Elemental Chemistry with a 3rd grader

[kwickimom]

anyone doing this?Is it seeming too difficult for your kiddo?

 

It is seeming a bit difficult for my DD7. I wanted to wait for Chem for 4th grade, but she really wanted to do it now.

 

She looks at me like I have 3 heads when I read the definitions. I am trying to make them as simple as possible, but still :confused:

 

I have to press on because I dont have the money for anything else. I guess I am just going to touch over the subjects, do the experiments, and just talk about the quizzes.

 

I think we will just skim and have fun.

[GoVanGogh]

What quizzes?

We are using Elemental Science - Chemistry - and I haven't come across any quizzes.

 

My 3rd grader is 8.5 years old. He is very science minded and, at one time, wanted to be a chemist when he grew up. It hasn't been over his head, but I do have to help with the writing. He narrates everything to me, though he draws his own pictures for definitions and the lab sheets.

 

I would say - if you feel like she is looking at you like you have 3 heads and she isn't getting it, it is best to wait on it. Use the (free) library for science for a few months, then revisit chemistry. Or spend a few months doing (free) nature studies.

If you feel you must push through with chemistry, use the library to find books regarding the different elements, so you can read more about them - that might help her comprehension.

[kwickimom]

Mine came with weekly quizzes. I did the pdf. They are super easy actually but only if she gets interested and retains the info. We will see :glare:

 

I think that she kind of freaked over the definitions, so if I cut those down a little she may be OK. I think once we get into some experiments it may help too.

[Pata]

Are you just in the first two weeks? The first two weeks weren't my dd's favorite either (she's 8yo and in 3rd). If so skip ahead to where you actually start the periodic table/experiments and see if that works better. The concepts in the definitions are a bit much for some. Really your point this year is to introduce the concepts so that she'll have some background knowledge to come back to in the future. Don't stress if she's not catching it all now. Also, the quizzes are totally optional, I put them in there for people who have their students work on their own. That way they can use them to see if there student did the work for the week. So ditch them if she's being frustrated by them. Hope something in there helps!

 

BTW-In the eBook download, the quizzes are a separate file, but in the print version they are at the back of the teacher's guide.

[Irishmommy]

I got the pdf, but I'm not sure I got the quizzes. Can I still get them? I'd like to have them for my 4th grader.

[Penelope]

My 3rd grader really likes it. We're about 6 weeks in.

 

I will say that, while I appreciate defining terms before beginning, the first few weeks are pretty boring. The teacher's guide acknowledges that. If I had thought about it more, I would probably have googled a few fun experiments to throw in there just for the fun of it, to get excited about chemistry.

[kwickimom]

Ok, well I feel a little better. I did read that it said it'd be boring, but even the definitions were a bit over her head. I think I will toss in an experiment next week. We are just on week 1. She was browsing my teachers guide and didnt like what she saw. I then read her some definitions and tried to break them down more and she still looked freaked.

 

Anyways, I wont worry a ton if she is grasping it, I am just kind of bummed I didnt push biology or something that she could have understood. I kind of feel like we are wasting the time.

 

And just to say...I really do like the program. I was excited when I got it and the experiments looked great. I just didnt realize how over her head this was until we actually began. Its not the program, just the fact that I have a youbg 3rd grader and maybe shouldve picked somethign else!

[Geo]

My 3rd grader really likes it. We're about 6 weeks in.

 

I will say that, while I appreciate defining terms before beginning, the first few weeks are pretty boring. The teacher's guide acknowledges that. If I had thought about it more, I would probably have googled a few fun experiments to throw in there just for the fun of it, to get excited about chemistry.

 

Thanks for the heads-up! We're beginning next week and I just downloaded and printed it off today, haven't even read it yet. My

son is 8yo but because of different learning disabilities I'll be doing the writing for him most of the time. I plan on keeping the definitions to 3-5 words, wish me luck! BTW, I actually ditched Real Science Odyssey Chemistry for this because I thought it looked simpler...sigh. :confused:

 

Geo

[kwickimom]

Thanks for the heads-up! We're beginning next week and I just downloaded and printed it off today, haven't even read it yet. My

son is 8yo but because of different learning disabilities I'll be doing the writing for him most of the time. I plan on keeping the definitions to 3-5 words, wish me luck! BTW, I actually ditched Real Science Odyssey Chemistry for this because I thought it looked simpler...sigh. :confused:

 

Geo

 

It totally may jusy be my dd not getting it. She is on or above her grade level on all subjects and this is the first stumper. Which a challenge is great, but I'd rather be challenging writing or Math and not worrying too much about Science at the 3rd grade level. I really hope once experiments kick in it will be OK. The Usbourne Science Encyclopedia is looking like too much. The other books seem OK. I think I am just going to keep it to the bare minimum and let her have fun with experiments.

[kalanamak]

Ok, well I feel a little better. I did read that it said it'd be boring, but even the definitions were a bit over her head.

 

Anyways, I wont worry a ton if she is grasping it, I am just kind of bummed I didnt push biology or something that she could have understood. I kind of feel like we are wasting the time.

 

In situations like this, I memorize the definitions myself: get them down pat. Then, as you do your hands on things, you patter those words. Your child does not need to know about reduction reactions as a 7 year old, just that there is such a thing as an acid and a base, and how they might taste different.

 

At this age, the last thing I want to do is make my love, science, a drag.

[Pata]

I got the pdf, but I'm not sure I got the quizzes. Can I still get them? I'd like to have them for my 4th grader.

 

Sent you an pm :)

[Matryoshka]

What I really like for that age is RS4K Chem Pre-Level 1. I did that with all my kids when they were around 7yo - it was a wonderful introduction.

 

I've never seen Elemental Chemistry - I mis-read at first and thought you were talking about Ellen McHenry's the Elements. I'm doing The Elements this fall with my 9.5yo.

Edited August 3, 2010 by matroyshka
mis-read original post, fixing answer. :-P

[dee67p]

Hey, the videos they do at the University of Nottingham http://www.periodicvideos.com/. Those folks are a hoot and it goes so well with the elemental chem format. Try one of the less focused videos for these intro weeks. My 2nd and 3rd graders loved Elemental science chemistry! Mainly because what I was using before showed that I didn't have a clue. Science geeks always lighten our day

[Penelope]

Hey, the videos they do at the University of Nottingham http://www.periodicvideos.com/. Those folks are a hoot and it goes so well with the elemental chem format.

 

Thank you for the link!

 

I just watched the hydrogen and sodium films. They are great and we will definitely use some of these!

 

OP I hope you can find a way to make Elemental Chem work for you. I do think it is abstract for an early elementary kid. I wish I had some of those atom and molecule models to make it more hands-on (has anyone tried making some with those styrofoam balls and some craft dowels?) An elementary aged kid can't really "do" chemistry, as long as we're having fun and getting some idea, it's good.