How to Teach Science with History and Beautiful Feet Books

I received A History of Science from Beautiful Feet and I was compensated for my time in writing this post. I was not required to write a positive review and all opinions are my own. This post may contain affiliate links.

As a science educator,

I get asked how I teach science at home

or what I use to teach science in our homeschool

a lot.

It’s a popular question for my blog readers too.

The answer is not that simple.

Conversations on scientific topics occur all the time in our house.

It might be based on an observation.

Or principles stemming from a science fiction show.

Whatever the case, the foundation of our kids’ scientific knowledge

is pretty solid.

It goes pretty deep.

Choosing science curriculum is actually a daunting task.

What will hold our students’ interests

and still provide new layers of knowledge?

What curriculum choices jive with our desire for authenticity?

Using Living Books to Teach Science

In the intermediate grades,

our job is to lay down some foundation in science.

As time goes on, we’ll add more layers.

Each time we add a layer,

our students can access their prior knowledge on the topic.

In high school, we’ll use that foundation to add detail

and complexity.

Living books about scientists and their discoveries

are an engaging way to lay down foundation.

Let him on the contrary, linger pleasantly over the history of a single man, a short period, until he thinks the thoughts of that man, is at home in the ways of that period. Though he is reading and thinking of the lifetime of a single man, he is really getting intimately acquainted with the history of a whole nation for a whole age. – Charlotte Mason

Reading literature focused on great scientists means:

• Focusing on exceptional people- my kids love to learn about gifted learners. Have you seen How to Choose Fiction for Your Gifted Learner?
• Learning about their exceptional discoveries- and practicing some of the same science.
• Extending opportunities for learning- experience scientific principles through reading and hands on experiments.
• Immersing your students in the lives of others- which places them into another time and place for a whole new context in learning.

Our youngest loves to read primary source materials-

the writings of scientists

translated from their original language.

Sometimes he understands it

and sometimes it takes a while.

But, he perseveres.

Reading extra material gives you the chance to hear wonderful narrations.

Joshua is reading Principia by Isaac Newton

at bedtime.

We were discussing Newton’s three laws as a result.

But, he was having trouble summarizing the second law

from the book.

He didn’t want to learn it unless he could understand it himself

directly from the man who first named these observations.

He conquered it.

Learning science with living books presents a unique perspective on the science.

And lets you experience the discoveries in similar ways.

Perform Experiments While Learning the History of Science

One of the ways we like to learn science, is through the eyes of the men and women who made discoveries.

Curious people had a question they wanted to answer and they explored possible answers.

When they can think for themselves, make connections between disparate bits of information, observe with interest, ask their own questions and unashamedly follow an interest in any direction, they are in league with some of the greatest scientists in history. – Laura Weldon

When it comes to teaching science,

my advice is to become

curious people.

Make observations.

Wonder why.

Look for the answer.

Explain what you learned.

A History of Science encourages families to explore with some of the greatest curious minds we’ve ever known.

Read about the lives of:

• Archimedes
• Leonardo da Vinci
• Galileo
• Isaac Newton
• Ben Franklin
• Louis Pasteur
• Thomas Edison
• Alexander Graham Bell
• George Washington Carver
• Wilbur & Orville Wright
• Marie Curie
• Albert Einstein

Read about their science.

Make predictions.

Replicate their experiments.

Record your observations.

One of the things Joshua loved most about the pendulum experiment was the notion of measuring time with what was available to Galileo in his time.

Watch the video to see how he measured time before the pendulum kept time in a clock.

Be curious people.

Using A History of Science from Beautiful Feet

As the parent of gifted children,

I love the flexibility of Beautiful Feet Books.

Sometimes it’s hard to find scientific principles my kids don’t have experience with.

Our youngest reads, watches, and learns as much as he can

at all times.

While the basic objective for each lesson might be a concept he knows well,

there is also a starting place for discovering more,

for replicating an original experiment,

for pressing the envelope

on what he knows and understands.

Which is his favorite.

Parents will find help for any sort of student with A History of Science.

It’s part of the magic.

• Includes a Curated book list– the list of books is chosen for you so you are sure to include a wide variety of milestone moments in science over a period of time.
• Provides a Timeline– if you are a timeline family, this one is lovely with clear illustrations that go with each scientist.
• Lists Lab Report Guidelines & Templates– as a science teacher, I totally get with this.
• Offers Suggestions for Science Materials– which includes a handful of science equipment along with household items.
• Features lesson plans– easy to follow for each scientist totaling 85 lessons
• Includes mapping assignments– to incorporate geography with science. Especially helpful since a few of the early scientists were geographers and cartographers.
• Uses one small guide– which is not intimidating in size, organization, or content.

A History of Science makes it easy to be a science yes mom.

No ducks to be lined up in a row

before getting started.

A gentle approach

to big science.

More Science from Blog, She Wrote

What Gregor Mendel & Growing Peas Can Tell Us about Heredity– Read a picture book biography about Mendel and get a set of notebooking pages on the book if you subscribe here at Blog, She Wrote.

How to Teach Science through the Lives of Scientists– More information on how to use the Beautiful Feet books to teach science concepts and focus on the biographies of scientists.

Art & Nature Study with Beatrix Potter– One of my favorite posts and that of my readers, this post teaches how incorporate Ms. Potter’s biographies with art and nature study.

Tips for Using a Digital Microscope– Do you have a microscope at home? This is a post on using digital microscopes, which as a biology teacher, I prefer to simple light microscopes.

To “do” science one needs to observe, wonder, hypothesize, test out ideas, figure out why those ideas did or did not work, and then do it all again. – Laura Weldon, Free Range Learning

Are you ready to be curious people?