Help me think through science, please!

[kokotg]

This year we're doing Chemistry with Ellen McHenry's The Elements along with various chemistry experiments and books about chemistry. We really like The Elements, but I'm thinking we maybe need to back up and do something a little more foundational--our science up until now has been a bit of a mish mash, and I'd like to settle down and get a little more intentional about it, if that makes any sense. I have no particular attachment to sticking to a 4 year cycle for science, though we have up until now.

 

So. Next year! My older kids will be 8 and 6. I've been looking at Noeo, but I've never felt entirely sold on it (I almost bought it for this past year). Now I'm looking at Building Foundations of Scientific Understanding (Nebel) and Singapore's MPH. BFSU says it's for K-2, and my oldest would be a third grader next year, so I worry about trying to start that next year. Also, I worry A LOT about having something so unstructured. But the idea of it very much appeals to me. I like that MPH is all laid out for me, and I like what I've seen of the samples, and I like that I can stick with it for the foreseeable future if it works out. I've always kind of shied away from it in the past because of the workbook part of it, but, well, truth is my kids LIKE workbooks. Maybe I should stop fighting it.

 

Thoughts? Experience with these programs? Things I'm not thinking of? TIA!

[Trivium Academy]

What are you looking for?

Do you want something scripted for you or do you feel comfortable leading?

 

BFSU requires you to decide how much for each lesson, it's quite easy once you're familiar with the format. I looked at a friend's copy and helped her isolate lessons from the text based on how much time she wanted to spend each day/week.

 

I don't have any experience with My Pals are Here Science but it seems very self-contained. I don't know if there are book suggestions or what type of experiments are in it. I've looked at the samples online but decided it wasn't for us. Science is my pet subject so I like to tailor it and MPH introduces different topics instead of studying a single field for a year like WTM suggests. We study life science, earth science, physical science separately from each other which is why I ruled out MPH.

 

I really like God's Design for Science by Debbie and Richard Lawrence as a base but that's my tastes. :)

[Karen in CO]

Are you looking for one topic or for something with multiple topics?

 

With those ages, I think something very hands-on is essential.

 

How is The Elements going? What do you like about it and what don't you like about it?

 

What topic are you interested in?

 

Nebel's and MPH are really opposite approaches to elementary science. One is concerned with experiencing science and one is going to efficiently accomplish the science lesson. I have done a couple of the lessons from the Nebel's with my dd and ended up learning a few things while preparing the lesson so I don't think you should worry about the age level if that is your concern. The problem is that you would have to do a lot of preparation. I also have a couple of MPH books, we did them for a few weeks before I decided that wasn't how I wanted to do science.

 

So, you want a more intentional approach to science. What area of science do you want to cover ? How much preparation do you see yourself putting into the class? How do you ideally picture a science lesson at your little school?

 

 

Hey, have you looked at the K'nex education modules? It looks like a cool way to cover physics. I'm trying to talk somebody into trying it before I buy the simple machines in the spring for my kids. ;)

[Lisa in the UP of MI]

I've decided on BFSU though we haven't started it yet. My oldest is 4, so we'll probably start it next fall if not before. As a biochemist I like how it gives an excellent foundation in science. It teaches scientific reasoning and processes as well as science facts. It begins with simple ideas and builds upon previous information so that children have a good, solid understanding of scientific principles. It also teaches kids to think and question, just like a scientist. They think about science as a part of their everyday lives and not just as a subject to learn in school. In fact, you can (and should!) bring up and "review" the topics already learned anytime during the day. I like that it gives me some structure but allows me to decide when and how to implement the lessons. There is a wonderful yahoo group led by the author himself. There are suggested lesson sequences given in the files by others who are using the book, which are great as a starting point. I plan to pick one and then change it as I see fit. You can also ask any question about the lessons or science principles and the author and others using the book will answer.

 

If started in K, BFSU would be a full curriculum for years K-2, but if started later you can go through the book more quickly. Your child will already know some of the information and it can simply be reviewed instead of going through a full lesson. There is another book planned for grades 3-5 but I'm not sure when it will be complete.

 

Check out yahoo group: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/K5science/

[kokotg]

What are you looking for?

Do you want something scripted for you or do you feel comfortable leading?

 

 

Nebel's and MPH are really opposite approaches to elementary science. One is concerned with experiencing science and one is going to efficiently accomplish the science lesson. I have done a couple of the lessons from the Nebel's with my dd and ended up learning a few things while preparing the lesson so I don't think you should worry about the age level if that is your concern. The problem is that you would have to do a lot of preparation.

 

Well, that's the whole thing, I think. In theory I'm comfortable leading, and in theory I'm comfortable with doing a lot of preparation...but my worry is that when it comes right down to it it won't get done and science will be the thing we don't get around to. It's kind of a strange irony in that science is the subject I feel most like I need to "go off script" with and do something more open-ended, discovery oriented, unstructured, and all that...and yet it's the subject I feel least confident doing that with.

 

Are you looking for one topic or for something with multiple topics?

 

either. I don't feel strongly one way or the other about it, so I'm happy going with whatever curriculum I like best, regardless of which approach it uses.

 

How is The Elements going? What do you like about it and what don't you like about it?

 

It's going pretty well. A lot of it is over the head of my 5 year old, but he likes it anyway because there are games :). So they're enjoying it, but I'm kind of feeling like it would have been better suited for AFTER we'd done something like the Neber...I feel like they need a better foundation in scientific thinking before they tackle very specific things like valence numbers. Anyway, though, for a kid who is very interested in learning the nitty gritty of atomic structure, it's terrific. It's all explained in a very clear, readable way. The games are great. Lot of different kinds of activities to keep things interesting.

 

So, you want a more intentional approach to science. What area of science do you want to cover ? How much preparation do you see yourself putting into the class? How do you ideally picture a science lesson at your little school?

 

I'm open to any and all areas, if I like the approach well enough. We've covered biology, earth and space science, and then chemistry this year. As far as preparation....I'm actually pretty good at planning in advance for the next year--it's the day to day, what are we going to do tomorrow?! stuff that I get slack about. It's always 10 PM and I think I really need to figure this stuff out, but I'd rather just read a book and go to bed. So. I'm thinking with the Neber it's possible, as Jessica said, that I can read through it and figure out what I'm doing when and then there won't be as much prep work day to day? That I might be able to try. I'm doing history from scratch for next year, but I'm planning to spend the next couple of months laying out a weekly schedule so that it will be pretty open and go once we get started. If I can do the same thing with science, I don't mind planning. I love planning, in fact, as long as there's not more of it to do every single day. Now I'm kind of rambling.

 

Ideal lesson...hmm...the kids like a lot of different stuff. Geminis. So crafts and experiments and worksheets and reading, all in short spurts. Mix it up. I'd like to get them outside, with a plan, more next year than I have this year. And I'd like enough time/flexibility to pull in other resources and field trips and all that.

 

Hey, have you looked at the K'nex education modules? It looks like a cool way to cover physics. I'm trying to talk somebody into trying it before I buy the simple machines in the spring for my kids. ;)

 

no, but it sounds cool! I'll check it out.

 

Thanks everyone--this is helping a lot! Now I'll go preview and see how much success I've had with my complicated multi-quoting...

[sagira]

Well, that's the whole thing, I think. In theory I'm comfortable leading, and in theory I'm comfortable with doing a lot of preparation...but my worry is that when it comes right down to it it won't get done and science will be the thing we don't get around to. It's kind of a strange irony in that science is the subject I feel most like I need to "go off script" with and do something more open-ended, discovery oriented, unstructured, and all that...and yet it's the subject I feel least confident doing that with.

 

Believe me, this is how I felt when I was first looking into BFSU. However, as I'm using it, I'm learning right alongside ds and it's so interesting. I love the book selections, and ds is learning a lot. We really like making the little books too. Speaking about that, we haven't done that for energy yet. Thanks for the reminder! :leaving: