happyhomemaker25 Posted October 28, 2010 Share Posted October 28, 2010 LOL, I am so tired of doing free nature study. I think we've done that since we started homeschooling. How can I put together a good science curriculum for one or two days a week that is free or nearly free. I know we don't necessarily "need" a science curriculum, but it helps my evaluator think we have a well rounded curriculum. :glare: I wanted to do AIG God's Design for Heaven and Earth, but the money had to go to more useful curriculum. Could I design my own easy to use yet fun Heaven and Earth curriculum to span younger elem and older elem? Suggestions? Am I crazy? BTW if you read my "can't do this anymore" thread please know that science is something we do enjoy doing together and my evaluator likes to see it. We probably won't do anything heavy. Only once or twice a week. KWIM? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
johnandtinagilbert Posted October 28, 2010 Share Posted October 28, 2010 Pick a weekly topic, grab some library books, narrate and/or notebook w. a family presentation on Fridays. Free, save cost of paper! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sbgrace Posted October 28, 2010 Share Posted October 28, 2010 There is so much available free online. Free earth science lessons here http://school.discoveryeducation.com/lessonplans/earthsci.html This only goes through fifth grade but as far I've looked the science lesson plans on this site are very good and free. I'm using them. I do free resources online and library books as well to go with the topics. http://www.cstone.net/~bcp/BCPIntro2.htm You could pick the earth and space science lessons at all grade levels. Here are earth (well, geology/mineral) science lessons http://www.mii.org/lessons.html Bill Nye and Magic School Bus videos are online and often libraries have great videos as well. We've used this site for astronomy http://www.kidsastronomy.com/ and NASA had some wonderful materials both online and that they sent to me http://search.nasa.gov/search/edFilterSearch.jsp?empty=true I guess I'm going to say that based on my experience I'm confident you could put together a nice program for very little (materials for experiments). The downside would be the time it might take to plan to fit that range of ages. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest TheBugsMom Posted October 28, 2010 Share Posted October 28, 2010 I would pick a topic or even a Scientist and start from there. Get books on it and look it up on the computer. Then branch off from there, either further study, a new direction, or do an experiment. Example: genetics study can begin with studying Mendel, DNA, and traits. Draw pictures (or print them from other sources) and make a notebook page on the info studied. Then have them come up with an experiment to show genetic traits or better yet, have them recreate Mendel's Pea Plant experiment. Another non expensive way to go is get Science Scope to give you a guide as to the topics needed to study. Have you looked at Guest Hollow and their science curriculum? http://www.guesthollow.com/homeschool/science/otters_science/otters_science_main.html Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheReader Posted October 28, 2010 Share Posted October 28, 2010 Pick a weekly topic, grab some library books, narrate and/or notebook w. a family presentation on Fridays. Free, save cost of paper! Yep, this. Also magazines - National Geographic Kids is a good one. DVDs - Be the Creature, just about any Discovery Channel program, or National Geographic Channel. Surely you can get some of these at the library or on Netflix or whatever. We're pretty informal with science but the non-fiction section in the kids section of the library was our best friend in those elementary days. Have the older elementary ones do a short written report, have the younger ones do a drawing or dictate to you, and have everyone tell one science fact to Dad on Fridays. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wy_kid_wrangler04 Posted October 28, 2010 Share Posted October 28, 2010 Oh this should be easy! Lots of fun books at the library, biographies (Galileo and such) http://www.answersingenesis.org/kids a very fun website. Im sure you can find something. Do poster projects http://school.discoveryeducation.com/lessonplans/earthsci.html http://www.teach-nology.com/teachers/lesson_plans/science/earth_sciences/ http://cse.ssl.berkeley.edu/lessons/lessons_teacherdeveloped.html http://geology.com/teacher/ And there is so much more~! Have fun :D Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
curlygirlzx2 Posted October 28, 2010 Share Posted October 28, 2010 We use www.lessonpathways.com for our Science. It's free and my 7 r. old dd likes it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mcconnellboys Posted October 29, 2010 Share Posted October 29, 2010 Earth Science lessons (not just volcanoes, but a full program): http://volcano.oregonstate.edu/plate-tectonics - free and online (under revision right now).... Their site has tons of other things, too, like virtual tours, pics, online games, etc. AGS Earth Science curriculum: http://www.agiweb.org/earthcomm/geosphere/platetectonics/activity1.html?State= USGS Volcano lessons: http://egsc.usgs.gov/isb/pubs/teachers-packets/volcanoes/ Middle School Earth Science Lesson Plans: http://www.middleschoolscience.com/earth.htm Soil Science Basics: http://soil.gsfc.nasa.gov/basics.htm USGS info on water: http://ga.water.usgs.gov/edu/mearthall.html'>http://ga.water.usgs.gov/edu/mearthall.html And: http://ga.water.usgs.gov/edu/ And info about groundwater: http://ga.water.usgs.gov/edu/earthgw.html Water activities from a national park: http://www.nps.gov/archive/wica/Hydrology/PDF.htm Streams and Drainage Systems: http://www.tulane.edu/~sanelson/geol111/streams.htm Info on Ocean Currents and Climate: http://earth.usc.edu/~stott/Catalina/Oceans.html PBS's Savage Earth online: http://www.pbs.org/wnet/savageearth/index.html Space Science: http://amazing-space.stsci.edu/capture/ Weekly stargazing tips: http://stardate.org/nightsky/weekly Stellar Guide: http://www.botproductions.com/stellar/index.html Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tracy Posted October 30, 2010 Share Posted October 30, 2010 http://www.msnucleus.org/ http://www.eequalsmcq.com/ClassicScienceLife.htm Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fitna Posted October 30, 2010 Share Posted October 30, 2010 you could use the book series "let's read and find out". they are science books and i would think most libraries have them. they have a wide range of different topics (including a bunch of dinosaur ones) and some even have small activities. :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AngelBee Posted November 7, 2010 Share Posted November 7, 2010 I have figured out a rotation for terms for nature study that makes it more interesting for all of us. I can post it if that would help. We also do a 3 yr rotation with general science topics too. YR1: Biology/Earth Science YR 2: Chemistry YR 3: Physics Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hericane Posted November 9, 2010 Share Posted November 9, 2010 Life is always a choice of time or money. These two things determine all choices. While money isn't easy to find, time is absolutely the most valuable because you can't make more of it. When I did the actual figuring of how much time and money was spent "creating", :auto: driving to library, :auto:driving to borrow, :auto:driving to buy stuff for activities, computer searching, printing "free", renting/finding videos, etc, etc. and especially with the cost of gas and the aggrevation of putting DC is car seats, and out of car seats, then back in, and bathroom searches in stores, and wrangling everyone in and out of the stalls, and (Haven't you had these days?) So after many struggles like yours, I decided my health, happiness, sanity, and good nights of sleeping (i.e. TIME) were worth spending money on Nancy Larson Science. Now I know the actual cost of the entire program, which last a year at 2-3 times per week, is much less than the time/stress/money spent on creating "free". Bless your heart. Be kind to yourself. Let someone who's done all the work do the work for you, too. :grouphug: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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