BookShark Science

Performing their electricity related experiments with foil wire they made themselves. 

As a homeschooling parent, I have to work around my own weaknesses as a teacher. Historically, I have never been one to plan out a detailed homeschooling schedule as I find it to be a giant waste of time when I know life "stuff" happens and I won't be able to keep up to my good intentions. All this causes particular angst when the subject is something I, as the teacher, don't feel particularly knowledgeable or excited about to begin with. Science has been that subject for me. When the kids were younger, I made up for our lack of science learning at home by taking them to lots of science centers and exhibits, having various science related books about for them to read, and watching lots of NOVA's and other science documentaries that intrigue them. I have been using a Math and history curriculum for years that works well for me, but I have never found a science program or curriculum that would fit my criteria.

This year though I was motivated to look harder given that I have two middle schoolers literally begging me to do science. Kids this age are naturally curious and I do not want to hamper their curiosity. Who can say no to a kid begging to learn and curiosity is a valuable asset when it comes to learning science. So.... enter BookShark Science. 

BookShark offers boxed curriculum that pulls from many different resources and best of all has a teacher schedule and guide all laid out. All of their curriculum regardless of subject is strongly literature based which my husband and I really appreciate. Homeschoolers can purchase curriculum for an entire grade level or by subject. Looking through the options under science, I chose to start with Science 4 on Electricity, Magnetism and Astronomy. We are three weeks into this curriculum and I have to say I am very pleased. Once again I find myself learning right alongside my children. I don't have to have a full understanding before we dive in and it includes nearly all the materials required for each week's experiment. Therefore any pre-planning on my part takes less than 15 minutes a week.  So it seems that I finally found a good science curriculum fit for our family thanks to BookShark.

Elisabeth learning about current, circuits and cells in a series.

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