How are you liking Elemental Science?

[Lovedtodeath]

Is anyone using/ has anyone used Earth Science or Chemistry yet?

[Verity]

Is anyone using/ has anyone used Earth Science or Chemistry yet?

 

I bought the ebook of Elemental Science for Biology. To be honest I'm disappointed and frustrated. For me it is definitely not an open and go curriculum which is what I was hoping for. There are teacher pages and student pages that I find hard to match up. I would love to find something set up more like WWE with a set progression and even the scripting. When I'm juggling multiple hyperactive kids it helps to keep me on track.

 

At this point we are in week 4 of school and haven't really done any science because I find it too overwhelming to figure out. :(

[Pamela H in Texas]

We're doing Biology. It is more WTM than open and go, for sure. I do think it'd be nice to have it set up like the AG for SOTW or WWE where everything is in one location, the week/day is on each thing, etc. In fact, our break ends in 10 minutes and I forgot I needed to print something else so I better go do that.

[Mom-ninja.]

Really? Ah, man. I had planned on buying this. It's not easy to follow?

[Pata]

Hey guys, I'm just wondering what you are having a hard time following? The page numbers for the student workbook are in the teacher's guide. Is it because it's an eBook and you have to remember to print? I have print versions available at Lulu and I'm currently working on making the print version more accessible. Also, when you say you want it to be scripted, do you want to know the questions to ask each day or more than that?

 

Just trying to get a handle on what will make the program more user friendly ;).

[annabanana1992]

I am using the Earth Science/Astronomy, and I am finding that it works quite well. I changed the Usborne Spine to the next level up b/c my kids are older. It was an easy change. We do it 4 days a week. Narration 2 days, links, etc, one day and experiments on the other day. I also make sure I have a boat load of library books on the topic for my kids to read. The experiments are great - easy to implement and easy to understand.

 

I find it is enough structure to keep me motivated and moving along. I am a math/science type, but I don't do a lot of science with my kids (I am more about reading, writing, and math for now) in the grammar stage.

 

Anyway... FWIW that is where we are!

[Kristiana]

We are just finishing up the Earth Science/Astronomy and then will move on to chemistry. I love that there is a sheet already labelled for each narration/picture and for every experiment. We've actually filled out most of them because they're right there waiting for us. Plus my boys really liked being able to color a picture rather than draw something for their narration page.

 

One thing that I did, that I didn't like, was to print out the entire teacher section and have it bound at Office Max. Then it was kind of a pain to deal with both the teacher and the student (x2) portions in different places. For chemistry (this is one of my weekend projects this week) I'm just going to 3-hole punch everything and put the lesson plan sheet with the relevant narration/experiment pages behind it all in order so it's more open and go. Now I'm beginning to wish I could cut up the experiment books and just add those pages in as well. We were really good at misplacing those Janice Van Cleave books last year! :tongue_smilie:

 

Paige, if you're taking suggestions: ;)

 

I'd love to have some blank experiment pages included for those days when we substitute a different experiment for lack of supplies or whatever reason and don't want to use a page with the wrong title.

 

I'd also love a list of living books to go with each chapter. We did great coming up with library books on our own, so I suppose I could go back and compile a list of what we used, but it would be a nice supplement to have ahead of time.

 

We've liked Elemental Science so far, my boys especially loved making papier-mache' world globes and the box planetariums.

[LunaLee]

We are using the Chemistry this year, and to be honest, it's the first time Science is getting done with some regularity since we've homeschooled. It's definately WTM-more like a guide than an actual book/workbook. I feel Paige has done a very good job of taking what WTM says and doing all the hard work for us: scheduling,vocab pages, summary pages and experiement pages. It's all there.

 

I had actually bought NOEO and received it, was very dissappointed in it for the money I paid (I got the guide only), promptly sold it and bought Elemental Science instead. It's just enough structure so that things get done, but not so much so that you can change/add things to your liking.

 

Some things I've done with it:

 

1)Printed it up, made a cover,took it to Office Max and had the teacher pages spiral bound into one book and the student pages bound into another. I added extra blank experiment pages to the back along with extra sheets of blank paper for when I have ds draw pictures and diagrams.

 

2) I'm substituing some experiments from the books with science kits I already have.

 

3) Made up an internet summary sheet (Paige, you are welcome to it if you'd like to see it) for use when ds visits the internet links.

 

4) I am consulting with another book I have on hand for additional library reading.

 

5) We'll also be making a lapbook to go along with it.

 

So in short, or not, I love it. It was exactly what I was looking for and the price was right.

[Pata]

Kristiana,

 

I'm always taking suggestions! In fact the new edition of biology does have blank experiment and narration pages in it. I'll plan on adding them to the other programs as well. I'll go ahead and put blank template up at the yahoo group for the meantime though.

 

As for the library books, I hadn't put together a list because every library is so different and books go out of print and so on and so forth, but it seems to be a common request! So I will try to pull something together for that. Right now there is a list for biology and earth science/astrononmy that another mom put together available at the yahoo group.

 

Luna,

 

I'm hoping to have really nice print books with great covers available direct from Elemental Science for next year, but we shall see! I'd love to see your internet list and put it up on the yahoo group for others to use, thanks for offering!

[lmrich]

We have just started. But it is exactly what I have been looking for. We read the Usborne pages listed in the Teacher's guide and then I used the book list from the yahoo group to read sections of two other library books, and then I used the yahoo group's list of Discovery videos to watch a video.

 

We did an extra acitivity that I just thought of as we were reading - we used a magnetic marble to represent the core of the earth and then used clay to add the additional layers, making sure the crust was very thin, and then we blew on it to add the atmosphere.

 

I can see how this would be hard if you were teaching several different levels with grammar stage kids; my older kids are both doing Apologia at a co-op, so I can spend an hour or more with my youngest on her science twice a week.

 

I also printed the entire thing out and had it hole punched at Staples.

[Pamela H in Texas]

kleine,

 

I'm not having any trouble with it at all and 6yo is enjoying. It tells you exactly what to read and work out for each day.

 

The thing I'd change is having the teacher and student pages in the same book and then a tiny line at the top or bottom of the page saying "week 1 day 3" or whatever like WWE says. Or the book could have the student page(s) of the week right after the lesson plan for the week.

 

The sample on the website gives you almost all of the beginning of the book plus a couple full weeks worth of examples of both the lesson plans and other sheets. Basically, it's what I wanted, just the basics to outline what to do each day in order to do it similarly to the WTM so I didn't have to pick and choose exactly what and how much on a daily basis from the spines, choose experiments for each week, etc.

 

But it might not be for everyone. But look at the sample to determine if it is for you :)

[Pata]

Pamela, thanks for the clarifications, I appreciate it as feedback is always a good thing! It does seem easier to put the week, day thing on the student pages. I'll note that for the next go through ;).

[Amy in CO]

I bought the biology book a couple of weeks ago. I printed out the books and put them in a 3-ring binder. To organize it and make it easier for me to find what I need, I put dividers in for:

-student notebook (this is just the first few pages with the ongoing projects),

-narrations sheets- these are all in order and I just pull out a new one as my son finishes one he puts them in his science notebook

-experiment sheets- again these are all in order and I just pull out the next one as needed, my son keeps the finished ones in his notebook

-pictures- he cuts out the one he needs and leaves the rest in my notebook, otherwise they would be all over

-teacher's book- I have a post-it flag on the lesson sheet we are on, and another flag on the memory poem for the unit we are on

 

I put the vocab cards from the yahoo group in the front pocket of the binder. As we need them, I pull out a sheet, my son cuts them out. And in front of the dividers, I have the Supplemental Books list from the yahoo group.

 

This has been working great for us. Everything is already printed and in one place, so it is easy to find. As much as we love science, this is the first time I have been able to be consistent with doing science. And, my son loves it and begs to do "just one more lesson", which makes it a winner for our family.