FLDebbie Posted January 17, 2013 Share Posted January 17, 2013 I have a question for those of you who are familiar with using BFSU. Some background info: Our son was in PS until last February and then homeschooled since then. In PS they cover little to no science at the early elementary levels. When we brought him home, we introduced science through a different curriculum and he loved the subject. We’ve been continuing with that curriculum until now and it’s just too dry and boring. I really like the look of the BFSU curriculum from what I can see from the previews. I like the way it doesn’t focus on just one type of science for a full year, but covers parts of several types of sciences and the interrelationships among them. I think this might work for my son next year who will be in 4th grade at the time. Also, if he goes back to PS, which he might do at some point, I think the broader approach mimics what he would cover in school more than more in-depth study for a year at a time. So, my question is where should we start with a 4th grader? It looks like volume 1 is written for younger kids. But does volume 2 assume he knows concepts from volume 1 and if we haven’t gone through vol 1 will he be lost? Would it be best to get both (although I really don't want to pay for both if I don't need to) and cover the topics in vol 1 he needs or at a faster pace, or go with vol 2 and research questions as they arise? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Eagle Posted January 17, 2013 Share Posted January 17, 2013 I would start with volume 1 as the second book is a continuation. You can buy the ebook for $5 here: http://outskirtspress.com/webpage.php?isbn=9781432706104 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Miss Tick Posted January 17, 2013 Share Posted January 17, 2013 We are enjoying vol. I (with younger kids) and you are right that some of it would be below his level. You can look at the table of contents on Amazon and see what lessons (or what percentage) you might want to skip. How you present the lessons and what supplemental books and materials you use are up to you, so you can really tailor it to your needs. However, the response I have seen for people in your situation is to buy the ebook of volume I for $5 here. Then buy volume II in whatever your preferred format is. That way if you see a lesson coming where you need to brush up on the background assumptions you can look back in volume I (cheaply). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kirstenhill Posted January 17, 2013 Share Posted January 17, 2013 I would agree that you need to start with the first book if your DS doesn't have a strong science background. I think a lot of the brilliance of BFSU is how Dr. Nebel takes concepts that are typically taught in older grades and makes them accessible for K-2. But, if your DS hasn't studied things like kinetic energy, friction, inertia, air as a mixture of gasses, gravity, plant structure, etc...there is still plenty to be gained and BFSU II will assume knowledge of the topics in BFSU I. Since your DS is older, you might be able, in some cases, to go through a lesson or two in one sitting...but at $5 for an ebook, you can hardly beat the price for what you can get out of it...especially if you search the internet for add-on books and activities beyond what's presented directly in the text. I've actually been nervous to dive into volume II as it looks pretty complex even having done most of volume 1. Required equipment for Volume II includes a nice microscope and a balance -- things I just haven't been ready to invest in quite yet (I'm also worried about the younger kids messing with the nice stuff!). I think we're finally going to dive into Vol. II this semester, but we're going to start with the C and D threads in that volume, since they look a lot less intimidating!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FLDebbie Posted January 18, 2013 Author Share Posted January 18, 2013 Thanks for the input. Five dollars is very reasonable and I think we'll spend the rest of this year working through what he doesnt know yet in volume 1. Plus it will give us an idea if it works for us. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mrs Twain Posted January 18, 2013 Share Posted January 18, 2013 I am doing BFSU 2 now, and it is quite advanced. I would definitely start with Volume 1 first. Don't be thrown off by the K-2 designation. There are a lot of science concepts in volume 1 which most public schools don't usually cover until high school. Going through volume 1 in a year would be reasonable, but don't feel bad about stretching it out longer if your child needs more time to grasp the concepts. By the way, I don't have a nice balance yet. I have been doing the lessons in volume 2 first which don't require the fancy equipment. That will buy me a little more time before I have to make an investment in equipment or find equipment I can use/borrow. It is working fine so far. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mrs Twain Posted January 18, 2013 Share Posted January 18, 2013 Another thought-- We did a lesson from BFSU volume 2 this week on latitude and longitude. I spent some time looking for worksheets on the internet which I could use during our geography time to reinforce the BFSU lesson. All of the worksheets and activities I found were designated to be at about 7th grade level. Mind you this is for the BFSU volume 2 (3rd-5th grade) book. All that to say, don't feel so bad about starting with the BFSU K-2 book! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tracy Posted January 18, 2013 Share Posted January 18, 2013 I always see it recommended to start with Vol. 1 at an accellerated pace. I have said this before, so I apologize to those who have read this already, but my dh is a high school physics teacher, and has found things in Vol. 1 that he typically is teaching high school students for the first time. (But don't let that scare you--it is all at a child's level.) For that reason, I would not skip Vol. 1, especially when you can get it so cheaply. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nicholas_mom Posted January 18, 2013 Share Posted January 18, 2013 Question ----- It says you cannot print the PDF document ($5 version). Is there anything in the book that I would need print out for my child? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Incognito Posted January 18, 2013 Share Posted January 18, 2013 No. The book is a teacher's manual. Nothing you'll need to print. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marie131 Posted January 18, 2013 Share Posted January 18, 2013 I'm glad you brought this up as I want to use this next year with my kids who will be in 1st and 3rd. I was concerned it would be too easy for my rising 3rd grader, but it doesn't sound like this will be a problem. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
anabelneri Posted January 19, 2013 Share Posted January 19, 2013 I started BFSU1 when dd was in 2nd grade, then we dropped it & just picked it up again a couple weeks ago (dd is 4th grade). She's on the quick end of the spectrum, though science isn't her first (or second, or third) love. We've been doing 2 lessons/week from BFSU1, and they haven't been taking anywhere near the time suggested for them. Today's lesson, for example, suggests that it will take a minimum of 2 hours to do the whole thing; we did it in about 30min, and her comprehension was good. Dr. Nebel does an amazing job breaking things down into understandable parts, and then giving kid-friendly examples. If you haven't found it yet, there is a Yahoo support group moderated by Dr. Nebel that can be very handy. It's at http://groups.yahoo.com/group/K5science/ :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MrsH Posted January 19, 2013 Share Posted January 19, 2013 We started volume 1 around this time last year (middle of 4th grade) and found that about half of it was stuff she already knew through public school or through just living and exploring. Some of the lessons we did anyway, others we just did a quick review of the vocabulary, and yet others we skipped entirely. She got a lot out of all of that. We're still finishing up a few lessons in volume 1 but have since moved on to 2, since the grandparents gifted a microscope. It's been super fun doing these lessons! I really love this curriculum. We generally do a lesson a week (sometimes longer), and she completes a notebook page or describes one of the experiments or whatever. Sometimes we do additional reading or watch a documentary, sometimes it's magic schoolbus time, whatever goes with it, really. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
besroma Posted January 19, 2013 Share Posted January 19, 2013 If someone does want a printed copy to hold onto and take notes in/highlight,, there is a like new copy for sale on the Classifieds board. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
amyrobynne Posted January 20, 2013 Share Posted January 20, 2013 I always see it recommended to start with Vol. 1 at an accellerated pace. I have said this before, so I apologize to those who have read this already, but my dh is a high school physics teacher, and has found things in Vol. 1 that he typically is teaching high school students for the first time. (But don't let that scare you--it is all at a child's level.) For that reason, I would not skip Vol. 1, especially when you can get it so cheaply. I'm glad you brought this up as I want to use this next year with my kids who will be in 1st and 3rd. I was concerned it would be too easy for my rising 3rd grader, but it doesn't sound like this will be a problem. My husband is a h.s. physics teacher too, and says the same thing. I started BFSU in October with my 1st and 3rd graders, who have been reading space books for fun for ages and generally have a quick understanding of science topics. My plan is to go through volume 1 in 1.5-2 years. We aren't skipping anything, but some of these early lessons have been condensed. My biggest problem with using it with somewhat older/experienced kids is that the supplemental book suggestions seem usually geared more towards kindergarteners. I'm hoping that will change as we move into the 2nd and 3rd thirds of the book because my 3rd grader hasn't been too receptive towards the most "babyish". I try to find other books on the topics at the library and after requesting a big pile, I use the ones that seem best. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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