Failed Science Projects and Good Attitudes

We are studying LIGHT as a unit study right now. We are using a hands-on science kit from Stratton House which you can see at the following link:

http://www.homeschoolscience.com/homeschool_science/light.html

We are finding the kit to be quite interesting and the hands-on-projects are great. We will be starting a Light lapbook this week from Hands of a Child as well. I had not originally intended to do a lapbook for the Light unit but the topic is proving to be quite interesting AND I have a Light lapbook Project Pack which was a freebie at one point from Hands of a Child.

Last Thursday, we all trooped outside on a sunny day (rare for NE Ohio at any time of the year!) and attempted to light wooden craft sticks on fire using concentrated light energy from the sun. Each of my dear children focused a clear spot of light on their wooden craft sticks with their magnifying glasses and then they waited patiently. And they waited and they waited.

Soon, it was clear that there would be no fires. Perhaps the sun was just not strong enough to make the experiment work at the time of day that we attempted the project. Perhaps the sun is just never strong enough in NE Ohio. I used to live in Mesa, Arizona - I feel pretty confident the project would work there in a heartbeat!

Although the science project failed, I was so pleased by the reactions of my children. Instead of uttering dreaded phrases like, "This is really stupid, Mom." or "What a jank science project." or, even worse, "When are we going to be done?" my oldest child made us all laugh. With magnifying glass in hand, she looked up at me, made her voice sound like a whiny three year old's voice, and said, "Mrs. K, why isn't my craft stick bursting into flames? Mrs. K, can you please move the clouds and make my craft stick burst into flames?"

We all started laughing, eventually abandoned the project and went into the house in good spirits, to try the other science activity for the day...which worked! The experience reminded me, once again, how we can choose to have a good attitude or a bad attitude about the inconveniences of the day. I am so happy that it seems like my children are starting to realize the truth of that statement as well.