Mystery Science

[rjand6more]

Hello All!

 

I have agonized over science.  I have spent all last week researching it.  We have tried so many programs for K-8  in the past (SL, ES, RSO, RS4K, SITB, Homemade)  We always finish what we start, but I never like any of them.  Sometimes we combine, sometimes not.  I am having a hard time thinking about doing a general science with many topics in a year, but honestly, I and the kid(s) are bored by Christmas break in a single topic(last year was Botany.)

 

So, I thought we would do something different and subscribe to Mystery Science this year.  It's a big chunk of our HS budget and I don't even get to reuse any of it!  But, we need a change of pace.

 

I don't feel comfortable just setting them loose though.  I need more structure.  I am planning on preprinting the materials and making an outline by topic and linking more websites and adding in more books on the topics.

 

My question(finally!)  Has anyone already done this?  It would be nice if there was a master supply list also.

[Beaniemom]

I'm on mobile so I can't see the ages of your childen but I can tell you how I plan to use it with my 3.

I plan to have us all watch and discuss the video and do the project. On another day of the week we will explore the additional materials they list we each mystery. They include other websites and activities in the additional matetials so much pf your leg work is done for you. Hope this helps.

[rjand6more]

I'm on mobile so I can't see the ages of your childen but I can tell you how I plan to use it with my 3.

I plan to have us all watch and discuss the video and do the project. On another day of the week we will explore the additional materials they list we each mystery. They include other websites and activities in the additional matetials so much pf your leg work is done for you. Hope this helps.

 

Thank you!  That does sound like how we would use it as well.  I would like a master schedule and supplies list, though. 

 

Off to make one. :)

[kaxy]

Is it the variety and the pre-planning drawing you to Mystery Science? Or the format? Maybe both? 

 

My science-loving 7yo did a bunch of the lessons a few months ago when there was the free trial going on (I think you can still see the content of the first lesson per unit?) and it was fun, but I also would want to add library books to the topics. In the end, he plowed through too much too fast for me to justify a subscription for that particular kid.

 

I'm wondering if you'd like BFSU? You'd get variety, and it wouldn't take as much of the budget. 

[Cake and Pi]

I'm on mobile so I can't see the ages of your childen but I can tell you how I plan to use it with my 3.

I plan to have us all watch and discuss the video and do the project. On another day of the week we will explore the additional materials they list we each mystery. They include other websites and activities in the additional matetials so much pf your leg work is done for you. Hope this helps.

 

This ^^^ is exactly what we do.  We do one mystery per week, and the week before I just go to the library and check out all the books (and sometimes videos) I can get my hands on for whatever the topic will be the following week.  It's pretty dang easy and low-stress to pull off.

 

There's a master list sort of thing for each unit.  If you click on the unit, there's a sub-tab-thingy along the top that says "Activity Prep" and you can see everything you'll need for all the mysteries in the whole unit.  You could pretty easily just print the activity prep pages for each unit all at once and have a list of all the materials you'll need for the year.

[rjand6more]

This ^^^ is exactly what we do.  We do one mystery per week, and the week before I just go to the library and check out all the books (and sometimes videos) I can get my hands on for whatever the topic will be the following week.  It's pretty dang easy and low-stress to pull off.

 

There's a master list sort of thing for each unit.  If you click on the unit, there's a sub-tab-thingy along the top that says "Activity Prep" and you can see everything you'll need for all the mysteries in the whole unit.  You could pretty easily just print the activity prep pages for each unit all at once and have a list of all the materials you'll need for the year.

 

 

yes.  exactly.  But for me the extra work to gather the materials and schedule them out is making this science program less open and go than I thought.  I really wish I could just say to read all these books this week, etc.  But, I can't. I am too much of a control freak. lol  My kids are 3rd and 6th.  So, I need even more for the 6th grader.  Watching a couple videos and an activity(although it is really cool!) is NOT enough for us. I like to have all the science materials together for the entire year in one place.  In my experience, common household products seem to disappear around here.  And when we really need them, we can't find a paper plate or drinking straw to save our lives. lol

 

I know I can make the lists myself. And a master schedule down to the day, but it's work.  Trying to justify the cost with all the work I feel like I need done.  IDK.  Just whining I guess.

[rjand6more]

Is it the variety and the pre-planning drawing you to Mystery Science? Or the format? Maybe both? 

 

My science-loving 7yo did a bunch of the lessons a few months ago when there was the free trial going on (I think you can still see the content of the first lesson per unit?) and it was fun, but I also would want to add library books to the topics. In the end, he plowed through too much too fast for me to justify a subscription for that particular kid.

 

I'm wondering if you'd like BFSU? You'd get variety, and it wouldn't take as much of the budget. 

 

That's just it...it's fun.  My kids would love it, but without a schedule(and a LOT more resources)  my kids would finish it in a month.

 

BFSU intrigues me.  I am afraid of it. lol  It sounds really hard to implement.

[fralala]

I feel the same way as you do. We've tried several of the mysteries, but I personally don't find it to be that much less work for me than doing BFSU-- which we've been using for the past 6 months of so. Plodding slowly through BFSU (we just do one lesson PART per week, so it might take 4 weeks for one lesson, so I do mean plodding) doesn't take that much more teacher prep from me than what I would want to do with MS (watch video through myself first, get books, schedule lessons, scare up supplies), and when it comes to the Mysteries, I still like to have discussions about our science lessons over the course of a week, so the main thing that ends up being different for us is that perhaps MS has a catchier presentation than Mom with her index cards. But I'm working on that!

Edited July 19, 2016 by fralala

[rjand6more]

I feel the same way as you do. We've tried several of the mysteries, but I personally don't find it to be that much less work for me than doing BFSU-- which we've been using for the past 6 months of so. Plodding slowly through BFSU (we just do one lesson PART per week, so it might take 4 weeks for one lesson, so I do mean plodding) doesn't take that much more teacher prep from me than what I would want to do with MS (watch video through myself first, get books, schedule lessons, scare up supplies), and when it comes to the Mysteries, I still like to have discussions about our science lessons over the course of a week, so the main thing that ends up being different for us is that perhaps MS has a catchier presentation than Mom with her index cards. But I'm working on that!

 

HA!!

[Mrs Twain]

For the 6th grader, you could do BJU distance learning online science 6 course. It is a science overview and a very high quality, excellent course. Then just have fun doing Mystery Science with the your 3rd grader.

[Mrs Twain]

As much as I liked BFSU, my chikd is learning a lot more from Mystery Science. And Mystery Science is a whole lot easier to teach and much more engaging.

[fourisenough]

I will be doing MS with my 2nd grader. Maybe I'm missing something, but it doesn't appear that there is anything to schedule out?! I will pick a unit. I will print the list of supplies needed for that unit (may do all of them at the same time and gather stuff in a Rubbermaid bin before the school year begins,  as you mentioned). I will do one mystery per week. One day we'll watch the videos and do the activity. The second day we'll do the additional activities, read the supporting information supplied, watch any extra videos. On my weekly library trip, I'll grab related books and allow her to read them during her free time. Or, if they're written at a higher level, I'll read them aloud to her. I may have her make a notebook page by taking a blank sheet of paper and asking her to tell me what she learned about X this week.  

 

I just don't see what there is to plan and schedule. For what it's worth, we've done two mysteries to decide whether we like it well-enough to purchase; we followed the above process for both and loved it! I expect to allow my 2nd grader to decide which units we do and in what order.

 

[Insertcreativenamehere]

You can now buy a schedule and lesson plans for Mystery Science if you use Homeschool Planet.

 

http://www.homeschoolbuyersco-op.org/homeschool-planet-marketplace/mystery-science-lesson-plans.html

[rjand6more]

I will be doing MS with my 2nd grader. Maybe I'm missing something, but it doesn't appear that there is anything to schedule out?! I will pick a unit. I will print the list of supplies needed for that unit (may do all of them at the same time and gather stuff in a Rubbermaid bin before the school year begins,  as you mentioned). I will do one mystery per week. One day we'll watch the videos and do the activity. The second day we'll do the additional activities, read the supporting information supplied, watch any extra videos. On my weekly library trip, I'll grab related books and allow her to read them during her free time. Or, if they're written at a higher level, I'll read them aloud to her. I may have her make a notebook page by taking a blank sheet of paper and asking her to tell me what she learned about X this week.  

 

I just don't see what there is to plan and schedule. For what it's worth, we've done two mysteries to decide whether we like it well-enough to purchase; we followed the above process for both and loved it! I expect to allow my 2nd grader to decide which units we do and in what order.

They read and do their own schedules.  I would have to make an outline of all the topics and research the additional books and resources and order them to be picked up at the library.  I would then print all that needed to be printed and bind it(I HATE loose papers..)  I would collect all the science experiment stuff.

 

In their defense, my 11 year old is at the tippy top of their age range.  She is the one that needs all the supplements to make it full enough.  Also, if I didn't make a schedule, they would be done with it all in a month. sigh.

[rjand6more]

You can now buy a schedule and lesson plans for Mystery Science if you use Homeschool Planet.

 

http://www.homeschoolbuyersco-op.org/homeschool-planet-marketplace/mystery-science-lesson-plans.html

Thanks.  I don't.:(  Maybe it's all too new for someone to have created something.  Maybe I'm the one to do it.:)

[rjand6more]

For the 6th grader, you could do BJU distance learning online science 6 course. It is a science overview and a very high quality, excellent course. Then just have fun doing Mystery Science with the your 3rd grader.

 

 

It seems so expensive to do both.  And I have spent an insane amount of money on science in my homeschool years.  thanks for the suggestion though.

[Meadowlark]

Maybe this has been asked before, but how can I get the best price on Mystery Science? I'd like to order this week so I can start gathering supplies. I too, need everything to be organized before the year starts.

[rjand6more]

Maybe this has been asked before, but how can I get the best price on Mystery Science? I'd like to order this week so I can start gathering supplies. I too, need everything to be organized before the year starts.

 

Homeschool Buyers Co op  has it for $99(there is a small transaction fee.)

[u2006kids]

Still 99 per year is till high.... and it only runs from 2-5 

[Meadowlark]

What do you mean only runs from 2-5? I'm coming from Nancy Larson so $99 seems okay to me.

[rjand6more]

What do you mean only runs from 2-5? I'm coming from Nancy Larson so $99 seems okay to me.

I think grades 2-5.  Three sections are designed for ages 6-9, 4 sections are 7-10, 4 sections 8-11, 2 sections 9-12. Not sure what the new topics will be age wise. I watched some of the "younger" mysteries and I think with supplemental materials it will be fine for my 6th grader.

 

$99 is a lot for a subscription in my opinion.  Especially since I will have to add so much.  I have younger kids.  I will not be paying $100+ every year for something I can not reuse, but I MIGHT this year.

[Meadowlark]

Mmm...I just scrolled through one of the first Mysteries, the plant one. I have to admit, there seems like a LOT to gather which means a lot of work. Last year we did NL and it was all there, but very boring. I guess there has to be a tradeoff. Just so people know going into it...it's not going to be open and go unless you do a lot of work ahead of time. Guess what I'll be doing for the rest of July? Yep.