Wildiris Posted April 26, 2013 Share Posted April 26, 2013 I really need science activities that we can successfully do at home (emphasis on success! Too many times we get all of the supplies only to have the activity fail.). Recommend your favorite TOPS Science. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Maplecat Posted April 26, 2013 Share Posted April 26, 2013 We just got started with Primary Lentil science. I bought the complete kit and it wasn't so complete. After a lot of hunting, almost all the materials are gathered and it looks awesome. I think it is absolutely worth the cost and aggravation. My 7 and 4 year old are in love. I'm glad I read all the warnings about how time consuming set up is--I was prepared! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Five More Minutes Posted April 26, 2013 Share Posted April 26, 2013 I am really enjoying the current TOPS unit that I'm doing with my young ones (radishes). There isn't a lot of content instruction in the guide, but the investigation is well-designed to encourage observation and to practice skills like measuring, graphing, drawing, and recording. The materials are very household-friendly and inexpensive for the most part. Instructions are written to the student in a way that they can follow easily, and there are instructor notes that explain background and things to watch for. I think that the TOPS units pair well with either a book or even a program (I'm using BFSU, books, and documentaries for content). Many units seem to be adaptable up or down in level. One thing that I think that they do reasonably well is prepare you for the inevitable messiness and failure of science. Things NEVER work perfectly, and I've found that TOPS emphasizes "you might expect this result, and this is why." We've used those failures as opportunities to think more deeply about the subject. For example, our radishes didn't sprout when expected and we had a discussion about this. My daughters decided that one of them would put her sprouting container near a heat source, and the other would leave it where it was. Then we learned that too much heat dries out the sprouting container! :lol: Lots and lots of "mistakes" and "failures" helped us learn more about seed germination than we would have if things had gone perfectly. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zoo Keeper Posted April 26, 2013 Share Posted April 26, 2013 My two oldest have done Electricity and Magnetism this past year--they loved, loved, loved doing both. I loved that THEY did them both, sucessfully. All I did was print out the sheets, put the needed supplies in a box, and schedule a time each week for them to do it. THEY get the stuff out; THEY read the directions; THEY talk it over, build, and problem solve. Then THEY clean it all up and put the sheets in their science notebook. They love the hands on learning that is real learning, not just some activity tacked on to the end of lesson. Both boys used Christmas present money from Grandma to buy two more TOPS (Analysis ad Pendulums) for next year's science...:) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
delaney Posted April 26, 2013 Share Posted April 26, 2013 I just got radishes and lentils and can't wait to get going. I loathe science and think that units will help me get it done. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Erin Posted April 26, 2013 Share Posted April 26, 2013 In this vein, AIMS is very similar to TOPS. Maybe a little more organized so far as handouts, lab sheets, etc. No "kit" though, just unit studies. I've used them for nearly 20 years. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
clemota Posted April 26, 2013 Share Posted April 26, 2013 I've used both magnetism and electricity with my 10 yr old this year and LOVED it. Easy set up - like a PP, I just put all the supplies in a box beforehand and set aside time to do it. I sometimes "help out" but she does most of it on her own - I'm just there for feedback and to help with an extra hand when needed. The worksheets are very straightforward, and any questions are answered on the teaching side of the page - along with the correct answers, just in case you need them. What I love most about the series is that it's discovery-based. The child learns by DOING, not reading about beforehand and trying to match results to a set experiment. My DD has had so many "a-ha!" moments with them, that's it's almost redundant to make her read about that topic in a science book afterwards. Almost - but I make her do it anyway. ;) Oh, and their customer service is AMAZING. I emailed them a question one time when I needed clarification on a supply item, and they wrote back within 2 hours. On a Sunday night! We're looking forward to doing radishes next year, and maybe the planets & stars as well. I'm not familiar with AIMS - I'm off to check that out.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fourcatmom Posted April 26, 2013 Share Posted April 26, 2013 Has anyone used the animal survival one, #37? Would that be good for a 6/7th grader as a supplement? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kdownie Posted April 26, 2013 Share Posted April 26, 2013 I got the Primary Lentil set for my dd. I thought I would save money by getting the book and piecing the rest together. Don't Do That! The pill vials alone are a pain to find. It did take awhile to gather and set up but my dd LOVES it, and I do too. She and a friend played with it for a couple hours last Saturday, and she has asked for it every day. We've only had it set up for a week, but it us a total winner so far. I definitely plan on getting more, especially when my kids are older. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mumto2 Posted April 27, 2013 Share Posted April 27, 2013 There are three TOPS units on the NASA education website for free. That would probably be a good place to start. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TarynB Posted April 27, 2013 Share Posted April 27, 2013 The ones we've liked best: Corn & Beans, Rocks & Minerals (definitely buy the kit), Electricity, Cohesion & Adhesion, Analysis. I went to the trouble of looking up the required materials from different suppliers before buying the kits TOPS offers. The TOPS supply kits are worth the price, IMO. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TarynB Posted April 27, 2013 Share Posted April 27, 2013 Has anyone used the animal survival one, #37? Would that be good for a 6/7th grader as a supplement? I haven't used that one, but the TOPS website lists it as appropriate for grades 3 to 8. You can see recommended grade levels for each book here. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jennynd Posted April 27, 2013 Share Posted April 27, 2013 There are three TOPS units on the NASA education website for free. That would probably be a good place to start. Whew.. Take me a while to find it http://fermi.sonoma.edu/teachers/tops.php Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FLDebbie Posted April 27, 2013 Share Posted April 27, 2013 I recently got Get a Grip (I bought the kit) and my boys love it. I keep in on a table in the corner of the classroom and they go over a few times a week and work on it all on their own. It's a nice change from anything scripted or mom-directed. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zoo Keeper Posted April 27, 2013 Share Posted April 27, 2013 Whew.. Take me a while to find it http://fermi.sonoma....achers/tops.php Thank you :) 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Halcyon Posted July 24, 2013 Share Posted July 24, 2013 Whew.. Take me a while to find it http://fermi.sonoma.edu/teachers/tops.php Thank you for this!!! We will start with these for sure. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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