Science for the not so scientific

Cruise post goes live every Tuesday

I thought since my blogging has been a bit review oriented lately, what with being pregnant and exhausted and all, I would join the TOS Blog Cruise and talk about what our favorite Science resource is this year. I am by no means a science person, I much more prefer History, Art, and Language Arts. Yes I do know that makes me strange. I understand the need for my children to be taught Science and taught well.

We began our homeschool journey about 3 1/2 years ago and at that time I was also pregnant and we were using Ambleside Online as our curriculum. They include science as living books which I love but I also wanted a solid science curriculum that covered more than nature studies and scientist biographies. I stumbled onto a program called Math/Science Nucleus, a free k-12 online math and science complete curriculum. I used the k-12 Science curriculum to fill the need I had. I really liked it. It had a very simple, straight forward approach, was interactive and hands on with experiments my children could easily do at home.

Last year we used Apologia Physical Science and Flying Creatures along with My Father’s World ECC and I loved using those, God honoring, insightful, fun and also hands on. This year we used Apologia Biology and Heart of Dakota’s Bigger Hearts for His Glory which uses a living books approach with experiments tied in. I find Apologia Biology much more difficult to do this year since the experiments need a microscope (not all do just where we are in it so far) and Bigger while fun is not quite what I want in a science program for my younger son.

So after 3 years of using these three very different approaches to science I have to say My Favorite is:

None!

Now you are thinking “what is she going on about then?”

Actually I will tell you. I do not have a favorite because with each year comes a different need for my children. For example, my younger son used Flying Creatures last year and we struggled with it. It was too much for him to write even when we took it slowly. This year with HOD’s Bigger he is writing/notebooking experiments (lab sheets) and while it is not any less writing there is no big huge book staring him in the face, only a single sheet of paper that is put into a big blank book.

So for me my favorite science resource is the one that helps my children excel and conquer those mountains that before seemed impossible to climb. Here is to using what works for you, I’d love to hear about it.

Stop by the Cruise by clicking the button at the top of this post to see what other Crew members said about their favorite science resources.

Mandy