End of Year Curriculum Review: Science

We love our science book!

Science:  McGraw Hill 

This year we skipped a science workbook and used McGraw Hill Science Grade 2. Our first year using a textbook was a resounding success!

Madeline is a science sponge. She LOVES science and will literally read her textbook like a chapter book. It's not uncommon for her to keep reading until she's finished a whole unit ;)

UNITS 

Life Science/ Plants and Animals

Life Science/ Homes for Plants and Animals

Earth Science/ Changes on Earth

Earth Science/ The Sun and Its Family

Physical Science/ Matter and Energy

Physcial Science/ Watch It Move {Forces and Machines, Forces and Magnets}

WHAT I LIKE

Full-color pictures make for a stunning book that makes science come to life! All the photographs and illustrations make the topics easy to understand. It's easy to read with age-appropriate text. Students can easily read and comprehend the book on their own.

This book is well organized, making it easy to plan and incorporate enrichment activities. Each chapter starts with a critical thinking skill, a list of vocabulary, and an experiment or exploration activity.

Units are comprised of 6-8 lessons, depending on the unit. At the end of each lesson, 2 to 3 comprehension questions follow. A test for each unit is also included.

WHAT COULD BE IMPROVED
I wish there was more about the Kuiper belt and smaller dwarf planets. Of course, astronomy seems to change every few years so we read lots of library books and online articles about space.

While this book is primarily for reading, adding more activities would be beneficial. We supplemented with Enchanted Learning online. They have tons of science booklets and activities for the lower grades. You can see our planet printables here.

WILL WE CONTINUE THIS SERIES?
Absolutely, yes! We love the McGraw Hill texbooks the most of any we've tried. Grade 3 is purchased and ready to go.