mazakaal Posted October 6, 2016 Share Posted October 6, 2016 (edited) Ds is interested in science but doesn't like science curriculums. I know that sounds like a contradiction, but I've tried all sorts of science curriculums and never found one that he actually enjoyed. But he is very curious about the world and how things work - unfortunately, not curious enough to let him be completely self-directed in his studies. Is there a curriculum/book/website that is really engaging and enjoyable for middle school science? ETA: So I've had a look at the suggestions below and talked more to ds. I really like some of the books that deerforest recommended, and I want to look more at the BBC show. But it seems that what he's really interested in is more hands-on science and technology. I'm thinking about getting some science kits and build-your-own-robot kits from Amazon. (I live in the UK, so not a lot of other suppliers here - nor are there good libraries or science museums nearby unfortunately.) Any favorites that you can recommend or books to accompany the kits with more of an emphasis on technology? Also, does anyone have any experience with Lego Mindstorm? It's very expensive, but if it could provide good science materials for several months it would be worth it. Opinions? Edited October 6, 2016 by mazakaal Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lisabees Posted October 6, 2016 Share Posted October 6, 2016 Big History Project? Listen to Bill Bryson's Short History of Nearly Everything with this guide; add books and documentaries. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
deerforest Posted October 6, 2016 Share Posted October 6, 2016 We've done things like read books like: Really Short History of Nearly Everything Bill Nye Unstoppable We are Weathermaker's Omnivore's Dilemma Magic of Reality Dr. Art's Guide to Science The Third Chimpanzee The Disappearing Spoon This year (7th) we are doing a few different things. We started out trying a few things, and DD wasn't happy with some of them. We are still reading some trade books, but we are focusing on 1 food item and reading a book about it that discusses science but also historical, environmental, cultural, and political implications. For example, we started with Bananas: The Fate of the Fruit that Changed the World. We have others planned like chocolate, sugar, salt, etc. But, we also moved into Miller & Levin dragonfly biology book. DD just decided she loved bio and really wanted to focus on it, and the middle school texts were not appealing to her. She is loving this book, and we are pairing it with experiment kits. We're also reading Hakim's Newton at the Center to correspond with history. I think middle grades are the perfect time to explore any science interests! 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
regentrude Posted October 6, 2016 Share Posted October 6, 2016 I have found science curriculum for middle school exceedingly dull and unsinspiring, so no, there is no contradiction. Pick topics he is interested in, get non fiction books from the library, watch documentaries, visit science museums. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Heather in VA Posted October 6, 2016 Share Posted October 6, 2016 We've had the same problem. Currently we are doing a human body study using the Manga Guide to Physiology. It's been great. My daughter loves it and it's sparked her interest and enthusiasm. There are several Manga science books. I'll probably check out the Physics one next. There is surprisingly advanced information in them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mazakaal Posted October 6, 2016 Author Share Posted October 6, 2016 Thanks, everyone. I'll check these out. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lisabees Posted October 6, 2016 Share Posted October 6, 2016 (edited) We've done things like read books like: Really Short History of Nearly Everything Bill Nye Unstoppable We are Weathermaker's Omnivore's Dilemma Magic of Reality Dr. Art's Guide to Science The Third Chimpanzee The Disappearing Spoon This year (7th) we are doing a few different things. We started out trying a few things, and DD wasn't happy with some of them. We are still reading some trade books, but we are focusing on 1 food item and reading a book about it that discusses science but also historical, environmental, cultural, and political implications. For example, we started with Bananas: The Fate of the Fruit that Changed the World. We have others planned like chocolate, sugar, salt, etc. But, we also moved into Miller & Levin dragonfly biology book. DD just decided she loved bio and really wanted to focus on it, and the middle school texts were not appealing to her. She is loving this book, and we are pairing it with experiment kits. We're also reading Hakim's Newton at the Center to correspond with history. I think middle grades are the perfect time to explore any science interests! These are great suggestions! We read those last year and dd wants to revisit a few. Our science is extremely fluid, depending on interest. Today, dd will work through Big History, read from Newton at the Center, and watch BBC's Story of Science. DD has been enthused by history lately, so we've been taking a look at science within this context. Edited October 6, 2016 by lisabees Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
musicalmom1125 Posted October 6, 2016 Share Posted October 6, 2016 We used Lego Mindstorms in middleschool with a lot of success. Along with the set from lego, we got the curriculum for Robotics Engineering Homeschool Version from Carnegie Mellon. The two together made a good year of STEM education. http://www.education.rec.ri.cmu.edu/content/lego/curriculum/index.htm Our mindstorm got played with by both boys outside of school time quite often. It was an expensive purchase, but we felt we got our money's worth. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mazakaal Posted October 7, 2016 Author Share Posted October 7, 2016 This looks fantastic! You used the curriculum for the NXT kit? Do you know the difference between the NXT kit and the EV3 kits or curriculums? Does the NXT curriculum use the NXT or NXT 2.0 kit? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Farrar Posted October 7, 2016 Share Posted October 7, 2016 The EV3 has a much easier to use programming system that, IIRC, you can use with tablets and smart devices. But my boys were telling me that the NXT is still preferred for a lot of education people and by tinkerers because apparently you can still do more with it. But, take the opinion of the 12 yos with a grain of salt. I think you'd get more out of getting a Raspberry Pi or an Arduino projects kit. But it depends on the focus. I don't think of any of that stuff (Mindstorms, Rpi, Arduino, etc.) as being science - it's all engineering. But that's fine too, of course. I second Deerforest's book suggestions. And there's plenty more out there too. This is the age at which kids can really start reading adult pop nonfiction and there are some great science writers out there. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
musicalmom1125 Posted October 7, 2016 Share Posted October 7, 2016 I used the curriculum with the NXT1.0 kit. The NXT 2.0 wasn't out yet. I'm not sure of the differences. I did some quick research and it appears that the brick/computer is pretty much the same. The included components are the difference. That may mean buying additional sensors which can get pricey. I'd contact Carnegie Mellon before I purchased anything. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.