The list of of "common household objects" needed with other curriculum had often been our downfall, so the first thing that appealed to me was the statement on the box that "everything is included." It's true! Even the paper clips are included! The only thing you need to provide is the use of scissors, an empty soda bottle to make a bird feeder and a three ring binder to keep the student's worksheets together (they're 3-hole punched). I sent my son to the neighbor's to get a soda bottle out of their recycle bin, and I was set.
The next pleasant surprise came when I opened the box. It's packed with fun stuff, including a pair of binoculars for bird watching, solar system stickers, and a neat little box of magnets. I was hooked. I couldn't wait to find out what all these "goodies" were for. So I started investigating the written material. |
The parent guide is 24 pages, short enough to not feel intimidating. The beginning of each unit lists additional books and web sites that can be used for further research. Each lesson includes three parts. Lesson Notes give a couple of sentences of tips to help the lesson go smoothly. Keys provides the answers to the questions on the student worksheets. Further Explorations are additional ideas for older students or for kids who are having too much fun to quit. At the front of the parent guide they mention that a child could also keep a science journal of his observations if desired. The student's worksheets are equally well laid out. We found the lessons easy to use, and really fun to do. My children looked forward to each lesson almost as much as I did!
I highly recommend this curriculum for busy parents wanting an easy way to provide their children with fun, hands-on science. |
