Questions for users of CLE Science

[chilliepepper]

I'm looking for a workbook-based Science curriculum for my 4th and 5th grade boys, and CLE is looking pretty good. However, I'm curious about a couple of things:

 

1. On their website, in addition to the 10 Light Units for each grade, they also offer a textbook for fifth grade, "God's Marvelous Gifts." Is this book necessary in order to use the Light Units? Or are the Light Units all-inclusive in that each lesson would have something to read/look at and then questions/exercises to do? Looking in the CLE catalog, it looks like maybe 5th grade does require the textbook...right?

 

2. For a family that hasn't emphasized a ton of science so far, would it be beneficial to let them work through the earlier grades first, even though they would probably be really easy? I was looking at the Scope and Sequence (https://www.clp.org/documents/5748/original/2015-2016_Elementary_Scope_and_Sequence.pdf) and it looks like all the grade levels have some really great topics. Besides, we do have a 5yo in the house who might enjoy looking at the earlier books. Or...should we just dive in at 4th or 5th grade?

 

3. Can anyone give me a basic description of what a lesson in the Light Units would look like? I can't find any sample lessons or anything on the website.

 

Thanks.

[momofabcd]

The 5th grade science has 5 light units and a textbook. So yes you need both. You would definitely not have to have them go through previous levels. The textbook is easy to read. Your 4th grader would have no problem understanding it. I also don't think the light units would be too challenging for a 4th grader. So you can easily put both in the 5th grade science. Also, it's a good overview of all science topics following the 6 days of creation. A lesson in the light unit, I'm taking lesson 8 from lightunit 502, consists of Chapter reading (Chapt 15). T/F questions, complete the sentences, looking back (review previous lessons) complete the sentences (review of previous lessons) then an activity. This lesson is to label the parts of a flower. Some lessons include new vocabulary. I'm pretty sure you can see samples of all 5th grade material on the wbsite

Edited April 19, 2017 by momofabcd

[mamaofgirls]

I was going to show you a link to their samples....but they removed them! They used to be a sample of each light unit - right under it. I wonder if you call and ask they can help you - they are SOOOO sweet.

[mom31257]

I'm actually selling a set of the 5th grade science (for a friend) on the CLE facebook group, so I have the set here. 

 

The lessons begin with a list of vocabulary words. Next, you are given a reading assignment from the text. This is followed by a series of questions of various kinds, T/F, matching, fill in the blank, short answer, etc. Many of the lessons have an experiment/activity assigned. Those are also in the text. 

 

The topics include earth science, botany, astronomy, weather, life science, and anatomy.