Dissecting the Dyson

Do not fear it was not my Dyson that we dissected. The Dyson came from the James Dyson Foundation.  I was impressed everything we needed came in the box -- a DC 22 vacuum clean with complete with hose, want and accessories, eight turbine heads, eight screwdriver, a teacher's manual and engineering posters. We were able to keep the box for about three weeks.

We invited our home education friends over for two different afternoons of dissecting. The teacher's manual began with the Dyson story and then the design process, problem solving, testing, mass production, and logistics. I have fun going back to my days of working in manufacturing that explaining bits of the process to the children.

The first time we gather the kids teamed up in pairs and took apart the turbine head. I basically allowed them to have a go and see what they discovered.

Here are the parts. One of the children was very neat and organised.

It was fun to watch them work and also to see them looking at what others had discovered, talking and helping one another.

The second time we gathered the plan was to dissect the DC22. First we did some drop tests. The kids had fun dropping it. We talked about why they would do that type of testing. Has your vacuum ever fallen down the steps?

Then it was time to get at it and see what we could find on the inside. I love this photo of four different children each with a screwdriver working to unscrew this.

It was neat to see how the cord winds up -- it is a spring.

We got it all back together. I think that was the hard part. We plugged it in and it worked.

There is just one screw that is remaining.

I am glad that we had this opportunity. I think all the children enjoyed it and we learned so much not only about the Dyson but also the process of going from idea to a finished product.

I thought about sending my Dyson back but thought they would notice a bigger, dirtier model. Time to go Hoover with my old Dyson.

Beth

April in Review

April showers bring May flowers. I think through we have had more snow flurries in April than we did in the winter.

I had plans in April to be creative and do all kinds of creative things. I did begin and finish a quilt, my record breaking quilt.

It might have been the shock of having done that quilt so fast but I really didn't do much other creative projects this month.

We didn't go on any outings. What did I do all month?

I did read four books. Thanks to the list I have in my planner I can tell you what books I have read.

The Diary of a Young Girl by Anne Frank - I finally got around to reading that book.

From Dishes to Snow - I never figured out the title. It was an easy reading book.

Gospel Amnesia - This was an excellent book that just reminded me how easy we forget the gospel. That is so true for me. I can easily fall into the thought, "the gospel was for the moment of salvation and now it is just me working hard and doing good" but really the gospel is God's grace and I need that each day. This fulfilled the category "a book with the word 'gospel' in the title".

God's New Community - this is from the category "a book your pastor/vicar recommends". This is one that over the past year has been recommended a few times and I finally read it.

My book total for this year is 15 books.

I am not sure what May's challenge is. Maybe getting rid of stuff. I have a stack of home education books that I have sold. I need to sort through books a bit more. I looked at a stack of puzzles wondering if there are some we can get rid of. I think I just found May's challenge. How much stuff can I get rid of?

What are your goals for May?

Beth

Friday's Five

It is 8:30 pm and I decided that I skipped last week and I really shouldn't do the same this week. This week's topic will be 5 random things.

1. I discovered a new and so easy brownie recipe. I made a pan, posted on Facebook, a friend wanted me to share the recipe, and instead I shared some brownies. I love having friends so close. I then had to make another pan as I am to take them to Away Day.

2. I am working on a 2,000 piece puzzle. I have never done one that big. It doesn't even fit on my table. I am slowly making progress.

3. We had snow flurries today and a few other times this week. Crazy weather.

4. This past week we learned to play Ticket to Ride. That might become my new favourite game.

5. I love getting up in the morning and seeing the sun shining. I am enjoying our long days. The sun rises at 5:35 and sets at 8:33.

Well, that is my five random things for this week. Now I need to get ready for tomorrow.

Beth

Dear Self,

A letter written to myself in 10 years.

Dear Beth,

Ten years have past where are you living now? When I was 40, I was in Asia and never dreamed of living in the USA for five years and then moving in England. So I wonder where I will be living in 10 years. I thin the more important question is not where I will be living but how I will be living. So keep living for the Lord, loving him and serving him.

My children will be 21 and 25. We will have made it through the teen years. I wonder what they will be doing, where they will be. My desire is that most of all they will know that God loves them and know God's grace.

With the children older I hope that means that my husband and I will have time to sit and enjoy a cup of coffee together and talk, explore a new place, or wander through a museum. Maybe we will read all those books that we have dreamed or reading. Most of all I hope we still laugh together, share our thoughts, and love each other more than we do today.

I will be 60 and getting close to retirement. My 50 year old self still doesn't feel 50 so thinking about being 60 is just causing me not know what to say. (pause) So at that age it will be a time of figuring finances towards retirement or whatever God has for us. I think the real thing for me to know at 60 is that I can still trust the Lord.

I have been young, and now am old,

yet I have not seen the righteous forsaken

or his children begging for bread.

Psalm 37:25

Ten years seems like a long time. Each of those years is made of seasons and seasons of months and months of days and days of hours and hours of minutes and minutes of seconds so in the seconds of life, I want to be living for the Lord, loving the Lord and those around me, and trusting the Lord. I do think age has given experiences which allow me to see God and know him more so my desire is that in the next ten years I will know God more.

Life is exciting and an adventure. Enjoy each day. 

Beth

So what would you write to yourself in ten years? 

This was inspired by The Circle Linkup from In His Time.

British History - Shelf of Resources

I love history. I think at one time I even considered majoring in that at university. History is a big part of our learning. Over the past few years I have collected a few books on British history. Now we are using them as we study British history together.

I will share some of the books that are on my shelves and how I am using these.

British History by James P. Sobaugh - This is a High School Level curriculum but I felt that it wasn't enough for high school credit. It has short sections to read, a page or at the most 3 and an essay question. J is answering the essay questions but I am giving him some additional work. I am using this book as my guide but have added more reading to it.

Kingfisher Encyclopaedia of British History -- This is available as one volume or small books for various time periods. This is easy reading with lots of pictures and illustrations.

Oxford History of Britain and Ireland - This is a bit deeper of a book compared to Kingfisher. I have assigned some readings from here.

Britannia is a book just full os various stories. It is in chronological order.

2000 Years of Christian Faith in Britain - This is a book that I recently purchased. We have just read a bit in this book.

Our Island Story - I have that on my Kindle but I have been reading bits of that.

I also have British Literature by James Stobaugh and my plan is to add some of that to our learning as we go through the various time periods. We have just gotten to the Anglo-Saxons today so we will add that. My thought is to be able to give credit for both British Literature and British History.

Those are the major resources that I am using. I have a few other books on the shelves that I reference and some that we will read as we go through history.

I am teaching this at a high school level and yet working to keep Miss K interested. I will say she is still talking about Boudicca so I do know that she is listening and learning.

Some of the things that I have added to this to give it a bit more learning and assignments are maps, timeline, important people, readings, and a few tests as well as the essay questions. I will also add some of the assignments from British Literature.

Map - each week we have traced one map corresponding to what we are studying that week. So the first week we did a map during Roman time. This will be a graded assignment.

Timeline - we are creating a timeline and just adding details as we are going through. This will also be a graded assignment.

Additional Readings - I have assigned J some additional readings. These are just to give him additional learning and to prepare him for further courses and reading assignments. These are not graded.

Important People - As we go through our course, we are creating cards of various important people that we are learning about. This is graded and will be graded based on variety of people, neatness, and number of cards.

Essay questions - James Stobough's book has essay questions. These are just short questions about a paragraph. I think it is good to do these questions but I feel that just grading on essay alone is not enough.

Tests - There are tests with the James Stobough curriculum but again these are all essay. I also feel that there are bits missing so I will be writing my own tests. Miss K wants a test so I will have to give her one.

I feel that with the additional projects and assignments that this is a well-rounded course that will help us to understand British history.

We have covered Pre-historic and Roman history. I will share a bit more specifics on those times.

Beth

Literary Inspiration

What inspires a writer? What gives the mental picture for a writer? In 1845 Charlotte Bronte stayed in Hathersage. Two years later the novel Jane Eyre was published. It is believed that North Lees Hall was the inspiration for Thornfield Hall. It is known that Charlotte visited this two or three times while she was in Hathersage. North Lees Hall was built around 1410 by Robert Eyre.

This weekend marks the 200 anniversary of Charlotte Bronte's birth. In celebration North Lees Hall was open for a few hours Saturday and Sunday. A friend and I went this afternoon. We have walked in that area before and see it from a distance.

The house was smaller than I thought. I imagined a large grand house but that is not the case. It  has been used as a holiday house for the past few years. There were just three bedrooms, a sitting room, dining room, and kitchen.

I think the steps might have been original. The circular staircase goes all the way up to the roof.

The view is amazing. I live in the most beautiful part of England.

Throughout the house there are bits of things referenced in Jane Eyre. Now I want to sit and read Jane Eyre again.

It was a fun afternoon and I am glad that we were able to go and visit the inside.

Beth

Two Years Ago

Two yeas ago we packed all our suitcases and a few extra boxes to be shipped. Two years ago the kids and I left Seattle flying all the way to England. Two years ago we arrived in England to begin our ministry here.

In the past two years I have learned so many things.

1. I have learned that just because it is raining it doesn't mean you need to bring in the laundry because by the time you have it down it will stop raining.

2. I have learned to make a cup of tea with milk for friends, for the piano teacher, and for all kinds of occasions. I have learned to drink a cup of tea with a bit of milk. My drink of choice is still coffee.

3. I have learned that coins have value and you can use them for parking, groceries, bus fare, and even a handful can be used to pay Brownie subs. I am sure the leader loved have £5 in coins but that is what I had. There are eight coins in use and they are used versus the four coins that are used in the US.

4. I have learned what swede is, have eaten it, bought it, and even cooked with it.

5. I have learned the many uses of the word pop. I"" will pop down to the shops and buy some milk. "Pop a signature on this document and we will be finished." "Pop in if you have any questions." "I will pop you on hold."

6. I have learned to drive on the other side of the road. I took driving lessons and passed the test.

7. I check the diary to see if I have anything on that day and then mark it in my diary.

8. I have learned that I wear trousers.

9. I have learned to shorten words. That is brill or fab. I wonder if the subs I pay for Brownies are subscriptions. Subs were due this week for Brownies.

10. I have added some new cookbooks to my shelves -- Mary Berry, Delia, and Jamie Oliver.

11. I have learned to go outside and enjoy the sun while it is shining.

12. I have learned that the best place to be is exactly where God wants you even thought at times it might be difficult. I am thankful for the past two years of being here where God has led and provided for us.

Beth