What does interest-based science look like in your home?

[Tardis Girl]

A previous thread I started and a few others that I've been reading have led me to wonder -- for those of you whose primary elementary (and possibly middle school) science is interest-based science  --  what does that really look like in your home? 

 

Aside from randomly reading books and watching DVDs (although I'd love to hear specifics  of favorite titles!), I'm particularly interested in hearing what sort of...processing goes on. I feel like I can't find the words. Basically, my kids enjoy science books, but I'm thinking of one child in particular who loves to look through, say, an Usborne Illustrated Science Encyclopdia type of book...but without her mind actually ACTING on that information, it often seems like she retains very little. 

 

Now I realize they might not do this with every book, every reading, every time, but do your kids have, say, a science notebook where they take notes on a book, write up a paragraph after reading through something (written narration), duplicate an explanatory drawing with labels, etc.? Or do they specifically sit down and talk with you each day about something they learned about? 

 

Basically, what kind of follow-through is happening, or do you just find all of that to be unnecessary?

 

I am picturing them doing more of the reading on their own with this -- perhaps a DVD would be something we would do together, but otherwise each child might have their own  topic of interest for several weeks/months. Is that how it works for you? 

[....]

Now I realize they might not do this with every book, every reading, every time, but do your kids have, say, a science notebook where they take notes on a book, write up a paragraph after reading through something (written narration), duplicate an explanatory drawing with labels, etc.? 

 

I would ask for this stuff from my middle schooler, but not my younger kids.  

 

Here's what my 6th grader is doing for interest-led science.

 

1.  She has a booklist for the year and they were generally books that we found together on Amazon (and she wanted to read).  She reads from a number of these books daily.

Botany in a Day

Botany for Gardeners

Latin for Gardeners

The Plant Propogator's Bible

Botany coloring book

Botany for the Artist

Anything of interest from the library - like she's reading the Enyclopedia of Trees and Shrubs right now.

 

2.  Every day, she writes out 5 Latin names and their meanings from Latin for Gardeners.

 

3.  Every day, she writes a short narrative summary of something interesting she's read.  I just require a 2-3 paragraphs in cursive (and then we correct any grammar/spelling mistakes).  Sometimes, she will write an informational sheet about a plant that she likes.

 

4.  She has a number of ongoing projects.  She's making a seed bank.  She's mapped out a garden and some landscaping for the backyard.  She built an aeroponic (not sure if that's spelled right) system where she has all these bins linked together with tubing, lighting and a gravel filter (that she made) and she put fish in one of the bins.  So (she knows more about this than I do), the fish water is used to hydrate and bring nutrients to the plants' roots....or something like that.  She's also sprouted a number of things in the house, which we can't plant outside, because of the cold.  Anyway, I have her map out her projects on paper and we file that stuff in her science binder.  I usually take pictures of her projects, experiments, etc.

 

5.  She does *some* art with the botany stuff.  Maybe once a week or once every couple of weeks.  I bought her some art markers and she will make art pictures of different plants that she likes.  The Botany for the Artists book has instructions for drawing different plants, so she uses that.

 

That's all I can think of for now...  I'm very sold on the interest-led learning thing.  In fact, the three of us (my husband, my daughter and I) have decided to let her go interest-led for pretty much everything for 8th grade-high school.  I have a list of subjects that she needs to work on every day, but we're going to let her choose what books she wants to read, experiments, etc.

 

For the little ones (the 3rd grader and Kindergartener), they're doing interest-led science, too.  But, it doesn't sound as exciting.  They saw the Apologia Flying Creatures book in our school room and asked me to read it to them. So, we just read a little from that book every day and talk about bugs.   :D  We've looked at some bugs under the microscope and have checked out some books from the library about spiders, etc (which we made the mistake of reading BEFORE we went to bed!  We were all scared to go to bed after seeing those close-ups of the spiders!).  They're also doing Ellen McHenry's chemistry, but not because they're super-geniuses.  My son (the 5th grader) is using that for his science and the little girls have to crowd around him every time he does something.  

[Soror]

Do you mean what is the output? I think what I hear you asking is how do you know they're learning and how do you get them to go deeper?

 

When ds was younger he would do some nature journaling here and there but mostly I knew/know the learning is there because of the conversations we have. Quite often these days he asks me questions that require more understanding than I have. In daily life he demonstrates the he knows well more than any regular elementary science curriculum. 

 

I do a lot of strewing. I check out videos, books and magazines. I buy cool science stuff, like a microscope and EV3. I encourage and help him research things on-line. He gets an electric kit every month as he wanted to learn more about electronics- I could have done this way cheaper myself but this builds knowledge in a nice steady progression with no work from me. He gets the kit, watches the tutorial and figures it out himself. 

 

I latch onto interests he has and find resources and information to help him delve deeper. On our upcoming project list right now is a Galileoscope and Newton's cradle, he's been looking these up on youtube, I cannot remember where the original thought came from though. We found some cool constellation displays when looking up stuff for Harry Potter so we are doing that as well. I found some youtube videos on constellations as a bit of a lead in there. 

 

My daughter is interested in plants here and cooking but she is much younger. I let her plan and tend one of my flower beds last year. She plants things all the time. She collected rocks and I would read her books about rocks and find videos, like MSB about them. I have kid's field guides and I encourage them to use them when they go outside and look things up. 

 

What regentrude said about it naturally progressing is true as well, just observing the world around us brings up so much. I fed the curiosity and as they get older it grows and their understanding grows. 

[Soror]

As far as how long interest last it depends. My son has been interested in electronics and programming for awhile now and we've done various things in these areas for years, slowly building up as he gets older. I don't forsee this changing but I have no idea where it is going, I just keep looking for the next step that will interest him and build his knowledge. I believe my daughter will be the same with her main interests of cooking and plants. We've had plenty of other interests though and those are sometimes short-lived. Right now we are delving into astronomy and physics, I'm not sure how deep we are going there but I'm just looking for educational and interesting things to go in this area. They still keep at their other interests, ds is still programming his Ev3 in spurts and has an electrical kit coming this week. I believe we'll be doing some microscope work this week as well as I found a book at the library I had been wanting to buy. I try to keep my eyes and ears open to what is out there and what they want to do.

 

Eta: So far I've not done much output beyond discussing. Although, of course with programming and electronics ds has done various things which demonstrate his knowledge. I feel it is the same with the physics and astronomy we are learning right now. I've considered some kind of notebooking in the future though and we may try that out this fall as some of the things I've got in mind would work well with some kind of journal or notebook.

 

[Tardis Girl]

Yes, soror, I think what you were asking to clarify about "output" -- I know they are learning, of course, but how do I help them connect on a deeper level, go deeper into one subject, and retain and truly assimilate the knowledge and understanding. Some of that should come naturally, of course, because if it is truly an interest and their mind is focused on it then that should naturally happen. Just like narrating or telling back something helps to fix something in one's mind, what similar processes can be used here to do the same?

 

I totally agree about observing the natural world! And this was really the focus when my older crew was in elementary -- but I feel like I've kind of missed the boat with the younger crew. The older ones had so much more of an interest in nature (or perhaps I had more of guiding hand in starting that than I remember), but the younger ones like science in a different way and I guess I was searching for something ... different... and ended up not doing much of anything because no "curriculum" has been a good fit either. <sigh> 

 

But they are young, they are resilient, and this will all be great! You ladies are inspiring me once again.

 

Evanthe, I would love to bring my kids and come live at your house. Just saying. ;)  I can see why your dd could continue on this path for high school with all that she is dong -- very cool! What does your 2nd one do for herpetology? I really want to ask to see a sample of what she might write for her paragraphs -- I don't really want to ask you to type that up, but I'm so curious to see! 

 

And soror, my 9yo has been doing more with astronomy so she can come by your place, ok? She would be in heaven! lol

 

I am actually feeling excited about doing science again!! You have know no idea what a joy that is to me! Can't wait to talk to the kids!

 

 

[Soror]

Well, I'm certainly no expert here. We go through great spurts and not so great spurts. Sometimes I'm really great at lighting the fire and keeping the interests going and other times not. I was feeling rather down about it around Christmas. I think I've realized its ok though, we go through spurts here and there. Science doesn't just happen 4x a week 1 hr each. Sometimes we have science binges, sometime we delve really deeply and those might not even correspond to when we are officially "doing" school. Sometimes though we do just bits here and there and the kids keep at their basic interests and I find a few things to hit but nothing big. This fall ds did work with his electronics kits, his EV3 and I had a weather book that he read through over the course of a few months, we built a few projects from it as well. It really felt like we should have been doing more and perhaps we should have but I'm trying to go with the flow here :)

[8filltheheart]

My kids write reports on topics they are reading about approx once every 2-3 weeks.   They talk about what they are reading all the time.   I should clarify, however, that my kids are not reading books like Usborne or encyclopedic presentations.   They are reading whole books on single topics.   My 6th grader is currently reading http://www.amazon.com/Project-Seahorse-Scientists-Field-Series/dp/0547207131 and my 2nd grader and I just finished http://www.amazon.com/Moon-Alligators-Thirteen-Moons-Series/dp/0060224274   and she picked out

http://www.amazon.com/Summer-Moon-Seasons-Craighead-George/dp/0064409953/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1392039473&sr=1-1&keywords=summer+moon+jean+craighead+george for us to start today.

 

Science is a regularly scheduled subject and my kids read 30-45 mins in their science books every single day.

 

I have written more about interest-led learning in our house here http://forums.welltrainedmind.com/topic/173293-interest-driven-education-and-real-tea-time/

[Soror]

Fwiw I asked about output here while back. We do writing here in a separate program that we enjoy so I haven't felt the need to do it in science. I can see using that as topics for writing if one doesn't use a program or perhaps in the future but for right now we are happy with what we are doing.

[SilverMoon]

I wouldn't take much from one of those topical kiddie encyclopedias either, especially if I didn't have much of an interest in the topic.

 

When they are little it looks more like them choosing the next book off the shelf, or telling me they want to learn more about the dwarf planets in the Kuiper Belt. As they grow it could look like my DS having a strong interest in architecture, and me building a course around that to be his science for his fifth grade year.

 

Output for reading real books is generally discussing it with me. I can tell if they're understanding it easily. The homemade architecture course has gobs of projects, drawing, diagrams, and written summaries.

[....]

Evanthe, I would love to bring my kids and come live at your house. Just saying. ;)  I can see why your dd could continue on this path for high school with all that she is dong -- very cool! What does your 2nd one do for herpetology? I really want to ask to see a sample of what she might write for her paragraphs -- I don't really want to ask you to type that up, but I'm so curious to see! 

 

 

Hi, here's a page from her science binder.  I'll include her grammar errors, so you get a realistic picture of her writing (she has comma issues).  Also, she includes lots of drawings.

 

Acicularis - shaped like a needle

Calophyllus - with beautiful leaves

Columarius - like a dove

Cordlinus - coral-red

Exiguus - very little

 

(drawing with labels) *Parenchyma tissue is made of thin walled plant cells and supplies protection, water storage and food storage.

(drawing with labels) *Collenchyma tissue is like parenchyma tissue, but its cell walls are thickened by cellulose and that makes its function supportive tissue 

(drawing with labels) *Sclerenchyma tissue has a very thick walls containing ligin a woody material.  This tissue will only mature when the plant has also matured.  Once they reach maturity ligin is deposited and it will non longer grow.  (more drawings)

 

     Pachysandra procumbens is commonly known as allegheny spurge.  They can live in zones 5-9 and do best under a shady tree.  Allegheny spurge is a herbaceous perennial that grows up to one foot tall and up to two feet across.  Full grown plants can tolerate drought.  Allegheny spurge is commonly used as a ground cover and need very little maintenance.

 

The 5th grader's herpetology is similar, but I don't ask him to write anything about it.  He's reading Venomous Snakes of the World and working on the Reptiles and Amphibians Coloring Book.  I think Hands-On Herpetology: Exploring Ecology and Conservation is his next book to work on.  There are some projects in there he can do.  Also, we've taken him to a number of herp shows, so he has seen a lot of the reptiles in person and been able to ask the vendors questions, etc.  He got to meet the producer of the movie Herpers (LOL).  He watches every documentary he can find and a couple of regular shows on Youtube.  He also has a couple of reptiles as pets - he has a corn snake and a leopard gecko.  If we go to the Reptile and Amphibian house at the zoo, he can pretty much tell us what all the critters are without reading the signs.  Ewww!   :tongue_smilie:    

[Saddlemomma]

I've just recently decided to get off the science rotation carousel as well.  DD isn't a STEM student; she's a history buff.  While she likes science, by mid-year she's bored with the one-theme science. 

 

Next year (6th) we're going with interest led science using Kingfisher Science Encyclopedia as a spine.  I've told her she can choose 4 topics/units to study (1 per marking period).  She's already chosen infectious diseases throughout history as one (told ya she was a history buff).  The following year I'll probably try to find a nice integrated science textbook or general science text.  I also like the recommendation someone else made about EM Daily Science.  I just may incorporate that with her interest-led science and KSE and use the pages that correspond to whatever we're learning at the moment.

[Cottonwood]

In our house (middle schoolers) we sat down and talked (for coming year) about what interested us and looked at a list of topics we needed to learn before high school.  Then we chose from that.  They chose the periodic table, chemistry and for breaks in between, circuit boards and electricity.

[hollyhock]

I've been doing interest-based science for middle school. I have a whole shelf full of books (all of the God's Design series, Wonders of Creation series and Tiner's Exploring series, plus a few others). They get to pick a book they want to do, they read it, write some summaries and do whatever experiments are included in the lessons. If there are no experiments in the book, I find some either online or from other related books. My 6th grader also does simple lab reports.

 

So I guess interest-based in my house really just means they get to choose which book they do.

[Tardis Girl]

I love all these replies! Thanks to everyone who has commented so far, and I love the specific examples of books, topics, etc. Very helpful. (Although I'm not sure if "middle school" to others means 5th-8th or 7th-8th, but I digress.)

 

I realize I am the one who mentioned the Usborne Science Dictionary type of book and my daughter's lack of retention -- that was a bad example. lol  She got that a year ago and enjoys looking through it in her leisure time, but it does not lend itself to depth or retention. To me it was meant to be a buffet of topics to then see where her interests take her. Obviously "real" books are going to work better as the next step. But even with those, I feel like my kids like to say they are studying a certain subject (and reading what most here would say are quality books), yet the retention doesn't seem to me what it should be...hence my question about output and such.

 

Evanthe -- thank you for the real samples of your daughter's work! Very nice! so was that entry just one day's writing? And is that part of the 30-45 minutes of reading, or how does that work?

 

soror -- I love the realistic look you offered about how the ebb and flow of certain times of the year don't' quite work up to the ideal.  You said you have a writing program you are happy with...I remember reading some of your thoughts on another thread. Was it CAP? So your ds doesn't, at this point, incorporate any writing specifically on his science topics, right?

 

8FillTheHeart -- where to start?? lol  I did read through that whole looooong post you shared. Wow! What a lot of info and food for thought. First of all: I love those 13 Moon books! Totally forgot about those! It's so helpful when people share real titles and links, thank you. I think I have a pretty good handle now on what you're saying. So for the writing, for example, your kids would start (when writing on science or history, for example) to write a paragraph, then work up to essays, etc. So when you said that your kids write "reports" on topics once every 2-3 weeks, how old are these kids? Maybe I've confusing other people and the long thread you posted, but I was thinking your kids wrote more frequently. Most of your kids' writing, though, comes from history and science, it seems. So might they write a paragraph a day (either science or history), then work up to multiple paragraphs then essays, etc. ?? Sorry, just processing here. 

 

Loving this thread, ladies! Keep those ideas and examples coming!

[nerdybird]

I use RS4K as a spine, but we supplement it heavily.

 

This year we are doing biology. As you can see in my sig, I am currently schooling 3 that are roughly the same ages as yours Tardis Girl.

 

This is going to be a rough list because I have 2 nappers that are about to wake up soon. :willy_nilly:

 

So far we have done unit studies on the following topics:

• Trees
• Felines
• Fish
• Germs: What Are They? AND Why Do They Make Us Sick! (DD came up with the subtitle and wrote it on the front our science binder, lol)

TREES

For our trees unit, we read a bunch of books about trees. I posted a short list last week on someone else's post requesting books about forests. We took a few trips to visit a friend who has lots of trees on her property. DD collected leaves from the park, our friend's property and the small grassy area near church. We pressed them and she made a leaf notebook complete with sketches of her leaves, where she found them and the name of the tree that she thought might have made them. (We looked this up online and in an adult's reference guide from the library.)

 

DD and DS2 collected acorns and pinecones. DS2 and DS3 made pinecone birdfeeders. We read a book about humminbirds and DS2 insisted that we install a special feeder for them. We also checked out a reference book about birds that he and DD were into for awhile, but we never did pursue it any further. (I'm reviving it in the spring, I think.)

 

We watched BBC's documentary The Magical Forest several times (a couple of times through, and several parts repeatedly). There are several others that we watched but I will have to look for them later. I just remember that one due to the title. :)

 

Felines

 

DS1 and DD are obsessed with cats of all kinds, especially big cats. We have read just about every book geared towards kids that has to do with big cats. I also have a playlist full of big cat videos saved on my youtube account. (can post links later if you are interested)

 

DD and DS2 made several little books about tigers and lions with titles such as "Tigers In My Closet!" and "That Lion Ate My Son Said The Deer!" (DD loves exclamation points, what can I say?) DS1 even made a book or two! (He isn't much for creative endeavors.) One of his books was called "Fury of the Fur" and featured some really weird illustrations of tigers attacking various things, such as: daleks, a Wookie, a Pteradactyl, a giant mushroom-man hybrid, and several other things.

 

We also cared for a foster cat and her two kittens for a few weeks while a friend went out of town. That was some real hands-on cat experience. DD liked the "kitty mama and kitty babies", but my boys were like "Can we put the kittens in the laundry baskets and push them around like trains? Puh-lease???? It will be so COOL!"

 

Gotta go! Will post more later!

[Soror]

 

soror -- I love the realistic look you offered about how the ebb and flow of certain times of the year don't' quite work up to the ideal.  You said you have a writing program you are happy with...I remember reading some of your thoughts on another thread. Was it CAP? So your ds doesn't, at this point, incorporate any writing specifically on his science topics, right?

 

 

Yes, we are currently using CAP's Writing and Rhetoric. It is working well and ds really enjoys it, so I don't see any good reason to change. As I said I'm considering tying in some writing with content next year as I'm contemplating a big unit study on survival skills but right now it is all very tentative.  I'm just getting myself back to normal since the last baby so my ability to plan and organize it not quite what I'd like so I'm kind of going with the flow and trying to make the most of it all to the best of my ability.

[srs]

I guess we are in the minority, or it is an age thing, but my almost 7yo loves the Usborne and DK books. I think she is motivated to work on her reading so she can read more science. And the output is the constant chatter about what she is reading about (yesterday was sleepwalking from the human body encyclopedia). She also builds things. She's got a large "vehicle" in her room made out of various stuff and a smaller one she is working on now, with wheels and axles.

[MerryAtHope]

I had my daughter do this for upper elementary and junior high. We picked books together. I asked her to work for 30 minutes per day (45 in jr. high). She could read, do an experiment (she was responsible for finding supplies, making it work, or putting them on our shopping list in advance), draw in her journal, write, go out in the back yard and do nature studies, and so on. I asked her to write in her journal at least once a week, describing what she observed or what she did or read, and she gave me short updates most days verbally. 

 

One year she chose a couple of Apologia elementary books, another year she chose a bunch of books from Sonlight, and another year she used several  of the Tiner books (Exploring.... series). And one year she won a year's subscription to Supercharged Science, and used those videos, read online etc... We also have science resource books and she does the science fair every year--so usually about 10 weeks are taken up by that.

 

When my kids were really little, I asked what they were interested in and chose books on those topics, and then also books I was interested in. One year my son was interested in sharks, and the local children's museum had a class that was going to dissect a shark! I was ecstatic at the opportunity, but my then 8 yo was less than enthralled by the smell, LOL! Oh well, we did have fun the rest of the day at the museum!

 

Merry :-)

 

 

[8filltheheart]

. So for the writing, for example, your kids would start (when writing on science or history, for example) to write a paragraph, then work up to essays, etc. So when you said that your kids write "reports" on topics once every 2-3 weeks, how old are these kids? Maybe I've confusing other people and the long thread you posted, but I was thinking your kids wrote more frequently. Most of your kids' writing, though, comes from history and science, it seems. So might the write a paragraph a day (either science or history), then work up to multiple paragraphs then essays, etc. ?? Sorry, just processing here. !

No, my kids aren't writing a paragraph per day(not as an objective anyway.)

 

This really starts once they understand the writing process. So, more like avg 4th grader. The typical elementary process is that I print up several articles about whatever topic and they take notes and synthesize the material from the articles and write a single report over the course of the week. So their assignment includes reading the additional material, note gathering, outlining, rough draft, final copy. Earlier this yr my 6th grader was writing up to 8-10 page reports handwritten, double- spaced. (They always write double spaced so that we have room to deal with the revisions we discuss.). I would estimate that they would be about 2 pgs typed.

[Tardis Girl]

Wow -- dissecting sharks, foster care for mama cat + kittens, my kids would love you guys. Those homemade science storybooks sound delightful and I just love some of those titles. 

 

This thread has just buoyed my spritis! Yesterday we had a the best day with science in as long as I can remember. And yes, it was one day, but it was a DAY!!! Yay! We ended up spending far more time with science than I planned because they were so happy. lol  The 8 and 9yo picked their areas of study (with about a .2 second interval for pondering where their interests lie) and noted which books we already have that will be good for that. The one with the beloved Usborne Science Dictionary book found relevant parts to give her some direction, etc. The spent some time reading and telling me about it afterwards, with a joy in their eyes I haven't that, sadly, I haven't seen in a while.

 

And then (I posted this part on my original RS4K woes thread), because we only had 3 chapters left in RS4K Chemistry I thought we'd just read through some that afternoon (not planning to do any labs). My kids for some reason had the idea to make a video about polymers -- they've never suggested we make a video for anything school related before. It was an absolute riot! After several outtakes, they came up with a way for all 3 of them to role-play how a polymer's properties change with a chemical reaction or heat. Our most memorable chem lesson, to be sure!

 

 

 

The typical elementary process is that I print up several articles about whatever topic and they take notes and synthesize the material from the articles and write a single report over the course of the week.

 

Ah, ok, gotcha. This makes sense and would be more doable (for mine) then having them work from whole books that they are reading. So (and I feel like an idiot asking this, lol) where is a good place to find these types of articles for science or history. Or are you creating "articles" from passages in books?