Sunrise and Science....

I must say, the only good thing about the time change this week are the sunrises! We've been fortunate enough lately to have some gorgeous weather... sunny and warm, with beautiful mornings like this one!

I'm betting if you've been reading this blog for a while, you will know that I really wanted BFSU to work for us. I made flowcharts for two out of the three volumes. I made library and video lists. But somehow, it never gelled for us. Still, I found myself at The Boy's fencing practice last Saturday morning, and then again on Tuesday afternoon, going through my much-marked-up copy of BFSU. What is it about that curriculum that fascinates me so much? I think it is a few things that keep sucking me in: the fact that it integrates the various threads of science and shows how science is all interconnected; that it covers so many topics, and that you can go as shallow or deep as you prefer with each one; and that it sets a student up very well for higher level sciences later on.

But actually implementing it has been a drag, and I'm not sure why.

In the meantime, we're having some fun with a couple of books...

    

Both these books are exceptionally well-written. The first was a recommendation I stumbled across on a homeschooling forum, the second came up in a library search when I was looking for something on the web of life, how everything is interconnected, to go with the first book. I really like it (as do the kids)! Very readable, and child friendly, and interesting, without being cluttered as some books are. We might even set aside the first book for a little while while reading through this one, as I am trying to simplify!

Reading aloud chapter one, about air, from You Are the Earth, we came across topics ranging from how the body breathes and processes oxygen, what the atmosphere is composed of, the ozone layer and pollution, and much more. Then I had a kind of a ha! moment! So now I am thinking of compiling a list of all the topics/threads covered in BFSU, and brief notes about each topic. Then, as we read through books like the two above, and The Magic of Reality, and Science Matters, and so forth over the next couple of years, I can mark off what topics/threads we cover, and bring in trade books to cover anything we miss. It is still a very much in-progress idea...

Oh, and I had what I think is a brilliant idea for actually getting nature study done! Nearly every Friday afternoon is spent at our beloved Park Day, a gathering with a smallish group of fellow homeschoolers at a local, regional park. Each week, we notice something... woodpeckers, or fungi, moths, or an interesting tree. So I thought, what if I read to them about whatever it is we noticed from The Handbook of Nature Study after we get home, but before dinner that evening, and they can draw a picture for their nature notebooks/journals? That just might do the trick!

Hope you're enjoying your week! We are sure enjoying ours!