Is there an Elementary Science Curriculum that you love?

[JESSICAinMD]

We are doing Apologia Astronomy and it is okay (just okay). Is there anything out there you just love? I want to be more passionate about science but it is hard sometimes.

 

Also is there any curriculum you can't stand?

[robsiew]

We are using Elemental Science and we really like it. It follows the recommendations in WTM so it's good for us....someone's already done all the "hard" work for me!

 

We started this year using Noeo and I liked it fine. It's quite expensive though and I didn't think enough experiments were included. We did Biology this year and the whole section on animals has no experiments. Also, narrations never got done because there are no preprinted pages. With Elemental it's everything I liked about Noeo, but narrations and experiment pages are all premade for me. I guess I'm lazy! ;-)

[nukeswife]

We really enjoy R.E.A.L. Science Odyssey from Pandia Press. They only have a few books out now (each is a year long) but there are more in the works.

[woolybear]

I love the way Elemental Science looks, but we haven't used it yet.

[PeterPan]

Books from http://portal.acs.org/portal/acs/corg/content?_nfpb=true&_pageLabel=PP_SUPERARTICLE&node_id=180&use_sec=false&sec_url_var=region1&__uuid=b983bad2-33a6-457c-a4d9-ac3d70074e25

[Flaura]

Books from http://portal.acs.org/portal/acs/corg/content?_nfpb=true&_pageLabel=PP_SUPERARTICLE&node_id=180&use_sec=false&sec_url_var=region1&__uuid=b983bad2-33a6-457c-a4d9-ac3d70074e25

 

These look great! Have you tried them out?

[SilverMoon]

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Edited April 21, 2023 by SilverMoon

[Classically Minded]

Another here for Apologia - we will be finishing Astronomy by summer and starting Zoology.

[ChicoryChick]

We've really enjoyed Apologia. The astronomy book was the slowest one, in our opinion. My kids said it was kewl, but the zoology books were "way better."

 

:iagree: My kids have really enjoyed Apologia (including Astronomy)

[prairiegirl]

Science curriculums have always been a thorn in my side. I could never seem to find one that we liked. For the last two years we haven't been using any formal curriculum but just piecing things together. I have been looking at REAL Science by Pandia Press (pp gave you the link above) and I am very impressed by what I see. There is a great booklist as well as oodles of experiments/activities. These are all of the things that I look for in a science curriculum. Pandia Press offers a Try Before You Buy option that you can download a portion of the program you want to see if this willl work for your family.

[Alphabetika]

We are having great success with The Elements by Ellen McHenry, and will go on to her Carbon Chemistry next. This is after we tried RS4K Chemistry, really tried to like it, but didn't. In the past we've also enjoyed Apologia Flying Creatures and Botany.

[AngelBee]

:lurk5:

[mcconnellboys]

I like McHenry's books, too! I always cobble things together because I've never found any one program that is truly what I want. I really have always liked the look of Apologia's zoology and botany, etc. books, but I don't want to spend an entire year on just mammals, or just ocean life, etc. so they really won't work for me.

[3byzaz]

We have REALLY enjoyed the new God's Design for Science this year. We are doing the Heaven and Earth ones. A tiny bit, dry but I think that's just the topic. We are very excited for the Life ones next year. The ease of combining my younger too, ease of experiements - do-able and quick, Godliness are all my reasons for loving it!!

[TracyR]

We like the Elementary Apologia series. I found that using the new Apologia Notebooks, that Apologia now sells, really adds more to the program. I found that using this really adds more to the Astronomy because I know my girls were getting a little bored with it. Luckily I had won one of the Notebooks from Jeanie Albright's blog during the summer, and its a really nice notebook. Definitely worth getting.

 

Before that I printed notebooking pages from Jeanie's website, and supplemented with videos to go along with it and it seemed to work just fine. Its way better than the Calvert Science and K12 science. I guess I'm one of those kind of people that enjoys focusing on one topic at a time.

Apologia is also coming out with an Elementary Human Anatomy and Physiology book this spring as well.

 

I do agree the Astronomy is a little dry but we started with Swimming Creatures and my daughters REALLY enjoyed that book.

 

I've also enjoyed using Sonlight's science program too because they have DVD's that go along with them.

 

The science program I've despised so far was Calverts. It was so dry and borning we couldn't stand it. K12's is a little better but not what we like either.

 

Honestly I would try the Apologia Astronomy Notebook if you haven't tried it already. Maybe add in some educational movies that go along with what you are studying as well.

Edited February 15, 2010 by TracyR

[DianeW88]

We love NOEO science. It's been so much fun for my third grader. The teacher's manual is clear and easy to follow. It uses real books which are engaging and fun to read, and it also includes experiment kits. The supplies for other experiments are things you commonly have in your home. We've really enjoyed "Chemisty 1" this year.

 

Diane W.

 

Homeschooling for 16 years (whew!)

 

DS 19 (graduated)

DD 16 (junior year)

DS 9 (3rd grade)

[s.z.ichigo]

We love NOEO science. It's been so much fun for my third grader. The teacher's manual is clear and easy to follow. It uses real books which are engaging and fun to read, and it also includes experiment kits. The supplies for other experiments are things you commonly have in your home. We've really enjoyed "Chemisty 1" this year.

 

 

:iagree::iagree::iagree::iagree:

 

NOEO is amazing. It's a little expensive, but you get so many cool books and experiment kits. I like that the information is in books rather than a guide book. books stay on the shelf and can be pulled down and re-read any time, rather than putting everything away with the rest of the curricula at the end of the year.

[littlebug42]

I really like Mr. Q. The first year, life science, is free on the website but he also has three other years available. For someone who is not a huge science person, I found it easy to implement and the kids liked it as well.

 

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

[Woodland_Mom]

We love:

 

R.E.A.L. Science for Kids

 

God's Design Science

 

Considering God's Creation

[jenL]

For life science, we've really been enjoying Life Science with Real Books by Susan Marra. She works around a specific spine (or choice of spines) for each "section". For example the human body section uses the Readers Digest: How the Body Works book (although I've supplemented Usborne's First Encyclopedia of the Human Body instead, and it's working fabulously). There are suggested spines for animal study and plant study as well. Her curriculum also offers booklists, vocabulary, opening facts, review questions, and experiment/enrichment options. We've found most of our resources at our local library and experimental items are common household items. This curriculum can easily be used for both the grammar and logic stages. I wish she offered more than life science.

[TXMary2]

We absolutely love Apologia for elementary. I love the immersion concept, but I know some kids struggle with that. We have all the books because I did them with my middle son. He didn't mind staying on one theme for a whole semester, but my younger ds may be different and I have already decided that we will rotate chapter to chapter through each book if he has a hard time with the immersion approach.

 

The only other science we used was Abeka and I ended up supplementing that with videos and other books.

[johnandtinagilbert]

The other Apologias are more exciting. We also like Noeo. Then, of course, any time we can get a kit to add to our studies is much fun!

[Halcyon]

:iagree::iagree::iagree::iagree:

 

NOEO is amazing. It's a little expensive, but you get so many cool books and experiment kits. I like that the information is in books rather than a guide book. books stay on the shelf and can be pulled down and re-read any time, rather than putting everything away with the rest of the curricula at the end of the year.

 

This looks awesome.

[mcconnellboys]

Yes, I like Mr. Q's free program. There are some minor typos in it (more nearer the end), but it is sound. I also like the MSNucleus.org website, which has free elementary and higher level science curriculum, all free. For earth science, I like Oregon State's Volcano World website. I've used all these things along with loads of real books, worksheets, experiments, etc. that I've put together myself.

[mommydearest]

NOEO fans in this household! :)