As the Scientific Homeschool, we’ve finally finished with our first year officially homeschooling, and are now enjoying the summer hiatus. That doesn’t mean that there’s nothing going on, however.
I’ve been working on new segments for the ESU. We’ve worked our way through the Cambrian, and when we take up our lessons again after vacation we will be working on a study of the Orcovician Period, with a science focus on the ocean habitat. I’ve ordered a new science reference book called Ocean; The World’s Last Wilderness Revealed–from the American Museum of Natural History. Like the other reference books we’re using with the ESU, Ocean is visually stunning and equally informative.
Also, I’ve been hard at work researching new materials for the upcoming school-year, and for methods that will improve the Earth-Studies Units. In particular I’ve been looking at using Inquiry to teach science, and how I could use it in correlation to the ESU.
Inquiry is the active search for knowledge or understanding to satisfy a curiosity, and always involves a focus on collection and interpretation of information in response to wondering and exploring. Inquiry-oriented science instruction is associated with hands-on learning, as well as experiential or activity-based instruction. Also, inquiry-oriented science instruction is linked with what is known as the “discovery approach” or with the development of process skills associated with the “scientific method”. You can expect to hear more about Inquiry in the up-coming series regarding that subject, which I am currently preparing.
Check back soon for my up-coming series regarding “Teaching Science Through Inquiry”.
