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EmilyC
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I've been searching for a science curriculum to use with my dd next year. She'll be in 6th grade, and I feel like we need to start getting a little more formal with her school work.
I've been looking for a science program that isn't young earth, and isn't too expensive. It seems that's a lot to ask for. I ended up at Oak Meadow and saw that their science looks to be as good a fit as I'm going to find. I'm wondering if anyone has had any experience with the program? Did you like it?
Thanks!
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Emily,
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Mackfam
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Hi Emily!
Because we're unable to host discussions on curriculum that self-identifies as Waldorf, we won't be able to dig into or discuss any aspects of the Oak Meadow curriculum with you here.
I'd love to brainstorm 6th grade science though!  I've got a 5th grader next year and I've been planning some science/nature study ideas for him. Let us know if we can brainstorm some design-your-own studies for your 6th grader!
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Jen Mackintosh
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EmilyC
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 Sorry! I didn't even realize that Oak Meadow was Waldorf.
Design-your-own might end up being my only option, as it's so hard to find what I'm looking for. She really wants to do biology or life science. I would love something pre-planned, but it's so hard to find things that aren't young earth.
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Emily,
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Angel
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My 6th grade dd wants to do zoology next year. Sometimes we do use Apologia's books, but we don't usually stick to them. They're more like,hmmmm, either a jumping off point or a way to introduce a synthesis or... something that doesn't form the MAJOR portion of her science, if that makes sense. In that way, we're able to use lots of different resources with differing points of view. Then we usually discuss those differing points of view (like young earth) and where they come from.
I haven't gotten very far into planning for her, though. Right now she's back on her favorite subject -- birds -- and reading through the Sibley Guide to Bird Behavior. I would, of course, never assign a 6th grader the Sibley Book of Bird Behavior, so... not exactly sure what sorts of books to provide her for zoology!
(Oh, is your dd interested in wildlife rehab at all? My dd seems to be quite interested in that angle, so I'll probably hunt up a few books for her at least. I'm willing to share as I go along. )
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Angela
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Kristie 4
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I have used Apologia this year just fine- used the hs Biology and just skipped the Ecology and Evolution chapters and designed my own resources for those. For the rest we have supplemented, crossed out some stuff, and discussed other stuff. Has worked fabulously for my son as it suits his learning style and he has learned heaps and loves biology now! (Just to let you know how you can use a young earth text in a creative way!).
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hylabrook1
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My idea of a good subject for 6th grade is to study the various biomes of the world. The library usually has series of books that cover these areas, one book per biome; getting a set of books in the same format makes comparisons/contrasts easier, imho. We used a series that covered Taiga, Tundra, Temperate Deciduous Forest, Desert, Tropical Rain Forest, etc. It was really cool, also, to move beyond the specific books in the series,and to link location, climate, zoology, botany, cultures, and many other topics as they relate to the different parts of the world. You could really emphasize whichever parts have the most appeal, and there is lots of scope for projects and activities.
Peace,
Nancy
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Kristie 4
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OOOO...sounds good Nancy! The Planet Earth dvds would go nicely with that study (my kids have learned so much from them).
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AtHomeScience
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hylabrook1 wrote:
| My idea of a good subject for 6th grade is to study the various biomes of the world. The library usually has series of books that cover these areas, one book per biome; getting a set of books in the same format makes comparisons/contrasts easier, imho. |
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One series in particular I like is One Small Square by Donald Silver. There's a dozen different environments including your own back yard!
You could also consider introducing classification and dissection. Home Science Tools has an Intermediate Dissection Kit that would go well with such a study.
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JodieLyn
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We tend to do science sorta free form.. but my husband minored in Botany so any time outside with him usually involves a "lesson" on plants  and weather, and climate and to some extent animals.. and I keep books on hand about various science type things.. astronomy, biology, botany, etc.
My FIL just gave us a box of science experiments on energy that we've been doing with our small home school group.
I don't plan on doing anything more formal until high school.. maybe 8th grade.
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EmilyC
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hylabrook1 wrote:
My idea of a good subject for 6th grade is to study the various biomes of the world. The library usually has series of books that cover these areas, one book per biome; getting a set of books in the same format makes comparisons/contrasts easier, imho. We used a series that covered Taiga, Tundra, Temperate Deciduous Forest, Desert, Tropical Rain Forest, etc. It was really cool, also, to move beyond the specific books in the series,and to link location, climate, zoology, botany, cultures, and many other topics as they relate to the different parts of the world. You could really emphasize whichever parts have the most appeal, and there is lots of scope for projects and activities.
Peace,
Nancy |
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I think this sounds very promising. I'll have to see if dd would like to do something like this. I like the idea of adding in the Planet Earth dvds. I can even see having the twins tag along.
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Emily,
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AtHomeScience
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Here's a couple of resources to check out if you are looking to put together your own program 
Windows to the Universe sounds like it is all about astronomy, but it actually covers all areas of science. Each topic has 3 levels, beginner, intermediate, and advanced.
I have not had a chance to check this one out much but it looks great: Middle School Science Lesson Plans. The name says it all, lol. Not much on biomes and ecosystems, though.
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Mackfam
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Adding...
Dr. Art's Guide to Science: Connecting Atoms, Galaxies, and Everything in Between - I haven't seen this and can't review it, but it gets great reviews on Amazon and looks so interesting!
There is a DVD available - Dr. Art Does Science by the same Dr. Art Sussman, PhD. Here is the Amazon link. (I wish this were available on Netflix, but as of this posting it isn't. Still...check your library offerings in case you want to preview it!)
Edited to say...this post was originally on this thread; I moved it because it really didn't fit there, but I thought it might be helpful here.
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Jen Mackintosh
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Mackfam
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EmilyC wrote:
| Design-your-own might end up being my only option, as it's so hard to find what I'm looking for. She really wants to do biology or life science. I would love something pre-planned, but it's so hard to find things that aren't young earth. |
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I'll see if I can add a few more resources for you to consider, Emily.
I realized that the above really didn't belong on the original thread I had posted it on, so I moved it here because both resources would be great for middle school science. They are general science resources.
More life science specific resources...
Life Science teaching tips from Homeschool Science.
Ideas for Life Science Projects
And, check out the newsletter archives for Life Sciences
Also, I've linked this a few places here (ekbell was the first person to link this resource, and I've always been grateful because I find it invaluable!) Science Scope by Kathryn Stout is an amazing tool. It is a scope and sequence for K-12 science and is so helpful in building a program. Like many here, I don't do too much formal in the younger grades, but I would say our home is pretty hands-on science rich. I was delighted to start using the above scope and sequence as a guide for covering concepts.
If you happen to have CHC's Guide for the Middle School Years, there is a science guide in there, Science in a Nutshell by Holly Pierlot that I find very helpful as well.
In terms of books, there are a couple of good booklists that help me -
Living Book List for Science
Grammar Stage Science Book List
Elementary Science at MacBeth's Opinion - great resource!
Hope there are some resources for you to consider here, Emily!
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Jen Mackintosh
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Topic: Biology or life science for 6th grade?
