Secular Biology Recommendations for a 5th grader???

[TulaneMama]

I was thinking of just starting with a study of the human body. we have some excellent reference materials but beyond reading them I am at a loss.

 

has anyone used Everybody Has a Body

[Kate in Arabia]

Last year with my 5th grader I used Mr Q's Elementary Life Science. The reading level was a bit easy for my 5th grader, I supplemented with extra books and readings/projects. However, the style was really engaging and there was quite a bit of science vocab he had not encountered before.

 

http://www.eequalsmcq.com/classicsciinfo.htm

[tdeveson]

This year we're doing Real Science-4-Kids Biology I. (Mine is a fifth grader also.) This gives kids a great overview from the very small (DNA) to the very large (ecosystems). You can do it in ten weeks if you want, although a lot of people drag it on all year.

 

I went through the same doubts -- what do I cover? I thought also of just starting with the human body, but in the end I decided that it's not really biology. That's physiology, and it wouldn't give ds the background in cells needed to really understand biology. In another couple of years we'll be doing middle school biology and I don't want it to catch him unprepared.

 

You're welcome to check out the curriculum I'm using this coming year. A link is under my signature. You can see how we've parsed it out into 36 weeks with the addition of some other books.

 

Hope this helps.

[Ruth in NC]

My 6th grader and I did the Thames and Kosmos Genetics and DNA kit last year and really enjoyed it.

 

Janice Van Cleave has a The Human Body for Every Kid book with activities.

 

I have but have not used The Way We Work by David Macaulay.

 

Have fun. Ruth

[Colleen in NS]

I was thinking of just starting with a study of the human body. we have some excellent reference materials but beyond reading them I am at a loss.

 

has anyone used Everybody Has a Body

 

I noticed you've been asking questions elsewhere about the new WTM, so I'll answer based on those questions.

 

I think the idea for middle grade science is to do more experiments and talk with your child about the scientific method (see your WTM logic stage experiment questions), helping him to learn to use it to study science.

 

You can then read from a "spine" about the topic of the experiment, and then read further in science encyclopedias or library books. You can use the lib. book reading to do a weekly outline (writing practice, and practice in seeing how different authors word things in science publications, provoking further discussion). You can have him write a simple grammar-stage style narration later in the week on his desired topic (until he learns to rewrite from an outline in a later grade). You can have him sketch something from one of the science books, and memorize lists/parts (see WTM). You can put any significant dates (scientist birth/death dates, scientific accomplishments) on a history timeline, showing your child how science study merges with history study.

 

For biology for 5th last year, we used the Reader's Digest books that were rec'd in the old WTM, but we had to hunt for them to buy them used. They have experiments in them. But you can use any experiment format, whether it's another human body experiment book that you find and like, or by buying science kits, it doesn't really matter as long as you somehow incorporate experiments, talk about them, read, discuss, and write.

[TulaneMama]

This year we're doing Real Science-4-Kids Biology I. (Mine is a fifth grader also.) This gives kids a great overview from the very small (DNA) to the very large (ecosystems). You can do it in ten weeks if you want, although a lot of people drag it on all year.

 

I went through the same doubts -- what do I cover? I thought also of just starting with the human body, but in the end I decided that it's not really biology. That's physiology, and it wouldn't give ds the background in cells needed to really understand biology. In another couple of years we'll be doing middle school biology and I don't want it to catch him unprepared.

 

You're welcome to check out the curriculum I'm using this coming year. A link is under my signature. You can see how we've parsed it out into 36 weeks with the addition of some other books.

 

Hope this helps.

 

some great points. thank you!

[TulaneMama]

I noticed you've been asking questions elsewhere about the new WTM, so I'll answer based on those questions.

 

I think the idea for middle grade science is to do more experiments and talk with your child about the scientific method (see your WTM logic stage experiment questions), helping him to learn to use it to study science.

 

You can then read from a "spine" about the topic of the experiment, and then read further in science encyclopedias or library books. You can use the lib. book reading to do a weekly outline (writing practice, and practice in seeing how different authors word things in science publications, provoking further discussion). You can have him write a simple grammar-stage style narration later in the week on his desired topic (until he learns to rewrite from an outline in a later grade). You can have him sketch something from one of the science books, and memorize lists/parts (see WTM). You can put any significant dates (scientist birth/death dates, scientific accomplishments) on a history timeline, showing your child how science study merges with history study.

 

For biology for 5th last year, we used the Reader's Digest books that were rec'd in the old WTM, but we had to hunt for them to buy them used. They have experiments in them. But you can use any experiment format, whether it's another human body experiment book that you find and like, or by buying science kits, it doesn't really matter as long as you somehow incorporate experiments, talk about them, read, discuss, and write.

 

thank you colleen!

[Truscifi]

This is looking way ahead for me - my ds is doing 2nd grade right now - but are you doing biology as a whole or just the human body? I always thought of the human body focus as something to do later, after the child has gotten the whole concept of the biosphere with everything interconnected and working together, all the way down to individual cells in individual organisms.

 

Just my 2 cents. :D

[Hsmomto4]

We are using Creepy Crawly and the Scientific Method, How Nature Works and How the Body Works for Biology this year. I think these are out of print, but you can still find them on Amazon. Great books for experiments and totally secular which is my problem with them, I spend a lot of time crossing out evolution and dates that don't match what we believe, but if you are looking for secular these are great!

[buddhabelly]

There are actually two that I would recommend for fifth grade. She has "Biology for Every Kid: 101 Experiments that Actually Work." (don't you love that title?) She also has "The Human Body for Every Kid." We used the latter in second or third grade, but much of it was too difficult. It would be perfect for fifth grade. It is in nice small pieces, so if you only have 30 minutes you can still get science done!

 

I think "Real Science for Kids" Biology Level One would be a bit too simple, but if you can borrow the student text from a friend I would highly recommend reading through it as part of your study.

 

Happy studying. We are doing chemistry this year, just because I want to do McHenry's "Elements: Ingredients of the Universe" and "Carbon Chemistry." Who cares what my son wants to do..... :lol: Guess I'd better order them, eh?

 

Julie

[TulaneMama]

This is looking way ahead for me - my ds is doing 2nd grade right now - but are you doing biology as a whole or just the human body? I always thought of the human body focus as something to do later, after the child has gotten the whole concept of the biosphere with everything interconnected and working together, all the way down to individual cells in individual organisms.

 

Just my 2 cents. :D

 

no as a part of biology as recommended in the last edition of TWTM.

[TulaneMama]

There are actually two that I would recommend for fifth grade. She has "Biology for Every Kid: 101 Experiments that Actually Work." (don't you love that title?) She also has "The Human Body for Every Kid." We used the latter in second or third grade, but much of it was too difficult. It would be perfect for fifth grade. It is in nice small pieces, so if you only have 30 minutes you can still get science done!

 

I think "Real Science for Kids" Biology Level One would be a bit too simple, but if you can borrow the student text from a friend I would highly recommend reading through it as part of your study.

 

Happy studying. We are doing chemistry this year, just because I want to do McHenry's "Elements: Ingredients of the Universe" and "Carbon Chemistry." Who cares what my son wants to do..... :lol: Guess I'd better order them, eh?

 

Julie

 

julie you actually bring up a good pt - as far as "who cares what my son wants to do"! :D I was going to do Bio based on TWTM, but after looking through materials and what is suggested I am thinking that maybe we might be better of working on something else. I think that DS knows quite a bit about general biology. I am thinking of refining science and working much more in depth on certain aspects of it.