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Monday, February 5, 2007

In the process of creating earth science lessons


I'm around, I'm just busy creating earth science lessons for 2nd grade. Here's what I'm using.
The Usborne Internet-linked First Encyclopedia of Our World by F. Brooks, World and Space volume 4 of the Childcraft How and Why Library, The Usborne Internet-linked First Encyclopedia of Space by F. Brooks, Caron-Dellosa Publishing's Hands-On Earth Science by Phil Parratore, The Geography Book by Caroline Arnold and A Child's Introduction to the Night Sky by Michael Driscoll. I have other books as supplements but these are my main books that I couldn't do these lessons without. I also have My Calendar Book to be used as a year-long nature study about the weather which is published by Christian Light Publications; I bought it at RainbowResource.com for $2.95.

I'm also utilizing United Streaming this year. Just to give you an idea of what I'm doing, here's the first
lesson.

LESSON 1: OUR PLANET

4 First Encyclopedia of Our World: Read pages 4-5
4 My First Science Encyclopedia p. 7, Air and Atmosphere; p.21, Earth
4 World and Space (Childcraft): p.131 What’s Inside the Earth
4 Hands-On Earth Science: Cupcake Geology, p.14; Current Affairs, p.15
4 Science words: Earth, atmosphere, planet, mantle, inner core, outer core, crust

The Geography Book

4Read p41-45, The Land, The Continents
4 Activity: The Global Puzzle or Map Puzzle pg. 45

Books to Read
4 The Magic School Bus Inside the Earth by Joanna Cole*
4 What Your First Grader Needs to Know p.307-*
4 Air Is All Around You*
4 Journey to the Center of the Earth by Harris, Hincks, Gave
4 Planet Earth/Inside Out by Gail Gibbons
4 The Seven Continents (Rookie Read-About Geography) by Wil Mara
4 The Best Book of Fossils, Rocks, and Minerals by Chris Pellant
4 Rocks in His Head by Carol Otis Hurst (fiction)
4 The Pebble in my Pocket: A history of Our Earth by Meredith Hooper
4 I Can Be A Geologist by Paul Sipiera

Interactive Activities
Go to www.usborne-quicklinks.com
4 Take a Peek Inside Planet Earth
4 Try an Earth words quiz

United Steaming Videos
4 Junior Geologist: Our Planet Earth
4 This is Our World (15:00)
4 Air: A First Look (15:36)
4 Digging Through Earth (10:00)

The asterisk (*) notates books we have in our home library. I also plan to add Professor Noggins's Earth Science card game when I finish and possibly a few poems about the subject of each lesson. I've already got books stacked up in front of me so it will be easier to add them in once the bulk of the work is done. I've finished Lessons 1-10 out of 18 for earth science, and I plan on creating 15-17 lessons for space. It'll be finished soon, my goal is the end of this month. BUT, I have other commitments to attend to including some product reviews to finalize. (Tick, tick, tick goes the clock. Lol.)

Okay...the books extend further than the text so I guess I'll tell you that you can purchase the World and Space book at Amazon used very cheaply. Buying the Childcraft How and Why Library is one of the best investments I've made since we decided to homeschool. I picked them up at antique stores and thrift stores for $1.00-$2.00 each.

Yes, I will make all the lessons available. I just wanted to share HOW I do this because it's pretty simple once you collect the spines you want to use.

 

4 comments:

Anonymous said...

Hi Jessica,
WOW...I am blown away by your lesson plans! I just had to tell you that I have finally gotten a copy of TWTM on ebay for $12.00. Not bad! I also found the entire childcraft set at a yard sale last summer for $5.00. They really are wonderful resources to have. I just love being able to see your blog again. I am also working on next years lesson plans. YIKES...not my strong point. Have a blessed week! ~Holly

Anonymous said...

GREAT JOB! You have talent girl!

I have a question about the paper back swap. I signed up and got some request for my books. Do you really just wrap the book in the printable wrapper and pay the postage and off it goes?

Anonymous said...

Dear Jessica,
You ask on the WTM boards if this is a talent? It can be and yet you have to do some planning as a homeschooler. I did earth science and astronomy this year. I created it from scratch. I also did chemistry and physics last year and I created that from no curriculum at all. I did several months of research and still tweeked it during the school year. I had to teach it at a co-op last year, so I needed the stuff to work. For this year, I did crafts that I got from a nature craft book. We took field trips to mines. We also have a museum that allows homeschoolers borrow. We had so much stuff on swamps. AAA! Last month, we did a planet consellation. We have been looking at Saturn and the moon this month. My sons created a lapbook and a mini-report on the nine planets. I am just not that good at putting up my research on my blog like you do. I want to learn.
Oh, for Story of the World Vol.3, I did not use the Activities Guide this year. I created my own book list and projects. Since we have the museum, it was so easy to get lots of wonderful artifacts from that time period. I am currently reading the biography of Susanna Wesley. I cannot believe how this book parallels the history in Story of the World, but from a Christian perspective. I even created lessons and crafts to go along with math. Can you believe it? Next year, I am using less books for most of my subjects and more creativity. I know, I'm nuts.
Soli Deo Gloria,
Karen
www.homeschoolblogger.com/testimony

Anonymous said...

Hi! I just wanted to thank you for you blog site. I am a missionary wife and mom to Alex (3.5) and Noah (1.5).

We are in Eastern Europe and rather isolated from other homeschoolers.....other westerners in general and somehow I stumbled onto your site. I don't have a blog currently.....maybe one day, but for now I just wanted to thank you. I am really blessed by it and encouraged by it.

I am not a hard core homeschooler yet as they are still young, but we read tons and Alex and I are beginning phonics things. Anyways, I like to plan for the future of homeschooling and have read TWTM and your site is just really encouraging.

Thank you for sharing all your ideas and plans with this novice. And for all your links and suggestions. Really. Thank you! S. Gruetzmacher