Science Curricula for Sciency Kids?

[LearningFunWithKids]

Hello,

I have been trying to avoid posting.  I searched with google and I know a lot has been said about BFSU already, but I have not been able to find a thread that meets my needs and I do not have HOURS to comb each thread since my hesitation is not the "normal" one.  I do not mind its unscripted, non-user friendly format.  I just sat down with a notebook and rewrote many lessons in my notebooks so I can use it easy-peasy with my daughter.  I LOVE how solid the foundation in science seems to be-how it integrates the different disciplines together and everything build so wonderfully on top of each other.  My main objection is that it has such an emphasis on squashing imagination and emphasizing humans are mere animals and not "special" in any way.

When I write it how I want to, yeah I leave that stuff out, and maybe try to re-emphasize a bit of our beliefs, but is there anything out there that does this already?  Maybe a christian or catholic version that will not try to emphasize so much of "you are not special, magic is not real" but yet will still give lots of solid science?  I do not mind doing work, preparing for the lessons etc.  My daugther LOVES LOVES LOVES science.  It is her favorite.  I do not care about young earth, old Earth etc.  In fact I am not even sure which I believe (there is some good science uncovered by both scientists in my opinion). 

In summary--we are looking for an in depth, solid science program for a very science oriented early elementary child, that will not contradict catholic teaching or seem so "anti-child"?  I do not mind lots of prep work.  If need be, I can keep with what I am doing and just edit it out in my prep work, but it just annoys me that the material is presented this way in the book.

[8filltheheart]

Don't use a textbook or program but just read books on science topics? 

That is how I have approached science with all of my kids until high school science.  I have several who absolutely love science (and one is now a chemE and another in grad school for theoretical physics). Whole books on science topics can spur their love and delve deep. 

[LearningFunWithKids]

4 hours ago, 8FillTheHeart said:

Don't use a textbook or program but just read books on science topics? 

That is how I have approached science with all of my kids until high school science.  I have several who absolutely love science (and one is now a chemE and another in grad school for theoretical physics). Whole books on science topics can spur their love and delve deep. 

Do you know of any science  series books that have a lot of experiments and activities included?  Like really good science books for kinesthetic learners?

[Syllieann]

I really don't think you would have any problems with BFSU.  I have used the first two volumes and part of the third.  Toward the end of the third volume there are lessons that would conflict with young earth creationist views, but they are totally compatible with Catholic teaching.  I have not found an "emphasis" on humans not being special.  In fact, there is an emphasis on conservation of mass and conservation of energy that allowed me an excellent opportunity for discussion of de novo creation.  The author does give a thorough explanation of evolution and geology, but he only does it from the mainstream science point of view.  This might have made some reviewers hostile toward the curriculum.  I believe the author is actually a Christian, though not of the ye variety.

[LearningFunWithKids]

5 minutes ago, Syllieann said:

I really don't think you would have any problems with BFSU.  I have used the first two volumes and part of the third.  Toward the end of the third volume there are lessons that would conflict with young earth creationist views, but they are totally compatible with Catholic teaching.  I have not found an "emphasis" on humans not being special.  In fact, there is an emphasis on conservation of mass and conservation of energy that allowed me an excellent opportunity for discussion of de novo creation.  The author does give a thorough explanation of evolution and geology, but he only does it from the mainstream science point of view.  This might have made some reviewers hostile toward the curriculum.  I believe the author is actually a Christian, though not of the ye variety.

That is good to know and makes me feel much better about the program!  I really like the program, just saw a few comments here and there, such as in lesson B3, that made me wonder about the direction the curriculum would be going.  Thank you!

[Bluegoat]

Yeah, I'd go with BFSU if you like it.

But - I also think you can do just as well by reading living books, serious nature study, and handwork.  Those things pretty much make up the practical end of scientific experiments for that age group.  Or, you can get books that are just full of science fair type projects, building engineering stuff, etc.  Libraries have a ton of that stuff also or it can often be found used.  We use a set of David Suzuki books I had as a kid that are just full of science experiments and activities.

Stuff like this:

https://www.amazon.ca/Looking-at-Senses-David-Suzuki/dp/047154048X

or this:

https://www.amazon.ca/Build-creative-projects-budding-engineers/dp/1454928468/ref=sr_1_11?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1549483479&sr=1-11&keywords=childrens+books+science+Build+IT

For the most part the science curricula I see are pretty lame - more expensive but not better than using books.

[8filltheheart]

8 hours ago, LearningFunWithKids said:

Do you know of any science  series books that have a lot of experiments and activities included?  Like really good science books for kinesthetic learners?

LOL! No. That is the absolute antithesis of how we approach science. We read, watch documentaries, and then they are set free to do as others described above.....make messes, explore, imagine, build, create, have fun. But mom directed experiments and activities are a no go.

[wathe]

I have sciency kids aged 9 and 11.  We've not used formal curriculum so far.  Many posters on this board  who are themselves scientists or have launched kids into STEM fields seem to agree that a formal science curriculum for elementary is a waste of time. 

Science here is kid led.  We don't have any scheduled time for science.  It just happens organically. 

I have a shelf full of sciency living books: David MacCaulay's "The New Way Things Work" and "The Way We Work", nature field guides for animals, plants, and rocks, science encyclopedias, sciency picture books (Holling C Holling, Moonshot, A Seed is Silent, Born with a Bang etc) and a few biographies of scientists.  I also have some Smithsonian "Maker Lab" project books that they got as birthday gifts.  They've had fun picking out different projects and doing them - mostly without me.  Family and friends know they are sciency; they often get sciency gifts for birthdays - books and kits.  We do some informal nature study; we camp and are outside a lot.  When camping in provincial parks, we attend lectures, go to the visitors centre, and participate in guided hikes.  We listen to podcasts ("Brains On" is a favourite) and watch documentaries.  Then talk about them.  We have a bin of LEGO technic pieces, some motors, some of Yoshihito Isogawa's books, and a bin of loose parts.  They play outside a lot.  They get very, very dirty.

It is working.  They are science literate.  They love science.  They steep in science.

I think a formal curriculum would have killed the love. 

You sciency kid might do better with a prepared environment/parent support model that with a formal program. 

ETA I realize that I'm not really answering your question.  Just offering a different perspective.

 

 

Edited February 7, 2019 by wathe

[MeaganS]

I'm going to put a plug in for Mystery Science. It is BFSU-esque and much more user friendly. I actually don't do formal science with my kids. I'm more firmly in the more "unschooling" science in elementary school camp, but I provide lots of resources. My girls have loved exploring on Mystery Science as one of this resources and they retain tons. They often do the experiments on their own and tell me "Doug said this" and "Doug said that" all the time about random science concepts. 

[LearningFunWithKids]

Wow!  This thread got a ton more!

My daughter likes (brace yourself for some variety): Dinosaurs, fossil digs, Volcanoes, Weather-especially disasters, chemistry-like baking soda and vinegar dinosaur eggs, or using the carbon dioxide from baking soda and vinegar to extinguish the flame of a candle, sharks, crocodiles/alligators, and so much more--she is all over the place.  Just books, nature study, etc and the more gentle approach like that has usually ended in a complaining kid (we have tried that approach).  She still talks about the experiments we have done from the beginning of the year (using prisms to create a rainbow, exploring buoyancy, growing plants in ziplock bags in our window, etc.  We have worked through like 2 lessons of BFSU (because I just found it on our shelves and doing our own science thing is quite exhausting to try to come up with enough science experiments to satisfy her, and if I just do random youtube ones without talking about the science behind it--like milk in a bowl with food coloring and laundry detergent--then it does not really hit the spot for her.

I don't really know how to explain it for those that have kids content with nature study, living books and doing their own inventions, but that does not come close to satisfying her, and trying to design my own thing and plan weekly to multiple times weekly experiments with science explanations is very exhausting.  BFSU is LESS work than doing our own thing, which is probably why I don't mind that it is not "open and go."  It is more open and go than not having a science for this kid.  Don't get me wrong, she enjoys doing things like mentos and pop bottles, but actual science, where we discuss a topic, read some books and do an experiment (or if she had her way-multiple experiments per topic), is her bread and butter.  She would do such things all day long. 

I do appreciate the concern of doing science the other way, we have tried that way and she complains.  She really likes doing experiments or demonstrations, or some activity to play with a concept, along with sciency descriptions of what is happening. 

Yes, she also is one that gets super excited to get science stuff as presents.  At her birthday party this year, most people got her "normal" toys, and we got her some stuff too, but she was most excited about receiving a chemistry kit.  Same thing with Christmas--her favorite thing was a microscope.  She just loves it all, but from a hands on perspective.  Sitting and reading books does not cut it for her.

eta-I am not really focused on "getting her ahead" or "launching her into a science career," I am just trying to keep up with her interests, and this is the approach that she seems to crave:  she has her science topics, but eats up being exposed to new topics with lots of experiments and play with new concepts.

For those who recommended programs, thank you so much!  I will go and look into those options!!