If you "wing it" for lower-grade science...

[Xuzi]

I'm trying to narrow down my curriculum for my DD's 1st grade year (and our first year homeschooling!) but when it comes down to Science, all I can think of doing is reading lots and lots of books from the library, with maybe some very simple science projects. I'd stick with the order outlined in WTM (earth science, human body, etc.) but not use a set curriculum.

 

Has anyone done this? Were you able to find enough useful material from your library to fill out the school year? Did your kids remember what you read to them that year?

[8filltheheart]

I'm trying to narrow down my curriculum for my DD's 1st grade year (and our first year homeschooling!) but when it comes down to Science, all I can think of doing is reading lots and lots of books from the library, with maybe some very simple science projects. I'd stick with the order outlined in WTM (earth science, human body, etc.) but not use a set curriculum.

 

Has anyone done this? Were you able to find enough useful material from your library to fill out the school year? Did your kids remember what you read to them that year?

 

I don't call it winging it; I call it interest driven. :001_smile:

 

And, yes, we find not only enough for one yr, but enough for grades K-7 or 8!! :D

 

Kids have been well-prepared for high school/college science.

[Caitilin]

I don't call it winging it; I call it interest driven. :001_smile:

 

And, yes, we find not only enough for one yr, but enough for grades K-7 or 8!! :D

 

Kids have been well-prepared for high school/college science.

 

 

:iagree:Certainly enough for elementary! Have fun!

[justamouse]

I Love The Private Eye. Amazing beyond amazing for us.

 

http://www.amazon.com/Private-Eye-225X-22-Developing-Interdisciplinary/dp/0960543414/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1265502042&sr=8-2

[Carrie12345]

I've been winging it with my 6 and 7yos. I hope to start a more formal program next year (because it makes me feel more confident), but I can't complain about what my girls have retained in the meantime.

 

We garden. We have cats and dogs, my in-laws breed dogs, and both girls are avid bug and frog hunters. They're also rock collectors. And, well, they have bodies!

I haven't had any trouble turning their typical daily activities and interests into learning experiences with the help of our library and related "toys".

 

The only thing we haven't really touched on yet is chemistry. I hate chemistry, so I'm holding out for a planned curriculum there. ;)

[JoyfulMama]

I have loved being able to explore explore explore in science. The only way we've done it. Every time I think we might be "missing" something, I re-read TWTM and remember why we are doing it the way we are.

[Lori D.]

Ditto what 8FillTheHeart says!

 

We would pick a general science subject for the year (say, Earth Science); I would flip to the table of contents of a few kid's science encyclopedias (you can see many of these online!), jot down the list of topics, and we'd work our way through the topics with:

- library books

- experiments

- kits

- field trips

- science videos/DVDs

 

We did that from grade 1 through grade 8, and the boys always scored off-the-chart high on the standardized testing each year. And it was the one subject no one every complained about or said it felt like "school"! :tongue_smilie:

 

Enjoy your science adventures! Warmest regards, Lori D.

[Dawn E]

Absolutely! We really enjoyed the "Let's Read and Find Out" series and a lot of Usborne titles.

[myfatherslily]

Yeah, I wouldn't call it winging it;) Your plan is to read!!

 

I personally would do best with some sort of core encyclopedia that I could work off of. Or to make a list at the beginning of the year of an order we might like to go in. I would feel free to switch things up as we went, but I know I'd be more likely to DO it if we didn't HAVE to decide each week what we were going to read about.

[myfatherslily]

Also, is there a curriculum now recommended in The Well Trained Mind? In the 1999 edition that I'm currently reading, they simply have a suggested order (as mentioned above) used alongside an encyclopedia and a library trip! There's essentially little difference in whether you use an encyclopedia or not - as I said before, for me it would just to be to keep us going!

[KristenS]

We're not winging it right now, but you might like to check out Noeo science ... it uses real books and simple (mostly) experiments. If you look at their booklist online, you can see if your library has them all or not, and if they do, you'd just need the experiment kits and the teacher guide. (If nothing else, the booklist may give you ideas itself.)

[anotherbrother]

I thought we would "wing it" this year. We've gotten very little accomplished because we couldn't find a direction to go. I'm getting ready to order NOEO science which I think will work perfectly for us. Lots of books, without a formal textbook. While my older DS is capable of the higher level I think we'll stick with the lower for both and keep things fun. We'll get into plenty of structured science in future years.

[angela in ohio]

I don't call it winging it; I call it interest driven. :001_smile:

 

And, yes, we find not only enough for one yr, but enough for grades K-7 or 8!! :D

 

Kids have been well-prepared for high school/college science.

 

Same here. We focus on math, reading, and writing skills to prepare for upper level science, and I let them 'wander' for science class in the elementary years. I have many science textbooks on the shelves, and we get out many science books and videos from the library. We also visit science centers and go to events related to science.

[kls126s]

We would pick a general science subject for the year (say, Earth Science); I would flip to the table of contents of a few kid's science encyclopedias (you can see many of these online!), jot down the list of topics, and we'd work our way through the topics with:

- library books

- experiments

- kits

- field trips

- science videos/DVDs

 

We did that from grade 1 through grade 8, and the boys always scored off-the-chart high on the standardized testing each year. And it was the one subject no one every complained about or said it felt like "school"! :tongue_smilie:

 

I have many science textbooks on the shelves, and we get out many science books and videos from the library. We also visit science centers and go to events related to science.

 

I just now posted about wrestling with science for next year and then came and read this thread. Whew... :chillpill: Comments like this from Lori D. and Angela give me the confidence to just keep reading library books and doing Young Scientist Club kits and calling that good for elementary science. Thanks, Lori and Angela! :seeya:

[DarlaS]

I've been thinking about this a lot this week too.

 

I was also considering MPH or CPO but I don't think I'm going to do it. There are too many GOOD books to read for science out there.

 

I've started working on an outline--a formal one--complete with Roman numerals and subtopics, more subtopic for my subtopics etc. I'm using the TOC from a couple of programs that look good (R.E.A.L for one) but aren't quite what I had in mind. I also plan to get a few books with simple experiments (Usborne science activities etc.) and try to find an experiment for each topic that actually has a chance of getting done.

 

We'll see where it goes in a few weeks. I'm supposed to be writing a paper for something else. :tongue_smilie:

[Lovedtodeath]

I love Elemental Science. It uses the encyclopedias just like TWTM recommends and has activities all planned for you, plus student pages. You can add extra reading to that base.

 

Science is actually getting done. It hadn't been for quite a while.:D

 

I use outlines for my own planning too.:cheers2:

[Aoife]

My kiddos are not old enough yet for anything more then science "play" but I did do a ton of research when we thought we were going to be able to HS my DSDs. I looked at several science programs and although they are good programs don't get me wrong I just felt I could make a similar set up. I used spines like what was mentioned in WTM and set out. So far I have only gotten the human body part of my life science done but hey I figure I have a few years to get the rest done right? :P Anyhow I have it on my blog for free download for anyone who wants a cheap(free!) yet pre made science. I also plan on using lots of science kits and doing lots more hand on learning that past what I created especially since I am a "sciencey" type person myself :)

[Mandy in TN]

Has anyone done this? Were you able to find enough useful material from your library to fill out the school year? Did your kids remember what you read to them that year?

With my big guys I used a curriculum sometimes and sometimes I didn't. Sometimes I used things like 101 Things Everyone Should Know About Science or Oh, Yuck! The Encyclopedia of Everything Nasty where I read one little passage or piece of a passage at a time. Sometimes I used things like The Usborne Science Encyclopedia as a spine or jumping off point. Many years I used pieces of Beautiful Feet’s History of Science and grabbed the part that tied to our history.

One year my middle ds used Ancient Construction: From Tents to Towers, Ancient Warfare : From Clubs To Catapults, and Pyramid by Macaulay (book and video) first trimester along with Tanglewood curriculum’s grade 5 Egypt study. Then, he used Archimedes and the Door to Science by Bendick, The Picture History of Great Inventors, and The New Way Things Work by Macaulay along with the BF History of Science Ancients section for the second trimester while he used Tanglewood’s grade 5 Greeks study. Third trimester he used Galen and the Gateway to Medicine by Bendick, The Body Book, and Usborne Internet-Linked Science Encyclopedia (Human Body Section) while he studied the Romans. It was a good year.

Last year the little man used WP AW for K. We really enjoyed the One Small Square books and they could certainly be used independently of a curriculum.

This year we started with WP WAM, but have ended up wandering. We have been wandering through Earth science for a while now. I second the Let's-Read-And-Find-Out Science series. Each week in science I try to find a little something to memorize related to what we are studying. For this memory work I use things from Living Memory, from the CC Foundations Guide, or from one of the books we read that week. I am also reading The Storybook of Science aloud to him and we watch quite a few science videos from the library.

Right now I am thinking that during the little guy’s elementary years I would like to divide the year into thirds and spend one third of the year on a life science topic, one third on a physical science/ technology topic, and one third on an astronomy/ Earth science topic. I can’t remember who to credit with this, but I read it here on the boards.

Next year, for 2nd grade, I am planning for him do an overview of space science focusing on our solar system, the human body, and modern inventions. Also, whenever I finish The Storybook of Science, I will begin The Secret of Everyday Things as a read-aloud.

My big guys always remembered more from our wanderings and their interest led independent studies than from a science textbook. Oh, and we have never had a problem finding enough material.:)

 

HTH-

Mandy

[Ellie]

I don't call it winging it; I call it interest driven. :001_smile:

 

And, yes, we find not only enough for one yr, but enough for grades K-7 or 8!! :D

 

Kids have been well-prepared for high school/college science.

:iagree::iagree::iagree:

[anabelneri]

Have you looked at Nebel's "Building Foundations of Scientific Understanding"? It's not that expensive. It covers a lot of ground, including basic biology, chemistry, earth sciences, and physics. You can find it on Amazon. It's really just a teacher's manual with great experiments. I'm using it for 1st & 2nd grade (the second volume for 3rd-8th grade will be published this summer), and it's just one lesson every other week for us. The lessons are simple and do-able, but they do a great job building scientific mental framework. It also comes with a lot of book recommendations that correspond with each lesson :) and it doesn't require tons of extra purchases or materials -- so far we've just used regular household items.

 

Beyond Nebel, we're doing what it sounds like you're thinking of -- interest driven book-reading. It's going well for us, all in all.

 

Have fun!

[Moniksca]

I put together our science curriculum from what we have at the library, we're doing life science right now. I also use science scope by Kathryn Stout, as a guide. Last year the only thing we did was dinosaurs which was based on ds' interests, he really enjoyed it so why not follow it.

[DarlaS]

I put together our science curriculum from what we have at the library, we're doing life science right now. I also use science scope by Kathryn Stout, as a guide. Last year the only thing we did was dinosaurs which was based on ds' interests, he really enjoyed it so why not follow it.

 

That looks like a great resource!

 

ETA: I just bought a copy! I think this is really going to give my homemade science plan some direction--and completeness. Hopefully, with some flexibility. It seems to have the "order" I'm looking for.

Edited February 7, 2010 by darlasowders

[2_girls_mommy]

This is my 2nd year to do Science with the WTM plan. For K, I did a variety of subjects from library books. Some I ended up buying because they were so good, and I want to do them again like Usborne's Science in the Kitchen and a wonderful Preschool book of Material Science and activities.

 

This year we are doing Earth and Space Science. I have the 2 Usborne Science encyclopedias that I bought used and paid less than $10 each for. Then I flesh out w/ activities, art projects, experiments, field trips, and notebooking. I set aside one afternoon a week as Science time, and we just dive into a subject. Works well for us, and dds retain the info and love activities of any kind.

[pageta]

We're only on our first year, but we've been following the WTM recommendations. We did animals last fall, reading a lot of the Rookie-Reader series. Now we're studying the human body, using the Kingfisher Encyclopedia of the Human Body as our spine. In the spring and summer, we will study plants and have a garden. I have an old set of Childcraft Encyclopedias and have been using them as our spine as we go through the various topics. We do science every day and just read a couple pages from our spine and one of the enrichment books that I get from the library (like the Rookie Science Readers).

 

The Private Eye thing looks interesting, as do the Young Scientist experiments.