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Science in 2nd grade?


Jzsnow
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Our 2010-2011 school year was second grade for ds and we used AIG's God's Design for Heaven and Earth. It was a good fit for us and we had fun with it, but I am trying to simplify our schooling and go more toward the WTM method of science and wish I would have went with Elemental Earth Science and Astronomy instead. (But I didn't know about Elemental until a few months into our school year.)

 

We are planning on using Elemental Science's Chemistry this coming up school year and I am really excited - it looks exactly like what I've been searching for.

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I am using REAL Science Odyssey Earth/Space by Pandia Press. This is new for us we used a Hartcourt Textbook for 1st grade but I was not impressed and thought it was a bit simple. We did Elemental Science Biology Lapbook this summer just for some review and fun and my dd really liked it. I had alread purchased R.S.O. Earth/space before doing the lapbook and I have to admit I really liked their curriculum as well. I may look into doing E.S. for next years science. I have not started R.S.O. yet I have been scheduling and gathering supplies so I don't have any experience with it yet but I purchased it because it looked very informative and my dd likes doing experiements. It also got good reviews one in particular is the satorismiles.com website she did a great layout of her R.S.O. biology experience. i dont' have the exact link hopefully she will comment on this.

Hope this helps.

Diana

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Science is my nemesis, so I'm still trying to find the best fit...

 

Last year, we tried Elemental Science Intro to Science, but that was way too easy for my sciencey first grader. Also, I really wanted a text to tie it all together, and that wasn't present.

 

Then we tried planned interest-led. Basically, I found out what DS wanted to learn about, and then I planned out some units, picking library books, etc. The problem was that it wasn't really scheduled (like read this page, do this experiment), so we ended up having a book basket for science books, but never actually "doing science", which my son wanted to do.

 

During the interest-led thing, I used the sample of RSO Earth & Space for our weather unit. I thought it was too easy for DS, and it didn't even talk about cloud types and such, so I had to add that in myself.

 

Now we're doing BJU Science 3 for second grade. It is working reasonably well, but it's textbooky and a bit boring. I'll stick with it for this year, adding living books to it (for example, we're learning about birds next week in BJU, so I got a book recommended by NOEO: The Boy Who Drew Birds, which talks about John Audubon). DS is learning things, but science isn't exactly exciting. We're doing Science Wiz kits also, and those are fun.

 

Next year, I'm debating between God's Design for Science and NOEO. I plan to do chemistry, whichever one I use. And of course, I might go some other route. As I said, science is my nemesis. I haven't yet found what really works for me. :tongue_smilie:

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We just finished 2nd grade. I think we had a good strong year, and both ds and I enjoyed it. For Science we used the following spines as jump-off points:

 

Kingfisher's Young Discoverers Series

Science Smart

Eyewitness Series Rocks and Minerals

Kingfisher's First Animal Encyclopedia

North American Wildlife

Usborne Science Encyclopedia

Handbook of Nature Study

 

and added in living books, copywork, oral narrations, and a few projects through notebooking pages I bought. We discussed much, and had fun.

The topics we covered were wildflowers, insects, rocks and minerals, and electricity. For the latter ds simply worked through Dangerous Book for Boys kit with dh and learned much by connecting circuits himself.

 

We ended the 10 weeks of school or so with the plan to finish up BFSU K-2. We made it to and finalized Inertia, but realizing some was going over his head, I decided to wait for the last few chapters. I'm going to integrate these chapters with Singapore MPH Science, which we are doing next year.

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I don't have a 2nd grader, but I have a 1st grader and a 3rd grader and I'm doing Real Science 4 Kids with both of them. (Physics, Chemistry, and Biology for both of them.) Pre-Level 1.

 

I am also seriously considering having them join Lego Robotics League. (Jr. League for the 1st grader.)

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With my 1st 2nd grader we did WTM 2nd grade science, just as laid out in book (which leaves a lot to the momma...) We used the Usborne books as spines for earth and space science. Lots of good stuff.

 

My current 2nd grader is following along w/her older sis' science. This year it will be WTM physics. We are still finishing up Adventures with Atoms and Molecules right now. DD7 is expected to do a narration sheet after each experiment. I also have R&S science 2 workbook. I may work through that with her at some point just to touch on some different topics. But we will be back to life science next year, so most of that will fit in then.

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By the time I got around to planning science this year, our school budget was $0, so I have to work with what we have on hand. Luckily, I've been "buying ahead" on some things since DS 7 was, oh, about 2yo. :D Since I can't buy anything else, I'm sticking with a mostly-WTM approach this year.

 

We'll be using these as spines:

 

  • Kingfisher Young People's Book of the Universe
  • Usborne First Encyclopedia of Our World
  • Kingfisher Science Encyclopedia

We'll be using these to add experiments and activities (almost) weekly:

 

  • Earth Science for Every Kid
  • Astronomy for Every Kid
  • Magic School Bus Secrets of Space kit (birthday present, yay!)
  • A build-your-own volcano kit
  • More Mudpies to Magnets

We'll be using these for additional fun and activities:

 

  • Bill Nye science videos
  • a really nice telescope from my SIL, plus a few constellation guides
  • a small collection of Let's Read and Find Out books
  • lots of extra books for DS's book basket

DS isn't huge on science, so I'm fine with the way this year is working out. If he was a more hands-on, experiment kind of guy, we'd be in trouble!

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We are using Mr Q's Earth Science.

 

http://www.eequalsmcq.com/classicsciinfo.htm

 

We're using Mr Q's free Life Science. Have you tried it?

 

I was spending too much time looking for something for them and thinking of spending all kinds of money but finally decided to go with Mr Q and then supplement with some experiment packages from The Young Scientists' Club that we already have.

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I'm leaning towards apologia since we are into creationism. Anyone have any reviews or which to start with?

 

Astronomy is the easiest to understand, and the shortest, and usually the book people start with in the series.

 

I really like it so far, as do my kids. I don't share the same religious view as the authors, so when something comes up in the book I just explain it to my kids that some people believe this, but we believe this. We like the narrative voice; it is really on the kid's level.

 

I really like the activities/experiments that are planned as well. Easy to do and find the supplies, but actually teach new concepts on my kid's level.

 

We do science one day a week. I divided the book so that I read a certain amount on our science day. Then the kids get out their composition books and write/illustrate one thing they remember. We usually do an activity about every other week in science as well.

 

Hope that helps!

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Doing our own thing this year for earth science and a little bit of elementary chemistry. We did our own thing last year for physics and we had a great time (if you click on my blog, I did a whole series of posts about it). I've got a good stack of books for us to draw from, so I'm excited to get started. But, um... I haven't done as much planning as I had meant to do ahead of time!

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I'm not very good at organizing artistic or experimental work... so I'm going the workbook route with Evan Moor Daily Science - Grade 2. It's not particularly exciting, but my daughter is eager to start it. At least we'll be consistent with it and hopefully she'll pick up some vocabulary (and work on her reading comprehension too).

Luckily we have a homeschool support PS and a science museum locally to fill in the gaps -- making science more than just a workbook.

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WinterPromise World Around Me science this year for second grade. We'll do WinterPromise Animals and Their Worlds next year, but I could use it this year as well. That is a complete theme with crafts and read aloud books, but there's a reduced program called Animal Habitats that could be used for science alone.

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