PEI HOMESCHOOLERS TALK: March 2013

The PEI Homeschoolers Science, Heritage Fairs,
Art & Craft Expo 2013

took place February 14,
at the Christian Reformed Church Fellowship Hall.

To help us out Allie MacLellan and Chuck Gallison
from PEI Wildlife

commented on the Science projects,

Charlotte Stewart from the Department of Community and Cultural Affairs,

commentated on the Heritage Project,

Anna MacAdam commented on the primary level projects, and

Jill Hamming commented on the Art and Craft projects.

There were two Science projects,

one Heritage project, and three Art & Craft projects.

Everyone's project is set up and the commentators are doing the rounds.

In the top left corner Courtney Horrocks and Micah Abbott

are doing battle on a chess board while waiting.

Science Fair Project

Primary Level

Taking Care of a Garden Snail

Maddie and Micah Abbott

Maddie and Micah began observing and learning about snails since September.

They got to know several snails before meeting the two that are shown here,
Snailie and Slimy.

They learned how to build them a habitat and how to care for garden snails.

Maddie and Micah each have their own snail in a small aquarium,

where the snail has a small clay flower pot for shelter and sleeping,

food which is lettuce and tomato, and a piece of cuttlefish shell.

The shell provides calcium

when the snail moves over it,

or the snail may grate away at the shell with the sharp edge

it has in it's mouth.

Introducing Snailie - Maddie's snail,

and Slimy - Micah's snail.

Snails are nocturnal animals, so that explains why they are sleeping now.

Sociable snails!

This is Slimy, on Micah's hand.

As you can see Slimy,
is quite comfortable and
is not withdrawing into his shell, as one would normally expect a snail to do when you find one outside.

They are quite happy to
crawl around in Micah's hand and up his arm.

A pet snail needs to have attention from its caretaker every day, to take it out and talk to it, etc.

A snail is both male and female in the same animal!

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Science Fair Project

Grade 4

Plants Need Air

by Katelyn Hamilton

Katelyn's project shows the effects

of a lack of air to growing plants.

One of the bottles allows the plant inside access to air

and the other bottle is closed.

The closed bottle contains only carbon dioxide.

Katelyn made carbon dioxide by mixing vinegar and baking soda together.

She poured the invisible gas into the bottle and quickly sealed it.

She was very careful not to pour any vinegar or baking soda into the bottle.

Katelyn documented day by day

the changes she saw

in comparing the two plants.

The leaves began to turn yellow on the plant which was lacking air,

and it became more and more unhealthy-looking.

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Art & Craft

Grade 2 Edward Hamilton

Grade 4 Katelyn Hamilton

Needle Felted Wool

Needle Felted Wool Fox

Edward used different natural wool colours

to make the paws, the under tail and belly.

This fellow has a lovely bushy tail!

Needle Felted Wool Cat

Felted wool projects are done with

a small hook that has many teeth.

Very cute!

The wool is worked using this hook,

which felts the wool together,

and it can then be shaped in many ways.

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Spinning Wool with a Spindle

Julie Hamilton, Katelyn's and Edward's mother

shows how to use a spindle to spin wool into yarn.

Spindles have been used in many countries, up to the present day.

Alice Horrocks and her daughter Courtney watch how this ancient craft is done.

On the table is a supply of clean mauve dyed unspun wool,

from which Julie pulls a little at a time, as she spins.

Using a spindle has a great advantage in that it is very portable

and can be easily picked up and laid down,

in free moments of the day.

Single plys of yarn are first spun,

and later several plys can be spun together,

to make yarn of different thickness.

Spinning with
a spindle can be done sitting, standing, walking, etc.

Julie shows how

to draw out the yarn,

then spin it

by rotating the spindle...

...and wind up

the completed length of yarn (about 1 metre)

on the long dowel

of the spindle.

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Heritage Project

Grade 5

Super Cheesy: Sydney Richardson

PEI's First Cheesemaker

by Keridwen Campbell

Keridwen's project traces back into her family tree to find Sydney Richardson...

who came from England as a young man, first to Ontario,

and then to PEI,

where he became involved in making cheese on a commercial scale.

Farmer's cheese samples made by Keridwen,

in two different flavours - very tasty!

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Art & Craft Project

Grade 9

Knitted and Crocheted Socks

Bethany Horrocks

...working on the second sock...

Beautifully knitted...

...with very professionally turned

heels and toes...

...in lovely colours...

...this pair with a lacy pattern

- a real challenge...

...and a crocheted pairs in the works...

- another challenge!

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Art & Craft Project

Grade 11

Illustration Work

Ian Paul MacAdam

Ian shows the illustration of a children's story from conception to completion;
from storyline, to rough sketches, to finished artwork, layout,
and keeping in style with the first book in the series
illustrated by his brother Gregory