Homeschool World Forum

[drew h]

i'm new to the idea of homeschooling & i'm looking for good ways to teach science to my grade school age children. anyone have suggestions?

[hscoach]

I have used a variety of things for science with my children in the elementary grades. One thing that we enjoyed was Home Science Adventures. Here is a link for it.

http://rainbowresource.com/prodlist.php?sid=1263937000-1955919&subject=11&category=2796

Also, here are two great companies that sell hands-on science materials.

http://www.tobinslab.com/

http://www.hometrainingtools.com/

I think that hands-on is the best way to learn science if possible, especially when children are younger. But there are many free resources online, too, that you could use in addition to doing experiments, etc. Here are a few sites.

http://kids.yahoo.com/science

http://www.sciencewithme.com/

http://sciencepage.org/
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Laura L. Barth
http://www.freehomeschooladvice.com

[drew h]

thanks for the links. i will check them out.

[David Brown]

Plenty of hands on experiments. Also listen to what your children are asking you, if they ask any kind of science related question then explore it further while they're curious and engaged. Also you could ask prompt questions such as "Wow look at the water drops on the outside of your cold glass of water! I wonder where they came from?" (I'm sure you'll think of far better questions than this )
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[drew h]

Yes, science "lessons" can be everywhere. Thank you for the responses.

[RNMomteach4]

We use Supercharged Science e-science online. There are tons of vidoes, easy experiments. They have free teleclasses too. The older kids can even go through the experiments and lessons by themselves if I have to do something with the younger ones. I love that the supply lists for each lesson are made up for me and include mostly things that I have around the house. In fact, when we started the program, I had the kids go on a scavenger hunt around the house gathering up all the supplies we would need and putting them in a box so that we can find them when we need them. Every day they ask, "Is it time for science yet?" Or, "Can we do science now?"
Here's the link in case you want to try it out.
www.SuperchargedScience.com/esci.htm
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[evvaberry]

To teach science to home school age student is done by teach the science with the practically also not only giving the theoretical knowledge only.For proper science knowledge give student practical example from daily day life experiments, so they have easy to understand the science.

[Bee]

We really like the Real Science 4 Kids text and workbook series. It doesnt dumb down science, has lots of really good experiments and is so easy to teach. They even have astronomy.

[Munchie33]

I got our son into science by making home-made microscopes with him when he was 3. We would use a paperclip to mount a tiny water drop and look at things while out on walks. He would carry his paperclip with him everywhere so he could put some water on it anytime he saw something that interested him! He especially liked looking at snails up close.

When he was 4, we made a much better microsope out of an empty pill bottle and glass fibre (similar to http://www.microscopy-uk.org.uk/mag/artjul00/awscope.html). This one really got him obsessed with looking at things up close - he could even see the tiny bacteria with it (magnification about 300x). This kick-started learning about cells and classifying life, and then of course we had to learn about the human body (tissues etc.), zoology (especially insects), botany, etc. He loved being able to see all the detail and knowing what all the things he was seeing were for. It was his "secret world" that was invisible unless you used a microscope... Kind of like x-ray glasses or something!

It started off very practical-based, and then moved into researching his questions and musings. We got library books and used the internet to answer these questions, and wrote stories ("a day in the life of a leaf cell") and made booklets and posters. We'd use library science textbooks to test him on areas he'd learnt. Microscopes and cells were school grade 7, for example, so we used a grade 7 test, even though he was 4 years old. Basically, whatever fitted.

Overall, we have found that often one or two really good experiments or practicals can spark an interest. Saying that it is a "secret world" hidden in plain sight makes it more fun and motivational. My husband and I always wonder aloud about everything we can, and make a habit of either looking these things up right away or writing them down to look up later if we are out. Our son has copied these habits and we encourage him as much as we possibly can. Why does putting ice in a glass of coke make it go fizzy? Why does the sky go orange when the Sun sets? Why does your breath go foggy on cold mornings? We have a curriculum which we refer to to make sure he doesn't lag behind where he should be for his age. If there's something he isn't ahead in, my husband or I will look up a good practical to get things started. It's kind of led by his own interests after we kick start things, although usually he does the kick starting.

[Vicki]

We are using Spectrum Science, 5th grade. I also plan to do hands on experiments with her, and lots of field trips. We are annual pass holders at Kennedy Space Center and the Orlando Science Center. We plan to utilize those two options frequently throughout the year.
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[TheAssistant]

I don't know very many science curriculums, but if you're looking for activities and things to do together, there are tons of sites with science lessons and experiments. I highly recommend the website of the Exploratorium, and Bill Nye the Science Guy's site. Lots of neat projects to do.

It's also worth taking a look at the websites of science museums around the country and the world--the Smithsonian, for example. Many of them have kids' sections with games and activities, and some have podcasts, videos, or other media--great for a quick, fun lesson.

Hope this helps!
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[Blessings4all]

My kids loved the Science Wiz kits. They include topics like light, energy, chemistry, and physics. They have really fun experiments.
Their website is here.
I did a review of this product here.
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Susan

www.HomeschoolWithLove.com - Homeschooling made easy for you & fun for the kids.