Week 9 Highlights

idea from http://layeredsoul.com/

I found this idea of making eye balls on pinterest.  I figured the kids might enjoy this more than making a paper model of the eye.  Mom guessed right, it was a hit!  I have to say it called for ingredients we don't keep in the house.  Matter of fact the ingredients are no no's at our house, but for the sake of science and having a little fun mom said, "What the heck."
 

The sclera (skleer-uh) is the outer layer and it covers most of the eye.  It is attached at the front to the clear surface called the cornea. We used white bark chocolate for the sclera and saran wrap for the cornea.

The circular membrane behind the cornea that actually gives us the color of our eye is the iris.  The iris is held into place by small muscles that help it control the amount of light that enters into the eye. We used blue gel for the iris.

The little black circle inside the iris is called the pupil, which opens and closes like a camera shutter to let the right amount of light into the eye.  The pupil gets bigger when there in low light and smaller when there is bright light. Information from Nutrition 101: Choose Life   
We used Jr. Mints for the pupil.

There are six muscles attached to each of your eye balls.  They allow you to look up, down and all around. Information from http://www.eschoolonline.com/company/examples/eye/eyeanatomy.html
We used red gel for the blood vessels and Fruit Roll Ups for the muscles in the back.

We found this awesome dissection through http://www.toadhaven.com/Toadhaven/Virtual_Surgery_and_Dissection.html

A fun optical illusion site

http://illusions.org/

Nutrition for Healthy Eye Sight

Nutrients for healthy eye support include: antioxidants, bioflavonoids (bahy-oh-fley-vuh-noid), DHA, lutein (loo-tee-in) and zeaxanthin.

*Anti-oxidants are powerful nutrients that can prevent macular degeneration, one of the leading causes of blindness in the elderly.  So what foods should I eat?  berries, cherries, pomegranates.

DHA is a fatty acid found in the retina of the eye and can reverse some of the degenerative damage that comes with macular degeneration.  DHA is one of the best sources for clear eyesight and eye health.  So what foods should I eat?  Salmon, tuna, cod, haddock, sardines.

Lutein  is an antioxidant that can help prevent free radical damage specific to problems with the lenses, retina, optic nerves and visual cortex.  So what foods should I eat?  Kale, collard greens, spinach, broccoli, brussel sprouts, avocado, organic egg yolks.

Zeaxanthin  is a carotenoid (kuh-rot-n-oid ) nutrient.  So what foods should I eat?  Red bell peppers, broccoli, collard greens, green peas, romaine lettuce. Spinach, turnip greens and zucchini.

Vision Power Carrots

Carrots are an excellent source of vision promoting vitamin A,

alpha-carotene and beta-carotene.

It is impossible to get my son to eat veggies with the exception of broccoli and green beans, so I am often trying new smoothies to get his veggies in.  This one was a hit!

Carrot smoothie – juice two carrots.  Add to blender the carrot juice, two frozen bananas, 1 cup of ice and 1 cup of mixed frozen fruit of strawberry, mango and pineapple.  Yields about 16 ounces.  These make great smoothie frozen pops too.

Bad Eyesight Foods

Trans fatty acids can cause direct damage to the blood vessels that supply your eyes and brain.  Look for food ingredients that say hydrogenated or partially hydrogenated oil.  Processed foods such as white rice, pasta, and bread may worsen eyesight, especially as a person ages.  These types of foods can cause age-related macular degeneration.

Information under Nutrition for Healthy Eye Sight and Bad Eyesight Foods is derived from Nutrition 101: Choose Life.

Vocabulary

Antioxidants – substances, found in foods, which inhibits oxidation in the body’s cell.

Oxidation – is a chemical reaction that produces free radicals, they are molecules that damage DNA.

Think of apple slices turning brown .  Exposure to the air turns them brown (oxidation).  Adding lemon (an antioxidant) prevents the oxidation.

Discussion Questions

1.       How can we protect our eyes?

2.       What foods should we try to eliminate or decrease in our diet?

3.       Why should we eliminate or decrease the bad foods?

For further information read Eyes and Ears by Seymour Simon for the inner and middle layer of eye and how the eye works.

Daddy and the kids playing around with the
Magic School Bus: A Journey into the Body science kit.
They were learning about the lungs.

Lexi loves creating her mosaics.


Achievements

While Lauren and I were in the middle of a Barton Reading and Spelling lesson she exclaimed, "Mom, I can spell a lot of words now!"  She was grinning ear to ear.  I can't say enough good things about this dyslexic program.

 Serving Others

Even the little ones can serve and they love it!

 God Moment

All week has been difficult for me.  I struggle with feeling incompetent to teach my kids.  Why?  I  judge myself according to the world's standard, something I know I shouldn't do!  Satan knows where to attack and he came at me hard this week.  I allowed myself to fall victim to his lies, which led to self pity.  You can only guess what that led to... You got it.  A less productive and unhappy mom/teacher.

Thanks to a prayerful husband and friend I got off the pity potty and began renewing my mind with the Truth.  (Ha, Ha!  Guess what our memory verse is this week???)

"Do not be conformed any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind.  Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is-his good, pleasing and perfect will." (Romans 12:2)

I was reminded that I am his workmanship created in Him for good works, which He prepared beforehand so that I would walk in them. (Eph. 2:10)  If I am his masterpiece who am I to complain about how he formed me or what he has called me to do.  Am I really going to sulk about my weaknesses OR hold onto scripture that tells me that God's grace is sufficient for me, that His power is made perfect in my weakness. (2 Cor. 12:9)   It is not by my doing but through Him and by his grace that my children will be prepared for the calling that He will lay on their life.

The last verse that really made me say, "Darn, never thought of it like that." 

"May the God of peace who through the blood of the eternal covenant brought back from the dead our Lord Jesus, that great Shepherd of the sheep, equip you with everything good for doing his will, and may he work in us what is pleasing to him, through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory forever and ever." (Hebrews 13:20-21)

If God has the power to raise his Son, Jesus Christ, from the dead should I not trust that he has the power to equip me and work in my life for his purpose also.

I sat down with the kids and apologized for my attitude this week, asked for their forgiveness, and shared with them the Truth that set me free.  They all hugged me tight, forgave me, and said they loved me.