We had fun with Real Science Odyssey Chemistry when my two dds were 2nd and 4th grades. It has simple experiments and demonstrations (like making atoms out of three colors of marshmallows) and easy worksheets.

My dd 10 just rejected The Jungle Book, after reading through the Just So Stories with no complaints. It must really be boring :leaving: Animal adventure stories she has really enjoyed include Wind in the Willows and Redwall.

I am using Bookshark 5 Eastern Hemispheres RWH with my 5th grader. She is a strong reader, so the books are mostly short, quick reads for her. She reads the read alouds herself. I find the schedule and suggested discussion questions useful, and I like the books. I do appreciate the inclusion of more recent books (like A Moment Comes) as well as classics like Around the World In Eighty Days. We are enjoying this year of World Geography so much that my dds have asked me to create a second year covering Europe and the Americas.

My 5th grader is using EE advanced physics this year. She liked building the racer, and enjoys the experiments. She races through it independently very quickly, as in less than 15 minutes for a full lesson with experiment. She has needed me to slow her down and review terminology for it to stick.

It sounds like WWS 2 could be a good choice for you, since your ds has done well with WWS 1. For a creative writing option, if you do want something completely different, you could look at Cover Story http://www.coverstorywriting.com/. It is a 7th grade creative writing curriculum from the One Year Adventure Novel folks. It has DVD lessons and a student workbook and journal. Your student writes content for their own magazine over the course of the year. We are two months in and my 7th grader is loving it. She tends to prefer just-get-done materials, so it is great to see her enjoying her work and getting in to it.

I used RSO Earth and Space last year for my then 4th grader. It was a bit light for her, but I think it would be perfect for 2nd grade. We also used RSO Chemistry when my dds were in 2nd and 4th, and it was their favorite year of science so far. I think Pandia Press has done a great job making their science really engaging. There was a little prep work staying on top of required items for the experiments, but otherwise it was very open and go.

Thank you for your recommendation. I really like the look of this, and that it comes with a full kit. We will try Exploration Education Standard Level. Your coop sounds awesome :thumbup1:

Good to know that it is written for the student. Thanks for giving a picture of how you have used this. It really helps to see how I could model using the curriculum to set it up for independent use. This is my back-up choice, I think, mostly because with our impending household move common household items aren't all that common around here. I can't wait to be settled again (which happens after our final move in November).

The Make : Electronics book and kit look very interesting. I think I'll put that on her Christmas list (which so far is populated by legos and a gazillon monster high dolls :-)). Thanks for posting it.

Thanks for recommending this. It is always very useful to hear how it worked for other families. It does look like it would work very well for us.

I have the original The Way Things Work. The videos look like a lot of fun, and right up dd's alley. Yes, my library has them too! Thanks for this. I can see her really enjoying these.

It looks like a really engaging curriculum. I am wondering if my dd would be able to use it on her own? It looks like it would be fabulous for a coop though. Thanks!

Horrible Science is a great idea. She enjoys Horrible Histories. I will look into getting these for supplemental reading. Did you mean the Intellego Unit study 3-5 Physical Science: Electricity? Looks like fun! Can it be used independently? Is there a kit? Big bonus points for a kit! Thank you!

She has Snap Circuits Jr - it is a fun kit! She loves to reverse the circuit so that the fan flies up into the air. Thanks for the suggestions. Christian Kids Explore Physics looks like it would be fun in a coop setting. I originally planned a coop physics class for my dd, but it was poorly organized, and she hated it :-(

Exploration education looks very interesting. I could totally see this getting done, and I really like that it comes with all the components. We are moving for the fourth time in nine months -sigh- and so putting together the supplies for experiments is quite a pain. Having the computer do the teaching would help. It will be her first computer-based course (apart from doing Reflex math facts last year), so it would be interesting to see how well she likes working with screens. Tops science: I actually have (in a box somewhere) the electricity and magnetism guides. We were going to do Sonlight Science E this summer, but found it unengaging. Even though it came with a kit, I still had to find lots of supplies. It seemed a bit parent intensive, but perhaps with the prep up front. Thanks!

Please help me figure out a great plan for physics for my 5th grader. She loves building (legos, blocks et c), and is interested in "circults and stuff", so she wants to do physics this year. Previously I have taught science to both girls combined and it has worked well. This year I am teaching my 7th grader separately, using So You Really Want to Learn Science as review and to teach study skills. We will also be reading living science books as read alouds, starting with A Really Short History of Nearly Everything. If you've got any good physics titles, please chime in. For my 5th grader, I am looking for physics resources that she can use largely independently. She is great at working independently, and finishes much faster than her sister, so typically has at least an hour 3 days a week she could spend on science BUT I am usually engaged with her sister during this time. Thanks!

I am using Reflex this year with my dds 9 and 12 to cement their math facts. It is working well, and I'm pleased with it. Our only disappointment was when we moved from learning addition and subtraction facts to learning multiplication and division, there were no new games. They really enjoyed unlocking new games when we started.

I looked up the plot. Everyone dies... might be a bit scary for me, let alone dd. Oh, dd is here and says she's plenty tough enough for PG 13.

Very cool! Thank you!

These links are great, thank you! We did look up Europa in fiction and found a novella to check out. I'll get Farmer in the Sky too, but I totally take your point about Heinlein. I remember being grossed out by Time Enough for Love in my teens :ack2:

Thanks!

We have 13 Planets from the library at the moment. I don't think you'd find anything new in it. It is from National Geographic Kids, and is 60 pages long. It has two page spreads for each planet and dwarf planet, with a gorgeous big photograph on one page, and one page of text.So there is only one or two paragraphs of information on each planet.

Thank you, Catherine. Those links look very interesting, especially the i09 blog. We will go through them together. That is a great idea, urpedonmommy. We have just moved to a new town, so we've never been to the planetarium or the college here. I'll see what we can find out about making some contacts there.

My dd 6th grade has expressed an interest in a science topic for the first time, and I need help to facilitate her pursuing it. Dd usually has a get-it-done approach to school work. She is a little interested in reading fantasy fiction and in writing, and loves to dance to the radio. Math is generally suffered through, and science is "boring - let's not do the experiment but just get it over." This past week she has suddenly developed her first ever interest in a science topic. She is interested in the moons Titan and Europa, and the possibility of them being suitable for life developing. So how do I help her pursue this topic? I have: - borrowed the two books from our local library branch that mentioned Jupiter, Saturn and their moons, both books not really middle school level - looked them up on wikipedia with her What should I be doing? Just getting out of the way isn't enough help; I need to teach her to pursue her interest, but am not sure where to start. All suggestions gratefully received!

Dd 12 is interested in pre-Raphaelite paintings and similar art with fantasy elements I'm looking for a drawing or painting curriculum for her which would build on this interest. Anyone know of anything? She is currently not doing the Artistic Pursuits 6th grade drawing curriculum I hoped she would like...but she doesn't. Thanks!