Science Shepherd Introductory Science (Gr. 1-6)

This uncomplicated elementary course offers a Christian perspective and incorporates video lessons, which are available in DVD or streaming through the publisher's website. This is not a stand-alone workbook; it requires the Introductory Science Video Course . Students watch the video lessons, then answer the questions found in the workbook (short answer, multiple choice, matching), work a written puzzle (word search, matching, labeling, crossword), do an activity (cut & paste, drawing/coloring, hands-on, or maybe video). Students will watch the video activity and there are instructions to follow along and do the same activity/experiment. Activities use common household items and use easily accessible items. The workbooks aren't reproducible, and all scripture quotations are from the English Standard Version (ESV). The workbooks have no textual content, so you will need the video component. There are two different workbooks for this curriculum. Workbook A (6-8 year olds) and Workbook B ( 9 to 11 year olds). Students from both age groups watch the same 2 to 5-minute video lesson daily and work in their appropriate workbook--great for a multi-age group/family. Questions overlap between Workbooks A and B and the activities are very similar. Workbook A uses larger print and Workbook B asks a few more daily questions and wraps up each week with a review, usually a crossword. Topics include creation, earth science, life science and physical science. There are 35 weekly lessons and each lesson is divided into 5 days; however, week 35 has only 2 days of lessons in Workbook B and only 1 lesson in Workbook A. A separate Answer Key-lists of answers with no explanation-is available for each workbook.

This course will work best with your visual/auditory learner. With no text, students will need to remember what they heard or saw in the video lesson. They may need to go back and watch the lesson again. Each video lesson is a gentleman sitting at a desk (like a news anchor) talking about the concept of that day's lesson. Pictures and illustrations show up behind or next to him as he speaks. Vocabulary words are flashed on the screen in front of him and some of the graphics are then enlarged to fill the screen as he talks about them. You can purchase the on-demand video lessons from the publisher (a 15-month subscription) or the DVD option is a set of 4 dvds containing the same lessons. Sample video lessons are available on Scienceshepherd.com, along with a supply list for the activities. There is very little parent prep, and this course provides a nice alternative for the visual learner. ~ Donna