Shay Posted March 22, 2014 Share Posted March 22, 2014 I am bringing my ds home from ps next year for 6th grader (he is an older 6th grader...will be 12 this summer). To do this, I resigned from my teaching job. He is extremely burned out on science, which should have been fun in elementary! Instead, it has been endless vocabulary and worksheets. He literally hates it, which is so unnecessary. What I want: basically, something to get him to enjoy it again. In talking to him, he wants a lot of experiments he can do. I have looked at samples of Apologia General Science and that looks like he would enjoy it, but it is really hard to tell from a sample. Any thoughts or other curriculum to look at based on our wants/ needs? We are probably going to do SL Core W, Singapore Math, and R&S, if that makes any difference. Thank you so much in advance. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
regentrude Posted March 22, 2014 Share Posted March 22, 2014 What he needs might just be: NO curriculum. I have not seen a middle school science curriculum I liked; they are just like "school". Have him read non fiction books about science/scientists and watch documentaries. Let him re-discover what he is interested in. Maybe get a few experiment books from the library and have him mess around. Throw in some visits to nature centers and science museums. I see no need for a formal science curriculum before high school. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Matryoshka Posted March 23, 2014 Share Posted March 23, 2014 I'll agree with lots of science documentaries and visits to science centers, and maybe some hands-on ktis or experiment books. If you want a curriculum, maybe something like Exploration Education (Physical science, text on the computer with animations, and has a hands-on building or experiment pretty much every day). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Embassy Posted March 23, 2014 Share Posted March 23, 2014 I agree with others. I'd use library books, videos, projects/experiments, and field trips. Have him pick topics of interest. Don't grade or do worksheets at all. Just keep it relaxed and enjoyable. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Julie of KY Posted March 23, 2014 Share Posted March 23, 2014 Lots of library books on any science topic. My middle schooler is enjoying Exploration Education - lots of hands on experiments. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mandy in TN Posted March 23, 2014 Share Posted March 23, 2014 I see that you will be quitting your teaching job to homeschool. :) Maybe it would be a big jump to just not use curriculum, but using a visually boring textbook designed for 7th/8th graders probably isn't the way to spark a joy of science in a 12yo boy suffering from ps science burn out. I don't know if these will be a good fit, but to get the ball rolling: Nancy Larson Science 4 (ages 8-12) looks fun. http://www.nancylarson.com/science4.html The Jason Project has some interesting things. http://www.jason.org/curricula Supercharged Science offers a lot of freebies. They have a huge expensive curriculum, but they also offer some smaller things. http://www.superchargedscience.com/ Maybe a science from WinterPromise? http://www.winterpromise.com/science.html If you can let go of the curriculum, he could just do experiment kits: Snap Circuits has great kits. K'nex offers some cool things. Thames and Kosmos HTH- Mandy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shay Posted March 23, 2014 Author Share Posted March 23, 2014 Thanks to everyone. I will look into all of these suggestions and I appreciate time spent posting to help me. I had after schooled apologia elementary flying creatures with older sibs and we enjoyed that. My DH wants him to do some experiments with our pond (stocked with fish) and explore water ph, etc. I can easily let go of curriculum, but I ned a "plan" if that makes sense. I see the 5th grade teachers at school hang on to every single page with the text, and I see the 6th grade teachers rarely ever pull out the Prentice Hall Science Explorer in lieu of whatever she feels like doing. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
redsquirrel Posted March 23, 2014 Share Posted March 23, 2014 Have you looked at "TOPS Science"? It is all hands on but is on a topic. I had my kid work through all of a book on a particular topic. Now, they are made to be done in a class setting, but in an independent fashion, such as a 'science station'. That means that you can get all the 'stuff' ready and then your son can work through as much or as little as he wants to on a given day. There are some exception, the units that involve growing plants have to be done sort of all at once. A growing pea plant doesn't really wait around, lol. But a TOPS unit might be what you need. It is all hands on, so lots of experiments, but it is on a particular topic so it is giving you a 'plan'. I should add that a TOPS unit is JUST hands on. The instruction/learning comes from the doing. There isn't a text. I have used them and found them to be great. But, if you are feeling the need for a textbook approach, then this isn't it. http://www.topscience.org/home.html Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shay Posted March 23, 2014 Author Share Posted March 23, 2014 Redsquirrel, The TOPS looks absolutely perfect for what I'm wanting. Thank you so much for pointing me to it. I can let him pick the topics and that will spark his (presently absent) joy of science. We can follow up with videos, etc. Thank you!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
g1234 Posted March 23, 2014 Share Posted March 23, 2014 Just to say that we, too, LOVED TOPS at that age! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
readinmom Posted March 23, 2014 Share Posted March 23, 2014 Maybe he would enjoy something that is hands on? Ds has taken two ps high school "lab" classes with no labs at all, yet receive credit. Talk to your son and see where his interests are. Good luck to you in your search. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Julie of KY Posted March 23, 2014 Share Posted March 23, 2014 I was just about to suggest TOPS as well, but I see that you already have that suggestion. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
foxbridgeacademy Posted March 23, 2014 Share Posted March 23, 2014 What he needs might just be: NO curriculum. I have not seen a middle school science curriculum I liked; they are just like "school". Have him read non fiction books about science/scientists and watch documentaries. Let him re-discover what he is interested in. Maybe get a few experiment books from the library and have him mess around. Throw in some visits to nature centers and science museums. I see no need for a formal science curriculum before high school. I agree, We often drop Science for months at a time or just do activities. There are tons of Experiment guides out there to pull from. Have him research interesting topics then you can help come up with an experiment or activity. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
redsquirrel Posted March 23, 2014 Share Posted March 23, 2014 Redsquirrel, The TOPS looks absolutely perfect for what I'm wanting. Thank you so much for pointing me to it. I can let him pick the topics and that will spark his (presently absent) joy of science. We can follow up with videos, etc. Thank you!!! I have found that the key to a good TOPS experience is the prep work. I can't speak for all of them, but in my experience TOPS is not open and go. You as the instructor (with or without the help of your student) has to read the book, look at the materials list (on the website so you can start gathering ASAP) and put together the 'station'. For example, we did a the 'radishes' unit as part of life science. I spent an afternoon making seedling holders from aluminum foil and a D battery (trust me), a 'green house' from a milk carton and wax paper, and other things with various baby food jars. I made a bunch of copies and made record book that had to be stapled together. It was a pain but then the rest was painless. My son still talks about how much he liked that. I only did that one TOPS unit that year because of the fuss, but when the year was done I really regretted I hadn't done 'beans and corn' and 'animal camouflage.' Once it is all gathered and the prep done, things move along at a nice pace. The work is front loaded. But, if you don't put in the work up front it will fail. For a lot of parents that is the sticking point. For others it's NBD. My friend taught me to put together all the TOPS stuff over the course of a weekend (or a summer, lol) and keep all the prepped material for a unit (a book) in a dishpan or a milk crate type box. Then when it is time for science it gets pulled out. What you can't do with TOPS, and again this has been my experience, YMMV, is decide to do a particular thing and start getting it together that day. So, you might want to hold off on thanking me until after you actually use the TOPS, lol. I have a lot of friends who want to use TOPS but are never able to pull it off. I personally think they are worth the work. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
foxbridgeacademy Posted March 23, 2014 Share Posted March 23, 2014 If you decide on TOPS check out Amazon, they're used but most in good to very good condition for 1/2 the price or less of new. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dbmamaz Posted March 23, 2014 Share Posted March 23, 2014 I started with Dr Art's Guide to Science. I think Nebells also has a middle school manual. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cottonwood Posted March 24, 2014 Share Posted March 24, 2014 I have a son that age who is burnt out from PS as well, and if I got him the Snap Circuits 750R Student Training Kit (the big daddy of kits complete with lessons and a loose 'curriculum' according to the website), some books from the library on circuitry and electricity, and the ability to google science experiments related to circuitry, that is all I'd need to provide him for a year's worth of super fun science that he would actually pick up himself and enjoy. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ktgrok Posted March 24, 2014 Share Posted March 24, 2014 We used Noeo one year, it was good in that it was a lot of shorter books, real books, not textbooks. The experiments were kind of a flop, but mostly because I was busy with a baby and couldn't help. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kathy_overman Posted March 25, 2014 Share Posted March 25, 2014 Someone on this board recently suggested University of Nottingham's Periodic Table videos - we are loving them. My son, who will also be 12 this summer, even enjoys using this coloring book with the videos. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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