Science - Im not sure what the correct words are for this?

[bnwhitaker]

Im sure there is some great vocabulary word for what Im about to explain but I don't know what it is. 

 

Seems like there are 2 ways to go about science.  A little bit of all topics each year and build on that

in the years to come OR focus on Bio, Chem, Phys or a few topics each year more in depth.  So maybe

that would be mastery and spiral??? Anyway not sure of "what" to call it but hope that makes sense.

 

My question is which way has worked better for you?  Is there studies for which way helps a child to retain info?

[pgr]

Integrated?

[2_girls_mommy]

I don't know about studies for proof.  It has worked well for us to teach one or two major topics a year as laid out in WTM.  For me, I just needed a scope and sequence to follow when I was starting out hsing, and since WTM worked for us for everything else and I liked the idea of not using a particular text or curriculum for elem, I just started it that way and have stuck w/the rotation.   I also do not like the looks of most of the young elem. science texts I have seen.  One or two bland sentences per brightly colored page. Yes, they cover a variety of subjects a year, but very superficially. We read so many informative library books and story books that illuminated the subjects that those bland early elem texts were never necessary. (This changes in middle school books I have seen.  My dd did do a middle school PS text last year and it covered a lot of relevant info and had good experiments and I was not dissatisfied with it.)

 

I have found that there are many overlaps in all subjects.  We may be in a chemistry year, but if our history or lit program seems to focus on deserts a lot, we will learn quite a bit about that.  I might assign dd's English composition to be on desert life so that she researches it.  We will naturally watch videos or go on field trips to things that pertain to any of our subjects.  So we might visit a state history museum while working on state history, but while there find quite an exhibit on the natural environment of our state, again, picking up some more science besides the chemistry we are formally studying for our at home science class that year.    I have never felt they weren't aware of things that other kids their age were aware of.  I do feel that since we go deep on the subjects we are formally studying that they are actually better informed on those topics than others kids their ages.  So I like this method of science particularly well.

[Arcadia]

Spiral has been better for topics that my kids aren't very interested about like names of clouds.  They rather focus on hurricanes, tornadoes and typhoons.

Mastery is how my kids pursue the topics in science that interest them. In which case the topic is never "mastered" as the depth of knowledge is limitless.