Supercharged Science

Since we are back in the land of the home-schooling, we must always be on the prowl for resources. Back in the days of our glorious home-schooling charter school (Thank you very much, state of California...at least your schools have THAT going for them) we were able to attend curriculum fairs and peruse the latest and greatest. Now I have to be a bit more creative. My least favorite way to find resources is by thumbing through the phone-book-of-a-catalog that Rainbow Resource puts out. Firstly, there are very few pictures (and I need visuals), secondly, the print is so dang small and crowded. Thirdly, they have a "religious bigotry" section...and I hate supporting companies who peddle garbage like that, if I can help it. I use them if I can't find something I need elsewhere.

My MOST favorite way to find resources, is tried-and-true recommendations from other home schooling families...or friends who are/were teachers (because if they are my friends, they are cool...so they have cool recommendations).

I found Supercharged Science through the blog of one of my favorite home schooling families. (No, I don't know them...but I followed a link to them one day a couple of years ago and have been checking in on them ever since.) This is a nearly-perfect resource for us, as Jake's curiosity of science in insatiable...and I can't keep up. He is able to watch the classes on line and do the experiments with little assistance. I say it is "nearly perfect," because it's pricey. We bought in to the high school level (since Jake is needing that kind of challenge), so at $57 a month for one kid, we are shelling out some serious bones. And the monthly fee is just the beginning. You should see the running shopping list. Luckily, he's been saving me some money by stripping old electronics for parts for projects like his hovercraft and crystal radio.

Anyway, there are several videos in the "getting started" department to get kids excited about science. In other words, stuff that makes a mess and/or blows up. Jake had to remind me a couple of times before I remembered to bring home a bar of Ivory soap.


I should have taken video...or at least a "before" picture.



While this looks like a pile of shaving cream, I assure you, it's as hard as a bar of soap...



Because it is a bar of soap. Or it was, rather.

Jake could tell you the science behind it. I just know he still has my platter in his room...and his whole room smells like soap.