llindseymomoffour Posted August 18, 2011 Share Posted August 18, 2011 (edited) If you could design your own science curriculum for elementary, what would you make a must have? Hands on learning kits Videos Workbooks or PDF files Other Edited August 18, 2011 by llindseymomoffour Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ChrissySC Posted August 18, 2011 Share Posted August 18, 2011 I would have made ES or RSO or Classiquest. LOL But, I don't need to make them. They are "made". I suppose it is the hands-on learning and availability of download that are great big happy points for me. I like the notebook style of all of the above as well - that is over the idea of a workbook. Videos are not as important, unless you are considering something for highschool. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
8filltheheart Posted August 18, 2011 Share Posted August 18, 2011 whole books on various topics. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FairProspects Posted August 18, 2011 Share Posted August 18, 2011 I think it depends on your style as a teacher. In our house, we have to have hands-on kits. Its just part of who we are and how we learn, but I also only have 2 kids and they are still young so we have time to mess around with lots of experiments and creative projects. We also use tons of books on various topics as 8 describes (we love the Let's-Read-And-Find-Out series, the National Geographic series for kids and Usbourne flap books). Sometimes I read them aloud, but frequently they are just displayed throughout the house unschooling style and the kids read whatever sparks their interest on any given day. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jabberwocky Posted August 18, 2011 Share Posted August 18, 2011 Depends on where you're coming from actually... to be honest, I think the way science is presented is the most important thing for these grades. Science is FUN. It is exciting and weird and really neat to study. That should be top priority. You have to interest kids if you want them to want to learn it. If you're asking for recommendations for yourself... I think it depends on your children more than anything. What type of learners are they? Visual? Audio? Hands-on? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ecclecticmum Posted August 18, 2011 Share Posted August 18, 2011 Videos. Just because its the least able to get one. And by videos, I mean movies, documentaries and all that other stuff. If I made one up from scratch, it would be based round documentaries, with an answer/cheat sheet on hand for the teacher, for questions that arise during the viewing of the documentary. This doco would be followed by an "examination" kit. NOT labs, just stuff the kids can naturally look at/feel/examine futher. Like the Montessori continent boxes, but for Science. i would also have a batch of books within the kit, so those interested in certain things in the box/doco can read further. After this I would include any "must do" labs. And possibly get the children to make up a version of their choosing (diorama, report, picture, collage, own experiment, whatever flights their fancy) to show what they "learnt" in that lesson. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alte Veste Academy Posted August 18, 2011 Share Posted August 18, 2011 whole books on various topics. :iagree: Lots of books, library access and my favorite piece of science equipment, a Question Board. Introducing a particular topic? Reading a book about science? Going on a nature walk? Visiting the zoo? Baking a cake? Cleaning the counters after handling raw meat? Ask kids what questions they have, before and after. Write down all questions. Allow them to write down questions at any time of day. Ask if it's the kind of question they could answer by reading a book or if it's the kind of question they could answer by designing an experiment. Find answers for all the questions. Kids learn virtually everything from birth to Kinder by questioning and seeking answers. Then they hit school-age and we just start stuffing them with info. I say let them keep their questions forever. :001_smile: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
llindseymomoffour Posted August 18, 2011 Author Share Posted August 18, 2011 I love everyone's ideas. I think the more hands on the better for my kids. I have a lot to look into. Keep the ideas coming. :D Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Siebelink6 Posted August 18, 2011 Share Posted August 18, 2011 I would make Classiquest available immediately in all 4 subject areas with a complete experiment kit! I'm in love with the biology set, but we've moved on to Astronomy and Geoscience this year.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sagira Posted August 18, 2011 Share Posted August 18, 2011 Great post! :iagree: Lots of books, library access and my favorite piece of science equipment, a Question Board. Introducing a particular topic? Reading a book about science? Going on a nature walk? Visiting the zoo? Baking a cake? Cleaning the counters after handling raw meat? Ask kids what questions they have, before and after. Write down all questions. Allow them to write down questions at any time of day. Ask if it's the kind of question they could answer by reading a book or if it's the kind of question they could answer by designing an experiment. Find answers for all the questions. Kids learn virtually everything from birth to Kinder by questioning and seeking answers. Then they hit school-age and we just start stuffing them with info. I say let them keep their questions forever. :001_smile: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sbgrace Posted August 18, 2011 Share Posted August 18, 2011 (edited) I've got links to the lesson plans I designed and used for science (1st grade) in my blog and I'm doing the same for 2nd grade because it worked so well. I used the free Core Knowledge Sequence and lots of online resources to go with our library books and experiments. My goal was hands on and, well, fun. I think attitude and positive experience is as important as content. Because of the level of engagement my kids are retaining what's learned but still the experience was my priority in planning. Edited August 18, 2011 by sbgrace Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Farrar Posted August 18, 2011 Share Posted August 18, 2011 I did design our first grade science program. We used books, videos and lots of experiments. We used science notebooks as well. If you click on my blog, there's a link that goes to all our science posts and explains our program. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Targhee Posted August 18, 2011 Share Posted August 18, 2011 a magnifying loupe writing/drawing/journaling materials containers for collecting "samples" field guides outdoor clothing muck boots soap and a sense of humor As far as curricular items... - reference books (science encyclopedias, science dictionary, internet site- BrainPop?) - I would design an investigation sheet so that when they had an idea pop in their heads they could go to testing it out semi-independently - great posters/charts/diagrams on the walls for when their little minds wander - a "loose" plan for the topics to be covered for the year I am all about experiential education in science in the early years. I am also all about learning the PROCESS of science. If I give them the liberty of exploring science topics which interest them and emphasize my guidance/instruction on scientific process I believe I am allowing them to come to LOVE science and UNDERSTAND science. I am not a believer in the 4-year-repeated-3-times science plan of WTM. We no longer live in an age where you can know the entire body of scientific knowledge (as it has grown to an exponentially larger size than the that during the time of greeks and romans, and we haven't the unfettered time a landed gentleman of leisure in centuries past had to devote to it). We need to prepare our kids to know how to accept or reject scientific ideas, how to get answers to their scientific questions, how to apply scientific ideas, and how to add to the body of knowledge. I really like BFSU and used it, but I feel confident enough in my own abilities that we kind of wing it (I am a former middle school science teacher). We are using Earth and Space science task cards from Creek Edge Press, but that is just for them to have fun with, and get them engaged in subjects that aren't always easy to engage with (like constellations in a metro area that is always overcast). It helps facilitate their independent learning. We are also doing as many outdoor/nature study/museum trips/experiential things as possible during the year. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alte Veste Academy Posted August 18, 2011 Share Posted August 18, 2011 Great post! Thanks! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stripe Posted August 19, 2011 Share Posted August 19, 2011 Thanks! Where have you been?! I'm so happy to see you're back!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alte Veste Academy Posted August 19, 2011 Share Posted August 19, 2011 Where have you been?! I'm so happy to see you're back!!! Ah, thank you! I quit the boards cold turkey in October because I needed to focus on routines without the magnetic pull of this board. :D I think I've found a good groove and I'm excited to be back. It feels good to be bouncing around ideas again! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
island-mama Posted August 19, 2011 Share Posted August 19, 2011 Lots of real books are important to us. No texts. Also, hands on projects to demonstrate as many principles as possible. Then some worksheets or logs to solidify the learning process.That is our science routine, and we use Evan Moor's Scienceworks series to implement it. I admit that science is my least favorite subject, but I am trying to make it very fun for my children (it is one of their favorite subjects). I think textbook science turned me off to it when I was in school... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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