Do you struggle with teaching science? If you're like me science always seems to get lost in the shuffle of the day. I'm to worried about getting all the basics done first. We skip a day, fall behind, and then spend a day rushing to catch up. I was extremely excited when we were selected to try out Science Unit Studies for Homeschoolers and Teachers from Funtastic Unit Studies.
Science Unit Studies for Homeschoolers and Teachers is an fun activity filled book for parents, teachers, and students. For this review, we received the actual book from Funtastic Unit Studies. The books was written by Susan Kilbride, a fellow homeschooling mom. It retails for $16.95. It can be purchased on Amazon.
The book was written for homeschoolers in mind, but could easily be used by teachers. It would be great for a homeschool co-op to use for a science class. The book is not a full curriculum but rather a guide unit study filled with various science experiments and projects.
The science unit study book is geared for children between the ages of 4-13. In order to cover such a wide range in ages, the book is broken into two sections. The first half of the book is for children between the ages of 4-7. The second half of the book is for children between the ages of 8-13. Both sections cover a variety of topics. The first ten chapters include the following topics.
The last ten chapters are geared towards the older student and cover the following topics.
As you can see there is a little bit for everyone. It is recommended to do the book in order of the chapters presented since some of the lessons build on knowledge learned in previous chapters. Of course, we didn't do it that way. We used a few of the unit studies about what we all ready learned this year. It worked just fine for us. I don't see it being a problem if you want to skip around a little. We used it as a supplement to the science program we already used this year. The material and the activities reinforced what the kids had already learned this year. A great way to review and see what they remembered from their lessons!
At the beginning of each chapter, there is a materials listed provided.
Most of the lesson require items commonly found in the house. We did have to pick up a few items, but nothing that broke the bank. The lessons are for parents/teachers to do with their students. Each chapter introduces the topic being covered and then follows up with some fun activities for the students to do. Hands-on learning!!! Y'all know how we love hands on learning here.
Well, we focused on the second half of the book since I have kiddos in the 8-13 year old age range. So far, we did two chapters from the book....Chemistry Fun! and Force & Motion. I chose these two chapters because they went with what the kids had learned this past year in school, chemistry and physics. I liked how the chapters offered suggestions for further reading, dvds for more learning fun, worksheets, and of course the fun science experiments. An extra bonus for the older students, their chapters end with a test!
O.K. maybe the kids won't think this is a good thing, but parents and teachers might.
The experiments were a lot of fun. The directions we extremely easy to understand. My kids were able to read the directions and do most of the experiments on their own with very little help from me. I liked how they could read about the experiments, set it up, and then execute it. I have found that Michael retains so much more when he can do it himself!
Next year, we are studying the biology. I am looking forward to doing the chapter on plants. I've looked at the chapters for younger kids and am tweaking them a bit for my older kids.
Overall, we have enjoyed the unit studies. I think many homeschooling families could use just this as a science book and learn a lot throughout the year. Kids have plenty of time (middle/high school) to dig deeper into a subject. Teaching kids through hands on learning will provide them with so much more knowledge. If parents can make science fun kids will want to learn more about a particular area when they get older. Michael loves anything science so I tend not worry about him. Therese has already displayed a lack of interest in science, but when we do fun experiments, like those found in the Science Unit Studies for Homeschoolers and Teachers, I see her show interest and a little bit of excitement over science. Maybe this book will be what helps here like science more!
F.Y.I~ I did take photos of the science experiemnts we did, but the memory card with those photos seems to have disappeared. Once I find it, I 'll add them so you can see all the fun we had!
Not sure the books is right for you? You can give it a try for FREE!
Funtastic Units Studies is offering TWO freebies!
If you want to learn more about the book just click on the link below.
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