Suggestions for my Science LOVING 10yr old

I don’t know about a curriculum, but you don’t need one really.  This is about the age my son became a reptile nut.  I really like the God’s Design science curriculum for a base, but there is really not a single curriculum at an advanced level with low level reading.  You can feed this with nature study however, and with pets.  My son collected quite a little zoo in time.  He still has three snakes now.  Reptiles make terrific pets–we’ve had snakes, lizards of various kinds, and turtles.  Oh, and we’ve raised tadpoles too, and kept frogs.   Then my son just read and researched on his own, growing so much as he did so.  His abilities to read adult level snake books when he didn’t have that strong of a basic reading skill continually amazed me.  My county nature center has always kept lots of snakes, and my son spent lots of time there with the naturalist, even helping to take care of them.  He also made friends with a pet store owner and spent  hours there, helping him as well.  My son would briefly catch some species and keep them just a short while, but after reading and researching the issue at about age 10, he decided only to keep animals bred as pets for permanent pets.  He became really passionate about this and would scold his friends for keeping a wild-caught snake for too long.  My son’s first-ever big writing project (he HATED writing!)  was a guide to kids wanting to keep snakeks as a pet!

Apologia books offer more “scientific” terms, but it is for grades K – 6.  He could read it to himself.  Each unit has an experiment.  Reptiles would be included in both Zoo 2 and 3 books.  Have you checked into these?  That is what we use. 

Have you checked into any nature centers or lake vistor’s centers around you?  They may offer special educational programs.

You might also check into the Comstock Nature Study book.  It is a big book.  I know it is free online somewhere, but it is 912 pages.

http://rainbowresource.com/product/sku/014298/1308892909-1607458

Also maybe some field guides.

For a curriculum, we are using Biology 101 this year for dd 14, and dd 10 will be joining in. I obviously haven’t used it yet, BUT I like that though it is geared for the high school student, my younger child will easily be able to join in, and the video is suitable for the entire family. As I mentioned, it is a video curriculum, with the lessons book & guide book on the 4th DVD which you can print off from your computer – or do as I did and save it to your computer and upload to Staples to have them print and comb bind it for $14.00 or so. Though it doesn’t give specific book recommendations for each section, it does tell you how many to borrow from the library (or pull from your shelves) for the specific week.                                                                                                                                                                                                                          

I don’t know if this will  interest you or not, but here is a list of books I am considering to use for my 10 yo dd with the Bio 101 above.  She can read fairly well, but sometimes is a reluctant reader depending upon topic.  With natural science concerning animals, though, she seems to be motivated and will read nearly anything that I hand her.  This list is partial – only focusing on amphibians/ reptiles. These are the books that have been recommended to me, have high ratings elsewhere, or I have experience with in regard to good information in a living type book or excels in the field guide department.  With that said, here is the list.

The Edge of the Sea – Rachel Carson

Mammals, Reptiles, and Amphibians (field guides with lots of facts)

North American Wildlife: An Illustrated Guide to 2000 Plants and Animals (“)

A Field Guide to Reptiles & Amphibians of Eastern & Central North America (Peterson Field Guide Series)

Amphibians (True Books : Animals) – specifically for children

The Frogs and Toads of North America: A Comprehensive Guide to Their Identification,Behavior, and Calls -(has a CD with the different calls of these interesting animals)

If you are interested, once I figure out what books I will actually use with my girls to go along with Bio 101, I will post the list, though it won’t totally center on amphibians

All-in-one science experiments for elementary:

http://noeoscience.com/