What's your 4th Grader doing for Science?

[strawberryjam]

My science plan for next year is out of control. I just can't keep up with him. I know he has a few gaps in his knowledge though and I like to be thorough. I think I'm underestimating what he is capable of.  I'm so perfectionistic that I want to do things in order even though he'd probably rather want to study quantum mechanics or something. I don't think he'll complain about any of this though... even if it's something he already knows, he just can't get enough science (and his sister in Grade 1 is just like him!)

 

So our current plan is:

 

Term 1: Biology - with his Grade 1 sister (RSO, Biology by Tiner, Basher series, Science in a Nutshell kits, DK & Kingfisher Encyclopedias)

Term 2: Earth and Space Science (RSO, Planet Earth and Astronomy by Tiner, Basher series, Science in a Nutshell kits)

Term 3: Chemistry (RSO, Chemistry by Tiner, Basher series, Science in a Nutshell kits)

Summer School: Physics (RSO, Physics by Tiner, Basher series, Science in a Nutshell kits)

 

Read Aloud: Burgess books (animals, birds, seashore), Story-Book of Science by Fabre.

Do History of Science Unit by Beautiful Feet Books

History of Medicine by Tiner

 

This is a result as me largely ignoring science this past year cause I wasn't even sure of where to start. The only formal science we've done so far is Apologia Astronomy in Grade 1 and most of Apologia Botany in Grade 2 (both of which he LOVED... his main love is Astronomy). We didn't do any formal science in Grade 3 at all, just documentaries and read alouds. 

 

I would eventually like to line up to the WTM science schedule so the plan for Grade 5 is to do mainly biology (RSO Biology level 2 is what I'm considering currently) and then move on to CPO Science (I think? Unless some other better option becomes available by then!) for end of Grade 5 and moving into Grade 6 (we do school year round). 

 

...And we might be adding a new baby to the mix next year. Yup I'm crazy. I think I will end up outsourcing a lot of science to him just reading independently. 

 

 

 

[Dmmetler]

Honestly, I'd say pull out all the materials, and let him have his head (and same with 1st grade sister). Seriously, I never found a curriculum that worked for my AL sciencey kid until she started working with mentors and auditing college classes in her interest area-at which point, she started filling in gaps in the other areas so she understood what was going on. Everything was too trivial, too easy, too tedious, or was fun until she finished the book, which took an average of about 3 days. Science kits were a miss. Again, too trivial, too tedious, or fun but lasted about 15 minutes.

 

Go to as many lectures as you can and meet people. Find your local astronomical society and go star watching with them. Look at Coursera and EdX. There are several science Great Courses on Netflix. Start there, and then see what your library has. And basically, get out of the way.

 

I'm keeping an eye on the syllabi for things like SAT subject tests, CLEP, and AP so when DD is ready to check that box, we can do so (and, at that point, mark that specific high school science class done on her transcript), but for now, the goal is to keep her learning and keep her exploring.

[Jackie]

Have you ver used the Science in a Nutshell kits? I have a science-y 5yo who loves them; they're never over her head and sometimes a bit too basic/simple for her. I mention it because I would guess that if my 5yo is starting to outgrow them, a science-oriented 4th grader may find them to be a complete waste of time and money.

 

Honestly, my instinct would be to skip the curriculum, heavily use the nonfiction section of the library and online resources, and put your science money toward good quality science lab supplies for him to use as he wishes.

[displace]

I want to mention RSO is good for basics but may not be much except an outline for an AL 4th grader. Idk. I'm doing Chem with my DS 6.5 and the concepts are easy, info is light and if I were more consistent we'd probably be done in a month or two. I do like the course and the concepts it covers but when we do bio next year it will probably be bio 2, not 1. I don't mind as it's just an intro. I also don't know your other resources so you may have a lot of in depth stuff I'm just not familiar with.

[Crimson Wife]

My rising 4th grader has been focusing on computer programming the last 6 months or so using MOOC's from Coursera, EdX, etc. and books. I told him when the fall rolls around he's going to need to do biology because he hasn't done that since Mr. Q Life Science in 1st grade.

 

My plan is to focus on anatomy & physiology because that's what his big sister will be doing and it's easier to keep them studying the same topics even if they use different materials.

 

I bought The Way We Work by David Macaulay and I also have Prentice Hall Science Explorer Focus on Life Science. I'll probably throw in some books on puberty and the facts of life since he will be 10 in November but that discussion is going to be delegated to DH.

[waa510]

I would go for a bit more depth and use some more unique resources like RFP Ferret Ecology. I'd look into doing some Anatomy and Physiology, Astrology, Environmental Science, Marine Bio, etc. I plan on using the middle grades for a lot of deeper interest led science study when the grades don't count as much as high school. My dd is leaning heavily towards a marine biology career so I want to feed that science passion. I want to use this time to expose her to as many scientific branches as possible so that she'll be better informed in high school as to what she'd like to focus on in college. 

 

Anyway! I agree that it sounds as though RSO will be too simplistic for your kiddo. I know you want no gaps, but I'd be careful not to trod along and leave him bored.

 

My oldest has been the most fulfilled through a combination of cheap textbooks from Amazon that we add a ton of resources to to keep it fun and deep, binge-reading on a topic of interest in the non-fic section of the library for hours, keeping her own notebook to fill with journal articles, internet print-outs, copy-work of favorite sections from books, notes from documentaries. She's always been huge into science because it was one of the few topics that I could provide appropriate books on when she was a 4 yr old fluent reader. I've had to really mix it up and switch topics and formats to try to keep up with her interests. 

 

To answer your question, we use Holt Science and Tech when we feel like it and detour if we hit a topic she gets jazzed about, or if her outside reading sparks a science interest we break for a unit study in that topic. I have to create a lot of what we do. Thankfully, I enjoy science. ;)

[SanDiegoMom]

We are doing a biology, microbiology, and ecology mashup.  We are using Cells from Ellen Mchenry, Ferret Ecology, and I'm supplementing with the Way Life Works, many other books and Documentaries, and some labs taken from the Illustrated Guide to Home Biology experiments and a few from the Biology Corner Website.  If you are set on Chemistry we loved Mchenry's The Elements and can't wait to visit Carbon Chemistry. We used RSO Chemistry last year as well and I prefer Mchenry hands down (unless you are looking at RSO level two -- level one was too simplistic and we really condensed it drastically. I've never seen level 2).

 

Good luck! 

[Mike in SA]

I agree with the notion of letting him use his head as he wishes. I'd there's any time to do it, it's now.

 

Our rising third grader is wrapping up the Holt S&T series, Conceptual Physics, and Conceptual Chemistry this year. It sounds insane, but his goal is to do astrophysics and astrobiology in fourth. He'll do it, too.

 

After that, we'll go wherever he wants. Time enough for anything...

[GThomas]

My son used Elemental Science Biology for the Logic Stage last year when he was in 4th Grade. 

 

This is geared for the 5-8th grade level. It took me a while to figure out how to use the program. The flipping back and forth between the student guide and the teacher guide drives me nuts. But once we figured out how we wanted to use it and found our rhythm, we liked it. We supplemented with videos on YouTube, Khan Academy, DK Eyewitness, etc. We made up a few of our own crafts (like making a heart and it's chambers out of clay, then shooting a video describing how blood flows through the heart).

 

Next year we are planning on doing Elemental Science Earth Science & Astronomy for the Logic Stage. 

[Runningmom80]

I think we are doing ecology & biology in a project-based fashion.  sort of unschooling it if you will. I've yet to find a curriculum that I feel is even worth a shot.

[ikuradesuka]

There are so many interesting things to discover and learn, but my kids have been bored and frustrated with anything I've found yet.  It takes significant work on my part to beef things up enough to hold their interest.  I finally decided that middle school science is for filling all those gaps, so we are going to just do that.  Even if we are bored, even if it nearly kills us.  I'm using Apologia's general, and then physical, science texts for my 10, 8, and 6 year olds.   We have already started it, and it is going well.  It has still been work for me because I don't feel their conversational tone meets our whole to parts needs very well.  I've been reading ahead and reorganizing the material.  

 

The year after, we can start on the typical high school science track: biology, chemistry, physics, etc.  I imagine we will work through those fairly quickly as well (two books a year? three?), and then on from there in whatever discipline strikes their fancy.  We can keep learning interesting things on the side, but I think we would all just like to know we've done something.  

 

Personally, finding yet another curriculum that I can make interesting but doesn't give them the tools they need to engage with the material at a higher level seems like a waste of time.