Science is an interesting subject. We live all around the effects of it and yet it really is a upper level subject at it's heart. So as instructors we try and break it down to its elementary ideas. Which I find, either peeks your interests further or causes the feeling of "yeah, OK, let's move on". While I was one inclined to speak forth the latter, my children have taken on an attitude of the former. Which means that reality of this subject as part of our schooling experience lies in it's ability to present itself on 3 levels - 1. simple 2. scheduled 3. extremely interesting. We seem to have found just that.
Peter started out his year going through the animal encyclopedia and making a list of those species that were fascinating to his senses. Said list:
Once a week we run down the list alphabetically and see where it takes us. This particular day we are studying a two page spread on Bees and Wasps & Beetles.
There is a small box at the bottom of every subject, virtually unnoticed when Nicholas and I ventured through this book, that takes us on an exploration into arrangement of how that animal relates to other parts of the known animalis world.
Peter prefers narrating a comparison of two animal types, although I have also asked questions relating to what the student remembers or found particularly interesting about the topic. You can tell from the second half of this weeks narration that it was indeed a rousing time in science class, and then some.
We were finding that we also wanted a reference as to why certain categories had been formed within the animal kingdom, so our handy charts were formed. I love visual enhancements, they're simple(point #1) yet extremely effective. Once an animal has been studied it goes up on the wall.
Usually we then illustrate something that helps us remember a harder concept or diagram. Science is full of diagrams! Something to this effect:
This was one of my favorites so far, drawn of our day studying crabs and lobsters. Please notice the attention to detail in arrowing the sand. All in the nature of scientific diagrams, I'm sure!
All of this is then 3-hole-punched and neatly stored in Peter's personal portfolio of biology.
Biology in 2nd grade is very easy and fun. It also corresponds beautifully with ancient history. We start with the study of animals, moving on to the human body around mid-year, and then finishing up with plants in the spring by the backyard addition of a home garden. Of course, we might have to rearrange a few things since I do believe we will be finishing school in July! Let's not forget we began this year by taking a very large field trip to China and then followed that by welcoming two toddlers underfoot instead of one! All the more reasons to have a subject in the wings every week that is simple, scheduled, and extremely interesting - for everyone!
