Homeschool Mastery Academy is dedicated to recommending quality resources to benefit homeschooling families. This blog contains and is monetized through sponsored posts and affiliate links. Please see our full disclosure policy for detailed information.
Fun And Easy Hands-On Science Curriculum Packages That Are Literature-Based
Home educating has been eye-opening for me in so many ways. One of the many valuable things that I have learned over the years is to make sure I am incorporating lessons that ignite a love of learning in each of my individual children. Just because I don’t love a particular subject or topic doesn’t mean I can skip over it. For example, my children crave science, and by using a hands-on science curriculum, I can help fuel their natural curiosity. That natural curiosity drives them to want to know and learn more. It’s a win-win, and I am so thankful I understand that now.
Luckily, I decided to give BookShark a try last year, and I was thrilled with how well they organize their science curriculum. It made my job as a homeschool science teacher seem easy. BookShark Science has been an excellent fit in our homeschool and surpassed all of my expectations. For that reason and more (which I will share with you below), we decided to use BookShark again this year.
We chose BookShark Science Level B for this year. I have two boys, ages 6 and 7, and since level B is for kids 6 to 8, I could teach them together, which is such a benefit to our homeschool. I try to combine my kids in as many subjects as possible to save time when I can. They are close enough in age that it works for us.
Why Use BookShark For A Hands-On Science Curriculum?
BookShark is thorough. I have tried plenty of science curricula in the past and found some skip around or leave things out. We are really enjoying how complete BookShark Science curriculum is. Because they use a spiral approach to teaching science, your kids aren’t likely to forget what they have learned. The spiral approach to learning has helped my boys retain more information than I thought possible since they reemphasize topics as we move forward.
BookShark is a hands-on match. As I mentioned above, my kids crave hands-on activities. We utilize things like art, crafts, and science experiments to fill their creative cups. My kids love anything that they can do with their hands. I have noticed that by making sure, they can do something hands-on each day or two, my kids have been more eager to do school. When I help meet the needs of my kinesthetic kiddos, they seem to have better attitudes about school. They are also more excited about what we will be doing each day. With BookShark Science, you receive a kit with all of your experiment supplies on hand. It is so convenient! No more searching for science experiment supplies.
Besides all of the incredible science experiments, my boys love the daily worksheets. Honestly, we don’t do many worksheets in our homeschool, and I have tried to limit the busy work for my elementary-aged children. But, because the daily worksheets from BookShark Level B include activities like coloring, cutting, and pasting, they look forward to it.
BookShark offers age-appropriate science experiments. Many parents are reluctant to begin a science curriculum in early elementary. However, I think science, when presented age-appropriately, is the perfect fit for early learners. Since they are already naturally curious, it only makes sense to answer all their questions about the world around them. BookShark presents science in a way that is easy for them to understand and touches on all the topics that six to eight-year-old children are interested in early on. You can view the scope and sequence here.
5 Reasons Why Your Family Will Love BookShark’s Hands-on Science Curriculum:
- Literature-Based – Books and reading are the core of our homeschool. BookShark’s literature-based science curriculum aligns perfectly with our appreciation for reading and learning through books. You will find carefully curated books included in your hands-on science curriculum package. Plus, it makes my job easier now that I don’t have to search down all the science books. I love it when a quality curriculum or program keeps your homeschooling values while saving you time.
- 4-Day Schedule – BookShark also promotes a four-day-a-week approach to homeschooling. How awesome is that? As long-time homeschoolers, we adopted a four-day-a-week homeschool routine years ago. BookShark knows that homeschool families participate in homeschool groups, co-ops, and extra-curricular activities, and they support us in that. So we follow BookSharks’s daily schedule, and it has been so easy to mesh right into our daily homeschool routine.
- Fully Planned – Confession time, I love homeschool planning. I love it so much I help other homeschool parents do it. But, who doesn’t love a break from that occasionally? Luckily, with BookShark, homeschool parents can relax a little bit because all of the planning work is done for you. All you need to do is follow the weekly schedule.
- Open and Go – We have all used a curriculum before that felt a little too complicated to follow. That is not the case with BookShark. There is little to no prep-work, no planning, and no choosing books ahead of time. It is as open and go as you can get, in my opinion. You can download a sample of the instructor’s guide here.
- Newly Updated – BookShark has recently updated its curriculum to meet the Next Generation Science Standards. This is NOT a common core alignment, but rather an update to help make the curriculum flow better for the families using it. The NGSS promotes innovation in science and job creation for the sciences in the future.
What Is BookShark Level B Teaching Our Early Learners?
My kids have been so excited by all of the topics covered in BookShark Level B. You can learn more about what’s included in BookShark Level B here. But here is a shortlist of topics that are covered:
- Light and sound waves
- Animal life and survival
- The solar system
- Engineering design
The science experiment book is such a great resource. Each page gives visual step-by-step instructions along with follow-up questions for each experiment. Some of the hands-on science experiments you can expect to enjoy are:
- Assemble a bird’s nest.
- Find out why we see rainbows.
- Contain oil spills.
- Discover how fireflies communicate.
- Learn why offspring look like their parents.
- And so much more!
We hope this gives you a peek into BookShark’s hands-on science curriculum. It is a solid choice for your early elementary children that need something fun and exciting to keep them engaged!
View BookShark Science Packages for All Ages Now
