Luca and Math

Yesterday, Luca spent 2 hours doing math in the morning.  Willingly.  We were in the kitchen together, I got him set up & began to scrub the kitchen floor. The fun, it never ends.  Anyhow, we chatted the whole time, him asking questions when he needed too, using foam letters as manipulatives & doing the work.  I'd get up and check on his progress, comment appropriately and get back to the fabulous dingy cream colored, dirt showing floor. [Can I just say I hate my kitchen floor.]

He did a fabulous job.  I was really impressed with how he kept on going and figuring out the answers.  It's a good thing.  He tends to ask me what the answer is, but after the first few minutes of me going, "figure it out" he decided that it was faster to do just that!

Anatomy Paper by Niles

My project is on the immune system. Something I already knew about the immune system is that the immune system helps prevent diseases. I will list the major organs in the immune system. The immune system helps your body by using white blood cells.  

The function of the immune system is to keep your body healthy. Leukocytes are part of the defense system that kill germs and disease. There are many types of white blood cells.  There are the phagocytes and the lymphocytes. Phagocytes chew up invading germs.   Lymphocytes help the body remember germs. Leukocytes are found in the spleen and in bone marrow. 

Disease fighting blood cells start in the bone marrow.  Each work on different types of diseases.  Netrophils move around your blood to search for foreign cells. Macrophages clean wounds and other white blood cells that have been damaged.  Lymphocytes attack bacterial and fungal infections.

There are two types of lymphocytes.  B Cells produce antibodies to mark bad cells to be destroyed.  T Cells seach for hidden germs and diseases.  They use antibodies to mark germs and diseases so other cells know to destroy them.  Your cells are marked with Human Leukocyte Antigen.

The lymphatic  system is a bunch of small nodes that filter out bad germs that could harm your body. Lymph nodes are located in your throat, arm pits, knees and groin area. When you get sick your immune system helps you get better.  You know if your immune system is working if you were sick then you eventually got better.  If you get cut and it doesn’t get infected, your immune system is working.  When you are sick, your lymph nodes swell.

If your immune system is not working properly you may get sick. Sometimes your immune system will attack important parts of your body. This is called auto immune disease. My mom has sjogrens syndrome. This is when your body attacks its own moisture producing glands. Moisture glands are in your eyes and mouth sometimes it also effects organs such as kidneys liver and lungs.   

I learned that without your immune system you would get sick all the time. Your immune system helps you by killing diseases. It uses your kidneys and your liver and white blood cells. It also uses lymph nodes to prevent germs and sickness and diseases. So without your immune system you would be sick almost every day.

Bibliography

Macnair, Trisha. (2009, August ). Health: sjogren\'s syndrome. Retrieved from http://www.bbc.co.uk/health/physical_health/conditions/sjogrensyndrome1.shtml.

  Dowshen, Steven. (2009, November ). Your immune system. Retrieved from http://kidshealth.org/kid/cancer_center/HTBW/immune.html#.

Kate, Dr. (2004, January 24). Kids health the immune system. Retrieved from http://www.cyh.sa.gov.au/HealthTopics/HealthTopicDetailsKids.aspx?p=335&np=152&id=2402#6.

Updates

I've been neglecting the blog lately because life's been too dang busy to keep up w/three blogs.  But some quick updates.

• Niles is taking Anatomy in Chapel Hill. It is the same teacher as he had for chemistry.  This class has a lot more homework though!  I am amazed at the amount of work he has to do.Read a chapter in an online text book, answer a the review questions, do a word of the week. It's all good stuff though & he is learning a ton about how the body works. They will be doing two dissections as well.
• Luca is in speech now and his progress is amazing. He is really making great strides with the "l's" and the "r's".  He can move his tongue to one side & is working on the other side now. And he can lift it up, something he couldn't do before.
• I got a computerized reading program to try with him, since April/May is going to be nutso for me with work. I am hoping this will help him to get up to speed. He's made huge progress this year, but there's room to go. The great news is that he is finally at the point where HE wants to read.
• Niles was at the store the other day to spend his b'day money.  He added it all up, figured out the tax and paid himself. He spent $39.12 of his $40. In his head, the total he came up with was $39.10 by using rounding.  I was impressed. Way to go big man! Way.To.Go.
• Electric guitar lessons are rocking out.

That is all for now. I need to get some rest.

Animal Grossology

We went to the Animal Grossology exhibit at the NC Museum of Natural Science w/some homeschool friends. It was very cool.  Here are some pictures.

Niles in Chemistry

Niles took a two part chemistry class through UNC for homeschooled children.  It was a great experience for him and he really liked it.  Here is a partial video of the end of class project he worked on.  I forgot my camera & the IPhone app I have will only record for as long as this video goes. But it was very cool & he liked it!

Volcano Experiment!

Zoo Club at the NC Zoo in Asheboro