Guest runnermae Posted October 22, 2014 Share Posted October 22, 2014 Hi all...I'm new here and changing our curricula two months into our first year of homeschooling. I was using K12 as an independent user (not through public or charter). I realized that it was uninspiring for us. Math didn't work at all for my DD (7 years old, first grade by age but we are working above grade level in nearly all areas) so I switched to Singapore - great. History is EXACTLY the same as Story of The World, right down to the stories about Tarak. Wow! So that has been canceled and we'll stick with SOTW. I'm also ditching science, keeping only Language Arts/2nd Grade Level through K12. So my question is...what would you suggest for science? I could follow the WTM book suggestion of reading about animals but I'm afraid my DD has already devoured most books/encyclopedias about animals - that's her favorite topic. Since I am new to homeschooling and still a bit nervous to stray from the 'boxed' style, I would appreciate your gentle suggestions! I also have a 4 year old and 1 year old at home, with not a ton of time to prepare in advance (i.e., anything that is experiment-heavy might be tough for us this year). Thanks in advance! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
desertflower Posted October 22, 2014 Share Posted October 22, 2014 I like real science odyssey's life science. I'm doing it with my almost 6 y.o. and 4 y.o. there's little preparation, but I don't know any science curriculum that doesn't involve some sort of preparation unless you just read books. So far I've been able to get my materials from Walmart. I think there's about 3 items it said to order ahead of time, it'll tell you in the beginning. Oh I almost forgot! Welcome! :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Farrar Posted October 22, 2014 Share Posted October 22, 2014 There's no way your dd has read all the great books about animals out there for this age. I'm sure it feels that way, but there are so many that it's a bit mind boggling. You'd have to read thousands. So unless you've exhausted your library's section and really can't afford any, then I do think that's an option. Along with documentaries. Seven is young for the Attenborough Life of... series, but if she's into animals then you could dive in anyway. There are zoology programs. Sassafras science has one, though we found it very disappointing. If you're interested in non-secular programs, there are several Christian ones out there about zoology. But really, just having a science reading time each week and a science documentary time is plenty for this age. If she'd like to do more hands on stuff, you could do nature studies. The Nature Connection is a good guide. I adapted stuff from The Amateur Zoologist for my kids. That's a great guide. Or you could just make a list of some very simple labs and field trips and make a goal of doing a dozen for the year - dissecting owl pellets, participating in the Great Backyard Bird Count in the late winter, observing stream life, hatching butterflies in the spring, a trip to the zoo or aquarium, etc. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nannyaunt Posted October 22, 2014 Share Posted October 22, 2014 if you live near a large city with the zoo they often times have elementary school program some are for homeschoolers Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FriedClams Posted October 22, 2014 Share Posted October 22, 2014 There's no way your dd has read all the great books about animals out there for this age. I'm sure it feels that way, but there are so many that it's a bit mind boggling. You'd have to read thousands. So unless you've exhausted your library's section and really can't afford any, then I do think that's an option. Along with documentaries. Seven is young for the Attenborough Life of... series, but if she's into animals then you could dive in anyway. There are zoology programs. Sassafras science has one, though we found it very disappointing. If you're interested in non-secular programs, there are several Christian ones out there about zoology. But really, just having a science reading time each week and a science documentary time is plenty for this age. If she'd like to do more hands on stuff, you could do nature studies. The Nature Connection is a good guide. I adapted stuff from The Amateur Zoologist for my kids. That's a great guide. Or you could just make a list of some very simple labs and field trips and make a goal of doing a dozen for the year - dissecting owl pellets, participating in the Great Backyard Bird Count in the late winter, observing stream life, hatching butterflies in the spring, a trip to the zoo or aquarium, etc. Agree 100%. Lots of books. LOTS. "One small square" books are great at that age. Magic Schoolbus videos. Nature programs nearby. National parks. Zoos. Aquariums. Local college programs. Make it fun. There's plenty of time for curriculum later. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
desertflower Posted October 22, 2014 Share Posted October 22, 2014 Oh I'm sorry about suggesting life science. You want something for animals! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mamaraby Posted October 22, 2014 Share Posted October 22, 2014 There's no way your dd has read all the great books about animals out there for this age. I'm sure it feels that way, but there are so many that it's a bit mind boggling. You'd have to read thousands. So unless you've exhausted your library's section and really can't afford any, then I do think that's an option. Along with documentaries. Seven is young for the Attenborough Life of... series, but if she's into animals then you could dive in anyway. My 6yo is a bit animal obsessed and just adores Attenborough's "Life of..." Series. We watched Life of Birds this summer in conjunction with a lapbook and some other videos/books. We're working our way through Life of Mammals right now while organizing our study with the Nat Geo Animal Atlas/DK First Animal Encyclopedia to study animals through the lense of biomes/habitats. We're also watching a few Bill Nye, some Magic School Bus, and the BBC's series called "Human Planet." All of this is after using RSO's Life Science curriculum last year along with the Intellego K-2 Evolution unit. Basically, we've covered life science two years in a row and it still feels like I haven't quite covered it all. :0) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alisoncooks Posted October 22, 2014 Share Posted October 22, 2014 Don't know how you feel about Apologia, but would the Zoology series interest your kiddo? Buy a supplies kit, maybe the Jr. Notebook? Little-to-no planning for mom. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rebbyribs Posted October 22, 2014 Share Posted October 22, 2014 Some books about animals that we loved: The Thirteen Moons series by Jean Craighead George The Scientists in the Field series (http://www.sciencemeetsadventure.com/books/) Anything by Steve Jenkins If prehistoric animals are of special interest, may I suggest: Prehistoric Park (movies) Encyclopedia Prehistorica (pop-up books) We used RSO Life as our main science curriculum. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MrsWeasley Posted October 22, 2014 Share Posted October 22, 2014 For first grade when we focused on Zoology, we got a membership to the zoo and the aquarium and went once a week. I asked my daughter to write one fact in a science journal each time we went. Seriously, science at this age is about exposure and enjoyment. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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