Homeschool Science Curriculum- How do I Teach Elementary Science at Home and Make it Fun?

Creative Teaching Series

You Can Design a Science Curriculum Tailored to your Elementary School Age Child

Keep in mind that science in the younger years should be focused on exploration and excitement. This is an essential component of the Charlotte Mason philosophy. Children are naturally curious about the world so you need to provide abundant learning opportunities for them. A great way to do that is to have access to beautiful living science books that cover a variety of topics. Also, be willing to go outside and explore. This will allow your children to fall in love with the natural world around them!

How do I Design My Own Science Curriculum Based on My Child’s Interests?

If you are anything like me, you struggle to fit your kids into a box of pre-packaged science curriculum. I have decided to be the creator of my children’s science education. Now I know that not everyone wants to take the time to do this, but for those of you homeschool moms who are able, you first need to be open minded and flexible. You can put together a fun science curriculum that works with your child’s interests.

You can put together a FUN science curriculum that works with your child’s interests.

What Made Me Change My Mind-from textbook to Living Picture Books:

When I started homeschooling my kids, I was a firm believer in the need to use textbooks to teach science to my kids (I was coming from a career as a public School educator). It didn’t go so well, though. Trying to get my young children to sit still while I read from the science textbook was nearly impossible.

Thankfully, I had the opportunity to start teaching classes once a week at a learning center. The purpose of these classes was to provide enriching learning opportunities-not what I was used to as a public school teacher. Using my background in curriculum instruction, I designed a buffet-style class around unique and rare animals as well as mysterious places. I called it “Mysteries and Marvels in Our World.”

The class introduced newly discovered creatures, unique creatures, and mysterious places to the children. For example, we learned about the Crooked Forest in Poland, the Cone Snail, Bombardier Beetle, and so many other amazing places and animals. The kids (and me too) were in awe of what we were learning about. It quickly became super popular and I was able to teach it 3 semesters in a row and each semester it was full. I loved that class for so many reasons. One of the main reasons I loved it was because it taught me that I could teach about so many subjects and content areas using these fun creatures and interesting places. Kids learn best when they fall in love with what they are learning. Who doesn’t love the adorable Blobfish?

The Blobfish was one of the first unique animals that we learned about. I had never even heard about this animal until I did the research for the class curriculum. It quickly fascinated me. Using this creature as a “learning base” we covered habitat, density, depth, geography (where it lives using maps), food chain, art (we had to draw it :-), classification, and so much more.

So I figured I could plan out my science curriculum for my own children in that same way. And that is just what I did and you can too.

Now I organize and plan out my own children’s science curriculum (as well as history- but that is another post 🙂 and I integrate other subjects that they are learning. I even enjoy occasionally creating worksheets and activities that better suit my children’s interests. I am working on a tutorial that teaches other moms how to do that and will update a link to this post once I finish it (this will be especially for my fellow creative mamas!)

What is great about this strategy is that it also saves time in my homeschooling day. I don’t have to teach each subject separately. I can integrate reading, phonics, writing and so much more with core subjects like science and history. It also works for multiple ages.

Children LOVE Animals- Especially Unique and Interesting Ones- You Can Use that as a Hook!

This is a coloring book that I put together for my kids to go with the unique creatures we were learning about.

Creative Science- Learning about unusual creatures to cover a variety of science standards as well as other content areas.

Like I mentioned earlier, rather than teaching about animal habitats and adaptations as their own separate lessons. You can use content your child will be interested in and build their learning around that. First, go over the science topics and standards you want to teach over the year or semester for your child, then choose something that your child is super interested in. For example, you can choose an animal that your kids love. Use this animal as the “learning base” and make their education connected to what they enjoy.

Here are a couple of books that I used to teach about unique and creative creatures

Planning Out Your Year

When I plan for science for the year, I choose a couple of topics. I first talk to my kids and get an idea of what they are interested in. I take that into account, but I also know that there are some topics I will choose for them and I know that once they are exposed to the new topics and we learn about them in a creative and fun way, that they will fall in love with them. I use this planner to help guide what I teach my kids and make all the subjects connect as best as I can. It also helps me to focus on why I teach the way I teach.

You can also use this book by Rebecca Rupp called “Home Learning Year by Year”. It is a fantastic resource to help you organize and plan out your years of homeschooling.

Connected and Cohesive Learning

While what I am about to cover is often more work for the parent or teacher, it is important that your child’s learning be connected and cohesive. Connected and cohesive learning is when cross-curriculum learning goes on. Allowing subjects to cross in your child’s learning such as history, science, reading, phonics, and even math. When learning is disjointed, it not only takes longer to complete your school day, your child is left with thinking that each subject is separate. This is unfortunate because in learning science, you can teach writing, phonics, grammar, history, etc.

I have created a Homeschool Unit Study Planner where you can plan your own unit studies based on your kids interest. See the post and access your Planner by clicking here.

But Shouldn’t I use a textbook?

I do not use textbooks to teach my kids science. I will leave that for Middle School and High School. However, I do purchase science textbooks to help guide me when necessary, such as a when we are learning about human anatomy. I believe it is important to use beautifully illustrated living picture books to teach science to young children, however. Either going to the local library or investing in new and used books online or at the thrift store is essential to exposing amazing content to your kids. Here is a youtube video where I explain the five ways to build your homeschool library on a budget.

Textbooks in my opinion shouldn’t be used as your primary teaching tool. They are often dull and dry and lack beautiful engaging content (not always, but usually that is the case). Quality picture books and other living books that teach science content are much more appropriate for younger children.

Here are just a couple of science picture book that I like, however you can check out a more complete list here or scroll down to see picture book lists by subject area.

I am a BIOLOGY NUT!!!! I could study biology every year with my kids. Last year I designed a biology curriculum for my kindergartner and second grader. While I used the textbook personally, how I taught each topic to my children was through living picture books. I followed a set of topics that I wanted to cover over the year, however I tried to engage my child’s interests whenever possible. And we slowed down when they came to a topic they were fascinated by.

We purchased a high powered microscope and began to learn about the microscopic world. We went on field trips that connected our learning even further. Opportunities for digging deeper into subjects will come often. For us it came when we arrived at the Kingdom Protista during our learning about the classification of living things. We purchased amoebas, paramecium, and euglena. We watched them move around under our microscope. Then we sketched them into our nature journals. Now that was memorable learning!

I created this printable for my kids to record their microscope observations. It is available on TeachersPayTeachers.com

Side note: Nature journaling can be done with the microscopic world too. Things unseen are fascinating!!!

If you are able and interested, investing in a high quality microscope is a great way to get your children interested in the microscopic world around them. I use an Amscope microscope, which is an amazing brand.

Some Microscope Essentials if you are interested:

Quality Living Picture Books are a GREAT Way to Teach Science Content to Your Child

This year we are continuing our life science learning. My kids who are now first and third will be delving into anatomy and physiology. I have a textbook for my own reference. A textbook allows me to have a better understanding of what I want to basically cover even some of the technical words we may come across. The textbook is NOT for my kids, however. The goal of my science instruction is to provide a buffet style education. I offer the content and we slow down and explore when their is a high interest. We checkout or purchase books that correlate to the topics we are covering and then do hands-on activities and labs.

We are also going to do a brief overview of Chemistry this year (my daughter asked for this because to her chemistry means experiments). I have planned it into our school year, but I may be a bit over zealous. I was able to find a basic chemistry textbook to guide me as I plan out my children’s lessons, however, we will be using living science picture books to learn the concepts as well as LOTS of hands-on learning. I will let you know how it goes 🙂

Use Real and Technical Words When you Teach or Talk About Science

It is always tempting to simplify the vocabulary from science. I admit, some words are tough. We wonder if our child can even understand them. While at first your child may look at you puzzled when you say a difficult science word. With repetition in context, your child will begin to pick these more difficult words up. I have been using the scientific technical words since the beginning.

I have a funny memory of being in the hospital after having my son and my daughter, who was two at the time pointing at the doctor and saying “stethoscope”. It left the doctor shocked and he even asked her to repeat what she had said. I just thought it was so cute to hear her cute little voice saying it.

From the beginning I used real technical words to interact with my children about our surroundings. I don’t do it so they sound smart (remember Charlotte Mason encourages a humility in learning :-). Rather, I firmly believe that they are capable of using the real words that we all use daily.

Here Are Some of My Favorite Homeschool Planning Books

Get Creative

When teaching science get creative! Make lapbooks or fun books so that your child can document their learning. Check out this list of ways to get creative with science:

• dioramas
• stories
• newspapers
• news report for TV
• lapbook
• book
• art piece
• stop motion video
• song
• making their own board game or card game
• blog

You will notice that with each of these activities you can integrate your writing standards, reading standards, art, History, and so much more. At the end you will have an amazing contribution to your child’s learning portfolio. Let your child help pick out the best way to show their learning and allow some time for creativity.

SLOW DOWN and Let Children Take Their Time

Often textbooks chunk subjects into separate time blocks: 6 weeks for plants, 6 weeks for weather, etc. This is not how children’s minds learn. They need to be given their own time to explore and dive deeper into subjects that they find interesting. The goal is to make them fall in love with learning!

Where Do I Find Activities and Labs That Go With My Science Curriculum?

I like to research activities that I think my kids will enjoy. Pinterest is a great resource for homeschool science activities. It can be overwhelming however. Check out my Pinterest Board.

I am currently putting my Mysteries and Marvels Curriculum together so that I can share it with the world- well at least for those who love animals:-). Once that is ready I will post it.

Great Websites With More Fun and Creative Science Ideas

Creative Educator This site is full of fun ideas that you can integrate into your science teaching.

Home Science Tools is a fantastic resource for science activities. They are all about hands-on learning.

Check out these tips to build your homeschooling library on a budget:

How do you teach your children Science?

Have you found a curriculum that fits your kids? Have you found a textbook that your kids enjoy or that is useful to you as the educator?

Do you design your own science curriculum? What tips can you offer a homeschooling mom to help with teaching science to her children?

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