What should make up a Home school Science Curriculum and how do you design your homeschool science curriculum?
A Home school Science Curriculum is made up of many fields of study, yet, they should be seen as a unified whole, because all has been created by God and for Him. When we teach this subject, we need to understand that God is the author of all and is always to be praised by all of His creation. We can see the complexity of what He has made and also the unity. We can also investigate the systems He has created, the order and regularity, and also recognize our inability to understand all His ways. We must also see man in the position in which God has placed him, and seek to understand how we can fulfill our calling to be in dominion over the creation, without being abusive.
Let me quote from Noel Weeks in his book, The Christian School Weeks, N. The Christian School, 1988, The Banner of Truth Trust p131.
The basic concepts so far outlined from Scripture are:
As we teach Science, we will break it into its units and topics, but I believe that as we speak and discuss what we learn, we must remember to bring these basic Scriptural concepts to the attention of our children. We need to continually speak of these truths, converse about the God of Creation, and help our children to see Science, not as a bunch of isolated topics, but as a unified whole telling of the wonders of our Great and Loving God.
The study of Science includes observation of nature around us; recording findings and information in Science notebooks by sketching and writing; reading from a variety of science resources, including home school science textbooks, and giving kids science experiments to do and find out science truths. Stretching our imagination, Science opens the world and gives us a glimpse of the power and creativity of our God.
From this understanding, I will now outline a general view of Science and how it can be divided.
Jessie Wise and Susan Wise Bauer, who wrote, The Well Trained Mind, divide the Scientific study into a four year cycle, which is repeated three times in the life of the child increasing in difficulty as the children mature.
Their divisions are:
Christine Miller from Christian Classical Homeschooling divides the study of Home school Science in this way in the primary school years:
Most of this study can easily be accomplished with the wonderful homeschool science resources below:
I highly recommed these wonderful Primary Science Resources you will love to read and teach Science. An extremely well written, beautifully presented text which engages the reader and fills them with awe for the Creator. My favourite Science Resource for Years 1-6.
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Another home school science overview which I have found to be more detailed was published on the Joyful Light Education Website. I have used this with permission.
This author uses the Robinson curriculum, and so she makes mention of specific books in the overview. It is also directed to an American audience. I would add certain books on Australian Animals and Plants.
The Outline covers a range of topics of home school science and these do not need to be covered in order, but can be repeated in further depth through the years. This can be a very helpful guide to design your own homeschool science curriculum.
Here is a basic outline for the study of science.
I think this outline covers every topic that a student may come in contact with in the pre-highschool years. Do not try to cover this in one year! Once everything has been covered once, go back and start the cycle again, replacing the older reports with better ones.
This outline does not need to be studied in order, although some of the basic science is needed to understand parts of the other sections. Some families may want to skip some sections completely until the last two years of high school. This is fine too -- especially if you use the Robinson Curriculum as it is meant to be used. This is just a rough guide of what can be done. It is not meant to be set in stone.
Birds - if you use the Robinson Curriculum the Bailey books can be used here, with some extra reading as needed.
Space and Sky
Earth and Water
How do I teach Home school Science to my children? In concrete terms, how do I go about this task and how do I design our homeschool science curriculum?
Let me help you..