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SCM Science/Nature Study books
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All of the SCM science/nature study guides look so wonderful so I was thinking about a way that I could use them together. My idea is to start with the 106 Days of Creation and as I get to the section on birds, to pause there and add in the Learning About Birds. Then do the same for Jack’s Insects when we get to the section on insects. Can I please get some feedback for this idea? I’m not planning on completing the 106 Days of Creation in a year. This idea would obviously be an ongoing curriculum. I had originally purchased the Apologia Young Explorers Zoology 1. The problem is that we never even get to the middle of the book before we are bored. So, I’m going to send it back and try to use living books so as to keep our attention. Thoughts?
Your plan is interesting and I may try it out myself if you don’t mind. I think it could really work.
We are going to begin 106 Days of Creation this fall, and since it is new and different, I am excited. We did about 1/3 of the bird study last year, but didn’t get it finished. Honestly, reading from a book only once or twice a week is hard for us. I was bummed about not finishing, but now that I see your idea, I am thinking that we could just add in some Burgess bird lessons to the 106 Days lessons about birds.
My original plan was to use Jack’s Insects a year from now when my two oldest are in grades 4 and 5. I think there are only 3 lessons on insects in 106 Days, but if for some reason the kids really want to study insects in depth, we could just go ahead with Jack’s because I already have the books.
I guess the only drawback to your plan would be trying to gather all of the needed resources. The Burgess Bird study doesn’t require too many resources, but there are many resources recommended for 106 Days and Jack’s. Of course, you don’t have to have everything at the beginning. You could purchase resources by term.
How many days per week will you do science? I find that we do not do well with reading from a book (such as Blacky the Crow) only once or twice a week. We do better if we read every day until we finish. I am thinking that maybe we need to do a little science every day (maybe for only 1 1/2 terms) and just be okay with waiting until the next school year to begin again.
I would love to hear what you decide to do.
I have been thinking of doing this very thing! I’m looking forward to reading others’ thoughts on it.
I tried some Apologia Elementary with my two older girls and generally didn’t make it through. I think using the materials topically as you describe (i.e., using 106 Days then using certain Apologia topics as they arise) could work for someone who really likes the Apologia materials. I think they’re great in concept, but I had a hard time with complete follow-though (this is not Apologia’s fault!). What we did use, we liked. The only one I can say we finished was the Botany book with my oldest daughter when she was in 6th grade. She loved it and still remembers information from it ten years later. My middle daughter also devoured the bird section in the Flying Creatures study.
I’m hope I didn’t confuse you, but I’m not talking about adding in the Apologia to the SCM science. I’m talking about adding in the other SCM science (Bird study, Jack’s Insects, etc.) in with the 106 Days of Creation. I hope that makes more sense.
I don’t have time to do science everyday with all the other subjects I need to teach. Last year I scheduled school 4 days a week because it seemed like we could never get in that 5th day. I also participated in co-op 1 day a week but I’m not sure if I will be doing that this year. I really need to do things differently this year and adding in a more consistent study of science/nature studies is on that list to get to. Actually, being more consistent in general is desired. I’m just having a very very hard time deciding on what to do for school next year. I like the idea of using SCM guides because it looks like it makes it, well, simple. I just want to find something that I can stick with and not get bored teaching. I have gone back and forth between Sonlight, Ambleside, SOTW, MOH, and SCM. I have got to find one that works. The nice thing with SCM is that it uses living books that are more modern than what Ambleside uses with some exceptions. I just can’t wrap my mind around the format of Ambleside. I don’t like the schedule for Sonlight. MOH just bores us and SOTW is right behind MOH plus the author doesn’t really seem to know what she believes. I want a christian world view and SCM fits the bill.
I am planning on notebooking for science and history. Have you ever tried to notebook? Notebooking.com has some great notebooking pages and she has many science and history pages to add interest. This can help with retaining what the children are learning. They can write their narrations down and also do copywork if so desired.
Not sure if you meant me re: being confused. No, you didn’t. I understood what you meant. Your mention of Apologia Elementary just sent me into a nostalgic ramble. 🙂
I think you will enjoy the science plans from SCM. The plans are always easy to follow. They even include notebooking. 106 Days of Creation requires students to make Creation notebooks, and from what I can tell most of the pages come from Considering God’s Creation which is on the resource list.
The bird study calls for a coloring book. Basically, the kids color the bird they read about, look it up in a field guide and write the Latin name, interesting facts, etc. on the page that they colored, so basically it becomes a bird notebook. Some birds are not in the coloring book, so we just drew them in our nature journals.
Jack’s Insects has a Narration and Nature Study Notebook that goes with it.
I think the main thing to do, is just stay consistent even if you do science every third day or whatever, since you do not have time to teach science every day. I am thinking about doing science 3-4 days per week for the first 18 weeks and then dropping it (we’ll still do our nature walks) and teaching another subject in its place for the last 18 weeks. I am not good at teaching all of the subjects all year long. Something usually falls by the wayside.
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