It was sent this workbook by Timberdoodle for review purposes. I have received no compensation for this post. All opinions are my own. Affiliate links may be included.
Choosing Homeschooling Curriculum Shouldn’t Be Stressful
Meal plans. Appointments. Therapies. Laundry. We moms have more than enough on our plates. Choosing a homeschooling curriculum shouldn’t be stressful which is why I choose to review so many of the products we use.
Evan-Moor is one of my favorite publishing companies for straightforward, easy-to-use curriculum. I am 100% in favor of interest-led learning and unit studies, but some seasons find us much busier than others. I have found that the Evan-Moor workbooks are perfect for times when life is too busy to manage unit studies or when I am looking for work my children can do a little more independently.
Features That Make This 5th Grade Science Workbook Easy to Use
What I love about Science Lessons and Investigations
Science Lessons and Investigations begins with a clear list of topics covered in the book. This fifth-grade science curriculum is broken down into three sections; Life Science, Earth Science, and Physical Science for a total of fourteen units.
Each unit includes Teacher Pages, a Unit Concept Page, Explore Activity, Reading Selection, Concept Vocabulary and Vocabulary Review, Concept Comprehension, Projects, Extended Writing Prompts, and an Answer Key.
Science Lessons and Investigations includes a section on using the book in the classroom. As a homeschool mom who has always taught multiple kids in multiple grades, I love this feature. I promise you, mama, you do not need to teach each child a different grade in each subject. Choose a level somewhere in the middle and tackle it as a group. It will relieve some of your stress as well as be more engaging for your kids since you can invest more time in activities than teaching/grading.
How to Use This Workbook: Lessons & Investigations in Science
The beginning of each topic includes clearly laid out sections: Concept, Lesson Objectives, and a Learning Approach for mapping your way through the topic. This means no guessing or planning for mom.
Next, is two pages meant to engage your students. For example, the Healthy Ecosystems section includes a page with pictures of animals for the students to study and a discussion about how all living things have needs.
Next is a SPARK QUESTION: “What would happen to a penguin that escaped the zoo?”
The spark questions are meant to get your students thinking and spark their curiosity. This is easily done in a group. Let your kids have fun with this!
Explore
In the Healthy Ecosystems unit, you will be encouraged to take your students outdoors to observe a small ecosystem. You will learn to observe the organisms found in the small ecosystems and begin to ask and discovers answers about them.
The next EXPLORE activity includes a workbook page for Data and Observations. This book is very age-appropriate keeping the data recording simple (how many different plant species did you find? How many different bugs did you find?)
The next data chart includes checkboxes for the description so your fifth graders can make accurate observations ad record the data without being overwhelmed.
The page ends with a single question, “Using your observations, how diverse do you think the ecosystem is? What evidence do you have to support your thinking?”
Explain
The EXPLAIN section is two pages of reading and photos to give an overview of healthy ecosystems as well as introduce new vocabulary (in bold print).
The following section in EXPLAIN is a page with vocabulary definitions and a spot for notes.
Evaluate
The EVALUATE section has a vocabulary review and concept comprehension including a chart to fill out, a Venn diagram, one essay-type question, and a place for students to draw a diagram relating to the unit.
Extend
The final section is EXTEND which includes two writing prompts (with full pages to answer) and two project options to choose from.
Topics Covered in Science Lessons and Investigations by Evan-Moor
Life Science
Healthy Ecosystems, Energy in the Food Chain, Nutrients for Survival, Recycling Energy in Food Webs
Earth Science
Patterns on Earth, The Stars, Gravity, Earth’s Spheres, and Water from All Its Sources, Protecting Our Planet.
Physical Science
Tiny Particles of Matter, Conservation of Matter, Identifying Matters by Properties, Making New Substances.
Science Lessons & Investigations Fast Facts
Pros
Easy-to-Use Everything is laid out clearly and can be done on the fly (no lesson prep for mom).
All-in-one book. Science Lessons & Investigations include lesson plans, reading, review, and writing all in one workbook. It is so much more than a workbook though as it includes plenty of projects and activities to be used along with the lessons.
Price Point. It is hard to beat a science curriculum priced at $19.99
Cons
This is a black-and-white workbook so it is less visually appealing than something like Exploring Creation with Astronomy which I also reviewed.
Overall, I would give this a 5 out of 5 stars. I really love the simplicity of this curriculum and found it easier to use than Exploring Creation with Astronomy.
Other Science Resources for Homeschooling
Exploring Creation with Astronomy
The Worst Science Fair Project Ever
