Here are this year’s science plans for each of our five children. The Lord willing, we will have a wonderful science year. Our three oldest work independently for much of each chapter, using the largely self-teaching Apologia textbook series. I work closely with the younger two, reading the book out loud, listening to narrations, and helping with activities. We all do nature study together.
Grades 2 and 4: Exploring Creation with Astronomy supplemented with activities from other resources including Astronomy for Every Kid.
Grade 7: Exploring Creation with General Science (First Edition)
Grade 9: Finish Exploring Creation with Physical Science (First Edition) and begin Exploring Creation with Biology
Grade 11: Exploring Creation with Chemistry and Exploring Creation with Physics . Catch up on Biology lab work from last year, and prepare to write the AP Biology test.
Formal Nature Study
Nature study is a part of life for us, but sometimes it’s worth adding to everyone’s school plans. To me it is fundamental aspect of glorifying God, since we praise Him by rejoicing in the world He made. The focus is on being aware of the world around us, pondering it, and enjoying it. We’ll try to learn more about birds, as well as go on four nature walks a trimester, but our emphasis will be on astronomy.
We plan to study Signs and Seasons: Understanding the Elements of Classical Astronomy This is a lovely non-telescope course that teaches the sky-lore our forefathers knew from living close to nature. (I’m tempted to buy the study guide to make it a full credit course for the older ones, but that would be asking too much of them, I think J.) We’ll also use Night Watch by Terence Dickinson and The Stars: A New Way to See Them by H.A. Rey.
This post is entered in Thirsty Thursdays: Satisfying our Kids’ Thirst for Knowledge One Sip at a Time.
I am not much of a nature person but am working on that area of my life. Yesterday, several of the children watched a pitched battle between a spider and a caterpillar. The spider managed to get some web around the caterpillar, but the caterpillar broke loose. I can see the children have more attentiveness to nature than I do, and I want to encourage that!
I hope to start using Apologia's Exploring Creation through Botany book this year, but haven't figured out how to work it into the schedule yet.
We are also going to be using Exploring Creation with Physical Science. I'm not sure if we will do it for 9th or 10th grade. I am using Biology 101, but may actually do that first since dd had a lot of trouble last year in understanding Exploring Creation with General Science.
Exploring Creation with General Science, First Edition starts off with very difficult chapter. Perhaps that intimidated your dd. I'm tempted to move that to the end of the course, but at the very least I tell my children that chapter is 1 completely different from the rest of the book and not to worry if they can't understand it all right away.
It does, however, contain crucial information and my children will be studying it again near the end of their highschool time.
Annie Kate