SparklyUnicorn Posted February 13, 2015 Share Posted February 13, 2015 Please recommend something magical. I am so frustrated by the lack of options for science. *sigh* secular only please Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
redsquirrel Posted February 13, 2015 Share Posted February 13, 2015 http://sbsciencematters.com/ I am using this for the end of this year (4th) if I can get my butt in gear, and I am using it for 5th grade next year. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SilverMoon Posted February 13, 2015 Share Posted February 13, 2015 I'm going to give Oak Meadow's life science a try for my artsy, flighty, fifth grade faerie this fall. Science Jim's Bite-size Physics in fourth finally got her interested in science in general. She thrived with it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zarabellesmom Posted February 13, 2015 Share Posted February 13, 2015 http://sbsciencematters.com/ I am using this for the end of this year (4th) if I can get my butt in gear, and I am using it for 5th grade next year. Interesting. Tell me more about this? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chrysalis Academy Posted February 13, 2015 Share Posted February 13, 2015 http://sbsciencematters.com/ I am using this for the end of this year (4th) if I can get my butt in gear, and I am using it for 5th grade next year. I think this looks pretty darn cool. I think we'll try it for 4th grade. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
redsquirrel Posted February 13, 2015 Share Posted February 13, 2015 Interesting. Tell me more about this? I don't really know what to tell you. What would you like to know? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SparklyUnicorn Posted February 13, 2015 Author Share Posted February 13, 2015 I don't know. It looks like more work than I want to put into it. I hate to sound so lazy, but there is so much mumbo jumbo eduspeak to sift through. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
redsquirrel Posted February 13, 2015 Share Posted February 13, 2015 I found the lessons and experiments/demonstrations to be pretty straight forward, but I didn't read any of the surrounding stuff. And I wouldn't bother with the pre-test or assessments or power points etc. But, like I said, the 'doing stuff' part looked great for my kid. However, I might not be the best at evaluating such stuff. I was very excited to try the ACA chemistry lessons and those were a total bust. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EmilyGF Posted February 13, 2015 Share Posted February 13, 2015 Have you ever tried any TOPS units? It isn't a full curriculum, but I'm using Radishes right now and am impressed at what is being taught by word and by process. Using it with my 8 and 10 year old. Emily Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zarabellesmom Posted February 13, 2015 Share Posted February 13, 2015 Is there a text that goes with it, or just the lesson plans? SBS that is. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest J King Posted February 13, 2015 Share Posted February 13, 2015 Does anyone have any suggestions for kids science magazines? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
redsquirrel Posted February 13, 2015 Share Posted February 13, 2015 Is there a text that goes with it, or just the lesson plans? SBS that is. I don't know. All I know is what is on the website. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
happypamama Posted February 13, 2015 Share Posted February 13, 2015 Mr. Q has made science much easier for me the past couple of years, and my current fourth grader likes it. He reads it, and we discuss it and review the vocabulary together. We do some of the labs, but it is all laid out for me very nicely. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SparklyUnicorn Posted February 13, 2015 Author Share Posted February 13, 2015 Mr. Q has made science much easier for me the past couple of years, and my current fourth grader likes it. He reads it, and we discuss it and review the vocabulary together. We do some of the labs, but it is all laid out for me very nicely. We did the Life and are working through Earth. I'm looking for the next thing. It's not bad. I don't care for most of the activities though. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SparklyUnicorn Posted February 13, 2015 Author Share Posted February 13, 2015 Have you ever tried any TOPS units? It isn't a full curriculum, but I'm using Radishes right now and am impressed at what is being taught by word and by process. Using it with my 8 and 10 year old. Emily I haven't, but I'll take a look. Thanks. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SparklyUnicorn Posted February 13, 2015 Author Share Posted February 13, 2015 Does anyone have any suggestions for kids science magazines? We got Ask for awhile. The age range on that is 6-9 though. The same publisher might have something for kids who are older than that. If I recall correctly, there were no advertisements in them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
redsquirrel Posted February 13, 2015 Share Posted February 13, 2015 I like TOPS quite a lot. I used their Radish unit with CPO life science and will use it again. I will also add in animal camouflage and their corn unit. But, TOPS isn't for everyone. It requires a lot of gathering materials and planning ahead. It is designed to have a science station where everything is ready to go and the kids can work with minimal oversight. It is 100% hand on. So, some people really like it and some people find it overwhelming. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SparklyUnicorn Posted February 13, 2015 Author Share Posted February 13, 2015 I like TOPS quite a lot. I used their Radish unit with CPO life science and will use it again. I will also add in animal camouflage and their corn unit. But, TOPS isn't for everyone. It requires a lot of gathering materials and planning ahead. It is designed to have a science station where everything is ready to go and the kids can work with minimal oversight. It is 100% hand on. So, some people really like it and some people find it overwhelming. Yeah that's a major turn off to me. Well, I ordered a used copy of Galore Park science for cheap. I think I'll look at the topics and maybe get a few science kits and extra books to go along with it. I like having some sort of starting point/guide. So I think that combination will work out. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zarabellesmom Posted February 13, 2015 Share Posted February 13, 2015 I just bought used CPO Life Science to try. I guess once I get it, I'll price the lab materials. We like all that nifty hands-on stuff here. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
redsquirrel Posted February 13, 2015 Share Posted February 13, 2015 you can find what you need for CPO life science here http://www.cposcience.com/home/2/ForEducators/MiddleSchoolLifeScience/tabid/276/Default.aspx Look on the right hand side under "Ancillaries" and you will see "Student Record Sheets" Open the student record sheets, these are the demonstrations/experiments. On the left hand side of each exercise (1a, 1b, 2a, 2b, etc) you will see a list of what you need for each one. I just paged through and filled up my cart at home science tools. I got everything I need all at once. It both saved a lot of time and ensured that I did the hands on part. I am much more likely to carry through if I have spent the $$ on it, lol. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lisa in the UP of MI Posted February 13, 2015 Share Posted February 13, 2015 We're using Harcourt Grade 6 for 5th grade. The magical part is having dd in charge of the hands-on work. I borrow "experiment" guides from the library. DD picks what she wants to do and requests supplies as needed. (And even more magical is that, unless it is something I need to order online, dh is the one who does the shopping.) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Halcyon Posted February 14, 2015 Share Posted February 14, 2015 we are using BFSU2 but in a lazy way: i read a bit about what's on the agenda, then find videos, books or brainpop stuff. Then DS watches and we talk. I am going to look at Mr Q again. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Halcyon Posted February 14, 2015 Share Posted February 14, 2015 Does anyone have any suggestions for kids science magazines? Muse is a big hit here. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Miss Tick Posted February 14, 2015 Share Posted February 14, 2015 we are using BFSU2 but in a lazy way: i read a bit about what's on the agenda, then find videos, books or brainpop stuff. Then DS watches and we talk. I am going to look at Mr Q again. That's funny because I am using BFSU 2 the more intensive way by making worksheets for each lesson which was a brilliant, lightbulb moment I picked up from you! Gotta love homeschooling! Do it till it's not working, then find something else! :-) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Farrar Posted February 14, 2015 Share Posted February 14, 2015 I'll second TOPS. I don't think it's magical, but it's simple and well laid out and teaches something concrete. I think it's probably best if you pair it with a text though. You could possibly use one of those Prentice Hall Science Explorer ones. Or something else - a longer living book or a few things together. While it's intended for middle school, my fifth graders are doing the ACS curriculum. It's free. And while the materials list was a little pricey, I'm liking it a lot so far. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Halcyon Posted February 14, 2015 Share Posted February 14, 2015 That's funny because I am using BFSU 2 the more intensive way by making worksheets for each lesson which was a brilliant, lightbulb moment I picked up from you! Gotta love homeschooling! Do it till it's not working, then find something else! :-) ] Ha!! And I would still be doing that if I had the time-that was fun and I really learned a lot myself while doing it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
eternalsummer Posted February 14, 2015 Share Posted February 14, 2015 We use TOPS, there is no planning? And no gathering of materials (so far). We just bought the kit(s). There are a very few things not included - pennies, etc. There is no pre-teaching and the labs are things they do themselves. Then we've been supplementing with videos, books, relevant chapter in a textbook, etc. It's not a full curriculum if you want something systematic, or whatever, but at this point I'm not really worried about that. What is good about it is that they love it, they can do it together (a 4th grader and 1st grader), they're interested in related videos and books, and they seem to actually be understanding something (because they have to do all the work themselves - nothing is really done for them). It is kind of expensive, though, when you buy the kits. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EmilyGF Posted February 14, 2015 Share Posted February 14, 2015 When most science programs say they use "everyday things", TOPS actually does. I'm actually staying in a vacation rental right now and we're managing to do TOPS. I did have to buy radish seeds, milk in a half-gallon of milk, and potting soil, but that seems really reasonable to me. I think they started writing the curricula when they were teaching science in the Peace Corps in Africa. Emily Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Farrar Posted February 14, 2015 Share Posted February 14, 2015 Are the TOPS folks religious? I couldn't tell. The product seems clearly secular, so I guess it doesn't matter. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
eternalsummer Posted February 14, 2015 Share Posted February 14, 2015 It's perfectly secular as far as I can tell. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Arcadia Posted February 14, 2015 Share Posted February 14, 2015 Does anyone have any suggestions for kids science magazines?Odyssey magazine which we read at the library http://www.odysseymagazine.com Sky & Telescope magazine if you have a kid who is into astronomy Scientific American and/or New Scientist magazine if you have a bookworm that runs out of magazines to read Make magazine for a tinkerer Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
redsquirrel Posted February 14, 2015 Share Posted February 14, 2015 Are the TOPS folks religious? I couldn't tell. The product seems clearly secular, so I guess it doesn't matter. I think the target audience of TOPS is the public schools. While I have zero idea about the authors religious stances, TOPS itself appears to be completely secular. And I am under the impression that their unit about animal camouflage has to do with evolution. I haven't seen it myself, but that is what it looked like when I was investigating. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mj_jamila Posted February 14, 2015 Share Posted February 14, 2015 gsrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SparklyUnicorn Posted February 14, 2015 Author Share Posted February 14, 2015 we are using BFSU2 but in a lazy way: i read a bit about what's on the agenda, then find videos, books or brainpop stuff. Then DS watches and we talk. I am going to look at Mr Q again. I have that book. I always think...why don't I use it. So I'll pull it out and start reading it. Then I remember why. LOL I dunno I just can't wrap my head around that book. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SparklyUnicorn Posted February 14, 2015 Author Share Posted February 14, 2015 I don't know if it's magical, but my kids have really loved Pandia Press Real Science Odyssey. We're doing chemistry right now and they look forward to the labs. I had earth and space. Didn't like that one at all. I think the level for the chem is below what DS needs. Plus all the supply gathering. I can't take it! I was eying the level 2 Biology, but I disliked the earth and space so much I wasn't sure it was wise of me to get it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zarabellesmom Posted February 14, 2015 Share Posted February 14, 2015 you can find what you need for CPO life science here http://www.cposcience.com/home/2/ForEducators/MiddleSchoolLifeScience/tabid/276/Default.aspx Look on the right hand side under "Ancillaries" and you will see "Student Record Sheets" Open the student record sheets, these are the demonstrations/experiments. On the left hand side of each exercise (1a, 1b, 2a, 2b, etc) you will see a list of what you need for each one. I just paged through and filled up my cart at home science tools. I got everything I need all at once. It both saved a lot of time and ensured that I did the hands on part. I am much more likely to carry through if I have spent the $$ on it, lol. Great! Thanks. I have to have everything handy too or it just won't happen. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Χά�ων Posted February 14, 2015 Share Posted February 14, 2015 I was recently gifted a large number of science text books from a private school and a friend is loaning me more that she is not currently using. I am just using them. I am over most of the secular homeschool science curriculums I am tired of attempting to track down "common household" items for experiments when the items are anything but common. I gave up when I had to buy 200 of something when I only need one. Text books are fine for this age. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Halcyon Posted February 14, 2015 Share Posted February 14, 2015 i agree-we dont do experiments unless it's one of the Young Scientist Kit ones that have everything in it. I really want him to understand basic concepts more than anything. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rebereid Posted February 14, 2015 Share Posted February 14, 2015 I had earth and space. Didn't like that one at all. I think the level for the chem is below what DS needs. Plus all the supply gathering. I can't take it! I was eying the level 2 Biology, but I disliked the earth and space so much I wasn't sure it was wise of me to get it. I would love to know what you did not like, as I am contemplating using RSO for 3rd grade next year! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Minerva Posted February 14, 2015 Share Posted February 14, 2015 We have used RSO. It was a fine jumping off point, but required a lot of supplementation to be juicy enough for us. Some of the projects were fun and definitely helped illuminate the lesson. Other projects, not so much. If the project wasn't illustrative enough, we skipped it. I found myself spending a lot of time looking for books and Youtube videos (as well as supplies for the labs) to make sure we were covering the topics more thoroughly. It definitely wasn't the ideal science program. Having said that, I feel like my kids have a good sense of elementary science and think that science is the best subject ever, so we did something right. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
redsquirrel Posted February 14, 2015 Share Posted February 14, 2015 we are using BFSU2 but in a lazy way: i read a bit about what's on the agenda, then find videos, books or brainpop stuff. Then DS watches and we talk. I am going to look at Mr Q again. I have BFSU 2 and we use it in much the same way. Some people are so, so amazing in what they create, but it never clicks with my brain. So, my rule is 'BFSU with no pressure or guilt'. I do what I can do and I make it work for me. The biggest issue for us is that my kid likes to Do Stuff, and BFSU2 does have some hands on demonstrations, but also a LOT of talking. He is going to balk if we don't have hands on science at least once a week. So, I do make a plan and I def link with brainpop (and right now, The Way Things Work) but I don't feel badly if I don't achieve some pintrest level of uberhomeschooling. It is also ok if he spends a couple weeks working through a K'nex 'Gears' kit I have a friend who is pretty much the ultimate homeschool science teacher, she does some next level stuff, and even she says that BFSU makes her crazy, lol. That is when I decided that it's not me, it's BFSU. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SparklyUnicorn Posted February 14, 2015 Author Share Posted February 14, 2015 i agree-we dont do experiments unless it's one of the Young Scientist Kit ones that have everything in it. I really want him to understand basic concepts more than anything. I hate "experiments". None of them are really experiments for one thing. DS really likes them. So my compromise is science kits. I can tolerate the situation if the supplies are there and ready to go. DH does chem labs with my older kid. Thankfully he doesn't mind that. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SparklyUnicorn Posted February 14, 2015 Author Share Posted February 14, 2015 I would love to know what you did not like, as I am contemplating using RSO for 3rd grade next year! One of the first "experiments" has one assemble a weather station with plastic cups and paper plates. It was completely useless. I ended up buying a weather station kit just so we could have something we could use. There were a lot of silly activities like that. It was all very hands on without very much substance. I wouldn't have minded so much, but the amount of effort required to just put stuff together for an activity didn't justify what one actually got out of the activity. I just found it cheesy and frustrating. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
happypamama Posted February 14, 2015 Share Posted February 14, 2015 I was recently gifted a large number of science text books from a private school and a friend is loaning me more that she is not currently using. I am just using them. I am over most of the secular homeschool science curriculums I am tired of attempting to track down "common household" items for experiments when the items are anything but common. I gave up when I had to buy 200 of something when I only need one. Text books are fine for this age. That bugged me about Mr. Q Chemistry last year. A lot of the labs did look really good, and very interesting, but they needed a small amount of several items, and that got to be really expensive. We have done some of his projects from the earth science this year. There's one about the water cycle that involved printing some sheets of paper and folding nine paper dice. My kids really liked that one, and it made for a good example of how water travels different places and is different things at different times (everything from a glacier to animal pee, LOL -- remember, I have 3, 6, and 10 yo boys, so pee is funny). I'm looking at his physical science for next year, and the list of stuff to have on hand is four pages long. Gulp. I loved the idea of having a science box and having everything in it and ready to go at the beginning of the year, but I don't know; it'll depend on how expensive it is to get all at once. I've done a few of the projects this year, but I have not done the suggested two per chapter; the ones I have done, however, have been really good for illustrating the principles and for discussing the scientific method. So I will do some next year, but probably not every single one. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
krisandpaula Posted February 15, 2015 Share Posted February 15, 2015 We are currently enjoying this: http://www.amazon.com/Elements-Ingredients-Universe-Johnston-McHenry/dp/0982537719/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1424020859&sr=8-1&keywords=the+elements+ingredients+of+the+universe My kids (3rd & 5th) are having fun with the activities that are included, and I am seriously enjoying the fact that it isn't dumbed down. It's only 8 chapters, so easily done as a unit. We plan to do McHenry's Neurology unit as well as the Carbon Chemistry. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wabi Sabi Posted February 15, 2015 Share Posted February 15, 2015 We have used RSO. It was a fine jumping off point, but required a lot of supplementation to be juicy enough for us. Some of the projects were fun and definitely helped illuminate the lesson. Other projects, not so much. If the project wasn't illustrative enough, we skipped it. I found myself spending a lot of time looking for books and Youtube videos (as well as supplies for the labs) to make sure we were covering the topics more thoroughly. It definitely wasn't the ideal science program. Having said that, I feel like my kids have a good sense of elementary science and think that science is the best subject ever, so we did something right. Was this level 1 or 2? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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