Girl Scouts Daisy: 3 Cheers for Animals Part 2

Above are the African Elephants, and below are the Asian Elephants

Here are the African and Asian Elephants.  The African Elephants have bigger ears, and are bigger overall.  There was not a caretaker in front of the Asian Elephants we saw at the Fort Worth Zoo, but there was one with the African Elephants in the Dallas Zoo. 

One thing I have learned is to take advantage of the caretaker talks available to you!  You can learn a lot from the ones that work with the animals on a daily basis. 

The Dallas Zoo has "encounters" with these caretakers.  They usually feed the animals and offer tidbits of information while they are there.

We learned that the African Elephants are fed apples and hay.  They, also, eat the grasses and trees in their habitat.  The elephants have 4 teeth in the back of their mouths (molars) that are the size of bricks!  There are 6 sets in a elephants lifetime because they are so hard on their teeth that they lose them more than humans. 

They use their trunks to feed themselves and even as a built in shower =) 

After enjoying the Three Cheers for Animals Journey, I have decided to make Apologia's Zoology the girls' next Science program.  They should have fun learning about land animals!

Girl Scouts Daisy: 3 Cheers for Animals Part 1

For Morgan's Journey, we got to go to the zoo!  She chose the animal journey.  The flower friends in the Daisy Flower Garden in the journey book show how they help animals and care for them.  In this journey, the girls learn how to care for animals and themselves.
While at the zoo, here are some of the things we learned about the animals while we were there:

1. what the animal eats
2. where the animal lives
3. what else the animal needs to stay alive
4. what the biggest threat to the animal is

Check out these cute Bonobos.  The baby is playful, and the adults play along with him.  They were a lot of fun to watch.  Bonobos live in the Democratic Republic of the Congo in a tropical rain forest.  They eat mostly fruits and leaves.   

This family group of Bonobos lives in the Fort Worth Zoo.  We were there on home school day.  If you have never been to the Fort Worth Zoo, I have to tell you it is BIG and there is a lot to see.  We were exhausted after being there for 4 hours, and we didn't even see everything!

Girl Scouting on a Shoe String

Before I speak on the next journey that we did in Girl Scouts, I want to bring you this information.  I am finding things out on my own, instead of with the support of a troop.  One thing I learned recently is that you can check out any of the Girl Scout books, journey books, leader books, etc at your local Girl Scout shop!  It doesn't cost anything.  You just check them out like you would a book at the library. 

This saves hundreds of dollars over the lifetime of the girl's scouting experience!  Just for Jaden and Morgan for the Brownie and Daisy books, it is over $100!  I am glad they can still get the experience without spending that money.

GEMS~ Girls Everywhere Meeting the Saviour

GEMS Girls Clubs:  Most people have never heard of GEMS.  It is not a widely recognized group like Girl Scouts.  It is pretty small, but they are international.  The club that Jaden is in meets during the school day.  All 40+ girls are homeschooled and between the ages of 6 and 16. 

The mission of GEMS is: "GEMS Girls' Clubs seeks to equip women and girls to live radically faithful lives—doing justice, loving mercy, and walking humbly with God."

The youngest girls are in grades 1 to 3.  This is called the "Awareness" level.  They discuss an important story in the bible and how they can relate it to themselves.  The purpose is for them to learn how God works and how He loves them.  They participate in crafts, songs, games, and friendship. 

Jaden will not go on to the next level until 4th grade.  The "Discovery" level goes deeper into self-discovery and working for Christ.  This group earns badges by showing their faith in God and discovering their talents.  They, also, participate in crafts. songs, games, friendship, and leadership.

The "Advanced" level girls are 7th and 8th graders.  They have unique curriculum based on Esther.  This teaches them to live a God-centered life.  They, also, focus on self-esteem and not falling into peer pressure.  They begin helping the counselors with the younger girls during sharing time to prepare for being counselors and leaders one day.

I like that the aim of this club is to keep a tight-knit group of girls that help each other follow God and his teachings.  In a world so full of negatives, this is a polar opposite! 

GEMS web-site

Love the Weather Here!

With a high of 86 degress today, we spent a lot of time outside.  What beautiful weather!  I hung out with Janet while the girls played on the playground.  It was so nice that I wanted to just pull up a quilt and lay down outside.  Is it Spring yet?

Homeschool Teachers

If you homeschool your children, this post is for you.  I know us homeschool moms consider ourselves "moms", and everything that goes along with being a mom is just mom-stuff... BUT, it isn't.  Being a homeschool mom is a big job that not everyone can do! 
A homeschool mom is actually a TEACHER.  Though you may not consider yourself a teacher, you are!!  This title comes with some perks.  I don't know all of them, but I have found some that I thought I would share with you.
First of all, to get these perks, most places require a teacher ID card.  You can make your own, or some homeschool organizations provide one.  First Class Homeschool, for example, send you one when you become a part of their homeschool group. 
After you have your teacher ID, you can start enjoying the benefits.  Check these out:

1. Museums, art galleries, and other hands-on learning organizations usually have a discount off on admission for teachers (your children get in with the same discount). 
2. Craft stores like Michaels and Joanns offer a discount as well.  All you have to do is show your ID at the register to get a discount on everything you buy.

3. Books store including Barnes and Noble, Borders, Books-a-Million and Half Price Books give a percentage off.

4. RoomStore, Apple, Banana Republic, J. Crew and The Limited are stores that you need to check before making a special trip. 

4. Some discounts are given according to where you live in the country.  They vary widely.  Check around you.

These are just a few of the places I have found.  I only just started using my ID last week.  If you are not sure if a place offers a discount to teachers, just ask!  What have you got to lose!!

Girl Scouts Brownie: Wonders of Water Part 8

The aquariums out there now are exciting!  There are so many chances to get up close with marine life.  Here, the girls were able to see the marine animals in a 360 degree tunnel.  There were sharks, rays, turles, and all kinds of fish. 

They, also, had bubbles to stick your head in an view the fish swimming around in the various tanks.  At the end, there were hermit crabs and starfish to touch!

There was a short film (about 8 minutes) about water polution and the effects on the marine life.  This topped off our visit.  Many of the problems discussed in the film were found in the Brownie Journey book Wonders of Water.  Jaden really enjoyed seeing it in film.  Now off to change the world!

Girl Scouts Brownie: Wonders of Water Part 7

We checked out the shark exhibit and watched the Shark IMAX movie at the museum during our water study.  Before going to the museum, I went on the web-site and printed off study materials.  They had a whole chapter worth of information about sharks!  We read it all before going to the museum, and then we learned even more while at the museum!! 

Homeschool tip: Before going to a museum, zoo or other hands-on learning center, check out their web-site for learning materials.  It makes the trip more educational and more fun!!  I have found educational materials on every site I have looked at.  If you run into a problem finding the educational material, check another museum/zoo web-site they may offer what you are looking for.  You can get the educational material from another site and still go to the museum/zoo you prefer!  National Geografic offers a TON of animal and environmental information. 

Girl Scouts Brownie: Wonders of Water Part 6

Water, Water everywhere!  Have you ever noticed how much water is around us?  Lakes, rivers, oceans, creeks, and even small ponds.  We have a pond close to our home, so we go by and visit the ducks regularly.  On this trip, we saw several Canadian geese.  Lucky for them, someone had left 2 slices of bread for us to break up and hand out!  Our trips to the pond are not always planned, so that is why we have no bread with us.
I love stopping by the pond on beautiful days like this one!  The weather was in the 80's! 
While visiting the pond, we collected trash on the ground and put it where it goes.  This is a very important part of the Wonders of Water journey- keep our water clean and safe for the animals that live there!!

Girl Scouts Brownie: Wonders of Water Part 5

Schools and schools of fish!  Have you ever wondered why these fish run in packs?   The adult readers probably already know the answer to this question.  For the children, I will tell you... When fish travel together, it is called a school.  Schools of fish exist for many reasons, and here are some of them:

1. They can confuse predators when they travel in schools by swimming back and forth.

2. There is safety in numbers.  Large groups of fish mean that it is less likely for a single fish to be singled out and eaten.

3. They can travel on each others currents, which means they do not have to swim as hard to get where they need to go. 

4. It is harder to find food on your own.  A group of fish means that when one fish finds food, they all find food.  However, the downside is that they would have to either share the food or fight to see who gets to it first.

We had a chance to see schools of fish at the aquarium.  It was a pretty amazing sight watching them travel in a synchronized dance of sorts. 

Girl Scouts Brownie: Wonders of Water Part 4

Disney Pixar made a great G-rated family movie called Finding Nemo.  It isn't very educational, but it is a good place to start in introducing kids to how much fun watching animals in the water can be.  We saw some clownfish at the aquarium, and Jaden said jokingly, "Let's get Nemo out of the tank and take him to his dad.  His dad is looking for him!"  LOL!!

Girl Scouts Brownie: Wonders of Water Part 3

What great timing- Big Miracle came out at the theater this month.  It fit in perfectly with our study of water.  The movie is about a whale family that gets trapped under ice in Alaska.  Based on a true story, it kept the attention of all 3 of us!  Morgan, who doesn't usually sit through a movie, didn't get up from her seat once!  Jaden was so wrapped up in the movie that her and I were both sobbing at the end! 

This is a great movie.  Beware of the drama, though, no every whale will make it to safety... And, there is one major close call at the end that makes you think no one will make it out alive!!!