Jump to content

Menu

Need help designing science curriculum


happyhomemaker25
 Share

Recommended Posts

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?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

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.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Guest TheBugsMom

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

Link to comment
Share on other sites

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.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

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

Link to comment
Share on other sites

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

Link to comment
Share on other sites

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.

 

:)

Link to comment
Share on other sites

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:

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

 Share

×
×
  • Create New...