parias1126 Posted June 28, 2011 Share Posted June 28, 2011 (edited) I am trying to figure out science and history for the Fall. I was going to go ahead and start with SOTW Ancients with my rising 2nd and 3rd grader. We have attempted the last 2 years, but something always gets in the way and it seems as though science and history get thrown aside a few weeks into the year. I AM GOING TO DO SCIENCE AND HISTORY THIS YEAR.... <REPEATING THESE WORDS FRANTICALLY>! :D YES! IT WILL GET DONE FROM START TO FINISH! NO EXCUSES! I have decided after reading a couple posts on WTM after a search, that I am going to do Science and History FIRST on our schedule. I know I can't dismiss Math/Grammar, so this way it will get done. I really want to follow WTM suggestions, but my children are already 2nd/3rd. I want to keep them together as much as possible, otherwise I get frustrated. Anyway, I was looking at Elemental, NOEO, and Nancy Larsen for Science. I think I have pretty much decided against NL Science as it does not follow WTM and it is so scripted that I might just go nuts. It also looks too easy for my 7 yr old DS. Ok, so this leaves me with NOEO or Elemental for Science. I looked over ES Biology and I am wondering if it is a bit too easy for my children, but if I go with SOTW Ancients, then I would need to go with Biology per WTM. I am soooo confused and feel like I have must messed up my WTM schedule since I have let Science and History fall at the wayside for the past couple years. What would you do in my situation? I would also love your Science suggestions as far as NOEO and Elemental go. Edited June 28, 2011 by parias1126 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KrissiK Posted June 28, 2011 Share Posted June 28, 2011 Welllllll..... I wouldn't try too hard to keep your science and history in sync with eachother as per TWTM. I had a hard time doing science this year and finally I got a curriculum (R.E.A.L. Science Odessy) and we'll be doing that when we start again in August. And we're doing Life Science even though we're in the middle of SOTW 2. And we've actually sort of done life science before. I don't think it's that crucial to keep those subjects together at all. Also, I schedule history 3 days a week and science 2 days a week during the same time period of the day. We have a routine and if we stick with our routine we get it done. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ChrissySC Posted June 28, 2011 Share Posted June 28, 2011 At this age, I am a firm believer that science should be experienced. I used and loved RSO. My girls did too. We did NOT do science everyday. Instead, we did the experiments on Saturdays. We did read the script during the week, and I had a basket of books for the material being studied in the group of experiments. I did not complete summaries. I did not narrate. LOL I did, however, take lots of pictures to substitute for drawing, and we added pictures to the backs of the experiment sheets. Basically, we documented through photography. I let my oldest take the photos. We were very relaxed. Also, I used RSO to afterschool too. ;) HTH Before RSO, I used the JVC experiment books ... HERE ... with a basket full of books. :D Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris in VA Posted June 28, 2011 Share Posted June 28, 2011 You don't have to do the same sequence as in WTM for science. There, you are off the hook. Feel better? :D You WILL do history this year, because SOTW 1 is tons of fun--you do have the AG, right? Don't do history without it. It has lots of really neat projects, coloring pages, sample narrations and comp questions for each chapter. It makes notebooking extremely easy. Every week, we did a map (right in the AG, just tear out and 3 hole punch), a couple of activities, and a narration. We occasionally did the coloring pages (more the second year) and read some of the supplemental books. IT WAS GREAT!!! You will probably have so much fun on history days that you won't believe you didn't do it earlier! :D As for science, make it easy on yourself. Go for a nature walk every 2 weeks or so--draw or photograph (give them the camera) what you see, then spend 10 minutes looking it up and then take a narration--just a sentence or two about what they saw, date the page, and tuck it in a sheet protector (so you can collect a feather or press a flower or take a leaf or two), and stick it in a binder. At the end of the year, you'll have a nice notebook of your discoveries, your kids will have sharpened both their research and their observation skills (mucho necessary in science), and you'll have some cool memories! Maybe throw in some fun kitchen chemistry, or get a small pet or collect some bugs (alive is more fun). Go to the zoo, and notice all the kinds of feet the animals have, and compare habitats. Make a wormery. Hatch a butterfly, make bread with and without yeast, and learn the plurals and group names of 20 animals (flock, gaggle, gang...LOL--)...Get out there and experience science. You will do it this year!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheAutumnOak Posted June 28, 2011 Share Posted June 28, 2011 I vote for Elemental Science Biology for the Grammar Stage...It is simple enough to get done consistently, but provides all the info children need at your kids ages...If this was high school or middle school, ES Grammar would be too easy...But it is perfect for young kids... If you don't want to do the copy and pasting, you could always print out a sheet with a blank top and writing lines like the one at Donna Young's site and use that for a narration...Your child can draw a picture at the top...I would post a link to a copy of it, but my mouse is not working right at the moment and I cannot copy and paste... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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