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R.E.A.L. Science Odyssey: Earth & Space (Level One) Review by Courtney Larson

By Terri Williams
Pandia Press
http://www.pandiapress.com/

R.E.A.L. Science Odyssey: Earth & Space (Level One) is a one-year earth science and astronomy course for grades 1-4. It covers many topics, including weather and the seasons, the water cycle, the Earth, rocks and minerals, and the solar system and space. All of the lessons, worksheets, and lab instructions are included in the book, and it is reproducible for family use.

This course was written specifically for homeschoolers, and it is intended to be used once or twice a week. Lessons build on each other, so the book should be done in order. There is a handy "Suggested Weekly Schedule" that schedules the book twice a week for 36 weeks, and this schedule includes the lab supplies that will be needed each week. In addition to the listing of lab supplies on the weekly schedule, there is a lab supply list outlining what you'll need for the entire year. Most of the lab supplies are common (marbles, rocks, soil, ice, hot dogs, etc.), but a few will probably need to be ordered or purchased at a specialty store (thermometer, inflatable globe, rock and mineral kit, streak plate, kitchen gram scale, and binoculars).

There are several more lists that make this program very homeschool friendly. A list of additional books that further explain the topics covered is included, and it is broken down by unit so that you can easily look ahead and gather books for the next unit that will be covered. There is also a list of suggested websites for the different topics. Another wonderful feature is the "Big Idea" and "Small Stuff" outline. This details the most important ideas that you should expect your child to learn for each unit, along with additional not-quite-as-important details for children who are more science-minded. No more guessing about what is important for your child to remember from their science lesson! Tips for keeping a Science (nature) Journal are given, and these tips are broken down by season. You'll also find a glossary and an index at the back of the book.

"R.E.A.L." stands for "Read, Explore, Absorb, Learn." Each topic begins with a "For Your Notebook" page. These are written to the child, and they present the major information for the topic. They should be placed in a science notebook. Although the pages are written to the child, the author encourages parents to read them aloud and discuss the information. Labs follow the "For Your Notebook" page. Lab supplies are listed on each sheet, followed by a short paragraph (a few sentences) that is meant to be read aloud to pique the child's interest in the lab. Next are the instructions for the lab (written for the parent), and they are clear and specific. Following the instructions are answers for the lab, along with a "conclusion/discussion" section. For each lab there are lab sheets for the child to record their predictions, data, and findings.

R.E.A.L. Science Odyssey: Earth & Space (Level One) is wonderful! What better way is there to learn science than to do science? This is a very hands-on science program, and most of the learning will come through completing the many labs. (For example, there are six labs for the "Weather Changes" notebook page, and ten labs for the "Earth Recycles Rock" notebook page.) The information is presented clearly in small chunks that can be easily digested by early elementary students. In addition to being fun for the student, this course is painless for the teacher. The lists and clear instructions take the guesswork out of teaching science. At a list price of $48, this fantastic program is also a great value.

Product review by Courtney Larson, The Old Schoolhouse® Magazine, LLC, January 2010

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