Earth Science the Easy Way

I've been working hard on science lessons for next year because I looked around at the prepackaged curriculums and decided they were either too advanced, too serious, too involved or too costly. I've been looking free worksheets on the web, creating my own, finding coloring pages to use.

At first I didn't understand why others were saying I was wasting my time or that what I was doing was not necessary. I thought I was doing a good thing and doing it for my sanity and for Camille's future enjoyment. I also had a little phobia of using workbooks until I realized that I was creating a workbook! While exploring Rainbow Resource, I found a workbook or activity book called Hands-On Earth Science by Carson-Dellosa. Lo and behold, it's perfect!

Contains 62 hands-on, easy-to-repeat experiments with simple instructions and inexpensive materials. It's the perfect companion to science lessons for students in elementary grades.

Astronomy, Geology, Meteorology, Oceanography, Paleontology, Rocks and Minerals.

This resource includes:

* Full color illustrations
* Materials list, step-by-step instructions, and a time reference for each experiment
* Easy-to-understand explanations of scientific principles
* Extension activities

We'll check out books from the library to supplement and I'll share my list once I'm done formulating it. No more lesson plans! Yippee! And for coloring pages the Color & Learn series is great.

Color & Learn titles for Earth/Space Science:
Weather
Space Exploration
Solar System
Rocks and Minerals
Landforms
Dinosaurs

That makes everything so much more easier! I looked at activity books before but I didn't find these particular ones, someone had suggested Hands-On Science but the hyphen makes it a completely different brand and product! I know now, this is what they were trying to tell me about.

Our 2nd grade Earth and Space curriculum
SPINES:

* The Usborne Internet Linked First Encyclopedia of Our World
* The Usborne Internet Linked First Encyclopedia of Space
* The Geography Book by Caroline Arnold
* A Child's Introduction to the Night Sky: The Story of the Stars, Planets, and Constellations--and How You Can Find Them in the Sky by Michael Driscoll
* Hands-On Earth Science by Carson Dellosa


SUPPLEMENTS:

* Cheap Charts- Solar System
* Seeing Stars: An Introduction to the Night Sky by Charles Hobson
* Galileo and the Stargazers by Jim Weiss (using for history too)
* Magic School Bus Space Adventures DVD
* Roaring Water, Thundering Earth, Whirling Winds (Awesome Forces) DVDs
* Solar System Sticker Book
* Color and Learn coloring books listed above

ACTIVITIES:

* Break Your Own Geodes
* Activity Rock Kit
* Professon Noggin's Earth Science Card Game
* Planet Quest Game
* My Calendar Book (Weather recording activites)
* The Global Puzzle
* Space Rummy card game

OTHER BOOKS: (already own)

* Rocks & Minerals (Reader's Digest Pathfinders) by Tracy Staedler
* Simon & Schuster's Guide to Rocks and Minerals
* The Sky Observer's Guide: A Handbook for Amateur Astronomers
* The Stargazer's Guide to the Galaxy by Q. L. Pearce (1991)
* Moonwalk: The First Trip to the Moon
* Journey into a black hole (Let's-read-and-find-out-science book)
* Fossils: A Guide to Prehistoric Life
* Stars and Planets (Kingfisher Knowledge)
* The Magic School Bus Inside The Earth
* The Magic School Bus Inside a Hurricane

FIELD TRIPS:

* Planetarium & Museum
* Meteorologist (at local news station, maybe)
* Providence State Park, GA's little Grand Canyon (pictured)

Over the summer we will be doing a Dinosaur study, I'll post on that later. We're homeschooling year round with weeks off throughout.