I never studied Chemistry in school so when my girls said they wanted to do study Chemistry and do lots of experiments, I jumped at the chance. I did my research and looked for the most appealing books and curriculum which would give us lots of hands-on opportunities and I have to say we have had a really good time with Science this year.
We started off using Real Science 4 Kids Chemistry pre Level 1.
What I like about RS4K in general, is that it doesn't skimp on the real science. It uses the proper scientific terms from the start and it trains kids in the scientific method and it is easy and fun to understand and implement. The great thing is that they have set up their website so that you can check out their books in full online. This way you can gauge if it will work for you before you purchase. They also have an excellent workbook set called KOGS 4 Kids which allow kids to make connections between the scientific discipline they are studying (e.g Chemistry, Biology, Physics) and other disciplines like Philosophy, Language, Technology, History and Art. ( I haven't used these myself but have been SO tempted to do so).
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What molecules might look like without rules |
We also enjoyed observing chemical reactions using basic kitchen foods. We then created our own acid-base indicator from red cabbage and proceeded to test the properties of a variety of liquids. Kitchen science is so fun for kids (and mums)!
We supplemented our lessons by watching these episodes from Bill Nye the Science Guy which we all enjoyed immensely!
Bill Nye the Science Guy on Atoms and Molecules
What RS4K (Chemistry Pre-Level 1) doesn't have is a study on the Elements, and I felt that was an important omission. So, in searching out more material to help us - I discovered R.E.A.L Science by Pandia Press.
We really enjoyed what this added to our studies. It is complete one year curriculum that is simple but very thorough and enjoyable. The lesson starts with a notebook page that presents the information directly to the kids and it is then followed by one or two hands-on activities or experiments. The beginning of each unit will have a poem or rhyme of some sort that helps the kids remember the facts and the unit ends with some fun review in the form of a crossword puzzle.
The experiments were easy to put together and did a good job illustrating the point. Again, each experiment requires the children go through the process of making a hypothesis, predicting a result, testing and observing what happens and drawing a conclusion.
We were taken through the study of the Periodic Table in a gentle and interesting way. The girls enjoyed learning about the structure of an atom and built up different elements using marshmallows which you can see in the top photo. We then focused on studying and experimenting with the first 18 elements on the Periodic Table and the girls assembled an element book over a few weeks.
Below are some of our favourite resources that I found to help round out our studies on the Periodic Table and the Elements.
These are some fun videos about the Elements which we enjoyed.
Another wonderful site for learning about the Elements is the Periodic Table of Videos produced by Nottingham University that allows you to see the elements react - of course, the explosive elements were the most fun! They are all introduced by a professor with crazy hair a la Einstein which just adds to a surreal sense of fun.
These have to be my picks for best books on the subject!
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This is a gorgeous full colour exploration of each element and an engaging historical overview. My kids really enjoyed reading this. Five stars! |
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The Japanese style graphics and comic tone make this a fun look into the qualities of each element. A quirky and engaging introductory reference book.   The Mystery of the Periodic Table (Living History Library) This book is on my wish-list. It looks like an excellent living book and it seems to have a pretty long list of positive reviews. |
What's Smaller Than a Pygmy Shrew?
This is an helpful and entertaining read to introduce the idea of atoms and molecules especially for younger kids.
Here are a bunch of links to other helpful resources for your Chemistry adventure:
Acids and Bases:
The Periodic Table:
Periodic Table of Comic Books - for comic book fans! Click on an element and see a list of pages from various comic books featuring that elements
Chemical Reactions:
Polymers:
No study will be complete (in my opinion) without watching this fabulous 3 part documentary from the BBC: Chemistry-A Volatile History. I've posted the first episode in its entirety here. My children HIGHLY recommend it! Enjoy. You can watch the remaining two episodes here.
3 comments:
What a great wrap-up and review post! We're delving into archaeology and geology this year but will probably do a more formal study of chemistry next year - I've bookmarked your post to help me out!
Wow...this is a GREAT review and resource for so many of us as we continue our adventures into science. Thanks for taking the time to post all of this here! I've bookmarked this entry for future reference. (Still haven't brought myself to plan our year since we have a delayed start to the formal stuff this year.) Best wishes for a fabulous "new school year."
Hi I am very interested for what you guys did for the Element Book. It looks so colorful and creativty. Love it.
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