6th Grade STEM Field Trip - Perris Indoor Skydiving - May 4, 2013

Indoor Skydiving

To wrap up our study of wind, we went on a fantastic field trip to Perris Indoor Skydiving. It was soooo much fun!!! First, we got a tour of the airfield. We sat on the only jumbo jet in the world to allow for jumpers. Then, we saw skydivers prepare for a world record jump tomorrow. But the best part of all was when we got to jump in their giant wind tunnel for some indoor skydiving. Their vertical wind tunnel enables people to experience the sensation of flight. Air moves upwards at about 120mph allowing the kids to "float".  It was awesome! Here is our video.

6th Grade Field Trip - SD Whaley House and Mormon Battalion - April 25, 2013

http://whaleyhouse.org/whaleyfamily.htm

Thomas Whaley came to California in 1849 during the Gold Rush. He left New York City, the place of his birth, on January 1, 1849, on the Sutton and arrived 204 days later in San Francisco. He set up a store with George Wardle on Montgomery Street where he sold hardware and woodwork from his family's New York business, Whaley & Pye, and offered mining equipment and utensils on consignment. This young entrepreneur, born on October 5, 1823, came from a Scots-Irish family, which immigrated to Plymouth, Massachusetts in 1722. His great-grandfather, Alexander Whaley, a gunsmith, participated in the Boston Tea Party and the Revolutionary War where he provided flintlock muskets for soldiers and the use of his house on Long Island by General George Washington. Thomas' father, Thomas Whaley, carried on the family gunsmith business, and served in the New York Militia during the War of 1812. He married Rachel Pye, whose father, William, manufactured locks in Brooklyn. 

Whaley's business acumen, acquired in part from his education at the Washington Institute, proved beneficial in San Francisco. He was so successful that he was able to establish his own store on Montgomery Street, erect a two-story residence near the bay, and rent out Wardle's edifice. After an arson-set fire destroyed his buildings on Montgomery Street in May 1851, he relocated to Old Town San Diego upon the advice of Lewis Franklin, a merchant who operated stores in San Francisco and Old Town. Whaley set up various businesses with Franklin, Ephraim Morse, Francis Hinton, and even his brother, Henry, and amassed enough money to return to New York to marry his sweetheart, Anna Eloise DeLaunay, the daughter of French-born parents, on May 14, 1853. 

Upon the couple's return to San Diego, Whaley entered various business general store partnerships, most of which lasted less than a year. He purchased this property in September 1855, which had been the site of the hanging of the infamous Yankee Jim Robinson in August of 1852. He first built a single-story granary for 300,000 to 400,000 pounds of grain in May 1856, with bricks manufactured in his brickyard on Conde Street. The adjacent two-story $10,000 Greek Revival style brick residence, designed by Whaley, commenced construction in September 1856 and was finished in 1857. The home, acclaimed as the "finest new brick block in Southern California" by the San Diego Herald, contained mahogany and rosewood furniture, damask drapes, and Brussels carpets. 

In August 1857, Whaley established his general store in this residence, and solicited cash customers only. As this location proved too far from the center of the small community, he relocated his business in a frame building on the Plaza, which he rented. 

By 1858, Thomas and Anna Whaley had produced three children: Francis Hinton (named for a business partner), Thomas (who died at just 18 months), and Anna Amelia. In August 1858, another arson-set fire destroyed Whaley's business on the Plaza. Despondent over this loss and the death of Thomas earlier that year, the family moved to San Francisco. 

In San Francisco, Whaley worked as an U.S. Army Commissary Storekeeper. Three more children, George Hays Ringgold (named for a business partner), Violet Eloise, and Corinne Lillian, were born. In 1867, Thomas Whaley assisted in the American takeover of Alaska, where he established stores at Sitka, helped set up an American base, and served as councilman. Anna and the family, during this time, remained in San Francisco. 

After a major earthquake in May 1868, the Whaley couple and their five children returned to the brick house in San Diego, out of which Whaley & Crosthwaite ran a general store. From October 1868 to January 1869, the Tanner Troupe Theatre operated out of the front upstairs bedroom. The San Diego County Courthouse utilized the former granary in August 1869 and rented three upstairs rooms for records storage. After the establishment of New Town San Diego by Alonzo Horton in 1868, the town focus changed to present day downtown San Diego. During a March 1871 raid, courthouse documents were removed from the Whaley House and taken to Horton's Hall on 6th and F in San Diego. After the County's exit, Whaley connected the former granary and courtroom to the residence, changed windows and doors, and altered the front portico. 

From 1874 to 1879, Thomas Whaley returned to New York, supposedly to settle his father's estate (his father died in 1832), and then journeyed to San Francisco seeking employment, which eluded him. During this time the Whaley family in San Diego lived in dire straits and was dependent upon Francis Whaley for support. 

On January 5, 1882, Violet Whaley and Anna Amelia Whaley married in Old San Diego, probably in this house. Anna married her first cousin, John T. Whaley, and Violet wed George T. Bertolacci, which proved unbearable. After a divorce, which caused Violet tremendous humiliation in 1884 and a period of great depression monitored by the local physician, she committed suicide at the home by shooting herself through the heart on August 18, 1885. 

After this tragic event, Thomas Whaley built a single-story frame home for his family at 933 State Street in downtown San Diego. Attempting to capitalize on the boom in that area, he maintained a real estate office at 5th and G in the First National Bank Building, with various partners. After retirement from business in 1888 due to ill health, he died at the State Street address on December 14, 1890. 

The Whaley House on San Diego Avenue remained vacant and fell into disrepair until late 1909 when Francis Whaley returned to the old brick and undertook the restoration of the building which greatly improved its appearance. Rehabilitated at the same time as the Estudillo House on the Plaza (which became publicized as Ramonaâs Marriage Place), and the establishment of the San Diego Electric Railway down San Diego Avenue, Francis utilized the family home as a residence and a tourist attraction where he posted signs outside promoting its historicity and entertained visitors with his guitar. 

Anna, Thomas' widow, Lillian (Corinne), then assistant at the Public Library, Francis, and George, a musician, all lived in the old dwelling in 1912. On February 24, 1913, Anna died in the house. Francis passed away in the home on November 19, 1914. Lillian continued residency in the structure until her death in 1953. Because she had spent the better part of the first half of the twentieth century in the house alone, it had fallen once again into a terrible state of disrepair.

http://www.oldtownsandiegoguide.com/historic_sites/mormonbattalion.html

Mormon Battalion Historic Site located in Old Town
San Diego

In July 1846, under the authority of U.S. Army Captain James Allen and with the encouragement of Mormon leader Brigham Young, the Mormon Battalion was mustered in at Council Bluffs, Iowa Territory. The battalion was the direct result of Brigham Young's correspondence on 26 January 1846 to Jesse C. Little, presiding elder over the New England and Middle States Mission. Young instructed Little to meet with national leaders in Washington, D.C., and to seek aid for the migrating Latter-day Saints, the majority of whom were then in the Iowa Territory. In response to Young's letter, Little journeyed to Washington, arriving on 21 May 1846, just eight days after Congress had declared war on Mexico.
Little met with President James K. Polk on 5 June 1846 and urged him to aid migrating Mormon pioneers by employing them to fortify and defend the West. The president offered to aid the pioneers by permitting them to raise a battalion of five hundred men, who were to join Colonel Stephen W. Kearny, Commander of the Army of the West, and fight for the United States in the Mexican War. Little accepted this offer.
Colonel Kearny designated Captain James Allen, later promoted to Lieutenant Colonel, to raise five companies of volunteer soldiers from the able-bodied men between the ages of eighteen and forty-five in the Mormon encampments in Iowa. On 26 June 1846 Allen arrived at the encampment of Mt. Pisgah. He was treated with suspicion as many believed that the raising of a battalion was a plot to bring trouble to the migrating Saints.
Allen journeyed from Mt. Pisgah to Council Bluffs, where on 1 July 1846 he allayed Mormon fears by giving permission for the Saints to encamp on United States lands if the Mormons would raise the desired battalion. Brigham Young accepted this, recognizing that the enlistment of the battalion was the first time the government had stretched forth its arm to aid the Mormons.
On 16 July 1846 some 543 men enlisted in the Mormon Battalion (Officially the 1st Iowa Volunteers). From among these men Brigham Young selected the commissioned officers; they included Jefferson Hunt, Captain of Company A; Jesse D. Hunter, Captain of Company B; James Brown, Captain of Company C; Nelson Higgins, Captain of Company D; and Daniel C. Davis, Captain of Company E. Among the most prominent non-Mormon military officers immediately associated with the battalion march were Lt. Col. James Allen, First Lt. Andrew Jackson Smith, Lt. Col. Philip St. George Cooke, and Dr. George Sanderson. Also accompanying the battalion were approximately thirty-three women, twenty of whom served as laundresses, and fifty-one children.
The battalion marched from Council Bluffs on 20 July 1846, arriving on 1 August 1846 at Fort Leavenworth (Kansas), where they were outfitted for their trek to Santa Fe. Battalion members drew their arms and accoutrements, as well as a clothing allowance of forty-two dollars, at the fort. Since a military uniform was not mandatory, many of the soldiers sent their clothing allowances to their families in the Mormon refugee encampments in Iowa.
Each soldier was issued the following: 1 Harpers Ferry smoothbore musket, 1 infantry cartridge box, 1 cartridge box plate, 1 cartridge box belt, 1 bayonet scabbard, 1 bayonet scabbard belt, 1 bayonet scabbard belt plate, 1 waist belt, 1 waist belt plate, 1 musket gun sling, 1 brush and pike set, 1 musket screwdriver, 1 musket wiper, 1 extra flint cap. Each company was also allotted 5 sabers for the officers, 10 musket ball screws, 10 musket spring vices, and 4 Harpers Ferry rifles.
The remaining soldiers, with four wives of officers, left Santa Fe for California on 19 October 1846. They journeyed down the Rio Grande del Norte and eventually crossed the Continental Divide on 28 November 1846. While moving up the San Pedro River in present-day Arizona, their column was attacked by a herd of wild cattle. In the ensuing fight, a number of bulls were killed and two men were wounded. Following the "Battle of the Bulls," the battalion continued their march toward Tucson, where they anticipated a possible battle with the Mexican soldiers garrisoned there. At Tucson, the Mexican defenders temporarily abandoned their positions and no conflict ensued.
Battalion members took cash in lieu of uniforms, using the money to support their families and their church during a very hard period. Consequently, they did not wear uniforms. The uniform collection shown here is in a private collection. It shows the uniforms that the battalion would have worn had they been issued. The owner of these uniforms often shows them off at gun shows. Click on the image for more info.
The march from Fort Leavenworth was delayed by the sudden illness of Colonel Allen. Capt. Jefferson Hunt was instructed to begin the march to Santa Fe; he soon received word that Colonel Allen was dead. Allen's death caused confusion regarding who should lead the battalion to Santa Fe. Lt. A.J. Smith arrived from Fort Leavenworth claiming the lead, and he was chosen the commanding officer by the vote of battalion officers. The leadership transition proved difficult for many of the enlisted men, as they were not consulted about the decision.
Smith and his accompanying surgeon, a Dr. Sanderson, have been described in journals as the "heaviest burdens" of the battalion. Under Smith's dictatorial leadership and with Sanderson's antiquated prescriptions, the battalion marched to Santa Fe. On this trek the soldiers suffered from excessive heat, lack of sufficient food, improper medical treatment, and forced long-distance marches.
The first division of the Mormon Battalion approached Santa Fe on 9 October 1846. Their approach was heralded by Col. Alexander Doniphan, who ordered a one-hundred-gun salute in their honor. At Santa Fe, Smith was relieved of his command by Lt. Col. Philip St. George Cooke. Cooke, aware of the rugged trail between Santa Fe and California and also aware that one sick detachment had already been sent from the Arkansas River to Fort Pueblo in Colorado, ordered the remaining women and children to accompany the sick of the battalion to Pueblo for the winter. Three detachments consisting of 273 people eventually were sent to Pueblo for the winter of 1846-47.

On 21 December 1846 the battalion encamped on the Gila River. They crossed the Colorado River into California on 9 and 10 January 1847. By 29 January 1847 they were camped at the Mission of San Diego, about five miles from General Kearny's quarters. That evening Colonel Cooke rode to Kearny's encampment and reported the battalion's condition. On 30 January 1847 Cooke issued orders enumerating the accomplishments of the Mormon Battalion. "History may be searched in vain for an equal march of infantry. Half of it has been through a wilderness where nothing but savages and wild beasts are found, or deserts where, for lack of water, there is no living creature."
During the remainder of their enlistment, some members of the battalion were assigned to garrison duty at either San Diego, San Luis Rey, or Ciudad de los Angeles. Other soldiers were assigned to accompany General Kearny back to Fort Leavenworth. All soldiers, whether en route to the Salt Lake Valley via Pueblo or still in Los Angeles, were mustered out of the United States Army on 16 July 1847. Eighty-one men chose to reenlist and serve an additional eight months of military duty under Captain Daniel C. Davis in Company A of the Mormon Volunteers. The majority of the soldiers migrated to the Salt Lake Valley and were reunited with their pioneering families.
The men of the Mormon Battalion are honored for their willingness to fight for the United States as loyal American citizens. Their march of some 2,000 miles from Council Bluffs to California is one of the longest military marches in history. Their participation in the early development of California by building Fort Moore in Los Angeles, building a courthouse in San Diego, and making bricks and building houses in southern California contributed to the growth of the West.
Following their discharge, many men helped build flour mills and sawmills in northern California. Some of them were among the first to discover gold at Sutter's Mill. Men from Captain Davis's Company A were responsible for opening the first wagon road over the southern route from California to Utah in 1848.
Historic sites associated with the battalion include the Mormon Battalion Memorial Visitor's Center in San Diego, California; Fort Moore Pioneer Memorial in Los Angeles, California; and the Mormon Battalion Monument in Memory Grove, Salt Lake City, Utah. Monuments relating to the battalion are also located in New Mexico, Arizona, and Colorado, and trail markers have been placed on segments of the battalion route.

6th Grade STEM Class - April 13, 2013

Wind Tubes

Today, in preparation for our field trip to the indoor skydiving place, we experimented with a wind tube. After we made parachutes, the kids got to put different materials into the wind tube, just to see how they reacted. As the day went on, the kids were able to design different things, combining multiple of the materials to create new structures to test. While some structures left the wind tube almost instantly, some others hovered beautifully in the middle. We also found that while some things only flew on the highest setting of the fan, a few flew better on the lower settings.

6th Grade STEM Class - March 2013

Wind Power

We had a really fun day. In preparation for our trip to a wind farm in Palm Springs, we build our own mini wind turbines. We tried out various blade designs. Our most efficient generated a half of volt!  We also made wind powered powered cars. Again, we experimented with different blade designs and positions. Some kids added washers to their car and got creative with with their fanning materials. We all raced each other to see whose designed worked best.

6th Grade Field Trip - Wind Turbine - March 23, 2013 - STEM

Today, Temecula STEM club drove out to Palm Springs to learn about wind turbines. We all got on a bus, and our tour guide told us all about what the turbines do, why they are there, how the work, and how they effect the environment. We all learned so much about the multitude of tests and experiments that need to be done in order to build a wind farm, and how much renewable energy helps the environment. We also talked about a new plan to place these huge wind turbines in the ocean to provide more clean energy to towns like Los Angeles.

Met our STEM group at the Palm Springs Visitor Center. We went on a 2 hour Bus Tour of the Wind Farms with an Awesome tour guide, Ken Huskey. Ken had an abundant amount of information for all who attended. Here are some notes I took:

Wind farm 3-23-13 

1926 first wind turbine till 1942 Gen. George patten ww11 got rid of turbine. 

Wind turbine 35 % wind factor work only 1/3 of time. 

Turbines not working because short ones 14 mph to operate. Or because of the heat.

55ph will shut down so won't heat up and start fire. 

3000 turbines 6000 mega watts of electricity 

Anemometer measures wind

Below 8 mph not enough need to use pitch change angle rotor. 

2 mil $ per megawatt 

2 blades cost less to make and transport but harvest less energy. Makes more noise bc has to work harder 

700 ft tall 600 ft wide

Turbines in rows because micro siding creates a vortex . 1762 ft apart depending on size 

Cape wind in water 85% wind capacity 

Wind technicians 

Aquifers underground water 50-300ft . 

Wind gypsies - clean turbines blades so it runs more smoothly

Small skinny towers are anemometers 

6th Grade Field Trip - Forest Lawn Glendale 3-14-13

Meet the Artists @ Forest Lawn 

http://www.forestlawn.com/

Forest Lawn - Glendale - Great Mausoleum

Marc Chagall
The Forest Lawn Museum in Glendale is exhibiting a glimpse into Russian-born painter Marc Chagall's early works.  On display are 65 exquisite etchings and aquatints that spotlight the Chagall's work in the mid to late 1920’s, when he moved to Paris following the Russian Revolution.  This carefully selected display focuses on the artist's personal and artistic development from his humble beginnings in the embattled Belarus region of Russia to his eventual contribution and impact on the world of art, which still resonates today.  Chagall remains one of the most popular and respected artists of the twentieth century and this exhibition provides an extraordinary look at some of his formative years.   

Forest Lawn - Glendale - Great Mausoleum

This stained glass masterpiece of Leonardo da Vinci's immortal painting was crafted in Italy by Rosa Caselli Moretti. Using Leonardo's own sketches, she sought to capture for posterity the original appearance of the now damaged and faded painting.
 

6th Grade Classes - My Learning Connection

1st Semester Tariq took: Egypt, Science, Hands on Math, Creative Writing, & Team Building

2nd Semester: Percy Jackson & the Olympians, Wizards Academy for Muggles, Hands on Math, Creative Writing, & Science

http://www.mylearningconnection.net/

​My Learning Connection allows children of all ages to learn through interactive, hands on, project based classes. I use a cooperative learning style that offers students a place to discover independence as well as how to work within a group or team setting. These classes are designed to fit the needs of all learning styles. Come join us for a funfilled adventure in learning. Check out each class page for more detailed information.

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Science:
The Scientific Method…. What’s it all about?  We will talk about the experiment and its dynamics, make our predictions / hypotheses, have fun with the experiment, then examine our predictions and form a conclusion. What should we change, do differently? All of these questions will be explored in this fun, hands on class.  The goal is to help students develop critical-thinking skills and strengthen their understanding of science concepts.  Using general science, life science, earth and physical science as our base some of the things we will experiment with are the properties of Earth materials, motions and forces, changes of properties in matter, light, heat, electricity, magnetism and motion of objects.

Hands on Math:
In this class we will explore all kinds of upper level math in an interesting and hands on way. Each activity is designed to tap into the student’s curiosity of math and help them discover meaningful patterns and relationships between things. The hands on format of these activities allow students to work as individuals, with partners or in-groups. They will be able to make their own independent explorations and think beyond their own solutions. Math tools such as the compass, protractor and calculator will be a big part of these activities. 

Creative Writing:
In this creative writing class we will explore the world of words in their many different forms. This is not a "technical" writing class although we will learn how to use words to describe things, learn how to build a good paragraph and achieve a variety of writing styles. The goal for this class is to allow the students to be free in their writing, start thinking in creative ways and have fun with it. Hands on activities, group projects and shared individual ideas will be the bases for this class. ​

Wizards:

This is a theme-based class, revolving around the wonderful writings of J.K. Rowling's and the magical world of Hogwarts. This class uses language arts, math, science and history to explore

this fascinating world. We use a project based, hands

on, interactive, learning approach. We will make an 

activity book which will include all of our games, 

projects, activities and adventures.

Percy Jackson:

This is a theme-based class, based on the best selling books by Rick Riordan revolving around the adventures of Percy Jackson and the Olympians. This class uses language arts, math, science and history to explore this ancient world. We use a project based, hands on, interactive, learning approach. We will make an ​ activity book which will include all of our games, projects, activities and adventures.

Becki Owens

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   I have been homeschooling my two boys for the past nine years, since they were in Kindergarten, and loving every minute of it. Learning is an endless adventure and we like to be creative and have lots of fun. I am definitely a homeschool advocate and will always encourage parents to discover the joy of their children and their unique abilities.

  

   I have lived in Murrieta for 35 years and in fact, still live on the same 10 acres where I grew up. I have a BA of Art from San Diego State University, an AA degree in Art History and Design, I am licensed in Educational Kinesiology / Brain Gym, certified in Brain Behavior / Brain Profiling and Learning Styles. I have developed workshops and classes not only for kids but also adults. I have trained teachers in classroom development, organization and achieving student success, implemented after school and home school enrichment programs, assisted corporations in team building activities and workshops and co-founded a non-profit corporation that deals with how food, drugs, chemicals, and environmental toxins effect learning and behavior. ​

    

   With my degree in Art / Art History and training in personality and learning styles, I believe I have a unique perspective on how to create a positive learning experience for all people.