Science Curric Involving Big Bang/Atoms, Neutron, etc?

[unfrumpable.]

Hi all!

 

I've been using the Stunning Science of Everything as a "spine" for science. I'm barely a handful of pages in and have hit a problem. It starts off covering the big bang. The pages aren't long, so it was only an overview. My son was really interested in it, so I bought a few more books covering the big bang and evolution. They touch on atoms, protons, electrons, etc. SSoE only touches on this as well. My son wants to know more and this is not my strong point at all!

 

Can anyone recommend some type of curriculum covering this in more detail suitable for a 7.5 year old? Something hands on (notebooking or lapbooking) with experiments would be great. He is always talking about how he wants to learn more chemistry stuff than biology stuff.

 

Thanks!

[SilverMoon]

I can't think of any actual curriculum, but my 9yo has been reading through The Library of Subatomic Particles for the fun of it. It's a series of short, informative books: Photon, Proton, Neutron, Neutrino, Electron and Quark. You'd probably want to read them aloud for a 7yo.

[momma2three]

There's a series that starts with a book called "Born With a Bang" that I've heard is good.

[dbmamaz]

i got a book called bang the universe verse when my son was that age - it was slightly over his head but close, and its like a dr suess rhyme. you could start a chemistry curriculum like RSO. also, jan van cleaves 101 chemistry experiments for every child - you can get it used on amazon for the cost of shipping, but our library has many of her titles. the George's Secret Key to the Universe series talks about the planets and the big bang, but it might be slightly above his level.

[Rosie_0801]

I love 'Born with a Bang' and the sequels but it's not what you are looking for.

[Five More Minutes]

Hi all!

 

My son was really interested in it, so I bought a few more books covering the big bang and evolution. They touch on atoms, protons, electrons, etc. SSoE only touches on this as well. My son wants to know more and this is not my strong point at all!

 

Can anyone recommend some type of curriculum covering this in more detail suitable for a 7.5 year old? Something hands on (notebooking or lapbooking) with experiments would be great. He is always talking about how he wants to learn more chemistry stuff than biology stuff.

 

Thanks!

 

 

By "this" I'm reading that you're referring to atoms and subatomic particles as opposed to the Big Bang per se? They're topics that are a hard to have meaningful demonstrations / experiments with in the primary grades, so I'd agree with pp that diving into more books on the topic will be the best way for your son to learn more about it.

 

I used RS4K Chemistry and it discussed atoms, molecules, and bonding along with a few demonstration experiments. They were okay, and my girls LOVED them, but *I* wasn't that thrilled. They have full samples of their books online, so you can check to see if it's a good fit. They have lab books and I think some notebooking options.

 

Right now I'm using BFSU, and I like the way it leads into topics with demonstrations and activities. BFSU 1 touches on the basics of chemistry and draws linkages to other scientific disciplines. (No notebooking options, though.) I'm using it as my spine for walking systematically through the sciences, but when my dds have a particular passion about something, we pause and dive into it using whatever resources we can find that help them stretch their thinking on it: science kits, TOPS units, other curricula, books from the libraries, DVDs.

 

I think that Elemental Science's Chemistry has notebooking that goes along with it. It follows TWTM sequence.

[Crimson Wife]

Ellen McHenry's The Elements is accessible to a bright child that age. DD used it in 2nd when she was 7. DS could use it now (he's 7.5) but I am saving it for the fall as we're on astronomy right now.

[unfrumpable.]

By "this" I'm reading that you're referring to atoms and subatomic particles as opposed to the Big Bang per se? They're topics that are a hard to have meaningful demonstrations / experiments with in the primary grades, so I'd agree with pp that diving into more books on the topic will be the best way for your son to learn more about it.

 

I used RS4K Chemistry and it discussed atoms, molecules, and bonding along with a few demonstration experiments. They were okay, and my girls LOVED them, but *I* wasn't that thrilled. They have full samples of their books online, so you can check to see if it's a good fit. They have lab books and I think some notebooking options.

 

Right now I'm using BFSU, and I like the way it leads into topics with demonstrations and activities. BFSU 1 touches on the basics of chemistry and draws linkages to other scientific disciplines. (No notebooking options, though.) I'm using it as my spine for walking systematically through the sciences, but when my dds have a particular passion about something, we pause and dive into it using whatever resources we can find that help them stretch their thinking on it: science kits, TOPS units, other curricula, books from the libraries, DVDs.

 

I think that Elemental Science's Chemistry has notebooking that goes along with it. It follows TWTM sequence.

 

Thank you for the suggestions. I decided that I don't want a whole year of chemistry because I want to go over other things this year, but did find some lapbooks on Currclick (one from Elemental Science) that will do the job. BFSU looks good too!

 

I love all the book suggestions in this thread too. The books I had previously purchased are Life Story by Virginia Lee Burton, Bang! How we came to be by Michael Rubino, and Older than the Stars by Karen Fox.