How to Ignite Wonder for History and Science in Your Kids

I received the History of Science Curriculum for free and was compensated for my time. All opinions are my own.

Am I the only homeschool mom who has kids that distract themselves with a book rather than doing their schoolwork? Didn't think so. I love to see them reading, but I also know that while they learn a lot from the fiction they read, there are other topics we need to cover too. Much to their dismay, those include history and science.

Enter Beautiful Feet Books and their History of Science Unit Study! This unit study covers the History of Science through books about outstanding scientists through time as well as hands-on experiments.

Living Books bring History and Science to Life

This unit study is literature based, but the books included are nothing like textbooks. The majority of the books are biographies that transport the student back to the life of a scientist.  I mean, it is one thing to know that Archimedes used levers and screws to improve life in Syracuse, but it is another thing to see how life at that time was.

These living books not only teach the facts, but they show all the circumstances surrounding the scientists. They show their struggles as well as their personalities. They make these scientists into real, relatable people rather than a name on a page.

The other great thing about utilizing living books is that it makes the reading more interesting. One of the best things about fiction books is how relatable the characters are, and this becomes even more important in the tween and teen age group as they are trying to figure out who they are. Allowing them to see these great scientist as real people also allows them to empathize with their difficulties and even see similarities in themselves.

Aside from the biographies, the other books included are full of information and experiments arranged in an engaging manner with lots of pictures as well.

Hands-on Experiments Reinforce Scientific Principles

What better way to really ignite a wonder of science in your kids than to perform some experiments! Just as the living books brought the scientists to life, hands-on explorations bring the science to life. 

It is easy to read about how fire needs oxygen to burn, but it becomes hard to forget when you actually extinguish a small fire by removing the oxygen. Including these hands-on learning activities increases the appeal of this unit study for those curiosity driven kiddos that just need to try everything! In fact I have found 7 benefits to hands-on learning including those already mentioned which is why it is so great to see it included in this History of Science Unit Study.

There is even a sheet included for kids to record their experiments on for their notebook. Just copy one for each experiment, and you are all set to follow the scientific method in your hands-on learning experiences

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Creating a Timeline Demonstrates Relationships

Another hands-on aspect of this History of Science Unit Study is the timeline that is included with it (including a long sheet of card stock, so you don't have to make your own). As you complete lessons you will also complete a timeline of science. This enables kids to see when many famous advancements were made and get a feel for how long (or not so long) ago these scientists lived. 

Plus with some discussion it can also demonstrate how discoveries build on other scientist's discoveries.

A Few Other Benefits to Unit Studies through Beautiful Feet Books

There are a couple other things that I really like about this  History of Science Unit Study. First, this provides an entire year of science or history curriculum if you cover it 3 days a week. No real planning is needed other than preparing supplies as the teacher's manual has everything laid out for you.

I also like the fact that the teacher's manual as well as the Story Time CD includes connections to the Christian faith. These can be ignored for secular use.

And of course, I love that this unit study can be used as read-alouds (yes, tweens still benefit from read alouds) or read individually and then discussed for the more independent students. This allows the History of Science Unit Study to be used by a variety of ages and independence levels.

So if you struggle to pull your kid's out of books, why not let them read! Let them read these great living books and learn, even if they don't realize they are because History and Science do not have to be boring! My only problem now is getting them to stop at the appropriate places for discussion!

For more information about choosing books to share with your kids, check out these 5 Ways to Know if a Book is Worth Sharing with Your Kids.

Beautiful Feet Books is also giving away 5 $100 Gift Cards! You could put this toward the History of Science Unit Study or any of the other fabulous literature based curricula they offer!

You can also follow along with Beautiful Feet Books on Facebook, Instagram, and Youtube to stay up to date with their literature based curriculum offerings.