Science is a topic that can scare even seasoned homeschoolers. With so many different topics to cover and experiments to complete, it can be easy to become overwhelmed. There isn't a reason to be afraid of science. Science is all around us, and you don't need a science lab or an extremely expensive curriculum. You can learn a lot of science right in your own kitchen. Susan K Stewart shows you how in her book, Science in the Kitchen: Fearless Science at Home for All Ages.
Science without a “curriculum”
In her book, Susan explains why you don't even need a science curriculum to teach the basics. Science in the Kitchen is a 66 page ebook that will show you how to teach your children the science they need to know, without all of the headaches.
There are a lot of different learning and teaching styles, and Susan keeps all of that in mind as she shows you how to use different things to create your own science curriculum. She gives ideas for developing your own scope and sequence plan, and different materials that will provide helpful information.
Science Class in the kitchen
The book is broken into seven different chapters. The first two chapters explain what science is and how to create your own science course. She even shows different options on the topics to cover and the order to cover them. Did you know that you don't need to take Biology first in high school?
Chemistry
The third chapter is devoted to Chemistry. It has everything you need to know when teaching the course. She includes how to use household items when completing labs and where to find some of the harder to find chemicals. There are some sample activities to do around the house to help get your kids excited to learn about Chemistry. She also breaks down the study of Chemistry and lists all of the topics you might want to cover. With her suggested outline you can easily come up with a great course.
Biology and Physics
Chapters four and five cover Biology and Physics. There are sample outlines for those courses as well. If you are a homeschooler who likes to jump around and cover different topics, having these outlines to use as a check list will be very helpful.
Science Labs
Chapter six is where the fun comes in. There are a few lab ideas for Chemistry, Biology, and Physics. The labs include simple things as well as labs that are more thought out. Some of them have the processes and expected results, while other simply tell you to do something. All of the labs can easily be completed right in your kitchen.
Science Safety
The final chapter wraps everything up with safety precautions for each area of science and materials that you might need on hand while teaching science.
This book has examples for those teaching elementary school and those teaching high school. If you are trying to plan your own curriculum this is a great resource to have. If you are afraid to teach science, or if you simply want more ideas on ways to teach, you need Science in the Kitchen.
To get Science in the Kitchen, click here.