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Loving Your Homeschool Pets

February 20, 2018 by Jenna

love your pet day
Did you know that today, February 20, is national Love Your Pet Day? It’s also the perfect day to bring your homeschool pets in on the learning.

In October last year, BJU Press invited you to share photos of your homeschool experience with us in the Homeschool in Action Photo Challenge, and one of the categories was “homeschool pet.” Inspired by some of our favorite entries to the homeschool pet category (see below), here are some little-known facts about pets.

Dogs

  • Every dog’s nose print is as unique as a human fingerprint.
  • Dogs aren’t completely colorblind. They have receptors to see blue and yellow.
  • They also have night vision.
  • Australian shepherds aren’t from Australia. They’re an American breed.

Find out more about dogs from the American Kennel Association.

Cats

  • The design of cats’ ears helps them to survive falls from more than thirty stories high.
  • A group of adult cats is called a clowder, and a group of kittens is a kindle.
  • A cat’s tongue feels rough because it’s covered with tiny barbs that direct food to the throat. These barbs also help them drink and groom.
  • When a cat rubs against you with its nose, it’s saying it likes you. Cats use the scent glands on their cheeks to mark their territory.

Get more facts about cats from Purina.

Cows

  • Cows can see in color.
  • You may have heard that cows have four stomachs, but it’s really only one with four compartments. The main one can hold up to fifty gallons of food.
  • A cow typically spends six to eight hours a day eating and just as long chewing its cud.

Learn more about cows from Farms for City Kids.

Cockatiels

  • Australian shepherds may not be from “down under,” but cockatiels certainly are!
  • Cockatiels enter their nests tail-first.
  • A cockatiel can mimic sounds much like a parrot does.

You can find out more about cockatiels from Kids Answers.

Keep an eye out on our Facebook and Instagram pages because we’ll be sharing our own pets with you soon. Want to share your homeschool pets with us? Be sure to use the hashtag #lovemyhomeschoolpet and tag us with @bjupresshomeschool.

homeschool in action love your pet day

 

Filed Under: Successful Learning Tagged With: birds, cats, cows, dogs, homeschool pets, pet facts

A Special Dinner Guest

January 15, 2015 by BJU Press Writer

What changes do you see outside in the winter? Cooler temperatures, snow and ice covering the ground, fewer hours of daylight, and plants and trees losing their leaves are all familiar aspects of winter for those of us in the northern hemisphere.

But how do animals handle the wintery changes? Some migrate, others hibernate, but many stay active where they have been all summer. Food sources are more limited in the winter than in the summer, however, and that’s why bird feeders can be so important in the winter.

Black-capped Chickadee at a Salem, Oregon birdfeeder.
Black-capped Chickadee by Oregon Department of Fish & Wildlife/Wikimedia Commons/CC-By-SA 2.0

People of all ages can enjoy watching birds at their feeder. In fact, a feeder can also be the stage for a variety of science experiments, so it’s a great option for an indoor science experiment for your class.

First, identify and make a list of the birds you commonly see around. Your students can share the birds they see at home or elsewhere. Definitely take note of the birds around your school though, so that you know what to expect when your students put up their bird feeders.

Second, put your students in groups. You won’t want to have one bird feeder per student hanging around your school building. So choose the most manageable number and put students in that number of groups.

Then guide the groups in choosing the foods they want to test. Hardware stores usually have some seed varieties individually packaged. You may want to limit the experiment to seeds or include other foods such as suet and fruits. Each group should choose one type of food to test.

You will also need to make or purchase identical feeders. You can make a simple feeder with a plastic container and string. Punch holes in the bottom of the container for drainage. Then punch three evenly-spaced holes around the rim. Cut three pieces of string about eighteen inches long and tie each at one of the holes. Tie the loose ends of the string together. Use this loop to hang the feeder.

Next, help your students choose locations to hang the feeders. (Make sure that all the feeders are hung at the same height.) If possible, set up one or more webcams to observe the birds. You and your students should plan a schedule for measuring and adding food to the feeders and making observations. Use a spreadsheet or some other worksheet or tool for your students to record their observations. They should include photos and sketches with their observations if possible. At the end of the experiment, guide a discussion drawing conclusions from the results.

• • • • •

Peggy has worked for BJU Press since 1999. Debra has worked for BJU Press since 1986. Both are currently elementary science writers.

Have you done an experiment like this with your class already? What other experiments do you like to do in the winter?

Filed Under: Successful Learning Tagged With: activity, birds, science, science experiment, winter

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As parents, teachers, or former homeschool students, we are passionate about homeschooling from a biblical worldview. We hope these teaching tips, fun activities, and inspirational stories support you in teaching your children.

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