Another school year is upon us! (At least that’s what people are telling me… I personally am in denial.)
I still plan to squeeze every last drop of fun and rest that I can out of this summer, but I also know that my future self will thank me if I make some solid school plans for the year ahead.
Every year we’ve homeschooled I’ve shared the curricula and resources we’ve used. (Check out the first post in the series – Our Curriculum Choices Year By Year – to start at the beginning).
If time flies when you’re having fun, then we must be having a blast!
It seems like just yesterday I was wondering if this crazy idea called “homeschooling” would work for our family. Now we’re ten years into our home educating journey and my oldest is starting high school!
Each year, I’ve shared Our Curriculum Choices and plans for the year. Read on to find out what homeschool resources we’ll be using this coming year with our 9th, 6th, and 2nd graders.
(There may be affiliate links in this post – click here to learn more. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.)
If you’ve read my review of Building Foundations of Scientific Understanding (BFSU) science curriculum, you’ll know it’s no secret that I love it!
The content is awesome, it’s organized logically, and it encourages students to observe, question, and think their way through the lessons (rather than just memorizing science jargon that’s thrown at them).
Check out Part 1 and Part 2 of my BFSU review to learn more about the curriculum and how it works.
But, even though I love BFSU, there was a steep learning curve for me as I tried to actually implement it. The thing is, I was creating work and frustration for myself that could’ve been avoided! The steep learning curve was my own fault!
This is Part 2 of my review of Building Foundations of Scientific Understanding (BFSU) – the K-8 science curriculum my family has been using for years in our homeschool. In Part 1, I covered the basics – the overall approach and layout of BFSU. In this post, I’ll get into the more detailed pros and cons and share some bonus information to help you on your BFSU journey.
(There may be affiliate links in this post – click here to learn more. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. As I mentioned in Part 1, I purchased all three volumes of BFSU and haven’t received any compensation or products from the creators of BFSU. We’ve just loved this curriculum, and I want to share my experience and review to help other homeschooling parents decide if it’s right for them!)
(There may be affiliate links in this post – click here to learn more. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. I’ve never received any compensation or products from the creators of BFSU, and they aren’t sponsoring or connected to this post. I’m just a homeschooling mom who bought BFSU and loved it! I’m sharing my honest opinions with you here to help you decide if BFSU might be a good fit for you, too!)
I’m so excited! I’ve been waiting years to write this review and the time has finally come! We started using this three volume science curriculum eight years ago when my oldest son was in kindergarten. He’s in 7th grade now and we’re using the final volume this year.
I don’t recall how I first found out about Dr. Nebel’s science series, Building Foundations of Scientific Understanding (BFSU for short), but I’m so glad I did!
In this series of posts, I’ve been sharing what curricula I’ve used to homeschool my three kids each year. To see what we’ve used for other ages and grades, check out the first post which has links to all the posts in the series.
2020.
What. A. Year.
And we’re not even three-quarters of the way through it yet!
Even though I can’t seem to keep track of what day it is right now, I’m at least aware that it’s August. And August in our homeschool means it’s time to finalize and share our curriculum plans for the year ahead.
2020. What a doozy!
Most of us are still reeling from the unexpected spin COVID-19 put on the last few months of this school year. And just when we thought things were looking up, we find ourselves in the midst of another set of trials and civil unrest.
It seems like a lifetime ago that I was planning out our curricula and wondering what the year would bring. I definitely didn’t expect all this!
Our tour continues!
(If you missed the first posts in this series, start here to get caught up. There may be affiliate links in this post – click here to learn more. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.)
First, though, a quick note…
I’m not sharing the contents of our homeschool room and shelves because I found the BEST or MOST PERFECT stuff that all homeschool families need to own.
I’m doing this tour because I remember how much it helped me to see how others homeschool. It helped me decide how home education could work for our family. I loved seeing how people organize their spaces, what kinds of school things they had on their shelves, and what worked and didn’t work for them.
This post is part of a series of helpful teaching tips for homeschoolers. If you haven’t yet, check out Tip #1 and Tip #2. There may be affiliate links in this post – click here to learn more. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
Imagine you walk into a classroom and take a seat at your desk. There you find a worksheet with a tree diagram. The teacher announces that you’ll be studying trees today. She lists the vocabulary words you should add to your diagram.
Now imagine instead that you walk into a classroom with a three foot wide slice of tree trunk on a table with a few magnifying glasses scattered next to it. The teacher invites you to study the tree for a few minutes and see what you see.
I’m guessing I’m not the only one who would find the second scenario more interesting.
