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God Created the Firmament Unit Study done by Jo Dee's Family

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My children were aged 10, 7, and 6 when we completed this short study on the firmament. I do not assign topics for writing (my oldest is the only one who actually did her own writing then), but writing is normally done about things we have done in "school" by her own choice.


Unit Study - God Created the Firmament

All study was done as a basic introduction to air, weather, and flight.

During the study, memorize Genesis 1:6-8

Resources (some of these have duplicate suggested experiments):

Genesis For Kids (Science Experiments that show God's power in Creation) by Doug Lambier and Robert Stevenson (this book, I ve heard is now out of print, but some places still have some copies); pages 25-40

The World God Made by Edward J. Shewan; pages 11-18

Science Activities Volume 2 an Usborne book; pages 2-17

What Makes it Rain? an Usborne book

Our Amazing Solar System (in the science kit by the same name); page 51, experiment 8

Simple Weather Experiments with Everyday Materials by Muriel Mandell; pages 68-72, 74-76, 86-91

The Usborne Book of Weather Facts

Things that Fly an Usborne book

Airplane a DK Publishing Book in the Mighty Machines series

Soda Bottle Science (kit)

Nest Entertainment Video "Benjamin Franklin"

Some Miscellaneous Supplies:
water, plastic cups, balloons, tape, straight pins, straws, a glass, cake pan, jar, flashlight, candle, baking soda, vinegar, pot, plastic 2-liter bottle, plates, match, ice, stove, and the Soda Bottle Science kit

Some general things we did:
We need air
Air takes up space
Air pressure
What is in air
Making a cloud
Making it rain
Why the sky is blue
Introduction to weather (we will cover more detail when we study Noah and after the flood, when we got weather) - evaporation, precipitation, water cycle, thunder, lightning, storms
Aircraft

 

Below are two items written, by our oldest daughter, about two of the experiments done.

"Do Not Open"

by Skyla

We had a great laugh with our "Do Not Open" bottle. We had a soda bottle filled with water that said, "Do Not Open" on it. Mom poked a few small holes in it. Dad later saw the bottle and he decided to open it. When he opened it, the water started to squirt out of the holes! At first, Dad didn't notice that water was coming out, so we pointed at the water, and roared with laughter.

Why did the water stay in before Dad opened it? Air pressure. Since the cap was on the bottle, the air couldn't push down on the water. But it could push on the sides to keep the water in. When the lid was taken off, air pressure and gravity pushed down on the water, and out it came! But Dad didn't think it was funny.

"Squidy"

by Skyla

Squidy is a Cartesian diver. We put it in a covered bottle filled with water. When you squeeze the bottle, Squidy goes down to the bottom. When you let go, Squidy goes to the top.

First, what is a Cartesian diver? A weighted plastic tube. We used a brass nut to weight Squidy. We put a rubber material on the plastic to make the Cartesian diver look like a squid, which is why we call him Squidy. He can be fun. You could have a contest to see who can squeeze it down the fastest, and see if you can squeeze it half way down.

How does it work? When you squeeze the bottle, pressure increases inside the diver. The air compresses into a smaller space, making it heavier. The now heavier diver becomes less able to float, and sinks. When you let go, the compressed air expands, letting the diver float again.

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