One of my weakest subjects to teach is science. I liked science pretty well in school, and there are certain aspects of science that I really love, but to teach it, I need a good curriculum to guide my efforts. We have used some excellent homeschool science curriculum in the past, but many of them have ginormous lists of items you need to complete the experiment and many are just plain over the heads of Joshua and Jacob my two autism spectrum kids. I need something that is easy to use, easy to teach, and easy for Joshua and Jacob to grasp.
When the chance to review Science Unit Studies for Homeschoolers and Teachers from Funtastic Unit Studies, I was skeptical but I looked over a couple of the free units that were offered on their website and thought that it was something that might fit our homeschool. I am so glad that I did! So far it has fit everything perfectly! First let me describe what we received and then I’ll tell you why we really like it.
Science Unit Studies for Homeschoolers and Teachers is 201 page softcover book containing 20 chapters that discuss different science topics. The chapters build upon each other and are divided into two groups – ten chapters for ages 4-7 and ten chapters for ages 8-13. The topics range from things like “The Human Body”, “Dinosaurs and Prehistoric Life”, “Animals”, “Fun With Magnets” and “Stars and Planets” for the younger group to “Insects”, “Microscopes and Invisible Creatures”, “Atoms and Molecules”, “Chemistry Fun” and “Weather” for older kids among other things. Each chapter is divided into 4-7 parts and each part has three or four activities to do. Each part can easily be covered in one to two days so each chapter can easily be covered in about a two week time depending on how often you do science. There is a materials list at the beginning of each chapter and a short ten question test at the end.
Now, here’s why we really like it!
Ease of Use – Science Unit Studies for Homeschoolers and Teachers is super easy to use. It is easy to follow and everything is included. From the material list to the test at the end of the chapter, it is all there. There is not flipping between different books, no reading a complicated teacher manual, no books for your kids to read pages and pages of information and facts that they don’t need to learn. All of the learning is done through simple experiments and projects and the explanations included.
Easy to Teach – Science Unit Studies for Homeschoolers and Teachers is super easy to teach. The simple experiments really do use things that are found around the house or are very easy to find. Nothing that we have used so far had to be found in a specialty store or ordered. The only thing in this book that might be challenging to find is a microscope that is only used in the “Microscopes and Invisible Creatures” chapter.
The experiments themselves are also very easy. The explanations are easy to follow and teach. Since the last time we used this book was a couple of weeks ago, I decided to pull it out once again to look it over for this review. We are traveling right now but I was able to look at some of the activities and even do some of the experiments and projects in the car with the kids while Sarah was driving. It is that easy! I wouldn’t recommend doing that with all of the experiments, but that gives you an idea of how easy this curriculum is to teach.
Easy for my kids to grasp – After looking over the book when we first got it, I decided to start with chapter 11, “Insects” for ages 8-13. Jacob is 9 and Joshua is 14. I wanted to use Science Unit Studies for Homeschoolers and Teachers with both of them and the beginning units looked too simple for them and, although the author suggests doing them in order because they build off of one another, she also said that each chapter can be a stand alone chapter. From the very first activity in part one, my kids really got it and were learning! I was amazed at what my kids were learning by using simple objects and doing simple experiments. They learned all about Animal Classification by doing some easy pencil and paper projects. They learned about an insects exoskeleton by using a paper bag and a balloon for one experiment and a plastic egg and a wet paper towel for another. I was thrilled at what they were learning. They really did “get it”!
I could go on and on, but then this review would be too long. I think you get the picture that we are excited about Science Unit Studies for Homeschoolers and Teachers by Funtastic Unit Studies. In fact, we can’t wait to get back home from our ministry trip/vacation to use it more. This is a keeper. You can find out more about this great curriculum by clicking on any of the highlighted links above. To find out what other members of the TOS Review Crew think about this book, click on the banner below. Happy homeschooling!