We began at the beginning of the book in US History.  This past 2 weeks we have been studying the native Americans who dwelt here before Europeans and how the "Columbian Exchange" changed the world forever.  We also have been studying the first years of slave trade in the western world and how it was just as evil then as slavery is today.  Did you know there were slaves in North America before the pilgrims?

In Science, we just finished a unit on simple machines.  There are 6 different types and the students did a great job demonstrating how some of them work.  We will also be doing presentations this next week over Extreme Engineering episodes and how different simple machines have enabled us to build mighty structures.   This week the M.S. is focusing on their Science Fair which will be displayed next week during parent-teacher conferences.

In Chemistry, we have been studying different types of chemical reactions.  One the best demonstrations of the year (in my opinion) is when you combine sulfuric acid with sugar.  It produces a carbon pillar that literally rises up out of the beaker.  We also decomposed the shell of an egg in hydrochloric acid which caused a semi-permeable membrane that allows water to diffuse into the egg which is swelling to an enormous size!

In Gym class, played golf, soft ball, mat ball, hockey, frisbee football and will be running the mile until Fall Break.