Science anyone?

[Handsomesmomma]

If you cannot tell my mind is jam packed with ideas for curriculum for next year
What are you all thinking of doing for science next year? How old are your little ones too? I am working on trying to combine some of the science we do for next year as I have a 6 yo ds and an 8 yo ds.


Thanks for your thoughts ladies! I really appreciate all of your ideas

Ann-Marie

[lotusdebi]

We're doing prehistory: Big Bang - evolution of man. We're doing a big earth science unit in the beginning (tying in with the birth of the earth), another unit on dinosaurs (just cuz they're fun), and we'll spend some time on evolution, natural selection, and Darwin at the end of the year. We're covering the in-between stuff, too. And we'll be watching some "Walking With" movies, doing some experiments, and playing on various websites. This is for my 7 (will be 8) year old and his friend. My 3 year may get some dinosaur coloring and sticker books, too, so he doesn't feel left out.

[LemonPie]

Mine are 5 and 7. We're using the Elemental Science, Biology for the Grammar Stage. We've already pulled it out and done a little this summer because my 5 yo keeps asking to "do home school". So far, I'm really happy with it.

[caefi]

my 10th grader is taking Marine Biology (through the summer), 8th grader will take Physical Science, 7th grader General Science and the elementary ages are doing Exploring Creation with Zoology - Swimming Creatures. All from Apologia Science.

[Ravin]

For 2nd grade we'll be using R.E.A.L. Science Odyssey: Earth and Space.

[Ravin]

For 2nd grade we'll be using R.E.A.L. Science Odyssey: Earth and Space.

[CariOfOz]

Originally Posted by Ravin

For 2nd grade we'll be using R.E.A.L. Science Odyssey: Earth and Space.

I have 6 &8yo's and we're using this right now (I just adapt it for lighter writing for the 6yo) and LOVING it!

We'll very likely go with their Life science program next year (we're only 1/3 through our school year right now).

OP, I combine science for my guys too.. and they are the same ages as yours I find that it works very well for us. We do a lot of extra reading from the library on whatever topic we're on, and my 8yo will read to my 6yo while I make lunch or fold laundry etc. We also watch a fair few documentaries and such online (voyage to the planets is our current love!) and do a lot of hands on stuff. That was one big draw of the Real Science Odyssey, the kids love the experiements and activities and we do most of them on the veranda so they don't even feel like it's school time hehehe.

[dotnetdiva]

I still haven't decided how to do science, I was going to spend some time today and see if I can blend 3 programs. But you guys are making me excited to use R.E.A.L. Science Odyssey, which we will take advantage of for sure somehow. We would do their Life one this year.

This spring we were loosely following Elemental Science and reading through a human biology book they had listed. My daughter really wanted to learn about the human body so we put our normal science plan on hold

Lotusdebi, we did all that last year at this time and it was so much fun! I guess we combined history and science (prehistory/evolution) and it turned out to be the most perfect thing to do for us to understand how we all came about.

Oops, forgot to say my dd is 5.5, will be 6 late this fall.

[phathui5]

This is the first year I've purchased a science curriculum. We're going to be using NOEO Biology 1 with my soon to be 10, 7, and 5 year olds.

http://www.noeoscience.com/bio1.html

[MissRubyandKen]

CariOfOz,

Would you mind giving some details of the types of things R.E.A.L. Space and Earth has them doing? I'm very curious about it. Its been taken on and off of my wishlist several times now, lol.

Originally Posted by CariOfOz

I have 6 &8yo's and we're using this right now (I just adapt it for lighter writing for the 6yo) and LOVING it!

We'll very likely go with their Life science program next year (we're only 1/3 through our school year right now).

OP, I combine science for my guys too.. and they are the same ages as yours I find that it works very well for us. We do a lot of extra reading from the library on whatever topic we're on, and my 8yo will read to my 6yo while I make lunch or fold laundry etc. We also watch a fair few documentaries and such online (voyage to the planets is our current love!) and do a lot of hands on stuff. That was one big draw of the Real Science Odyssey, the kids love the experiements and activities and we do most of them on the veranda so they don't even feel like it's school time hehehe.

[Handsomesmomma]

Thanks for all of the ideas! I had been thinking of Noeo Science, but, after checking out R.E.A.L. Science Odyssey I am interested in learning more about it. It looks great!!! I looked at the Life and Space and Earth and they both look great! It is nice that they give you so much information to the program too. The materials needed for the labs are household items for the most part too

[crunchy_mama]

We are using BFSU with my almost 6 yo.

[FireWithin]

THe new book by Dr. Nebel, for grades 3-5, should be coming out in Aug. We should be done with K-2, so we will move on with the older one. I'm excited.

[CherryBomb]

We're doing Behold and See 3 from CHC. We did B&S 2 last year and loved it.

[CariOfOz]

Originally Posted by MissRubyandKen

CariOfOz,

Would you mind giving some details of the types of things R.E.A.L. Space and Earth has them doing? I'm very curious about it. Its been taken on and off of my wishlist several times now, lol.

LOL I play musical wishlist often too

One example is the activity for Neptune, which the kids thought was great. Instructions are to collect to coffee cans, something to weight them down with and 2 lengths of yarn/twine (specified lengths I think it was) and sidewalk chalk. You put the cans about a metre apart and slightly off center in the middle, draw the sun on the concrete. Then you take the 2 strings and tie them into two big (separate loops), first you place the shorter loop (which represents Neptunes orbit) around the cans and pull out on one side till it's taut (you'll kinda have a rounded triangle) and use the chalk to draw all the way around while keeping the string tight. You end up with a nice sized oval. Then you relocate the cans slightly to account for Plutos' wonky orbit, and do the same thing with the longer string in another colour.

The activity is called "neptune is out of order!" and what it shows you is that 20 out of 248yrs, Neptune is actually farther from the Sun than Pluto is... it was VERY cool.

Jupiter was MY favourite though..150ml of half & half, red & yellow food colouring, clear dish soap. You put the cream in the bowl, and put a dot of one of the colours of food colouring on each side, then spin the bowl in place... THEN you add one drop of dish soap on each dot of colouring and spin some more. You end up with something looking like a miniature jupiter with it's own 'red spots' and storms.

For the layers of the earth, I know one of the activities is making a cross section of the earth as a pizza hehehe

Originally Posted by Handsomesmomma

Thanks for all of the ideas! I had been thinking of Noeo Science, but, after checking out R.E.A.L. Science Odyssey I am interested in learning more about it. It looks great!!! I looked at the Life and Space and Earth and they both look great! It is nice that they give you so much information to the program too. The materials needed for the labs are household items for the most part too

I got your mail, but my computer is cranky and won't use the default program to reply to it It really is a cool program, not TOO complicated, but it gives a good basic foundation It hink.. and it's great for helping kids get the idea behind the scientific process

[babycarrier]

Just finished Life Science REAL with my 7 1/2 yo and my 4 1/2 yo followed along for parts. I think 6-8 would be great ages for this! We really loved the whole book - left out some of the labs as they were geared a bit younger than my 7 yo's interest but that left us lots of room to branch out into other parts of the book.

I would add that this was not a complete package in itself as I relied heavily on library books to fill in most sections. But - the book suggestions were so wonderful and even just going to local libraries and pulling books on the subjects was helpful. There is a list of websites or books to augment and I can't speak to the websites, the books were just fabulous.

Planning ahead with this book was beneficial as some things need to be ordered (the butterfly section) or some lab days were a bit more involved and it was good going in with the room and time to do those things.

Highly rec this book and plan on doing chemistry or earth next.

[CariOfOz]

Originally Posted by farmlife

Just finished Life Science REAL with my 7 1/2 yo and my 4 1/2 yo followed along for parts. I think 6-8 would be great ages for this! We really loved the whole book - left out some of the labs as they were geared a bit younger than my 7 yo's interest but that left us lots of room to branch out into other parts of the book.

I would add that this was not a complete package in itself as I relied heavily on library books to fill in most sections. But - the book suggestions were so wonderful and even just going to local libraries and pulling books on the subjects was helpful. There is a list of websites or books to augment and I can't speak to the websites, the books were just fabulous.

Sounds like us There have been a few labs that we decided to skip and there may be a few we can't do (unless I can find the appropriate minerals/mineral kit in Australia! Paying to ship rocks overseas? lol)

I also get TONS of extra library books... but then I do that anyway I don't think it's possible to have enough cool library books in the house, I was always reading encyclopedia and other non fiction stuff as a kid and love giving my kids the chance to do the same if they feel like it I haven't checked out the links yet either oddly enough! Must do that!