Sprinkles

After a morning of soccer, we stopped off to grab another geocache: Sprinkles in Campbelltown.

The grass in the park was soft and thick and lovely to lie in!

(Boronia is trying to balance a rock on her head so she can have a fancy hat like Waratah :D)

Super smiles

Super Mulga getting some exercise on the trampoline - while trying to fly.

Then a spot of balancing beam for some more gymnastic skills.

While Boronia shows off her beautiful toothy grin :) 

The Camden Line - Currans Hill Platform

Picked up a quick geocache between soccer games :) No pics, unfortunately. Forgot the camera! Here's one someone else took:

Interesting to talk with the boys about the old train line that used to run through here. No sign of it now!

"The branch line from Campbelltown to Camden was authorised by an Act of Parliament on 28 April 1880 an construction commenced in June 1881.

The line following the contour of the land, running beside the road to Narellan, and climbing Kenny's Hill on the steepest grade in New South Wales (1 in 19), This would sometimes have the passengers disembarking from the train and walk alongside it, leaving their bags on board. 

The line, called the Camden Tramway, was opened by the Minister for Works, Hon. John Lackey, on Friday 10 March, 1882.

Currans Hill was opened in 1882 and like other stations consisted of a short wooden platform. An additional platform was added in 1904 and it was closed in 1963 when the Camden Line was decomissioned due to falling passenger numbers."

Mt Annan Sustainability Centre

Mulga making a "cuppa" in the kitchen...

and offering it to Fiona, who graciously accepts.

Waratah interacting with his friends.

Boronia exploring.

Mummy's birthday

My 40th birthday was 11 August, but we decided to postpone for a few days to allow Boronia to recover from her tiredness and get used to being home after spending time in the city with me at my Negotiation seminar. It was a lovely birthday and well worth the wait.

Flowers and trees

One of Waratah's favourite rainy day crafts is to pull apart artificial flowers and remake new blooms from them. Here is one of his magnificent creations.

It was definitely a day to stay inside. A big wind storm came through and brought the tops of several large eucalyptus trees crashing down near our back stairs.

Dragon city

This is another popular game which the boys have and are enjoying. It provides them with maths practice (reading numbers and time), reading practice, and they need to consider that different kinds of dragons require different environments and plan their world accordingly.

City lights

Boronia sitting on the wide windowsill at the Great Southern Hotel, watching the city lights come on, and enjoying Japanese takeaway for dinner.

Negotiation seminar

Boronia helping with the planning for a negotiation scenario at UTS, and entertaining herself pulling coloured scarves from a repurposed tissue box.

Packing

Boronia saw me packing my cases to take into the city for my three day Negotiation seminar at UTS. She decided to lack herself to make sure she wouldn't be left behind!

Balancing Act

S1 Maths: WMS1.1 Asks questions that could be explored using mathematics in relation to Stage 1 content.

S1 Maths: WMS1.2 Uses objects, diagrams, imagery and technology to explore mathematical problems.

Results of desert water experiment

It is hard to see, but when we checked on our desert water condensation project, we discovered that the pie tin was close to half full of water, which had condensed from the leaves and damp sand.

We poured it into a measuring cup and discovered that we had made 10mls of water. We discussed whether this would be enough to keep us alive in the desert and how big a set up we would need for that purpose. We also discussed whether this technique could be used for cleaning dirty water.

S1 HSIE: ENS1.6 Demonstrates an understanding of the relationship between environments and people.

S1 Science: PSS1.5 Grows, makes or processes some products using a range of techniques and materials.

S1 Science: ESS1.6 Identifies and describes ways in which people and other living things depend upon the earth and its environments.

S1 Science: INVS1.7 Conducts guided investigations by observing, questioning, predicting, collecting and recording data, and suggesting possible explanations.

S1 Science: DMS1.8 Develops and implements own design ideas in response to an investigation of needs and wants.

Desert Biome

Today we continued our exploration of the desert biome with some experiments to investigate how desert plants conserve and create water.

First we wet some paper towels. One we wrapped in rolled up wax paper, one we just rolled up and the third we laid flat. It was a sunny, slightly windy day. We checked back at 10 minute intervals and noted how quickly the third towel dried out, and that the second towel also dried out although it preserved its moisture for longer. The towel wrapped in wax paper was still damp the next day.

Boronia was very fascinated by our next project and quickly dismantled it. We made it again while she was napping, and set it out of her reach.

First we filled a dish with slightly damp sand, and some freshly picked leaves.

We made a space in the middle of the leaves and put in a small pie tin.

We then sealed the project in a ziploc bag and put it in the sun, noticing how quickly condensation began to form on the surface of the plastic.

Finally, we placed a heavy marble on the bag, over the pie tin, to weight the bag down.

The finished project was left in a sunny place for the rest of the day and the next morning. Our aim was to see how much water we could "create" because we had read about this being a desert survival technique.

S1 HSIE: ENS1.6 Demonstrates an understanding of the relationship between environments and people.

S1 Science: PSS1.5 Grows, makes or processes some products using a range of techniques and materials.

S1 Science: ESS1.6 Identifies and describes ways in which people and other living things depend upon the earth and its environments.

S1 Science: INVS1.7 Conducts guided investigations by observing, questioning, predicting, collecting and recording data, and suggesting possible explanations.

S1 Science: DMS1.8 Develops and implements own design ideas in response to an investigation of needs and wants.

S1 Science: UTS1.9 Selects and uses a range of equipment, computer-based technology, materials and other resources to undertake an investigation or design task.

Yet another hero!

While Mulga was playing his soccer match, Daddy and Waratah went for a walk and rescued a baby Indian Minor bird. Here are Waratah and some of the other siblings from Mulga's team discussing the bird, and the player of the match award which Waratah had earned during his earlier match.

S1 Science: ESS1.6 Identifies and describes ways in which people and other living things depend upon the earth and its environments.

S1 Science: INVS1.7 Conducts guided investigations by observing, questioning, predicting, collecting and recording data, and suggesting possible explanations.

S1 PDHPE: COS1.1 Communicates appropriately in a variety of ways.

S1 PDHPE: INS1.3 Develops positive relationships with peers and other people.

S1 PDHPE: MOS1.4 Demonstrates maturing performance of basic movement and compositional skills in a variety of predictable situations.

S1 PDHPE: ALS1.6 Participates in physical activity, recognising that it can be both enjoyable and important for health.

S1 PDHPE: GSS1.8 Performs fundamental movement skills with equipment in minor games.

S1 PDHPE: IRS1.11 Identifies the ways in which they communicate, cooperate and care for others.

More heroes

Mulga wanted to expand on the superhero dramatic play set he received for his birthday, so he asked for printouts of some more characters. (There were no villains. How can you have dramatic superhero play without villians?) Some good fine motor skills practice for him as he coloured them in.

The boys discovered this cool mole cricket and spent some time observing it 

before releasing it back into the garden.

S1 Science: INVS1.7 Conducts guided investigations by observing, questioning, predicting, collecting and recording data, and suggesting possible explanations.

Boronia helped Waratah and Daddy plant the succulents we brought home from our dinosaur garden day at Mt Annan Sustainability Centre.

S1 Science: PSS1.5 Grows, makes or processes some products using a range of techniques and materials.

S1 Science: ESS1.6 Identifies and describes ways in which people and other living things depend upon the earth and its environments.

S1 Science: DMS1.8 Develops and implements own design ideas in response to an investigation of needs and wants.

Waratah also put together an electricity design project -which required a lot of reading instructions

.

S1 English: RS1.5 Reads a wider range of texts on less familiar topics with increasing independence and understanding, making connections between own knowledge and experience and information in texts.

S1 English: RS1.6 Draws on an increasing range of skills and strategies when reading and comprehending texts.

S1 Science: PPS1.4 Identifies and describes different ways some forms of energy are used in the community.

S1 Science: UTS1.9 Selects and uses a range of equipment, computer-based technology, materials and other resources to undertake an investigation or design task.

Gundungurra geocache and a Dino garden

First, some reading in bed.

S1 English: RS1.5 Reads a wider range of texts on less familiar topics with increasing independence and understanding, making connections between own knowledge and experience and information in texts.

S1 English: RS1.6 Draws on an increasing range of skills and strategies when reading and comprehending texts.

S1 English: RS1.5 Reads a wider range of texts on less familiar topics with increasing independence and understanding, making connections between own knowledge and experience and information in texts.

S1 English: RS1.6 Draws on an increasing range of skills and strategies when reading and comprehending texts.

 These are the superhero books that Mulga got for his birthday. Very popular with the boys.

Off for a quick spot of geocaching: this cache was called Gundungurra in honour of the local Aboriginal tribe. "The territory of the Gundungurra tribe includes Burragorang, Katoomba, Picton, Berrima, Taralga and Goulburn, with the intervening country." 

S1 Maths: MS1.1 Estimates, measures, compares and records lengths and distances using informal units, metres and centimetres.

S1 Maths: WMS1.2 Uses objects, diagrams, imagery and technology to explore mathematical problems.

S1 Maths: WMS1.5 Links mathematical ideas and makes connections with, and generalisations about, existing knowledge and understanding in relation to Stage 1 content.

S1 HSIE: CCS1.2 Identifies changes and continuities in their own life and in the local community.

S1 HSIE: ENS1.5 Compares and contrasts natural and built features in their local area and the ways in which people interact with these features.

S1 PDHPE: ALS1.6 Participates in physical activity, recognising that it can be both enjoyable and important for health.

Then off to the Mt Annan Sustainability Centre to plant a dinosaur garden.

Waratah enjoyed learning about the succulent plant varieties and drew diagrams of them on the blackboard. The top one is Mother-in-Law's tongue, and the bottom one is the Jellybean plant.

S1 HSIE: ENS1.6 Demonstrates an understanding of the relationship between environments and people.

S1 Science: ICS1.2 Creates a range of information products and communicates using a variety of media.

S1 Science: LTS1.3 Identifies and describes ways in which living things grow and change.

S1 Science: ESS1.6 Identifies and describes ways in which people and other living things depend upon the earth and its environments.

S1 Science: INVS1.7 Conducts guided investigations by observing, questioning, predicting, collecting and recording data, and suggesting possible explanations.

S1 PDHPE: COS1.1 Communicates appropriately in a variety of ways.

S1 PDHPE: INS1.3 Develops positive relationships with peers and other people.

S1 Creative Arts: VAS1.1 Makes artworks in a particular way about experiences of real and imaginary things.

Boronia enjoys a spot of gardening too.

Mulga engaged in some imaginative play with the little kitchen, and took a turn at the chalkboard - this was a picture of a journey accompanied by a complicated superhero narrative.