Discover! General Science is a flexible, hands-on, engaging science curriculum that is intentionally designed to meet the needs of different learning styles and abilities. Oh, and did I mention, it is designed to be self-directed? Yes! It is all that and more! Along with these distinctive qualities, Discover! General Science is religiously neutral, and correlates to current standards. Each Kit includes an Instructor Guide, Student Worktext A, Student Worktext B, the Assessments Book, and the Lab Book. Labs require household or easily found items. Safety googles, an apron, and latex (or plastic) gloves are required. A microscope and slides are optional for General Science 2. The curriculum components are only sold in the Kit, and not available separately.
The Instructor Guide is used with the Student Worktexts and Lab Manual. Along with chapter objectives, each chapter provides parents with suggestions to support learning, teach to and challenge three learning styles (auditory, visual, and kinesthetic), extension/enrichment activities, co-op activities for families using the curriculum with a large group, and all the answers. It also includes the assessments. Each unit concludes with a review and assessment. Two types of assessments are available: a traditional short answer and multiple-choice test or a project-based performance assessment.
The heart of Discover! General Science is the Student Worktexts. Colorfully illustrated and consumable, Student Worktexts A and B provide one year (160 lessons) of instruction. Divided into 10 topical units with 5-8 chapters. Each chapter will take roughly 2 days to complete. The chapters begin with objectives, vocabulary words and definitions, and materials for the activity. Chapters then introduce new concepts through a real-world story and engagingly written informational text. Following the readings, students answer related questions and complete application activities and chapter reviews. Scattered throughout the chapters are extension activities which may include focus readings or activities, mini-labs, online research projects, and creative projects (songs, drawings, etc.). Each unit also includes one or two formal lab experiments which are found in the Lab Manual. They are not scheduled, rather chapter experiment(s) should be completed at your convenience prior to the chapter review and assessment. The Lab Manual contains the student instructions, material lists, safety notes, and space to document the lab experience. It also includes observation sheets for the minilabs to help students become proficient at lab documentation. Complete teaching notes for experiments are found in the back of the Instructor Guide. The Assessment Book includes the consumable assessments for each chapter. There are two types of assessments available. A traditional test with fill-in-the- blank, matching, or short answer (or drawing) questions and the project-based Performance assessment with project requirements and a grading rubric. All student resources are consumable, and not reproducible.