Sunday Sweep - Nova: Hunting the Elements, Science Ninjas: Valence, Memorize Academy: Periodic Table

Time for the Sunday Sweep! Favorite resources that fueled our curiosity this past week.

Documentary of the Week: Nova Season 8: Hunting the Elements

We've jumped head-first into the periodic table this week. And if there was ever a way to spark unquenchable curiosity over the building blocks of the universe, it's THIS documentary! There were sections that we watched and re-watched just because of the coolness factor. From watching watching current gold mining and refining, to getting a glimpse into a super-powered microscope that can actually see atoms forming into grids - fascinating and mind-blowing! Check out the trailer below.

*You can watch the entire documentary on YouTube, but it is very low resolution. You can also purchase the a digital copy of the individual episode on Amazon. Look in season 8.

Game of the Week: Science Ninjas: Valence Card Game

Since we're on an elements kick, why not pull out a supporting game! This is super simple, quick to play, and the illustrations are - frankly - adorable. Check out the game play video below and you'll see what I'm talking about.

Bonus Awesomeness: Memorize Academy: Periodic Table

Okay, okay, you convinced me: we'll stick with the periodic table goodies. My young kids are more than happy to undertake the challenge of memorizing the elements when it involves watching memorable videos like these. It's free to learn the first twenty elements. We're taking it five per week so that we can explore one element a day. If it goes well, I'll certainly be purchasing the entire course ($27...can't go wrong).

Don't forget to peek at my Instagram to see what awesome books we enjoyed this week. Got a favorite resource that fueled your curiosity this week? Leave a comment and point me in the right direction!

#Homeschool #Homeschooling #Science #Documentary #Youtube #Nova #PeriodicTable #Elements #Valence #CardGames #MemorizeThis

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Sunday Sweep - The Folklorist, Bohnanza, Geography Songs

Time for the Sunday Sweep! Favorite resources that fueled our curiosity this past week.

Documentary of the Week: The Folklorist

Since half of our week was spent state-hopping, our school time was pretty minimal. Here's one of our favorite channels for "history nibbles". Watch the story of Deborah Samson, female fighter of the Revolutionary War, or Robert Smalls, runaway slave who commandeered a steamboat and delivered it to Union forces. Have you heard of the Year without a Summer when it snowed in Albany in June? or the Great Molasses Flood of 1919 that killed 21 people? To give you a taste, here's one of our favorites - the story of Hugh Glass (I was so inspired by the story that after watching this I agreed to watch The Revenant with the Engineer. Hollywood totally butchered the story. Don't make the same mistake I made! Stick with the Folklorist version!

Game of the Week: Bohnanza

We pulled this card game out on Saturday afternoon and enjoyed it for the I-don't-know-how-manyeth time. Planting bean fields, figuring out the best time to liquidate your crop, trading seeds with other players...there's nothing not to love. It's totally appropriate for non-readers, too. Oh, and the graphics are hilarious.

Bonus Awesomeness: Geography Songs

We LOVE Kathy Troxel's educational songs. My three-year-old still has the Presidents song stuck in his head (he sings "Polk and Taylor, Filmore..." over and over and over and...) Geography songs is just as great! Catchy tunes (no dumb raps...gosh, I hate those), short lists organized by region so that you can get in front of a map and learn to recognize nations a chunk at a time. This can be part of an organized "subject" or just a great CD to listen to in the car. It won't drive you crazy. I promise. I wouldn't do that to you.

Don't forget to peek at my Instagram to see what awesome books we enjoyed this week. Got a favorite resource that fueled your curiosity this week? Leave a comment and point me in the right direction!

#Homeschool #Homeschooling #History #Documentary #Youtube #TheFolklorist #Bohnanza #CardGames #GeographySongs #SongSchool

Disclosure: This post may contain affiliate links, which means we may receive a commission if you click a link and purchase something that we have recommended. While clicking these links won't cost you any extra money, they will help us keep this site up and running! Thank you for your support!