Have you used TOPS Science activities?

[Chrysalis Academy]

If so, can you tell me about it? Specifically:

 

• What age kids?
  
• I'll assume you used it with a spine or text or other program, since it seems to be all experiments, if so which?
  
• What did you like/dislike about it?
  
• Do you feel like the activities made a clear connection to the concept you were covering?
  
• Anything else you want to share?
  

Thanks!

[redsquirrel]

We used the radish unit last year. We did life science and it was our end of the year plant unit. It only took a month, but was clear when I bought it.

 

I used it with my 5th grader and the then kindy boy was along for the ride. I let the younger boy to make his own projects and sketches but it was more for fun.

 

My elder son seemed to get quite a lot from the unit. It did involve doing science every day for a month. That was a BIG hit. Radish seedlings wait for no homeschooler so you need to commit with that one.

 

If I had to do 5th grade life science again (and I will) I would use more of the TOPS units. I wish I had done the corn unit and the one on animal survival. It would have made a better year.

 

I found the radish unit to be well planned and easy to follow. It did what it said it wold do. There wasn't a lot of 'wow' involved. But, I am not sure how one would go about doing that.

 

I will be using TOPS again.

[Candid]

We've done a few. The ones in elementary ages on plants were good, the one on electricity was also good, we struggled with magnets (although I'm not sure exactly why as it has been years). More recently I used the analysis and animal survival with good success those were with older children (middle school).

 

In our case we did our studies with other books on similar topics for the most part. The animal survival book we did at the beginning of a year long study on ocean life and it was done while we read a Rachel Carson book called Under the Sea Wind. It was not a direct tie into this book, but just served to give a hands on view of animal survival and camouflage.

 

I think the results in terms of learning were good.

[placeofgrace]

We have been using Sonlight for science for the past 3 years and they use TOPS books. We used Radishes and Corn and Beans when ds was about 8 or 9. He loved it! Of course when growing things, it does require daily attention. I did have to help him quite a bit, but overall it was a good study of plants. Last year, we did Electricity and Magnets. Electricity was awesome! We did one experiment a week. We did most of the Magnet experiments, but ds did not like this book as much. All of these books require some copying. I did not like the format of the corn and beans book. It required the most prep because you had to cut and paste and put a journal together. I'm not sure why the format of that book is different from the radish book. I was surprised that about 99% of the experiments worked exactly like the books said they would. Sonlight does include a DVD with someone demonstrating the experiments. This did come in handy some if I could not understand the directions in the book. I would definitely recommend using these books as part of your science curriculum.

[Trez]

In case you haven't checked out the AIMs products, I have just started using them and enjoy them so far.

[Sunshine State Sue]

Ds used TOPS Rocks & Minerals, Machines, and Electricity and Exploration Education with ds in 6th-8th grade for hands-on science learning while I used Science Explorer for text-based science learning. It was a good combination.

 

The men are not overly talkative, but they enjoyed the hands-on activities. TOPS is well laid out, easy to follow, and inexpensive. They now sell all the materials you need at the website for those of us who are happy to buy in one spot.

 

If you click on 'tops science' tag at the bottom of this thread, you will find other threads.

 

HTH!

[Lori D.]

What age kids?

 

We only used the upper middle school/high school TOPS, and used them in middle school and in high school. Didn't hear about TOPS when DC were young, so never tried the younger levels.

 

 

 

I'll assume you used it with a spine or text or other program, since it seems to be all experiments, if so which?

 

grade 6

- Reader's Digest "How Earth Works"

- TOPS Rocks & Minerals (buy the supply kit) -- GREAT

- supplemental library books, science videos, websites

 

grade 7

- Reader's Digest "How Science Works" -- chemistry portions

- TOPS Analysis (buy the supply kit!) -- GREAT (also good for high school labs)

- TOPS Solutions (buy the supply kit!) (also good for high school labs)

- TOPS Cohesion and Adhesion -- GREAT

- TOPS Heat -- GOOD

- supplemental library books, science videos, websites (esp. http://www.chem4kids.com)

 

grade 8

- Reader's Digest "How Science Works" -- physics portions

- David Macauley's "How Things Work"

- TOPS Focus Pocus -- PRETTY GOOD

- TOPS Motion -- GOOD

- TOPS pressure OKAY

- supplemental library books, science videos, and several other science kits

 

 

grade 9/10

- Apologia Biology (and Apologia dissection kit; slides; etc.)

- Prentice Hall Biology -- anatomy portions

- no TOPS

 

grade 11

- Conceptual Chemistry

- Microchem 3000 kit

- TOPS Analysis

- TOPS Solutions

- TOPS Oxidation

 

grade 12

- Conceptual Physics

- Home Science Tools: Introductory Physics Kit

- Home Science Tools: Lens Kit

- Home Science Tools: 101 Electrical Experiments Kit

- TOPS Light

- TOPS Sound

- TOPS Kinetic

 

 

 

What did you like/dislike about it?

 

Liked:

- most experiments did not require adult supervision or assistance

- most experiments were fast (5-15 minutes), so we could do 2-4 experiments in one day

- several experiments would build on one another, allowing student to go into more depth

- great for middle school, moving student toward beginning graphing, recording, line of questioning

 

 

Disliked:

- not that cheap -- the books are usually $8-12 books each, and then plan on spending another $15-25 on individual supplies or supply kits

- had to spend time finding items (now they carry many/most of the supplies on the website)

- virtually no explanation, so some experiments it was a real puzzler as to WHAT it was supposed to prove

- virtually no teacher help, so if an experiment didn't work, you're left scratching your head as to WHY

- several units required EXPENSIVE, hard to find items (for example: TOPS Sound -- needs 3 different tuning forks)

 

 

Do you feel like the activities made a clear connection to the concept you were covering?

 

 

It depends on which TOPS unit. Several units especially connected well with our spine and additional resource materials:

- Rocks and Minerals

- Cohesion and Adhesion

- Analysis

- Solutions

- Heat

- Motion

(and I've heard Electricity is really good)

 

Other units left of scratching our heads a lot:

- Light

- Kinetic

 

 

 

Anything else you want to share?

 

I was irked to discover a note at the front of the TOPS books from the authors requesting that if you buy the book used, to please send the authors an additional donation. While I realize that creators of curriculum never really make enough to pay for the hours they put into their materials, resale of materials is a fact of life. And while I often buy new just to help support a curriculum creator and to get more of their materials out there in the market... that request from the TOPS authors just seemed very nerve-y. I really hate "required" or "expected" donation types of situations.

 

 

Other science kits that worked and that we enjoyed were:

- Educational Insights, Adventure in... series (gr. 4-8)

- Wild Goose 3-in-1 kits (gr. 3-8)

- Idea Factory: Gears and Pulleys (gr. 3-8)

- Switch On (a snap circuit type of electricity kit) (gr. 3-8)

 

Enjoy! Warmest regards, Lori D.

Edited November 22, 2011 by Lori D.
edited to better answer the specific questions asked

[Chrysalis Academy]

Thank you so much for that detailed response! Very helpful info.