Review: Elemental Science, Biology Logic Stage {and Giveaway!}

 

 

Confession Time

I have become extraordinarily lazy about teaching science. It's ridiculous, I know. One of the reasons we started homeschooling in the first place was because our older son's public school experience was severely lacking in science education. And my husband teaching biology at a large university, for Pete's sake! 

I did so much science with my firstborn; I am sure he read through every single science book on our well-stocked bookshelves dozens of times. Then the other two kids came along, and I slacked off. I have relied heavily on the science classes that are offered through our co-op's enrichment class program.

It's time for me to start a more serious science program with Duncan (6th grade), so I was excited when I received the opportunity to review Biology for the Logic Stage by Elemental Science.

First of all, let me say that I won't review just any homeschool product that comes along. When I am offered a chance to review a product, I look at the website first to determine if it is something I will actually use in our homeschooling. 

I knew as soon as I downloaded sample pages that I may have actually found the science program for which I'd been searching.  Biology for the Logic Stage is a 36-week study of plants, animal life, and the human body, geared toward 5th and 6th graders. The package (available via e-book or printed version) includes an easy-to-follow teacher's guide (with 2-day/week or 5-day/week options) and a student's guide.

My Experience with Elemental Science {Thus Far}

First of all, I loved author Paige Hudson's introduction and how-to-use pages. Here is an example (click for a bigger picture) of how clear and concise the instructions are (anything that promises something "in a nutshell" is appealing to me!):

Hudson provides ample flexibility in the teacher's guide. For example, she suggests ways to make this work with older and younger students, to match ability to writing requirements, and to study a topic in a broader context, such as with biographies of scientists.

Once I read the whole teacher's guide, I decided that we would, indeed, be using this for science in the upcoming school year. I ordered the two required spines: DK's Encyclopedia of Nature and The Kingfisher Science Encyclopedia.

Both are lovely, fat books. As soon as I opened the box and put the books on the coffee table, my older two kids (14 and 19) grabbed them up. Reading assignments are given from both books with nearly every lesson, so I knew I'd need to buy them rather than borrow from the library. The text in both is in short segments with plenty of pictures and diagrams.

Hudson's list of materials in clearly laid out. One of the things I loved about Sonlight's elementary science program is that one could buy the box of supplies that were needed. An experiment kit with "all the hard to find or difficult to get materials for the experiments" is also an option with Biology for the Logic Stage. Because I am a terribly last-minute person, I will most likely go ahead and order this kit; however, if you would rather gather your own supplies, the necessary materials are clearly indicated for each lesson. 

Although we are now on summer break, I decided to go ahead and try out the program with Duncan. We started in Week 6 with Mold and Fungi because, well, what 11-year-old doesn't want to grow mold? Here is a shot of the 2-day/week lesson plan:

 And Duncan preparing his experiment:

Each day Duncan observes his bread and records any changes in his student notebook. He knows what's going to happen, of course. Moldy bread is practically a staple in our kitchen. But how much more fun it is for him to actually observe it and watch the changes, rather than announcing, "MOM! The bread is moldy!"

What I Love {So Far} About Elemental Science

1. I can't emphasize this enough: the program is well organized and easy to navigate.

2. The science is good, solid science. Hudson is a good writer, and the two spines that go along with the program are colorful, detailed, and easy-to-read and absorb.

3. Hudson doesn't shove religion into science. As she explains, “although I am a Christian, I have tried to write Elemental Science as non-sectarian. I have done my best to write each program in a manner that focuses on the science being studied instead of a person’s religious viewpoint.” The "science being studied"—hurray!! I am so happy for a program that doesn't try to squeeze Bible verses in everywhere just to make a point.

4. The program is flexible. You can do with it as much or as little as you wish, depending on your own schedule.

5. The experiments are fun and simple. Complicated experiments are frustrating to me and, in turn, frustrating to my kids. Hudson provides clear directions and explicit details.

What Else Does Elemental Science Offer?

Oh, lots and more to come.

• The current biology programs include (besides the Logic Stage reviewed here) the Grammar Stage for K-2 and several "Lapbooking Through..." titles. (See Fruit in Season's review of Lapbooking Through Habitats for a great example.)
• The current Earth Science and Astronomy program includes the Grammar Stage (2nd/3rd grades) and Logic Stage (6th/7th grade) as well as lapbooks. (See a review of the Grammar Stage ESA at Meet Penny.)
• The current chemistry program is Grammar Stage (3rd/4th grades) only but more to come.
• The current physics program includes Grammar Stage (4th/5th) with Logic Stage (7th/8th) coming soon.

Your Turn!

Would you like to win your own Biology for the Logic Stage program? All you have to do is leave a comment below between now and Thursday, June 7.  For additional entries,
• let me know that you've followed Elemental Science on Twitter
• Take a look at the Elemental Science website and tell me what product you are most interested in.

Please remember to leave a comment for each entry!  Giveaway will close on Thursday night, June 7, at midnight.  The winner will have two days (until midnight on June 9) to reply.  Make sure you include your valid email address with your comments!


Tomorrow, stop by Jessica’s blog at Bohemian Bowmans to read about her experience with Physics Grammar Stage. She’ll be having a giveaway as well. Be sure to visit Aadel’s blog review from Friday to learn more about Lapbooking through the Human Body.

**Legal disclosure: No purchase necessary to enter or win. I received this product for free and will be compensated for the review; however, I was not required to present a positive review and the opinions are my own. The review was arranged by iHomeschoolNetwork.com.