I like a good thrift store and shop Good Will regularly. What are some of the best deals? I’m so glad you asked!
1. LEGOs: Are you planning to try to build elements and molecules with LEGO bricks? Buy them by the pound.
2. Prepared Slides do not expire. I have NOT had much luck buying used microscopes. In fact, avoid any used electronics.
3. All manner of MEL kits. Below is the MEL Chemistry starter set. Used kits are missing the VR viewer.
4. Snap Circuits sets are another bargain. These sets work as an introduction to electrical circuits. Here is the instructional manual for the Home Learning Kit. The motor may be burned out. ELENCO sells replacement parts.
5. Graphing calculators can be good deals. First, make sure the calculator has been tested and powers on. Buy either TI 83/84 calculators; other models, such as TI 89 can be impossible to operate. If the screen has streaks or bruising, it means it’s about to die. My target price is $35 for a TI 84. I will buy TI 83 models to lend to the teens. I prefer to buy two or three TI 83s to save shipping; my target for a TI 83 is $15 each. I bought one used calculator from Amazon and one from eBay; both were duds.
Let’s collect several metric measures activities for fall. The activities are all upper level. Whenever, Rob and I teach Chem or Physics the teens have an enormously varied background in science. Some families do not teach any science before high school. (These kiddos don’t have any bad habits to unlearn. Generally, the teens catch up quickly.) Metric measures are reinforced ALL YEAR!
1. Start with Sort It Out! This card sort addresses relative size. We use this type of activity to see what kiddos already know or remember. (Yes, we will point out that the topic WAS JUST TAUGHT LAST YEAR IN GEOMETRY CLASS!) Note that the answer key is expressed in scientific notation—part of metric measures—at least for our classes! Additionally, there are metric prefixes. Start with the relative size card sort and hold on to the other activities until the kiddos get more practice.
2. You need a mnemonic for metric prefixes. We use Many Kids Have Dropped Over Dead Converting Metrics: Mega, Kilo, Deka, base (meter, gram, liter), deci, centi, milli. This mneumonic covers metric units more frequently used in high school. (Sure, there are others for you over achievers. Try this one.)
3. Texas Gateway offers Measurement, a complete unit with a video and some basic instructions for measures, such as reading a ruler or thermometer.
5. The upper level classes combine a review of metrics with accuracy, measures, scientific notation, conversions, and percent error—even equipment! How? I use It’s All About Density. I use blocks, corks, metal cubes, glass marbles, etc. (The metal cylinders and cubes are used for Specific Heat Lab, too. I use both metal cylinders or density cubes. Surprise! Free of charge is another review of metrics, measures, accuracy, conversions, etc.) Most kiddos are familiar with density; if not, it’s a quick lesson about Archimedes.
One concept which is hard to understand is that 1 cm3 = 1 mL. Each cubic centimeter is the same as one milliliter. Use a base-10 cube with this volume activity. This explanation may help. Follow up with the video below.
There are several good science kits you can assemble yourself. However, they usually involve cutting, which can be time consuming if you need several sets for Co-op. Print these now. When your kiddo complains just how bored she is, enlist her help cutting. I have stacks of diy Instructional Kits for my science classes.
1. Biology: The Lynx Eats the Hare is described in this blog post. Copy several sheets for each set. Cut out the tiny hare and mount the Lynx on to a bigger card. I stuff sets into smaller envelopes contained in large envelopes, marked in large letters.
2. Biology: DNA Sentences can be cut into strips—which are much less intimidating! Here is another version of DNA Sentences—with an answer key. Say it with DNA is very detailed and has several keys. The goal is to transcript and translate DNA into proteins.
3. Biology: Create concept maps. Here are the ecology terms used to create the concept map below. Yes! Writing the same terms over and over is a big pain! Same money and cut the index cards in half. Below is random card stock I had on hand and cut into squares.
4. Biology: Food webs! Use pix (the one below is from the biology group on social media) to create food webs. HHMI’s Bioactive Creating Chains and Webs has pix (and a strong political bias). No, I do not laminate cards or pix in my kits.
5. Chemistry: Putting Ions in Their Hands is the best means I have found to teach ionic formulas. I printed the ions on red and blue card stock (just like red and blue litmus paper). Cut away!
6. Chemistry: It’s in the Cards! I print the cards on card stock because I reuse these sets for Co-op classes.
7. Chemistry: Concept Maps! Here is the Properties of Matter vocabulary list.
Hey, it’s July! Are you struggling? Could you combine a little science with your trip to the beach? You’re taking photos anyway! Add a little science before, during, or after your trip to the beach! Enlist your kiddos. What looks like fun? Which experiment would be interesting to try before the trip? Is there a project you might do after you get home? I’m betting on sandcastles to spur a bit of interest!
2. Try these three activties from Phys.org: observe small animals and plants in rock pools, watch waves, and compare wet and dry sand. Follow up with the fun at Beach Science for Preschoolers when you get home and make waves and sand slime.
3. How about Sandcastles? Make them at the beach. Follow-up with their guide at home and play with sponges, magic sand, and a wax resist.
4. Before you go to the beach, do some research in sand sculpting, which is more sand science than I realized before I read this article. Sand sculpting is competitive! Just look at these rules!
Every time I see a pristine science kit listed for sale I sigh. It usually means a family worked through the course without doing any labs, activities, or dissections. What can we do differently? Do all of the labs before you begin the course. Really. Does this sound radical? Years ago, my home-school friends asked me to host science camps. Why? The families wanted more science for their kiddos. (BTW any child who wanted to come to science camp was welcome; about half were home-schoolers.) Yes, for many families, science camp was the extent the kiddos did labs or experiments. (Later, the same families asked me to teach Co-op classes—likely for the same reasons.). I pack loads and loads of activities, labs, and experiments into a week of science camps. Treat the textbook’s experiments like a camp.
Why not create your own lab week? Get out the textbook and start doing the labs or Try This! activities. First, set aside two weeks. Here and here are table of contents for the second editions of Apologia’s Chemistry and Biology textbooks; each has roughly 30 labs. (The Young Explorers’ series’ textbooks are laden with activities called Try This! You’ll be looking at two, very full weeks.) That means your family would do three labs each morning for ten days, five days each week. I’ve done all of these labs. Some take longer than others. (I’m quaking over Chemistry’s Experiment 5.1, Measuring the Width of a Molecule and Biology’s Experiment 7.1, DNA Extraction, or the dissections. They take an hour each, minimum.) Other experiments are much quicker. What if you don’t finish all of the textbook’s labs in two weeks? Well, you will make a big dent in the labs. I don’t care if the kiddos learn anything while they do the labs. I know! Heresy! Just do the labs well! (Although, summer is also a good time for a writing clinic!) Be sure to take loads of photos. Write a few memorable captions. Save these photos where you can find them—not somewhere safe. Make a few videos of interesting moments. You can use all this information when you actually learn the course material.
Will doing all of the labs impact the quality of instruction? My kiddos remember almost everything they do and nearly nothing I say. I have to point out specific material which is actually in their textbooks. Your children may want to redo the lab to make improvements when you come to that topic. I’m betting your family will try to make connections between the lab they did and the material in the textbook when you actually teach it this fall. What happened in the experiment? What was the point? So, what is osmosis and diffusion? Does the specimen resemble the diagram? Select four of the experiments and write formal lab reports. Do more labs instead of selling another expensive, untouched science kit.
Are you familiar with Hoopla? Hoopla has ebooks and audiobooks—including Apologia textbooks on audio! Yeah! Some of my students need to listen to their textbooks! In fact your kiddo can listen to their textbook using Hoopla in the car, just like any audiobook. Many libraries offer free Hoopla memberships. Yeah!
I am all about easy experiments. Some of these require more time than others. Just Add Water has 18 experiments, including a turbine and water click. The Homeschool Scientist has an excellent guide for this Water Quality Experiment. Test your well or tap water. There are many water quality test kits. The strips are accurate. The kits can be pricy: LaMotte and Hach.
Right now, while you are thinking about fall classes, let’s create a digital portfolio. How? You could write a blog or post to social media. Many families do not want that kind of exposure. No problem! Create a file in Google Drive. It’s likely to already have digital storage. You might as well use it. Start collecting all sorts of material—ideally in separate folders for each kiddo. Make short videos.
Take photos of activities. Include links and worksheets, too.
Take pix or scan completed work.
You are going to be in great shape when you work with the online school’s consultant, an evaluator, or go to assemble a transcript. Take an extra minute and get a photo! Better still, encourage your kiddos to document all of their work! It’s going to be a great year!
You absolutely should try some of these experiments—as a family! (Let your pyromaniac husband lead this series. Have you ever seen a group of men start a fire?) However, do these as demos; Spinning spiral snake requires a candle. Tea Bag Rocket, Levitating match, and Traveling flame also involve fire. This series has all sorts of flame experiments! The experiments in the fire series all have videos and explanations. Be sure to have a fire extinguisher handy!
One of my favorite science camp activities is to make a recipe and compare it to the commercial product, such as sidewalk chalk and sidewalk chalk. (especially 3D Chalk Art. Make it part of an optical illusions series of experiments and toys.) Let’s make a list of several diy camp recipes. Your family will be doing a great deal of science!
4. Most DIY Paint instructions require food coloring, which is expensive. However, Natural Dyes (has paint instructions, too) are perfect to make Natural Paints. The dyes are more time consuming. The colors won’t be as vibrant as tempera. However, kids can try several paint recipes with natural dyes, food coloring or tempera paint to see which produces the best results. Part of the conversation is deciding what constitutes good paint. Look at you doing more science with your kiddos!
Ask any science teacher about eye protection and you are likely to get an earful. Science instructors have strong opinions about the best eyewear for labs. Here is my opinion. The best eyewear is the one kiddos will wear. I have a bin of colorful safety glasses. Goggles are even safer. Will kiddos wear them? Maybe? Sometimes? BTW, I dilute chemicals, use household chemicals, and rarely use strong acids or bases. Why? Much safer—especially until I can train everyone to keep their safety glasses on their faces.
I’ve taught many students, many years; teens hate goggles; once trained, they will wear safety glasses. Problem solved. How are students trained? The first time I catch a student without his safety glasses in lab, he must clean up all of the lab stations for the entire class. Yes, I encourage the others to leave a big mess. If the issue persists, the consequences increase. I keep a list of unpleasant chores: vacuuming, cleaning toilets, sorting kits, and mopping the floor. My teens walk out the door wearing their safety glasses. See? The key is training.
If your child tolerates goggles—fine! Use them. Some folks compromise with larger safety glasses with side shields. Buy whatever pair your kiddo will wear. (VBS has be chanting many rhymes.) BTW, prescription eye glasses are usually just fine. I offer safety glasses which fit over, but don’t require them.
