Earth Science...what do you like for this?

[tess in the burbs]

I am making my lists of books to purchase for our fall studies and Earth Science is still open...

I am still seriously considering using the Easy Classical (www.easyclassical.com) 2nd grade science schedule, but wanted to see what else is out there first. I do plan on using Apologia's Astronomy for the space portion. But what else have you used that you liked for the rocks and stuff???

thanks for sharing :)

[Sue G in PA]

along with Apologia's Atronomy. CKE Earth and Space includes Astronomy but not as in depth as Apologia. We used CKE Biology this year (some units, not all) and I likes the layout. CKE Earth and Space includes units on the atmosphere, weather, volcanoes, rocks and minerals, earthquakes, etc. You can see samples at Christianbook.com.

[Kat in GA]

We really liked R.E.A.L science Earth/Space at Pandia Press (http://www.pandiapress.com/real_science.htm)

[Uccnorsworth]

If you are still looking for options for Earth Science, you may want to join Enchanted Learning. This is a website FULL of activities that are able to be used. Basically, you would just want to look at any scope and sequence for any of the purchased curriculums. Then, you would use these topics to locate information on the EL sight. They have information that begins at rudimentary and goes up to pretty advanced. This is what I have planned. By the way, suggested activities, questions, quizzes, projects, and experiments are available on this site.

[Lorna]

The Practical Encyclopedia of Rocks and Minerals by John Farndon

256 pages, over 1000 colour photographs and illustrations.

We used this book for identification. It also has detailed, well-written chapters about geology. It is a beautiful, inspiring book. It is the sort of book which you can use throughout k-adult.

[Kate in Arabia]

I used a basic kids book, similar to this one:

http://www.amazon.com/Planet-Earth-Kingfisher-Young-Knowledge/dp/0753459345/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1204623301&sr=1-1

that covered all the topics, but with little depth. Then I pulled together supplementary stuff that correlated to the topics. I used quite a few of Seymour Simon's books (both for earth studies and for the space part of our studies), like:

http://www.amazon.com/Weather-Seymour-Simon/dp/0060884398/ref=pd_bbs_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1204623497&sr=1-1

And I got 3-4 Science in a Nutshell kits that related to the topics, like:

http://www.delta-education.com/productdetail.aspx?Collection=Y&prodID=1019


For our writing, we made small posters that we put on the wall for each topic. So ds would write the title, and captions, and we found pictures we cut out of magazines (travel magazines are really good for this), like pictures of clouds or the sea or what have you.. and anything else we found interesting, from Enchanted Learning, etc. etc.

hth!

Kate

[AngelBee]

Trying to figure this out.

[kristinannie]

:iagree:We really liked R.E.A.L science Earth/Space at Pandia Press (http://www.pandiapress.com/real_science.htm)

[mcconnellboys]

I used www.msnucleus.org last year for my primary "spine". I haven't looked at their elementary level work but their middle school level work was really solid.....

[swellmomma]

For earth science this year we are using apologia for astronomy; lapbooks, dvds and experiments for volcanoes and earthquakes, S&S and evan moor "science works" books for rocks & minerals(geology), atmosphere, water and soil studies. Weather will be using an usborne weather encyclopedia, a variety of weather books, a few science kit like climate cubes and a bunch of dvds. Oceanography will be with "Once upon a sea shore" sold through acorn naturalists. Certainly a mix of various things, definitely eclectic in my house.

[Terabith]

I'm looking at Mr. Q. My original thought was to do Child's Geography and Apologia Astronomy, but the fact that we are really, really not young earth creationists is giving me pause with the Apologia. Has anyone successfully edited that part of it?

[ChandlerMom]

I'm looking at Mr. Q. My original thought was to do Child's Geography and Apologia Astronomy, but the fact that we are really, really not young earth creationists is giving me pause with the Apologia. Has anyone successfully edited that part of it?

Astronomy is tricky. My kids like to leaf through their texts and books, so I personally cannot have textbooks in my home where I would feel the need to try to explain to a grammar stage kid that "this part is ok but they're wrong about that part". I mean, how would my kids be able to trust the rest of the material? How would I? It's easier to finesse this in other subjects, but YE is not compatible with science. There are a few good secular choices, so I've chosen to stick with those. I've found a few really good kids books on big bang theory, history of the universe, and evolution as well to supplement their curriculum.

If you want to use Apologia, I'd definitely look through the materials yourself and see how pervasive the offending material is and then decide if it is worth the effort. Astronomy and biology are hard to understand without understanding the 9 billion or so years of our universe's history. YMMV and ultimately depends on how strongly you feel.

[ondreeuh]

We did REAL Science Odyssey (RSO) Earth & Space last year with my 8 y/o and we thought it was REALLY dry and boring. Way too simple. We learned more from library books. One I liked so much I bought it - Exploring Our Solar System. Honestly I think videos and books with pictures are the best way to teach Astronomy, and then for Earth Science add in some simulations of plate tectonics, create a biome, make a model of landforms ... stuff like that.

Intellego has a computer-based unit study for astronomy that includes hands-on projects - check that out.

[Terabith]

Astronomy is tricky. My kids like to leaf through their texts and books, so I personally cannot have textbooks in my home where I would feel the need to try to explain to a grammar stage kid that "this part is ok but they're wrong about that part". I mean, how would my kids be able to trust the rest of the material? How would I? It's easier to finesse this in other subjects, but YE is not compatible with science. There are a few good secular choices, so I've chosen to stick with those. I've found a few really good kids books on big bang theory, history of the universe, and evolution as well to supplement their curriculum.

If you want to use Apologia, I'd definitely look through the materials yourself and see how pervasive the offending material is and then decide if it is worth the effort. Astronomy and biology are hard to understand without understanding the 9 billion or so years of our universe's history. YMMV and ultimately depends on how strongly you feel.

Yeah.....that's what I thought. I may just do Mr. Q and read lots of extra books about astronomy. I don't think Apologia is gonna work. I've liked Mr. Q's life science. Assuming his earth science is good too.