Easier to organize Science...

[Lots of boys]

I am very new to all of this - just bought all my curriculum and will start next month with my three boys. I looked at a lot of science and finally decided on REAL Science Odyssey (Life) for next year. I got it the other day and although I really like the content I am overwhelmed with the prep for materials etc. for all the labs. Can anyone either reassure me about this program or give me advice on another good science curriculum for a 5 and 7 year old. They LOVE science stuff - love, love, love when I read them non-fiction books about anything nature/animals etc. I really want to include a science curriculum but worry that RSO may just get the better of me. :tongue_smilie:

 

Any suggestions. We prefer a very secular approach to science.

 

Thanks,

Angela

[Lots of boys]

bump:001_smile:

[Down_the_Rabbit_Hole]

BJU has an absolutely terrific science curriculum for each grade, but you could combine your children with no problems. Tons of hands on science that does not require much prep. I am using the 2nd grade this year for dd and adding in readings from the library for the different topics covered.

 

As for organizing science, take a few weeks at a time and collect what you need. If the items needed are perishable, make a note in your teacher's pages a day or 2 before the item is needed. I break my planning into 25 lessons. I keep everything in a box and have tagged the items with post-its letting me know what lesson the item is for or if I need to keep it for later lessons. Get any copies made in advance also.

[KristenR]

I contemplated RSO but decided on BFSU. I do hear lots of great things about both. In a perfect world I would have the time and money to combine the two and use the premade labs with BFSU.

 

Angela over at Satori Smiles uses RSO and does some really great photo blogs on her activities.

If you are like me, you will benefit from reading about other families homeschooling adventures. I'd start with Angela's and then search on the forum here for any other folks who are blogging their way through their RSO experience.

 

For what its worth I am blogging about our BFSU activities on my blog here.

[Lots of boys]

Thanks everyone. I will check out the other programs as well. What is NOEO and BFSU ? I will try to Google and find them :)

[redsquirrel]

The best advice I ever got for science was to gather up all material ahead of time and take nothing for granted. That means, even if you use vinegar every single day and keep a 5 gallon jug in the house you still have a bottle of vinegar in the 'science materials' bin. That is because the one day you need vinegar for an experiment will be the one day of your whole life that you don't have any in the house.

 

I spend the summer months gathering up all the science materials needed and I put them into a big bin. I divide using ziplock bags if possible. Then, when it is time to do an experiment, I just pull out the needed materials. It is the only way I ever get this stuff done.

 

Your kids are young. Trust me, science and other hands on activities don't get easier to organize as they get older. It's better to just accept it and get your game face on early.

[KristenR]

Thanks everyone. I will check out the other programs as well. What is NOEO and BFSU ? I will try to Google and find them :)

 

Building Foundations of Scientific Understanding

 

Neo Science

[Wheres Toto]

I plan to do RSO with BFSU. I like the mixed disciplines approach of BFSU but like the easier format of RSO.

 

When deciding I looked at both RSO and NOEO. I prefer RSO because if you choose, you don't have to use anything but their guide (except for lab supplies). It offers a brief overview of what's being studied then labs with lots of information on how to present it and discuss it. It does offer suggestions for additional reading but they are optional. I didn't like how NOEO requires the purchase of multiple spines (repeated use would make them hard to get from the library) and lab kits. I can get all three years of RSO Level 1 (not counting supplies) for the same price as one year of NOEO (which does include some lab kits but not all the supplies).

 

Both programs had lists of lab supplies and I didn't think RSO's was any worse than NOEO's. Both have them listed in the front of their guides. RSO provides Try Before You Buy ebooks that includes a good sample of the early lessons in each.

 

There is some disagreement on whether NOEO is truly a secular program or not.

From their FAQ:

We assume that Bible study is already an integral and essential part of the child's daily

schedule. We believe that science, for Christians, is simply observing and describing God's

creation. Our books are carefully selected to provide marvelous examples of all of the

wonders of His creation. Our materials are written to provide a framework for an organized

study of science, not as a tool to provide our own commentary. If science is viewed from a

Christian perspective, then His invisible qualities will be clearly seen (Romans 1:20) without

any need for comments from us.

 

RSO is definitely secular and will include evolution in the higher levels, which is important to me. BFSU is planning to stay "neutral" and not discuss evolution and related topics. I will have to take a closer look at the higher level to see how it address stuff like Light-years and geological age of the earth.

[nukeswife]

I have used RSO Life, E&S and half of Chemistry. We love it here. I didn't have much trouble with the lab supplies. I just took a list with me to the store and bought all my non-consumables ahead of time and kept them in a big Rubbermaid bucket. For any consumables I would check out what was coming up for the next week on Friday and make sure to pick it up or have dh pick it up on the weekend.

 

For the non-consumable I know that http://www.homesciencetools.com sells a kit for the slightly harder to find items you would need.