Fall and Photosynthesis Unit

It's finally here!

The first week of fall!

I love fall immensely.

Well… almost immensely.

The arrival of fall means winter is right around the corner. I am not a fan of winter as it is cold and gray. I am not a fan of cold. And really gray isn’t my favorite either. But then after winter, comes spring! I adore spring. See, there is always something to look forward to.

Besides the yummy tastes and smells of fall, that are so awesome, God paints the trees in such amazing beauty. I love how the trees change colors right before our very eyes. It is like watching the greatest painter ever complete His masterpiece in its entire splendor. And we only have a brief moment to take all of that majestic glory in before it is gone for another year.

Do you see the phrase, "pleasing in appearance?"
God's creativity is beyond anything we can imagine and He creates nature for us to enjoy.

Fall also ushers in the natural time to study why and how leaves change color. This year I decided to also go deeper into the process of how plants create their own food, also known as that big giant word; photosynthesis.

Of course that means checking out as many books on the subject from the library and enjoying some educational videos online. We are also going to put together a lapbook and the older ones will most likely have some type of notebooking and research essay to write. And of course no science unit will be complete without at least one or several experiments or hands on activities.

Below is my list of resources I am going to use this week as we explore and learn. I am sure as we go through our study I will find some more great sites, however this is a starting point that will get us moving in the right direction.

Leaf Color Activity - What color will the leaves on the trees change? Answer this question with this fun activity that can be done with almost any age group to some degree. We have done this particular activity a few times and we will be doing it again this year. The kids love it. 


Photosynthesis Video - This quick animated video shows the process of photosynthesis.

NASA put out this very cool video that shows Photosynthesis from Outer Space.

Ellen Mchenry's Basement Workshop is a goldmine of botany and photosynthesis activities. There is also a lapbook with some very cool mini books. The lapbook elements will work great for notebooking also.


Science Made Simple has a quick and easy to read page about photosynthesis.

If you have Netflix, Magic School Bus Gets Planted (season 3 episode 11) is a fun episode about photosynthesis. There is a very cool activity on their site also that would really be fun. Gets Planted - A-maze-ing Plants

There are of course the fun art projects that include reading the book Leaf Man and making leaf men or other fun pictures, leaf rubbings, and even preserving leaves by ironing them between pieces of wax paper. Of course a nature walk or two are in order this week as well. What are you going to do to kick off fall.

Seeing The Benefit of Rest

Monday was our first day back to the formal schooling since last week’s break. All of us were refreshed and ready for this next block of our formal school year. The moans and groans from the week before last were replaced with excitement and enthusiasm over learning about the Periodic Table of Elements. We started reviewing what they had started learning a couple weeks ago when the burnout had started to set in. This time they were interested in the properties of Hydrogen and were so much more receptive in learning about the alkali metals.

2 Hydrogen Atoms

+ 1 Oxygen Atom

= Happy Face Water Molecule

All of them are enjoying the learning process this week. When they were told they each had to choose one alkali metal to study, there were smiles instead of tears. Little G chose three elements to study instead of one. She now knows that lithium is used in batteries, and looks cool when it reacts with water. She loved watching the reaction on the video we found. Then she explored cesium and rubidium on her own because she wanted to. She actually prepped a quick oral report complete with a power point presentation she will do in front of the family. The others are also prepping little mini reports for their choices. There is a lot of fun leaning going on in the house. You can hear little statements like, “There’s potassium in chocolate! That means it’s healthy, right?” and “Mommy can you get me some H2O, I’m thirsty.”

I am so glad I followed through on my plan to just close the books for a week even though we were in the middle of a unit. If I had pressed on and just continued the course to get it done, they would not have learned much, if anything at all and our days would have been miserable. Allowing for breaks and rests in the adventure should be as much as a part of our school routine as math, reading, writing and any other subject. I am learning how to be creative in my homeschool calendar so that we can continue to enjoy our homeschool adventure. I have three weeks scheduled for Christmas and New Years instead of the traditional two. I know we are going to need another break by then. This is something that allows the learning to be so much more fun and enjoyable. If the learning is fun and enjoyable, the learning will stick. If it is boring and unmemorable, you have just wasted a bunch of time and energy for something that will quickly be forgotten.

A New Chapter

I am the mom of a high-schooler now.

I really haven’t been able to wrap my head around the fact that in four short years my oldest will graduate. I know every mom says this but really where did the time go? Is it really possible that I could have a high-schooler? It is so strange to think that this adventure of mommyhood has come so far.

This new chapter that I am about to embark on is one that I begin a bit apprehensive and excited. I have a pit in my stomach and butterflies all at the same time. Did you know that was even possible? And yet I am so proud and excited while completely nervous and confident. Wow this emotional spiral of crazy is not really what I expected.

I am not ready for what lies ahead. I want to be, and I would love to say that I am totally prepared for what lies ahead. But that would be such a fib from outer space. Because I am not prepared and I have no idea what lies around the next bend. I know that I should be ready to begin this part of the adventure with expectancy and no fear but I am not there yet. I am confident of this; without fully relying on God for wisdom and grace I will not be the best I can be as a mom for my son during his high-school years. I know that this part of the journey will cause us to grow and stretch in ways that will sometimes be painful, but in the end be the best growth possible.

I have to prep for his academics and I think that is where I am the most petrified. I don’t want to mess it up and yet I know that God has called me to homeschool him through high-school. So this I know, God will give me what I need to do the task he has called me to do.

Still where did the time go? I think I blinked because my Little Man is no longer little.