Blinded Me with Science

I've used ABeka this entire year, barely straying except for my horrible experimentation with KONOS, the curriculum for people with jillions upon jillions of children and for mothers with patience longer than this run-on sentence. I've purchased a few secondhand science and health texts at my local homeschool resource store; I've also ordered a few dinosaur books from Usbourne (hi, can we be BFF, Usbourne? Seriously? I heart you lots). I can't stand how disjointed everything is when you don't use a unit study (It doesn't flow! There is ZERO flowing), yet I personally don't have a lot of confidence in unit studies just yet.

So! I've already decided that first grade will be totally different but not really because I'm still scared to death about leaving a thoughtfully prepared curriculum authored by people who didn't spend their college years studying classical literature that no one but nerds care about and print journalism. People who are able to write short, concise sentences even under the influce of antibiotics and allergy medication. (Throat infection. Can barely talk. Kids planning mutiny. Halp.)

Anyway, on with the changing.

I'm trying to fit in a nice science curriculum to balance out my fine arts-heavy lesson plan. So far Usbourne and Bob Jones were the only texts I liked and then I saw that John Clayton, of DoesGodExist.org is offering a science curriculum for homeschoolers. For $30. Thirty. I KNOW. Also, because Clayton's such a stand-up guy, you can borrow the curriculum if you don't want to buy it. However, since personal contributions fund all of Clayton's work - as he's solely interested in spreading the word instead of making a dime - I'd prefer to purchase it.

Description from his site:

"We are pleased to announce that the first program in our science study series called Grandpa John's Science Lab is now ready. In this children's video series, John Clayton teaches elementary children science lessons on magnetism, electricity, wave motion, light, sound, and mechanics from a Christian perspective. This series is very science oriented and is ideal for home schoolers and Christian teachers. Demonstrations are done, and explanations are provided to help the students understand what they are seeing and what it tells us about the world in which we live. In addition to the videos, a teacher's guide is provided with content explanations, additional activities for the students to do, and biblical applications. This material is available in video tapes or DVDs. The entire package will be $30 ppd or can be borrowed by contacting us and making arrangements to do so."

I've loved just about everything Clayton's written; there was a political item he wrote with which I disagreed a while back, but it's pathetically insignificant in the context of the bigger picture. You can receive, also for free, Clayton's well-produced bi-monthly journal. Every Christian should have this journal in their magazine pile and I hate saying things like "Every Christian ... cluck, cluck, cluck, cluck, cluck." But I will so say it this time. Clayton is a former physics and chemistry professor and atheist. He teaches from a Christian perspective and throroughly analyzes every topic from every possible angle. I'm looking forward to seamlessly incorporating this material into our curriculum.

Sign up for the bi-monthly journal here; check out "Dandy Designs" here (totally awesome science fun); order/inquire about the science curriculum here.

A Problem with Unit Studies

I’m a little behind. Excuses? Chris was out of town; we’re putting our house on the market, also house-hunting; homeschooling; and right after I laughed at my girlfriend over her sleepless dealings with her teething daughter, Ewan decided that hey, the wringer isn’t TOUGH ENOUGH mom, let me add to it by sprouting three new teeth and inflaming my gums!
WOO.

On with the homeschooling. Remember how I said that I am all about unit studies, me in my zealous first year of homeschooling? I’m thinking that it is overkill when you have but one child that you’re teaching and that child is five-years-old.

I’ve stretched out a week’s lesson to last a month and we’ve been studying kings and queens and various forms of feudal life, except that Liam couldn't [brain fart] care less. He could care less about any historical figure unless they carried a sword. I’ve been embellishing a little and I’ve had to make some rather simple Bible stories (Esther) insanely gory just to keep his attention.

A lot of the activities in my KONOS book require a lot of extending and paring down to a kindergarten level. It’s a lot of work. I don’t want to do lessons simply because they’re in the book because the majority of it is geared towards the upper-elementary-plus grades. So I’m trying to take the best pieces and work it. It’s also very involved for a kindergartner.

For instance; our kings and queens lesson includes construction a walk-through castle; fabricating a king’s, queen’s, and knight’s attire; a medieval feast; and various in-depth studies on major members of the monarchy. Whew.

I’ve tried to create simpler lessons that Liam will not only remember, but actually grasp and use it to build upon for later. Lots of trips to the library, lots of research into supplemental materials with corresponding themes.

I’m curious, has anyone using unit studies run across this when starting out?