We’ve been using the Introductory Science program from Science Shepherd.
The program is a complete science curriculum for younger children that covers all the basics from a Christian viewpoint. Each day we watch a two to three minute video and then answer a few questions in the corresponding workbook. There are two levels of workbooks. We’re using Level A which is intended for children ages 6-8. Some days our workbook includes activities such as word finds and labeling pictures, and once or twice a week there are also quick and simple hands on activities that go with the lessons.
The workbook is really for just one child, but I’ve been watching the videos each day with both Artist (age 9) and Boo (age 6) and then having them take turns answering the questions and doing the workbook activities. The videos are all available to watch whenever you want so you can work at your own pace, which was nice because we were all sick for a week and didn’t do much school, but were easily able to double up on our science the next week.
The first couple weeks focus on Genesis 1 and the fact that God created everything and gave man dominion over the earth so that we would take care of and protect it. It felt at first a little more like a Bible curriculum than science, and because my girls already knew the material they lost interest a bit. However, it did point out some really good fundamental truths that are always good to reiterate.
In week four we got to dive into meteorology.
The lessons spend 3 weeks on meteorology and start with the absolute basics, like what it’s called when liquid water (as opposed to frozen water) falls from the sky. We went on to learn about the atmosphere, the water cycle, why we have seasons, how storms are formed, etc.
Our favorite thing about studying meteorology was the fun, hands on, simple science activities!
Even Smiles who’s only 2 was able to participate in the activity exploring the water cycle by filling one can with ice water and another with warm water then observing the outside of the cans.And everyone loved the activity that helped us picture what happens in the air when there’s a storm. Boo exclaimed, “Science is pretty!” which made me laugh. But she wasn’t wrong, the swirling colors in the water were rather beautiful.
All in all, Introductory Science seems to truly be a great introduction to all types of science, from geology to oceanography to astronomy to life science and more. It seems like the curriculum is really going to hit just about everything. Of course in order to cover ALL THE THINGS in a year, you can’t delve too deeply into any one thing.
Since my girls are both huge science lovers, the videos rarely contained information they didn’t already know, but it is called Introductory Science so I really should have expected that. Science is also a subject that we typically pretty much unschool. My girls watch science related shows, do experiments using their science kits, research their favorite animals, look at blades of grass with their microscope and so on. Which means that having them sit down and go through an actual curriculum with strictly educational videos (as opposed to shows that have more of an entertainment factor) and answer workbook questions was something that felt comparatively boring to them.
I imagine a first or second grade kid who hasn’t yet done much science and is used to more structured school than what we do around here could gain a lot from this course. 🙂
You can see what other reviewers think of Science Shepherd, including their Biology and Life Science programs at the Schoolhouse Review Crew link up.
