July 27, 2026

Category: Creative Solution Generation

Tsankawi
A Mind Wide Open, Biology, Botany, Bugz & Her Explorations, CDE Standards Reference, Creative Solution Generation, Culture Appreciation, Earth Science, Economics, Exploration, Geography, History, How We Learn Best, Imagination, Invention, Knowledge Base Expansion, Language Development, Lils, Movement & Coordination, Pattern Recognition, Physical Development, Playing, Resources, Responsibility, Simply Nature, Societal Studies, Society & Culture

Tsankawi

And here was our afternoon… We talked about Africa, primarily Eastern Africa, and the region surrounding Kenya, where a friend Lily made last fall spends a fair portion of her time.     We also read: We’re exploring these topics, specifically on a global perspective. She’s learned that 100 cents = 1 dollar, and we’re […]

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A Mind Wide Open, Algebra, CDE Standards Reference, Creative Solution Generation, How We Learn Best, Imagination, Lils, Math Discoveries, Pattern Recognition, Playing

Dragonbox Algebra

Some of the stuff we’re learning concerning electromagnetism is exposing Lils to new items: lots of formulas and equations.  In our discussions on fractals and visual representations of math (including geometry), we have only scratched the surface of equations, but she’s seen the images/equations, and their results (as the computer generates imagery based upon a […]

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A Mind Wide Open, Beautiful Curiosity, Botany, Chemistry, Construction, Creative Solution Generation, Earth Science, Economics: Global, Engineering, Geography, Global History, Government, History, Knowledge Base Expansion, Lils, Questions from Lily's Brain, Resources, Responsibility

She Asked… Oil

She asked about oil, where it comes from and how it gets processed so we can use it in cars, etc.. We have spent most of today exploring how crude oil has formed, how it is extracted, refined, and finally delivered for our consumption. We’ve also talked about fracking for natural gas, the uses of […]

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A Mind Wide Open, CDE Standards Reference, Creative Solution Generation, Economics, Electricity & Circuitry, Engineering, History, How We Learn Best, Imagination, Lils

Because it Will Make Things Easier

  We’re learning about historical inventions.  I asked her why inventions and inventing stuff mattered… “Because it makes things easier.” Over the next few months, we’ll explore in depth, the various inventions in this book, as well as others she happens to find intriguing/asks about.  

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LED Robots
A Mind Wide Open, Beautiful Curiosity, CDE Standards Reference, Chemistry, Confidence, Construction, Creative Solution Generation, Developing Self, Earth Science, Electricity & Circuitry, Engineering, Fine Motor Skills, Imagination, Knowledge Base Expansion, Lils, Physics, Science Discoveries

LED Robots

Today we built two robots and gave them sight!  Lily worked on this project as her first project selection from her Tinkercrate and we had a great experience. She and I read through the directions, she assembled the components, and we set to work placing resistors, LED’s, and copper taping in a pattern on a printed […]

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A Mind Wide Open, Beautiful Curiosity, CDE Standards Reference, Chemistry, Construction, Creative Solution Generation, Earth Science, Ecology, Economics, Engineering, Global History, History, Knowledge Base Expansion, Lils, Playing, Thought Process & Development

Titanic, Hindenburg, H2O, and Plasma

We began our day talking about H2O, then discussed the Titanic, then the Hindenburg, then Mark Twain, then helium, then steam and how the Titanic was powered, which led to evaporation and the water cycle, and how snow is formed. We then studied snow under the microscope, and then onto the Plasma ball and conductivity. […]

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A Mind Wide Open, Beautiful Curiosity, CDE Standards Reference, Cosmology, Creative Solution Generation, Knowledge Base Expansion, Lils, Math Discoveries, Numeracy, Playing, Science Discoveries, Self Esteem, Storytelling / Recollection, Theoretical Physics

A Googol & A Light Year – That's How Big

Yesterday and today… We’ve been playing with the abacus, learning about the Orders of Magnitude (what we call each major transition in numbers, as they increase exponentially), and multiplication via sets thanks to a few beads on sticks. Yesterday, we talked about how, with each added zero, we increase the size/amount of the number.  She’s […]

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