I've been looking over what we did this year and thinking about next year. So far math and language arts are set. This year I winged science and history without too much difficulty. I followed ds lead and picked subjects he wanted to study. That worked out fine. For next year I'm running into a wall, especially with science. Here's my problem. Ds will be technically in the 4th grade. He doesn't read on grade level, which is fine because I read most of his work to him. His comprehention is good. (sometimes too good!:lol Writing skills are fair. And he's autistic. I have created all his cirriculum from the beginning to fit his needs. When we find a subject or topic he likes we study it to the nth degree. I think he has reached a level of understanding that needs a little more challenge. I need some help providing that challenge. I need a science curriculum that is very visual (DVD'S, websites with lots of graphics, books with detailed pictures) and lots of hands on (experiments, construction and deconstruction). I thought about the subjects of electricity and possibly robotics, but I'm not sure how to put that together, or if I even want to put it together. If I had something sort of pre-packaged I could adapt it. So, dear friends, any suggestions would be greatly appreciated! I don't want to wait til the end of summer to start looking. Thanks! Marty
Real Science 4 Kids supplemented with stuff from Lego's Education division. Their textbooks don't even look like textbooks and they are very visual--- lots of cartoon pictures. There are lots of experiments that go with the lessons, most can be done with stuff around your house or from your local grocery store. They have online stuff that ties in with their lessons as well. My kids made molecules using marshmallows and pretzel sticks with chemistry--- as well as many other things. It's colorful and engaging and does a sound job of presenting the information in a kid-friendly way.
I suspect the answer will be subjective, because you know what will work for your son. A few things come to mind: - Building a robot (which you mentioned). A number of kits are available. - Predicting the weather. Note clouds, temperature, pressure, animal behavior, etc. - Building a bridge from toothpicks. By applying a weight, you soon learn which designs work. - Designing a pinewood derby car. Try different designs, applying different weights, etc. - Learn some origami designs. You can soon build (and invent) some sophisticated models and test them. Yes, these are experiments, but you could easily build a course around them.
You might be better off buying Science Kits on topics he's interested in and building around them. If he's into electricity, get a kit that deals with electricity. You could also get one on Solar Power. Then, find videos, books, and software that you can use to get more complete info about electricity & solar power and how they work. The kits will provide the hands-on work he needs & since you'd be choosing the books & other materials, it would be easy to adapt to his needs.
