Jump to content

Menu

Recommended Posts

  • Replies 262
  • Created
  • Last Reply

Top Posters In This Topic

Do other sciences have book like this that would be as good as this looks?

 

Lesley

 

I read this guy's blog from before he even wrote this book! I'm tickled to see it getting notice in the homeschool coommunity

Robert Bruce Thompson is a computer nuts and bolts guys who (1) saw that field drying up and (2) got discouraged that the public schools were not doing a good enough job at teaching science. So he wrote this to teach one how to put together a lab in their own home (after doing it himself)

 

I know he also is really into astronomy and would not be surprised to see a book geared toward THAT out there from home one day too.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I just finished my flowchart for BFSU. If anyone would like it, I posted it on my blog. Here's a link: MyBFSUflowchart

 

I will be following a different path but I downloaded your flowchart to use the connections that you added in the right column. This will save me from flipping through the book. Thanks for linking it :).

Edited by Guest
Link to comment
Share on other sites

...and coming back to BFSU :tongue_smilie:.

 

OK, after looking at this and doing quite a bit of flipping back and forth in the book and back to the flow chart ...and after spending some time on the Yahoo group, I have realized that there are only two options for me:

 

a) I continue the way we are going

b) I put the book on the shelf and it doesn't get used

 

(b) Is not an option because my son is enjoying BFSU and so am I. We are covering so many things together, having discussions and adding in some of our own activities. So (a) seems to be the only way for me to go with this.

 

Much as I respect Dr. Nebel (his program/ his book), I guess some of us just need to see where this is headed. The continuity. The progression that leads from the parts to the whole. I have to see relations between the topics. I just spent time checking out some of the plans of study on the Yahoo group and all I have determined is that each person is working on a plan that works for their own family, but the way the changes in topics are going in their plans just won't work for me. I am not seeing a pattern. OK, so I cannot let go of my mastery oriented way of thinking. I just can't :banghead:

 

Luckily, my son does not show any signs of boredom staying on one topic. He is making the connections with the previous lessons. The mastery approach just seems to work for him also. I also have no problem coming back and reteaching a topic if my son has forgotten something when it comes to tying things together in the future. It is the only way this will work for me. Coming to the second book, I may have to rethink my approach and come up with something else by then. We shall see. For now, I am just sticking to my original plan ;).

Edited by Guest
Link to comment
Share on other sites

I like Prentice Hall Science Explorer. It is designed for ps rather than hs, but works well at home. Just do a search on these boards for "science explorer" and you'll see lots of posts about it. It's geared for 6th-8th graders, but you can start it in 5th if you have a science-y kid.

 

I use this too, and being our first year out of public school my ds LOVES it! It's got a lot of "meat" to it, and isn't too dry :) I was a chem freak in high school, and rs4k really is a week program not a semester even! We tried that and did it in two weeks, with me inserting extra experiments. Thankfully we bought used!!!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

...and coming back to BFSU :tongue_smilie:.

 

OK, after looking at this and doing quite a bit of flipping back and forth in the book and back to the flow chart ...and after spending some time on the Yahoo group, I have realized that there are only two options for me:

 

a) I continue the way we are going

b) I put the book on the shelf and it doesn't get used

 

(b) Is not an option because my son is enjoying BFSU and so am I. We are covering so many things together, having discussions and adding in some of our own activities. So (a) seems to be the only way for me to go with this.

 

Much as I respect Dr. Nebel (his program/ his book), I guess some of us just need to see where this is headed. The continuity. The progression that leads from the parts to the whole. I have to see relations between the topics. I just spent time checking out some of the plans of study on the Yahoo group and all I have determined is that each person is working on a plan that works for their own family, but the way the changes in topics are going in their plans just won't work for me. I am not seeing a pattern. OK, so I cannot let go of my mastery oriented way of thinking. I just can't :banghead:

 

Luckily, my son does not show any signs of boredom staying on one topic. He is making the connections with the previous lessons. The mastery approach just seems to work for him also. I also have no problem coming back and reteaching a topic if my son has forgotten something when it comes to tying things together in the future. It is the only way this will work for me. Coming to the second book, I may have to rethink my approach and come up with something else by then. We shall see. For now, I am just sticking to my original plan ;).

 

So just so I understand....you're doing the lessons in order instead of mixing them up, basically how the WTM has life science in 1st, then earth science in 2nd, etc.? Are you going to finish the book in one year, but just do the lessons in order, or are you going to spread it out over a couple of years?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

So just so I understand....you're doing the lessons in order instead of mixing them up, basically how the WTM has life science in 1st, then earth science in 2nd, etc.? Are you going to finish the book in one year, but just do the lessons in order, or are you going to spread it out over a couple of years?

 

The WTM approach to science does not seem to agree with the BFSU approach :tongue_smilie: but I know what you are saying and yes, in a way I am but only where focusing on one area of science at a time is concerned. Going back and forth is just not going to work for me. I see people's BFSU plans starting with Thread A doing a couple of lessons then moving to B or C and then adding D along the way. I can see why they are doing this and how they are building this in and could work out a plan for myself but why bother! It's just not the way I choose to do science. It will take work but I am sure I will figure out how I wish to proceed where science is concerned after this year.

 

The goal is to use BFSU and finish during this year. We did start late and my goal was to finish by the end of October but I am ok if we go a little longer. We school year round taking breaks where needed and since we are with an online school and have obligations, I also need to work on meeting our requirements, especially since my son gets graded.

 

Coming back to BFSU, I will be moving over to Thread D after A but will be coming back to cover the connections, even if I have to reteach certain areas. B will probably be next since that should coincide with when we start Apologia Zoology 1. Then C last. For next year the plan is changing at this point. Still working on it though...

 

Hope that answers your questions.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Did anyone mention that there is a file on the BFSU support group page that has all the required resources for each lab? That thing is awesome! Someone has already done all the labor involved in this book. I just printed out the kindergarten spreadsheet, then the one Suji made (I like Suji's better) and the resources list.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

The lesson numbers in the second book continue from the first, I assumed that meant to start with the first! Anyway, I'm going to have the older 2 (8 & almost 7) move through the first quickly, then start the second. My 4 yo will start the first book solo when he starts K.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

 Share


×
×
  • Create New...