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AtHomeScience
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| Posted: April 06 2010 at 12:23pm | IP Logged
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This has been a latest find of mine and I am so fascinated by it that I'm spreading the word and creating resources.
The idea is that you use a loupe to look at an object. You then think of analogies for what you see. Next, you draw the object. Finally, you think about why that object looks that way. I wrote more about it on At Home Science.
And then I decided to create a whole blog to chronicle our experience with it, and to post ideas, projects, tips, and such. It's called A Private Eye Nature. I am incorporating the process into our overall nature study.
The website for the program is The Private Eye. They sell loupes and lanyards for a reasonable price. The book you can get used for significantly less, or even through the library.
Just thought I'd share!
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Kris, Mom to 3 rambunctious boys 
At Home Science
A Private Eye Nature
Science Of Relations
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organiclilac
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| Posted: April 06 2010 at 1:23pm | IP Logged
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Oh, I am looking forward to reading your ideas and experience! We got some loupes and the book last year, but I haven't really gotten into it yet. I think my son will really enjoy it, I just need some help getting started!
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Tracy, wife to Shawn, mama to Samuel (4/01) and Joseph (11/11), and Thomas (2/15)
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MaryM
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| Posted: April 07 2010 at 2:21am | IP Logged
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Kris, I have been intrigued with this since you first mentioned it on the Yahoo group.
Our library doesn't have the book, so I've had to request it through ILL. Wanted to see it before I decide to purchase. Have you seen any of the other books/materials sold on their website? Wondering if those are needed or helpful...any idea?
What are the basic written materials needed to get started?
So, are the loupe prices there generally as good as you could get anywhere else? I'd been eyeing some loupes a few months ago anyway from Home Science Tools. Do you think these from Private Eye are better suited to this activity than the folding pocket loupes?
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Mary M. in Denver
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AtHomeScience
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| Posted: April 07 2010 at 8:44am | IP Logged
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About the book...The first section of the book is all about the 4 step process told in far too many pages than necessary, and useless once you understand it it.
The second part of the book has suggestions for different subject areas. She has a lot of great writing prompts in the Language Arts section. The science section was not so great, basically looking at snails and worms (good classroom creatures.) I have not looked over the math and social studies sections yet.
I bought the book used for under $10 to get the suggestions in the second half of the book. For me it was not worth paying full price for book, especially when it is readily available used. To top it off, it's a paperback and not of the best quality paper.
I see no advantages in using their loupes. They are plastic so I can imagine them cracking from a fall onto a rock. Amazon has metal-cased loupes 10x to 30x for not much more. They even have a 3x, 5x, 10x set of 3 loupes for under $3 which funny enough shows The Private Eye book in the Frequently Bought Together section.
They do have an ingenious pair of latex plastic rings they use to put around the smooth plastic loupe to hold it securely to the lanyard and yet make it easy to remove.
I see an advantage of narrowing the scope of view to get kids too focus in on the details. You may lose some of that with the larger double-lens magnifiers.
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Kris, Mom to 3 rambunctious boys
At Home Science
A Private Eye Nature
Science Of Relations
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AtHomeScience
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| Posted: April 07 2010 at 8:49am | IP Logged
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Forgot to address your other question...
The 2002 book says that a book of project ideas was forthcoming; the web site says it is still coming. That's one reason I started the blog. If such a book was available I would have bought that instead of the book currently available.
They have a few free downloads on the web site for lesson planning and using The Private Eye over the year, but I didn't find them very useful.
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Kris, Mom to 3 rambunctious boys
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Mackfam
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| Posted: April 08 2010 at 5:56pm | IP Logged
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Kris,
I've been wondering about this book for some time so I was really excited to have a chance to sit down and take a look at your blog entries!!!! What a great idea. It reminds me a little of the book, Adventures with a Hand Lens, but it seems to take it a few steps further with encouraging analogies. This will be a great way to extend some of our hand lens lessons!
I've been considering this 15X lighted loupe, but this set of jewelers loupes (10X - 30X) seems very handy and at only 6 bucks, a really good price. Here is a nice illuminated 30X jewelers loupe for just a little under $4. We only have one 10X loupe right now that everyone fights over.
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Jen Mackintosh
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lapazfarm
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| Posted: April 08 2010 at 6:32pm | IP Logged
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Looks pretty cool. Can you explain a little more about the point of the analogies step?
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AtHomeScience
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| Posted: April 08 2010 at 8:55pm | IP Logged
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Jennifer, that 3-piece set does look good--I am thinking about it myself the next time I put in an Amazon order. The light would be very helpful to look at your specimen anywhere. I wonder what kind of battery it takes, that is, how much it costs to replace it? 
Theresa, The analogies are used as the "bones for writing" as the author puts it. Trying to think up a haiku can be difficult of you don't know where to start, but if you have already made a list of analogies then the creative writing process becomes so much easier.
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Kris, Mom to 3 rambunctious boys
At Home Science
A Private Eye Nature
Science Of Relations
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4Real Forums : Exploring God's Creation in Nature and Science
Topic: The Private Eye
