Great Science Adventures..opinions?

[Kelley]

What are your experiences using these?

 

Are there any hands-on activities assoiciated with these?

 

Which titles have you used?

 

Thanks!

Kelley

[AudreyTN]

I can't tell you a lot about it. I tried it when dd was entering 1st grade (she's now finishing up 2nd).

 

All I remember is that I absolutely abhored making the little books. And if I remember correctly the little books are your main source of info on the topics covered.

[Lori D.]

Here's a "reprint" (lol) of my previous response re: GSA. There are more responses from other users of GSA in this past WTM thread: http://www.welltrainedmind.com/forum...94333#poststop

 

 

 

My take on Great Science Adventures:

Each is a framework of how to study a specific science topic, broken into 24 lessons, plus the reproducible pages for making little "minute books" suitable for lapbooking. To make this a complete science, you really need to get the items for doing some of the experiments, and also check out additional books from the library for some in-depth information. On it's own, it might be enough teaching info for a 3rd-4th grader, and the "artsy-craftsy" appeal of the little booklets is probably at that level as well.

 

 

How GSA works:

You end up making 24 booklets (one for each lesson), plus a little paper "bookcase" to hold them all. As far as time: you'd need to photocopy all of the paper booklet masters, and if you sat down and cut and folded all of them up in one sitting, I'd guess it would take you 6-8 hours.

 

As far as what the book teaches, while listed for grades 1-8, I'd say realistically each book is probably best for grades 3-5. Maybe for a 2nd grader good with scissors who loves crafts and who is bright in science, or for a 6th grader for some of the extended science labs.

 

If you go with GSA books, my suggestion would be use them as supplements for the experiment/resource ideas, and skip the artsy-craftsy booklets if you're not into that aspect.

 

 

What each Great Science Adventure looks like:

Each lesson is more of an outline on how to teach a specific topic. Each lesson is 2 pages long, containing:

- bullet point list of key concepts to cover

- list of any related vocabulary words

- directions for a longer "science fair" type experiment

- directions for putting together the booklet and sentences to dictate/write in the booklet (simplier or more complex levels here, depending on your student's ability)

- activity idea and how to turn the activity into another booklet, or research/paper ideas for older students

- suggested other activities, books, or resources

 

See sample pages at http://www.christianbook.com by searching for the particular book you're interested in.

 

 

I bought several of these; only used a few pages out of the Tools and Technology one to make some of the booklets and graphics for a science co-op, and ended up selling them, as they just didn't fit our sons way of learning/enjoying science -- they like lots of "real books" and hands-on experiments and kits (and I like kits that have just about everything already in them so I don't have to pull it together), and they never liked cut/paste/coloring activities. GSA just didn't match up for us in any of those areas.

 

BEST of luck, whatever you go with! Warmest regards, Lori D.

[St. Theophan Academy]

What they said! :) Too much work - not enough gain in my opinion.

[Closeacademy]

I didn't listen to everyone and went ahead and bought one. It was a lot of photocopying, lots of cut and paste and not enough real meat to the program.

 

I wish I would have listened to everyone here and saved my money.:001_smile:

[Kelley]

Thanks so much for all of your honest opinions!!!

I really appreciate it....I will stear away from these.

 

Many blessings to you,

Kelley

[Audrey]

Before she did GSA, Dinah Zike had put out 3 books called "Science Pockets." Those were WONDERFUL! They were on the Solar System, Human Body, and one called something like Tools and Simple Machines. There were some cut-paste type activities, plus a long-term project to carry you through the book. The Solar System one had a mini mural, and at the end some templates to create your own solar system mural where you made it up however you envisioned another solar system (besides ours) could be.

 

My ds loved those books. I got them used on a swap board and have since sold them again (they're fully reproducible). They are a bit outdated now as they were printed in 1990 or something like that. However, it's easy to simply explain about Pluto, and update some of the info there. The other books did not have dated material in them.

 

IMO, having used Science Pockets and GSA, I feel that Science Pockets, while a more simple product, was by far the superior product. I like Ms. Zike's approach, but I feel she's strayed from what was good about her methodology and tried too hard to jazz it up, IYKWIM? She has, IMO, sucked the fun out of it by making such complicated little books and doo-dads a main part of the study. Even for a kid who likes crafty stuff, my ds tired of it all very quickly.

[Lori D.]

Totally agree! We had the Tools science pocket and LOVED it! As you said so well, Audrey, simplier, but superior. : ) -- Lori D.

[Lynn in Caribbean]

It is a lot of cutting, etc.

 

What I did was spend an evening (after the kids were in bed!) and do all the photocopying and cutting myself for MANY lessons. I paperclipped the pieces needed for each lesson together, and each lesson was ready to go. During school time, ALL the kids did was color on it, label it, and glue onto their notebook.

 

Well, I will be the dissenting voice here, and say that we really enjoyed these units, and the kids each made a really nice notebook that they are still proud of. It is a very visual way to organize what they have learned.

 

I only made one of the little booklets for each lesson and we all read it together (although it says each child should have their own booklet for each lesson). So I just cut the little books directly out and did not even photocopy them. Again, this was done during my prep evening.

 

I did this with 2 children - I think it works with 2 or 3 children, more than that would be too much prep time for me.

 

We also added in reading from books we had on hand, or library books. The little lesson booklets are black and white, and they needed some color pictures to look at.

 

The teacher guide has lots of neat activities and ideas.

 

It does take parent prep time, it is just not an open up the book and go type of thing. I had to prep the cutouts as I mentioned above, and also look through the activities and choose which one(s) to do, and make sure I had what I needed for them on hand.

 

But, they did learn quite a bit from these studies. We had fun!

[Kelley]

Lynn,

I really appreciate your dissenting voice. It helps to hear how someone else used these and that it was a positive experience!

which grade levels did you use them for?

Thanks!

Kelley

[Pink Fairy]

My mom has used these for the last two years to teach my children (currently ages 6, 8, 9, and 11). We used the bugs one and the space one. As others mentioned, they seem to be very teacher intensive with the prep work. Each kid gets a booklet, they go over them, and do some sort of experiment or observation to go along with the lesson. The kids seemed to enjoy it, but some of the info was over their heads. For us this is mainly a supplement, and a fun way to spend time with Grandma.

 

For example, right now I have a baking dish full of sand, water, and steel wool sitting on my computer armoire, so we can write down observations over the next two weeks to help us understand why Mars is red (I'm assuming it's going to rust?).

 

We are switching to something else next year, btw. I think there are other programs out there that do a better job. You are right to look elsewhere.

[Tami]

They are just "ok." I wouldn't pass on them simply because you don't want to make the little "library" booklets. Instead, get a related book from the real library and save the photocopying.

 

My beef is that the curriculum is more like an outline of what to cover, with research ideas best suited to upper elementary/middle school. I also prefer glossy, colored illustrations to simple black and white text.

 

Ms Dike is giving you a framework here -- it is not meant to be covered in a wooden manner. She is trying to give the teacher tools to frame a hands-on study with mini-books, not worksheets, as reinforcement. I think people get too hung up on the mini-books, instead of considering them reinforcement.

 

: )

Tami

[Kelley]

Tami,

You made a very good point.:iagree:

I do not mind copying things. I tend to like to have lap-book type of materials for use as reinforcement in History and Science. I have never implemented worksheets for these subjects. :tongue_smilie: I prefer hands-on learning, making notebooks (lapbooks), real books, etc....;)

I use "Time Travelers": for history and that is a ton of copying.....but I really like the notebook approach.

 

I was hoping that this curriculum would be "solid" in nature for a middle schooler and a tag along 3rd grader with hands-on activities and lap-booking contained within.

Kelley

[materursa]

My dd liked some of the activities, and we liked the way the information in the little books was presented. However, I found there is much too much busywork and copying the little books correctly and making them was a pain.