclepias  quadrifolia)

This dainty little milkweed is found in upland forests, usually on dry, rocky slopes. Their range is from Ontario to Vermont, south to Georgia and west to Oklahoma and Kansas.

It grows 1-2 feet high and rounded clusters of pale-pink blooms appear in late spring to early summer. The leaves are in pairs, except for the middle set, which is whorl of four. The white, downy seeds are contained in 2-3 inch thin, pointy seed pods which form after blooming.

These are beautiful here in the Pawpaw Holler when they bloom and my children enjoy picking the seed pods when they start to open –the seeds float away like little parachutes! I’ll post some pictures of the seed pods later in the year.

Four-leaved milkweed can be found in The Great Smoky Mountains National Park on Chestnut-tops Trail (across from the “Y” at the Townsend entrance to the park).

More Information

USDA Plants Profile: Asclepias quadrifolia

Connecticut Botanical Society: Four-leaved Milkweed (Asclepias quadrifolia) –more images

Biodiversity of Great Smoky Mountains National Park: Asclepias quadrifolia Jacq., Four-leaf Milkweed

Plants For A Future Database: Asclepias quadrifolia –cultivation and propagation information

Where To Buy Four-leaved Milkweed

Enchanters Garden

Hydroponics Online

Blessings,

Denese