{"id":10960,"date":"2011-07-27T00:00:56","date_gmt":"2011-07-27T04:00:56","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/simplehomeschl.wpengine.com\/?p=10960"},"modified":"2026-02-12T09:50:24","modified_gmt":"2026-02-12T14:50:24","slug":"elementary-science","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/simplehomeschool.net\/elementary-science\/","title":{"rendered":"4 Simple Methods for Teaching Elementary Science"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><em>Written by contributor Renee Tougas of <a href=\"http:\/\/fimby.tougas.net\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">FIMBY<\/a>.<\/em><\/p>\n<p><span class=\"drop_cap\">T<\/span>his past spring all of us here at Simple Homeschool shared our <a href=\"http:\/\/simplehomeschl.wpengine.com\/tag\/curriculum-fair\/\">curriculum choices<\/a>. In my contribution to that series I talked about the curriculum we\u2019ve used so far for elementary <a href=\"http:\/\/simplehomeschl.wpengine.com\/relaxed-elementary-education\/\">reading, writing, and math<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>But of course there is a lot more to our homeschool routine than just those subjects.<\/p>\n<p>Today I want to share how we teach science to our elementary aged children in the context of every day life, without a set curriculum.<\/p>\n<p><strong>I have found science to be one of the easiest \u201csubjects\u201d to teach our children. <\/strong><\/p>\n<p>I know it will get trickier as they get into the higher grades and so we plan to start using curriculum sometime during the junior high years.<\/p>\n<p><strong>But so far interest-led science has worked well for us. <\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Here are the four methods we&#8217;ve used.<strong><br \/>\n<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><!--more--><\/p>\n<h3>Nature Study<\/h3>\n<p>Nature study is a popular practice among homeschoolers and for good reason &#8211; it\u2019s a wonderful, hands-on way to learn about the natural world.<\/p>\n<p>Although we often think of nature study as being for young students (in the <a href=\"http:\/\/simplehomeschl.wpengine.com\/tag\/charlotte-mason\/\">Charlotte Mason<\/a> tradition at least) famous naturalists like <a href=\"http:\/\/www.amazon.com\/gp\/product\/0618243437\/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&#038;tag=f0bf5-20&#038;linkCode=as2&#038;camp=217145&#038;creative=399369&#038;creativeASIN=0618243437\">John James Audubon<\/a> spent a lifetime doing nature study.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/simplehomeschl.wpengine.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/07\/bug-in-jar.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-10972\" src=\"http:\/\/simplehomeschl.wpengine.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/07\/bug-in-jar.jpg\" alt=\"bug in jar\" width=\"500\" height=\"332\" srcset=\"https:\/\/simplehomeschool.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/07\/bug-in-jar.jpg 500w, https:\/\/simplehomeschool.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/07\/bug-in-jar-300x199.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 500px) 100vw, 500px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p><strong>Nature study isn\u2019t a precursor to real science it is real science. <\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Much has been written about the why&#8217;s and how&#8217;s of nature study, including <a href=\"http:\/\/simplehomeschl.wpengine.com\/5-tips-for-nature-study\/?utm_source=feedburner&#038;utm_medium=feed&#038;utm_campaign=Feed%3A+SimpleHomeschool+%28Simple+Homeschool%29\" target=\"_self\" rel=\"noopener\">last Friday&#8217;s post<\/a> and other <a href=\"http:\/\/simplehomeschl.wpengine.com\/tag\/nature-study\/\">great posts<\/a> here at Simple Homeschool.<\/p>\n<p>Here&#8217;s a few more places to check out:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"http:\/\/themagnifyingglass.typepad.com\/weblog\/\">The Magnifying Glass<\/a> A collaborative  online nature journal<\/li>\n<li><a href=\"http:\/\/fimby.tougas.net\/child_led_squirrel_nature_study\">Nature Study, FIMBY Style<\/a> It doesn&#8217;t all have to look like classic CM<\/li>\n<li><a href=\"http:\/\/unschoolme.blogspot.com\/2009\/04\/lifesized-field-guide.html\">Life Sized Field Guides<\/a> from Journey into Unschooling<\/li>\n<li><a href=\"http:\/\/handbookofnaturestudy.blogspot.com\/2008\/02\/green-hour-challenge-1-lets-get-started.html\">The Outdoor Hour, Nature Study Close to Home<\/a> Home of the popular blog carnival<\/li>\n<li><a href=\"http:\/\/www.weirdunsocializedhomeschoolers.com\/2009\/10\/nature-study-week-4.html\">Nature Study<\/a> in action at Weird, Unsocialized Homeschoolers<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3>Play<\/h3>\n<p>One of my children\u2019s favorite activities is to build paper airplanes. My son particularly enjoys this and I\u2019ve found a few how-to books over the years to encourage this activity.<\/p>\n<p>I sometimes question encouraging this activity as planes whiz over my head and land in awkward places around the house.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/simplehomeschl.wpengine.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/07\/elastic-blocks.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-10973\" src=\"http:\/\/simplehomeschl.wpengine.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/07\/elastic-blocks.jpg\" alt=\"elastic blocks\" width=\"500\" height=\"332\" srcset=\"https:\/\/simplehomeschool.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/07\/elastic-blocks.jpg 500w, https:\/\/simplehomeschool.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/07\/elastic-blocks-300x199.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 500px) 100vw, 500px\" \/><\/a><br \/>\n<span style=\"font-size: xx-small;\"><em>Photo by <a href=\"http:\/\/fimby.tougas.net\/\" target=\"blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Renee Tougas<\/a><\/em><\/span><\/p>\n<p><strong>Building paper airplanes is play. Building paper airplanes is also the beginnings of the study of aerodynamics.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Your child\u2019s day is full of this kind of play.<\/p>\n<p>Building, mixing, <a href=\"http:\/\/fimby.tougas.net\/rainy-day-science\">taking stuff apart<\/a>. Digging, planting, putting stuff back together.<\/p>\n<p>Many of these will make a mess of your kitchen, living room, and yard but it\u2019s very worth it, science is necessarily hands-on.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Children\u2019s play is not \u201csupplemental\u201d to their learning. It <em>is<\/em> their learning. <\/strong><\/p>\n<p>The connections they make in their own minds as they  build paper airplanes, mix baking soda and vinegar, plant a garden, and dig in  the backyard lay the foundation for their future study of physics,  chemistry, biology, and geology (to name just a few).<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/simplehomeschl.wpengine.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/07\/science-experiment.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-10974\" src=\"http:\/\/simplehomeschl.wpengine.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/07\/science-experiment.jpg\" alt=\"baking soda science experiment\" width=\"500\" height=\"332\" srcset=\"https:\/\/simplehomeschool.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/07\/science-experiment.jpg 500w, https:\/\/simplehomeschool.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/07\/science-experiment-300x199.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 500px) 100vw, 500px\" \/><\/a><br \/>\n<span style=\"font-size: xx-small;\"><em>Photo by <a href=\"http:\/\/fimby.tougas.net\/\" target=\"blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Renee Tougas<\/a><\/em><\/span><\/p>\n<p><strong>So much of what children do, the activities they naturally engage in, are scientific inquiries. <\/strong>If you <a href=\"http:\/\/simplehomeschl.wpengine.com\/following-your-childs-lead-learning-about-edible-wild-foliage\/\">follow their lead<\/a> you\u2019ll find ways to use their play as a jumping off point to study a scientific subject more in-depth.<\/p>\n<h3>Questions<\/h3>\n<p>This winter my husband and son took a day trip to the New England Aquarium because my son loves the ocean and aquatic animals. Marine biologist is one his many \u201cwhen I grow up\u201d aspirations.<\/p>\n<p>The destination itself was a science activity. But one of the conversations they had in the car on the way there triggered a whole separate study in mechanics.<\/p>\n<p>It all started with a question, <em>&#8220;Daddy, how does that machine work?&#8221; <\/em><\/p>\n<p><strong>Questions are the first step in the scientific method. <\/strong>Children ask lots of questions. It\u2019s how they learn. Children then are little scientists in their own right.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Teaching your children science can be as easy as helping them find the answers to their questions<\/strong>. Thank goodness for Google.<\/p>\n<p>My own son\u2019s question about machines led to an explanation about hydraulics (my husband\u2019s an engineer and can explain this pretty easily, it would have required some investigation on my part) and subsequent child-led study.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/simplehomeschl.wpengine.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/07\/hydraulics.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-10975\" src=\"http:\/\/simplehomeschl.wpengine.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/07\/hydraulics.jpg\" alt=\"hydraulics explanation\" width=\"500\" height=\"332\" srcset=\"https:\/\/simplehomeschool.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/07\/hydraulics.jpg 500w, https:\/\/simplehomeschool.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/07\/hydraulics-300x199.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 500px) 100vw, 500px\" \/><\/a><br \/>\n<span style=\"font-size: xx-small;\"><em>Photo by <a href=\"http:\/\/fimby.tougas.net\/\" target=\"blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Renee Tougas<\/a><\/em><\/span><\/p>\n<p>This wasn\u2019t part of any curriculum and wasn\u2019t in my &#8220;lessons plans&#8221;.<strong> It all started with a question and willingness to help our children understand their world.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Kids are hard wired to ask questions and seek explanations. In other words, they are hard wired for science.<\/p>\n<h3>Reading<\/h3>\n<p>Reading is intertwined with the above three points but is also a stand alone science activity.<\/p>\n<p>You read when you use your guide book to identify plants, follow the instructions in the paper airplane book or look up the answer to your question.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Not everything we learn about science is always initiated through nature, play, and questions. <\/strong>This is where reading is so important. <strong><br \/>\n<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Having a variety of science books on hand (with a homeschool libary or regular visits to your public library) will expose children to ideas they might not otherwise encounter.<\/p>\n<p>I can&#8217;t even begin to list all the science exploration we&#8217;ve done this way. Sitting on the couch or around the kitchen table.<\/p>\n<p>Our children have loved David Macaulay&#8217;s <a href=\"http:\/\/www.amazon.com\/gp\/product\/1405302380\/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&#038;tag=f0bf5-20&#038;linkCode=as2&#038;camp=217145&#038;creative=399369&#038;creativeASIN=1405302380\">Way Things Work<\/a><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/www.assoc-amazon.com\/e\/ir?t=&#038;l=as2&#038;o=1&#038;a=1405302380&#038;camp=217145&#038;creative=399369\" border=\"0\" alt=\"\" width=\"1\" height=\"1\" \/> and <a href=\"http:\/\/www.amazon.com\/gp\/product\/B004TE780I\/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&#038;tag=f0bf5-20&#038;linkCode=as2&#038;camp=217145&#038;creative=399373&#038;creativeASIN=B004TE780I\">The Way We Work<\/a><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/www.assoc-amazon.com\/e\/ir?t=&#038;l=as2&#038;o=1&#038;a=B004TE780I&#038;camp=217145&#038;creative=399373\" border=\"0\" alt=\"\" width=\"1\" height=\"1\" \/>. We also own a variety of children&#8217;s science reference books published by <a href=\"http:\/\/us.dk.com\/static\/cs\/us\/11\/science\/intro.html\">DK<\/a> and <a href=\"http:\/\/www.usborne.com\/catalogue\/science.aspx?cat=1&#038;area=S.\">Usborne<\/a>, to name a few.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/simplehomeschl.wpengine.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/07\/brain-books.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-10976\" src=\"http:\/\/simplehomeschl.wpengine.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/07\/brain-books.jpg\" alt=\"books about the brain\" width=\"500\" height=\"332\" srcset=\"https:\/\/simplehomeschool.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/07\/brain-books.jpg 500w, https:\/\/simplehomeschool.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/07\/brain-books-300x199.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 500px) 100vw, 500px\" \/><\/a><br \/>\n<span style=\"font-size: xx-small;\"><em>Photo by <a href=\"http:\/\/fimby.tougas.net\/\" target=\"blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Renee Tougas<\/a><\/em><\/span><\/p>\n<p>Our goal for elementary science is not to cram our kids&#8217; heads with scientific facts and information they have little use for. Instead we explore the natural world, build brain connections with hands-on inquiry (play), encourage and answer questions, and discover new ideas with good books.<\/p>\n<p>Early years science&#8211;it&#8217;s &#8220;<em>Elementary, my dear Watson<\/em>.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p class=\"alert\"><em>What are your goals for elementary science? What methods do you use?<br \/>\n<\/em><\/p>\n<div style=\"margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px;\" class=\"sharethis-inline-share-buttons\" ><\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Written by contributor Renee Tougas of FIMBY. This past spring all of us here at Simple Homeschool shared our curriculum choices. In my contribution to that series I talked about the curriculum we\u2019ve used so far for elementary reading, writing, and math. But of course there is a lot more to our homeschool routine than&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_kad_blocks_custom_css":"","_kad_blocks_head_custom_js":"","_kad_blocks_body_custom_js":"","_kad_blocks_footer_custom_js":"","_kadence_starter_templates_imported_post":false,"_kad_post_transparent":"","_kad_post_title":"","_kad_post_layout":"","_kad_post_sidebar_id":"","_kad_post_content_style":"","_kad_post_vertical_padding":"","_kad_post_feature":"","_kad_post_feature_position":"","_kad_post_header":false,"_kad_post_footer":false,"_kad_post_classname":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[329,353,361,333],"tags":[17,46,12],"class_list":["post-10960","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-learning-curriculum","category-littles","category-science","category-subject-guides","tag-elementary-grammar","tag-nature-study","tag-science"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v27.9 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>4 Simple Methods for Teaching Elementary Science - Simple Homeschool<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/simplehomeschool.net\/elementary-science\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"4 Simple Methods for Teaching Elementary Science - Simple Homeschool\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Written by contributor Renee Tougas of FIMBY. This past spring all of us here at Simple Homeschool shared our curriculum choices. In my contribution to that series I talked about the curriculum we\u2019ve used so far for elementary reading, writing, and math. 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