Oh, Dearest Mother, Sweetest Virgin of Altagracia, our Patroness. You are our Advocate and to you we recommend our needs. You are our Teacher and like disciples we come to learn from the example of your holy life. You are our Mother, and like children, we come to offer you all of the love of our hearts. Receive, dearest Mother, our offerings and listen attentively to our supplications. Amen.



Active Topics || Favorites || Member List || Search || About Us || Help || Register || Login
Exploring God's Creation in Nature and Science
 4Real Forums : Exploring God's Creation in Nature and Science
Subject Topic: CHC Primary Science Post ReplyPost New Topic
Author
Message << Prev Topic | Next Topic >>
Elizabeth
Founder
Founder

Real Learning

Joined: Jan 20 2005
Location: Virginia
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 5595
Posted: June 23 2006 at 7:56pm | IP Logged Quote Elizabeth

Would somebody who has used Easy as 1-2-3 and Catholic Stories from Science please describe them to me?

__________________
Elizabeth Foss is no longer a member of this forum. Discussions now reflect the current management & are not necessarily expressions of her book, *Real Learning*, her current work, or her philosophy. (posted by E. Foss, Jan 2011)
Back to Top View Elizabeth's Profile Search for other posts by Elizabeth
 
kristina
Forum All-Star
Forum All-Star
Avatar

Joined: Feb 24 2005
Location: New Hampshire
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 524
Posted: June 23 2006 at 9:27pm | IP Logged Quote kristina

Dear Elizabeth,

Someone with a good experience w/ Easy as 1-2-3 should reply. For first grade, we used more Let's Read and Find Out Science Readers and they watched too many Magic School Bus episodes.    I just did not feel compelled to use it, so sadly it sat on our shelf. It seemed like a "text" for the very young. I suppose if I felt that I need to be given ideas to teach science to our first grade level children, I might have used it. At that age, our science time sort of happened on its own.

Catholic Stories from Science on the other hand was so perfect for second grade. Our two sons who have used the book moved through it independently. It is written in short essay form with nice comprehension questions at the end of each lesson. The stories are about 2-3 pages. Just right bite size science lessons for 7-8 year olds . Our boys would read the lesson and narrate back to me and we would go over the questions at the end. It was not time consuming and our Catholic faith was central to most of the lessons . The lessons are also nice for a short science lesson to be read by mom or an older sibling. Even if we did not homeschool, I would like having that book for our family.

Blessings,

__________________
kristina



yesterthoughts
Back to Top View kristina's Profile Search for other posts by kristina
 
Dawnie
Forum All-Star
Forum All-Star
Avatar

Joined: Aug 30 2005
Location: Kansas
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 841
Posted: June 23 2006 at 11:35pm | IP Logged Quote Dawnie

Elizabeth,

We used Easy as 1-2-3 a little last year. Easy as 1-2-3 is more of a guide to studying science than a textbook. Each unit has suggested topics for grades 1-3 to study through books, encyclpedias, and/or hands-on experiments or observation. There are 11 units. The unit on God's Animals lists mammals, fish, birds,habitats, and God's gift of life as topics for 1st graders; reptiles, carnivores, herbivores, omnivores, food gathering and storing for 2nd graders; amphibians, vertebrates, invertebrates, hibernation, migration, and camouflage for 3rd graders. There are also some discussion questions which relate to the Catholic faith in each unit. In the unit on God's Animals, one of the questions reads "Man is a mammal. Cows are mammals. Both man and cows have eyes, ears, brains, hearts, and lungs. Yet can you think of ways that man is different from other mammals? Are animals made in God's image?" I felt that most of the discussion questions were over my 1st grader's head. But, you don't have to do ALL of each unit in one year.

I brought home lots of picture books from the library to read to my 1st grader. I didn't use the children's encyclopedias b/c I thought they were basically twaddle. There are also suggested experiments and hands-on projects for some of the units.

We did not use Easy as 1-2-3 for the whole year mainly b/c things got crazy and I had to cut back to the basics to get any schooling done at all. It wasn't difficult to go get the picture books each week--there were PLENTY available on each subject we studied at our library. The hard part was choosing which ones to bring home!

I feel it is well worth the price I paid for it (about $12, I think?). I think it's very useful for providing direction and a well-rounded course of study for early elementary school.

I'm planning to use it again for 2nd grade along w/ Catholic Stories from Science.

Dawn      

__________________
Mom to Mary Beth (99), Anna (02), Lucia (04), Clara (06), and Adelaide Victoria (2/28/09)
Visit my blog!Water Into Wine:Vino Per Tutto!
Back to Top View Dawnie's Profile Search for other posts by Dawnie Visit Dawnie's Homepage
 
Karen E.
Forum All-Star
Forum All-Star
Avatar

Joined: Feb 27 2005
Location: N/A
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 1161
Posted: June 25 2006 at 8:09am | IP Logged Quote Karen E.

We used Catholic Stories from Science a couple of years ago. I read it aloud to both girls,and they enjoyed the stories/lessons, which sometimes led to rabbit trails or impromptu experiments.

I agree with Kristina that the length of each little story is just right for second-graders. I liked the tie-in with our faith in each lesson, even though some of them were a little forced. I think that tie-in works well with that age, laying a foundation for understanding that it is God who *made* science, rather than viewing science as something divorced from faith.

__________________
God bless,
Karen E.
mom to three on earth, and several souls in God's care
Visit my blog, with its shockingly clever title, "Karen Edmisten."
Back to Top View Karen E.'s Profile Search for other posts by Karen E. Visit Karen E.'s Homepage
 
Elizabeth
Founder
Founder

Real Learning

Joined: Jan 20 2005
Location: Virginia
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 5595
Posted: June 25 2006 at 8:47am | IP Logged Quote Elizabeth

Karen E. wrote:
   I think that tie-in works well with that age, laying a foundation for understanding that it is God who *made* science, rather than viewing science as something divorced from faith.


Karen,
I don't want to hijack my own thread, but you've hit on something that is keeping me up at night. AS I look at all the Latin Centered discussions, and even agree that some of those materials are probably academically superior to CHC and that simplicity is a good thing, I can't help but be very hesitant to sacrifice this aspect of CHC. CHC does a very, very good job of laying a foundation for understanding that it is God who is the underpinning of everything. I'm being very careful to make sure that I don't go so far towards Memoria Press (which I know has God--it just doesn't touch the hearts of my children like CHC) that I lose what I've like best about this year: total immersion in faith for all of us.

Thoughts anyone?

Actually, I'll move this part of the discussion to Real Learning.

__________________
Elizabeth Foss is no longer a member of this forum. Discussions now reflect the current management & are not necessarily expressions of her book, *Real Learning*, her current work, or her philosophy. (posted by E. Foss, Jan 2011)
Back to Top View Elizabeth's Profile Search for other posts by Elizabeth
 

If you wish to post a reply to this topic you must first login
If you are not already registered you must first register

  [Add this topic to My Favorites] Post ReplyPost New Topic
Printable version Printable version

Forum Jump
You cannot post new topics in this forum
You cannot reply to topics in this forum
You cannot delete your posts in this forum
You cannot edit your posts in this forum
You cannot create polls in this forum
You cannot vote in polls in this forum

Hosting and Support provided by theNetSmith.com