HOW TO USE THE ACTIVITY GUIDE:

Teacher Planning Checklist  (back to top) :
Each unit begins with a Teacher Planning Checklist that provides you with a list of everything you need to do to get ready to teach that unit. Every supply for every project is listed on this page. You can see at a glance what you need to have on hand to do any or all of the projects. This checklist will save you a lot of time in preparation and planning. As you complete each preparation step listed, just check it off. You will immediately know if there is anything else left to do to prepare for the unit. Briefly review all the planning checklists for a study before beginning the study to see if there is anything you wish to order such as ant farms, tadpole kits, or fly trap plants. This way you can be sure to have these items on hand when you need them.

Library Lists:    (back to top)
There are three lists for you to use to locate materials at your library: non-fictional reading, just for fun (fictional) reading, and videos. The resources listed all pertain to the unit being studied. Chances are you won’t find every book or movie listed. Try to locate as many as you can. Better yet, hand the list to your librarian and let her locate them for you. Really! It’s ok! That is what they get paid to do! I recommend making your library trip for a particular unit a week BEFORE you begin the unit. Optionally, you could drop the list off with your librarian a couple of days before hand and ask them to put the books on hold for you to come back and pick up. They can also locate books for you on interlibrary loan. Making full use of your library resource in this way will minimize the amount of time you have to spend locating books.

Internet Links:     (back to top)
Each unit has a list of internet links. All of the links are suitable for viewing by young children. Set aside some computer time for yourself to review the internet links listed for the unit. It should take about 30 minutes at the most to go through them to decide which you feel your child would enjoy. Some of the links have FREE printable resources such as puzzles, games, coloring pages, crafts patterns, etc. Others have fantastic photography, video clips, and live cameras (eg you can watch the pandas at the San Diego Zoo live!). Make notes on your Teacher Planning List of the sites you want to go back and visit with your child. For printable resources, either print them now or make a note on your planning sheet of which ones you want to print and do so later.

Lesson Plans:  (back to top)
Most homeschoolers have to report what they have covered to someone - the state, a homeschool covering, or a support group leader. Many states require that you keep attendance records for the number of days attended. The lesson plans provide an effortless way to record the work completed by your child. The ‘Day Number’ column is for you to record the chronological day number on which an assignment was completed (e.g., 152, 154, 156 etc). After completing an assignment record the Day Number and the Date Done. Then just turn in a copy of these lesson plans as your science record. The lesson plans are designed to spend 2 days per week on science.  All of the lesson plans follow the same format:
Week 1, Day 1:
* Suggested Reading: (if any)
* Library book reading. Enter book name in reading log.
* Complete a coloring page. Discuss the vocabulary on the page. File in notebook.
* Optional: Complete an enrichment activity (project, game, field trip, movie etc)

Week 1, Day 2:
* Oral review: Review vocabulary. Discuss readings, referring back to the books to look at the pictures.
* Library book reading. Enter book name in reading log.
* Complete a coloring page. Discuss the vocabulary on the page. File in notebook.
* NARRATION DAY Do a narration page about a book or a project.

There is also space on each lesson plan sheet to record any additional work that you do. Once you become familiar with the pattern, planning your science time will be easy. It is not expected that you will read a book, color a picture, watch a movie, AND do a project all in the same day! If you’ve had time to prepare for a project - great! Do it! If it has been a busy week and you don’t have time for a project, watch the movie or read a couple of books. Whatever you choose, just place a check next to the items you completed and date it. The scheduled lessons are only suggestions! Make the program work for you. If you don’t like a particular assignment then skip it! If you would rather do something else for a unit, like a trip to the zoo or the botanical gardens, then just record that activity in one of the blank spaces and date it.  Most units have only 1 or 2 coloring pages; however, each lesson has an item for completing a coloring page. This is to give you the flexibility to decide which day to do the coloring pages.

Projects:    (back to top)
Each unit contains a variety of projects, experiments, or games. Some of the projects have internet links. It is not intended that you do ALL of the projects for every unit. Choose the ones that you think your child - and YOU - would enjoy the most. After all, if you aren’t having fun, you probably won’t do that project! I highly recommend having the child complete a narration page to file in his notebook after completing a project. Consider taking pictures and filing those with the narration as well. (Narration and notebooks are discussed later in this manual.) When the year is over the child’s science notebook will become a keepsake.

Reading Log  (back to top)
The reading log provides you with a concrete way to encourage your child to want to read. There are two things you need to do to use the reading logs:

1. Purchase stickers to go with the reading logs. We decided against shipping stickers with the activity guide so the child can choose stickers that he/she personally likes.

2. Make a copy for each unit for each child using the curriculum. (36 copies per child)
NOTE: You are granted permission to make copies to use with your own children only.
After you have read a book together, record the name of the book in the reading log and put a sticker in one of the circles. Your child will feel a sense of accomplishment as the log begins to fill. Set goals and reward your child when the goal is met. Don’t forget to make copies ahead of time!

Coloring Pages and Vocabulary:     (back to top)
The vocabulary for a unit is incorporated into the coloring pages! Look over the coloring pages before beginning a unit so you will know how many pictures there are for that particular unit. Some units have internet links to locate more coloring pages. Alternately, you can choose to do no coloring pages at all! If your child does not like to color then don’t make them!

Narration and Narration Paper:  (back to top)
Narration is a way to measure what your child has retained and understood. It is also useful for developing vocabulary and self expression. A child that has become adept at narration will find written composition in later grades much easier. Narration should be an easy, enjoyable time. Consider having a special narration box with art supplies such as paints, markers, colored pencils, glitter, glue, etc that only comes out at narration time. Allow the child to embellish their narration pages AFTER they have completed the narration. You are provided with two narration paper masters: one master has lines and a blank space for an illustration; the other has lines only for extra writing. You can choose whether or not to use our narration paper. If you do, you will need to make copies of each of the masters. I suggest making about 45 copies of each page. This provides you with one page for each unit, plus a few extras for those days that your child messes up and insists on starting over!
Follow this pattern for narration time:
1. Orally discuss what you have covered about a particular unit, or discuss the project completed.

2. Ask simple questions to spur discussion with your child and to get them started with their narration.

“Where does it live?”
“What does it do”
“How does it work?
“What did you like/not like about ______?”

3. Record the narration (either you or your child, described next)

4. Allow the child to draw a picture to go along with the narration IF they like to draw (some children don’t).

5. Let the child embellish their narration page. You have one of two options for recording the narration. Consider alternating which method you choose.

Option One: Have the child dictate to you their thoughts on the unit in sentence form. You may find that you have a talker that wants to go on and on. Great! Write as fast as you can to get their thoughts down on paper! Often times in very early grades a child’s fine motor skills are not fully developed and handwriting may still be difficult. Taking dictation of your child’s oral narration is perfectly acceptable at this stage. If you have a child that can’t seem to get started, make suggestions: (‘Where did you say the animal lives?’) . If they get going after you guide them, great. If not, don’t push. It will come with time. Just try to get one or two good sentences.

Option Two: Write out one or two simple sentences for your child to COPY on a narration page. Let them help you in composing the sentences. Sit with them as they copy so you can immediately correct any spelling, punctuation, or penmanship errors. This is a great exercise for developing visual discrimination and early language art skills. They will be gently introduced to rules of punctuation, grammar, spelling, and penmanship as they complete their copy work exercise for narration time. You will notice in the lesson plans that there is only one day per week labeled Narration Day. Please consider doing narration/copy work exercises when doing other activities such as projects, field trips, and experiments.

SCIENCE NOTEBOOK  (back to top)  
All of the child’s work should be filed in a 2-inch wide three ringed binder. I like the ones with the clear plastic inserts on the front that allow you to insert your own cover. Let your child draw or paint a picture to be used as the cover. You can either divide the notebook into sections or just file the child’s work chronologically by date. Notebook time should be exciting. As was recommended in the section on narration, consider having a special box that has art supplies such as paints, markers, colored pencils, glitter, glue, etc that only comes out at notebook time. Notebook pages should include coloring pages, narrations, artwork, and /or photos of field trips or projects. From time to time let your child show his notebook to others. He will feel a sense of accomplishment when displaying his work for others to see. Grandmas are great for this! At the end of the year it will be fun to look back at all the exciting times you’ve had studying science!