Okay, fine. I admit it. I hate science. We haven't been doing it... at all. We did the creation science unit study a few months ago, and nothing since. ETA: talking about science with my oldest, ds9. The two olders have been attending a science co-op that has been using a water 'curriculum' provided by the city, that tells about our local water supply, clean-up process, conservation, etc etc. In this co-op, they've also been doing physical science experiments. While it's a good co-op, and cheap, and the kids enjoy it, I really don't feel like it's enough. We've been, theoretically, doing Considering God's Creation. The notebooking materials look great, but... I really want something I can just HAND to ds9, he can read it, do the notebooking project or whatever, maybe read a library book or two on the subject, and then I don't have to mess with it any more. IS THIS TOO MUCH TO ASK???? I don't think CGC is going to work for us, at least not in the format that it's meant to be used in. I'd love to be able to use the student pages, though; that's right up ds's alley. I did like the Media Angels Creation Science unit study, and I do have one now on Astronomy. I just flat don't have money to spend on more curriculum this year, especially when we technically HAVE a science curriculum already. DS had science on his list today, and *I* am the one literally in tears over having to do it. I don't HAVE anything for science. I don't LIKE science. I don't want to DO science. Just go pull the stupid tab and LEAVE ME ALONE!!!! :cry: :cry: :cry: Does anyone have suggestions? How about a better way to use the CGC guide? Any help is appreciated. I haven't been this upset about something regarding homeschooling in MONTHS. Ugh.
DaLynn, I am there with you! I am DREADING science. In fact, I have been trying so hard to talk my friend into hsing her kids, so that SHE can teach my kids science! I wish I had some advice for you. What about Paces? I used them when I was in Christian school and did science that way. I admit, though, I didn't learn a whole lot. But I didn't like science then either (so it might have been my attitude). Do you know anyone who hs's who likes science? Maybe you two could do a mini co-op and she could teach it? Or is that a subject your hubby might be willing to tackle? I don't know - I wish I could be a better help! Hang in there - Hugs, Jess
You might look through these vendors: http://homeschoolbookfair.com/exhibitors/science.html You might find comfort in remembering that 'science' is a blanket term for a lot of different areas. It's not just biology or chemistry, it's electronics/zoology/marine biology/etc. I personally hate to read science texts--- BORING! But I love hands-on projects. We do quite a lot of those. I guess I like to watch stuff explode or turn gooey. We just had 4 petri dishes of stuff we'd swabbed growing in my closet. Yep, I'm clearly a homeschooler. You might also try time4learning if you're really, really desperate. They have science as part of their online curriculum. You wouldn't have to do anything. And I will say that my kids learned a lot about weather from it, and we just use it as a supplement.
Glad I'm not the only one too!!!!!!!! We tried CGC at the beginning of the year and didn't get past the first lesson....we strayed into some solar system videos and then never looked back. I finally decided to get my 8 yo SOS 3rd grade because she likes science and wanted to do it more often. Got 5th grade for my oldest who hates science and she also hates SOS....so I haven't pushed it. We started Apologia Zoo 2 (swimming creatures) after Christmas. We all seem to like it better than anything else but we've been on a long hiatus and I can't personally get motivated to jump back in it (as science is NOT my favorite subject). So next year (and hopefully a bit over the summer), we'll continue Zoo 2 and try to finish the SOS also (just to get some more general topics in). We have done lots of field trips and we're headed to the Zoo tomorrow....plus my kids love watching the BBC DVDs Planet Earth and we just got Blue Planet.
I'm not crazy about some science subjects, to, but we can't not teach it. Try using books by Janice Van Cleave. They are very fun. I'm putting together a unit on scientists as our last unit, and I'm using her book to do it. Right now we're doing magnets from her book Magnets for Every Kid. Do an author search at your library and you'll be glad you did. She makes it all easy to understand and fun.
Another thought- we should all be very careful to not impress our dislikes onto our kids. I know my Jeannie is a science girl. I'm struggling with this magnets unit because I don't find it interesting. I wouldn't let her know that for a million dollars, because she's so quick to take on my opinions. If our kids hear we dislike science or are even just uncomfortable teaching it, they will want no parts of it, either, and you can't deprive them of science concepts.
have you thought about maybe abeka, bobjones, lifepac, or such for science? they are workbook form...they read and fill out the review questions and you check it. not much hands on there if you dont' want there to be.
sciencea-z.com is free next Monday, i think! Maybe you could get some ideas from that. I don't do much science with my middle (1st grader), I printed off the stuff from www.learningpage.com (but I think that'd be to simplistic for a 9 year old...maybe?). Again, free (well, ink and paper) I wish I could help you!!! Are there books in the library. Maybe he could read biograhies of famous scientists and do lapbooks on them (library=free)....have you done a google search with "free science" in the search box? Good luck!!! I hope you find something that works for you.
Are there any HS science co-op classes in your area? There's one here that is very popular; I considered it fot the boys for next year but found out today that the classes are already full! It's a two hour class each week, taught by a real live science teacher :lol: in a lab setting. It sounds like something like that would be ideal for you. Still, I would think you could build enough of a science curriculum out of library trips, educational DVDs, writing projects on animals, etc during these elementary years. Spend time talking and reading about the weather...that sort of thing.
what about unit studies, or lapbooks on science related topics? Then you could choose things that interest you (or your kids). At 9 yo, science is bees, or volcanoes, or mammals, or solar system, or different environments (eg rainforest, desert, mangroves etc). Science is so diverse, surely you can't hate all of it?!
Yes. I hate all of it. Well, that Creation Science unit was great. Lapbooks and unit studies would be fantastic. He's got the physical science experiments through the co-op I mentioned. We've done lots of study on creation, and the kid knows space like YOU WOULDN'T BELIEVE. We really, at the moment, are lacking plants and human anatomy. (Yikes. I'm okay with anatomy; I am, after all, a massage therapist... it's discussing the reproductive system that scares me!!!) I guess, all in all, I think that CGC is missing a student text! It's got a teacher guide that one could use, were one inclined to teach science that way and do the experiments. UGH. I love the student workpages. It needs a reader! :lol: I'd planned on doing CGC for an overview this year, and looking into the God's Design series for next year. Maybe I'll just go ahead and jump on that bandwagon with botany and then anatomy, seeing as how we've covered quite a bit of animal life. But, really, as far as cost goes... I'd love unit studies and lapbooks. I think I'll re-open WTM and see what it suggests. I can't spend $3 per WTM listing, though. :lol: Maybe I'll pick up the ps health textbooks for over the summer and worry about it in the fall.
We use Gods Design series (I bought the WHOLE set of them before I left Oz !!) The books are well set out, We allow about 30 - 45 mins per lesson. We do science 4 x week at the moment (Sun-Wed) We use 2 booksat the moment Sun/Mon- Animals Tue/Wed - Universe Each lesson has an activity, and we have done them all...all with items available at home Again, like most subjects you can add to what you are reading about to extend lessons etc. It works well for us, and I have 1 who believes in creation, and 1 who believes in evolution...and can still use the books
I haven't found anything that "grabs" me either honestly. So we've been doing basic "life science" of just living on the farm. We need to do more - but I'm not sure what we will do. I might end up getting SOS for each one of them - spring for it and go from there. That will give them 1 "computer" thing. Sad thing - science was my absolute fav subject all the way until evil chemistry hit.
You could try lifepac's. We actually love science and do things above and beyond what they teach in the lifepac. Like when we learned about lobster fishing, I went and bought a live lobster for him to study lol. Same with the apple picking unit, I bought him an apple tree and we planted it so he could see real apple blossoms. We also did the earth worm experiments, it was just a trip to Walmarts sporting goods department to buy live earth worms. I wish I could post a link, but I cant, but you could look up a site called home science tools. They have so much neat stuff I only wish I had the money to buy it all! I am thinking of buying some books that just deal with science experiments to use in conjunction with SOS (what we plan to use next year). We love science, it really can be fun. History on the other hand... (yuck!)
You know... I hated science in school. Recently I realized that I love, love science. The problem was that I went to a small Christian school and had the same science teacher from 7-12 grade and he drove me insane. We do our own thing. We read lots of books, we watch nature videos, we go on TONS of field trips. The zoo, the bird sanctuary, the wolf sanctuary. We raise tadpoles, and butterflies and ants. We ID birds and spiders and bugs constantly. My friends have told me how impressed they are with what I do for science and for a long time I didn't even realize that I was doing an official science. I just did what they wanted to do. I do feel that I am going to continue doing my own science, but that I may need to start incorporating more official vocabulary into our work etc. My oldest is just first grade, but when I looked at the second grade science curriculum from Sonlight, we had already covered most of it... except some of the true science terminology... So that we need to work on. I am a little nervous about continuing on science on my own, but it has worked so well for this year, and I can always pick up a curriculum if I feel it just isn't working anymore. The fun thing is that the kids do not remotely realize they are doing school. hehe...
I hate science too! Samantha and I are very much alike. We are both more into fine arts and reading. We both enjoy dance, music, poetry, British Lit, Shakespeare, drama and history. We both despise science! To make things more fun we did two unit studies of her choice - one on killer whales and one on her favorite primates. The primates unit study was so fun and we combine everything into a lapbook. We actually did lapbooks for both. Since Christmas we have just been reading biographies of famous scientists and doing kitchen experiments. Next year I think will be much easier on me but worse on Sam. She will be doing the CD Rom of Apologia General Science and Grace will focus on nature.
try SOS, they can read it and watch video type mini instructions for Science. It takes a lot of work out of it for those of us who are not really into science ourselves.
DaLynn, the elementary Alpologia series is written for the student to be able to read it themselves (older students anyway). There are notebooking pages that go with it on Apologia's website. It's not free though. The books are about $30 new and around $25 used. You can use one book for a whole year. Maybe you could sell the CGC to buy something else?
Somebody else mentioned A Beka. We loved their science when my boys were your kids ages! THey have colorful books and things that kept their interest, and I didn't have to help them that much. In fact, they liked to try to do it without me! I'm not much of a science person, though I think it's neat and make sure my kids get it in, so I was glad to let them work through it---a good challenge for them, I think. They did well with it. So it may be worth a look at a future time when you have some money to spend on it!
I am not sure what age you are looking for, but these are great and simple enough that they can do it themselves. So, this will help take some of the stress off of you and add some fun for them. My son loves them! http://www.homeschoolscience.com
