estelleblue Posted April 29, 2015 Share Posted April 29, 2015 Please help me! I have never had a science that works for us. My kids will be in 5th and 3rd grade next year, so I feel we need to get serious about science, especially for my 5th grader. I have tried Apologia, Elemental, MFW, Interest-led. None of these were working for us. This year, after a family crisis, I have realized the best curriculum for us are CLE, TT, Sonlight, and stuff that doesn't directly require a lot of planning or necessarily involvement from me. I CAN be involved and want to be and am usually, but sometimes that may be impossible, so I need the kids to be able to carry on regardless. Because of our lack of consistency in science, I want a textbook or workbook type curriculum with an overview of lots of different areas of science, so my kids can at least have a general broad understanding, even if it is not deep. I figure we'll get deep in high school. :001_huh: I am open to young earth and literal 7-day creation. I am not opposed to resources that include evolution either. I am ok with a Biblical slant, but I don't want it to be so about God that there aren't solid explanations of WHY things happen (not just because they are designed that way, amen (that being said, I believe in God's design)). Oh yeah, and the more affordable the better. Suggestions please? 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mmasc Posted April 29, 2015 Share Posted April 29, 2015 Science in the Beginning might be a good fit. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cintinative Posted April 29, 2015 Share Posted April 29, 2015 Maybe the God's Design for Life series by Answers in Genesis? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Slache Posted April 29, 2015 Share Posted April 29, 2015 Building Foundations of Scientific Understanding would cover all areas, but you would need to be involved. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tomandlorih Posted April 29, 2015 Share Posted April 29, 2015 If it's workbook you are looking for, I love Evan-Moor Daily Science. I use it as a supplement but it is really good and very independent. I also use Studies Weekly but since it follows standards (and is for public school), it tries to cover all the standards each year and since the same standards are repeated for two years (you know, like 2-3 and 4-5) the second year is a tad repetitive and not really worth it in my opinion). However, initially it's fun and new. It's also easy, cheap and independent. We also read a lot. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
strawberryjam Posted April 30, 2015 Share Posted April 30, 2015 I love R.E.A.L. Science Odyssey but it doesn't include lots of different stuff in one book. It focuses on one area per year (ie. Biology). That said, you could always get three different ones and go through them consecutively over three years. I went through lots of different science resources, including some that you mention you've tried, and I think this is the best fit (my science unicorn!) I've found for us for elementary. The experiments are easy to prepare for and not silly - they actually teach! The rest is just some reading and worksheets. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mamaraby Posted April 30, 2015 Share Posted April 30, 2015 I love R.E.A.L. Science Odyssey but it doesn't include lots of different stuff in one book. It focuses on one area per year (ie. Biology). That said, you could always get three different ones and go through them consecutively over three years. I went through lots of different science resources, including some that you mention you've tried, and I think this is the best fit (my science unicorn!) I've found for us for elementary. The experiments are easy to prepare for and not silly - they actually teach! The rest is just some reading and worksheets. Home Science Tools sells kits for them, too - http://www.hometrainingtools.com/other-curriculum-kits/c/210/ I like that it is open and go. I can track down additional reading or videos (and there are several listed a the front of the book) or I can just go with the readng within the curriculum itself. There's a supply list for the whole year, but they also break it up by week. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
estelleblue Posted May 3, 2015 Author Share Posted May 3, 2015 Thank you all! Now I have some research to do! :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mom28kds Posted May 3, 2015 Share Posted May 3, 2015 Please help me! I have never had a science that works for us. My kids will be in 5th and 3rd grade next year, so I feel we need to get serious about science, especially for my 5th grader. I have tried Apologia, Elemental, MFW, Interest-led. None of these were working for us. This year, after a family crisis, I have realized the best curriculum for us are CLE, TT, Sonlight, and stuff that doesn't directly require a lot of planning or necessarily involvement from me. I CAN be involved and want to be and am usually, but sometimes that may be impossible, so I need the kids to be able to carry on regardless. Because of our lack of consistency in science, I want a textbook or workbook type curriculum with an overview of lots of different areas of science, so my kids can at least have a general broad understanding, even if it is not deep. I figure we'll get deep in high school. :001_huh: I am open to young earth and literal 7-day creation. I am not opposed to resources that include evolution either. I am ok with a Biblical slant, but I don't want it to be so about God that there aren't solid explanations of WHY things happen (not just because they are designed that way, amen (that being said, I believe in God's design)). Oh yeah, and the more affordable the better. Suggestions please? This is me exactly! Following :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
estelleblue Posted May 3, 2015 Author Share Posted May 3, 2015 This is me exactly! Following :) Sadly the above aren't going to work for me. However, the ones I am looking at are Galore Park Jr. Science, a random inexpensive Harcourt Science Textbook, or Abeka. Feedback on any of these would be greatly appreciated, and Mom28kds, I wanted to let you know what I am looking into. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mom28kds Posted May 3, 2015 Share Posted May 3, 2015 Thank you so much. I'll check out Galore Park :) 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Reader411 Posted May 5, 2015 Share Posted May 5, 2015 Someone here recently recommended Holt Science, I think in a get er done thread. http://www.hmhco.com/shop/education-curriculum/science/homeschool/sciencefusion-homeschool My DC used this curriculum in a private school and it was fairly thorough, covering many various science topics/areas. Very accessible for students. Well organized. You might be able to find it available used. hth! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PollyOR Posted May 5, 2015 Share Posted May 5, 2015 Rod & Staff. I can recommend the 3rd-6th grade books. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MamaSprout Posted May 5, 2015 Share Posted May 5, 2015 We liked Galore Park Jr. Science. Only took 1-2 days per week, and the activities were easy to throw together. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Goldilocks Posted May 5, 2015 Share Posted May 5, 2015 I was at a conference a few weeks ago and heard Dr. Jay Wile speak. He is the author of Science in the Beginning and some of the Apologia books for highschool. Although his new project is the science for elementary school, he said that the best way to do science at this age is informally. That comment really relieved me of a lot of pressure that I have been feeling. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Little Women Posted May 6, 2015 Share Posted May 6, 2015 We are really liking Science in the Beginning (last year) and its follow up Science in the Ancient World (I think that's the right name) this year. It is written by Jay Wile, who wrote the older kids' Apologia books--but not the elementary ones. He covers a lot of different topics and has a lot of very simple but interesting experiments. (Did you know that if you face away from the TV and bounce the remote control signal off a piece of paper, you can still turn on the TV from across the room? That was in one of his experiments!) The basic format is twice per week. You start with a simple but non-obvious experiment. Then you read the text, which is well done. Then they do a notebook page, simple for younger kids, more complex for older ones--the multi-grade assignments are well done for the varying age levels. We really, really like it. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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