5th grade plan (Ruth help please)

[danadino]

Ruth I read your comments on other topics and I really appreciate your help with science and writing and I wish you can help me.

I am very new in homeschooling. I homeschool a 10 year old bright kid that she wants to be a doctor when she grows up. So my plan is to cover with her everything she might need to prepare for medical school not only in science but in every subject, the problem though that I don't like science. So till now we never did science. We never find time for science. My daughter is spending four hours in the morning learning Arabic and French and the other half day is English and Math. On the week end it's just hard to make anything done with other activities that she does like horseback riding, dance, drama, and paintings. We are in Morocco right now so access to english books are hard but my husband is in US, he can send us any needed materials. I don't have any specific curriculum in mind I tried k12 and i found it kind of boring. I need especially help with science and writing. I have IEW and classical writing(aesop). She is a strong reader but reluctant writer. She is very strong in Math, it's our favourite subject at home. We can do math for hours without complaint(we are using saxon math and singapore math).

I really appreciate your help and welcome any input from anyone.

Thank you

[lewelma]

I am very new in homeschooling.

Welcome. First thing....Don't Panic. There is time for everything. 10 is still young.

 

I homeschool a 10 year old bright kid that she wants to be a doctor when she grows up. So my plan is to cover with her everything she might need to prepare for medical school not only in science but in every subject, the problem though that I don't like science. So till now we never did science. We never find time for science. My daughter is spending four hours in the morning learning Arabic and French and the other half day is English and Math. On the week end it's just hard to make anything done with other activities that she does like horseback riding, dance, drama, and paintings.

I only say this because I am having to do it myself with my older. Have you considered aligning her schooling more closely with her career goals? My ds has had a love of math since he was about 8, but somehow, just through life's many twists and turns, he had been focusing on music. I had a wake up call last November when his tutor was *shocked* that he was not planning a career in music. Apparently, we were doing all the things that musician-want-a-bees do: the expensive tutor, the fancy chamber group, the theory lessons, the symphony, etc. But really, although he loves music, he wants to be a mathematician. With his enthusiastic consent, I have made an about face in the last 2 months, and it has made a huge difference in how he views his life. Our homeschool has completely changed. Music is still there, but he is now focusing on math and mathematical contests, rather than music and music contests.

 

All I am saying is that you have a language-focused homeschool for a science-focused child. Only you and your dd can decide if the fit is right, but it is worth considering.

 

the problem though is that I don't like science.

 

Next, and please don't take this personally because you are not alone, but you must be VERY CAREFUL that your own personal feelings don't colour your child's enthusiasm. It is natural and normal to drop the stuff you personally don't like, and it is also quite common to accidentally or subtly make known your own feelings of dislike. But you must NOT do this. Yes, I really know it is hard. But be very very careful. (ask me how I know!)

 

We are in Morocco right now so access to english books are hard but my husband is in US, he can send us any needed materials. I don't have any specific curriculum in mind I tried k12 and i found it kind of boring. I need especially help with science and writing.

If you have not done a lot of science and find k12 boring, perhaps you need to get some nonfiction science books. Do you have a plan for the next few years of science? What subjects do you want to cover? Are you looking for experiment or book learning? Do you like integrated science or one topic per year?

 

I have IEW and classical writing(aesop). She is a strong reader but reluctant writer.

I would recommend that you just start one or the other. Whatever program will *get done* is the program you should use. Slow and steady wins the race. Make sure she is writing every day for at least 30 minutes, preferably 45minutes, even if you have to split it into 2 sessions. The more she does the better she will get.

 

Happy to give more input if it would be helpful,

 

Ruth in NZ

[danadino]

Thanks Ruth for replying to my post. I really appreciate the time and the effort you put to help others and I want thank every one in this forum for the information they share with others.Thanks everyone.

 

I don't consider aligning her schooling with her career goals because I know things can change, She still young and she is going to change her mind many times. I am planning to get her a good liberal classical education with a focus on science. Since we have never done science before I don't know which topics should we focus on. I want her just to cover everything she needs to cover before college and should be ready if she wants to go to medical school if she desire that. I think we are fine with either fiction or nonfiction books. I am even considering online classes if they are any good ones. For writing the problem is english is my third language so it's hard for me to edit her papers that's why I am planning to outsource that as well but I am not sure where. I herad about a lot of online schools but mostly are christian based ones. I prefer secular curriculum but don't mind religious ones if they can help with our goals. I am planning to use WWS level1 next year based on your reviews, I don't know how we should prepare to make it happen.

Thank you Ruth

[Catherine]

Not Ruth, but if you are planning to start WWS next year, and your daughter is a reluctant writer, as my children all were, I would definitely recommend starting WWE this year, perhaps level 2 or 3, and working on those skills in the coming months. Many children need to copying and dictation practice that WWE provides, as well as learning how to narrate, which is critical to many later writing skills. Anything you do now will be better than nothing.

[Pen]

Ruth I read your comments on other topics and I really appreciate your help with science and writing and I wish you can help me.

I am very new in homeschooling. I homeschool a 10 year old bright kid that she wants to be a doctor when she grows up. So my plan is to cover with her everything she might need to prepare for medical school not only in science but in every subject, the problem though that I don't like science. So till now we never did science. We never find time for science. My daughter is spending four hours in the morning learning Arabic and French and the other half day is English and Math. On the week end it's just hard to make anything done with other activities that she does like horseback riding, dance, drama, and paintings. We are in Morocco right now so access to english books are hard but my husband is in US, he can send us any needed materials. I don't have any specific curriculum in mind I tried k12 and i found it kind of boring. I need especially help with science and writing. I have IEW and classical writing(aesop). She is a strong reader but reluctant writer. She is very strong in Math, it's our favourite subject at home. We can do math for hours without complaint(we are using saxon math and singapore math).

I really appreciate your help and welcome any input from anyone.

Thank you

 

 

Not Ruth, but have several doctors in family, my godson just finished med school, and once upon a time, I considered it myself.

 

Most excellent medical schools want well-rounded candidates, not ones narrowly focussed on math & science. While it is ideal to have a strong math and science background, it is also possible not only to not do that before college, but even to major in other areas and not have those prerequisites by college graduation and then to take an extra year after college to do the required math and science prerequisites. My sister and mother both did that and it worked fine, though it did mean they were older at the point of getting their degree. That is not necessarily a disadvantage since it may give some added maturity that can help. My sister learned German in high school as a main thrust and then majored in Italian in college, showing that a language emphasis does not preclude becoming a doctor.

 

My godson and a cousin, OTOH, were very prepared in high school and did accelerated programs where college and med school were condensed into 5 years for godson / 7 years for cousin (godson went to a European med school right from high school, cousin went to a USA med-ed program). I believe they each had math through calculus, chemistry, physics, and AP biology in high school and a general well rounded education, plus in case of godson, community service as a hospital Candy Striper (volunteer helper) to give him experience that was at least somewhat relevant and give him a better idea if it was really what he wanted to do.

 

It helps to have calculus before physics, so if you work backwards, you can sort of figure out what you would need to get those in place by end of high school -- but realize as I said in previous paragraph there are ways to make it up even if it is not done in college either.

 

I personally would suggest that statistics is an important area for many fields, medicine included, since making judgements about treatments and so forth depend on statistics and their reliability. Also logical thinking and learning to sort out truth from propaganda and advertising is important in many fields including medicine.

[Pen]

PS As to specifics:

 

You might want to try Joy Hakim's History of Science books together (or something similar), as it might give you more of a feel for and liking for science yourself and could be of much interest to your daughter. Nebel's BFSU is interesting, and more science rather than history of. Critical Thinking Co. http://www.criticalthinking.com has some interesting materials for science and logic, as well as things like Editor in Chief for grammar.

 

You might want to try Bravewriter's online writing classes (I think sign up for next term just opened today) for combination of reluctant writer plus that English is not your first langauge.

 

Good Luck!

 

And a PS as to language, for a practicing doctor multiple languages is a big help as patients speak different languages -- it also can allow for work in a variety of places.

[lewelma]

I don't consider aligning her schooling with her career goals because I know things can change, She still young and she is going to change her mind many times. I am planning to get her a good liberal classical education with a focus on science.

Got it. I agree with others that I would not give up on your language study; however you do need to make a decision: Do you plan to add in more time to the school day for science? or do you plan to cut back on some of the other things she is learning to make space?

 

Since we have never done science before I don't know which topics should we focus on. I want her just to cover everything she needs to cover before college and should be ready if she wants to go to medical school if she desire that.

Well, there is Biology, Earth/Space Science, Chemistry, and Physics as the broad categories most people use. If she has never done science before and is interested in medicine, I would start with Biology. Biology includes: Zoology, Botany, Ecology, Human body, Biochemistry, Genetics, Evolution (of course there is more!) Since you have to buy all your materials, you need to do some planning up front. For a student who has never done any science, I would make sure to get materials on the appropriate reading level, both for you to read to her and for her to read to herself. I personally, don't like textbooks for 10 year olds, but others do, so you need to think about how she learns and what she would like.

 

So what level does she read at? Often reading levels for fiction vs nonfiction differ. so what kind of nonfiction does she read?

 

How much complicated material can she understand if you read it to her? Does she understand better if you explain it? or if she reads it herself?

 

I think we are fine with either fiction or nonfiction books.

Oh, I meant nonfiction books vs textbooks. I am sure this is clear as mud. nonfiction books are just kids' books on topics like swamps or birds. The have lots of pictures, some are written in a narrative style, some are skinny, some are fat, there is a lot of variability. But typically they are very engaging and readable. Textbooks are systematic overviews of an entire topic with review questions sprinkled throughout, and quizzes at the end etc. They are typically less readable, and middle school textbooks are typically full of "how to learn to read textbooks" material scattered throughout the text in little boxes. There is obviously overlap, but they are definitely two different media.

 

I am even considering online classes if they are any good ones. For writing the problem is english is my third language so it's hard for me to edit her papers that's why I am planning to outsource that as well but I am not sure where. I herad about a lot of online schools but mostly are christian based ones. I prefer secular curriculum but don't mind religious ones if they can help with our goals. I am planning to use WWS level1 next year based on your reviews, I don't know how we should prepare to make it happen.

Are you talking about outsourcing writing this year? If so, you should start a new thread because there are a lot of people with good experiences with online schools who could share what to look for.

 

If you are talking about just what to do for this year, I am with one of the pp, WWS1 requires summaries and good paragraph writing skills, so I would start teaching her how to do those 2 skills. For a 3rd language, your writing is excellent, and I don't think that you need to worry about editing the papers of a 10 year old. Do you want a writing curriculum for a 5th grader or would you teach her yourself?

 

Ruth in NZ

[danadino]

Not Ruth, but if you are planning to start WWS next year, and your daughter is a reluctant writer, as my children all were, I would definitely recommend starting WWE this year, perhaps level 2 or 3, and working on those skills in the coming months. Many children need to copying and dictation practice that WWE provides, as well as learning how to narrate, which is critical to many later writing skills. Anything you do now will be better than nothing.

 

 

We have done some outlining, dictation , and cpywork. Aren't these levels take a year work per level? that means it's going to take two to three years to start WWS? I am doing right now IEW and I am not sure if it's going to cover all the skills needed to start WWS. I am going to check the scope and sequence of each level and I'll try to fill in the gaps.

 

Thanks for helping.

[danadino]

Not Ruth, but have several doctors in family, my godson just finished med school, and once upon a time, I considered it myself.

 

Most excellent medical schools want well-rounded candidates, not ones narrowly focussed on math & science. While it is ideal to have a strong math and science background, it is also possible not only to not do that before college, but even to major in other areas and not have those prerequisites by college graduation and then to take an extra year after college to do the required math and science prerequisites. My sister and mother both did that and it worked fine, though it did mean they were older at the point of getting their degree. That is not necessarily a disadvantage since it may give some added maturity that can help. My sister learned German in high school as a main thrust and then majored in Italian in college, showing that a language emphasis does not preclude becoming a doctor.

 

My godson and a cousin, OTOH, were very prepared in high school and did accelerated programs where college and med school were condensed into 5 years for godson / 7 years for cousin (godson went to a European med school right from high school, cousin went to a USA med-ed program). I believe they each had math through calculus, chemistry, physics, and AP biology in high school and a general well rounded education, plus in case of godson, community service as a hospital Candy Striper (volunteer helper) to give him experience that was at least somewhat relevant and give him a better idea if it was really what he wanted to do.

 

It helps to have calculus before physics, so if you work backwards, you can sort of figure out what you would need to get those in place by end of high school -- but realize as I said in previous paragraph there are ways to make it up even if it is not done in college either.

 

I personally would suggest that statistics is an important area for many fields, medicine included, since making judgements about treatments and so forth depend on statistics and their reliability. Also logical thinking and learning to sort out truth from propaganda and advertising is important in many fields including medicine.

 

 

I plan to her a well rounded education that's what's most important for me, but at the same time I want her to be well prepared for college. Your grandson's plan is terrific. I am looking for something like that. At least she will finish Calculus by 11th grade so she can do an AP physics classes by 12th grade and finish al required AP science classes at the end of high school. I don't want her to make up anything in college time.

I appreciate sharing with all this information.

Thank you

[danadino]

PS As to specifics:

 

You might want to try Joy Hakim's History of Science books together (or something similar), as it might give you more of a feel for and liking for science yourself and could be of much interest to your daughter. Nebel's BFSU is interesting, and more science rather than history of. Critical Thinking Co. http://www.criticalthinking.com has some interesting materials for science and logic, as well as things like Editor in Chief for grammar.

 

You might want to try Bravewriter's online writing classes (I think sign up for next term just opened today) for combination of reluctant writer plus that English is not your first langauge.

 

Good Luck!

 

And a PS as to language, for a practicing doctor multiple languages is a big help as patients speak different languages -- it also can allow for work in a variety of places.

 

I heard good reviews about these books and I think it's a good idea to alighn them with history. But are these books science books or history of science that's confuses me? Can we count it as a science or history?

Thanks

[songsparrow]

This is in response to your challenge in getting books written in English - I have discovered that Houghton Mifflin Harcourt offers online subscriptions to a lot of their textbooks, so that for $20-30 per year you can get full online access to the student text, teacher text and supporting materials. They have a nice selection for middle school that might be of interest. If you're looking for a text to use as a spine, this might be an easy way for you to access materials. (I don't know if there's any limit to where in the world you must be to access their material.) You can usually request a virtual sample of the materials online, which will let you look through all of the student and teacher's texts (not just a few sample pages) to see if you like them.

[danadino]

Ruth,

Thanks again for taking the time to reply.

I am planning to add one hour of science three times a week or half hour every day. We read this year so far Robinson crusoe, cricket in time square, Heidi, and all the little house on the praririe books. For me I can understand undergraduate level books, I got my bachelor degree from US in business administration-Finance major.

Next year I am planning to start World history I might order Human Odyssey 1 from K12 and I'll try to align literature to that. For science I have no plans right now. If you think biology will be good I don't mind that. I don't like texbooks neither I like interesting books that don't have to do a lot of reports, summaries and all that boring staff. I am going to add some computer science class in 5th grade maybe one hour/week on weekends.

For writings, I might not worry much about editing now but at some point I need a qualified person to do that job. Reading,writing, and Math are very important skills that she needs to learn well.

I read all your topics about writings and I am not sure what my plans are and which curriculums I should use but the end result I want her to be able to write clearly and express her thoughts accurately about anything. How to achieve that I have no idea.

I appreciate any input to help develop a plan for her.

 

Thank you

[danadino]

This is in response to your challenge in getting books written in English - I have discovered that Houghton Mifflin Harcourt offers online subscriptions to a lot of their textbooks, so that for $20-30 per year you can get full online access to the student text, teacher text and supporting materials. They have a nice selection for middle school that might be of interest. If you're looking for a text to use as a spine, this might be an easy way for you to access materials. (I don't know if there's any limit to where in the world you must be to access their material.) You can usually request a virtual sample of the materials online, which will let you look through all of the student and teacher's texts (not just a few sample pages) to see if you like them.

 

That's really a good information to know. Thank you so much.

[Catherine]

Yes, WWE 1-4 take one year each, but they are customizable-you can pick and choose parts to use, and start at the level that is manageable for your daughter. You don't need to all the parts of all the books to be ready for WWS. I'm just suggesting them to get some practice in before she starts WWS in the fall.

[lewelma]

We read this year so far Robinson crusoe, cricket in time square, Heidi, and all the little house on the praririe books.

 

Did you read these to her? or did she read them independently?

 

What Non-fiction (science or history) books has she read recently? (Not ones that you have read to her) If you give me a few titles, I can look at them on Amazon and figure out her level. If you were near an English-language library, I would just send you there to browse. But if you are going to buy a bunch of books without looking at them, it is very very important to target the level just right.

 

Ruth in NZ

[Pen]

I heard good reviews about these books and I think it's a good idea to alighn them with history. But are these books science books or history of science that's confuses me? Can we count it as a science or history?

Thanks

 

 

Do you have a formal requirement to meet when you ask about counting something as science v. history?

 

If yes, the Hakim book is a history of science book, fairly advanced material for a 10 year old. I think you could count it as history, but it would also give a lot of science (and math) knowledge, so science if you wanted.

 

The others I mentioned, Nebel's Building Foundations in Scientific Understanding and the Critical Thinking books on science would be counted as science suitable for her age.

 

We also watch a lot of science oriented DVD's--usually in the evenings, not during school time. It is another way to learn about various topics. Particularly earth and space are areas with many wonderful DVD's. I am not so aware of ones for chemistry--if others know I would love if that were shared. And my son has just picked up science encyclopedias and read parts, which is also a way to learn things. We have kits on certain subjects also to make parts more fun and hands-on.

[danadino]

Do you have a formal requirement to meet when you ask about counting something as science v. history?

 

If yes, the Hakim book is a history of science book, fairly advanced material for a 10 year old. I think you could count it as history, but it would also give a lot of science (and math) knowledge, so science if you wanted.

 

The others I mentioned, Nebel's Building Foundations in Scientific Understanding and the Critical Thinking books on science would be counted as science suitable for her age.

 

We also watch a lot of science oriented DVD's--usually in the evenings, not during school time. It is another way to learn about various topics. Particularly earth and space are areas with many wonderful DVD's. I am not so aware of ones for chemistry--if others know I would love if that were shared. And my son has just picked up science encyclopedias and read parts, which is also a way to learn things. We have kits on certain subjects also to make parts more fun and hands-on.

 

No I don't have any formal requirement to meet. I am just asking because I am planning to buy Human Odysse from k12 if it is similar I can buy just Joy hakim book and make part of history and science.

Can you recommend some DVD's and documentaries to watch suitable for her age?

[danadino]

 

Did you read these to her? or did she read them independently?

 

What Non-fiction (science or history) books has she read recently? (Not ones that you have read to her) If you give me a few titles, I can look at them on Amazon and figure out her level. If you were near an English-language library, I would just send you there to browse. But if you are going to buy a bunch of books without looking at them, it is very very important to target the level just right.

 

Ruth in NZ

 

She reads independtly. She was qualified last year for cty gifted and talented program for both english and math. Last year I sent her to US for last two months to test for STAAR test because I felt insecure about my teaching and her teacher said that her reading level is at 8+ . Her STAAR test was at 98th percentile. But the reading we did are all retold for young readers. Here are the list of books that she is required to read during this year and they are all from K12.

 

Scienec 4

• The Fossil Record and the History of Life
  
• Animals without Backbones: Invertebrates
  
• 
  
• LA4
  
• 
  
• Classics for Young Readers, Vol 4A
  
• Classics for Young Readers, Vol 4B
  
• Exercises in English, Grade 4 (Level D)
  
• If You Lived in the Days of the Knights by Ann McGovern
  
• Feathers, Flippers & Fur
  
• Vocabulary Workshop, Grade 4 (Orange)
  
• Nature's Way
  
• Writing in Action, Vol C
  
• Writing in Action, Vol D
  
• Pollyanna by Eleanor Porter —K¹² edition, abridged for young readers
  
• Robinson Crusoe by Daniel Defoe —K¹² edition, retold for young readers
  
• Keyboarding CD
  
• 
  
• History4
  
• 
  
• The U.S. Constitution and You, by Syl Sobel (Barron's, 2001)
  
• Inventors: A Library of Congress Book, by Martin Sandler (HarperCollins, 1996)
  
• Understanding Geography: Map Skills and Our World (Level 4)
  
• All these books are kind of easy for her and she can read them and understand them without any help of me.
  
• Thanks
  
• 
  

[Pen]

No I don't have any formal requirement to meet. I am just asking because I am planning to buy Human Odysse from k12 if it is similar I can buy just Joy hakim book and make part of history and science.

Can you recommend some DVD's and documentaries to watch suitable for her age?

 

 

 

The only HO type book I have is for United States History. I got it to have some basic all in one resource, but do not especially like it even though many people on these forums seem to. I can't otherwise compare anything about any HO and the Hakim book. The Hakim book goes through a lot of science history from earliest times to the present, in so doing it touches on other history and also explains some bits of math or science along the way. If you could find a "look inside" place to get a sense of it, I think that would help you.

 

DVD's my son has liked include:

Earth the Biography w/ Iain Stewart

James Burke's Connections

The Incredible Human Journey with Alice Roberts

Through the Wormhole with Morgan Freeman

Into the Universe with Stephen Hawking

The Elegant Universe with ?

National Geographic movies in general including: Birth of Civilization and Inside the Living Body--both of which have potential issues for some parents in regard to religious ideas of human origins and being forthright about sexuality and reproduction, as well as showing inside views of digestion and so on, but I thought they were fine for my same age child, and he loved both and has asked for them a number of times.

The Secret Life of the Brain

 

Cracking the Code of Life (Nova)

and

The Secret of Photo _[51?]____ cannot recall exact title, nor the key photo's number, but about cracking the double helix mystery.

 

and BBC productions such as Planet Earth

 

Also enjoyed Terry Jones movies such as The Story of 1

[danadino]

Thanks Pen I'll look them up.

[lewelma]

Sorry for the delay in responding, I am knee deep in math at the moment.

 

I feel like you are very uncertain as to what to do next. And I it is really hard to give you any clear advice until you think through some things. So here are a few questions to think about and when you get a chance write down some thoughts and post them here.

 

1) Why do you want to study science? Is is just to tick the boxes or do you have some idea as to where you are headed?

2) Is you dd excited about science and asking you for more? or are you just looking for some exposure?

3) Does your dd have scientific questions? Does she ask you about things? What interests her?

4) Has your dd ever done a scientific demonstration or activity or has she only read through books?

5) Do you do any nature study? Do you look at the moon or the sun and where it is in the sky? do you notice the plant and animal life near you? Do you go on walks and *see* things?

6) Do you have any longer term plan for science? Have you read any other threads about science and how different people do science?

 

Overall, I feel like you are completely uncertain, and I really don't want to hand you a science program on a silver platter because it may not fit *your family.* I think that reading some other threads would be very useful to you -- to help you get a feel for your options and to help you to find questions to ask.

 

I have written extensively about designing science programs for a range of children on these threads. I would recommend that you read them, think about the above questions, and then *ask* some questions of your own.

 

Advanced science for a dyslexic child

Systematic unschooling for a student who dislikes most science programs

Designing a program using only resources you have and adapting for travel opportunities

Mixed ages for earth sci, chemistry, and physics. Reading focused

Learning physics and chemistry under the umbrella of astronomy: post 15

Studying biology and earth science by way of gorillas and snakes post 16

Creating high school 'Science in Society' courses for non-STEM kids: posts 37 and 38

 

Please know that many people simply buy a pre-packaged science program and follow it. You do NOT have to design one. You will notice that most of the kids that I have designed programs for do not like curricula, but perhaps your dd will. Sometimes you won't know until you try one. If you want a science program laid out with clear text and diagrams, demonstrations, review questions, projects etc, just ask, and there will be many people who can name a curriculum that will suit your needs.

 

Ruth in NZ

[lewelma]

dp

[danadino]

1) Why do you want to study science? Is is just to tick the boxes or do you have some idea as to where you are headed?

 

I want to teach science just like history chronologically, from the ground up to the broadest abstractions. I want my daughter to be able to explain her observations and know her self and the wrorld around her.I want her to learn the difference between the name of something and knowing something.

 

2) Is you dd excited about science and asking you for more? or are you just looking for some exposure?

 

She is very excited about science and she is very curious. She wants to know how stuff work and how it made of. I don't want just exposure I want study things in depth. I am planning to do a three year cycle earth science, life science, and physical science. I want at this stage to be able to connect subjects in a way they complement each other. For example we study ancients in history , do science that is aligned to that period of time, read literature related to that period of time. so we have a same theme for the whole year so we plan field trips, demonstrations, and projects that complement each other. I want her to connect and discover the relationships between all the subjects.

 

3) Does your dd have scientific questions? Does she ask you about things? What interests her?

 

She's always asking about the human body and how it works. she always wants to know which muscle is moving when she swims or how braincommunicate with other organs to tell them what to do. It's hard to tell about the other subjects of science because she wasn't exposed much to them. I was focusing on language and math because they are the foundation for anything else but at the logic stage I want her to know more how to explain the wrorld around her.

 

4) Has your dd ever done a scientific demonstration or activity or has she only read through books?

 

No we haven't done any demonstration but we watch some videos like Bill Nye and happy scientist.

 

5) Do you do any nature study? Do you look at the moon or the sun and where it is in the sky? do you notice the plant and animal life near you? Do you go on walks and *see* things?

 

she likes to walk and watch trees, sky ....etc but we haven't done a nature study in a formal way like having a notebook and write everything about what you are seeing. Maybe I need to do botany to be able to do nature study.

 

6) Do you have any longe) Do you have any longer term plan for science? Have you read any other threads about science and how different people do science?

 

r term plan for science? Have you read any other threads about science and how different people do science?

 

I didn't read every thread about science but I read quite a few because always science is the subject that most homeschool families struggle with. Here in Morocco, they don't study science till you are in 8th grade. Since we have a choice here to choose majors in 8th grade to be either science, math, econmics, or literature I chose at the time to be Math so I didn't study science at all in high school. In US when I went to study my undergraduate for Business Administration it was required only two classes with labs in science to graduate. After I talked to a lot of professors and counselors they advised me to take Biology which the easiest of all science categories. So, it's hard to tell if I like it or not since I wasn't exposed to it. I liked the biology classes I took. Right now I am trying to familiarize my self with the subjects again and I am taking two physical science

classes online through Udacity and Coursera. (how things work). I like so far but it's just stared.

My goals for science is to be able to undestand how things work, what's happening inside your body, always about the howand why questions.

 

I appreciate that you're taking the time and replying to my questions even if you are so busy. You are right I am uncertain about what I am doing because I didn't plan to homeschool at all. It happened by accident since I came to care of my lonely mother and I am schocked with the high expense american school charge her in Morocoo and it was impossible to put her in moroccan school due to language barrier. So I had to homeschool and I am learning on the way how to do it. But to tell the truth I enjoy it and I am planning to continue homeschooling even if we get back to America.

[lewelma]

Sorry for the delay, I have been very busy with MATH!

 

Content:

So you already have a big picture plan:

5th grade: biology

6th grade: earth science

7th grade: physical science

 

Next you need to decide how many subtopics you want to study in a year. Some kids like to go deep; others like breadth. Which does your dd like? Here are the main topics for biology to choose between:

Biology: botany, zoology, ecology, environmental science, conservation biology, human biology, genetics, biochemistry

 

So if you want to do 1 months per topic, do all of them. If you want to do 3 months per topic, choose 3.

 

Skills:

What skills do you want her to learn in middle school science? You need to pick from:

scientific method

observation skills

writing skills

presentation skills

research skills

study skills

 

Output: Output is about making the material her own. Most kids need to work with the material to really understand it. This can be as simple as telling you what she has learned after reading a book or as complicated as a full research paper. You need to think about what you want and how she learns.

 

Hands on: Do you want to do observations, demonstrations, or experiments? Or do you just want to read books? If you want to do hands on, do you have any good outdoor resources? Like a garden for botany? Or nearby mountains, streams, oceans, etc.

 

Evaluation: The purpose of evaluation is to see if your dd knows the information and to encourage her to study. Evaluation does not have to be tests. You can evaluate her learning by having her write reports, or give presentations etc. What does she like to do and what do you want her to have practice with?

 

Resources: You have told me that you would prefer to use non-fiction over textbooks. Do you want to get her used to textbooks in 7th grade when she does physical science? I am still a bit stumped as to what to recommend as you don't have a library. After we have a plan laid out, I think it would be wise to start a new thread and get people to suggest books that fit the plan.

 

Schedule: you have said 3 hours per week. We can lay out a schedule, once you have figured out the rest of your plan.

 

Ruth in NZ

[danadino]

Ruth you are amazing person. You are such an inspiration to me and a lot of homeschool moms. I am impressed with what you are doing with your boys I wish if my daughter had a mom like you. You really need to write a book. I really want know what did you do with your kids and what resources did you use taht's going to help me a lot. I want thank you for helping me even you are so busy with your kids and thanks to anyone response to this thread. Really is the best forums.

[danadino]

Sorry for the delay, I have been very busy with MATH!

 

Content:

So you already have a big picture plan:

5th grade: biology

6th grade: earth science

7th grade: physical science

 

Next you need to decide how many subtopics you want to study in a year. Some kids like to go deep; others like breadth. Which does your dd like? Here are the main topics for biology to choose between:

Biology: botany, zoology, ecology, environmental science, conservation biology, human biology, genetics, biochemistry

 

So if you want to do 1 months per topic, do all of them. If you want to do 3 months per topic, choose 3.

 

 

I want to do a topic each quarter. we are going to study human biology,genetics, and botany.

 

Skills:

What skills do you want her to learn in middle school science? You need to pick from:

scientific method

observation skills

writing skills

presentation skills

research skills

study skills

 

All of them

 

Output: Output is about making the material her own. Most kids need to work with the material to really understand it. This can be as simple as telling you what she has learned after reading a book or as complicated as a full research paper. You need to think about what you want and how she learns.

 

I think she can practice all the skills that she learned. For example do a presentation after first nine weeks, research paper the second quarter, and science project for last quarter as you do with your kids.

 

Hands on: Do you want to do observations, demonstrations, or experiments? Or do you just want to read books? If you want to do hands on, do you have any good outdoor resources? Like a garden for botany? Or nearby mountains, streams, oceans, etc.

 

I want just read books, watch documentaries, but at the end of the year we do a big project that we can learn all about scientific methods, presentation skills, and writing reserch paper...etc For the resources I don't have access to library but I can use old books or e-books on a kindle, watch documentaries on you tube or subscrition to discovery streaming.

I have access to an ocean and a forest.

 

Evaluation: The purpose of evaluation is to see if your dd knows the information and to encourage her to study. Evaluation does not have to be tests. You can evaluate her learning by having her write reports, or give presentations etc. What does she like to do and what do you want her to have practice with?

 

Evaluation can be done through writing reports at the end of each quarter or a presentation about a topic that interests her while studying the subject. But narration is going to be done after each lesson.

 

Resources: You have told me that you would prefer to use non-fiction over textbooks. Do you want to get her used to textbooks in 7th grade when she does physical science? I am still a bit stumped as to what to recommend as you don't have a library. After we have a plan laid out, I think it would be wise to start a new thread and get people to suggest books that fit the plan.

 

I really want to know all the resources you have used with your kids in all subjects. I am going to research them and see which ones will be a good fit for us.

 

Schedule: you have said 3 hours per week. We can lay out a schedule, once you have figured out the rest of your plan.

 

Ruth in NZ

[lewelma]

x-post

 

In general, we learn about a subject for 3 terms and then do an investigation for the 4th term. During the learning phase we do some demonstrations and general observations of our world, but with no clear schedule or pressure to “get it done.â€

 

DS#1 is about 2 years advanced in science, so the books I chose are more difficult than typical for each grade level.

 

1st. Biology

Topics: Zoology, Botany, Ecology, Human Body (not very formal)

Texts: just used library books

Docos: David Attenborough's numerous series

Hands on: observed birds, planted a garden, measured heart rate and lung capacity, made mushroom prints, etc

Investigations: ds#1 What is the most common mushroom in our woods?

Ds#2 Which fertilizer makes plants grow the tallest?

 

2nd. Earth Science

Topics: Astronomy, Geology, Oceanography, Metereology

Texts: Ocean http://www.amazon.co....0729099&sr=8-1

Eyewitness Earth http://www.amazon.co....0729126&sr=1-1

The Way the Universe Works http://www.amazon.co....0729156&sr=1-1

plus library books

Docos: BBC's Planet Earth and others

Hands on: observed the night sky and moon cycles, studied weather maps, observed fronts, identified clouds, joined local geology club, collected and categorized rocks, and went on field trips to see road cuts

Investigations: ds#1 Can I predict the weather accurately using only cloud formations?

Ds#2 What affects the topsoil depth in my woods?

 

3rd. Chemistry

Topics: Periodic Table, chemical reactions, industry uses

Texts: Ellen McHenry's The Elements, RS4K level 2 Chemistry, and numerous library books. The Elements by Theordore Gray and the Mystery fo the Periodic Table by Wilker (all these books could be used for middle school chemistry but at a faster rate, and then add Ellen McHenry's Carbon Chemistry )

Docos: Numerous Modern Marvels on Chemistry topics, BBC's Chemistry: A volitile history (3 part series)

Hands on: mostly from RS4K

Investigation: ds#1What mixture of ingredients makes the most pliable and bounceable silly putty?

ds #2 What is the fade rate of different natural dyes and pigments? (just starting this)

 

4th: Physics (We did middle school physics in 4th because it is ds#1's true love)

Topics: mechanics, electronics, astronomy, flight

Text: How Things Work (yes, the whole book!) + library books on electricity and flight

Scientific American's astronomy articles going back 10 years

Docos: The Way Things Work, Numerous Modern Marvels on Physics/Engineering topics

Hands on: Electronics kit. Mechanical Kit

Investigation: How does the angle of attack affect the flight time of a kite depending on the wind speed?

 

5th: Biology (topics of his choosing)

Topics: Biochemistry, Genetics, Evolution, Microbiology

Texts: The Way Life Works; The Cartoon Guide to genetics; The stuff of life; Biozone's Evolution

Docos: All of David Attenborough again (he is just great)

Hands on: Hemophilia in the royal family, lots of microscope work, gene pool and genetic drift games

Investigation: Which type of water supports the most diversity of micro-organisms, ocean, ditch, or river?

 

6th: Earth Science

Topics: Astronomy, Oceanography, Geology, Meteorology.

Texts: Tarbuck's Earth Science, and Applications and Investigations in Earth Science

(we only did about 1/2 of the text and ½ of the applications)

Docos: TTC one of the Earth Science series (did not get through even 1/2 of the series)

Hands on: Observed night sky and moon cycles, Applications and investigations book

Investigation: How does the wind direction and speed and the orientation of the bay affect longshore transport of sand?

 

Tarbuck is an incredibly readable text, which is why I chose it as ds's first textbook to read. We are using the university level text (it was a LOT cheaper). I have compared it page for page to the HS text and there is a LOT of overlap. The graphs, diagrams, photos are the same. And at least half of the text is word for word. We use this one: http://www.amazon.co....9479388&sr=8-2 To drop the level, we just did half of the text so that the speed was reasonable. Plus he only *read* the text -- I gave no tests or quizzes. The goal was just to get him to engage with a textbook.

And the investigation book: http://www.amazon.co....9479427&sr=8-9

We got the answers for the text and investigation book from the publisher with proof of purchase and proof of homeschooling.

 

7th grade: Chemistry

Topics: Periodic table, reactions, quantitative chemistry, organic chemistry, industrial uses

Text: IGCSE Chemistry by Cambridge (this is high school chemistry). This year the goal was to teach him how to *study* from a textbook, so I did give tests. I gave him 1.5 years to get through a 1 year course, so that he had enough time to learn how study.

Docos: periodic table videos: http://www.periodicvideos.com/ ,we are looking up on the youtube all reactions that he reads about

Hands on : he is signed up for a 3 day chemistry lab, and he is doing a bunch of easy labs with his younger brother.

Investigation: What affects the CO2 levels in parking decks? (just started this)

[lewelma]

I wanted to mention that slowly over time I have ramped up the difficulty of my older's science material. I did not just dump him in the deep end with really difficult material. So, since your dd is new to science, I would suggest that you don't just follow my materials grade for grade, because you are likely to set your dd up for failure. You need to build, slowly but steadily. By 8th grade, you want to have her in a text book so that she has a year to experience textbook science before it counts in high school.

[danadino]

Thanks for the advice I will definetly go slowly with her. That's the problem with science unlike math you can't learn algebra till you learn arithmetic. I am wandering if there is such a thing in science. Do we just choose a topic and that's it gather all the materials and go or there are concepts that you should know in an orderly matter. I want to learn science from the ground up.

[Alessandra]

OP thanks for your original question - you've got such wonderful replies. (I've copied many for myself, lol.)

 

I have one suggestion, not a big overview suggestion, just a little suggestion to get started. HMH (Houghton Mifflin Harcourt) has a program called ScienceFusion. Although it is not as rigorous as some other H!H science (imho), it has some benefits. The text is a worktext that dd could do herself, and the program comes with access to online lessons that are aligned to the text. Best of all, it comes in modules, so your dh could get one module (about $36 at Rainbow Resource) -- I might suggest Module K because it is the into and has a lot about what the scientific process is. From what you have said, your dd would be ready for this level. If you decide to try, you would want to check that there are no foreign country computer access restrictions for the program. This could be a way for your dd to do some science while you are looking at all your options.

[danadino]

Thanks everyone for all the great resources you shared with me. After a lot of research I think chemistry and physics are foundational subjects to understand science. So, I need to start by studying chemistry and then physics but I want to do a human body unit study in between because my dd wants to do it so badly.

My plan is going to be:

 

5th grade:

 

1st quarter

 

Chemistry: Ellen Mchenry's the elements, RS4K level 1 chemistry.( Ruth why did you choose level 2 and not level1)

Docos: Modern Marvels on Chemistry topics, BBC's Chemistry: A volitile history

 

2nd quarter

 

Human Body: science fusion or discovering science and medecine from DUKE TIP

Docos: the secret life of the brain, inside the living body

 

3rd quarter:

 

Physical science: story of science Aristotle leads the way with the quest guide.

Docos: I am still researching

 

Please can you give me your opinions about the plan and suggest any hands on activities, fiction or non fiction books to go with the plan.

 

Thank you

[lewelma]

RS4K level 1 chemistry.( Ruth why did you choose level 2 and not level1)

 

I bought RS4K before the level distinction came out, but I have been told that the level I own is the current level 2. My understanding is that level 1 is VERY basic. Level 2 (if that is truly what I have) is at the same level as McHenry's The Elements, and I think that they complement each other nicely.

 

I would suggest that you start a new thread with this very specific question as to the difficulty of level 1 vs 2. I am sure some one else has used both RS4K chemistry and The Elements and could compare them for you.

 

Ruth in NZ