Do you still love "Science in the Beginning?"

[boscopup]

Do you think there's any chance they will sell a science notebook/journal to go with it? We currently use APologia Swimming Creatures and my kids LOVE the science notebook that goes along with it. I like that there's not tons of loose papers and that there are activities already for each lesson!

I haven't found one necessary. My oldest student uses a regular lined notebook and follows the instructions in there book (draw a picture and write something). My youngest students use a primary journal that has blank space on top and primary lines on bottom. They draw a picture and maybe write something if they want (the questions for them in the book are done orally).

[atozmom]

Ok, I caved and went ahead and made the purchase. :lol: I can't wait to get it in my hands!!

[Mrs. Darinski]

Mine just arrived in the mail today!  I was so excited!  Pretty, shiny new book.. :drool5:

[atozmom]

I received my copy this weekend! I love it so much we are going to finish our year with the unit on Light.

[hands-on-mama]

I bought this at Convention over the weekend! I am so excited to start it next year. I am using it to teach a co-op class for K-2 next year.

[TKDmom]

I've been using it for a couple of months. We're not quite finished with the light unit (so it's still early in the book), but I'm bad about getting science done regularly.

 

I LOVE the experiments. They are easy to do, and explain the concepts quite clearly. Honestly, I almost feel like we could do the experiments and stop there. I am impressed with how clearly he explains complex topics. I didn't study optics until my 3rd semester of college physics, and Dr. Wile has chosen activities that teach optics in a way that my 8yo can easily understand. Plus, the text is beautiful, and I smile every time I see it. 

 

My only complaint is -- I'm finding myself annoyed my the wordiness and repetition of the text. But I'm a scientist and have very science-oriented boys (using it with 5th and 3rd graders). Maybe the repetition would help younger/less science-y kids understand the concepts?

 

For instance (and I hope this isn't a confusing example), we did an experiment where we put a fork in a clear glass bowl filled with water. We set the bowl on the edge of the counter, looked at the fork from above, and then sat down, looked up at the bowl from below, and saw the fork reflected in the surface of the water. It was pretty cool. I was excited when I saw the fork's reflection. The point of this lesson was that sometimes light can pass through transparent materials (like water) and at the same time they reflect light. So, here's an explanation of what happened from the book:

 

<removed>

 

Whew, does anyone else get tired reading that paragraph aloud? To be fair, he is detailing each step in order to be completely clear about what the light does. Maybe that's necessary, but I find myself wanting to skip explanations like that. I usually ask my kids what happened in the experiment as soon as we finish. To read a paragraph like that after they've clearly demonstrated understanding is redundant. So I will probably start to skim through explanations, and explain only the things dc don't see for themselves. In the assignment, older dc have the opportunity to draw arrows showing how the light was reflected and transmitted, and then if they are confused, I think going back to read that paragraph on their would be helpful. I just don't want to read it out loud. ;)

 

So far, I've only had one experiment that failed. We were supposed to use a magnifying glass to focus sunlight and catch a piece of paper on fire. But I attempted the experiment on a clear, winter day. We had the sunlight, but it was too cold and the sun was at too low of an angle to focus well. DC got the point (and ds10 has actually started fires this way before) so it wasn't a total loss.

 

It's really important to me that elementary science experiments work well and so far I've been pleased with this book. I want kids to have good feelings about science. When I studied physics with my (then 4th grade) dd, every single experiment had to be tweaked to get it to work, and sometimes they never did. After 3 months of frustrating experiments, dd declared that she hated physics and we dropped the program for something more enjoyable. :glare: I'll find her a better physics program for 8th grade.

Edited September 11, 2014 by TKDmom

[atozmom]

I've been using it for a couple of months. We're not quite finished with the light unit (so it's still early in the book), but I'm bad about getting science done regularly.

 

I LOVE the experiments. They are easy to do, and explain the concepts quite clearly. Honestly, I almost feel like we could do the experiments and stop there. I am impressed with how clearly he explains complex topics. I didn't study optics until my 3rd semester of college physics, and Dr. Wile has chosen activities that teach optics in a way that my 8yo can easily understand. Plus, the text is beautiful, and I smile every time I see it. 

 

My only complaint is -- I'm finding myself annoyed my the wordiness and repetition of the text. But I'm a scientist and have very science-oriented boys (using it with 5th and 3rd graders). Maybe the repetition would help younger/less science-y kids understand the concepts?

 

For instance (and I hope this isn't a confusing example), we did an experiment where we put a fork in a clear glass bowl filled with water. We set the bowl on the edge of the counter, looked at the fork from above, and then sat down, looked up at the bowl from below, and saw the fork reflected in the surface of the water. It was pretty cool. I was excited when I saw the fork's reflection. The point of this lesson was that sometimes light can pass through transparent materials (like water) and at the same time they reflect light. So, here's an explanation of what happened from the book:

 

 

Whew, does anyone else get tired reading that paragraph aloud? To be fair, he is detailing each step in order to be completely clear about what the light does. Maybe that's necessary, but I find myself wanting to skip explanations like that. I usually ask my kids what happened in the experiment as soon as we finish. To read a paragraph like that after they've clearly demonstrated understanding is redundant. So I will probably start to skim through explanations, and explain only the things dc don't see for themselves. In the assignment, older dc have the opportunity to draw arrows showing how the light was reflected and transmitted, and then if they are confused, I think going back to read that paragraph on their would be helpful. I just don't want to read it out loud. ;)

 

So far, I've only had one experiment that failed. We were supposed to use a magnifying glass to focus sunlight and catch a piece of paper on fire. But I attempted the experiment on a clear, winter day. We had the sunlight, but it was too cold and the sun was at too low of an angle to focus well. DC got the point (and ds10 has actually started fires this way before) so it wasn't a total loss.

 

It's really important to me that elementary science experiments work well and so far I've been pleased with this book. I want kids to have good feelings about science. When I studied physics with my (then 4th grade) dd, every single experiment had to be tweaked to get it to work, and sometimes they never did. After 3 months of frustrating experiments, dd declared that she hated physics and we dropped the program for something more enjoyable. :glare: I'll find her a better physics program for 8th grade.

 

I actually love how detailed he gets on his explanations of the experiments. That way if were aren't able to get to one for whatever reason the day I have it scheduled, DS can still picture in his mind exactly what it would have looked like.

[JRmommy]

I absolutely agree with you, but I am sure it is because both my son and I love science. I'm an engineer and he loves everything having to do with science. What I have started doing was reading the lesson the night before so that my son and I can have more of a discussion about it instead of just reading it verbatim.

Nonetheless, I still love this book. Dr. Wile does an excellent job with his explanations to the elementary aged group.

I've been using it for a couple of months. We're not quite finished with the light unit (so it's still early in the book), but I'm bad about getting science done regularly.

I LOVE the experiments. They are easy to do, and explain the concepts quite clearly. Honestly, I almost feel like we could do the experiments and stop there. I am impressed with how clearly he explains complex topics. I didn't study optics until my 3rd semester of college physics, and Dr. Wile has chosen activities that teach optics in a way that my 8yo can easily understand. Plus, the text is beautiful, and I smile every time I see it.

My only complaint is -- I'm finding myself annoyed my the wordiness and repetition of the text. But I'm a scientist and have very science-oriented boys (using it with 5th and 3rd graders). Maybe the repetition would help younger/less science-y kids understand the concepts?

For instance (and I hope this isn't a confusing example), we did an experiment where we put a fork in a clear glass bowl filled with water. We set the bowl on the edge of the counter, looked at the fork from above, and then sat down, looked up at the bowl from below, and saw the fork reflected in the surface of the water. It was pretty cool. I was excited when I saw the fork's reflection. The point of this lesson was that sometimes light can pass through transparentmaterials (like water) and at the same time they reflect light. So, here's an explanation of what happened from the book:


Whew, does anyone else get tired reading that paragraph aloud? To be fair, he is detailing each step in order to be completely clear about what the light does. Maybe that's necessary, but I find myself wanting to skip explanations like that. I usually ask my kids what happened in the experiment as soon as we finish. To read a paragraph like that after they've clearly demonstrated understanding is redundant. So I will probably start to skim through explanations, and explain only the things dc don't see for themselves. In the assignment, older dc have the opportunity to draw arrows showing how the light was reflected and transmitted, and then if they are confused, I think going back to read that paragraph on their would be helpful. I just don't want to read it out loud. ;)

So far, I've only had one experiment that failed. We were supposed to use a magnifying glass to focus sunlight and catch a piece of paper on fire. But I attempted the experiment on a clear, winter day. We had the sunlight, but it was too cold and the sun was at too low of an angle to focus well. DC got the point (and ds10 has actually started fires this way before) so it wasn't a total loss.

It's really important to me that elementary science experiments work well and so far I've been pleased with this book. I want kids to have good feelings about science. When I studied physics with my (then 4th grade) dd, every single experiment had to be tweaked to get it to work, and sometimes they never did. After 3 months of frustrating experiments, dd declared that she hated physics and we dropped the program for something more enjoyable. :glare: I'll find her a better physics program for 8th grade.

[TKDmom]

I absolutely agree with you, but I am sure it is because both my son and I love science. I'm an engineer and he loves everything having to do with science. What I have started doing was reading the lesson the night before so that my son and I can have more of a discussion about it instead of just reading it verbatim.

Nonetheless, I still love this book. Dr. Wile does an excellent job with his explanations to the elementary aged group.

Yes, I think I'll move towards doing things that way. I always feel silly reading such a conversational book aloud. Discussions about science are more natural for us.

[plmzk]

Is it worth it to get the "Helps and Hints" ?

[CherryBlossomMJ]

I think its great in the repeats and reiteration. Its funny, I just finished teaching the light unit in a co-op to about 4-6 kiddos and it took me three lessons to catch it, but I would pause to go further in an explanation on something and then when I went back to the text I found it was often the same that I had just said. These kids (9-12 years old) needed the repeat or rewording and they really got it.

[ByGrace3]

Is there any built in review? And can someone explain the journaling? There is no actual journal correct? You just draw a pic and write on paper?

[CherryBlossomMJ]

At the end of each lesson there are three options. Two questions for youngster to be discussed orally (although you could have some write out the answers in a notebook), a directed journal activity for olders (sometimes drawing something related to the experiment), and a third journal/notebooking activity for the oldest students working with you. This last one could be a few paragraphs and on paper discussion.

There is five full lessons available for download on the BereanBuilders website. You can see examples of all I'm saying.

So yes. They keep their own journal. Not a premade activity book. Although a separate company has made a lapbook packet available.

And yes, there is a bit of review.

[mom2four]

This book looks so good, I'm so sorry I already ordered a different one. :(

[boscopup]

TKDMom, we had a problem with that same experiment. I finally got it to work by coloring the spot with a black color pencil, as recommended online somewhere. Another one we had a problem with was the one with water coming out a hole in a bottle. I think my hole wasn't round enough, so it didn't quite work as well. He has that video online though, and reading the explanation (which I agree is a little repetitive sometimes for reading out loud) did the trick.

We finished light and started day 2 this week! Making a cloud worked, and I didn't burn myself (I hate matches).

[alisoncooks]

We just got ours in the mail for next year.  I can't wait to sit down and have a look at it.  It really is a beautiful cover/textbook!