Science – courses OR books? Really?

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  • May 30, 2010 at 4:20 am
    zami
    Participant

    For 1st through 6th grades, are the living science books really enough on their own?  (Well, alongside Nature Study of course.)

    We’ve been doing sort of an animal study, ala Well-Trained Mind.  In a nutshell, he picks an animal, we read about it, look up the habitate location on the world map, he dictates a few intersting points about the animal, then illustrates the dictation page, and it’s added to his “science binder”.  So far, he really likes it.  But to me, it’s starting to feel a little pedantic, and I find we “do science” less and less often…

    Okay rambling aside, I guess what I’m getting at is, *just* the living science books will feel so light and simple after our “animal studies”, I’m having a hard time beleiving it’s enough.  But I’d certaily welcome simplifying!

    I guess I just need reassurance that I’m reading the “instructions” right!

    -Laura

    May 30, 2010 at 5:11 am
    MelanieC.
    Member

    I just purchased 106 Days of Creation Studies from this website for my daughter and it gave me a little more structure. You use it with Considering God’s Creation with the older students. It is broken up into lessons. Now that my son is middle school age we’ve started the Apologia Science courses for him. I like the fact that in Sonya’s books she suggests where the Living books fit in in the lessons. Your idea sounds great, but if your concerned you are not getting enough with just the living books, the above book may help. I was more at ease when I saw the living books in actual lesson plans. It gives very interesting topics to study.Check it out in Sonya’s bookstore on this website. I hope this helps. I’m sure some other well seasoned moms can help out with some great advice. They have been a big help to me. I can assure you this method works, just trust the Lord to lead you. Blessings, MelanieC. 

    May 30, 2010 at 5:22 am
    my3boys
    Participant

    I wouldn’t call myself seasoned, but I do use the 106 Days for my (almost) 6th and 2nd grade boys.  I love it. Like MelanieC. stated, it gives stuture, creates a notebook of awesome individualized work from your children and uses some great living books.  We are venturing off into the Fulbright series, as well, plus other suggested Science living books just because they’re so good, but otherwise that is science.  I forgot to mention we’ll be adding Nature Study in the Fall.  So, in the Fall my 6th grader will have a Fulbright topic and Nature Study.  He enjoys taking science related classes thoughout the year so he may do some of that, too. I  just hate to over schedule and burn out.  I do believe that less is more, but I crave some sort of stucture and I love to have *evidence* in the way of drawings, experiments, etc. for my kids to look back on and draw from.

    HTH. 

    May 31, 2010 at 12:05 am
    RobinP
    Participant

    I think it depends on you and your son.  For me, even though I operate a homeschool lending library with many hundreds of living science books on my shelves, science is a topic that gets put off if I don’t have some sort of guide.  I’m not “science-y” so I have a hard time coming up with things on my own.  We’re using 106 Days and loving it so far.  It’s just the balance we need for my young boys.  As they get older, we’ll probably use a more structured curriculum such as Apologia while still working in living books as needed.

    June 6, 2010 at 10:18 pm
    Monucram
    Member

    I’m not a seasoned CM’er so beware! J/k :} But I’ve been thinking and planning and while this may all change!, I thought I would do living books on 2 out of the 3 days and on the 3rd do Apologia since I just picked it up. I love the living books but I also love Apologia. I should really consider what my daughter thinks! How she takes to one or the other.

     

    We just started reading a book by Jean Craighead George called ‘Tarantulas in my purse and 172 other wild animal tales’ or something close to that, and she is really getting a kick out of these n/f stories! So am I! And we’re getting an understanding of what these animals are like, to a degree, so I’m happy with this author and plan to read other of her books. So, a little cheer for the living books :}

     

         Yolanda

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