It seems like we've gotten an abundance of science materials recently. And while one might think we wouldn't need another one, I couldn't pass up the opportunity to review e-Science Homeschool Science Curriculum from Supercharged Science. You see, we first became acquainted with Supercharged Science 8 years ago when we used the site to find experiments we could recreate. Since then, we've joined in on multiple online teleclasses, reviewed the e-Science program, and performed lots and lots of the experiments.
Aurora Lipper, the founder of Supercharged Science, is a rocket scientist and mechanical engineer. After earning a Master's, working at NASA, and lecturing at the college level, she discovered that kids did not have the same passion for science as she did. She realized that the problem was related to the teaching process, not the material. She determined to figure out a better way to teach science--a way that would appeal to the kids while both educating and inspiring them. Her methods were instantly a hit, and Supercharged Science was born.
This award-winning science curriculum offers complete programs from K-12th grades that either meets or exceeds most science standards. It is a video-based, online science curriculum that explains "topics to kids in a practical and real-world way." The videos then guide them step-by-step through the activities and experiments that focus on the concepts learned. Because it is self-teaching, students can work through the materials at their own pace and choose from the plethora of activities which ones interest them the most. Aurora calls this the "easy way to teach science," because she does all the teaching herself using her unique 3 step method. You don't have to have an advanced science degree to give your children a strong science foundation.
The curriculum is divided in 2 ways: topics and grade levels. There are many options to using this. You can work through the topics units in order for a full course. Or if your child is currently fascinated by light or magnets or chemistry (a favorite in our house!), you can easily find the content about those topics to supplement your curriculum. There are even conversion charts to complement dozens of science curricula. The charts list which activities and experiments on Supercharged Science line up with the chapters in the other curricula to amplify the learning. Another option would be to follow the plans for a specific grade level.
We are entering a new phase as our oldest is officially in high school now. I thought that this would be a perfect high school science course for him since it is thorough and complete, not to mention an easier teaching option as we enter this uncharted territory. I clicked on Grade Levels and then Advanced Topics. The high school topics, which are appropriate for advanced 5th-8th graders as well, include physics, astrophysics, electronics, chemistry & chemical reactivity, biology, and alternative energy. There is a video on the page that explains what science high school topics should cover in which order and why. I was surprised to see that she recommends physics in 9th grade as that was an elective course my senior year in high school. I personally took biology as a freshman, but since I am not a professional scientist, I trusted her expertise and started my son in the physics course.
The curriculum, no matter the topic or age level, is perfect for all kinds of learners. It incorporates readings, experiments, exercises, and videos to make a full, hands-on approach to learning science concepts. Physics, like the other advanced topics, also includes lab worksheets to test real-life examples and to prepare students for college. There are data tables, charts, graphs, math exercises, and more. The course depends on math, engineering, and technology to teach applicable aspects of physics that students can observe themselves. The projects include working robots, observations with telescopes, launching rockets, using lasers, making musical instruments, creating electrical circuits, and more.
This award-winning science curriculum offers complete programs from K-12th grades that either meets or exceeds most science standards. It is a video-based, online science curriculum that explains "topics to kids in a practical and real-world way." The videos then guide them step-by-step through the activities and experiments that focus on the concepts learned. Because it is self-teaching, students can work through the materials at their own pace and choose from the plethora of activities which ones interest them the most. Aurora calls this the "easy way to teach science," because she does all the teaching herself using her unique 3 step method. You don't have to have an advanced science degree to give your children a strong science foundation.
The curriculum is divided in 2 ways: topics and grade levels. There are many options to using this. You can work through the topics units in order for a full course. Or if your child is currently fascinated by light or magnets or chemistry (a favorite in our house!), you can easily find the content about those topics to supplement your curriculum. There are even conversion charts to complement dozens of science curricula. The charts list which activities and experiments on Supercharged Science line up with the chapters in the other curricula to amplify the learning. Another option would be to follow the plans for a specific grade level.
We are entering a new phase as our oldest is officially in high school now. I thought that this would be a perfect high school science course for him since it is thorough and complete, not to mention an easier teaching option as we enter this uncharted territory. I clicked on Grade Levels and then Advanced Topics. The high school topics, which are appropriate for advanced 5th-8th graders as well, include physics, astrophysics, electronics, chemistry & chemical reactivity, biology, and alternative energy. There is a video on the page that explains what science high school topics should cover in which order and why. I was surprised to see that she recommends physics in 9th grade as that was an elective course my senior year in high school. I personally took biology as a freshman, but since I am not a professional scientist, I trusted her expertise and started my son in the physics course.
The curriculum, no matter the topic or age level, is perfect for all kinds of learners. It incorporates readings, experiments, exercises, and videos to make a full, hands-on approach to learning science concepts. Physics, like the other advanced topics, also includes lab worksheets to test real-life examples and to prepare students for college. There are data tables, charts, graphs, math exercises, and more. The course depends on math, engineering, and technology to teach applicable aspects of physics that students can observe themselves. The projects include working robots, observations with telescopes, launching rockets, using lasers, making musical instruments, creating electrical circuits, and more.
Using the course is simple. My son started with the introduction and from there just clicks through the lessons. Each lesson has a text portion and video with comments from other learners and Aurora at the bottom. There are links for worksheets, exercises, and the like within the lessons. Because physics is based in math, the videos teach the math step-by-step along with the science as it is needed. This helps students understand why various math concepts are important and how they relate to real life.
There are no lesson plans that spell out exactly what to do each day (especially since this is a self-teaching program that meets many different intentions of use), however, the course has 50 sections divided into 14 chapters. There are more than 500 videos for the course and many labs. It is reasonable to spend a week covering 1-2 of the sections.
There are many free resources on the site including more than 30 experiments, an online class, and various tips throughout. Many different teaching options are available in addition to e-Science Homeschool Science Curriculum including single subject DVD lessons and mastery programs that contain all the materials as well as instructions that you need.
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| Learning about acceleration during Driveway Races. |
No matter if you need a supplemental program or a full curriculum for science, e-Science Homeschool Science Curriculum is sure to meet your need.
I'm thankful that we have Supercharged Science to give my son a strong understanding of physics as we start our high school journey.
I'm thankful that we have Supercharged Science to give my son a strong understanding of physics as we start our high school journey.
You can connect with Supercharged Science on the following social media sites:
You can read more reviews of this online science program covering both topics and grade levels on the Homeschool Review Crew blog.
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