Marie131 Posted January 4, 2014 Share Posted January 4, 2014 I'd sooner cuddle on the couch then explode a volcano. Don't get me wrong, I'll do this stuff...once in a while. But I'm looking for a curriculum that is heavy on the reading and light on the doing. We are just finishing up w/ Elemental Science (Biology), and while I liked it ok, I skipped over the vast majority of the experiments. I've also quit having the kids do the coloring and narration pages b/c we simply just got bored. I am considering continuing on w/ ES b/c it got done and if we just pick and choose the experiments and activities it works out fine for us, but I'm feeling I could stand a change of pace. I'm wondering if there is something else out there that I NEED to try :D Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Korrale Posted January 4, 2014 Share Posted January 4, 2014 I like BFSU for this reason. Lots of books to read (borrow from library), some shows, and mostly discussion. My son is little and doesn't get much out of experiments yet. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
scrapbabe Posted January 4, 2014 Share Posted January 4, 2014 What's BFSU? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BugsMama Posted January 4, 2014 Share Posted January 4, 2014 Have you looking into Nancy Larson Science? It's a little pricey, but everything comes in the kit, so the trouble of rounding up supplies is no longer an issue. Most of the lesson is reading and conversation based, and when it's something to "do" it's always quick, purposeful, and mostly painless. I love that there isn't gratuitous, messy experiments just for the sake of having them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JBJones Posted January 4, 2014 Share Posted January 4, 2014 What's BFSU? I'm guessing it's Nebel's Building Foundations of Scientific Understanding. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
8filltheheart Posted January 4, 2014 Share Posted January 4, 2014 http://forums.welltrainedmind.com/topic/499483-can-we-talk-about-science-philosophies/ http://forums.welltrainedmind.com/topic/499731-building-a-science-library/ http://forums.welltrainedmind.com/topic/499518-so-must-haves-for-my-home-science-library/ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Soror Posted January 4, 2014 Share Posted January 4, 2014 Elemental Science also has the new Sassafras series which is a narrative book. I've not used it but thought I'd mention it since you said you had used Elemental Science. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
craftyerin Posted January 4, 2014 Share Posted January 4, 2014 Elemental Science also has the new Sassafras series which is a narrative book. I've not used it but thought I'd mention it since you said you had used Elemental Science. This is what I plan to try with mine next fall. We've been doing science loosely and randomly through FIAR, but we're branching out next year. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chelli Posted January 4, 2014 Share Posted January 4, 2014 Elemental Science also has the new Sassafras series which is a narrative book. I've not used it but thought I'd mention it since you said you had used Elemental Science. OP, I'm just like you and Sassafras is what we use. It is the first science that has been enjoyable for me as the teacher and for my kids. There are a few demonstrations in the Zoology book (which we just finished), but I think I did a handful of them. We mainly just read the adventure novel, filled out the logbook, read the suggested supplementary books, and I added in animal documentaries and TV shows that went with what we were learning. Very easy and my kids learned a lot! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FO4UR Posted January 4, 2014 Share Posted January 4, 2014 I'm going to give some opposite advice. I've been using Science in a Nutshell kits as our base for our science study. We actually *do* the science b/c I don't have to fuss with gathering a bunch of junk, and the journals have the output that we are looking for laid out. It's all in one box, and I can do one experiment in 30min with baby-in-Ergo. Then we can go to the library and check out relevant books, look things up in the encyclopedia, watch a video. This has been perfect for us. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BatmansWife Posted January 4, 2014 Share Posted January 4, 2014 Noeo Science uses books to read from. If you buy the package you'd get some stuff for experiments...but at least it's all there and you don't have to hunt it down and risk fizzling out on it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KathyJo Posted January 4, 2014 Share Posted January 4, 2014 OP, I'm just like you and Sassafras is what we use. It is the first science that has been enjoyable for me as the teacher and for my kids. There are a few demonstrations in the Zoology book (which we just finished), but I think I did a handful of them. We mainly just read the adventure novel, filled out the logbook, read the suggested supplementary books, and I added in animal documentaries and TV shows that went with what we were learning. Very easy and my kids learned a lot! Chelli, I just bought the Sassafras Zoology book and we started reading it. I have a question. I bought it with the intention of just reading the book, then adding in some library books. The boys will narrate, draw some pics, maybe do some copywork, like we normally do. With that in mind, would you consider the zoology guide and the logbook to be essential, or just fun additions? Are the experiments easy to do, and worth doing? TIA! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KathyJo Posted January 4, 2014 Share Posted January 4, 2014 Marie, we've never done lots of experiments, just lots of reading. When we do experiments, we usually do 3-4 at a time since it's the set-up that I hate. Anyway, I don't think it's done us any harm. I'd like to do more experiments--in theory--but it just doesn't happen that often for us. ETA: We never used a curriculum for this, though. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Farrar Posted January 4, 2014 Share Posted January 4, 2014 We like hands on stuff for science, but for anyone who doesn't I think it's fine to just read books. I would say just buy something like the Usborne Science Encyclopedia and run through the topics, getting individual books as you go. Zoology will be your most book-rich topic by far, but you can find decent books for most topics. Pair it will good documentaries and I think you're set. Look at the NSTA book award lists to see some outstanding titles. Hook into good series like the Scientists in the Field books and good authors like Seymour Simon. And just raid the library every week. We had the Sassafras zoology book (not the full program) and read it last year. Meh. It has a really good concept. The book didn't feel that great though - a lot of characters just talking about science in between adventures that were mostly unrelated to science. Poor integration, IMHO. When there's SO many other good zoology books out there, it's hard to recommend it. The botony book may be better and when they get around to making books about topics that aren't covered by such a glut of great children's books, then it may be a more useful resource. ETA: If you're a literature and science person, I also suggest the George series and I had this list on my blog awhile back (and commentors suggested even more) of good books to go along with nature study - or perhaps stand in for the family who doesn't like the real outdoors: http://farrarwilliams.wordpress.com/2013/03/24/read-alouds-to-go-with-nature-study/ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chelli Posted January 4, 2014 Share Posted January 4, 2014 Chelli, I just bought the Sassafras Zoology book and we started reading it. I have a question. I bought it with the intention of just reading the book, then adding in some library books. The boys will narrate, draw some pics, maybe do some copywork, like we normally do. With that in mind, would you consider the zoology guide and the logbook to be essential, or just fun additions? Are the experiments easy to do, and worth doing? TIA! If you already have a plan for using the book, then, no, it's probably not essential. I liked having the teacher's guide and the logbook for a few reasons: 1) it made it open and go for me. Plus the schedules in it for 2 or 5 day science study was nice. 2) It had copywork and dictation selections already chosen that went along with the text. I used the copywork for my Kindergartener since it was very short and used the dictation as copywork for my 3rd grader since it was long. 3) The logbook was a really neat setup that is basically notebooking. (I like your idea of having them draw things from each chapter. I'll probably add that this year with anatomy.). They have to fill in information about the habitat and where it's located in the world. For the animal, they tell it's classification, what it eats, and every fact they can remember from the reading (aka narration). As for experiments we did the one from chapters 3, 5, 8, 10, 15, and 17. (We wanted to do the owl pellet dissection from chapter 12, but I didn't order any.) They aren't really experiments though more like demonstrations of how the animal adaptations work for the habitat they live in. My kids really enjoyed them though. I only did the ones that were easy or that I felt were worth doing. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
reign Posted January 4, 2014 Share Posted January 4, 2014 I like BFSU for this reason. Lots of books to read (borrow from library), some shows, and mostly discussion. My son is little and doesn't get much out of experiments yet. Yes to this. We do a random mix of experiments on Saturdays, not tied to our regular science readings. That way I can do several experiments at once and then have a big clean up. My girls like experiments but most of them don't take long. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KathyJo Posted January 4, 2014 Share Posted January 4, 2014 If you already have a plan for using the book, then, no, it's probably not essential. I liked having the teacher's guide and the logbook for a few reasons: 1) it made it open and go for me. Plus the schedules in it for 2 or 5 day science study was nice. 2) It had copywork and dictation selections already chosen that went along with the text. I used the copywork for my Kindergartener since it was very short and used the dictation as copywork for my 3rd grader since it was long. 3) The logbook was a really neat setup that is basically notebooking. (I like your idea of having them draw things from each chapter. I'll probably add that this year with anatomy.). They have to fill in information about the habitat and where it's located in the world. For the animal, they tell it's classification, what it eats, and every fact they can remember from the reading (aka narration). As for experiments we did the one from chapters 3, 5, 8, 10, 15, and 17. (We wanted to do the owl pellet dissection from chapter 12, but I didn't order any.) They aren't really experiments though more like demonstrations of how the animal adaptations work for the habitat they live in. My kids really enjoyed them though. I only did the ones that were easy or that I felt were worth doing. Thanks! My boys have a special sketchbook for drawing and writing about their studies. Like free-form notebooking. :-) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Χά�ων Posted January 4, 2014 Share Posted January 4, 2014 NOEO. My mom fell in love with the books and actually took over science. :) Who am I to complain? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lori D. Posted January 4, 2014 Share Posted January 4, 2014 I'd sooner cuddle on the couch then explode a volcano. Don't get me wrong, I'll do this stuff...once in a while. But I'm looking for a curriculum that is heavy on the reading and light on the doing. Since hands-on is not your personal interest, I'd strongly recommend finding a way of letting your DSs do it on their own once a week with kits. Or setting them up with a box of supplies and a very general guideline and let them experiment and report their findings to you. Include goggles and lab aprons to help reduce (I linked the ones my science co-op students used last semester). Do some PBS Zoom challenges. See what they engineer with a gears/pulleys kit or a K'nex set. Make glop (takes 2 minutes) and let them experiment out on the back porch and have them tell you what they discovered; throw out when done, and hose off of the porch (1 minute). Or, consider making 10 minutes of science hands-on part of your lunchtime routine 2 or 3 days a week, and work your way together with DSs through this and/or this book -- super EASY to do, supplies you really do have at home, and quick "bite" of learning... At your DSs ages, science hands-on can be very short and sweet, yet still enjoyable for all. :) Love KathyJo and Reign's suggestion of stacking several experiments and do hands-on science for 30-60 minutes once every 2 weeks or so... Or, find someone to outsource regular experiments and hands-on --Dad, grandparent/relative, neighbor/friend, a co-op, another homeschooling family your DSs can tag along with... MANY pre-school/elementary-aged children -- boys esp. -- learn best from kinesthetic and visual learning methods (active hands-on and seeing what happens), rather than just auditory (listening to books/teachings). It seems to me it would be a pity to cut back on that when they are excited, interested learners as that young age... Just my 2 cents worth, seeing how MUCH my own DSs got out of hands-on experimenting, and having just finished running 2 hands-on co-op classes for elementary-aged homeschool families. BEST of luck in finding a happy balance! Warmest regards, Lori D. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Momling Posted January 6, 2014 Share Posted January 6, 2014 I'm not a fan of experiments either... The two programs we've enjoyed so far is Joy Hakim's "Story of Science" (aka Science for people who really prefer learning history) and any of Ellen McHenry materials. McHenry is more game/craft/video oriented though there are a few experiments. That said, both are aimed at middle school... younger depending on ability and interest. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Korrale Posted January 6, 2014 Share Posted January 6, 2014 I'm not a fan of experiments either... The two programs we've enjoyed so far is Joy Hakim's "Story of Science" (aka Science for people who really prefer learning history) and any of Ellen McHenry materials. McHenry is more game/craft/video oriented though there are a few experiments. That said, both are aimed at middle school... younger depending on ability and interest. I just discovered Story of Science and I am very excited to check it out. But I wondered about the age group. Thank you for mentioning them. :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marie131 Posted January 6, 2014 Author Share Posted January 6, 2014 Since hands-on is not your personal interest, I'd strongly recommend finding a way of letting your DSs do it on their own once a week with kits. Or setting them up with a box of supplies and a very general guideline and let them experiment and report their findings to you. Include goggles and lab aprons to help reduce (I linked the ones my science co-op students used last semester). Do some PBS Zoom challenges. See what they engineer with a gears/pulleys kit or a K'nex set. Make glop (takes 2 minutes) and let them experiment out on the back porch and have them tell you what they discovered; throw out when done, and hose off of the porch (1 minute). Or, consider making 10 minutes of science hands-on part of your lunchtime routine 2 or 3 days a week, and work your way together with DSs through this and/or this book -- super EASY to do, supplies you really do have at home, and quick "bite" of learning... At your DSs ages, science hands-on can be very short and sweet, yet still enjoyable for all. :) Love KathyJo and Reign's suggestion of stacking several experiments and do hands-on science for 30-60 minutes once every 2 weeks or so... Or, find someone to outsource regular experiments and hands-on --Dad, grandparent/relative, neighbor/friend, a co-op, another homeschooling family your DSs can tag along with... MANY pre-school/elementary-aged children -- boys esp. -- learn best from kinesthetic and visual learning methods (active hands-on and seeing what happens), rather than just auditory (listening to books/teachings). It seems to me it would be a pity to cut back on that when they are excited, interested learners as that young age... Just my 2 cents worth, seeing how MUCH my own DSs got out of hands-on experimenting, and having just finished running 2 hands-on co-op classes for elementary-aged homeschool families. BEST of luck in finding a happy balance! Warmest regards, Lori D. I think I may have given the wrong impression, which is my own fault given how I worded my topic :blush: . I am not against doing hands-on and I am willing to do experiments but I don't want them to be over-scheduled. My kids are little experimenters and are constantly getting into trouble experimenting with their own ideas. We have a learning rich environment and do a lot of hands on across our curriculum and through living life. I didn't mean to give the impression otherwise. :) My oldest ds has a real thirst for knowledge and loves reading and being read to. I am quite happy to accommodate this as I love reading to him. I just want experiments that are meaningful and not over-scheduled. I have been looking at Sonlight's science program. I am considering Sonlight for next year and their science program looks quite literature based. My ds loves Usborne books so this could be a good fit. Has anyone used these? ...ok...off to check out all the suggestions. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lori D. Posted January 6, 2014 Share Posted January 6, 2014 I think I may have given the wrong impression, which is my own fault given how I worded my topic :blush: ... I have been looking at Sonlight's science program. I am considering Sonlight for next year and their science program looks quite literature based. My ds loves Usborne books so this could be a good fit. Has anyone used these? So sorry! My misunderstanding. :) Didn't mean to go off-topic from your original request for book-based science curriculum. :) re: Sonlight's science They do use a lot of Usborne books, which people seem to really like or really hate. Those who dislike them find them choppy with too many tiny chunks of info. If you like worksheets, SL includes those, which would help reinforce learning if you have worksheet learners, and which might help draw out main facts and make the reading feel less choppy. The younger grades also include the experiment DVDs, which seem to be a big hit with many elementary-aged students. We always enjoyed the Usborne books, but we tended to use them as just one of many science books. Since your DS loves Usborne, and already does a lot of experimenting/hands-on, this could be a winner for you... :) The only thing I see as a potential downside: the amount of books included in the SL science core (looking at "C" for example), only has 7 reading books, plus a book of experiments. Our family LOVED read alouds, and science, and we would have blown through that science reading in about 4 weeks, at most. We spent a lot of time at the library to supplement... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lewelma Posted January 6, 2014 Share Posted January 6, 2014 We consolidate our hands-on work into a 6-10 week period once per year and do just one big project. It is very meaningful, especially because it is designed by my kids. It also allows me to skip all the little weekly activities/labs/demonstrations because I know I will make up for it in May-June each year. We just read read read the rest of the year. Here are my write ups of our investigations for the last 2 years: http://forums.welltrainedmind.com/topic/463952-scientific-investigations-with-my-12-and-9-year-old/ http://forums.welltrainedmind.com/topic/361740-scientific-inquiry/ Here is a description of what makes hands on work meaningful: http://forums.welltrainedmind.com/topic/425932-science-activities-setting-goals-and-evaluating-usefulness-of-activities/ Ruth in N Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
8filltheheart Posted January 6, 2014 Share Posted January 6, 2014 FWIW, when I discuss reading through science, it is not books like Usborne. ;) I am one of those that detests those types of books. Reading through whole books is really very different from reading Usborne type books. The content info is dissimilar. Look at books on this list http://www.nsta.org/publications/ostb/ostb2014.aspx and see the difference. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hunter Posted January 6, 2014 Share Posted January 6, 2014 Mr. Q is about to have the 1/2 off sale. It's pretty easy to use the text as a read aloud and guide to topics to find at the library Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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