Musgrove Mill

We went with our unschooler group to Musgrove Mill.  Musgrove Mill was the start of the turning point of the Revolutionary War.  The small Patriot force defeated a much larger British force in a bloody forty minute battle.  After the battle of Musgrove Mill, the Patriots experienced a victory at Kings Mountain and another at Cowpens.

In the visitor center waiting on our tour.

The park ranger gave us an interpretive tour of the site.  We learned about the Musgroves and the mill itself.  We walked where the British soldiers had camped and learned why they chose the site.  The ranger spoke to us about a memorial built to honor Mary Musgrove and the mystery around it.  The children learned that history has many mysteries.

 

Learning about the monument.

We made our way to the Enoree river and stood where the first and last shots of the battle were fired.

The ranger discussed why the spot was so important for the time period.  We learned about river fords and shoals.  He pointed out evidence of local wildlife.  The children were intrigued by the deer tracks in the mud.

We made our way down the trail to the site of the mill.  It has long since washed away in a flood.  We learned that the mill stones are at least six foot beneath the surface.  The trees surrounding the site are gnarled and uniquely shaped.  The ranger told us how the mill run was made and how the island was formed.

We trekked further up river and saw the pylons of an early bridge.  The iron supports that stuck up from the concrete structures were bent.  We were told that the water had bent them when the river had flooded.  Water is a magnificent force of nature.

As we weaved our way along the trail, we took in the splendor of the woodlands.  We came out of the woods at the edge of a pond.  The pond was not there during the time of the Musgroves.  It was a later addition when the land was used by an orphanage.  The pond was dug for the cattle.

We departed the park with new knowledge of the area and a place that we will definitely come back to visit!

Animal Connections and the Greenville Zoo

We had a special treat visit our community from the Smithsonian.  The Animal Connections truck came out to the Greenville Zoo.  One of the things I love about unschooling is the fact we can change our plans at the last minute and attend really cool things we had not planned on doing.  I quickly got the children up and called a friend to see if they wanted to go with us.  Within an hour, we were on the road and heading to the zoo.

All the way there, I was hoping that the exhibit wouldn't be just for the little kids.  I love it when we find something that is geared for all ages.  I had read the site information and it said for all ages, but you just never know.

When we got to the zoo, the kids were excited to see what the large truck held inside.  We quickly entered. (It was a school day and the exhibit was not extremely packed.)  The children learned about domesticated animals and the care they require.  There was a nice display of thing that dogs cannot eat.

We took the survey of what type of pets would work the best for us.  Dogs, cats, and horses ended up being a few that would fit our lifestyle.

The children 'diagnosed' three types of animals on the interactive veterinarian table.  They really enjoyed the interaction.

We then looked at the displays of various equipment used in veterinarian practices.  We learned the purpose of each piece.  Little Man was disgusted with the large exam glove.

We studied the display of toys various zoo animals play with to reduce boredom.

Finally, we learned about animals within the urban and suburban setting.

The Animal Connection exhibit did engage all ages.  We all learned something and had a fun time learning.

After a brief stop at the playground, we went to the zoo and saw the animals.  We love the quaintness of our little zoo.  It is landscaped nicely and the enclosures are well kept.  It isn't overwhelming for the children and doesn't take hours to get through.

We had a very educational day!

Recycling Center Field Trip

Our homeschool group went on a field trip to learn about recycling.  We learned about the centers in the area and the types of recyclable materials they take.

We all played a fun game of Left and Right.  The hostess passed out various items for each of us to hold.  As she read a story on recycling, we had to pass our items either to the left or right when we heard those words.  At the end, everyone got to keep the item they were left holding.

After the game, we watched a video on recycling and the tools and machines used in the process.

The final part of the field trip was to look at a composting site and why composting is important.

The children learned many new things on this trip.

Cats!

Egee was invited to a friend's surprise birthday party.  The party ended up being a painting party.  Everyone (kids and adults) was given a blank canvas and paints.  A local artist gave everyone a lesson on how to paint three cats on a fence.  The birthday girl was so surprised and thrilled to have an art party.

We all took seats and the fun began.  The instructor was wonderful.  She explained how to paint the canvas and gave plenty of time for everyone to finish each step.

I could tell that Egee was having a blast.  She loves art!

I enjoyed myself, too.  I haven't drawn or painted in years.

We followed each step and ended up with our own masterpieces!

Cat in the Hat

We celebrated Dr. Seuss' birthday with a trip to see The Cat In The Hat.  The Spartanburg Youth Theater did a terrific job in their performance.

The children were mesmerized the entire time.  The set was simply done, but the music and acting kept the audience engaged.

The children told me they liked the show and had a great time.

Latta Plantation - Celtic Festival

We took the children and their friends to the Celtic Festival at Latta Plantation.  We wanted to celebrate St. Patrick's Day in a different manner this year and decided to make the drive.  As always, the Latta Plantation is well worth the hour and a half drive!

The children were excited to see the Celtic dancers and hear the music.  We listened to a Scottish story teller and learned interesting details about the Scots.  The story teller was mesmerizing and she made you feel like you were listening to the person that had experienced the history first hand.  She recounted the struggles of the Highlanders and how England punished them.  She told of their plight in Ireland and how they came to the New World.  We learned how and why they settled in the area that we call home.

We perused the various encampments depicting the Revolutionary war, Civil war, WWI and WWII Scots-Irish soldiers.  The boys always look forward to seeing the various weapons and witnessing the demonstrations.

We watched the Celtic dancers and learned about the various dances.

The children enjoyed the Highlander games.  There was an area set aside for the children to try their hand at the various games.  Little Man didn't want to leave the rubberband rifle range!  B-Man enjoyed playing the Scottish hammer throw.  Egee tried the caber throw.  Sunshine was happy to do it all!

We had a wonderful time and are looking forward to next year's celebration!

Wright On Time: Arizona - Cave structure experiment

I had stumbled onto a series of books written about a homeschooling family and their adventures.  The Wright on Time book series explores a different state in each book.  We began reading the Arizona book and the Wright's cave adventure. 

I love that the book has a built in glossary for the children.  I would read aloud and ask if they knew what a highlighted term meant.  We looked it up and then Googled the term to learn more.  This piqued their interest in many different things within the story.  We learned about different minerals and gems.  We also learned about cave formations.

I wanted to show the children how slow stalagmites and stalactites took to form.  I found an experiment for us to do.

We gathered two glass jars, Epsom salt, spoons, string, screws, paper plate, and hot water.

We filled the glass jars half full of hot water and added Epsom salt to make a super saturated solution.  It took 8 tablespoons of salt per jar.

Next, we measured the string and tied the screws to each end.  The screws were used as weights to keep the string submerged. 

We placed the string in one jar to wet it thoroughly.  Then we stretched the string out.  One end was kept in the jar and the other end was placed in the other jar.

We put a paper plate under the stretched out string.  The salt solution would travel up the string and then form a drip.  The salt would start to crystalize and make a stalactite and the the remaining drip started the development of a stalagmite.

The children checked on the experiment every time they walked into the kitchen.  After several hours, a small stalactite began to form.  After a few days, we had a nice little stalactite and small stalagmite.  This gave the children a new appreciation of the large structures in caves.