Sunday, July 20, 2008

Considering God's Creation: a Science curriculum.


There is a difference between a *hands on* learner & an *arts 'n' crafts kid*. I've had both sorts so I'm pretty aware of the differences. Ditz is in the latter category. We are talking a kid who won't do the science experiments, won't use manipulatives for math, thinks *acting out* for history too silly for words & promptly acquires *brain fog* if you suggest she should at least try these things.

Now this is not necessarily a problem for things like English (somehow drama is acceptable) or history (because we can draw lots) or math (which is not usually taught in a hands on manner anyway) but becomes excruciatingly difficult with science which seems to think people need to do things in order to learn about them. I have a fellow feeling for friends who banned science experiments when their child scorched a huge hole in their new carpet.

So finding a science curriculum that accommodates my child's predominant learning style becomes something of a challenge, especially when it's coupled with giftedness in non academic areas. Brains to burn if you can just do it right.

Our main science curriculum is Apologia. It's a great curriculum...& Ditz is struggling big time. It requires academic aptitude. Not Ditz's forte. I suffer from the same sort of blonde moments as my daughter so ordered science as our bible curriculum. I don't even want to ask how I got there but got there we did.


So Considering God's Creation is the curriculum I should have ordered for science & didn't. We get to do it anyway. If you don't like cutting & pasting & colouring don't ever order this curriculum. There's lots of cutting & lots of pasting & plenty of colouring & Ditz & I are perfectly content because we are happy to cut & paste & colour. This is an almost perfect curriculum for a visual/spatial learner. There is variety ~ of subject & approach.

Ditz had a ball putting all the flower bits together. She was less enthused about grasshopper bits or snake heads



The comic strip Bird in Flight , which makes the duck appear to actually be flying charmed her ~ as an artist!






I'm not sure what age this is aimed at. The CD is a little young for us so we haven't used it & because it's a supplementary curriculum I haven't followed the guidelines all that closely. What I do know is that freed of the high academic expectations of Apologia, freed of Scientific method & experimentation, & the need to be strictly factual Ditz still enjoys her science.

As an abstract, speculative, theoretical thinker myself I am less concerned with a strictly scientific approach to science. I prefer, like Mary to 'ponder these things in my heart' so that walking at night under the stars with Ditz & Liddy, speculating on the true nature of black holes & whether if we could get a camera big enough & far enough out into space it would really be possible to *photograph the past*, to speculate whether Hawkins expanding/shrinking universe is in fact *breathing*...so that Liddy charmed exclaimed, 'I never knew that! Why don't they teach science like that in school?'

I know there is a place for real science but I will never make a scientist & I'm pretty sure Ditz won't either. We still have a deep appreciation for certain aspects of science...in our own strange, quirky, artsy way. OK so photosynthesis is a word Ditz has already forgotten but her carnivorous plant garden is awesome! Guess which I prefer!

8 comments:

Constance said...

Thanks for stopping by and "visiting". I finished blogging about the trip this morning. While I was riding a bus up there, I met a lady from Sydney who was on "holiday". She was really nice!

Those lemons are gi-normous (as my kids would say!) What exactly is lemon butter? is it like a filling for pies and such?

Connie

Mrs. Darling said...

Oh mercy, I cant tell you how I hate science in any form! Tink does well at textbook learning so I just have her in Abeka science and she answers the questions in the textbook. For hands on science I send her out to take community classes. Seriously! LOL

Diane Shiffer said...

oh my! i can't thank you enough for this detailed review of this curriculum! as i said in another comment, i happen to have it sitting around the house. up to this point the girls were too old for it, but noah was still a bit young. my next years' science is all planned for what with the unit study we'll be doing, but 2009 i think i'll have noah and millen use this.

we are heavy into cutting/coloring/pasting 'round here;)

Diane Shiffer said...

ok, maybe i'm crazy, but you got me so excited about this, i went and pulled out mine and i think i might actually attempt to do this in conjunction with the prairie primer unit study. am i heading for a complete burn-out do you think???

molytail said...

Yay! Thank you for putting up photos of its "stuff" and everything you've said here! The bits on CBD just mostly showed the table of contents....ha, they should hire you to do their review/showing LOL ..much better with the details. *grin*

Now Miss Cinders loves the hands-on stuff (heh, you mentioned acting out - if you'd only seen the whole Copernicus thing in our kitchen last fall LOL) but she also loves the crafty - colour, glitter, paint, decorate, etc etc (There's a large marker drawing of a sinking Titanic gracing our kitchen wall as I speak LOL)....They've got this for sale at the nearest HS store to us, it might wind up ordered in before the week is out. :-)

Oh and mostly what I've read has it geared for multiple ages, from younger elementary up into junior high, depending on how a person uses it and if they go farther in depth etc etc etc (so says websites anyway) ... I don't go a whole lot by "ages" or "grades" anyway, having a girl who's all over the board.

>^..^<

Ganeida said...

O.K., ladies, as a *visual* myself I like pics. I don't know anything I can't *see.* Glad they helped. Diane, what I've been doing is the interesting bits that Ditz wants to do in conjunction with that part of Apologia. I'd do the same if I were you & choose those things that match up with your other curriculum ~ & not do everything. It can still be used at a later date as the craft things can always be photocopied according to your copyright regulations. We get 10%. Just check but I'm pretty sure this curriculum allows photocopying for multiple children so long as it's for your own use only.

Connie ~ yep, the lemon butter can be used as a pie filling, or a spread for toast, pancakes or waffles. The recipe's in the comments section of the original post as Heidi is going to try & make some.

MrsD, Abeka bored us & Apologia is proving harder than expected. I don't mind science so long as no~one wants me to be overly *scientific*. lol. I hate experiments like poison!

Moly, go look & see if it will work. There is more workbook type stuff but the crafty stuff is what makes it a winner for us.

Diane Shiffer said...

ganeida... actually, what you suggest sounds like a great idea! i needed visuals and other things to kinda "flesh out" (pun intended, tee hee) the science aspects of the prairie primer. this looks like it'll work out just nifty! thanks so much- i'd never have thought to even dig it out if it weren't for you:)

Ganeida said...

You are most welcome, Diane. I actually originaly posted for Moly here & her Miss Cinders...a Ditz clone. lol. I was pleased you enjoyed Skara Brae too as I thought of you when I posted...knowing what a homey kitcheny woman you are. :D

I get upset with the currics that post tables of contents but never let you *see* how it all actually works. This is a better fit for Ditz at present though we will persevere with the Apologia as Ditz comprehends just fine & it's *proper* science & less play. It's retaining the scientific gobbleydook we're having trouble with not the actual work. I'm not sure that's important but that's what they test on & what do I know about science? I'm a Language & Lit major & so long as you can support your arguement there is no such thing as being wrong.:P