A Week in the Life: Thursday, updated (Lydia's Grade Eight)

The Apprentice is still here, but she's going out antiquing with Mr. Fixit, Grandpa Squirrel, and Uncle Squirrel, and then they're dropping her at the university where a pianist friend of ours is giving a lunchtime concert. Ponytails is off to school too, so Thursday mornings are just Lydia and me.

Poetry readaloud: England in Literature: Henry Howard, Earl of Surrey.

History/Literature: Daughter of Time, pages 175-186.  Why did Henry VII suddenly send the Queen Dowager to a nunnery?

Go over yesterday's math: there were some things we need to clear up. The probably-not-so-true story about little Gauss adding large numbers quickly may help. (It turned out that the very last question in the lesson was exactly the problem Gauss had to solve, just in a different dress.)

At this point Lydia decided to go do some Home Economics, otherwise known as cleaning your bedroom.  Her choice, not my decree.

Physical Science:  "Carbon Dioxide and the Greenhouse Effect."  You need a bulb thermometer, two plastic bags, a sunny windowsill (we'll keep our fingers crossed), a plastic bottle, vinegar, and baking soda. The idea is to put carbon dioxide inside a sandwich bag, and then see if it absorbs energy from the sunlight.  However, as in many experiments of this type, you may see no variations in temperature at all, even if you follow the directions exactly, and this webpage discusses the limitations of this experiment.  Sigh. (I gave Lydia permission NOT to do the experiment, on the condition that she read it carefully and give reasons (without looking at the website above) why it might not work, and why it might or might not be a good demonstration of the concept under discussion.  Think like a scientist.  Or a science teacher.)

Balance Benders Level 3.

Kon-Tiki.

Lydia spent the rest of the afternoon doing a really big cleanout.  Mama Squirrel sat in for moral support.