Alright, let's talk about Science. As a Christian, the main aspect of any curriculum that we consider using in our studies, is whether it comes from a Biblical worldview or not. There are some good, solid choices available, but honestly, many of them are rather dry. I realize that not every subject is going to be fascinating for every student, in fact sometimes we need to just grit our teeth and get it done. But Science, well, we're talking about God's creation, and the way He put absolutely everything together. With that in mind, shouldn't that create some enthusiasm in us to see what He's done? If you find yourself or your kids in the meh category regarding this subject, I hope you'll stay with me for a few minutes. CrossWired Science has graciously allowed us to be beta testers, and review 2 parts of their up and coming online Science program, Sound and Fluid Dynamics . I'll tell you right out of the box, that it is ah-mazing.
I think that I can say with confidence, that homeschoolers love curriculums and resources that can be used with a variety of ages, and this program does just that. The main audience for this material is 4-18 years old. But they'll tell you that anyone from toddlers to scientists can benefit from this instruction. The lessons are presented in short videos, ranging in time from roughly 2-10 minutes, give or take. Lessons are taught by founder Don Miller, and his female sidekick. They present lessons using animation and graphics, fun sound effects, cool photos, and music. They will capture even the youngest viewer's attention. An example of lessons available:
Fluid Dynamics:
- Aerodynamics
- Hydrodynamics
- Bernoulli's Principle
- Vortices
- Aileron's and Their History
- Bird Flight
- Insect Flight
- Dolphin Hydrodynamics
- Fish Swimming
- Rocket Aerodynamics
Sound:
- Ultrasound
- Infrasound
- Decibels
- Microphones
- Vocal Chords
- Voice Making
- Larynx
- History of Sonar
- Whale Songs
-Musical Instruments
Those topics only scratch the surface on what is available, and more content is being added all the time.
Now, working through the lessons, how are they put together? I told you above, that they are video based. There are two options to choose from, First Timers and Second Timers. Basically, the former is for younger or newer students, while the latter is for older or more experienced students. The difference between these two levels is in the difficulty/complexity of the questions and activities provided after the video is over. For this review, we chose to go the First Timers route, and kind of jumped around. We immediately loved the engaging videos. They are fast paced though, so you have to pay attention, or you'll struggle with the quiz that follows. Quizzes have 10 questions, and they may seem obvious at times, but they can be tricky in their wording, so if you skim it, you might miss a key aspect of the question. Your results are calculated immediately, and they show you where you were wrong when you miss one, which I like. I hate wondering what I missed.
We liked these videos so much that I called my husband in to watch with us, because I knew he would love them too. He is Mr. Science and I figured he would be a great gauge on this material. Well, he loved them too, and as we watched, he would nod and say, Yeah, that's correct, yeah, that too, cool...
Many lessons also provide downloadable worksheets that can be used following a lesson. You could use these with, or instead of the quizzes, or as review work. There are also plenty of experiments to try, because what is science without experiments? We are working towards this one, the RV airplane, because My husband just happens to love airplanes, flying, and building RC planes. He just bought a foam plane for this purpose- perfect timing!
You can make this as detailed as you like. This might be a stand alone curriculum for families that complete all of the worksheets, quizzes, experiments, and reading. Or, you can use this to supplement a curriculum that you are already using. It can work for anyone. I like how they have and are making this an all encompassing program, spanning across subjects. If you look through the many resources, activities, and experiments that are suggested, you will find something that appeals to everyone. As a family of book lovers, and of reading in general, I love two of their suggestions in particular. They suggest books from YWAM, which offers fantastic products that we love, as well as Creation Magazine, which again, is a favorite in our home. But there are many more suggestions beyond that.
I'm glad that they continue to add more content, because this program is a keeper for us. I appreciate the heart and goals of this company. There are quite a few, so you can read them on their site. But, in short, they seek to show others the glory of God, teach them about His creation, and make this curriculum affordable, easing the financial burden for parents. We can all get on board for that, can't we? I cannot say enough positive words about this resource, so I'll just urge you to click on the links and see for yourself.
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