From algebra to world history, here are the things you’ll probably need to recall while homeschooling your children. For everything else, there’s Google...
Homeschooling the kids certainly has its challenges, especially while us parents are also juggling our own working from home deadlines. The frustrating part? When you realise just how much you’ve forgotten from your school days. Thankfully, we’re living in a time when Google has all the answers. What the hell is ‘x’? What’s up with the Cold War? Give us a minute while we search up the facts…
Good-to-know school facts for homeschooling
Maths facts
1. How to find x?
Isolate the darned x to one side of the equation. Just remember that numbers become negative (i.e. 4 becomes -4) and functions become the opposite (i.e. + becomes -) when you move them to the other side of the equal sign.
2. Pi? What pi?
The only pies we care about right now are the ones that come out of the oven. But for the purpose of homeschooling your children, we’ll remind you that pi (3.14…) is used in many essential equations. For instance, to find the area (A = π r²) and circumference (C=2πr) of a circle.
3. What is Pythagoras’ theorem?
It states that for a right-angled triangle, the square of the hypotenuse side is equal to the sum of squares of the other two sides, i.e. a2 + b2 = c2.
4. Can you recall trigonometry?
There are three functions – the sine (sin), which is the ratio of the opposite to the hypotenuse (sin A = a/c); the cosine (cos), the ratio of the adjacent leg to the hypotenuse (cos = b/c); and the tangent (tan), defined as the ratio of the opposite leg to the adjacent leg (tan = a/b).
5. What’s a prime number?
Basically, these are numbers that can be divided by 1 and its own number. Numbers 1, 2, 3, 5, and 7 are examples of prime numbers.
Science facts
1. What happens when a substance sublimes?
No, it’s not the same as saying your cocktail is sublime. Sublimation in chemistry is when a substance changes from solid to gas, without going through the liquid state.
2. What happens when an acid reacts with a base?
Acid + base = water + salt. This process is called neutralisation.
3. How many chambers does the heart have?
Four: the left and right atrium, as well as the left and right ventricle. Oxygen-poor blood flows to the right atrium, passes through the right ventricle before reaching the lungs. Oxygen-rich blood travels from the lungs to the left atrium, then to the left ventricle, which pumps it to the rest of the body.
4. What is the opposite of evaporation?
Bet you’ve forgotten this one! It’s condensation – when molecules change from gas to liquid. We love a bit on our wine glass…
5. What is Newton’s second law of motion?
Here’s a toughie! Let’s see if you can recall this: it’s the relationship between force, mass and equation, AKA f = ma. (Can you remember now?) Acceleration is produced when a force acts on a mass. The heavier the object, the more force you’ll need to exert in order to move the object.
English facts
1. What is alliteration?
It’s the occurrence of the same letter or sound at the beginning of a group of words. An example? The well-known tongue-twister of ‘She sells seashells by the seashore’! Ahh, how we miss the beach…
2. What are conjunctions?
These are words that join two or more words or phrases together. Coordinating conjunctions join words, phrases and clauses that are the same. ‘Milk and cookies‘ is an example that uses coordinating conjunction. Subordinating conjunctions join two separate phrases into one. ‘I will eat the broccoli after I eat the cookie‘ includes subordinating conjunction.
3. What’s the difference between a metaphor and simile?
A simile compares two things using the word ‘like’ or ‘as’, while a metaphor simply states the comparison. ‘Homeschooling is like a bed of roses’ = simile. ‘Homeschooling is a bed of roses’= metaphor.
4. What’s onomatopoeia?
Onomatopoeia is when a word is created from the sound it’s referring to. Think ‘splash’, ‘bam’ or ‘moo’.
5. What’s a haiku?
It’s a type of Japanese poem with seventeen syllables, in three lines of five, seven, and five.
History facts
1. What caused WWI?
Beyond tensions between the colonial powers, the immediate cause of WWI is widely agreed to be the assassination of Franz Ferdinand, the Archduke of Austria-Hungary. The empire was, unsurprisingly, angered by this and declared war on Serbia, the assassin’s homeland. Germany then declared war on Serbia’s ally, Russia.
2. What was the Cold War?
Hint: it’s not the kind that happens after an argument about who forgot to take out the trash! This was the geopolitical tension between the United States and the Soviet Union after WWII. It’s termed the Cold War because the rivalry mainly played out on political and economic fronts, rather than fights on the battlefield.
3. When did the Berlin Wall fall?
After the Cold War thawed, the infamous wall separating East and West Berlin fell in November 1991.
4. Which four Chinese inventions changed the world?
China is often cited as one of the countries that has invented plenty of things that we use today. Out of its many innovations, there are four inventions that are highly regarded due to its impact worldwide. The “Four Great Inventions” are the compass, gunpowder (and fireworks), papermaking, and printing.
5. What’s the smallest country in the world?
Yes, there is a country even smaller than our tiny red dot! The Vatican City, an independent state located in Italy, is only 0.49 square kilometres.
What other facts have you recalled while homeschooling your children? Share them with us on Facebook or Instagram!