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        <title><![CDATA[Science - homeschool-curriculum-reviews]]></title>
        <description><![CDATA[Explore homeschool curriculum at homeschool curriculum reviews.]]></description>
        <link>http://www.homeschool-curriculum-reviews.com/</link>
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                <guid isPermaLink="false">178-61</guid>
	            <title><![CDATA[A Beka Science: Abeka Science Grades 4 - 9]]></title>
	            <link>/component/content/article/12-core-curriculum/178-a-beka-science.html</link>
	            <description><![CDATA[
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                <category><![CDATA[Core Curriculum]]></category>
                <pubDate>Fri, 02 Dec 2011 03:12:12 -0600</pubDate>
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                <guid isPermaLink="false">179-25</guid>
	            <title><![CDATA[Apologia Science: We loved this!]]></title>
	            <link>/component/content/article/12-core-curriculum/179-apologia-science.html</link>
	            <description><![CDATA[
	            	            This was the first of the Apologia Elementary Series that we used.  It was great fun and although the son who used it is older now, he still pulls it out to read every now and then.	            ]]></description>
                <category><![CDATA[Core Curriculum]]></category>
                <pubDate>Fri, 01 Apr 2011 16:00:03 -0500</pubDate>
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                <guid isPermaLink="false">181-19</guid>
	            <title><![CDATA[Periodic Table of Elements Coloring Book: Great for Visual Learners]]></title>
	            <link>/component/content/article/13-experiments-and-activities/181-periodic-table-of-elements-coloring-book.html</link>
	            <description><![CDATA[
	            	            A few months ago my son told me he wanted to learn about the elements.  I picked up a few things at the library, but nothing interested him.  It seemed like most of books that focused on the elements of the periodic table were designed for someone ready for high school level Chemistry.  However, I recently checked out a periodic table coloring book designed for kids.  I was a bit skeptical that a coloring book would give my son the information he craves, but it surprised me.  

The Periodic Table of Elements Coloring Book by Teresa Bondora of www.HowtoTeachScience.com was designed for children.  It is designed to be used along side a study of chemistry.  The author’s website offers a program to go along with the coloring book.  Now, this isn’t simply a coloring book – it is full of facts.  You will find two pages for each element.  One page gives you information about the element, when it was discovered, and how it is used.   The other page is a coloring page.  The coloring page has the element’s symbol and name written in fill-in letters and the element’s number with a fill-in number.  The page also features several small pictures to color.  These small pictures relate to how the element is used.  For instance, the element Magnesium has a picture of an airplane flying, a flower in a pot, and a sparkler.  

This coloring book is no small book either.  The whole thing is a whopping 172 pages.  All of the elements from 1-86 are included with the exception of the man-made elements 58-71.  At the end of the coloring book there is information on heavy metal pollution as well as a description of how lead can affect your body.  An activity on the metals found in the Earth’s crust is included at the end of the coloring book along with instructions on how to use the activity with different age levels.  This book is designed for children age 5 and up.  

I am pleased to have found a resource that will give my son information in a child-friendly way.  You can find samples of the coloring book at the http://www.HowtoTeachScience.com website.  The coloring book is available at that site for immediate download.   If you have a child interested in chemistry or if you want something more hands-on to go with your study of the chemical elements then take a look at the Periodic Table of Elements Coloring Book.  I’m happy that I did.
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                <category><![CDATA[Experiments and Activities]]></category>
                <pubDate>Sun, 12 Sep 2010 14:28:03 -0500</pubDate>
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                <guid isPermaLink="false">180-18</guid>
	            <title><![CDATA[Signs & Seasons Understanding the Elements of Classical Astronomy: Excellent course]]></title>
	            <link>/component/content/article/12-core-curriculum/180-signs-and-seasons-understanding-the-elements-of-classical-astronomy.html</link>
	            <description><![CDATA[
	            	            I recently sat down to read Signs & Seasons Understanding the Elements of Classical Astronomy by Jay Ryan. Signs & Seasons is an astronomy curriculum with a Biblical perspective, but it is not your typical astronomy curriculum.  I have a son in love with astronomy and I was expecting a course on the beautiful heavens, the planets, and things like black holes and NASA missions.  To my surprise I learned that classical astronomy is quite different. 

Classical astronomy is about learning about the times and seasons by just looking at the sky with your eyes.  No telescope is necessary.  I must admit, unless the sun is rising or setting I do not know what direction is north, south, east, or west.  And there is no way I could figure it out at night.  Yet, the sky is what mankind has used for most of history in order to tell time and direction.  Once I stopped to think about it, I realized how useful this course could be.  Sure my son loves learning about the moons of a far away planet, but can he look up at the sky and know which way is north?

Signs & Seasons by Jay Ryan is a beautifully bound hardcover textbook.   The Field Journal and Test Manual is a great companion to the course.  While the hardcover textbook does have Field Activities, the Field Journal gives you space to jot down your observations.  The field activities will get you outside looking up at the sky and making observations.  The Field Journal and Test Manual also contains 8 different tests which correspond to each chapter.  The tests consist of things like fill in the blank, labeling, and true/false questions. 

It is a course designed for high school credit, but can be used for younger children with parental guidance.   The bulk of the time spent in the course is in the field activities.  To complete the course it would probably take a high school student 3-6 months and a younger student an entire school year.  I’ve found this course to be a good companion to a study of ancient and medieval history.  The text is full of quotes about the sky from the Bible as well as individuals who lived long ago.

While this course is Biblically based, it is not focused on a young earth or old earth perspective.  It is simply a course on how to observe the sky and not on how the sky came to be so it can be used by old earth and young earth Christians without any difficulty.  In addition to learning how to observe the sky it covers the history of the calendar.

I highly recommend Signs & Seasons.  While my son is still a little young for this course I plan to use it with him when he is in middle school.   I will learn right along with him.  I can’t count the times in my life where knowing how to understand time and direction from the sky alone would have been very useful. 

You can view a detailed table of contents and sample pages at ClassicalAstronomy.com.  Take a peek.  Maybe you will be pleasantly surprised like I was.	            ]]></description>
                <category><![CDATA[Core Curriculum]]></category>
                <pubDate>Mon, 23 Aug 2010 14:32:59 -0500</pubDate>
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                <guid isPermaLink="false">17-1</guid>
	            <title><![CDATA[Real Science 4 Kids: My kids loved it!]]></title>
	            <link>/component/content/article/12-core-curriculum/17-real-science-4-kids.html</link>
	            <description><![CDATA[
	            	            My boys loved this program.  I first used it with my Kindergartener.  We didn't quite finish it that school year so I started it over again the next school year with my K4 and 1st grader.  They loved the experiments.  The pictures in the text were colorful and fun.  My boys loved the atoms joining arms.  I am saving the books for my daughter to use when she is older.  I loved this program.  I wish I had this for high school chemistry!	            ]]></description>
                <category><![CDATA[Core Curriculum]]></category>
                <pubDate>Sun, 26 Jul 2009 18:26:37 -0500</pubDate>
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