Home Grown Hearts Academy Homeschool Blog: The Critical Thinking Co. - Surfing the Net: Science

Tuesday, November 10, 2015

The Critical Thinking Co. - Surfing the Net: Science - Review

I have found out through my years of homeschooling that teaching science can sometimes be a challenge. I have searched high and low for products that will make teaching the subject easier. I finally found they perfect one. It's called Surfing the Net: Science. My daughters recently had a blast reviewing Surfing the Net: Science from The Critical Thinking Co.

What is Surfing the Net: Science?

Surfing the Net: Science is a paperback workbook that is recommended for grades 3-6. It helps teach about a broad range of science topics such as:

Animals
Atmosphere
Ecosystems and Habitats
Energy
Geology
Plants
Space

"Each science concept is taught using free, engaging, Internet-based science resources such as videos, articles, pictures, games, and diagrams and reproducible worksheets that ensure an in-depth understanding of each science concept. Surfing the Net: Science also teaches students how to research information on the Internet to help them broaden their knowledge of the web as an information resource. The inquiry-based worksheets develop critical thinking skills to broaden depth of analysis. Activities can be teacher led instruction or student-guided instruction."

-Quote from the The Critical Thinking Co.

Each topic covers critical thinking inquiries in five different capacities:

Defining
Describing
Analyzing and Synthesizing
Expanding Knowledge
Investigating

How my daughters used Surfing the Net: Science

My daughters choose to complete the lessons together. They are 12, 11, and 9. They worked in the book about three times per week. Each topic in the lessons included information on the topic as well as websites they could visit to learn more. They had to research to find answers to questions. I loved that the links for each activity are available all together on a Critical Thinking website so that my daughters were able to click on the links rather than type them. Although, they did choose to type in a few of them and I felt like that was helping to improve their typing skills. It was fun to watch my daughters work together to learn, research, and complete the worksheets. The information they were learning was wonderful as well as the research skills they developed. So far they have learned about amphibians, animal cells, birds, fish, insects, invertebrates and mammals.

One of the things that my daughters said that they really enjoyed was being able to be creative with artwork of their own. They also enjoyed the fact that they were able to use the computers more than normal. I also didn't mind that they were using the computers because they were learning so much.

Final Thought

I loved Surfing the Net: Science! My children loved it as well. They didn't finish the workbook and plan on continuing on with it until it is finished. It's refreshing that my daughters found a curriculum that they enjoy and can work on together. It has proved to be a real blessing to our family.

How much does Surfing the Net: Science cost?

Right now you can purchase the paperback book or the eBook for only $24.99

Connect with The Critical Thinking Co.