08 April 2011

Science Boxes

I actually typed most of this in reply to a query from a SL friend, Annie, and thought I'd reshare it here since we get quite a few homeschooling mums/moms asking about our science boxes.

I'd rather not do science, while my children seem to love it - perhaps because it's always been delight led (?). So with those 2 factors in mind I'm continually looking for ways to create a compromise to suit us all.

I'll detail next what we've been doing since Sep 2010: Bobs and Daisy enjoy the freedom of choosing their own box and I'm happy since I don't have to 'take' science.

Funny thing is I get so interested in what they are doing that I usually end up asking 'can I have a turn" - so we're all happy.

With our "science boxes" - I am using a mix of Exploration Education's boxes and some of our previously purchased, and unused, Sonlight's science supply kit boxes all set up 'to go'. The children choose which ever box they feel like using, on the day. Pictured beneath are the the SL science supply kit boxes boxes, filled with all the bits n pieces, along with the appropriate DvDs (no IG's). Since we do science Monday afternoon's (think relaxed start to the week!!!!!!)& Friday afternoons, Bobs and Daisy watch a DvD , if they wish, then try an experiment and for their reader that day they *must* pick a science based book out of their basket (I place various SL & other science books in there). For those not familiar with the Exploration Education boxes we are using see this blog post: science for 2010-2011.

Again, the children just do whatever they feel like completing (such a bad science mummy). Daisy, in Elemenatary Level, has just completed her science buddy and the scales and Bobs started working on his "electric car".

(Our cheeky little Bichon found Daisy's science buddy when no-one was around. He had a wonderful chew on it and swallowed one of the eyes - science buddy now looks like a cyclops!)

With the Intermediate Level, Bobs uses the teachers book - makes the computer side of the lessons so much more enjoyable and less "hunt for the answer". Not very high tech I know, but there you have it.

4 comments:

Unknown said...

I absolutely LOVE it! I talked to AJ about setting something like this up for her and she is VERY excited! GREAT IDEA! Thank you so much for sharing!

Chelle said...

You're welcome - sharing ideas is easy :-)
Looking forward to seeing what you do with this Christie, for AJ - bet it'll be good!

Julie said...

So do you add on extra science books each week for the children to look for. I was thinking I would follow our SL science, then have them read/look at pictures (1st and 2nd grades) during quiet time from a basket of library books that have books on the topic covered in the SL curric. Is that what you do?

Chelle said...

We use some of the books that SL use, but not from just one science level: We use books from various SL science levels at any given time. So while the supply box & DvD the child might choose for the day is for SL science 1, the reader could be from any of the SL science 'cores' - or just a good science book that is not even a Sonlight read.
Often the reader the children choose & the experiment they have had a go at do not tie in.
Hope that makes sense :-) ask again if I'm not making sense.