Here’s another week of Ethan and unschooling. He had a major project involving the periodic table of elements, as well as learning about how to make paper airplanes that break Guinness World Records.
January 20
Ethan started the day by editing a video he’s been working on aboutMore chalkboard messages between Ethan and Dong Eun.Ethan was folding more paper airplanes today, since he had so much fun with them yesterday, and was curious about how to make his planes fly straight. I suggested that he Google it and he found a video about the person who designed the paper airplane that holds the Guiness World Record for longest distance by a paper airplane.The person’s name is John M. Collins and he has instructional videos for some of his most popular paper airplanes, including the world record plane. What’s unique about Collins is that he combines aerodynamics and flight mechanics with origami. Ethan was very intrigued, especially because he knew what the origami folds were that Collins described so Ethan was able to easily follow the instructions. Ethan spent the rest of the morning folding different paper airplane designs.In the afternoon, Ethan went to a birthday party for his friend Nico.The party was at Mt. Seymour and it featured snow tubing as the main activity.It was a perfect day for tubing and a party.Ethan had a blast blasting down the hill in the tube.The party continued inside a special yurt with a donut eating game. They hung mini donuts on strings and the kids had to eat them off with only their mouths.Ethan only knew Nico and his little brother Paulo because the kids at the party were all from Nico’s class. He had his party together with a girl from class who’s birthday is also around the same time and both their moms wanted a snow tubing party. He was able to connect with a couple of the Korean kids.The other kid’s name was Jasmine. Jasmine’s mom made this amazing cake for the party.After eating and while waiting for the cake to be served, Ethan pulled out his Rubik’s Cubes and got a few of the other kids to scramble them so he could solve them.After we got home, Ethan continued working on paper airplanes.He also spent some time solving his 6×6 Rubik’s Cube. We also talked about the number of combinations that a 5×5 and 7×7 cube have. For reference, the 5×5 has more combinations than all the atoms that make up our universe.We were able to see the super blood wolf moon and get this photo of it.
Ethan also did two 60-second workouts today, even though he was very tired from the day’s activities.
January 21
This is a kid with a violin book sticking out of his head. Or it’s also Ethan holding the paper airplane that set the world record for distance. This was the design he learned how to make yesterday and he made it again today to try outside.Ethan then learned about quadratic graphs from his math textbook.He also watched a video about quadratic graphs on Khan Academy and then he explained quadratic graphs to Dong Eun.Ethan continued learning about ancient Rome and Julius Caesar.He retold what he learned in his own words.He watched a Crash Course video again about the Roman Empire to refresh his memory.For science, Ethan decided to learn about the periodic table of elements… just for fun.He decided to make his own periodic table… also just for fun. He ended up spending several hours on it because he had to cut out each square and write the elements onto them.Completed periodic table with legend, too. We are going to get a magnetic sheet that Ethan can cut up and stick onto each element. He wants to put the periodic onto our fridge.For language arts, he learned about the dash.He also learned about interjections and wrote a story using them.He finished the day by doing a Scratch coding project called a spiralizer. A ball in the centre clones itself and turns according to the angle setting. The cloned balls move away from the centre at a certain speed. The speed setting controls how fast the ball moves away. The pensize setting controls how thick or thin the lines are that the ball makes as it moves outward.The balls looks like they are spiraling, but they are actually just moving outward.Ethan also did the lesson on banning plastic straws again. He didn’t do this particular assingment before so he did it today.
January 22
Today was an interesting day. Ethan only worked on the periodic table of elements, but in a much larger scale.
Ethan started the day by setting up his periodic table again since the elements aren’t stuck to the card.Ethan wanted to make a larger version of the periodic table of elements because he wanted to draw the atoms that make up each element. Dong Eun then suggested that he stick the elements onto the wall so we could see them all at once.Ethan took some time to practice violin. This is from Suzuki Book 2 and he practiced Chorus from Judas Maccabaeus.He went back to working on his big periodic table and found a periodic table song on YouTube. The song uses the “Can-Can” music by Offenbach.Ethan worked all day on this project.This was taken just before 5:30 pm.Each card has the atomic number, mass and includes the exact number of electrons, neutrons and protons.Ethan had taekwondo class and violin class. He was anxious to get back home to continue working on his periodic table. First, he did his music notation homework.Electrons, protons and neutrons drawn for another element, copper.And here is where he finished off today.
January 23
Ethan woke up a little earlier this morning and played around with this periodic table. He spent the day at nature school. He was very excited about going, as he is every week.Back home, Ethan practiced violin.After violin practice, he learned about histograms and created a couple to show us.Next, he modified a game in Scratch. The object is to move the green ball onto the two pillars.He then worked on his big periodic table project by watching/listening to the periodic table song on YouTube.Bit of a late dinner before doing some reading.
January 24
Ethan started the day by learning about vectors.He learned about adding vectors and demonstrated what he learned.And he also told us about multiplying vectors.Ethan practiced playing Take Your Partners on the violin.He then continued learning about the Roman Empire and read about Emperor Augustus.He drew this little comic about Emperor Augustus. Augustus is confused because he doesn’t know why people are shouting E.A.He watched a video on Khan Academy about Augustus.He then wrote a story about Augustus.Next, Ethan learned about comparative and superlative adjectives.He scored 100% on the quiz.He then wrote a fun story using comparative and superlative adjectives.Lately, he can’t put this book down. He reads it all the time.Heading out to play with friends.After dinner, Ethan did some coding in Scratch.The magnetic sheet arrived. Ethan spent the rest of the evening cutting and sticking magnets to his periodic table cards.He stuck the periodic table onto the fridge.Periodic table all stuck on the fridge.A very loose tooth! We tried to help Ethan get it out, but it was a bit more stubborn than we thought.
January 25
Ethan learned about sectors today for math.He learned how to calculate the area of a sector and explained it to Dong Eun.He took a quiz about the area of a sector.And it looks like he needs some more practice.Next up was history and he continued learning about the Roman Empire. He learned about how the Colosseum was built.He wrote a story about the Romans.And then he explained what he learned about the Romans to Dong Eun.Ethan read an article about killer whales and answered some comprehension questions.He practiced violin by playing Chorus from Judas Maccabaeus.He also did some musical notation homework.Next, Ethan did language arts and learned about articles.He watched a video lesson about articles on Khan Academy.And scored 100% of the articles quiz.He then wrote a story to explain how to use articles.Next, he did some coding in Scratch.And he completed one more element for his giant periodic table. Today, it was rubidium.We ordered a periodic table book that arrived today.Ethan learned how to solve the Square One cube. He also wrote out how to solve this cube onto a bunch of flashcards. He turned the flashcards into a kind of book by punching a hole through them and joining the cards together with a binder ring. After dinner, it was time for family game night!
We also all went jogging this morning and Ethan did his 60-second workouts, too.
January 26
Ethan had his violin symphony class this morning. While waiting for skating lessons, Ethan practiced solving his Squared One cube.Skating lessons.Practicing skating backwards. He had a great time at skating and seems to be really enjoying the lessons.We stopped at the library on the way home. We borrowed some books on the Roman Empire to tie in with what he had been learning this past week.He has been doing some eye exercises from a YouTube video. Today, he wrote them down so he wouldn’t have to use the video.He wanted to learn more about quadratic formulas.The library books we borrowed.A video about quadratic formulas.Now it was time to teach quadratic formula to Dong Eun.Taking a quiz on quadratic formulas.He then practiced violin.He learned about determiners but wasn’t sure what they were. So we read this together and I explained them to him.More learning about determiners.We did our 60-second exercise challenge.Ethan explained what determiners are.He than did some coding in Scratch before we went out for dinner with my parents.
After dinner, we came home and watched Star Wars Episode 8: The Last Jedi before Ethan went to bed and the week was done.
So another week of learning and unschooling for Ethan. He again did a lot of math but also did some chemistry by working on the periodic table.
He’s also closer to completing the 60-second exercise challenge so he’s excited about getting closer to getting his new Rubik’s Cube.
Let’s see what next week brings.
Response to LC
We’d love it if you were to share Ethan’s videos, blog or whatever else you think might be helpful. If other parents want to chat with us, we’d be happy to do that, too.
A call for Week 23 works for us. We’ll still post something just because we’ll be posting to Ethan’s blog, anyway.
Thanks and looking forward to your email.
LC short response
It is already halfway through the self design school year.
I am beginning to work on the Winter Reflections and will use this week to catch up, compile and reflect upon the many highlights of learning Ethan has had already. I see that you have submitted a week 22 already (I watched the climate change video and loved it!)
It is posted publicly I believe on Youtube and I was wondering if I could share the link with a few of my other families? and/or with a few other learning consultants? I want to celebrate his blossoming movie making with a wider audience.
His work with the periodic table is so hands-on. I love how he can move it, and understand how it is organized based on the properties and similarities of all the elements. I have another two learners in grade 7 and 9 who are learning about the periodic table this week. I watched a wonderful documentary about the development of the table one day when I was subbing and I will share with you once I find it again.
Would you like to have a direct contact again for week 23? or perhaps write some of what you would like to contribute to the winter reflection process in the week 23 reflection. I will be in touch via email this week and we can set up a time if you would like to for the following week.
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