So happy someone told me about this site. It was a no-brainer to sign up. When I clicked on the opening video that tells how to navigate the website, I got the message “No video available or access denied.” I do have Flash installed on my computer. Any thoughts as to what the problem could be?

Thanks!

Liz

(FYI: e-Camp is going to be taken offline soon, however, as we will be fixing it up for next summer soon.)

My question is about choosing an order to study things in (we’re new to e-science): My sons are 8 & 5 and naturally interested in things that go boom, shoot, fly, or otherwise do something dramatic (what boys aren’t?) So, the experiments about rocketry and flying machines seem like a perfect place to start… but they’re both part of the summer e-camp curriculum, not the regular units. Would we be missing out on academics, or getting in over our heads if we started here? Is it better to start with Unit 1 and work sequentially? Also, do you recommend some units over others for younger kids?
thanks!

So glad you found us! We typically add a new unit each month, so you can expect to grow with us for a long while. You can go further into depth with each unit as your students progress, for example you may only do a couple of experiments in astronomy now, and revisit it at a later time and finish up the rest of the activities. The e-Science program is a complete curriculum, with the exception of Earth Science, so you’ll want to source out one you really like for this. Have fun!

Aurora

And another question: After the end of the year, do you just keep repeating the units with the idea that they’ll understand even more of it each year?
Thank you!
Monique

Quick tip: you can bypass this problem by clicking PLAY then PAUSE and wait for it to finish downloading, then hit PLAY again.

I have double checked and my internet connection is not troubled yet the video is streaming two to five words at a time. VERY FRUSTRATING … Is this a common issue with the video content? Do you have any suggestions for me to alleviate this problem?

Thanks very much in advance for your teachings and your help with this problem.
Leslie-Ann

Thanks for such an excellent resource!

The K-8 is included as a free bonus when you sign up for 9-12. Many high school students use it extensively as a foundation. We find that learning is not segmented depending on age/grade, but rather dependent on a child’s experience and interest, as well as the parent’s goals. Thus our program supports this type of learning.

If your philosophy is based more on a segmented approach, then e-Science might not be the best choice. There are a variety of more traditional textbook-based programs that will, for example, focus just on physics, because that is what is traditionally taught in grade 11. Remember, your own goals for your child’s science learning combined with your schooling philosophy will determine what is right for you.

You can use our e-Science program as a full curriculum for your HS student, and you’ll need to document your progress as you goes along in order to get credit assigned. How you do this is going to depend on your state’s laws and requirements – some use assessment exams, others rely on documentation like a journal, and others want to see checklists filled out. We’ve compiled a ‘state standards‘ sheet for all of e-Science so you know which requirements you’ve met when working through this program.

We have tips on how to do documentation on the e-Science site here: http://www.sciencelearningspace.com/2009/09/scientific-journal/ and here: http://www.sciencelearningspace.com/2010/04/seven-essential-steps-to-a-scientific-journal/

Physics Units are 1, 2, 4, 5, 6, 7, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, and 14. Chemistry Units are 3, 8, and 15. You can find a syllabus here to help plan out what you’re going to do.

Don’t forget – a lot of of how you’re going to assign credit is going to depend on what your long-term goals are. Are you looking to get into college? Then call up a few places and find out what they require for HS applicants and do just that. Some schools want to see a lab notebook with evidence that your student really did science, so add photos to the lab book and send it in along with your application. Other schools only want to see test scores, so you’ll want to prepare your child for taking those in advance with SAT (or similar) prep classes. If you’re only wanting your child to get excited about science and see what’s out there, then you don’t need to be quite as diligent about documentation and focus rather on having the whole science experience being fun and engaging. Does that help?

Gifted children are a diverse group of students. Depending on what your child is interested in and what level they are at, they will be able to figure out pretty quickly if this is something that is going to spark their interest and catapult them forward. Since the program goes at whatever pace you need it to, there’s no waiting for other students to catch up or endless worksheet filler material… it’s solid science content.

If you’re wondering who is using this program, we have many students using the e-Science program that are highly gifted, and we also have students without sight or hearing, ordinary students that completely lack science in schools or have a parent who loves science and wants to be sure their children get the same opportunity, scout earning science badges, students in remote areas, and everything in between.

Because this program is not divided by grade level, you are free to zip through it as quickly as your child can vacuum it all up. Or, if you’d like to go a mile deep into the topic, there’s plenty here to support that as well. The best part (I think) about this program is that you are connected to a hoard of resources not shown on the website… real college instructors, engineers, and scientists in the field! Where else can you ask as many questions as you want from real scientists? So if your kid is crazy-wild about science (or bored with it and you want help turning this around), then you are in the right place.

I totally encourage you to give it a try and see how this format works for your child – we have every medium (short of me moving in with you) available through this program, including easy and advanced reading/textbooks, live phone calls with real scientists and professors, teleclass recordings of those phone calls, video instructions of experiments so you child can learn by doing, and more. You will need to stay on top of things and get organized with what he’s interested in and what you’re going to tackle first, but after you do a few lessons, you’ll have momentum and the learning (and fun) will come easily. Let me know if you have more questions!

Our best science-questions? WHEN oh WHEN are you going on your European tour? My kids (9, 7 and 5) are mad about science and I do my best trying to translate your experiments and let them try it (they LOVE your videoshots, they know them all by heart). We live in Stockholm Sweden and I would give my leg and arm (kidney anyone?) for a sicencecamp like yours here. The closest thing I know around here is for 14-year olds and mine are not even close to being teens…
Jonas (9) is stuck on aerodynamics. No matter how many airplanes he build, in all different types of materials and different constructions they take off but then sadly gravity wins and they descend.
Gravity and aerodynamic hints are welcomed as well as any info you might have with your overseas colleagues who take on young assistants

Keep up the good work, we love it!

Best regards,
Ribeiro-family
Luisa 5, Simon 7, Jonas 9, Elisabet 41 & Sandoval 40
Tyresö, Stockholm, Sweden

Thanks for writing! And yes, it happens sometimes that kids just want to build, build, build… one thing you can try is ask him questions about his projects during and/or after he’s completed them to see how much he’s figured out. Some kids really don’t need a formal ‘sit down and read’ session to wrap their minds around the scientific principles. Other families have their kids put on an ‘invention show’ or similar where their kids explain everything back to them. As long as you’re having a conversation to find out what’s going on inside his mind, you should be fine – remember, nothing is more important that the quality of the relationship with your child.

Your daughter is in for a lot of fun! And yes, it’s totally fine to just roll around and have fun with the experiments – it really depends on what your goals are your child’s interest. It sounds like you just want her to get some science exposure and learn how to ask questions, which is the fundamental of any science field.. so that fits perfectly with what your family needs right now. You can step it up in a few years if she’s really into it and on her way to MIT. Just keep in the mind the big picture of where you’re headed and you’ll be able to make adjustments along the way. Just as a jet needs a destination to get where it’s going, it also needs a map and a compass. Your destination may be to love learning, and your compass would be how you gauge your progress toward this goal (does she jump up with excitement or drag her feet?) and your map is your plan of how to get there, like using e-Science. Does that help?

My 11 year old son & I perused your site and watched a few videos. You’re so inspiring! We’re all ready to go! I’ve downloaded the “Mechanics” Unit pdf’s, put them in a ring binder, and browsed the local shops for supplies…Tomorrow we officially begin Supercharged Science! It’s getting late here, and I’d best get to bed so that I don’t miss out on any of the fun tomorrow!

Thanks for writing! I am glad your son is enjoying the presentations. We actually get this type of question a lot from families that have parents who need the to-down approach and kids that just want to dive in. There’s a definite balance you can reach to keep both of you sane and happily learning.

The quick answer is to teach from the “inside-out” (which is not how you or I were taught in school!) , but it’s basically this: you must first make your child hungry for the information you want him to absorb before delivering it. Here’s how you do it: select a unit (you can go in any order) and flip through the experiments. (You can use this page to get you started: http://www.sciencelearningspace.com/getting-started/syllabus-schedule/) Select an experiment or two that really makes your son saw WOW! and actually do those experiment(s). When he comes back to you asking “That was cool! But…how/why does that work?”then he’s signaled you that he’s ready (and open) for the academic content. When you do it this way, he’s ready and able to learn much faster and efficiently than any other. The video on this page details why this is works: http://www.sciencelearningspace.com/getting-started/whats-so-great-about-this-program/

Something to keep in mind – academic content doesn’t mean reading an armload of textbooks. Your child can learn by listening, watching, building, or reading. Here’s what I mean:

Built into the e-Science program, there’s a lot of overlap to accommodate all four learning styles: kinesthetic kids that need hands-on activates to get their a-ha! moment, audio kids make extensive use of the teleclass recordings and videos to get their understanding, visual kids use the experiment and content videos more than actually doing the activities to wrap their heads around the concepts, and digital learners that actually must see words on a page in order for stuff to make sense use the textbook downloads and lesson plans. Depending on the type of l earner your child is, he’s going to gravitate toward one of these four (we do have all four embedded in us, but usually a stronger preference for one). Adjust the e-Science program to best fit his needs, and you’ll find he’s not only not bored, but will still be able to turn around and teach YOU science without covering ALL the lessons, experiments, and content on the site. Does that make sense?

Happy Experimenting,
Aurora

P.S. the TP wasn’t soaked in lighter fluid – it was a special combo of ingredients that we use here at the chem. lab – very similar to what magicians use for flash paper.

Dilemma – I’m getting bogged down in the Units and Lesson Plans following the syllabus on line. I’m afraid I’ll lose him. Any rercommendations or suggested syllabus for a boy who just wants to blow things up. I need some sort of lesson plan to work with (my personality type) and like I said I’m just getting overwhelmed with overchoice from your wonderful website. How do I tailor this to a 10 year old boy who hates textbooks?

Signed,
“Love the spirit of the program but Getting Overwhelmed & Bogged Down with Overchoice – Need some advice from the pro’s”
a.k.a. Kathy (Home schooling mom)

Some kids really do need to see the words on a page before they get their ‘a-ha!’ moment, while others need to see or do an experiment (visual and kinesthetic learners). Audio learners can be doing something totally different with their hands while they listen to some talk about the subject and it clicks for them. In reality, we all have all four of these learning modes, but have a preference for one (It’s kind of like being right-handed, but that doesn’t keep you from using both your hands for some things!) The e-Science program integrates all four learning modes, so you can pick and choose which kind of content delivery works best for your child (audio teleclasses, live videos, step-by-step hands-on experiments, textbook downloads, etc…)

If your goal is just to get their feet wet and have fun getting exposed to the subject, then doing just the experiments is a great way to start. If you’re wanting them to have a solid science foundation they can draw on later in life, then you’ll want to dovetail the experiments with academic content when they’re ready for it (they signal you that they’re ready when they ask you questions about how and why their experiments work).

The academic stuff can be delivered in any number of ways, one of which is a textbook – but don’t feel limited to this traditional approach (which doesn’t fit a lot of kids). Having a library book or two as a resource, watching science videos, exploring in the real world… all are a part of an outstanding science education.

For kids with learning disabilities, you can tailor the pace and content to fit their needs. You’ll find that they also have a preferred learning style, however it may be more difficult to uncover if their disability is more severe. Keep working at it and eventually you’ll find something that works. I’ve had all kinds of kids with learning disabilities use the content in the e-Science program, including autism, down syndrome, dyslexia, ADD, ADHD, Asperger’s, etc. and each one has their own recipe for success. We even had a kid with one arm learn how to solder circuit boards (a task which normally requires three hands). So just take your time and get a feel for what they need, and let us know how we can help you deliver that to them.

Does that help?

Happy experimenting!
Aurora

1. For elementary kids, what home school science curriculum would you recommend. I had another science teacher tell me not to use a textbook-just show videos, ie Bill Nye, Magic Tree house, Popular Mechanics for Kids, etc.. They also said to just do experiments. Do you agree with these recommendations. On the curriculum, as a Christian I’m fine if you recommend Christian based ones like the Apologia series.
2. There’s so much terminology in science. How do you recommend teaching a child with Dyslexia and other disabilities (ie low working memory, auditory processing deficits.) so that concepts stick.
I think yours hands on approach is great.

Thanks, L

Most families have a schedule they like to follow, whether it’s Science Saturdays where they do science all day long, or Science Hour where they do an hour each day, or anything in-between.

Remember, it’s not a race, and you don’t have to do ALL of it to get a great science education. Just pick a few experiments to start with that really makes your kids say: “Wow – that’s COOL!” and go from there. Your job is to get them to their “A-HA!” moment where they understand something new.

Does that help?