Biology
REAL Science Odyssey

REAL Science Odyssey

REAL Science Odyssey
Title: REAL Science Odyssey
Religious:
Cost:
Page Count: 250+
Format: Print
Publisher:
Published: 2013
Parent Involvement:
About the Author: Terri Williams wrote REAL Science Odyssey Biology 1 and Earth & Space Science 1. Blair Lee wrote REAL Science Odyssey Biology 2 and Chemistry 1. Dahlia Schwartz wrote REAL Science Odyssey Physics 1


Each book of REAL Science Odyssey is a complete one-year science curriculum based on a strictly secular and science-backed approach. Each topic in the REAL Science Odyssey series is presented in an entertaining story-like format and is followed by hands-on activities along with background science information, parent instructions, labs, reading lists, journaling ideas, and websites.

RSO Biology (Level 1 – 1st to 4th grade) The course is divided into three sections: the human body, the animal kingdom, and the plant kingdom. Students study the major body systems through making models and doing tests on their own bodies. Classification and the five kingdoms of living things are studied as students make an animal kingdom book. Animal kingdom labs include examining real worms, mollusks, arthropods, and butterfly metamorphosis. Students learn about the plant kingdom through looking at the makeup and function of seeds, flowers, leaves, stems, and roots. Each topic and/or subtopic will include 1 to 3 lessons complete with lesson story, labs, reading, and other activities. Each topic will take anywhere from 1 to 4 weeks to complete.

RSO Biology (Level 2 – 5th to 8th grade) This year-long course assumes no science background for teacher or student. Most materials needed for labs and activities are commonly found items. A few items such as a microscope (microscope labs are optional but highly encouraged) and dissection specimens are easily obtained from science supply vendors. The student text starts each chapter with an entertaining written lesson that is followed by several components intended to reinforce the lesson, address the needs of different learning styles, and engage students in hands-on learning and research. These components include lab sheets, lab reports, problem sets, activities, famous science research assignments, coloring sheets, microscope labs, poetry, and vocabulary review. The parent/teacherʼs text provides all the help a science novice needs to assist her student including suggested course scheduling, summaries, additional material and explanations, sample reports, learning objectives, answers and suggestions, tests, and quizzes.

RSO Earth & Space (Level 1 – 1st to 4th grade) Topics include weather, seasons, the earth, minerals, rocks, our solar system, and space. Students study the weather and atmosphere with several hands-on labs including making an anemometer, a rain gage, and water cycle in a bowl. Rocks and minerals are studied in depth with students identifying their samples through the same tests used by geologists. Each planet in our solar system is studied individually as students make their own planet book. Earth & Space has recently been revised to include changes to the status of Pluto and the definition of planet. Each topic and/or subtopic will include 1 to 3 lessons complete with lesson story, labs, reading, and other activities. Each topic will take anywhere from 1 to 4 weeks to complete.

RSO Chemistry (Level 1 – 2nd to 5th grade) This comprehensive course covers topics usually reserved for high school chemistry, but in way that youngsters can easily grasp. Topics covered include atoms, molecules, the periodic table, states of matter, acids and bases, and chemical reactions. Students start small, pondering the size and magnitude of atoms and molecules. Then students make their own periodic table and study 18 of the most common elements. They experiment with states of matter and make their own pH scale. Students end big with chemical reactions and exciting combustion labs. Each lesson is followed by 1 to 5 hands-on activity labs that reinforce the material and introduce science terminology and age-appropriate math.

RSO Physics (Level 1 – 3rd to 6th grade) This comprehensive course presents complicated physics concepts in a way that young people can comprehend and immediately apply to everyday play and work. Topics covered include the study of matter, motion, friction, work, sound and wave, magnetism, electricity, and even a glimpse into the quantum world. Students will not only learn Newton’s three laws of motion, but they will experiment with them and develop simple models of real-world applications such as rockets, auto safety, and electric motors. Each lesson is followed by 1 to 5 hands-on activity labs that reinforce the material and introduce science terminology and age-appropriate math.

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Alessandra

Alessandra homeschooled her kids from kindergarten into college. In the early 2000s, she founded the Maryland Homeschool Association, a secular and inclusive statewide advocacy group. With a master;s degree in education, Alessa has written curriculum for nonprofis, a local community college, as well as supplemental material for homeschool families.

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