How to Use the Exploring Creation Series
So you’re about to purchase the Apologia elementary science book of your choice, but you just aren’t sure you understand how to use the curriculum. Frankly, there’s nothing more frustrating than getting curriculum in the mail, opening up the box and then wondering how on earth you are going to do it.
Here are the simple instructions for how to use the Young Explorer’s Series.
1. If you have not purchased a kit to go with the book, you will want to scan the materials list located at the front of the book to see what you need for the lesson you are going to do. You can always skip the projects/experiment until you get the materials – or skip the projects/experiment altogether. It’s up to you as the parent and teacher. Although doing the projects and experiments will enhance the lesson, promote retention and make science even more delightful for your students, the projects and experiments are not required. Do not feel guilty if you can’t get the experiments together for each lesson. However, if you are worried that you won’t do the experiments, I highly encourage you to purchase a kit from one of the many suppliers that make kits. I especially recommend Creation Sensation, as their kit is the most complete.
2. Begin by reading the lesson to your child. There will be places during the lesson that your child is asked to “tell back” or narrate to you what they have learned up to that point. These not written narrations; they are oral mini-presentations your child does on their immediate learning.
3. Very occasionally there will be a "Try This!" activity wherein your child is encouraged to get a few supplies and try a little project or experiment to demonstrate a point made in that section of the book. Don’t be discouraged if you do not have the materials, you can always go back and do them later. Just keep reading.
4. You will continue your reading each day until you feel a natural break is at hand. Each family will differ in the amount of reading they and their children will do each session. Some families become extremely engrossed and will want to read an entire lesson. Most families will read a quarter to half the lesson. There are many places within each lesson that are natural stopping points.
5. When you end for the day, ask your child to orally tell you what they learned. They do not need to write anything down until they reach the end of the lesson.
6. When you reach the end of a lesson, you will come to a "What Do You Remember?" section. This is a series of specific questions to ask your child in order to jog their memory about the lesson. Don’t expect young children to remember most of these. Don’t expect older children to remember all of them. However, this is a great time to enter into discussion about what they learned. These are also oral, not written.
7. After your child tells you what they remember, it’s time for their notebooking activity. In this activity, the child will be asked to record in writing (pre-writing or struggling writers, please click the link to the left) all that they want to remember about the lesson. I would not force them to record every detail of the What Do You Remember section, or write down what you want them to remember. Allow them to decide what they felt was interesting and important. Let them decide what they want to remember. For non-writers or slow writers, you can type out or write out what they tell you. If your child is struggling to recount their learning, you can encourage them with questions, but don’t correct them too much unless the information they tell you is absolutely inaccurate. Make this an enjoyable experience without a lot of correction and nit-picking. They will eventually, by the end of the course, be able to make a good presentation about what they learned. Many children graduate from high school never learning this skill.
8. Occasionally, the notebooking activity will also include some sort of work beyond just recording the information they found interesting or want to remember. They might be asked to diagram something or produce some creative work associated with the subject.
9. Many times, older students are also encouraged to do further work associated with the lesson. You, the parent, will decide if your child should complete this additional assignment.
10. After their notebook assignment, the student will have a project or experiment to complete.
11. You are now done with that lesson. This may have taken you a week, or two weeks, or even three, depending on how quickly you are working through the course, how old your students are, how long your family enjoys reads alouds, how interested in the subject you or your children are and a plethora of other factors. Most people read each lesson over three days, and do the experiment on the fourth day. Many do science two days a week with this schedule. If you take two weeks for each lesson, you will finish well within a school year – with a lot of wiggle room. Some people choose to do science every day, and finish a lesson in one week. If you do most lessons in one week and a few over two weeks, you will be able to finish two books in one year. I recommend that you pace yourself, but fit the course for your family.
