I know that there are 5 million options for secular science in homeschool. This is what I am planning to try because I feel like it will suit us well. Please share what you have had success with so that everyone can find what suits them well. Experience is gold in my book!
We have been using Generation Genius this year and we really love it as well. The only thing is, my son will be going into 2nd grade next year and we'll have completed all of their K-2 videos. So I'm not sure what we're going to do for next year. It doesn't seem right to move him into 3rd-5th grade science, but looking at other curricula, it kinda seems like we've covered a lot of what's in 2nd grade. That's the only negative I have to say is they have videos for a range of years, but not enough to cover them for 3 years without repeats if you do science every week.
Oh my goodness…my daughter hated building blocks of science, and it also just didn’t inspire us! We went to generation science next also, and LOVED it, it’s been a long time they were pretty new back then, so maybe there are more videos now but we saw them all so stopped, but I’ll do it again with my boys We’ve also liked the Wiley coyote comics for physics (which we found through timberdoodle I think) . We are trying out sassafras science (and summers Lab from elemental science) this year, but have used Build your library and like it- we used the Harry potter one but herbalism & potions are our jam, so this hits home for us.
I have been watching a lot of your videos! We are currently with an online public school and we are starting Studies Weekly. I saw that you had a video about a year ago i think. Did you ever start doing that and how did you like it?? I am not feeling it so far. We do Generation Genius and its FANTASTIC!!!! I think next year We are going to completely do homeschooling on our own so I am wanting your thoughts on how you ended up liking Studies Weekly. Thank you!!!
As we dive into science.... I wanted someone that I felt was thorough, had some not so intensive/work heavy experiments, and covered a variety of things. I have wandered upon Savvas (McGraw Hill) Elevate Science. They have bundles specifically for homeschoolers that includes access to the online portals so you can ‘assign’ things like virtual experiments, quizzes, etc to you student(s). This program is used in public school as well. It is very affordable, and I am looking forward to trying it!
Thank you for making this video! We are doing the early elementary science and SCI to go with the BFSU. It isn’t super open and go will look into this. Thank you!
Blossom and Root science has lots of book suggestions but only 2-3 are required. It's super easy to implement and comes with video suggestions, labs and crafts but you can pick and choose what you do each lesson. We love it!
We are currently doing the Prehistory unit (it’s science) and my kids are loving it. It’s flexible. So we can use it for multiple kids at different levels and fluff it up how we feel. As stated above, there’s only a few books you really need and the rest are suggestions but you can pull from whatever you already have it can find easily as well.
I just posted (tuesday) a video about how we are using this program. We do still use it and love it! ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-CrQ7Na4o__M.html
@@MakingEverydayMagic haha! Yes! I literally JUST saw that right after I left that comment. 🤪 thank you so much for the in depth reviews! They are so helpful!
Thank you so much! I have been homeschooling for 3 years and have used 3 different science curriculum and hated them all! We are so going to use this next year! Thank you thank you!
I’ll definitely be looking more into this! We have used Real Science Odyssey and Bookshark’s level one. Neither one worked well for my kids. Currently we are doing unit studies which my boys absolutely love, but it is a lot of work to put them together.
We have used R.E.A.L. Science odyssey and it was way to many moving parts for us. There where a ton of science experiments which we loved but it was a lot to try to collect it all and plan it out. We switched to doing unit studies that I put together myself and we are good with that because it’s flexible. I have been looking at possibly doing the Julia Rothman books with the coordinating journal. I didn’t even know about generation genius. Totally checking that one out because it looks perfect for us. Thanks!
Some things can seem so amazing and once in practice just completely not the right fit. I know myself, I need easy to get started but able to expand as wanted.
For my 3rd graders, we use Studies Weekly (rather bland) with Carson Dellosa Interactive Notebooks and Generation Genius. We also do lots of labs with disection and such.
Your kitchen is a great place to teach the basics of science as cooking involves simple operations such as boiling water,try baking bread so you can learn the effect of adding yeast so will rise. Panbread ,done on top of a stove or over a campfire is best, compere it with cornbread which doesn't involve yeast. This is just one idea for hands-on science. Take your girls on Nature walks,buy fossels for them to handle,extend this to basic rock collections, later on Nature walks, have them try to identify various rocks in the wild, buy and study books on plants and trees; then apply the knowledge on actual Naturewalks. When I was growing up, I found a pond (little more than a mud puddle) where a frog laid one of those big eggs,I would visit regularly to observe the pollywogs become tadpoles, the tadpoles become frogs. This is real science. Let your girls get their hands dirty as they observe Nature, this will reenforce what you find in books. Hands-on science is real science. I hope this helps. I,m sure you can Google a recepe for pancreas as well as other hands-on objects for your girls to safely attempt with your help, visit a hobbyshop and see if they still sell science kits, visit museums. Books are a start, but hands-on science is even better.
The wonderful part of being a parent and a homeschool family is that learning truly takes place all of the time, in all of our activities. There's no off switch and many lessons can be sparked easily in every day life.
We are doing “elemental science the logic years” next year. It can be independently used by older children and it uses one Usborn book and one DK science book.
I will have to look into this and the one by Pandia Press for the following year - this coming year we are using Science Through Nature - be a Naturalist, and I've bought some extra picture book biographies on the people they study in this. We are also using New Eyes for Plants which combines science and art, and I found this amazing little set of books printed by the CSIRO on symbiotic relationships - my sister is a Horticulturist with dreams of being an Agronomist and she is so in love with these books that she has ordered her own set, and recommended them to friends adult level education in a kids picture book! Simply lovely - the books are *The Forest in the Tree - how fungi shape the Earth, *Nema and the Xenos - a story of soil cycles, *Zobi and the Zoox - a story of coral bleaching, and *The Squid, The Vibrio & The Moon - A story about the symbiosis between the Bobtail Squid and the Bioluminescent Vibrio bacteria that help it glow in the moonlight. Highly recommend all of these for every age. As we are doing a year of Viking/Norse studies we will also do units on mushrooms and trees and I've bought some gorgeous books on each - and the obligatory Nature Anatomy, and The Practical Naturalist.
We used Evan Moor Skill Sharpener Science, their daily science book and then watched It's Ok To Be Smart in RU-vid for my 3rd grader. Then we would kind of pick and choose books off if BookShark that looked interesting. It seemed to go smoothly...
We're using Real Science Odyssey this year and have been enjoying it. We also use educational shows and games like Totally Gross the Game of Science. We tried Sassafras Science last year and hated it.
We’ve been using Lab of Mr Q. Chemistry last year and Physical science this year. I’ll be needing something for next year though so might check this out.
@@MakingEverydayMagic 10 and up. The Chemistry especially, I wouldn't use with a child any younger. At face value it seems doable but it gets into some pretty big topics. I have a video on it with a look inside if that helps. :-)
Loved your video! Got me thinking maybe Generation Genius would be good for me to use next year too, it seems pretty great! I would love if you made a video like this for the other subjects! I would love curriculums that are flexible and have similar things to what GG has, but with the other subjects 😁
I have a 12 year old in 7th grade we love Crash Course Science here on YT. You can also find worksheets that go along with the episodes on Teachers Pay Teachers.
I might have to add GG along with all the other things I’m going to use next year. Can’t hurt. Or I might ditch Mystery Science for this, that might be a way to go. I had heard of this but for some reason never actually looked into it.
@@JHubz187, I picked REAL Science Odyssey’s Biology 2 for my middle schoolers for this coming year, and I am super excited! The text and work book are really nice from what I’ve looked though already, and I am definitely excited to dig into it, and I think my 2nd grader and 5th graders will be eager to get in on it too!
I agree with you on Building Blocks (5th grade). I picked it because it covered multiple types of science, but it was lacking. No glossary for vocabulary. No worksheets to reinforce the chapter. No chapter quizes or tests. I did not like having to produce my own tests when the curriculum is that expensive.
Ours had a download that was the study guide. It had things to cut out and you made like a file folder style book. It also had midterm and end of year tests. The access to it came in a separate email.
@@MakingEverydayMagic I don't understand the midterm and final for elementary ... it's not college level and caused my daughter to shut down. I had to make up my own chapter tests instead. I ordered mine direct and didn't receive a study guide.
By the way, Building Blocks DOES have a supplemental workbook, beyond the study guide download, beyond the optional tests. I thought I'd just mention it for anyone who is reading this and researching. It appears to be age appropriate but we are using it starting in July so I can't give a personal review!
We have done science fusion and sassafras science. Sassafras is fun for younger kids my little ones love them and you can add tons of extra depending on how much you want. Science fusion with the online was ok too.
Great video!! I really appreciate you sharing this. I am thinking of switching from blossom and root. I truly adore B&R, but there are a TON of moving parts and I really prefer open and go. I’m curious, do you have a plan for how to keep track of the lessons? Is there some kind of system when you are logged in on the website to keep track of what has been done or future lesson plans?
I think mystery science is a great resource for younger kids, but I feel like there's a lot of information left out of his videos. Sometimes he gives too brief explanation on things when I think kids are capable of learning so much more about a topic. Or maybe it's just cause I'm a bit older
My 10 yr old twins dislike GG's videos so much that they run to the other room when I try to show them! lol. I guess the guy is too "animated"?! The twins say it's like "modern Bill Nye but worse". sigh. I imagine you are familiar with kids having strong opinions about curriculum that momma is excited about! I see you are getting lots of comments about Mystery Science. We did that for my older daughter throughout 5th grade, supplemented with some appropriately matched library books. At 5th grade, she was able to independently do the experiments, which was SO great while I dealt with her younger twin siblings. I just thought I'd throw that suggestion out there since Mystery Science definitely fits many of your requirements, especially as your older daughter matures.
We are using Blossom and Root for the third year in a row. There are things that I love about it, but we definitely have to take breaks and switch things up here and there. 4-6 weeks is about my kids' limit for one topic. For instance, the space science from level k worked well for us when we split it up with mini units on interest led topics (that I put together). We are doing year 1 now, and the "wonders" are great, but there is a lot of planning and moving parts. Granted, the majority of supplies and resources are common and inexpensive.
I just checked it out and this program is legit! I am confused, though. I was looking at k-2. Do you get the same videos and projects to run through for those 3 grades until they level up?
How bout I just dove into checking it out and LOVE IT! They do only have those 36 videos for K-2, BUT you don't do them all for the 36 weeks of school. There is a "standards" link on the site that will tell you what videos you need to meet your state standards! So I don't have to figure it out by myself! For California, we only have 13 videos to get through for the year. And then we can add some of the timberdoodle science experiment kits or add some BrainPop Jr and call it good!
Thanks so much for the find! I wasn't feeling the coloring book in the Kindergarten kit. Didn't really line up with our state standards as far as what I can tell.
Does Generation Genius allow kids of different levels (1st and 3rd) to watch same lessons but have different tests/comprehension? Or will there need to be 2 completely separate lessons?
From what I've seen so far, it looks like the lessons are broken down into age group (k-2, 3-5,6-8) I did not see an option for separate tests. My plan is to teach science as a family subject and then to have different expectations from them.
I feel like my 4th could do the virtual quizzes and vocabulary memorization. I am planning to teach a few of the k-2 & just see if my K can hang with the virtual quizzes. I plan to have her do a vocabulary match instead of memorization. What we have done this year hasn't had any kind of tests and I haven't missed it. There's a strong chance that once I'm using the material I may tweak it to find the best way to suit our style.
