BFSU can be an overwhelming resource. After using it for a while, I realized that many of the topics are set up to flow in mini-units, or flowing chunks of information. Thinking of it this way helps organize it into topics, schedule lessons by interest and availability of materials, and cover prerequisites. I will post and link our plans here as we work through BFSU.
A note on resources: BFSU has extensive book lists at the end of every section. I tended to reserve all of them that my library had and have them in the book bin to go through at our leisure, but did not formally include them as part of science class. The books are a fantastic addition to teaching and I highly recommend including them. In addition to BFSU, I occasionally use prepared science kits, Magic School Bus episodes (often available streaming on Netflix or for purchase on Amazon), and the book Blood and Guts by Linda Allison. None of these resources are required to use BFSU and I will make notes of where I think they were more and less useful.
All of BFSU starts with lesson A/B-1. That lesson is a prerequisite for just about everything and you should start there. I don't list it as a prerequisite below because I just assume it was done first.
Foundational Units - These should be done before moving on, as they are prerequisites for most further lessons. They may be done in any order.
Unit: States of Matter
Unit: Introduction to Gravity
Unit: Introduction to Energy
Unit: Introduction to Living Things
BFSU K-2 - These lessons assume you have covered A/B-1 and the Foundational Units above. Any other prerequisites are listed next to the unit.
Unit: Sound and Vibrations
Unit: Energy
Unit: Matter and Magnets
Unit: Living Things (note: best done during warm months when animals/plants can be easily observed)
Unit: Time and Maps
Unit: Physics (prerequisites: Energy unit and Time and Maps unit)
Unit: Air (prerequisites: Energy unit and Matter and Magnets unit)
Unit: Rocks and Crystals (prerequisite: Matter unit and Air unit)
Unit: Plants (prerequisites: Living Things unit and Land and Rocks unit; Note: best done in spring/summer, when plants can be grown and/or observed)
Unit: The Human Body (prerequisites: Living Things unit and Land and Rocks unit)
Then wrap up using BFSU D-9.
I'd love to see how you are doing book 2. What do you do for worksheets?
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ReplyDeleteWhoops. Somehow deleted my own comment. It's that kind of night.
ReplyDeleteFor better or worse, we don't do worksheets. The Kid is very asynchronous - writing is difficult, but reading is easy. Science is also relatively easy, but worksheets would be painful for her. Book 2 will be harder for me to write our because we're pulling from more resources. I am still using BFSU as a spine, but with *lots* of out-of-the-box learning. I may post about what we do, but it won't look the same as book 1.
I'm in love with how you've done this. I'm beginning Book 2 with and older child and considering how I want to do this with my next child. When I did Book 1 before I really just went lesson by lesson jumping through threads. This makes so much sense. Thank you for putting it out there.
ReplyDeleteI did want to let you know that I've been able to find my own links for kits you've used but most of the direct links you've posted on each of the unit pages are leading to one kit only, a moon rock study, not to the kits you've intended. Just FYI.
This is great, thanks!
ReplyDeleteTHE best way that I have seen to work with BFSU 1. Thanks
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