Have I ever mentioned that I REALLY like Jeannie Fulbright's Exploring Creation books?
Well, you might even say I have become an Exploring Creation junkie :) A while back, I went ahead and bought about 4 from the series because I liked them that much... (well, that and they were on sale!) I like them so much that apparently, I have gone completely hog wild with science reading requirements! I'll have to do an honest to goodness review of the books themselves on another post. The point of this post is to confess that, as of before working on this post, I was unaware that I have been requiring a double portion of science for two whole years in a row! Oh my. My poor over-schooled children.
Here's how it happened...
Since one of the options for AO science in y4 & y5 is out of print (and the library is not an option in Peru), I decided that meant I needed a substitution. Obvious. So, I subbed Astronomy in the missing book's place. The problem is, I still have the boys reading the other two books, Fairy Land of Science & Nature Reader. Not only that but I found an experiment book to replace the out-of-print book, that I also have them reading. Yikes. That's 4 science books. (*Note* It should be Exploring Creation OR the three other books; an either/or sort of thing) I guess I just didn't want them to miss anything good! I'm OUT of control! Well, for the last two years, it seems to have been perfectly fine and the boys certainly aren't any worse off :) They didn't even notice! hahahah!
Here's what the AO Advisory recommends:
Christian Liberty Nature Reader, Book 5 by Worthington Hooker, edited by Michael J. McHugh
The Fairy-land of Science by Arabella Buckley
Physics Lab in a Housewares Store by Robert Friedhoffer (another Friedhoffer book, or even another book of science experiments can be substitued if the book is hard to find - this book isn't worth paying inflated prices!)
OR (somehow, I missed this ridiculously KEY word. perhaps I'd have actually noticed it if they'd at least emboldened the font. maybe.)
if you prefer, you can use any of the Exploring Creation With . . . series by Jeannie Fulbright for science in Years 3-6.
Unknowingly, I made the same double-up-fumble by using Botany alongside the other recommended books for AOy4, last year. Again, the boys didn't realize it and though they would have been more delighted if we had had time to complete ALL the experiments, they still learned a LOT.
At the beginning of this year, we were still finishing up Jack's Insects from the previous year (it's yet ANOTHER added in science book... not an AO book, but a book that CM used. we LOVED it as a read aloud with everybody). We finished that up by the end of the first term and again for some crazy reason, even though it wasn't even a scheduled book, I thought we needed something to replace it.
Anyway, so there you have my confession. Here's what science looks like this year. We read all science related books and do Nature Study on Mondays. We are using Astronomy as a read-aloud with everybody, the AOy1ers and the AOy5ers.
| Week 12 & 13: What is Astronomy? Week 14 & 15: The Sun Week 16 & 17: Mercury Week 18 & 19: Venus Week 20 & 21: Earth Week 22: The Moon Week 23 & 24: Mars | Week 25 & 26: Space Rocks Week 27: Jupiter Week28: Saturn Week 29 & 30: Uranus and Neptune Week 31 & 32: Pluto and the Kuiper Belt Week 33 & 34: Stars and Galaxies Week 35 & 36: Space Travel |
My AOy5ers are also reading independently:
The Nature Reader
The Backyard Scientist - substitute for the Physics in Houseware's store
Fairy Land of Science - from which they really seem to be picking up some great ideas for thought. I'm glad we stuck with this one.
So, we're crazy. I'm crazy. 4 science texts? oh my. I can't believe I didn't get it 'til now. Do I recommend it? Probably not. Next time around I'll know better :)
Practice makes perfect, right?
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