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Is this enough science for 4th grade?


mom31257
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I am using Trail Guide to World Geography this year, so I decided to let science be a habitat type study focusing on a common one for each continent. We aren't going very in-depth, just reading A Beka's 3rd grade book, using a Scholastic Habitat book, Animal Atlas, etc. Ds is also doing a full health study this year that included all the body systems. We are ending up doing science, health, and geography about one week each per month. Ds will be learning IEW's report writing in February, so I plan on having him do animal reports for March, April, and May. I will probably have him choose 3 different types of animals so that he can learn more about each's classification. I also plan on doing a plants unit study in April just because the A Beka book has a chapter on it, and my dh is loving gardening.

 

My plan is to move him into BJU science by 6th grade, so I know it will get more rigorous in 7th. I want him to be prepared, but I also want to enjoy the flexibility now of studying what we choose while he's still young. He's a very strong math student, so I know he could end up in a scientific field.

 

Thanks for your thoughts!

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I didn't even think about the hands-on component. There will actually be some more of that with health and A Beka. Health will include lessons on cells when we get to healthy living, and I'm leading Biology labs for dd and some friends. I have a great microscope and slides/slide prep stuff. The forest habitat chapter also has a section on fungi and bacteria, so I can do some with that, too.

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I think it sounds great. I started hsing dd in 4th grade, and was most focused on getting math and the other basic skill subjects wired, so I let science be "easy" that year. I'm an ecologist, my dh works in water conservation, and my dad is a geologist, and she was just starting to go through puberty . . . so we studied ecology, a little earth science/geology, and human anatomy & physiology. It worked out great! We went with what we knew a lot about, what we had easy access to, and what we were interested in. She learned a ton and got to bond with her grownups a lot.

 

For the first half of 5th grade, we did a little bit more "booky" biology studies - using the microscope, cells, protazoa, fungi, monera, entomology, and equine science (those last two at her request). It built on what we had done the year before, but was more of a stretch/new material. It has worked out very well.

 

Definitely enjoy the interest led/outdoor/nature-type stuff while they are young - before you have so many hoops to jump through. It seems like the expectation of Physics-Chemistry-Biology with lab, plus another advanced science, is so set in stone for students interested in the sciences - any science - that it is harder to fit in the nonstandard areas of interest once they hit high school. At least that is my impression from hanging out on the HS board . . .

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Definitely enjoy the interest led/outdoor/nature-type stuff while they are young - before you have so many hoops to jump through. It seems like the expectation of Physics-Chemistry-Biology with lab, plus another advanced science, is so set in stone for students interested in the sciences - any science - that it is harder to fit in the nonstandard areas of interest once they hit high school. At least that is my impression from hanging out on the HS board . . .

 

I agree with you, and it's also hard for kids who aren't interested in science to have time to pursue other subjects. I personally think 3 science and math would be more than enough for a non-science/math kid. That would at least leave their senior year to study something more fitting to their future careers.

 

Thanks for letting me know your thoughts on my son's science. Having someone who is a scientist say it sounds like a good plan definitely helps me feel better about it!

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