REAL Science Odyssey- Earth & Environment 1

REAL Science Odyssey – Earth & Environment 1

Pages: 318

Grade Level:  1st-4th

Course Type: Textbook

Author: Blair H. Lee, M.S.

 

What Is RSO Earth & Environment 1?

RSO Earth & Environment 1 is a comprehensive, secular homeschool science curriculum that introduces students to the key concepts of earth and environmental science. Lessons progress incrementally, starting from the ground beneath their feet and extending to the highest reaches of the atmosphere. Students also learn how living things, including humans, interact with and change the Earth.

The course is structured around Read, Explore, Absorb, and Learn:

• Read – Engaging readings introduce concepts and details, designed to be read aloud to foster discussion.
• Explore – Hands-on experiments demonstrate how air, water, rocks, and living things interact, applying the scientific method.
• Absorb – Visual, auditory, and tactile/kinesthetic learning activities reinforce understanding.
• Learn – Students investigate Earth firsthand, applying the scientific method to observe, model, and analyze natural processes.

What REAL Science Odyssey Is Not

This curriculum is not:

• A random selection of labs. It’s a fully developed, incremental homeschool science curriculum. Children will learn real life science, in the real world, using the real scientific method.
  
• Dry or boring. Children will get their hands dirty! They’ll play, sing, dig, and explore outdoors, bringing concepts from the page to life.
  
• Influenced by religion. All REAL Science Odyssey courses are secular and based on valid, empirical science.
  

Who Can Use Earth & Environment Level 1?

Recommended for grades 1–4, this curriculum can be adapted for younger or older students. It is perfect for homeschoolers, co-ops, or multiple students, and no prior science background is needed for parents or instructors.

Students engage with the natural world by:

• Observing and exploring the environment
• Digging, collecting, and analyzing rocks and soils
• Investigating weather, air, and water
• Modeling Earth processes through hands-on labs
  
  

Science Topics Covered in RSO Earth & Environment 1

What is Earth Science?

• The four spheres of Earth and how they interact: geosphere, hydrosphere, atmosphere, and biosphere.
• Environmental science: the relationship between living things and their environment
• How scientific models are used to examine earth’s systems
• Geologic time: the age of the earth, and how it has changed over time

 

Geology

• Earth’s layers
• Minerals combine to make rocks
• Minerals make crystals
• The rock cycle
• Soil and erosion
• Earth’s crust is made of giant slabs of rock that move constantly
• Convection drives plate tectonics

 

Atmosphere and Hydrosphere 

• Atmosphere is the layer of air around the planet
• The water cycle
• Pollution

Weather, Climate, and Erosion

• Measuring different aspects of weather
• How wind and precipitation form
• The difference between climate and weather
• Global warming: the science and what we can do about it
• How ice, water, wind, and animals cause weathering and erosion
• Weathering: how rocks break down into smaller pieces
  

Science Skills Covered

Students will develop critical skills, including:

• Applying the scientific method
• Observing and recording data
• Drawing conclusions from experiments
• Presenting scientific information
• Reading and interpreting informational texts

Lab Experiments

Hands-on experiments help students see science in action:

• Creating a timeline of Earth’s age
• Demonstrating air properties
• Modeling igneous rock formation with a dessert recipe
• Observing a miniature water cycle
• Many more guided activities with step-by-step instructions and supply lists

Planning and Scheduling

• Designed for 18 weeks of instruction (2 sessions per week)
• Includes suggested weekly schedules, supply lists, and instructor guidance
• Student pages are available if using the curriculum with more than one student
• Add the RSO Astronomy 1 course for a full year curriculum. 

 

Important Copyright Information: If you choose the eBook version of this course, you are purchasing a license to use the PDF for your own children. You may make copies for your own children, but you may not share (email, download, print and distribute, resell, etc.) this eBook or any portion of this eBook to others. Licensing is available for group, school, and co-op use. Please contact Pandia Press for details on group licensing (info@pandiapressbooks.com).