Contemplating the stars

Warning, Mummy brag heading your way:
I set Joel a task this morning.
I had been looking at diagrams of star lifecycles to show the kids, but they all seemed to be a little different from each other depending on which website or book I looked at. I suspect some were out of date, others simplified, or being used to demonstrate one particular aspect of the process.
Either way, as usual, I was not satisfied with anyone else's answer, so I decided to make my own.
Except Joel knows far more than me about such things, so I delegated the job.

I was MOST impressed with the resulting diagram he came up with, using a simple graphics package.
Here it is.

Click on image to get a bigger readable version.

My Budding Bard

Anna has taken to writing recently. She writes stories - some by herself, some with a friend.  She often won't let me read her writing because she seems to think it is embarrassing
"It's got too much violence in it Mum," says she. Hmmm!
Maybe she is more worried that I will correct the spelling or something - I won't, honest!

Two days ago , she brought me a poem she had written. I melted.
Here is it:

"My Mother" by Anna (Aged 12)

My Mother likes to do things like gardening in the sun,

But stops when the kettle boils; she likes her tea does Mum.

She also takes great delight in growing fruit and veg,

And one of her great qualities is she likes to tease and jest.

One thing I love about my Mother is that she makes life fun,

And I have to admit that if it weren't for her I'd never get anything done!

Here is another one she has written:

"I've Got Your Back" by Anna

You've been my friend for goodness knows how long,

You've stuck with me through whatever's gone wrong.

If I could repay you in any small way,

Give back some of the kindness you've given away,

Then I would do it...you need only ask,

Even the longest most arduous tasks.

If you need someone to listen, someone to tell,

Just come and find me and I'll listen well,

I'm here to listen and to give advice,

But if its not wanted then I won't think twice.

I will stick with you through thick and thin,

It seems a small price to pay for the comfort you give.

Through arguments, fights or our enemies attack,

You don't need to worry... I've got your back.

Anna being a Cairn gopher

Its all Greek to me, but its Latin to them!

Well, I had to post a quickie to show the strange and contrary nature of my offspring.
Take a look at this picture, and tell me....do these children look bored? miserable? coerced?

Answer: No. They are having fun. Lots of fun.
The eldest daughter of our very good family friends comes to teach J and A Latin every week on a Thursday.
It is outside of our regular school hours, but do they complain?
No! They tell me its their favorite subject!
It is not unusual to hear peels of laughter and dramatized voices during the course of the lesson.
We are very grateful to this special young lady who has contributed much to our family.
Latin rocks.

Space Games

Last Wednesday we were crossing the boundaries of our known environment by thinking about the possibility of other habitable planets....it was all rather mind blowing, so Joel and I put our heads together to devise a couple of games that would make learning the facts more fun!


First game was my design:  I called it "Hab Plan" - short for Habitable Planet.
The aim was to find a planet that fit all the criteria for habitation, and then consider a few other variables that might affect its habitability.

Terraform's Game Board, Alpha Test Version!

Hexagonal Board with 6 "Orbits".
Each orbit has a set of "Hab Plan" cards  - which may allow you to move in to the next orbit, or give you a non-hab forfeit, making you move back out one orbit or miss a turn.  Each Hab Plan card has astronomical facts/theories to go with the consequence, which helps the kids (OK, not just the kids - me too!) learn without trying too hard.
Once you reach the Habitable Zone, Orbit 6, there are "System Cards" which add even more variables to the game - and can only be won with a game of chance with the dice.
Sounds complex, but....it worked!

We made counters to look like little planets out of painted air drying clay. very tactile.
Bottom line is that this fed my inner most needs to fiddle with bits of paper, play with my laminator and make cute things frmo clay. Who was benefiting from this experience?  Good question.

 However, learning was occurring!

interestingly, there was an article in the newspaper that very same week talking about the huge variety of planet types there are around other stars in our galaxy. So far, not one of them has more than one criterion for habitability.......

Still, despite this disappointing lack of alien life forms in real life, the next game we played was Joel's "Design an Alien" version of 'Beetle Drive" / Cooties.
the Alien body parts involved a little thinking outside the box to try to come up with ideas of how life might form in a totally different environment...

 

 so we had telepathic detection membranes, fuzzy antennae-type things for absorbing nutrients etc.
 And here were the resulting creations:

We were able to play all these games with our good friends and
partners in science crime, which made it all the more fun.
Why is it that my Alien looks a bit like a human being having a bad day.....Anna's and Joel's are much more sci fi looking!