Science Choices

For Third Year I feel I have to scale down the planning. I decided to go with a textbook, critical thinking style science program instead of BFSU. As much as I love BFSU (Building Foundations of Scientific Understanding), I feel I need to take a break from major planning and focus on History, which I'm planning all this year by myself - no SOTW, would you believe it. I also have a baby I want to spend with instead :)

Which program am I going to use for Third Year? Singapore Science, My Pals Are Here 3/4. I have the textbooks, activity books, Homework and Higher Order Thinking Skills (HOTS) books. To have extra information, skills and answers at hand I'm also seriously considering the Teacher's Manual. It's $80, but I can buy it used for less. This program looks solid and rigorous, quite fun, and fulfills my most important requirement: it promotes scientific inquiry and critical thinking.

The other reason I'm not doing BFSU 2 is that it looks like BFSU jumps in difficulty, and I feel Boy has to solidify some knowledge before going to the next level. Singapore Science seems to cover, especially with its chapters on Diversity and Cycles, the material I would like for us to review and solidify.

I want to go back to BFSU (Volume 2 this time) after this coming experimental year of trying out Singapore Science. Boy will be in 4th Year by then, and more likely to be able to handle the BFSU 2 then.

What if Boy ends up liking Singapore and wants to forego BFSU? I say we can always try to combine and expand first, and if Boy is thriving with Singapore and doesn't care for BFSU after that, we can forge ahead with just Singapore. I still love BFSU and can and will use with my two daughters.