Science ala WTM-style for 5th

[Mom2legomaniacs]

For those of you that have followed that path, can you tell me what you have done that works and what does not? I don't want anything too labor intensive on my part. But I just can't settle on a text with any good feelings. So, I think I just might follow the WTM suggestions. Can anyone give advice for going this way please?
thanks

[mcconnellboys]

I have my biology for fifth planned out for next year. I'm using How Nature Works as my spine for the first semester and How the Body Works as my spine for the second semester (with library books on topic for the whole year). I'm also adding in a Botany study by Kym Wright (RRC), but you certainly wouldn't have to do this.

If you'd like my plan, just let me know and I'll be glad to send it to you,

Regena

[Mom2legomaniacs]

I would love to see what you are doing! Thanks! Where did you get the books? I am really thinking this is the way I want to go now.

Thanks Regena! You have helped me once again! :)

[Melora in NC]

I was thinking about doing this for us for 5th, but have decided on MPH Singapore instead. I did buy How the Body Works from Amazon, and borrowed How Nature Works from the library. Both of these have loads of information, and are very well organized & appealing. How Nature Works is (or was recently) available from Half.com & Amazon (used), and How the Body Works is still in print.

[Lorna]

We are using 'How Nature Works' as a spine at the moment for both our two. We have used 'How the Earth Works' in the past and really enjoyed it.
I have supplemented with the book 'Life of Mammals' by David Attenborough as a read aloud and when we are finished with a chapter we are going onto watching the respective television episode on DVD (we do this on the 'tired days' when we get back from swimming. We may also read 'Life of Plants'. The books are quite different to the series and so they take the subject to some depth.
We have also been using the free resources on Ellen McHenry's website which are a fabulous companion (the Rumination Game is such a cool idea!). In fact they are so fabulous that when we are finished this we are going onto using her 'The Elements' curriculum and 'The Brain'. They are very complete with activities, games, good reading, memorisation songs and experiments. If you click on the 'science' part of my signature it should take you to them.

[mcconnellboys]

I will email it to you because it's too long to attach. I've heard that the RD books are OOP now, but I've found them for others on Amazon and Half.com, etc. There are lots of them out there. I also have seen them in area Half Price Bookstores.

Regena

[strider]

I am *loving* this series! It's thorough and the experiments are do-able. We really like the extra writing assignments (my dd likes researching and writing). We also like the one-topic-per-book approach.

I supplement with Usborne books and some biographies as they fit the topic at hand.

[Mom2legomaniacs]

I have been looking at the Prentice Hall stuff but just cannot make up my mind on this subject! It is the final holdout for the plans for next year. It is really annoying that I cannot decide what I want to use for this.
I will have them in 5th and 2nd next year. I have everything else, for the most part, decided on except science. I have read some things about how middle school science texts are not that great. I have read about some inaccuracies in the PH series. I just don't know what to do! And why is this driving me so nuts? I don't know but I wish it would become clear so I can move on, you know!

[Mrs Mungo]

I'm using these for my eldest daughter:
http://tinyurl.com/2yxs3p

We have (so far) used the Life Science and the Earth Science books. They are pretty good. They give me a lot of ideas, they weren't too expensive and are easy for me to supplement with the How ___ Works books, Janice VanCleave experiment books and Science in a Nutshell kits. I feel it's better than just doing experiements and such because it helps me see how well she understands the material. And it presents the material in a different way than I do which I think is important for her to experience. eta: And they are better than a typical textbook because they deal with one area of science per book. Therefore, you can still do science TWTM way.