I love involving my young learners in hands-on activities, so I was immediately drawn to this product. This all-inclusive curriculum comes complete with an interactive and engaging CD with 36 lessons, a student activity book, and all necessary materials to complete each project and experiment. Designed for one lesson each week, for thirty-six weeks, each lesson includes an experiment or activity and takes between 30 and 40 minutes to complete. All lessons and directions are both written and narrated to facilitate learning for students working on their reading skills.

The curriculum includes four units: 1) Forces, Machines, Motion, and Energy; 2) Magnets and Electricity; 3) Changes in Matter; and 4) Light and Sound. In the first unit, your student will put together a small wooden car (fun in itself) and experiment with concepts like force, gravity and friction. In unit two, he will study about magnetic poles, laws of attraction, and magnetic fields while using a magnetic boat he has created. In the third unit, your child will experiment with an included scale, grappling with the concepts of mass, measurement and heat. After making a spinning top in unit four, your student will learn concepts relating to light and sound--light reflection and absorption, volume and pitch.

Each lesson is broken down on the CD into five parts beginning with a definition of the concept. Then, the student hears a short lesson explaining the concept further. Then, he is given an example. He creates a project or does an experiment, and finishes with a simple activity from the included activity book.

An abbreviated example from lesson one of unit one is as follows:

Definition Icon: student clicks and hears that science is learning about our world
Lesson Icon: student is asked to repeat back or speak along with the narrator about what science is
Example Icon: student will see balls bouncing on the screen and will be told that science is asking about the world around you
Project and Experiment Icon: the student will be given step-by-step video instruction on how to put together a wooden car
Activity Icon: student will be told to complete the activity in his activity book

To get a better understanding and a visual of the graphics, it would be very helpful to visit the website. They also offer example material.

We are getting our first family computer this year as our children are now old enough to begin using this as a learning tool. Part of our impetus for this purchase was great software/curriculum like this. I am certain my children will be engaged with the interesting narrative style and animation. The hands on components are stimulating and yet easy for 5-8 year olds to do with minimal assistance. Additionally, home-teachers out there who may be "scientifically challenged" will find they don't have to be uncomfortable teaching this subject. This curriculum is a great choice for the price ($50). The only drawback is that the activity book is more like a simple coloring book with a few engaging reinforcement activities. Overall though, a very good value for a year's worth of physical science.

Product Review by Tammy Walker, The Old Schoolhouse® Magazine, LLC, November, 2008