heidip2p Posted March 31, 2012 Share Posted March 31, 2012 Science has often been neglected in our house. Lately the kids and I have been checking out random science books from the library...volcanoes, weather, facts about blood and what not. Is there a list somewhere of which topics to cover and when? Would this be enough for the elementary years? Thank you for any help :D Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
QuirkyKidAcademy Posted March 31, 2012 Share Posted March 31, 2012 :bigear: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ekfk Posted March 31, 2012 Share Posted March 31, 2012 I'm currently using the Usborne First Encyclopedia of Science as a curriculum. I supplement each section with library books and Brain Pop videos. My daughter has been learning a huge amount of science this way. I'm also using the free Life Science book from eequalsmcq.com and I've already bought the Physics book for next year. Lastly, we do one page of a Basher book every day. We're currently doing the Biology book. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sagira Posted March 31, 2012 Share Posted March 31, 2012 I think books and nature study are the ideal way to learn science in the elementary years. Go for it! I add in BFSU K-2 and 3-5 to the mix, but I use it as a jumping off point and we add living books and nature study to the mix. Science is fun that way, and really gets them interested, which is what we want. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MissKNG Posted March 31, 2012 Share Posted March 31, 2012 Magic School Bus has all sorts of different books...chapter books, readers, picture books and videos. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Down_the_Rabbit_Hole Posted March 31, 2012 Share Posted March 31, 2012 Kathryn Stout has a book that lists what is needed for science and when. It's part of her Design a Study series. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sctigermom Posted March 31, 2012 Share Posted March 31, 2012 When I am piecing together my own curriculum I google x grade scope and sequence. I look at several s&s's and then plan out my timeline for that grade. After that is done I fill in the weeks with books. I haven't done this for science, but this is how we are doing history this year. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sagira Posted March 31, 2012 Share Posted March 31, 2012 Oh yes, and we enjoy Happy Scientist videos here too - we also have a link to Bill Nye's videos. Ds loves Beakman's World and has seen them many times. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stuart Posted March 31, 2012 Share Posted March 31, 2012 I have tried different science programs. I think out best retention came from our relaxed library days :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ALB Posted April 1, 2012 Share Posted April 1, 2012 This is my favorite method! We aren't using a library because we are overseas, but I've built up a pretty good selection of science books. I'm just not that great at doing experiments, so mostly we read and notebook. We are trying to follow WTM science cycle, but fairly loosely. We actually did astronomy for half of K, so we're out of order. I plan to do more experiments and follow a curriculum when we get through all of our books and the kids are ready to help more with the hands on bit. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
three4me Posted April 1, 2012 Share Posted April 1, 2012 Last week someone shared this link with me. It has some FANTASTIC book suggestions for science! I checked on the ones I was interested in and most of them are at our local library. http://www.nsta.org/publications/ostb/ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cjgrubbs Posted April 1, 2012 Share Posted April 1, 2012 I have found this site helpful to see typical topics for different ages. http://worldbook.com/typical-course-of-study Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mcconnellboys Posted April 1, 2012 Share Posted April 1, 2012 I loved doing this sort of thing for elementary. We just read, read, and read some more! I did add in field trips, and some experiments, as well as some films, but we mostly read. I usually picked one, larger book to use as a spine, just to sort of organize the topics I'd cover, but you really wouldn't even have to do that. This is what I did for first grade biology, although it could certainly be used with older students: General: DK Why Are Zebras Black and White? Questions About Color DK Why Do Sunflowers Face the Sun? Questions About Nature Mammals: I'm using DK's Picturepedia: Mammals as a spine, so basing book order on their spreads. I'm using McGraw Hill's Complete Book of Animals along with biology this year for "worksheet" type activities. If you are interested in using it, I can correlate the pages with the different subjects for you. National Geographic Mammals (This is a really nice set of books. I only got the one on Mammals, because it was free, but if you can't find the Picturepedias, these would make nice spines.) I use applicable parts along with the Picturepedia throughout this study. I have noted to pull library books on various animals, such as aardvarks, etc. and have checked to see that my library has titles on these animals, but sorry that I haven't generally written down the actual book names. I won't even list these unless I have noted a specific title. What on Earth is a Meerkat? Jenny Tegar (And I couldn't resist here) Riki Tiki Tavi Otter on His Own (Smithsonian) Skunks and Their Relatives Cats, Big and Little Cats: A First Discovery Book (Scholastic) Animal Homes and Societies (I use applicable parts throughout this study; by Billy Goodman) The Eyes of Gray Wolf Foxes for Kids Wolves for Kids Bears for Kids The Polar Bear: Masters of the Ice Wild Bears, Seymour Simon Jane Goodall: With Love Gorillas, Seymour Simon Aerial Apes: Gibbons of Asia, Geza Teleki Mountain Gorilla, Michael Bright Tamarins, Eric Braun and Sandra Donovan Bats, Gail Gibbons Magic School Bus: Going Batty (my library has this on video, too) Mice are Amazing Discovering What Gerbils Do, Seymour Simon What is a Rodent? Bobbie Kalman What's a Lemming? D.M. Sohza Squirrels, Brian Wildsmith Scamper, A Gray Tree Squirrel Gray Squirrel at Pacific Avenue (Smithsonian) Whales: A First Discovery Book (Scholastic) Killer Whales, Seymour Simon Whale, Seymour Simon Horse Heroes (a DK reader) Pigs and Peccaries, Anne Marie Schmidt All About Deer, Jim Arnosky Deer at the Brook, Arnosky DK Picturepedia: On the Farm Birds: I'm again using a DK Picturepedia as a spine for this study. I'll bet the National Geographic book would be very comparable, as was the mammal book. Again, I'm tying in pertinent sections of the Complete Book of Animals and Animal Homes and Societies. Again, I won't list categories of books I've noted to check out unless I've listed a specific title. World Wildlife Federation: Birds Usborne First Book of Nature - section on birds Gone Again, Ptarmigan - Jonathan London Clem: The Story of a Raven, Jennifer Dewey Soaring With the Wind: The Bald Eagle, Gail Gibbons Jays, Lynn Stone Herons, Frank Staub Spoonbill Swamp, Brenda Guiberson Loon Magic for Kids The Black Swan, Paula Hogan The Puffins are Back! Gail Gibbons Penguins! Gail Gibbons Vultures, Roland Smith The Book of North American Owls Reptiles: Using Can Snakes Crawl Backward? Questions and Answers About Reptiles, as a sort of spine. Adding in pertinent portions of the Complete Book of Animals and Animal Homes and Societies. Slinky, Scaly Snakes (early reader) Snakes, Patricia Demuth (early reader) Discovering What Garter Snakes Do, Seymour Simon All About Rattlesnakes, Arnosky All About Alligators, Arnosky Turtles and Snails: A First Discovery Book (Scholastic) - pertinent portions Hide and Seek Science: Where's that Reptile? Amphibians: No real "spine". Using pertinent portions of Complete Book of Animals. Frogs are Fantastic (early reader) Rainforest Ride (early reader) Magic School Bus Hops Home A Frog's Body, Joanna Cole Growing Frogs, Vivian French All About Frogs, Arnosky Frogs, Gail Gibbons Frogs and Toads, Steve Parker Moon of the Salamander, Jean Craighead George Salamanders and Newts: A Complete Intro. Eyewitness Amphibians - video What is an Amphibian? Lola Schaefer A First Look at Frogs, Toads and Salamanders, Milicent Selsam Amphibians and Reptiles in 3-D, Mark Blum Fish: Questions and Answers About Sharks Eyewitness Fish - video Fishes and Their Young, Alan Fletcher Crinkleroot's 25 Fish Every Child Should Know, Arnosky A Fish Hatches, Joanna Cole Fish, Steve Parker Brian Wildsmith's Fishes Discovering What Goldfish Do, Seymour Simon Tell Me Why: Fish, Shellfish and Other Underwater Life - video Pertinent portions from Animal Homes and Societies. Pertinent portions from the Complete Book of Animals. Invertebrates - Ocean: At the Ocean Tide Pool, Rood Starfish: Stars of the Sea Exploring an Ocean Tidepool Seashells, Crabs and Sea Stars, Christiane Tibbitts Sea Jellies: Rainbows of the Sea, Elizabeth Gowell Gentle Giant Octopus, Karen Wallace Seashore Surprises, Rose Wyler Seashells by the Seashore, Marianne Berkes Is This a House for Hermit Crab? Megan McDonald Hermit Crabs, Sylvia Johnson Discovering Crabs and Lobsters, Jill Bailey Lobsters: Gangsters of the Sea, Mary Cerullo The Blue Lobster: A Life Cycle, Carol and Donald Carrick Animals that Live in Shells, Dean Morris Mollusks, Joy Richardson A First Look at Seashells, Millicent Selsam Shells are Skeletons, Joana Victor Pertinent portions from the Complete Book of Animals. Invertebrates - Land: The Snail's Spell Turtles and Snails: A First Discovery Book (Scholastic) - pertinent portions A First Look at Animals Without Backbones, Millicent Selsam Invertebrates, Alvin Silverstein Sorting out Worm.... Samuel Woods Mini-Beasts - video Info. on worms from Christian Liberty Press Nature Reader 3 (I have their first three titles and like all of them.) Discovering What Earthworms Do, Seymour Simon Rest of the post to follow.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mcconnellboys Posted April 1, 2012 Share Posted April 1, 2012 Invertebrates - Insects and Spiders: Using DK Picturepedia as a spine. Completing pertinent portions of the Complete Book of Animals. I utilize the Nature Readers a lot for this section. They provide a fun, gentle way to introduce odd creatures to younger children. Also utilize pertinent portions from Animal Homes and Societies here. Buzz! A Book About Insects If You Were a Bug Lady Bugs and Other Insects: A First Discovery Book (Scholastic) The Life of a Butterfly Usborne First Book of Nature - section on butterflies and moths Crinkleroot's Guide to Knowing Butterflies and Moths, Arnosky Eyewitness Butterflies and Moths - video Butterflies and Moths, Bobbie Kalman Amazing Worlds of Ants Armies of Ants Mysterious Castle Builders: African Termites, Tom Lisker Termite, Karen Hartley How Insects Build Their Amazing Homes, W. Wright Robinson An Insect's Body, Joanna Cole Ants Have Pets, Kathy Darling Magic School Bus: Inside a Bee Hive Honeybees How Insects Build Their Amazing Homes, Robinson Wonders of the Wasp's Nest, Sigmund Lavine Water Bugs, Helen Frost A Dragon in the Sky: The Story of a Green Darner Dragonfly, Laurence Pringle I Can Read About Spiders (easy reader) Spider's Lunch (easy reader) Spiders, Gail Gibbons Magic School Bus Spins a Web (video, too) How Spiders and Other Silkmakers Build Their Amazing Homes, W. Wright Robinson A Mosquito is Born, William White (Fiction: I Know Why Mosquitos Buzz) Plants: Incredible Plants (but I'm not using it as a "spine"; I'm using the Scholastic First Discovery books for this.) The Tree: A First Discovery Book (Scholastic) I Am A Leaf (easy reader) Secret Life of Trees (easy reader) Usborne First Book of Nature - section on trees and flowers Fruit: A First Discovery Book (Scholastic) Vegetables in the Garden: A First Discovery Book (Scholastic) Plant Stems and Roots (easy) Plant Leaves (easy) Among the Flowers (easy) Diary of a Sunflower (easy) Flower: A First Discovery Book (Scholastic) Plants Bite Back (easy reader) Desert Giant (re: Saguaro) Mushrooms and Molds, Robert Froman DK Picturepedia: Food and Farming - sections on plants grown agriculturally (easy readers: Orange Juice; Pancakes! Pancakes!, Carle) The Human Body: Using DK's My First Body Book as a spine. Let's Explore: Me and My Body (DK) Why Do We Laugh? Questions About the Human Body (DK) Let's Explore Sound and Music (DK) Magic School Bus: Inside the Human Body I Know Why I Brush My Teeth Hooray for Teeth! I Know How We Fight Germs A Book About Your Skeleton Look Inside Your Brain Stop, Look and Listen: Using Your Senses From Head to Toe Magic School Bus Explores the Senses Why Boys and Girls are Different Where Do Babies Come From? Me and My Amazing Body The Human Body Riddle Book (easy) Library books for this subject: Look at Faces, Henry Pluckrose Faces, Shelley Rotner Skin, Teeth and Hair, Anna Sandeman Your Skin Holds You In, Helen Doss All About Your Skin, Hair and Teeth, Donna Bailey Hairy Science, Jess Brallier Straight Hair, Curly Hair - Augusta Golden Magic School Bus Flexes Its Muscles (video) You Can't Make a Move Without Your Muscles, Paul Showers Cuts, Breaks, Bruises and Burns: How Your Body Heals, Joanna Cole The Human Body: The Inside Scoop! (video - Walt Disney) The Heart and Blood, Steve Parker Let's-Try-It-Out: About Your Heart, Seymour Simon I Know Where My Food Goes, Jacqui Maynard Food and Digestion, Steve Parker My Five Senses, Aliki You Can't Smell a Flower Without Your Ear! Joanna Cole My Busy Body, Bobbie Kalman Mystery of the Senses - video Nerves to Senses, Steve Parker Touch, Taste and Smell, Steve Parker Finding Your Senses, Seymour Simon You Can't Taste a Pickle Without Your Ear! Harriet Ziefert Sleep is for Everyone, Paul Showers Hear Your Heart, Paul Showers Mixed Animal Groups or Habitats: Magic School Bus Explores the World of Animals Wonders of Swamps and Marshes A Picture-Perfect World Around the World: Who's Been Here? Under the Ground: A First Discovery Book In the Forest Night Creatures: A First Discovery Book Endangered Animals: A First Discovery Book One Day in the Woods, Jean Craighead George Animals Do the Strangest Things I Wonder Why Skunks are Smelly and Other Neat Facts About Mammals Wild Animal Go Round (DK) Animal Skin and Scales (easy) Animal Feet (easy) Animal Feathers and Fur (easy) Munching, Crunching, Sniffing and Snooping (DK easy reader) Amazing Animals (DK) 101 Questions About Desert Life Amazing Nature (Barron's) The Really Amazing Animal Book (DK) Incredible Little Monsters (DK) Incredible Great Hunters (DK) One Day in the Desert, George Wonders of the Desert Wonders of the Forest Wonders of Rivers I see Animals Hiding, Arnosky How Do Animals Talk? (Usborne starting point science) Animal Senses Explore the Wild Look Again! One Day in the Tropical Rainforest, George Bamboo Valley (Smithsonian, I think) I have a similar sort of list that I used for second grade earth and space science. It is here: http://greenapplesblush.blogspot.com/2010/12/second-grade-earth-and-space-science.html Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ruby Rose Posted April 1, 2012 Share Posted April 1, 2012 I bought this at the $1 sale. http://teacherexpress.scholastic.com/teaching-science-with-favorite-picture-books I'm excited to use it. Plus I also have the Mr. Q Life Science. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MrsBasil Posted April 1, 2012 Share Posted April 1, 2012 Thanks for that list, Regena! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
daysaregifts Posted May 27, 2012 Share Posted May 27, 2012 Thanks Regena- lovely! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hunter Posted May 27, 2012 Share Posted May 27, 2012 You might like this free spine. Matchcard Science Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.