Science is just not happening

[HollyBee]

I have a 3rd grade ds (9yo) and 5th grade dd (11yo). We started in January of 2009 (which is when I pulled them out of public school) using Apologia's Astronomy, which we just didn't care for. Then we started Noeo's Chem II. We are just now on Week 6!!! Ugh. So much of the reading we've done in Noeo has just been boring, IMO, and I just didn't pull it out, for that reason. Eyes would glaze over, including my own, when we read from the Science Encylopedia or Mysteries and Marvels. The kids did like the experiments, although I'm not sure how much they learned from them. They also pitched fits when I had them do the lab reports/narration pages.

 

Soooo, I decided to try Singapore's My Pals are Here science, and ordered both the 3/4 and the 5/6 level. I had them start today and *WHOA* I got major backlash! They didn't like the homework pages at.all. I suppose some of that is leftover public school issues?

 

Anyway, I need advice. I realize that a good bit of this is my own issues and lack of discipline. Do I plug on with MPH? Do I go back to Noeo? Do I just do experiments from a Janice Van Cleave book and add in extra reading? Do I run screaming down the street? :lol:

 

Science really needs to get done. It's very important to my engineer dh, and I agree.

 

If you've gotten this far, thanks for staying with me, and thanks in advance for any suggestions! :bigear:

 

Holly

[MIch elle]

Just DO IT! Pick one and follow through - EVEN if you only do it at half speed, it's better than your current schedule. Try doing it first thing in the morning.

[christine in al]

Insert different curriculum and it's exactly the same story here,

If we do it first thing, then other stuff falls off the day.

 

SO... I"m looking at loop scheduling... you may try it. Just do a search on the boards and there's even a yahoo group.

good luck, you aren't alone.

~c.

[lisabees]

Maybe you would like Mr. Q's Science or Science Jim? They have fun experiments and are written in an engaging way. Mr. Q includes lesson plans for 3 days a week and includes simple worksheets and tests. Science Jim has questions at the end of each chapter and video links he has made.

 

Both are downloadable.

 

http://www.sciencejim.com/

 

http://www.eequalsmcq.com/

 

 

After doing each chapter, search the topic and Billy Nye on you-tube. There's also The Happy Scientist site that has fantastic videos and information! A one year membership is now $15. You can even get How Science Works or the Usborne Science Encyclopedia for your older one, to take notes, if you think that's necessary.

 

Just some different ideas. ;)

[debbielong]

...when my two oldest were about the age of your two, I did a fun year of physics. They still talk about it.

 

I found the spreadsheet I created to lay out the plan and I'm happy to share it. It isn't really complete - I kind of filled it in as I went, but it might be a starting place for you.

 

Basically, we used a Janice Van Cleve book, a Critical Thinking Press book, and then supplemented with library books and videos (especially Schlessinger Media, Bill Nye, and Magic School bus). It was a great triple whammy - hands-on/workbook/visual media combination for us.

 

If I remember correctly, we started the week with a Schlessinger video (because those were the ones they liked the most) to set up the concepts. Then, we did experiments another day, and then we'd read library books on the third day. We might watch additional videos at lunch the rest of the week.

 

Looking again at my spreadsheet, I see I didn't do a good job of documenting the books we used. Anyhoo - I now have science farmed out for the two older children (need to update my sig line) and Chemistry is hit and miss with the youngest - although we will finish Christian Kids Explore Chemistry this year. Science is hard for me to get done. So, I feel your pain! All I can offer is the least painful year we had.

 

Feel free to email me if you want my spreadsheet:)

 

tlong6@woh.rr.com

[yvonne]

They also pitched fits when I had them do the lab reports/narration pages.

 

Soooo, I decided to try Singapore's My Pals are Here science, and ordered both the 3/4 and the 5/6 level. I had them start today and *WHOA* I got major backlash! They didn't like the homework pages at.all.

 

I finally got a full year of science done last year when I used Singapore's MPH series. I spent a couple days writing out a detailed schedule in day-sized chunks: Text p. x, Wkbk. p. y, Activity Bk p. z. On Sundays, I wrote out the next 5 days worth of the science schedule on the boys' weekly checklist. They were able to do a lot of it completely independently. (Yeah, I know, it's better for the parent to actually "teach" a subject, but it was this or no science at all at the 8 year old level. I opted to put the time into my daughter's reading.) It worked so well. They didn't complain. I didn't spend too much time on science at the expense of getting my daughter's basic math & reading skills down. And they retained more than I expected.

 

We're getting science done this year by using a science book basket. I fill it with books on whatever topic we're doing in CConversations that week. They pick whatever books they want to read, or even just look at, and read for 30 minutes/day. From time to time during the week, we all touch base and see what information we can fill in about the topic. We write it up on a big white board. It's actually been more fun to do it this way & my daughter can participate significantly. I might continue this until the boys need to be more serious about science around 6th grade.

 

As to backlash.... if you're undecided or wishy-washy about doing science, they'll see that and they won't be convinced of the importance of what they're doing, either. Not even adults want to do things that seem unimportant/arbitrary. I'd just put together a MPH schedule, hand them a week's worth of assignments on Monday, and correct a day's worth at the end of every day. It's the easiest, least emotionally draining way to get into a routine. Once you have a routine, you could try a more free form approach like a book basket.

 

That's how I finally managed to get science done around here.

[nd293]

Soooo, I decided to try Singapore's My Pals are Here science, and ordered both the 3/4 and the 5/6 level. I had them start today and *WHOA* I got major backlash! They didn't like the homework pages at.all.

 

Can you just skip the homework pages? We use MPH Science, but just the textbooks and workbooks, then add Science kits. (I will add that I have shuffled chapters from different books together to fit in better with the Science kits, but that's probably not necessary. I just can't resist meddling with an author's intentions.)

 

We are also going to pull Science from our normal schedule next year, and do it during our weeks off (we work 4 weeks on, 1 week off, year round).

 

Nikki

[HollyBee]

Thanks for all the responses.

 

I finally got a full year of science done last year when I used Singapore's MPH series. I spent a couple days writing out a detailed schedule in day-sized chunks: Text p. x, Wkbk. p. y, Activity Bk p. z. On Sundays, I wrote out the next 5 days worth of the science schedule on the boys' weekly checklist. They were able to do a lot of it completely independently.

As to backlash.... if you're undecided or wishy-washy about doing science, they'll see that and they won't be convinced of the importance of what they're doing, either. Not even adults want to do things that seem unimportant/arbitrary. I'd just put together a MPH schedule, hand them a week's worth of assignments on Monday, and correct a day's worth at the end of every day. It's the easiest, least emotionally draining way to get into a routine. Once you have a routine, you could try a more free form approach like a book basket.

 

That's how I finally managed to get science done around here.

 

I would love for them to be somewhat independent. So much of what we do is completely dependent on my sitting with them. Sometimes I need to get other things done, kwim? I also agree on being undecided and wishy-washy. They definitely know that I'm waffling, so I'm sure that's an issue. I just don't want to end up forcing something on them that's going to kill their love of learning (the omnipresent worry).

 

Can you just skip the homework pages? We use MPH Science, but just the textbooks and workbooks, then add Science kits.

 

I thought the homework pages were the same as the workbook. I have the text, the homework pages, HOTS, and activity guides. Am I missing something?

 

My thought with the MPH was to use it as a spine and then pull in extra reading from library books. Although, I'm not sure what outside reading one would do on classification... :001_huh:

 

Holly

[PeterPan]

Holly, almost all of us here went to schools that didn't give a fig about our love of learning and catered to it as little as possible. We still want to learn, hehe, and I'll bet nothing you do will screw up your girls permanently either.

 

As for what to do, I could toss out a few more options (Ellen McHenry's The Elements, Snap Circuits, a whole bunch of the 3D/4D human body and anatomy puzzles from Timberdoodle, etc.), and that would be fine. Changing how you use what you have would be fine too. I totally agree with the comment about thinking what you want and meaning business. Just because they don't work independently on something doesn't mean they can't have a checklist with clear expectations. Type up one for each girl, fill it in, and have consequences if it's not done. It's how you show you mean business, when you put it in writing.

 

I think the other poster's plan with the videos, books, and kits sounds amazing too. Most science from now through grade 6 is just surveying topics, so just do SOMETHING, anything. I think if you start looking at junior high options and narrowing down where you think you're headed, you'll see what you need to do to get there and be on track. And at that point you'll know how much flexibility you have.

[yslek]

B & T are working on NOEO Biology II. It wasn't getting done as I planned here, either. In our case, it was partly me, and partly the fact that doing any "together" lessons seems to take waaayy too much time here. :glare: (I thought it would save time, but between dawdling/squabbling/book hogging/one boy finishing before the other, it doesn't.)

 

My solution has been to hand the TM to the boys (at different times during the day--usually one works on science and other stuff while the other is at the computer doing TT math) show them the assignment, and have them do the work. If the assignment includes a number of definitions, I let them just copy the definitions. Otherwise, I ask that they write down something they learned from the lesson (doesn't need to be a complete narration) and illustrate it (labeling the illustration if necessary). So far, it's been working well. When we get to any experiments, we'll go ahead and do those together. So far (we've been doing this for the past month or so) this approach has led to much more science getting done than before.

 

Hope something there may prove helpful to you. :)

[christine in al]

Waiting for my level to be published, but should be soon.

I think use what you have IF you can, but if you are looking ANYWAY, you may check out Galore Park. I see you started with Apologia, So I'll point out that Galore Park is secular.

[dee67p]

You could throw more money at science (Elemental Science ), or you could just work at what you have more slowly and include books that the kids pick out at the library about science for their own reading. Trust me, transition from the classroom for the mommy is just as hard as for the kids. Don't rush the pursuit of science until they WANT it. My husband is a nuclear engineer and would 'freak out' if I didn't include some kinds of science, but it may just take them the transition to realize how good they have it to study in depth to their hearts content. Don't give up. You may need to hold hands a little longer, or maybe even the daddy could set some goals for the kids to meet, but don't give up.

[AngelBee]

Science seems to be the one we skip around here too :(

[StartingOver]

I don't do a formal science until my children are in 7th +. We just do tons of hands on science kits. Nothing works with my kids like getting their hands dirty, or blowing up something LOL We also do read alouds like Beautiful Feet History of Science, or something literature based. Following any interests to learn more.

 

Good luck finding what works with you !