Science.... Am I the only one

[MrsMe]

who doesn't like an entire year of one topic? I can't imagine doing Astronomy for a year or even a semester, or any topic for that matter. I like weekly topics. Like human body for one week, bugs for one week, etc. Is there such a thing out there for a 2nd-3rd grade level? I know Apologia is so popular, but the thought of doing the same thing for more than a week is completely borrrrinnng! I could never......

[Caroline4kids]

I thought the same thing until we spent a year on astronomy. It was easy to teach and the kids still remember things so well, and that was 5 years ago. I got bored too, but the kids didn't and I guess that is what counts. I am going back to it again for my youngest.

[yslek]

I think Singapore Science works that way. I haven't seen it in person, though.

[The Girls' Mom]

We've gotten bored with our Zoology I. So what I've begun doing is a week of Zoology, then a week of experiment type stuff from the VanCleave books. Or just some topic the kids want to know about.

[MamaT]

Yes! I am using a book for next year with my two youngest call The Scientist's Apprentice. It has four units for the year, Astronomy, Earth Science, Anatomy, and Oceanography. I am going to supplement with books from the library. My older two will be in Apologia General and Apologia Chemistry.

[Blessedfamily]

Yes! I am using a book for next year with my two youngest call The Scientist's Apprentice. It has four units for the year, Astronomy, Earth Science, Anatomy, and Oceanography. I am going to supplement with books from the library. My older two will be in Apologia General and Apologia Chemistry.

 

Ooh, I'm going to check that out for next year. I cannot do one topic all year, and science is the one subject I'm up in the air about.

[Storm Bay]

who doesn't like an entire year of one topic? I can't imagine doing Astronomy for a year or even a semester, or any topic for that matter. I like weekly topics. Like human body for one week, bugs for one week, etc. Is there such a thing out there for a 2nd-3rd grade level? I know Apologia is so popular, but the thought of doing the same thing for more than a week is completely borrrrinnng! I could never......

 

 

No, you're not. RS4K1 was written so that kids could do more than one a year. If you do just the text with the experiments, you can be done in 10 weeks. My 10 yo isn't into science, so this is good for us. Plus, it's well done.

[Geo]

I don't like the idea of one topic for an entire school year-myself. However, I believe the motivation behind it is so that kids can learn it in more depth. I can't imagine learning anything of lasting quality in one week. We are seasonal learners at my house. We doing nature study in the spring/summer and cover many different aspects within that time period. If true interest is ignited in any area of science your child will want to spend more time on it in deeper study. Inspired by a thread on inquiry-based science, I just purchased an incredible resource for nature study/scientific method . The title is "Creepy Crawlies and The Scientific

Method". See it on www.books.google.com (Thanks Kristina!)

 

Geo

Edited March 27, 2009 by Geo

[Guest Alte Veste Academy]

Hmmm. I handed down my old copy of WTM to a friend because I ordered the new one when I thought it was supposed to come out in Feb so I'm pretty squeaky on this but really, it advocates a whole year on astronomy? Just astronomy? Not astronomy as part of earth science? That's a lot of astronomy!

 

If you're looking to keep with one basic field of science but with a little variety within that field, I'd recommend REAL Science from Pandia Press. Right now they have Life Science, Chemistry and Earth and Space for the elementary level. Physics is supposed to come out this fall. So, that's science for years 1-4 right there, keeping with one major theme but allowing for some variety. I think it's really great.

 

Here's the link. Click on each one and you can see the info and contents for each one.

 

http://pandiapress.com/real_science.htm

 

Here's the TOC for earth and space, which I guess you'd be wanting right now. Astronomy is covered well but only as 25% of the larger earth and space science field.

 

http://pandiapress.com/images/es_toc_material.pdf

 

Hope this helps!

 

ETA: You're welcome, Geo. We must have posted at the same time.

 

I don't think I read the OP's post well enough though. First I got the impression she didn't want to do a single topic all year but now I'm reading it more as not wanting to do a single field all year. I do agree that a week is probably not long enough in that if the kids are really interested and engaged, they won't want it to end after just a week but certainly doing it seasonally or for as long as interest holds isn't a bad idea. What I'm doing is beefing up the inquiry in REAL Science and combining all four (that Physics just BETTER be out in the fall or my plans are foiled!) and mixing it up as connections between the field of science appear naturally. Animal studies lead to habitat studies lead to weather studies lead to earth science studies... Flexibility within a framework.

Edited March 27, 2009 by Alte Veste Academy

[Wendy in ME]

I will just add that I also felt this way until we used Apologia Zoology 2 this year. The kids have loved it, we get it done every week and the boys even talk about what they have learned outside of science class. I think it has made a bigger impression on them to be able to really dig deeply into the topic rather than jumping around every week.

[bella_gitana]

You're not alone. After about three months we get a bit bored, so I switch to a different subject.

[Storm Bay]

I don't like the idea of one topic for an entire school year-myself. However, I believe the motivation behind it is so that kids can learn it in more depth. I can't imagine learning anything of lasting quality in one week. We are seasonal learners at my house. We doing nature study in the spring/summer and cover many different aspects within that time period. If true interest is ignited in any area of science your child will want to spend more time on it in deeper study. Inspired by a thread on inquiry-based science, I just purchased an incredible resource for nature study/scientific method . The title is "Creepy Crawlies and The Scientific

Method". See it on www.books.google.com (Thanks Kristina!)

 

Geo

 

 

You haven't seen RS4K! It can be done in more depth, but doesn't have to be, and that was my point about only mentioning 2 books the textbook & the lab book. If you want more depth, you can add the language book & then, for chemistry, you can get books that connect Chemistry to other subjects. We have the one for history. We make each chapter last longer, than a week, but don't go all year. We could, however, if we chose to add our science enclopedias, do more history reading on the science etc. Already, dd has to check other sources to complete the science timeline assignments in the Chemistry/History book. Instead, we're doing Chem from fall through early spring, and then will do RS4K biology from spring through fall when we can be out of doors more investigating biology IRL alongside the course. Then we'll do Physics over next late fall-spring.

 

However, my eldest does one science per year and goes into more depth. She loves science. She's going to do RS4K Chem 2 this summer for fun, though, before she starts high school Chem. But my middle dd isn't into science. She spends more time in history than my eldest did, though. We've adapted WTM for various, but for us, important, reasons.

[EKS]

I agree that with young children it is better to switch topics. Covering everything about astronomy or whatever doesn't make sense from a developmental standpoint, as some topics will be accessable and others will be too advanced. I find it better to cover the accessable ones and then move on to other accessable ones from a different area, rather that try to simplify the inaccessable topics.

 

I am using K12 science with my 7yo. It does the spiral method in grades K-5 and then switches to the single topic method for middle school. My son and I both enjoy the K12 lessons.

[mcconnellboys]

I couldn't do elementary chemistry and physics for an entire year each, either. Biology and geology topics I have no trouble with, LOL!

[iammommy]

You're not alone. We did Exploring Creation through Astronomy this year, and honestly it dragged on forever. Ds and I were both so tired of it we rushed through it just to finish. I mean, it's well written and interesting, but too long for us. We ended up adding RS4K Pre-level CHem. and it's like a breath of fresh air. It's well written, concise, and fun. Next year we're going to do all 3 (Level 1) RS4K as of now. I guess we just need variety to keep up our interest level.

 

Nan

[Samiam]

we love the Apologia Zoo II here...been doing it since August. Each chapter is a different marine animal/type, so it's not exactly the "same" thing each lesson. We will do Apologia Astronomy next year....8 or 9 planets, all totally different...will take a year to do that...love it.

 

My son is coming away from the Swimming creatures book knowing SO much, it's amazing.

 

We have done other sciences, and they are just to "all over the place" for my tastes. I don't know that my son has really retained anything from those past 4 years of science, including using R.E.A.L science and K12.

[joannqn]

I see it both ways. We've been doing Zoo3 (land animals). While it is all animals, I see it as wild animals, domestic animals, dinosaurs, reptiles, amphibians, and bugs. Each chapter is different enough to not be too boring. Plus, we are getting a kick out of learning about a bunch of different animals we've never heard of before, like the colugo, and probably wouldn't ever learn about otherwise.

 

On the other hand, I can't see us doing another animal-based science next so we will be sticking the other books in between the animal ones. Next is astronomy, then Zoo2, then Botany, then Zoo1. (Yes, I'm doing the Zoology books backwards...LOL)

[Cynful]

I love the Apologia books, but I agree, it gets old after a while. I don't really want to change though. I actually was thinking of using more than one of the books a year but spread the actual books over 2-3 years instead. So do 12 weeks of Zoo 2, 12 weeks of Astronomy and 12 weeks of Zoo 3 or whatever books sound good. Maybe even break it down into quarters instead. Not sure, but I've been toying with the idea for next year.

[stripe]

Inspired by a thread on inquiry-based science, I just purchased an incredible resource for nature study/scientific method . The title is "Creepy Crawlies and The Scientific

Method".

 

That does look neat! This thread is great.

[MrsMe]

I agree that with young children it is better to switch topics. Covering everything about astronomy or whatever doesn't make sense from a developmental standpoint, as some topics will be accessable and others will be too advanced. I find it better to cover the accessable ones and then move on to other accessable ones from a different area, rather that try to simplify the inaccessable topics.

 

I am using K12 science with my 7yo. It does the spiral method in grades K-5 and then switches to the single topic method for middle school. My son and I both enjoy the K12 lessons.

 

 

This would make a lot of sense to me. But to totally kill a subject before moving on to the next especially in the elementary age, just seems like a real subject killer to me.

[kalanamak]

who doesn't like an entire year of one topic? I can't imagine doing Astronomy for a year or even a semester, or any topic for that matter. I like weekly topics. Like human body for one week, bugs for one week, etc.

 

But your example is two topics out of biology. Biology is huge. We are not having any trouble doing a whole year of biology. I find that if I am getting bored with something, I read up on it. Even a text from the cycle above yours, e.g. reading a logic aged book when you are schooling a grammar aged kid, which is *quick* reading, will increase your interest and give you more things to "name drop" to your grammar aged kid.

 

I thought the same thing until we spent a year on astronomy. It was easy to teach and the kids still remember things so well, and that was 5 years ago. I got bored too, but the kids didn't and I guess that is what counts. I am going back to it again for my youngest.

 

The whole year? I was thinking to split astronomy into half a year with earth science for the other half. I know the WTM stresses astronomy in the 10th grade cycle, but geology is worth some time, to me. However, I admit to being a geologist's daughter. :)

[DarlaS]

Hmmm. I handed down my old copy of WTM to a friend because I ordered the new one when I thought it was supposed to come out in Feb so I'm pretty squeaky on this but really, it advocates a whole year on astronomy? Just astronomy? Not astronomy as part of earth science? That's a lot of astronomy!

 

I don't have my book handy either, but I'm pretty sure science was only expected to be covered 2 days a week in the early years. Maybe that's why just one topic.

 

Oh, and I agree that breaking up the Apologia books is a great idea. We're doing it here. It wasn't on purpose, but it's working out well. We did the first five lessons of Swimming Creatures, did a lapbook and decided to do the first six lessons of Flying Creatures next instead of finishing it. I think we'll fast forward through the rest before summer since she's pretty familiar with the content. Then go on to finish Swimming Creatures (if I don't get distracted by Botany...).

 

I could just be a bit ADD though...

[rafiki]

.

[Geo]

You haven't seen RS4K!

 

 

Actually, I have. We used about 1/2 of their Pre-Level 1 Chemistry a few years ago. The text was good, but the experiments weren't very engaging and that is my focus at that age. No, that is my focus at all ages. We don't learn much when we don't care. It was ok, just not as great as I expected it to be. None of us were really excited after a little while and I just put it aside.

 

Geo

[Storm Bay]

You haven't seen RS4K!

 

 

Actually, I have. We used about 1/2 of their Pre-Level 1 Chemistry a few years ago. The text was good, but the experiments weren't very engaging and that is my focus at that age. No, that is my focus at all ages. We don't learn much when we don't care. It was ok, just not as great as I expected it to be. None of us were really excited after a little while and I just put it aside.

 

Geo

 

 

Okay. To be fair, I haven't see the pre-level 1 RS4K, just levels 1 & 2. My kids love the experiments in Chem 1, but we did combine with friends for that, so the social component helped. I do know that my eldest, who loves science, loved the Level 2 Chem when we saw it last spring, and it's hard to find something that level she likes. She's going to do it this summer as a precursor to her high school Chem next year, but you could make it a much longer course as the chapters are so much longer.

 

At the ages before level 1, we mainly did some fun experiments from a trade book of experiments in various science subjects. We also tried Science in a Nutshell Physics experiments, but didn't do them all.

[Blessedfamily]

We enjoyed the RS4k Chem pre-level, but we had our own experiments. I'm looking at level 1 now.

 

I must say I could spend more time in Biology than any other branch of science. We don't like to do one subject for a whole year, though. We explore widely and deeply, but we don't like to do one branch of science for a whole year.

 

Well, that's the beauty of homeschooling. Tailoring.:001_smile:

[swellmomma]

I get bored if we do one science topic all year. We are morphing into spending 1 semester per topic, so right now astronomy, that will be done by summer, then we will do weather over the summer, in the fall we will do anatomy, in the spring/summer next year botany, followed by geology and on and on. Basically 2-3 topics per year. I couldn't handle doing it for only weekly themes at the ages of my big kids, for my Ker SURE even into gr 2-3 but for 5th graders changing units each week does not give enough time to really dig into the meat of the topic being studied.

[sagira]

We'll be doing four-five topics a year, 6 weeks at a time, loosely based on this idea. I like variety too.

 

I'm using BFSU now and next year for 12 weeks. It combines topics that reinforce each other. Love it.

Edited April 16, 2009 by sagira

[alabasterflask]

I chose The Scientist's Apprentice for that very reason. It worked really because we plan quarterly.

 

Next year we are going to use Christian Kids Explore Physics - I think the format will work for us and we may just take a week off if it gets tiresome and focus on some aspect of nature study. We even did that this year when we (I) got bored with Earth Science - we took a week to focus on Frogs. Random, I know, but it refreshed me enough to get back on track.

[Makita]

We tried doing life sciences for a full year (1st grade)... I had divided the year up into quarters (3 months plants, 3 months animals, 3 months ecology, 3 months human body). However, in the midst of our animals unit (which was further subdivided into smaller themes - invertebrates, vertebrates, etc.) my kiddos said, "We are tired of learning about animals. We want to learn about earth. About rocks and outer space." I thereby switched gears to keep their interest and focus. It is working much better now.

[Rachel in KY]

Oh, girl... I wish I'd taken the spiraling approach to science in the grammar years. A little of this, and a little of that. There's plenty of time to focus on one subject at a time when they hit the logic/rhetoric stages.

[Psm73]

Thanks, everyone. I'm just butting in here to say that this thread has been a very interesting read for me. Science is the only subject I don't have "set" each year. I could go a million different directions with it. I've been struggling with Apologia but do like it - I like the approach, all the beautiful pictures, the language. It does seem to get old after awhile. I loved the idea about skipping around in the different Zoology books. I think I will try that! Great thread!

[SeekingSimplicity]

I don't have my book handy either, but I'm pretty sure science was only expected to be covered 2 days a week in the early years. Maybe that's why just one topic.

 

 

I've got a copy of WTM from the library... 1999. For the grammar stage it has 18 wks earth science, 18 wks astromomy.

[Alessandra]

I vastly prefer doing topics and not one year on a single subject. One reason is that if you put all your energy into subject x, kids will not have much of a chance to explore subjects y, z and so on. We are happy with Core Knowledge (I know it's not for everyone) -- it takes a topic approach. Some topics come up again after a few years; others, like human body, occur year after year. We pick our own reading & projects/experiments -- but, however many experiment books I look at, I usually seem to end up with something from a Janice VanCleave book.

 

So far, we've done (K-2) oceans, habitats, insects, plants, solar system, magnets, electricity, simple machines, geology, weather, etc. Science biographies are included whenever possible. I really like that dc know at least a little about a wide range of topics. I often want to keep going with a topic, but dc are usually ready to move on!

[TravelingChris]

My daughter is doing Calvert School 6th grade science this year which I think maybe PH. I don't have the book near me so I am not sure about the publisher. Before this we used Rod and Staff two year older lifescience set. I know my daughter got a bit bored by the end but on the other hand, the current science goes into no depth at all. She is a sixth grader and I think at that age running through subjects lightly is not a good method for reasonably smart kids. For smart ones, it is extremely boring. SHe doesn't hate it because she is at a stage where getting her work done fast is more important than learning ; however, she finally realized how lame the book was when she encountered a part she had already studied with R & S at a much higher level. Often dumbing things down only serves to confuse. In this case, talking about kingdoms with a few sentences didn't enlighten but confused. Since the kingdoms have changed since I was a child, I couldn't really help. I am probably going to have her do BJU LIfe Science next year and her sister BJU Biology and have them do dissections together.

 

I will say for young ones, lets say K-3, having units versus years can work out very well. However, by around 4th grade, they need more meat.

[Shannon in TN]

So far, we've done (K-2) oceans, habitats, insects, plants, solar system, magnets, electricity, simple machines, geology, weather, etc. Science biographies are included whenever possible. I really like that dc know at least a little about a wide range of topics. I often want to keep going with a topic, but dc are usually ready to move on!

 

 

So what do you follow? Do you have a text book or are you following a curriculum? I'm trying to cover the same topics for my 2nd grader and found a couple of textbooks for level 2 at a used book store. No TE, though, so I'm not sure what I'll do with them other than use them for reference.

[Alessandra]

Shannon

We follow the Core knowledge curriculum. The TMs give you guidance on what topic to focus on; then I use the TM, the CK online lesson plans, Books to Build On, Amazon & the Library for book ideas. Or, if I am rushed, I would tend to go with authors I know, like Seymour Simon, Bobbie Kalman, etc. But I try to tailor each unit to my dc.

 

For oceans (1st grade) for example, I see I have an embarrassingly long 2 page book list -- we at least dipped into most of the books. I go for variety. We had some kid poems, like Wish for a Fish and Commotion in the Ocean; we had pop up books; easy readers; Let's Read & Find Out; the Bobbie Kalman Living Ocean & Food Chain series; we read fiction, like Carolina's Story, Nico's Octopus, Eric Carle books; I combined the fiction with World Books Animals of the World from the library' we used some activity books; Songs of the Humpbacked whale cd. And, of course, David Attenborough's Blue planet (not all the episodes) and Free Willy (movie & all the sequels).

 

Not to give you TMI, but just that I go with the flow. My kids didn't much like the general books on oceans, so we did experiments instead (hot & cold water, salt * blue food coloring) to learn about currents and so on. We did big charts of the ocean top to bottom (light blue to black) & pasted in pix of sea life -- this showed how big and empty much of the sea is. DD likes stories, so we did a lot of cute fiction to learn about ocean animals. DS likes math, so we did some bar graphs of sizes of oceans, depths, etc. Oh, & an aquarium visit & online webcams.

 

If you want everything laid out, this method would probably give you a heart attack, but I like it.