Science and our approach (backstory)

Our approach to teaching Luk this year has been rather slow. As I have been putting together his portfolio for the coming year I have had he great pleasure of going through the curriculum I bought last year for this year. We have been using some of the Maps Charts and Graphs on and off, Right Start Mathematics, and we have been doing a bit of unschooling in the Science department because Luk LOVES exotic animals... well, any animal, really. River Monsters, anyone?

We moved and my father had surprise quadruple bypass so we have had some set backs. Which is fine since this year has been a very relaxed school setting, but now it's time to fully get into action and finish these books. =D

Luk has completed Explode the Code Book 1, I didn't start him on Book 2 because we used Book 1 1/2 for its' sentence structuring and building. So, he is about half away done with the work I am having him do on that, which is six lessons. Funny thing is he is already doing Book 2 work in the library books he has read. We may breeze through that one quickly.

However, to the confirmation bit that is mentioned in the title. There's always a question in the beginning if you have chosen the right curriculum for your family. Only you and your spouse can determine that with guidance from God. Our decision to do Real Science 4 Kids was something that I had not expected originally.

**Here's a bit of back-story**

Two years ago I went to the FPEA Convention was completely and utterly overwhelmed, but grabbed every brochure I could get my hands on. For that next year, I did research on everything I had (yes, it was about 100 different vendors) unit study curriculum, made for you scope, etc. I looked at it all. My husband thought I was a bit obsessive... anyway, he appreciated it when last year's convention came around. I knew where to go what to look at, etc. He was happy about that. So, we head straight to Apologia for science. Love it, still do, however out of all the curriculum I had picked and we had looked at this was the only one my husband and I were not 100% sold on. The problem we ran into with it was that we did not feel that it was geared towards K-3. It says that it is geared towards K-6, however we did not think this was so (side note- We will be getting this after grade 3). Now, this may work for others of this age, but for us we thought it was a bit geared more towards older elementary. The work books, the text were geared more to upper elementary students. The notebook is more journaling and the notebooking approach (which I love), but for a Kindergarten not so much.

Here is an example of the Apologia text:

 
So, we agreed to find something more ... ... K-3, where written wasn't a primary, but more experience. We began looking around and came across a small booth where Real Science 4 Kids was set up. Let's just say we loved it. Pre-Level Biology, Chemisty, and Physics is geared towards K-3, and Dr. Keller was a homeschooling mom that couldn't find just right science source for her kiddos. I think she does an excellent job in making these science topics easy to understand for our little guys.

Here is the Real Science 4 Kids:

(You can see this book to its entirety on the website linked above)

As with any science their is a lab and workbook. I was working on making copies of this for the portfolio, and I just had a great confirmation in choosing this curriculum. The pages have some writing in it (more in the first lab than the others), but this is what I liked about the workbook is its' focus on observation. The following labs make the child draw the observations they make. Plants growth, protozoa eating phases, butterfly metamorphosis, tadpole to frogs phase (my least favorite, OH DAD! You get this one. Have I mentioned he has two pet water frogs?), and observing the life cycle. The experiment book is full of areas to show observation.

Confirmation, it is important to get it when you are deciding your children's education. By the way, I am in NO way getting or making money off RS4K, but I do think it is a curriculum that is not popular in my area and I needed to share.

My approach to science to tackle it and run with it (picture Dwight Freeney if you will).
Need help with that, here ya go:

I'm have no fear of tackling evolution or any other world view. Bring it on. So, with that there is a **side-note: Apologia will be our choice of study once Luk is in fourth grade. Dr. Keller is not one that believes that creationism is all correct, but she doesn't think that evolutionism is all correct either. She also has a complex with "Intelligent Design." So, as the levels get more advanced you WILL see where  she focuses on this, "Today I find myself betwixt and between, to the right and to the left, in the middle and yet with a panoramic view of all three viewpoints. By many, it can be seen as the nether world of scientific thought–standing for everything and therefore standing for nothing. But a panoramic view may be the best solution for the worldview wars over science education, and it may ultimately be the most useful and productive approach for science." **

As Christ-followers we most certainly believe in Creationism. So, with that for foundational science I like the way she introduces the facts. However, with that I can teach my boys the views of others with our worldview being held strong by my husband and me.  These facts taught by me will be taught as the way God intended to make these things. His intricate design for all the world. She does not push anything as an agenda either. Observation is key in these three books (Biology, Chemistry, & Physics). I think for a beginning science it starts off good, and will compliment the introduction to Apologia well since he will have more reading/writing skills and after this observational skills.

I feel good about bringing the knowledge of science without fear, but with strong practice of observing what God has designed.