Planet Earth – 18 weeks
Sections:
Our Planet: 2 weeks (2 spreads each week, plus experiments and other reading)
The Land 4 weeks (3 spreads each of first three weeks and 2 the last w/exp., etc.)
Water 3 weeks (2 spreads first two weeks and 1 the last)
Weather and Climate 3 weeks (2 spreads each week)
Landscapes 3 weeks (2 spreads each week)
Past, Present, Future 3 weeks (2 spreads first two weeks and one the last)
I know we include a lot of extra reading, but at this age, I do science for one hour daily. You could easily cut down on the extra reading – we can never read ALL the great books out there! (Too bad….)
Extra reading tied to various spreads:
The Earth in Space -
Earth and Space, Susan Mayes and Sophy Tahta
Earth Picturepedia pages 6-9
You’re Aboard Spaceship Earth
Gravity and the Earth –
Autumn Across America
Spring Across America
Winter Across America
(Summer?)
all by Seymour Simon
Let’s Explore Seasons and Weather
The Structure of the Earth –
Magic School Bus: Inside the Earth
Picturepedia pages 10-11
Land, Water, and Air –
Magic School Bus: Waterworks (?)
Earthquakes –
Kids’ Science – experiments from earth section
Danger! Earthquakes, S. Simon
Danger from Below: Earthquakes Past, Present and Future, Simon
Earthquakes, Simon
Picturepedia pages 16-17
Volcanoes –
Volcanoes, Simon
Volcanoes and Other Natural Disasters
Picturepedia pages 14-15
Plate Tectonics –
Usborne What’s The Earth Made Of?
Picturepedia pages 12-13
Mountains –
Mountains, S. Simon
Rocks –
The Rockhound’s Book, S. Simon
Let’s Go Rock Collecting
Picturepedia pages 18-19
Minerals and Gems –
Rocks and Minerals at Your Fingertips
Picturepedia pages 20-21
Frozen in Time –
Magic School Bus in the Time of the Dinosaurs
New Questions and Answers About Dinosaurs, S. Simon
Picturepedia pages 22-23
Other dinosaur books listed on reading list, including easy readers
Archaeologists Dig for Clues
Shaping the Earth –
One Small Square: Cave
Picturepedia pages 24-25
Caves: Hidden Worlds (A First Discovery Book – Scholastic)
The Work of Ice –
Icebergs and Glaciers, S. Simon
Picturepedia pages 30-31
Oceans and Seas –
How to be an Ocean Scientist in Your own Home, S. Simon
Magic School Bus: Ocean Floor
Kids’ Science – experiments from water section
The Life of the Ocean –
Oceans, Simon
What Makes an Ocean Wave?
Usborne What’s Under the Sea?
Picturepedia pages 26-27
The Seashore –
One Small Square: Seashore
Picturepedia pages 28-29
Rivers –
The River: A First Discovery Book (Scholastic)
Picturepedia pages 32-33
Lakes and Swamps –
One Small Square: Swamp and Pond
The Atmosphere –
Kids’ Science – experiments from air section
Weather, Simon
Weather: A First Discovery Book (Scholastic)
Eyewitness Explorer: Weather
Picturepedia pages 36-37
Climate –
Picturepedia pages 38-39
Winds and Storms –
Magic School Bus: Inside a Hurricane
Magic School Bus: Electric Field Trip (?)
Lightning, Simon
Storms, Simon
Tornadoes
Why Does Lightning Strike? Questions About Weather
Picturepedia pages 42-45
The Types of Clouds –
Picturepedia pages 40-41
Rain and Snow –
This is the Rain
The Changing Scene –
A Handful of Soil, Simon (includes soil experiments, I think)
One Small Square: Backyard
Usborne What’s Under the Ground?
Polar Regions and the Tundra –
One Small Square: Arctic Tundra
Temperate Woodland –
One Small Square: Woods
Grasslands –
One Small Square: African Savannah
Deserts –
One Small Square: CactusDesert
Deserts, Simon
Picturepedia pages 34-35
Tropical Rain Forests –
One Small Square: Tropical Rainforests
Natural Resources: Energy –
Magic School Bus: Water and Electricity books? If not used previously….
Conservation –
Picturepedia pages 46-47
Stars and Planets – 18 weeks
Sections:
Cosmic Time and The Solar System – 9 weeks
(3 spreads week 1 and 2 spreads other 8 weeks, with experiments)
Beyond the Solar System – 1 week, three spreads, with exps.
The Stars – 3 weeks, 2 spreads per week, w/ exps.
Observing the Skies – 2 weeks, 2 spreads per week w/ exps.
Space Exploration – 3 weeks, 2 spreads per week w/ exps.
Extra reading listed by spread:
A Timescale of the Universe –
How to be a Space Scientist in Your own Home, Simon
The Universe
Beginnings –
Kids’ Science – experiments from sky section
Destination: Space, Simon
Our Solar System, Simon
Space Picturepedia pages 26-27
The Earth and Sky: A First Discovery Book (Scholastic)
The Sun –
MagicSchool Bus: Lost in the Solar System
The Sun, Simon
I Didn’t Know That the Sun is a Star
The Planets –
The Long Look Into Space, Simon
The Planets in our Solar System
Looking at the Planets
Mercury –
Mercury, Simon
Venus –
Venus, Simon
The Moon –
The Moon, Simon
The Moon Book
The Earth and the Moon –
Earth, Our Planet in Space, Simon
Mars –
Mars, Simon
Jupiter –
Destination, Jupiter
Jupiter, Simon
Saturn –
Saturn, Simon
Uranus –
Uranus, Simon
Neptune –
Neptune, Simon
Minor Planets and Meteoroids –
Comets, Meteors and Asteroids, Simon
Comets –
The Long Journey From Space, Simon
The Milky Way –
Eyewitness Explorer: Night Sky
One Small Square: Night Sky
Mysterious Lights and Other Cases, Simon
Night Sky Sticker Book (DK)
Clusters and Superclusters –
Galaxies, Simon
The Life of a Star –
Stars, Simon
Star Walk, Simon (poetry)
Stargazers
Do Stars Have Points?
Extraordinary Stars –
Stars: A new way to see Them, H.A. Rey
The Starry Sky
Picturepedia pages 40-41
Discovering the Stars
The Moving Sky –
Space Picturepedia pages 6-9
The Constellations –
Find the Constellations, H.A. Rey
Look to the Night Sky: An Introduction to Star Watching, Simon
Optical Astronomy –
Picturepedia pages 38-39
A Rocket to the Moon –
Can You Hear a Shout in Space?
I Didn’t Know That you can Jump Higher on the Moon
Picturepedia pages 10-11, 14-15, 22-25
Moonwalk: The First Trip to the Moon
Artificial Earth Satellites –
Picturepedia pages 18-21
Space Probes –
Space Sticker Book (DK)
Life in Space –
Picturepedia pages 12-13
Space Shuttles and Space Stations –
Picturepedia pages 16-17
The Future in Space –
Picturepedia pages 42-47