Can someone help me dig up some threads on MPH science?

[sagira]

I tried more than a few times. When I type in MPH it says no results, and My Pals Are Here doesn't yield any better results :headscratch:, Singapore Science I get a few but I KNOW there were more threads on this a few months ago that I don't see. Can someone help?

 

I'm looking to start organizing my Science for next year and I'm going to be using MPH Science (Singapore's My Pals Are Here) 3/4 with my rising 3rd Year student. I'm looking to finish BFSU Volume 1 this Summer, and I will look through BFSU Volume 2 to see if ds (by then 8) will be ready for the more advanced topics.

 

Thanks to anyone who can help! If you can give me insight on how you use Singapore Science MPH 3/4, that would be great too! :)

[Dana]

Threads I could find... and check any tags... think I tried tagging some as MPH when I was picking resources. Wish search feature were back. :glare:

 

http://dev.welltrainedmind.com/forums/showthread.php?t=173522

http://www.welltrainedmind.com/forums/showthread.php?t=199612

http://www.welltrainedmind.com/forums/tags.php?tag=mph+3%2F4 (tag may be really helpful)

[usetoschool]

We have used the full program for 3/4 - what kind of information are you looking for?

[HappyGrace]

never mind! found what I needed in the above links :)

Edited May 8, 2011 by HappyGrace

[sagira]

Thank you for the links!

 

We have used the full program for 3/4 - what kind of information are you looking for?

 

Answering you before checking out the above links -

 

1. How did you schedule all the books? I have text, activity, homework and HOTS.

2. Is the Teacher guide truly necessary?

3. Can this be done in less than 30 min a day 4 times a week, or do I schedule 30 min?

4. How does day to day go?

5. Did your dc like it, find it interesting?

6. Did your dc retain information?

 

TIA!

[mamachanse]

:lurk5:

[Tress]

Hi Sagira,

 

I think I have tagged almost every thread I could find that discussed MPH, so clicking on the tag below should give you several threads.

 

I am eagerly awaiting my Christianbook order of MPH 3/4, I bought the whole thing, TM, More Notes, Homework, Tests, whatnot.:tongue_smilie:

 

So except for question 2 (too late for that, order has already shipped....so please nobody tell me that I do not need the TM...lalalalalalala I'm not listening) I have the same questions ;).

Edited May 10, 2011 by Tress
typo

[Ummto4]

Hi Sagira,

 

I suggest you to read may be two or three chapters in advance (if they are related) including the HW and HOTS to see what kind of concepts they want to emphasize and teach from there.

 

For instance, when teaching about cycles, I do chapter 1-2 together (the intro and animal cell cycles). I get my kiddos to draw a 4-stage cell cycle and a 3-stage cell cycle, and as they encounter more animal cell cycles, they put the animal names and details such as w or w/o complete metamorphosis, the length of the cycle, and the name of the young, in the appropriate paper (either 4 or 3 stage cycles). I take it slowly, and even ask them to research the answers to questions posed in the book , do some activities as suggested in the activity book, and the dengue fever project.

 

Throughout, concepts are emphasized (by me) and then I get them to do the HW and HOTS.

This way, ch 1-2 of the cycle book can take 4 weeks to complete, if done daily around 15-30 mins.

 

I tend to do everything daily in small bites these days as I find kids retain more and also it becomes so doable for me psychologically (KWIM ?). I can also review things v. often.

 

I never use the teacher guide, but may be that has everything planned for you.

 

Oh .. before I forget, I use MPH 3/4 with my 9 yo 3rd grader boy, and 7 yo 2nd grader girl. They enjoy MPH more after I do it daily in small bites, and after I include all the research/projects/activities I can find in MPH. We also do science notebooking because I do alternate living books (biome and biography theme) with S-pore, and they're so proud of their pretty notebooks. Back to MPH -- I find that those reserach/projects/activities really help them to understand the concept and make it easier for them to actually do the HW , HOTS and test books. S-pore science is easy to retain because vocab is minimal and is heavier on concept. So once they 'get' it, they get it ...:).

 

HTH,

Dian (who has to update the siggy)

[Tress]

Mom2moon2,

 

what do you use for those 'research projects'? Random library books? Internet? Favorite science books? I *love* the idea, but if I have to run to the library every day....I'm going insane. Going once a week with runaway-toddler, baby, two BIG bags of book..all by bike....is a major accomplishment at the moment :lol:.

Edited May 10, 2011 by Tress
typo, again

[Ummto4]

OK this is the sample of daily lesson plan for cycle ch. 1 and 2.

 

Week 1:

a. Read ch 1 (intro to life cycle) tlill P. 7. Draw bird life cycle and write the features. Emphasize 'what is life cycle'.

b. Find from internet about ladybird life cycle and draw ladybird life cycle. Emphasize metamorphosis vs non metamorphosis.

c. Read P.8 chapter 1 and put fruit fly in either 3- or 4-stage life cycle papaer. Do activity 1.2 (match parents - offsprint). Emphasize length of cycle.

d. Reviews and start ch 2. Discuss chicken cycle, put chicken in either 3-or 4-stage life cycle paper and answer question in notebook: Why hen sits on the egg (internet search).

e. Discuss frog life cycle (ch. 2). Pur frog in either 3- or 4-stage life cycle paper, and answer question in notebook: How frogs protect the egg (internet search).

 

Week 2.

a. Buttefly and mosquito life cycle from ch 2. Put in appropriate place (3- or 4-stage life cycle). Reviews

b. Do ch. 1 HW book section A&B.

c. Do ch 1. HW book section C.

d. Cockroach and grasshopper life cycles. Put in appropriate place (3- or 4-stage life cycle). Do activity 2.2. (comparing butterfly and cockroach or 4 vs 3-stage life cycles).

e. Internet search on dengue fever and aedes aegepty. Discuss.

 

Week 3.

a. Reviews, make dengue fever prevention flyer.

b. Do ch. 2 HW book section A&B

c. Do ch 2 HW book section C

d. HOTS ch 1. part A

e HOTS ch. 1 part B

 

Week 4.

a. HOTS ch. 2 part A

b. HOTS ch. 2. part B

c. HOTs ch 1. part C

d. HOTS ch 2 part C.

e. catch-up (if any) and reviews.

[Ummto4]

Tress ... we use internet and whatever book we have at home. (if any ..)

 

We only do small research project if prompted by the curriculum.

[Tress]

Ahh, I can breath again. Thank you!

 

I was thinking of making a book basket for extra reading/research, but I'm not very good in coordinating things in advance, so that will probably consist of me grabbing a lot of (semi)related books from the library shelves and just hoping that they fit :tongue_smilie:.

 

Thanks for the detaild plan!

[Dana]

I like having the Teacher's Guide.

It isn't very open & go, but it does have some additional presentation ideas, some additional notes about the topics (more in depth addressed to the teacher), common misconceptions, and some websites for further investigation. It also has the answers to the activity book and textbook questions.

[Tress]

Dana, great post! After spending so much money (AND 35% shipping....ough) that is exactly what I needed to hear :D.

[usetoschool]

Thank you for the links!

 

 

 

Answering you before checking out the above links -

 

1. How did you schedule all the books? I have text, activity, homework and HOTS.

 

We just followed the schedule in the Teacher's Guide, which I think is necessary. It lays it out for you pretty clearly. We did a "lesson" as defined by the TG per week.

 

2. Is the Teacher guide truly necessary?

 

Yes - if you want to really use the program and get the most out of it. It also has a lot of background information and side bars directed to the teacher so you can really understand what you are teaching and not just parrot the book.

 

3. Can this be done in less than 30 min a day 4 times a week, or do I schedule 30 min?

 

Some days a little less, others a little more but I don't think you can finish a lesson in 4 days at 30 minutes per day. The lessons are in a 5 day format and some of the HOTS and tests take a full, scheduled time period. 30 minutes would be a good average amount of time to schedule but on activity days you would need to have everything ready to go ahead of time.

 

4. How does day to day go?

 

Day 1 - read the small textbook, which is directed to the child and do some teacher directed activities to introduce the subject - we did this sitting around the table

Day 2 - use the small activity book (you can share the textbook but each child needs and activity book to write in - we tried sharing and such and it is just easier to have your own) - we did just about all of the activities around the counter in the kitchen - our science lab. Some of the activities are messy. They need to bring their activity books to record information during the experiments.

Day 3 - do an activity

Day 4 - some reading and discussion in the textbook

Day 5 - HOTS which is a worksheet

 

At the end of each topic there are very comprehensive tests which require some good reading skills. The tests are serious and sometimes hard.

 

There are also suggested books to read and websites to look at. The activities are well thought out and use the scientific method and always worked, unlike some other science programs we have used.

 

 

5. Did your dc like it, find it interesting?

 

They did like it and they learned quite a bit. It is a very thorough science program and pretty advanced for 3rd/4th graders. We were trying to get a couple of kids (not mine) caught up on school work and had a time limit so we had to rush through it a little more than I would have liked. The activity book and textbook are nicely done and interesting. It has a pretty good mix of reading and activities. There are charts to fill in to sort information, vocabulary, good diagrams. It speaks to the children but uses real scientific language.

 

6. Did your dc retain information?

 

Yes and I think they would have retained more if we could have spent a little more time on it - like I said, we had to have it finished by a certain day so we had to just keep moving.

 

TIA!

 

I see that you have the books and are probably already aware of many of the things I said but I added some of it for others who might not have a sample to look at. We really like it and I felt like it was worth the fairly steep price. It is a good, solid science program that covers a lot of material and with the TG was really easy to do - just had to look at the next days information and be prepared.

 

I was just flipping through the TG and remembered that there are some activities geared toward a well supplied public school lab that you might have to fudge a little bit. I can look them up if anyone wants. And because it is a foreign program there are references to animals and plants and some activities and vocabulary that might be unfamiliar. I had to look ahead and "translate" into something in our environment or culture.

[usetoschool]

Mom2moon2,

 

what do you use for those 'research projects'? Random library books? Internet? Favorite science books? I *love* the idea, but if I have to run to the library every day....I'm going insane. Going once a week with runaway-toddler, baby, two BIG bags of book..all by bike....is a major accomplishment at the moment :lol:.

 

All of the extra books are things that she adds in I think - MPH has suggestions for books and websites but they aren't necessary for the program generally. I never used anything outside of the program itself and we were fine, although you could use the program as a spine and expand on it easily.

[Dana]

I was just flipping through the TG and remembered that there are some activities geared toward a well supplied public school lab that you might have to fudge a little bit. I can look them up if anyone wants. And because it is a foreign program there are references to animals and plants and some activities and vocabulary that might be unfamiliar. I had to look ahead and "translate" into something in our environment or culture.

 

There was one test in Diversity that had a question we just had to exclude (classifying fruit that we didn't know).

 

I know that some of the later books use a datalogger. We're probably either going to get attachments to the graphing calculator to collect data, or (more likely) get LEGO Mindstorms and additional sensors. (Ain't rationalization great?)

[sagira]

Thank you! :)

[usetoschool]

or (more likely) get LEGO Mindstorms and additional sensors. (Ain't rationalization great?)

:001_smile:

[Tress]

jcooperetc,

 

thank you!!

 

I was thinking of doing it twice a week for an hour, but that may be not enough. Hmmm. Have to think about that. And with you mentioning good reading skills...my dd's English (=foreign language) skills are not very good yet, so she will need my help. Hmmm, this might prove to be a more time consuming course than I expected :001_unsure:. We'll see how things go.

[sagira]

I see I may need to get the TM, at least as a reference. It's better to have it and not need it, than to not have it and need it. Background info sounds awesome. It may actually save me time, and I can pick and choose.