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MatchCard Science

Homeschool Science Curriculum

3rd to 8th Grade

MatchCard Science Cover
Free Download Links Below

What is MatchCard Science?

This program uses the Learning Tree model of unit studies as the educational philosophy of this homeschool science curriculum.

In a nutshell, the components are:

Trunk: The topic of the study
Roots: Resources and activities that the students learn from
Branches: Major content areas to be learned
Leaves: Content covered (or pages read)
Fruit: What the student produces as a result of their unit study.

Units in MatchCard Science

There are twelve units in this homeschool science curriculum. These are the "trunks" of the unit study, and each would take between four and eight weeks to complete. The twelve science unit studies are:

Light and Energy
Weather
Force and Motion
Geology
Oceanography
Human Anatomy
Chemistry
Astronomy
Botany
Zoology
Nutrition, Health, Safety
Technology

These twelve unit studies are divided into two volumes: The Blue Volume covers the first six (Light and Energy through Human Anatomy) and the Grey Volume covers the last six units (Chemistry through Technology.) The order of these units corresponds to the Biblical account of creation, with the exception of Human Anatomy. The Human Body is covered in the first year.

Hands-On Science Curriculum

Who Can Use This

MatchCard Science is designed for students in 3rd to 8th Grade. Families can use this science unit study for multiple children of different ages studying the same unit. The objectives may be different depending on the student's grade level.

How Does It Work?

Choose the appropriate objectives for your student's level. You should choose approximately one to two per week. The objectives, the content to meet those objectives, and a suggested activity to teach it are included on the MatchCards.

Select 3 resources for each of the science unit studies. You may use the suggested resources or choose others from your local library or bookstore. One should serve as the major resource.

Assign one project. There are a variety of possible projects to choose from.

Create a Unit Study Log. This will list what the student has done and includes any pictures, writing, charts, or other projects the students has done. It also includes their science log, review of MatchCards, and bibliography of resources used.

In addition to the minimum assignment of
1 to 2 objectives per week
3 books read
1 project
the student can also earn bonus points by doing additional projects or readings. This rewards the motivated learner for their efforts, and ensures that the less motivated student achieves at least a minimum level of work to complete a unit of study.

Easy, but effective

"It almost seems too easy!"

After feeling overwhelmed by the amount of work sometimes required by some unit studies, this is a welcome relief. In six weeks it is not so difficult to:

learn 9 Objectives,
read 3 books, and
complete 1 project.

So is it complete?

Yes, at the end of the year the student will have completed a minimum of 36 objectives, 18 books, and 6 science projects. That is an acceptable amount of work for your homeschool science curriculum. In addition, they have earned bonus points for investigating topics further, developed unit study logs, and mastered the content.

Master the Content

The basic content is listed on the MatchCards, and is reviewed through the year. The student does not just read the information in a textbook, take a test, and never see it again. Instead, the student reviews five objectives on the cards several times per week. Not only do students maintain their knowledge base, but it allows them to make connections as they encounter those concepts again in other areas of study or in real life.

What is on the MatchCards

We have developed one card for each objective.

Student MatchCard

The student page states the objective, and gives part of the content. Information pieces are like game pieces that are placed on the correct location on the student's MatchCard. It functions somewhat as a game board, a flashcard, and a quiz combined.

Instructor's Key

The instructor's key contains all the information on the student page - but the answers are also given in the correct location. The instructor's page also lists hands on activities and projects to help explain and reinforce the content. While most of the content is familiar to instructor's, sometimes we need a quick review ourselves.

You forgot the difference between hertz and decibels? It is right there on the instructor's page. The instructor's page allows you to teach the content with all the necessary information right in front of you.

It is recommended that you keep the MatchCards in plastic page protectors for durability. The Instructor's Guide gives more information on how to set up your MatchCard notebook for durability and review. A FREE DOWNLOAD is available below.

Download the MatchCard Science Unit Studies

The links will take you to the different MatchCard Science unit studies.

Instructor's Guide

The instructor's guide for the MatchCard Science Unit Studies will give your more ideas and techniques for using this curriculum. Download the free Instructor's Guide.