Science without experiments?

[Mrs. Lilac]

I'm coming out of the closet to confess....I don't want to do experiments. I find them incredibly stressful. I hate having to gather all the random supplies and find time to do them. I might force myself if I felt they were beneficial to the kids, but I honestly don't. The thing I think they've honestly learned the most from, science-wise, is those Nature Readers from Christian Liberty Press. Those were nothing more than just reading to the kids, and they learned about different aspects of nature/animals.

 

We're doing God's Design for Life for science this year...I do really like the curriculum, it's well put together, etc., but again, the experiments....they just don't happen here.

 

Does anyone have suggestions for science that is experiment-light?

 

Don't hate me- I promise we do other fun hands-on things. :tongue_smilie:

[Lots of boys]

I feel the same way. We started RSO Life this year and I hated the experiments. We now just read, read, read - we draw pictures of the animals we are discussing, we journal about them - and that is it. I am o.k. with this approach for now.

[ByGrace3]

I am pretty terrible at experiments. I hate gathering supplies, never find time to do them, however, my kids love them and they do seem to learn from them.

That said, we are doing Elemental Science Biology this year, and while there are experiments (usually 1) each week, the items we need are truly things we usually have around the house, and if I skip them I have decided I won't feel bad about it! ;)

Another thing that has helped, each week I email dh a list of supplies needed for the week (for ES and SOTW project) and he is our supply "requisitioner" :tongue_smilie: Experiments are much more likely to get done when a pile of supplies are there waiting for me.

[boscopup]

You could just do library books. :)

 

Throw in some science kits so you have experiments, but don't have to go out gathering strange supplies! I got some Science Wiz kits for DS's birthday this summer, and they've been a big hit. He can even do them mostly himself, as they're written to the child.

[MinivanMom]

I hate experiments. I find that at this age they are actually demonstrations, not science experiments at all. Mom puts in tons of work for something that has a prescribed outcome, so it's not really an experiment. When my kids are older (5th grade-plus), we will probably start doing an actual science project every year. As in, the kids put in the work to design an actual science project using the scientific method where we don't know ahead of time what the outcome will be.

 

What we do at this point is read lots of real books about science, go on nature walks, and take trips to the zoo, the aquarium, and the museum of natural science. Every year we do some sort of project that's science related. Last year we were studying zoology, so we raised caterpillars. This year we're studying botony, so we will be growing vegetables. I like doing a single big project each year. I put some energy in for a couple weeks and then we're done.

[lewelma]

This is a crosspost from a thread on the logic board, where I have written about 20 posts on the subject http://www.welltrainedmind.com/forums/showthread.php?t=263107&highlight=lewelma This approach does do an experiment, but just one big one rather than lots of little ones spaced throughout the year.

 

 

I was a scientist in a previous life and this is how I do science for my kids:

 

I use the WTM rotation: biology, earth/space, chemistry, physics.

 

1) For 8 months we read some good library books, and watch good documentaries (3 times a week) on the subject.

 

2) We do an intensive 6 weeks science fair project once a year. The goal of this is to find a questions, a real question, one that neither you nor your kids know the answer to. Then, figure out how to answer it, and go do your experiments. Then write it up. Including methods, results (graphs), discussions (assumptions, what you learned etc). This takes 5-10 hours per week during the time period.

 

Pros to this method:

1. No running around organizing experiments every week which are actually just demonstrations, as we know what the answer will be. ( If the kids want to explore and be creative and have fun they can go outside and build a fort)

2. Having a real science experience, with true frustrations (there will be many, like a home-made kite that would not fly for a month - that takes problem solving), and a decent length of time.

3. Being able to discuss real scientific method problems. Like replication (yes you need >1 plant for each experiment on which type of fertilizer work better; yes, you need to be objective and not drop the silly putty from a higher chair when you think it should bounce higher etc).

4. Doing science that they will remember over the years. (my children can remember 5 years back worth of projects). oldest DS is 10.

 

I have found this method very effective, saves my sanity, and costs little while they are young.

 

Ruth in NZ

[chepyl]

We are doing Biology this year - RS4K. We have not done any experiments yet. We have a garden, we can sort. We did not need the first few, and we won't do any until tye microscope stuff and the butterfly and frog kits. I can handle amd enjoy looking under a microscope amd we can care for an animal or bug. ;)

 

When we do Chemistry I plan to do more, but I do dislike planning for them.

[zenjenn]

Science experiments do not have to be complicated. We use Real Science 4 Kids Pre-Level 1 and so far I've found the experiments to be very easy with household items (my kids are rolling glass marbles right now), while still covering real science and giving them the experience of making an observation and recording what they see.

 

I'll also share that I don't think science is pivotal for elementary. I think just going with core subjects and basic observation/education about nature is sufficient. We only do it because my kids enjoy it and ask for it and learning sticks most with enthusiasm, so there you go.

 

If you aren't going to do experiments, IMO there's really not much point in a science curriculum. I'd just use library books and videos and observations/questions about the world around you. I don't see anything wrong with going that route for elementary science. (BTW, my husband, the physicist, would agree.)

[BlessedMom]

:o You are not alone! They are important, but I am not a fan! :o

[birchbark]

I highly recommend the thread Ruth posted!

[Farrar]

I don't always love doing them because it's work - the same way I feel about art projects and so forth sometimes (though usually when it's set up and we get started we enjoy it, so I have to remind myself of that from the get go as motivation). But what makes them stressful? I don't get that at all.

[threeofakind]

Hi there- We are using Noeo Physics and the experiments we have actually done like 85% of them. They supply the kits and once in awhile there might be a common household item you may need to provide, but I don't have to collect the items- it's all right there. And like someone mentioned perhaps it's not an experiment but a demonstration, so I have to make sure I go through the steps of an experiment (hypothesis, etc.) and at this age 6 and 8, I think that's okay- I think it will help them as they get older. I feel the kits are pretty well put together and we have not had any issues with them yet. Good luck!:001_smile:

[Daisy]

I don't always love doing them because it's work - the same way I feel about art projects and so forth sometimes (though usually when it's set up and we get started we enjoy it, so I have to remind myself of that from the get go as motivation). But what makes them stressful? I don't get that at all.

 

LOL. I have a friend who views science experiments a bit like trying to put together one of those cheap build-it-yourself pieces of furniture. She feels immediately overwhelmed.

 

I don't always look forward to science experiments because I already "get" the concept and sometimes feel like they are a waste of time. However, they are completely worth doing because they really aid my children in understanding. I can see the light bulb moments. I've never regretted afterwards taking the time for it.

 

When we can't do an experiment, I try very hard to find an online demonstration of the concept. This might be an alternative for the op?

[twoforjoy]

:o You are not alone! They are important, but I am not a fan! :o

 

Are they important? I know they are for older kids, when they are doing lab science. But is it really important for science experiments to be a part of the curriculum for elementary-aged students?

 

Most of the "experiments" we've done seem more like, as mentioned above, demonstrations, or like art projects. I feel like, in terms of real experimentation and observation, my DS gets more out of just playing, at this point, than he would or could out of formal experimentation.

[Daisy]

Are they important? I know they are for older kids, when they are doing lab science. But is it really important for science experiments to be a part of the curriculum for elementary-aged students?

 

Most of the "experiments" we've done seem more like, as mentioned above, demonstrations, or like art projects. I feel like, in terms of real experimentation and observation, my DS gets more out of just playing, at this point, than he would or could out of formal experimentation.

 

I think it depends on the topic. We are doing AiG God's Design for the Physical World this year. There is no way we'd understand it all without doing those experiments. Some things you just have to DO in order to get it.

 

But A 7yo learning about nature probably doesn't need to do an arts & crafts activity in order to understand that a caterpillar becomes a butterfly. A video or book would be just as informative.

 

Your kiddos (quoted person and op) are still young and I completely agree that at that age they learn every bit as much, if not more, by simply going for a walk and observing the world around them.

[Mommy22alyns]

Sonlight science is great for avoiding experiments (at least in the early years). They have the Discover & Do DVDs and I can just pawn them off on Justin. :D

[Five More Minutes]

I've been thinking a bit about the value of experiments for students and I'm going to continue thinking aloud here, so please bear with me as I try to sort out some of the ideas bouncing around in my head.

 

I agree with twoforjoy that primary level science experiments are usually demonstrations. The thing is, though, high school and university-level experiments are often just more elaborate demonstrations based on proven methodologies. (I'm saying this based on my undergrad chemistry student experience.)

 

After reflecting on the value of those pre-determined outcome experiments, I've come to the conclusion that demonstration experiments are important to the science experience, because they show us how the theory interacts with real life. (Plus they sharpen our science lab skills so that we can successfuly execute "real" experiments.)

 

Now whether or not they are essential for primary students is another question. I don't like the effort of setting them up, or the mess, but I feel that they are terribly important to making science real for my children. I have found that thinking of these activities as demonstrations helps me relax about them. I don't try to force the scientific methodology into them because that feels a bit silly.

 

Not sure if that's helpful for anyone else, but it has helped me to write and clarify my thoughts!

[warneral]

:iagree: - in addition, they are what makes my kids think that science is fun :)

[lewelma]

Cross post #2. (Sorry to those who have already read it.)

 

I have found that I am not alone in finding that the weekly “experiment†is exhausting for me, and often not very helpful/interesting for my student. It seems like a lot of work for not much payback. So I simply consolidate my hands-on time into a 6-10 week period and do a BIG project.

 

Science has 2 main parts: 1) the body of knowledge and 2) the methodology for how to answer scientific questions.

 

The weekly “experiments†that are a part of many science curricula try to serve 2 functions simultaneously. They try

 

 

1. To help students understand the body of knowledge. If you simply cannot believe that 2 balls fall at the same rate, go try it and you will see.
   
2. To help students become acquainted with the methodology for how to answer scientific questions.
   

 

Abstract thinkers do not typically require #1. They are the kids who say “do we have to do this?†“I already know what will happen.†In contrast, concrete thinkers often find that the hands-on activities really solidifies their understanding of scientific concepts. Each parent/teacher needs to identify what the child's learning style is, and do what is appropriate for the child.

 

Where I struggle with weekly “experiments,†is how they attack #2 – becoming acquainted with the scientific method. The way it typically goes is that the book gives you an activity to do with your children which has expected outcomes that you are trying to achieve. The methods are given to you in a “cook book†style and the student is supposed to write up the hypothesis, methods, results, and conclusions. Here are my concerns:

 

1. Because the question is already posed, the student never learns that science is about asking questions and looking for answers. It is someone else's question they are answering. They are never taught to ask a question of their own. They are never taught that their questions are valid, interesting, and answerable in an objective manner.
   
2. Because the methods are already designed, the student never has to puzzle over HOW to answer his/her question. This activity requires logical thinking and problem solving. These weekly demonstrations/activities give the misconception that answering a scientific question is as simple as following the directions, and scientific inquiry is NEVER so simple.
   
3. Because the student is looking for a certain result, when the result is not produced, students are taught that they did not get the right answer. This is the antithesis of scientific thinking. Data is data. It is not Wrong. Your hypothesis has just been disproved. These activities teach students that what you expect should happen, should happen, and if it doesn't, you need to do the experiment again and again until you get what you expect. What?!?!? THIS IS NOT SCIENCE.
   

 

So here are some things to think about for your individual student:

 

1. If your student wants to be a scientist, I would urge you to have him/her do a large independent study at least once before heading to university to major in science. I have met graduate students who are serviously disappointed with their choice of science. They love learning scientific knowledge but don't like scientific inquiry at all. Better to learn early that scientific inquiry is not your thing and go into science writing or something else instead.
   
2. If your student is a concrete thinker, do the weekly demonstrations to help solidify his/her understanding of the concepts. But be clear with them that in real scientific inquiry, the questions, methods, and results are not known ahead of time. Then go and read some really good biographies of scientists where the true difficulties are laid out and not sugar coated.
   
3. If your student finds that weekly scientific activities are fun and that they are really helping with writing up lab reports etc, then try to get your student to alter the hypothesis slightly. Go a bit further, ask a question that is not in the text. If the question is “does fertilizer help plants grow?†Well, duh, of course it does, everyone knows that. How about “Which fertilizer makes plants grow taller?†This is a much better question, and would still take the same amount of time.
   
4. And of course, if you have the time and energy, do a science-fair type project. It is soooooo fun and leads to such unexpected learning!
   

 

I truly believe that scientific inquiry is misunderstood by most of the public. Pseudoscience is elevated to the level of science. Politicians ignore scientific data. The public expects a quick answer to a difficult question or assumes that scientists don't know anything because the facts are always changing. The list could go on and on. These are problems with understanding scientific inquiry, not understanding scientific knowledge. Scientific learning is incredibly important for decision makers and voters alike, which is why I am spending time posting!:D

 

Ruth

[Scarymelon]

I hate them too - and I was a biology major in college. I am doing RS4K biology this year, and I do plan on getting a dissection kit later in the year, but that is it for now. When they are at more advanced stages, I can see that learning how to do a lab notebook and then how scientific experiments work will be important, but for now I hate them as much as craft projects.