R.E.A.L. Science Odyssey, Earth & Space (level one) - Softcover

Terri Williams

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0976605732 ISBN 13: 9780976605737

Publisher: Pandia Press, 2009

Synopsis

You will find R.E.A.L. Science Odyssey (RSO) to be unlike any other science curricula available. It is written specifically for home and small classroom use. Packed full of serious science and loads of fun, it is an incremental program that gently builds on itself and incorporates mathematics, scientific method, and science terminology. Created with the science novice in mind, you don t need any science background to teach RSO. Each book of RSO level one is a complete one-year science curriculum. Each topic in the RSO series of books is presented in an entertaining story-like format and is followed by hands-on activities along with background science information, parent instructions, labs, reading lists, journaling ideas, and websites. We strongly believe children benefit from using scientific method at an early age. RSO level one infuses scientific method and age-appropriate mathematics in every course. Students learn how to speculate, hypothesize, experiment, and conclude. Observation skills are developed through sketch drawings and written descriptions. Analytical skills are encouraged through comparing, forming questions, and interpretations. Students make age-appropriate calculations, plot results, make graphs, and diagram information, just like R.E.A.L. scientists! RSO Earth & Space (level one) is appropriate for 1st to 4th grade. Topics include weather, seasons, the earth, minerals, rocks, our solar system, and space. Students study the weather and atmosphere with several hands-on labs including making an anemometer, a rain gage, and water cycle in a bowl. Rocks and minerals are studied in depth with students identifying their samples through the same tests used by geologists. Each planet in our solar system is studied individually as students make their own planet book. Earth & Space has recently been revised to include changes to the status of Pluto and the definition of planet. Each topic and/or subtopic will include 1 to 3 lessons complete with lesson story, labs, reading, and other activities. Each topic will take anywhere from 1 to 4 weeks to complete. Remember your child will also be having a whole lot of fun. Also included in this scope are laughing, playing, digging, exploring, reading, singing, and begging for more RSO!

About this title

Review

The R.E.A.L. Science Odyssey Series: Three volumes of a projected twelve are available thus far in this science series designed for those pursuing a classical form of education. Each volume should require one school year to complete. You might use the volumes in any order you please. Volumes purposely narrow the field of topics for each year to provide more in-depth and hands-on study of topics rather than shallowly covering a broad range of topics as is often done in standard textbooks. Lessons follow a sequence so that they build one upon another, both in progression of topics and in use and review of vocabulary. It should take a full school year to complete each volume. The author accurately describes this as both a classical curriculum and a hands-on, minds-on; program. Each lesson is built around hands-on activities, but students are also challenged to think about what they are doing and learning rather than simply enjoying the activities and making observations. Since the books I reviewed are for children in grades 1-4 (grammar stage), one finds the coverage of vocabulary and basic facts expected in a classical curriculum. However, I was pleased to note that even these Level One books often take children beyond the grammar stage into more thought-provoking analysis. This is a great introduction to the use of scientific method. Also, while an extensive amount of vocabulary is taught, children learn the vocabulary through usage and exposure rather than memorization. Students each create their own notebook with reproducible activity and information pages from the book. Families are given permission to reproduce pages for children in their immediate family. When you order, you need to choose either the loose leaf version [no longer available] or the bound version with perforated pages. Pages in both are easily removable for copying. Students are also encouraged to keep a science journal. Suggestions for journaling are at the front of each volume. The amount of writing required for the activities is very reasonable, but journaling might significantly increase the amount of writing. Each lesson begins with a list of materials needed. A comprehensive list at the front of the book will help you gather or purchase all the items in advance so you don't end up scrambling to find what you need as you begin each lesson. Many are common household items like tongs, funnel, ice pick, stapler, cheese grater, dry erase marker, kitchen knife, tweezers, cookie sheet, and glue. You will likely have to order others like an inflatable globe, outdoor thermometer, rock and mineral kit, gram scale, glass eyedropper, binoculars, fish net, and a metal Slinky. (Sources are suggested for the unusual items.) Next in each lesson after the materials list is a paragraph in bold typeface that parents might read aloud to their children to introduce the topic and, perhaps, some of the vocabulary. Then it is time to move directly into the lab activity. Activity sheets are provided for students to record observations or data, make drawings, or fill in the blanks. Younger children (and maybe even some fourth graders) are likely to find some of the math over their heads. Different types of measurements are used throughout the lessons. so children will use both the metric and English systems, and they will learn to measure or count length, volume, time, repetitions, etc. They also do so simple graphing. Notebook pages are written directly to children. These present the key ideas and vocabulary for each lesson. --Cathy Duffy Reviews

Edition details

• Publisher: Pandia Press
• Publication date: 2009
• ISBN 10: 0976605732
• ISBN 13: 9780976605737
• Binding: Paperback
• Language: English
• Number of pages: 346
• Illustrator: Terri Williams