science woes (need hands-on)

[kristin0713]

My almost 12yo DS is an incredibly math-minded / science-minded / can fix, build, or improve anything kind of kid.  

Last year and the beginning of this school year, he independently worked through the advanced level of Exploration Education.  He loved having experiments and projects everyday.  The online textbook worked well for him because his computer read it using text-to-speech.

After he finished EE this year, I started him on the Edison Project with snap circuits.  He enjoyed the projects, but the website was tedious to navigate and there was a ton more reading which bogged him down.  He did not want to do another EP class.  

As a last resort, I signed up for a trial of the Supercharged Science e-science subscription.  He really loves this because the teacher is engaging in the videos, he is learning a lot of really cool information, there is limited reading, and the experiments are fun.  The problem is that it is a royal pain to find all the materials.  It makes me absolutely insane.  If we happen to have the stuff, he will run around the house and find everything and do the the lessons all on his own.  But the stuff that we don't have is not always easy to run out and buy. The other day we tried to get all the materials to build a hovercraft and the stuff we got wasn't really right, so it didn't work, and we were both frustrated.  

I don't know what to do.  I really want to encourage my son's love of science and not bog him down with a textbook.  I would keep using this program if she sold some kits, but they only do that with the insanely expensive science mastery program.  That is almost $700 for 6 months of e-science and experiment materials.  Um, no.  

What else can I do?  Please help me.  

[Miss Tick]

I wonder if the Tops Task Card Series would work for you. They are published by topic, there is a comprehensive materials list up front, and a fair amount of teacher support. The task cards are written to the student and are hands-on activities exploring the topic of the book.

Ouch, looks like they are rebuilding after the Camp Fire in Paradise, CA - still open, though!

 

[Lori D.]

Not cheap, and it may be below his level, but possibly Nancy Larson level 5 (ages 10-13)? It is Christian in perspective, if that is okay.

Also not cheap, also Christian: years 1 (gr. 7) and 2 (gr. 😎 of Rainbow Science -- complete materials, text written to the student, very solo working.

Some (not all) of the TOPS units are great (some books have a lot of "dud" activities), but you MUST get the supply kits or you will drive yourself crazy trying to find all of the supplies!!! TOPS also does NOT have a unifying/explaining text -- it truly is a series of hands-on activities with a few guided questions about the results of each activity. Several "task cards" in a row might line up around the same "line of inquiry", but it is mostly discovery based.

The best of the TOPS units that we used: Rocks & Minerals; Analysis; Solutions; Heat; Oxidation; Focus Pocus; Motion; Adhesion & Cohesion. 
Dud units for us included: Kinetic Model; Motion; Sound -- Light was a mixed bag.
No personal experience but others have said these are good: Electricity; Corn & Beans.
No experience or reviews to share with other of the middle school units. 😉 

Edited March 5, 2020 by Lori D.

[kristin0713]

Thanks! I’m going to look into the TOPS kits. I don’t mind not having a unifying text. I think the cards would be more appealing to him anyway. 

I was actually sold on Rainbow Science, but seeing how excited he is watching the SS videos, I don’t want to give him a book. I really wish I could more easily put together the SS materials. He loves the videos and is learning a lot. 

[kristin0713]

2 minutes ago, Paradox5 said:

If you want kits all ready for you then it is going to cost you. That’s the reality. I find it worth it because of the non-hassle of (nearly) everything being there.

Yeah. I don’t mind buying kits even in addition to the e-science subscription. But for comparison, it’s $700 for six months of e-science and materials. I can subscribe for 6 months for $222. I don’t think six months of materials should cost almost $500 more. 

[kristin0713]

I'm bumping this in case anyone else has ideas.  I think I 'm going to have to work backwards and buy kits, then put together a schedule of videos and readings.  Any other really great science kits out there?  I am probably going to subscribe to Mel's Science.  It's costly but looks great.  I need something more systematic, though.  

[wendyroo]

I know nothing about Supercharged Science, but I wanted to mention a science shift that is going on at my house.  For years I have felt that I was in charge of planning, sourcing and gathering science supplies.  But, this past year, when my oldest was 10, I have mostly transferred those responsibilities to him.  "Prepare for upcoming science" was specifically listed on his schedule each week.  He was in charge of looking ahead to the next several lessons to see if there were any specialty supplies.  We would discuss how best to procure them - some he added to the weekly shopping list, others he would find on Amazon and submit to me for approval and purchase.  We have a dedicated science supplies shelf that he was in charge of keeping stocked and tidy - both before and after experiments.

With a 10 year old in charge of the supply chain, there were of course mishaps when he did not have the supplies he needed, but those were valuable learning opportunities.  Overall, I think learning these project management skills was actually more beneficial and important than any of the science experiments themselves.

[kristin0713]

6 hours ago, wendyroo said:

But, this past year, when my oldest was 10, I have mostly transferred those responsibilities to him.  "Prepare for upcoming science" was specifically listed on his schedule each week.  He was in charge of looking ahead to the next several lessons to see if there were any specialty supplies.  We would discuss how best to procure them - some he added to the weekly shopping list, others he would find on Amazon and submit to me for approval and purchase.  We have a dedicated science supplies shelf that he was in charge of keeping stocked and tidy - both before and after experiments.

 

 

Thanks for your reply.  We were basically doing this last semester.  I would say that it was not in such an organized way as having him sit down and plan.  He would watch a some SS videos, find projects that he wanted to do, and tell me what he needed if we didn't have it.  We ended up wasting a lot of money on things that didn't work.  I would like to have the items in advance that we will need to purchase so that we don't run into this issue. 

[daijobu]

On 6/9/2020 at 6:50 AM, wendyroo said:

 

With a 10 year old in charge of the supply chain, there were of course mishaps when he did not have the supplies he needed, but those were valuable learning opportunities.  Overall, I think learning these project management skills was actually more beneficial and important than any of the science experiments themselves.

 

Wow, WendyRoo that's very impressive!  I agree those are very good skills to learn, and at such a young age, he'll be reaping the benefits when he reaches high school.  

Regarding mishaps, adults aren't immune to those.  Once I ordered a year's worth of science supplies in August, and and stashed them all into a closet.  Turns out, one of those items was a freshwater living Elodea plant.  By the time I pulled it out, months later, it had turned into some dead brown mush!