Spring 2020

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Across the Street
& Around the State
with the Homeschool Iowa Facebook Discussion Group
Curriculum Talk: Science
Science is a topic that has come up on our Facebook Discus-
sion Board several times over the past few months. One
member asked for science recommendations for her ele-
mentary-aged student who she was starting to homeschool this
year. Her son really enjoyed the experiments and other hands-on
science activities that his public school teacher had done, so she
wanted to be sure to find a science curriculum that would help her
to offer those same things.
Jennifer C. responded, and recommended asking the child
what he wanted to study, and then building out from there, in-
cluding field trips, science experiments to compliment the study,
and assigning a couple of fun projects, such as a poster or a video
report to summarize what he was learning. She also reassured
this new-to-homeschooling mom by telling her, “I don’t think it
will take much for your homeschool science to be super cool!” For
textbooks, Jennifer recommended the Berean Builders Science
texts, which incorporate easy experiments that only call for com-
mon household things into the lesson plans.
Elementary Science:
The science discussions continued, evolving into discussions of
how our younger kids have learned science the best, and which
curricula and supplemental resources have been the most valuable
for our various families.
Laura E. and Angela L. contributed to the discussion by recom-
mending the science subscription boxes, Magic School Bus, and
Steve Spangler Science. They also mentioned that YouTube has
several channels dedicated to easy science experiments for kids
that are very helpful when you are planning out a series of les-
sons. Laura also mentioned that her library and the local science
museums often offer fun classes and activities that she will en-
roll her kids in. Jenn W. mentioned that a couple of the YouTube
channels her kids enjoy are “Absolute Genius” and “Junior Vets.”
Natalie S. said that her family has enjoyed “Science in the Begin-
ning.” She went on to say that “Every lesson has a simple 5-minute-
or-less experiment with materials that can be found around the
home or are really easy to get your hands on. The whole thing costs
$35, and it’s scaled with review questions and assignments, so I can
do the same curriculum with my Kindergartender, 4th grader, and
5th grader, and they all love it.”
Nicole M. Uses an interactive science curriculum from Pearson
because “It has easy fun experiments, good explanations for the
ages, colorful, and keeps the kids engaged.”
Nicole H recommended Easy Peasy, who offers all of their scienc-
es online. She said, “We’re doing physics/chemistry this year for 5th,
and will restart the cycle next year with earth science. We really enjoy
the classes. My son is fully engaged and enjoys the experiments and
projects offered each year, and I love that the course is free and the
materials are inexpensive and are often already here at home. Plus,
everything is presented from a Christian point of view.”
JennW. said that she is supplementing her normal science cur-
riculum with CrossWired Science because her kids “like a LOT of
science, so we always supplement our primary science curriculum.”
CrossWired Science is an online, creation-based science curriculum
with quizzes after each video and printable workbooks.
Sarah M’s family enjoys the “Answers in Genesis” science se-
ries because it is “adaptable to different age levels and for families
to use together.” She also said that the experiments are usually
things that the kids can do themselves with things that are al-
ready around the house.
Jill O., one of our Homeschool Iowa Regional Represen-
tatives, encourages moms to “take advantage of just going
outside and exploring! The warmer weather of summer and
fall is a great time to study anything outdoors, like birds and
their calls, butterflies, bugs, the night sky, constellations, trees and
leaves, flowers, etc. You could even learn about how things work by
building a treehouse or fort, how about a trebuchet!” She goes on to
say, “Think outside the box and follow through with more things that
peaks the interest of your child. Remember to have fun, and that the
beauty of homeschooling is that we can do what works best for our
family dynamics and personalities! Give your children a strong foun-
dation and a love for learning - the rest will fall into place nicely!”
Bev U. said that her kids enjoyed a science-in-a-bottle kit that
she bought at a local bookstore. The kit included several weather
experiments along with some other hands-on topics.
Jennifer J. said that her family has a book called“How Does God
Do That?” which covers earth science, space, basic biology, and
basic anatomy. She said, “It’s fun, interesting, has easy projects and I
go through it and pair Magic School Bus episodes that correlate with
the lessons. I’ve used it for five of my kiddos so far, and they’ve all en-
joyed it.”
Teresa O., our Dubuque area Homeschool Iowa Regional
Representative, said that science is one of the subjects that
she preferred to teach by experience instead of a textbook.
She goes on to say “I LOVED crazy, messy science, but there
are plenty of things to do without trashing your kitchen. Or you can do
experiments outside. If you want some sort of curricula to follow, check
out TOPS Science.” Teresa also recommended trying the Charlotte-
Mason method of learning science, especially for young students,
“Read, observe, and keep an informal notebook.”