keptwoman Posted March 22, 2011 Share Posted March 22, 2011 I borrowed a couple of these off a friend, and I love them! The kids love them! The equipment really IS about the house and I like the scope of what they teach. So other TOPS users, I'd love feedback on what units you have liked and which you have not liked so much. Getting them to Australia is expensive, and they are not commonly available 2nd hand. I'm particularly thinking this year of physics type units. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sebastian (a lady) Posted March 22, 2011 Share Posted March 22, 2011 I borrowed a couple of these off a friend, and I love them! The kids love them! The equipment really IS about the house and I like the scope of what they teach. So other TOPS users, I'd love feedback on what units you have liked and which you have not liked so much. Getting them to Australia is expensive, and they are not commonly available 2nd hand. I'm particularly thinking this year of physics type units. We've worked through a couple. They are part of the Sonlight Science schedules. Radishes is good. Even when we've messed things up, we've learned a lot. I'm getting things together for Electricity and for Magnetism. We did Cohesion/Adhesion. My kids don't think that they learned that much. I would disagree. I think they actually were learning a lot. I'm actually in the process of throwing out the science we're currently using as not being hard enough. I will be substituting a few TOPS modules and some harder books instead. One thing I'm going to try to do this time around is to actually copy out the task cards ahead of time, rather than just handing them the book and saying, "Go." There are free sample experiments for many titles at the TOPS website. I don't see an option for ordering an ebook, but you might contact them and ask if this is an option or if you could order the books on a CD-ROM. Seems like the postage for that would be lower. One other thing. The Discover and Do CDs sold in the Sonlight Science sets are demonstrations of the science experiments for the TOPS book for that year. Including showing when they have to start over because things didn't work as expected. So should you run into some of these, they might relate to what you're doing. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jyniffrec Posted March 22, 2011 Share Posted March 22, 2011 We really liked Electricity and Magnetism. I have Cohesion and Adhesion but haven't even looked inside it! Sebastian, what are you substituting for TOPS in order to make it harder? :bigear: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sebastian (a lady) Posted March 22, 2011 Share Posted March 22, 2011 We really liked Electricity and Magnetism. I have Cohesion and Adhesion but haven't even looked inside it! Sebastian, what are you substituting for TOPS in order to make it harder? :bigear: Oh, it's the other way around actually. I'm dropping the Usborne Book of Science and focusing more on the TOPS. I have a bunch that my older kids have never done and that won't be scheduled for them. (Electricity and Magnetism and one about lenses). So we'll be doing TOPS more often with some harder related reading from the library or from Prentice Hall Science Explorers. I was going to use the Science Explorers as a spine, but they are striking me as rather frentic in presentation. What my kids need right now is to learn to do experiments and write up the lab reports in a consistent, standard way. So that will be my focus for the next couple of months. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Down_the_Rabbit_Hole Posted March 22, 2011 Share Posted March 22, 2011 We have used Radishes, Corn, Electricity, Magnetism, and am now doing Rocks and Minerals. My youngest son has done these and likes the TOPS science because he can pretty much do it all himself. For the most part, whatever the supplies are, we have it around the house, and if we dont I make a list before he begins and order it. The total spent on supplies for any of the TOPS is very little. I am looking at some of the TOPS for older grades now. I found the TOPS Scale the Universe and Pi in the Sky as a free download from the NASA site. http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/GLAST/main/education_outreach.html Scroll down to Printed Material and you will find the downloads for these. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jyniffrec Posted March 22, 2011 Share Posted March 22, 2011 Oh, it's the other way around actually. I'm dropping the Usborne Book of Science and focusing more on the TOPS. I have a bunch that my older kids have never done and that won't be scheduled for them. (Electricity and Magnetism and one about lenses). So we'll be doing TOPS more often with some harder related reading from the library or from Prentice Hall Science Explorers. I was going to use the Science Explorers as a spine, but they are striking me as rather frentic in presentation. What my kids need right now is to learn to do experiments and write up the lab reports in a consistent, standard way. So that will be my focus for the next couple of months. DD11 seems to need some more challenges in science. I have figured out that we are a physics oriented family so I am leaning that way for now. I will have a look at more of the TOPS books. Do you have a lab reporting sheet that you use? Do you just use what is in the TOPS books? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
redsquirrel Posted March 22, 2011 Share Posted March 22, 2011 I really like Tops! We will be using radishes for biology this year. They came to me highly recommended from some more experienced homeschooling moms. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sebastian (a lady) Posted March 22, 2011 Share Posted March 22, 2011 DD11 seems to need some more challenges in science. I have figured out that we are a physics oriented family so I am leaning that way for now. I will have a look at more of the TOPS books. Do you have a lab reporting sheet that you use? Do you just use what is in the TOPS books? I have a book waiting at the library on writing lab reports. I also found a pretty good explanation online at about.com. (Search "how to write science lab reports" and you'll find some examples.) If you look at some of the sites about lab or research reports from colleges, you can get an idea of what the goal is. My need right now is to bring it down to a level that is appropriate for middle school. Also, listening to the SWB lecture about science, I'm more focused on their learning to conduct an experiment and observe and record what did happen than on having them make predictions. The time for that will come, but it doesn't have to be there at the beginning. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lori D. Posted March 22, 2011 Share Posted March 22, 2011 (edited) We only used the upper middle school/high school TOPS; they worked great along with the Reader's Digest How Earth Works or How Science Works as our spine and experiments for middle school science! For the poster above who was interested in more complex / more involved Physics experiments, check out some of the kits and supplies at Home Science Tools website. Below are the TOPS units we used and when. What I meant by our rating system: GREAT = experiments worked and were enjoyable, and either had the materials or were in the supply kit GOOD = just a very few experiments either didn't work, were fussy, or we had trouble finding an item PRETTY GOOD = a few experiments either didn't work, were fussy, or we had trouble finding items OKAY = needed a fair amount of special equipment (usually available at TOPS); some experiments were fussy and/or hard to make work Enjoy! Warmest regards, Lori D. grade 6 - Reader's Digest "How Earth Works" - TOPS Rocks & Minerals (buy the supply kit) -- GREAT - supplemental library books, science videos, websites grade 7 - Reader's Digest "How Science Works" -- chemistry portions - TOPS Analysis (buy the supply kit!) -- GREAT - TOPS Solutions (buy the supply kit!) - TOPS Cohesion and Adhesion -- GREAT - TOPS Heat -- GOOD (we didn't have time for TOPS Oxidation, but it is a great one, too) - supplemental library books, science videos, websites (esp. http://www.chem4kids.com) grade 8 - Reader's Digest "How Science Works" -- physics portions - David Macauley's "How Things Work" - TOPS Focus Pocus -- PRETTY GOOD - TOPS Motion -- GOOD (we didn't use these, but you could also do TOPS floating & sinking (GOOD) (uses items you'll want to buy from TOPS); TOPS Magnetism (GOOD); TOPS Electricity (GREAT) (buy the supply kit); TOPS pressure (OKAY) is trickier, harder to make work, and uses items you'll want to buy from TOPS) - supplemental library books, science videos, and several other science kits Not worth the money: - TOPS Light (too many experiments didn't work, or we couldn't figure out what the point of it was) - TOPS Sound (requires purchase of 3 specialized (expensive) tuning forks!, and even then couldn't make many of the experiments work) Edited March 22, 2011 by Lori D. added info and a web link Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
redsquirrel Posted March 22, 2011 Share Posted March 22, 2011 Wow, Lori D, that was very helpful! Thank you for sharing that. I have only used elementary TOPS things, lentil science etc, and they have always worked. That is one thing that stands out about them. So often science experiments in kid books just fall flat or the end result is so small that it doesn't feel worth it. TOPS things have always come through for us. It is good to know which ones haven't worked as well as you hoped. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LindaOz Posted March 23, 2011 Share Posted March 23, 2011 I borrowed a couple of these off a friend, and I love them! The kids love them! The equipment really IS about the house and I like the scope of what they teach. So other TOPS users, I'd love feedback on what units you have liked and which you have not liked so much. Getting them to Australia is expensive, and they are not commonly available 2nd hand. I'm particularly thinking this year of physics type units. My dd10 is doing Corn and Beans at the moment and is really enjoying it. She also enjoyed Radishes. I haven't used the older TOPS but the topics we have used have been really good. I bought mine from Chariot Press. http://www.chariotpress.com.au/index.php?main_page=index&cPath=40_1116&zenid=0fe817a678fc6ebb1b4b4a9333523793 I know these are not the topics you are looking for but they haven't loaded everything onto their website yet. I have Analysis and Cohesion/Adhesion waiting on my shelf which have also come from Chariot Press, so, if you ring them, they might have some other topics in stock, or at least be able to get them in for you. HTH Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tjarnold Posted March 23, 2011 Share Posted March 23, 2011 :lurk5: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
keptwoman Posted March 23, 2011 Author Share Posted March 23, 2011 (edited) Thanks Linda! I'll check the Chariot website, should have known that Ray would sell them, he seems to sell everything!! M is doing Radishes and C is doing Corn and Beans at the moment. We are planning to do some physics units next, I've decided on Electricity and Magnetism for both of them, then C can move onto some of the high school units. eta: Just looked at the website, he sells the two we are doing. Oh well. Edited March 23, 2011 by keptwoman Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LindaOz Posted March 24, 2011 Share Posted March 24, 2011 Thanks Linda! I'll check the Chariot website, should have known that Ray would sell them, he seems to sell everything!!M is doing Radishes and C is doing Corn and Beans at the moment. We are planning to do some physics units next, I've decided on Electricity and Magnetism for both of them, then C can move onto some of the high school units. eta: Just looked at the website, he sells the two we are doing. Oh well. I'd still give them a ring though (or email and ask) because some of the other TOPS books I have are also from Chariot Press even though they are not listed on the website. Hope you find what you are looking for. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cschnee Posted March 24, 2011 Share Posted March 24, 2011 Can anyone tell me how similar Corn and Beans and Radishes are? We did C&B last summer and may do Radishes this summer. Thanks, Cindy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
keptwoman Posted March 27, 2011 Author Share Posted March 27, 2011 (edited) I wouldn't bother doing radishes after Corn and Beans. It covers the same subject matter, but Radishes is slightly less in depth. Edited March 27, 2011 by keptwoman Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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