We suggest, (biology, earth science/astronomy, chemistry, physics) meshes nicely with the four-year history cycle, it  isn’t vital that you follow this order. You can choose whichever science fits into your curriculum.

The scientific method:

1. State the question.
2. Form the hypothesis
3. Test the hypothesis through experimentation
4. Draw conclusions.

Subject: Science
Time required: 3 hours per week — 90 minutes per day, 2 days per week — plus additional time working on independent experimentation

Recommend reference to have on hand:

• Usborne Internet-Linked Scient Encyclopedia (5th and 6th grade)
• Dorling Kindersley Visual Encyclopedia
• Kingfisher Science Encyclopedia 6th and up, a slightly more advanced reference work
• Usborne Illustrated Dictionary of Science: Physics, Chemistry, and Biology Facts

Goal: for middle-grade science is not mastery of the principles that undergird biology, chemistry, astronomy, earth science, and physics. Those foundations will be laid in a systematic manner in high-school courses. Your goal is to lead students in understanding and using the scientific method across all of these scientific fields–to teach her how to do science.

The Notebook:

1. Experiments
2. Sketches
3. Reports
4. Dates
5. Memory Work
6. Extra activities

Experiments

In all the sciences, the student will do experiments, using the scientific method to test and confirm his newfound knowledge.

Experiments should be recorded on a page following this pattern:

1. What question am I trying to answer? (state the question)
2. What could the answer be? (form a hypothesis)
3. How will I test this answer? (the steps of the experiment)
4. What result did I get?
5. Does this agree with the answer I thought I would get? If not, what answer should I give instead?

Sketches

Any models or diagrams (such as cell structure, molecules, planetary rings or moons) encountered in the experiment materials should be carefully reproduced, with colored pencils, and with all the parts labeled in clear print. Place these in the second section of the science notebook.

Reports

Reports will grow progressively more complicated. The fifth grader will write science reports of two to three paragraphs; the sixth grader, a page; the seventh and eighth grader, up to two pages.

Dates

In this section of the science notebook, place four sheets of paper. At the top of each sheet, write one of the divisions from history: “Ancients (5000 B.C.– A.D. 400),” “Medieval– Early Renaissance (400– 2600),” “Late Renaissance-Early Modern (1600– 1850),” and “Modern (1850– Present).” Whenever the student encounters dates of important scientific discoveries or events and the birth and death dates of scientists, he should write them on the appropriate sheet. In addition, the student should enter on his history time line any scientific dates that fall within the period he’s studying in history.

Memory Work

It isn’t necessary to test at this level. The student is constantly reading, writing, and experimenting; and all of these activities will serve to fix the new knowledge in his mind. At the end of the description for each grade, though, we’ve listed some information that the student should memorize, if possible. Set some time aside once every couple of weeks to review these lists.

• The planets of the solar system, in the proper order.
• The elements of the earth’s crust (oxygen, silicon, aluminum, iron, calcium, sodium, potassium, magnesium).
• The parts of the earth (crust— oceanic and continental; mantle— litho-sphere and asthenosphere; outer core; inner core).
• The continents. The plates (North American, Cocos, Caribbean, South American, Nazca, African, Eurasian, Indo-Australian, Pacific).
• Types of clouds.
• Types of stars and their characteristics (red giants, white dwarfs, variable stars, supernovas, pulsars, binary stars, black holes, neutron stars).

Extra Activities

As time and interest permit, periodically plan extra activities and “field trips” to science museums or local science exhibits. Many areas also have science clubs (nature, astronomy, computer, and so forth) that welcome student and family participation. When possible, coordinate the activity with the subject under study each year. Participating in a science fair is a great motivator for young science students. As a home schooler, you have two options: (1) to call your local school system and ask whether home schoolers can participate in the local school fair (in many cases, the answer will be yes); or (2) to call your state home-school organization and ask what exhibition opportunities are available for home schoolers. Organizations such as 4-H and the Boy or Girl Scouts also give students opportunities to show off science projects. And don’t forget national science competitions (listed in Appendix 3). At the end of this chapter, we’ve suggested several science-project idea books to get the creative juices flowing.

Keep track of the activities in the notebook. You can simply write: Visited science museum.

1. Saw special history of machines exhibit, September 10.
2. Attended computer club, October 11.
3. Went on nature walk in park to identify trees, October 15.
4. Entered Science Fair with my project, “The Orbit of Jupiter,” November 12. and so on.