Science is a hard subject for me. I grew up in the public school system where science was taught from a book and we did the occasional hands on project. I found science to be dry and boring, and I had no interest in learning it. Since becoming a home school family I have done well with teaching the kids every subject except science. This subject is my arch-enemy but I was determined to defeat it!
Science Shopping Around
I have tried teaching from packet curriculum and that was just plain boring. Some people learn well through packets but I was falling asleep while trying to teach them. Then I tried to use a curriculum where I would read over the lesson then try to convey the information to the kids and make it fun. That method required more planning than my free spirit could muster up! Then I just gave up on science for a while and took some time to pray and think about this mole hill that had become a mountain in my life.
During this time I was still looking for that perfect curriculum, and nothing was coming up. But something really neat and fun started to happen. My kids would ask a question about a science topic and we would spend the next 20 minutes talking, looking in books, and researching on the internet. My kids were learning science and we were not even trying! Their natural curiosity is our scope and sequence – and science is now fun.
Learning Science Through Living
When one of the boys brings me a bug (dead or alive) we look at and talk about its body parts, what the bug eats, where it lives, how it helps us and how it hinders us. When grandpa came and cut down some trees we stood over the stump and counted rings to learn the tree’s age, and we talked about how the tree helped us to breath. There was no planning, no fill in the blank; we were learning through living our everyday life.
I still have not found the perfect science curriculum and I have quit looking. One thing I have found that helps to spark thoughts and conversations are living books. I like to read books that have a good story line but also give you factual information to soak in. We are currently reading The Swiss Family Robinson, and we cannot make it through two pages without stopping to talk about something. There have been times where we set the book to the side for a moment so we could do an impromptu hands on science lesson.
Learning through living life is not always easy for me to do. I was taught through textbooks, so my instinct is to stick with them. However the kids and I learn more and have more fun when we learn as we live. So while it’s working, I’m going to keep doing it.
I love your description of learning through living. It reminds me of Psalm 111:2 which says “Great are the works of the Lord, studied by all who delight in them.” Sounds like your kids are really learning to delight in the greatness of God!
Excellent, Jillian. Children learn best what interests them. And all the science lessons in Swiss Family…I could never get them all in!