shawthorne44 Posted August 29, 2016 Share Posted August 29, 2016 I wish I could find the thread, but recently someone here posted that Mystery Science had opened signups for a free trial for a year. I signed up because, hey, it was free and it might have something worthwhile. I used it last week in the Science co-op class I'm teaching and it was a huge hit. We did the seed dispersal one. Anyone else give it a whirl? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sarah0000 Posted August 29, 2016 Share Posted August 29, 2016 So far I've just been letting my son use it by himself, but he's talking about it and telling me lots of science facts, so I'm happy with it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
desertflower Posted August 29, 2016 Share Posted August 29, 2016 Did the Weather topic (K-2) with all three kids. They seem to enjoy themselves. I like it. I used it yesterday and boy what a joy it was. I didn't have anything planned for the kiddos to do on a Sunday afternoon. So, I thought well why don't we do mystery science. And what a relief it was just to even think that way. Not to have to plan ahead and have someone else thinking of questions to ask the kiddos. :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shawthorne44 Posted August 29, 2016 Author Share Posted August 29, 2016 I liked the videos were short, but there was more than one of them. Then it ended with an activity. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
poppy Posted August 29, 2016 Share Posted August 29, 2016 I think it's fabulous. Using it with the lesson plans in homeschool planet (not free but worth it for how we school). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Josh Blade Posted August 29, 2016 Share Posted August 29, 2016 (edited) My daughter is loving it. Mom does most of the schooling while I'm at work, so mystery science is something special dd and I do on Saturdays. We did the cartoon sound effects and how to tear down a concrete wall this weekend and those have been her favorite so far. Edited August 29, 2016 by Josh Blade Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
silver Posted August 29, 2016 Share Posted August 29, 2016 (edited) My kids love it. I'm not a fan of subscription models for curriculum; I'd rather pay once for something that I can own and reuse with younger kids. At this point I'm still unsure if I'll pay for it when our free year is up. Edited August 29, 2016 by silver 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shawthorne44 Posted August 29, 2016 Author Share Posted August 29, 2016 How much is it in Homeschool Planet? In the seed dispersal one the kids got a kick out of the scary way the guy said, "Zone of Darkness". That the shaded area under a plant in which a seed is unlikely to grow. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gstharr Posted August 29, 2016 Share Posted August 29, 2016 We signed up for the free subscription. Unfortunately, turns out to be too general and a little young for the 6th grader. Another poster referenced Bozeman science videos (free also). perfect for 6th grade science and higher. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shawthorne44 Posted August 29, 2016 Author Share Posted August 29, 2016 I can see how that would be. I had the opposite problem. The class is age 5-7, and the one we did was for 7-10 age. So, I felt compelled to read a quick book on seeds to make sure they knew the concept of seeds. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alisoncooks Posted August 29, 2016 Share Posted August 29, 2016 My girls are loving it; we're using an animals unit. We are just watching the videos via AppleTV. I don't print anything (very ink-heavy worksheets); some of the labs/worksheets are meant for a group. We just discuss them (view them on the big screen). So far, it's the only science that's getting done this year. :o Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mohop Posted August 30, 2016 Share Posted August 30, 2016 I had a free trial all last year. When we used it, it was really good and helpful. Unfortunately, as usual, formal science studies fell to the back burner, so we didn't take as much advantage of it as I would have liked! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shoes+Ships+SealingWax Posted August 30, 2016 Share Posted August 30, 2016 Are there only the dozen or so units? They had some fun-sounding topics, but I was expecting more of them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SarahW Posted August 30, 2016 Share Posted August 30, 2016 Are there only the dozen or so units? They had some fun-sounding topics, but I was expecting more of them. There's about a dozen units, but each has 3-4 lessons. I counted up how many lessons were age 8 and up or so, and it totaled about 40 lessons. They suggest one lesson a week, so for mid to upper elementary there's theoretically enough lessons for a year.. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mrs Twain Posted August 30, 2016 Share Posted August 30, 2016 One lesson per week works very well for us. We spread it out over two or three days, and then we add to it. On day four I have my daughter write a short journal summary and draw a picture about the ideas she learned about. On day five she reads more about the topic with a library book or a science encyclopedia. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shoes+Ships+SealingWax Posted August 30, 2016 Share Posted August 30, 2016 Don't get me wrong, I think the program is great! The videos are engaging & I look forward to trying a few of the experiments / activities with my son. I am very greatful for the free trial & we'll definitely get use out of it; I was simply surprised by the size of the database. If my son were a bit older & Mystery Science was all we were using (rather than trying to fit it into our pre-chosen topics) I think we'd get a lot more use from it. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thundersweet Posted September 4, 2016 Share Posted September 4, 2016 I signed up for the year and it's only allowing me to look a one or so in each unit. I have to pay to unlock the rest. Is this correct or am I doing something wrong? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cake and Pi Posted September 5, 2016 Share Posted September 5, 2016 They're up to 56 lessons now, and adding more at a pretty decent rate. We caught the end of the free trial last year and paid for this year. So far we've done 19 lessons, one per week, so even if they don't add anymore (except they will) we're still covered for the rest of the school year. We love it! My kids all enjoy MS so much, and I'm happy with how easy it is to implement. We were splitting it up over two days last year, doing the mystery and exploration on one day and the extras + library books on the second day; but this year DS#2 is doing school full time, so we're doing it all in one day on Saturdays. DS#2 actually requested that we wait to do MS until he's home and can join in. The only thing I really don't like is that it's a subscription. I dislike that we'll have to pay year after year for the same thing and won't get anything to keep, reuse, or resell. If they add enough mysteries this year we will probably sign up again next year, but that'll likely be it until my youngest hits an age where it will be useful for him. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MeaganS Posted September 6, 2016 Share Posted September 6, 2016 We're loving it too. My older 3 girls are enjoying it a lot, retaining a bunch, and it is getting done because it is easy enough for me. They really are making a lot of connections and observations after having done lessons. It is what I could hope for from a science curricula for this age. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nature girl Posted September 6, 2016 Share Posted September 6, 2016 We think it's amazing, the videos are so well done! Who knew you could explain natural selection, breeding, and optics in a way a 6 year old could understand? They're really making DD excited about science again, in a way she hadn't been for a long time. Now she's begging me to buy a chicken leg so we can recreate one of the experiments in the video on muscles. Ugh. But I just may do it... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fralala Posted September 6, 2016 Share Posted September 6, 2016 We think it's amazing, the videos are so well done! Who knew you could explain natural selection, breeding, and optics in a way a 6 year old could understand? They're really making DD excited about science again, in a way she hadn't been for a long time. Now she's begging me to buy a chicken leg so we can recreate one of the experiments in the video on muscles. Ugh. But I just may do it... We haven't come to the chicken leg one yet, but I have to admit I'm having a hard time getting the materials together for the videos we watch. When I DO manage to get them together, the kids LOVE the experiments. I am probably just being lazy because we haven't yet committed to making this our Main Science Curriculum, but am I the only one who would consider paying for them to send a box of the "common household items" required for units (excluding chicken legs) because I keep opening experiments that require things we just don't have? 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fourisenough Posted September 6, 2016 Share Posted September 6, 2016 Did another mystery with DD7 today. It was, far and away, her favorite bit of school work today. I also verified I have everything for the next mystery, and asked DH to bring home 2 styrofoam cups for Thursday's mystery! Boom, elementary science is finally happening in my house!! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Syllieann Posted September 7, 2016 Share Posted September 7, 2016 I signed up for the year and it's only allowing me to look a one or so in each unit. I have to pay to unlock the rest. Is this correct or am I doing something wrong?Did you sign up last year? If so, that's why you can't get in. I signed up last year, but I could never get the videos to work on my iPad. It looks like they have the videos sort of fixed, but now I can't have the trial. 👎🻠Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cake and Pi Posted September 7, 2016 Share Posted September 7, 2016 Did you sign up last year? If so, that's why you can't get in. I signed up last year, but I could never get the videos to work on my iPad. It looks like they have the videos sort of fixed, but now I can't have the trial. 👎🻠Sign up with a different email... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RootAnn Posted September 7, 2016 Share Posted September 7, 2016 (edited) We did one yesterday. The boys were only meh about it. When ds#1 explained it at dinner, it was obvious that his understanding was very simplistic and faulty despite our discussions during the videos. Neither boy liked the activity.I must have started off with a bad one. We did the first weather one since it was hot and sunny yesterday and supposedly be rainy and colder the next time we do science.I will pick something different for next time and hope for better. Otherwise, we will go hack to purely interest led since eldest seems to get more from it and both enjoy that more anyway (just more work for me). ETA: DS#1 asked to go back to interest led without trying another one. I'll probably throw another one in when he doesn't have something all thought up & ready to go (for him, not me). Edited September 7, 2016 by RootAnn Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shawthorne44 Posted September 7, 2016 Author Share Posted September 7, 2016 We think it's amazing, the videos are so well done! Who knew you could explain natural selection, breeding, and optics in a way a 6 year old could understand? They're really making DD excited about science again, in a way she hadn't been for a long time. Now she's begging me to buy a chicken leg so we can recreate one of the experiments in the video on muscles. Ugh. But I just may do it... Which one is that? That sounds way cool. The only problem for me is that every time I do one in the co-op, I think that will be last one and I will get back to my original plan. And teaching the co-op class is tiring so I don't want to think about it over the weekend. Last week we did the second one in the plant section. Then the video had a preview of the next week's project and the kids said, "Are we going to make a grass head?" That was the previewed thing and they said it so eagerly I couldn't say no. '' Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
three4me Posted September 7, 2016 Share Posted September 7, 2016 We haven't come to the chicken leg one yet, but I have to admit I'm having a hard time getting the materials together for the videos we watch. When I DO manage to get them together, the kids LOVE the experiments. I am probably just being lazy because we haven't yet committed to making this our Main Science Curriculum, but am I the only one who would consider paying for them to send a box of the "common household items" required for units (excluding chicken legs) because I keep opening experiments that require things we just don't have? Someone could totally make some money putting together kits of supplies. Anyone want to do that for me? I really don't have time to start a side business right now! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nature girl Posted September 7, 2016 Share Posted September 7, 2016 Which one is that? That sounds way cool. It's in the unit on the human body...The chicken leg wasn't their assigned experiment (which was creation of a moving finger/hand from paper and string) but a demonstration of how tendons work, within the video. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Janeway Posted September 12, 2016 Share Posted September 12, 2016 I just love it! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Maela Posted September 12, 2016 Share Posted September 12, 2016 We have been using it and loving it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bluegoat Posted September 13, 2016 Share Posted September 13, 2016 It's ok so far, for what it is. My dd8 seems to enjoy the videos though she's commented that a few "aren't science." The activities so far seem straight frward. I mostly signed up because I was looking for something that would be easy to plug in when I was out of commision having a baby, normally we don't really have a curriculum like that, we do a nature study based approach. We'll do a few more together before the baby comes, and if it turns out to be not a great fit, we'll leave it. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bethben Posted September 17, 2016 Share Posted September 17, 2016 Could I just do mystery science twice a week and consider science done for my 3rd grader? She LOVES these videos and the activities and is learning from them. Even the paper activities. I just need something she can do on her own and this one does the trick for the most part. She also has a charter school enrichment program that has science learning with it so technically, she would be doing science stuff three times a week. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
poppy Posted September 18, 2016 Share Posted September 18, 2016 Could I just do mystery science twice a week and consider science done for my 3rd grader? She LOVES these videos and the activities and is learning from them. Even the paper activities. I just need something she can do on her own and this one does the trick for the most part. She also has a charter school enrichment program that has science learning with it so technically, she would be doing science stuff three times a week. This is what I'm doing so far, and then some nature study. In 4th grade we will do RSO Chemistry. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LMCme Posted September 21, 2016 Share Posted September 21, 2016 We tried it out and it is pretty enjoyable. My 5 year old seems to be getting a lot out of it, although some of it is over his head. I'm not committed enough at this point (as we are moving) to get materials together for the experiments. And once I regain my commitment, the screens will once again be banished from our household... so not a long term Science solution for our household. But good brain candy. LMC Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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