Guess what? It’s not just you. It is hard to inject some science into an elementary program. I’ve taught in both private and public schools. Even in a public school, in which science instruction is mandated, the kids are likely to examine a penny for its metallic qualities or to tape up seeds in a plastic bag on to the window to germinate. In fact, elementary kids are most likely to learn Botany because it’s a comfortable topic for teachers. Teachers of all stripes, including home-school parents, focus on reading, writing, and math at the primary stage. All other subjects are elective. So how do you add more science?
Join a Co-op. Make science instruction a priority. Your Co-op might adopt Apologia’s Young Explorers Series. Start with Zoology. (Apologia has a Kickstart doc.) There are 14 Lessons. Meet once per week for an hour; plan to tackle the book in 30 weeks. This allows loads of time to do all the activities, plan projects, etc. Does the leader need a science background? Nope. The leader needs to dive into the program along with the kids fearlessly.
Plan Friday Funday. Do whatever lab seems fun. Our family (and my classes) have performed any number of candy labs. Plan tiered science labs. Let the five year old mess with Edible Chemistry while your older kiddos try a harder lab. Trust me; kids can play with the Edible Chemistry contents for 45 minutes.
Attack science as a family. Start a garden, put up a bird feeder, raise chickens, tour a museum, test natural dyes, explore the science of art, such as nature prints, build catapults and trebuchets. Start with Frugal Fun and see how many STEM activities your family can replicate. Give each project a score between one and five. Look for more STEM fun similar to those with a score of five—like catapults. You can do this!
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