Sounds like a great plan. Not sure why you are so worried about sounding like an unschooler :-)
I think in high school it might be more important to introduce the importance of taking good notes and keeping a lab book. But at this age, it gets in the way of discovery.
I think this is an absolutely wonderful plan!!!
Sounds great. I have a number of the books you're thinking of using already on my shelves. But for me the fundamental problem with any science program is that I have a total phobia when it comes to experiments. Probably the result of my age and the state of science instruction when I was in elementary school.....pre Sputnik! I find science literature much more interesting, and much less threatening.
Are you planning to organize the experiments? That's always a roadblock for me, and why reading a book aloud seems more my style.
Elaine
Thanks for so many good links, Becky. I'm trying to download the Golden Book PDF right now and am eager to take a look at the Thomas Edison book if I can locate a copy.
We read Aesop's The Crow and the Vase, and Elle was inspired to spend an entire afternoon sorting pebbles by size and measuring water displacement. She then spent most of the entire evening recreating her experiments for her father and sisters. I enjoyed Holt's comment (in one of the books I read and loaned out) that infants are true scientists. It is up to us not to quash that genuine curiosity as they get older. The TJEd materials also seem to be on the mark with their, "Inspire not require" message.
Have you read anything yet about Hawking's soon-to-be-released book for kids?
Have fun with your little scientists, and keep an eye on the barn. ; ) My dad once blew a hole through his garage door with a marble after experimenting to see if he could get a miniature model cannon to work.
JoVE, it's just that I've set myself up in previous posts as a well-trained type ;)
Frankie, that's what I'm hoping!
Elaine, that phobia that you mention ties into what L. and I have been reading about in Holt -- about not quashing children's curiosity. And I just wrote to a friend that The biggest challenge for me in raising children has been letting them develop naturally without passing along any of my own preferences and prejudices (say, lima beans and science experiments). No, I'm not going to organize the experiments. I'll see if the kids want to, or if they just want to wing it...
L, did Elle cry Eureka afterwards?! Some hs'ing friends mentioned the Hawking book, but I don't know anything about it. Sci fi/fantasy, including old Harry, haven't been too popular around here. But it and the Russell Stannard "Uncle Albert" series I linked to in my "Science summer school" post certainly seem worthwhile. (By the way, JoVE, did you ever get Uncle Albert?) And L you reminded me that I meant to mention at the end of the physics section that next year in the late spring/early summer, we can wind up the school year with some cherce projects from Backyard Ballistics!
Sounds like a fantastic year Becky!
I've been loving that Golden Book link too, so thanks again for that, and for all your inspiration! It will be fun to see how it all works out for all of us!
Penny
Becky, this is so exciting! And inspiring! (and reassuring!)
I knew from the get-go that I would kill Science for A if it was all about notes and writing. He already considers himself a scientist because he loves to mess around and explore. And his interest in Science covers several areas at once - and the areas of true interest (such as paleontolgy and astronomy) continue on past June 30 each year.
We've loved the series to guide our exploration process (because I'm lame at pulling it together for my own kid). A can basically do stuff himself. And there's no writing. Just guided exploration. I was going to check out the Goose Egg kits this year as well. I know it's kind of lame (and expensive) to go with kits... but he really does love them and that counts around here!
The other cool thing we are going to play with this year is the Lego Dacta renewable energy kit (through Spectrum). There is a solar panel, I believe!
Thanks for this recommendation: Rubber-Band Banjos and a Java Jive Bass: Projects and Activities on the Science of Music and Sound. A is a musician and loves to figure out why things work they way they do (violin and piano) - this looks like it will give him some language to talk about it.
You know... I plan to organize an egg drop in the spring for an online school I work for (kids are all learning at home). It might be fun to have one for blogger home learners, too. Lots of great hands-on physics (and problem solving scientific thinking!). Hm.
Penny, glad you are enjoying The Golden Book too!
Rebecca, thanks for letting me know about ElectroWiz; I hadn't heard of it before. I went back and forth about Lego vs. K'NEX for a simple machines set and ended up going with K'NEX, which I bought through CHER in Calgary, and which I think they'll get lots of use from at their ages (7 to 10).
Yes, I thought Rubber-Band Banjos would be fun this year with all three now taking music lessons, either piano or guitar :)
I think a spring/solstice/Easter Egg Drop for blogging HS families would be terrific! I'm willing to help spread the word if you end up doing it...
Becky,
I think you are right about turning your children loose with science. The best time we ever had with science was before we added it to a curriculum.
We loosely used the Celsius the Science Bug kits and every ounce of learning was kept. When I "got serious" with science, we lost the excitement. The children quit learning.
I did buy those Uncle Albert books but I don't think anyone has read them. But sometimes when they've been sitting on the shelf, they get discovered. This happened with a geography book recently (a pretty text-booky one at that). All of a sudden it was I can't find my geography book because all daddy's stuff is blocking the bookshelves...
And I was teasing about the unschooling.
wisteria -- that's exactly it, loose and fun science. Otherwise it doesn't seem to stick as well.
JoVE -- I know you were :).
I know about that book on a shelf business, too. That's why sometimes depending on the title I'd rather buy it then borrow it from the library. That way it's there whenever someone decides (s)he needs it.
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