The Colors Elementary Science

Scope and Sequence 

The Colorsis a broad-based science course for late elementary and early middle school students. The target audience is generally composed of home schoolers who are concrete thinkers, ages 10-12. The target grade levels are generally 5th to 7th. The course will be used (albeit at a slower pace) by some eight- and nine-year-olds, and by developmentally or educationally delayed 13 year olds. Since students above 12 years of age tend to be abstract thinkers, as opposed to concrete thinkers, The Rainbow is usually the course of choice for 13-year-olds.

The Colors covers all the major disciplines of science in two years when done at a three-day-per-week pace for 35 weeks per year. There are lessons in:

• basic science disciplines of physics, chemistry and biology
• applied science disciplines of medicine, geology, astronomy, engineering, etc.
• principles of operation devices around the home, such as computers, motors and communication devices
• history and biography of science
• special skills and characteristics of scientists (measurement skills, data analysis, critical thinking)

In keeping with the developmental stages of young students, the different lessons and disciplines are not presented as units, but rather spread over the entire two years to suit shorter attention spans and day-to-day variety of topics and teaching methods. An Activity Book is provided for a variety of kinesthetic and verbal reinforcement exercises. Of course, in the tradition of Beginnings Publishing House, we have provided a complete, weekly lab experience for hands-on reinforcement as well. 

Below is a list of the lessons included in the two-year scope as given in the Table of Contents, along with an explanation of the scientific topic referenced by each lesson’s title. The lessons are color coded by lesson type as follows:

• Introductory or General Science 
• Physics 
• Chemistry 
• Biology 
• Special Skills 
• Computer Technology 
• Human Body Science 
• Special Characteristics and Problems of Scientists 
• Earth and Applied Sciences 
• Medicine Cabinet 
• Everyday Technology 

Scope and Sequence 

Year 1 

0. Hello (What will this course be like?)
1. The Golden Keys (Placing the keys of discovery in the hands of the student)
2. Theory Theory (An adventurous introduction to the concept of scientific theory)
3. The Instructions Game (Hilarious practice in giving and following instructions)
4. What Next? (What kinds of lessons will we be studying and how are they arranged)
5. Concrete-Abstract-Matter (The most basic classification of things and ideas)
6. Computer 01 - I Am Your Computer (An introduction to computer science)
7. Periodic Table (Getting to know the elemental substances)
8. Measuring System 01 (A light-hearted look at measures and measuring)
9. Coming Unglued - Anatomy (Analysis by disassembly)
10. Eating Big, Ugly, Scary Words for Lunch BIO: Sir Isaac Newton
11. Worthless (People are made of chemicals, but the total is more than the sum of the parts)
12. The Space-Traveling-Weight-Loss Program (Comparing mass against weight)
13. Computer 02 - Peripherals BIO: Mendeleev
14. Element Names
15. Measuring System 02
16. Coming Unglued II - Cells (An introduction to cells and their organelles)
17. Scientific Method (Introduction to hypothesis testing)
18. My Body 02 - Here’s Looking at You, Kid (Anatomy and function of the human eye)
19. Three Dimensional Space (Introduction to dimensionality and dimensional measurements)
20. Sarah Subjectivity (Potential problems of overly-subjective judgments) BIO: Famous Names in Medicine
21. Box Making (An exercise in following detailed instructions)
22. Element Names II
23. Kingdoms (Understanding biological classification schemes)
24. Kinds of Scientists (Experimenters versus Observationists)
25. My Body 03 - Ears
26. Three Dimensional Space Activity (Properties of space)
27. Computer 02 - Monitor
28. What’s In the Box (Matter too small to see) BIO: Leeuwenhoek
29. Deduction 01 (Focus on the importance of logic in science)
30. Living Things are Cellular (Microscopic anatomy of living things)
31. My Body 04 – Skin
32. Pressure (Introduction of pressure as a physical phenomenon)
33. Computer 03 - Mouse
34. Element Names III
35. Where Does It Go? ( Categorizing items on the basis of more than one feature)
36. Cell Division (How cells reproduce)
37. My Body 05 – Heat (Heat in homeostasis)
38. Units I - Length (Introduction to units and measurement in the physical world)
39. Amy Assumption (Potential problems associated with the failure to recognize and state assumptions) BIO: Watson & Crick
40. Phases (Solids, liquids and gases)
41. Dual Classification BIO: Gas Guys
42. Reproduction (How different kinds of organisms reproduce at the organism level)
43. My Body 06 – Oxygen & Food
44. Units II – Time, Temperature, Mass, Weight
45. Computer 05 - Printer
46. Isotopes BIO: Curie
47. Thinking Skills 03 - Waves (Analysis of a simple standing wave)
48. Complex Life Cycles (Organisms having many different forms at different phases of their lives)
49. My Body 08 – Water (The essentiality of water in the life process and homeostasis)
50. Force, Energy, Work, Power
51. Computer 06 – Inside 1
52. Changing the Masses of Atom (Introduction to atomic particles)
53. How to Read a Table BIO: Mendel
54. Genetics (Introduction to the science of heredity)
55. My Body 09 – Growth & Exercise
56. Units III – Complex Units
57. Cottonmouth Jen (The importance of conservatism and failsafe) BIO: Archimedes
58. Changing Phases (Changes from solid to liquid to gas, and the reverse)
59. Facts 01 (A lesson in critical thinking) BIO: Joule
60. Microbiology (An introduction to microscopic organisms) BIO: Pasteur
61. My Body 11 – Spreading Disease 1 (Different kinds of diseases and whether, and how, they can be spread)
62. Friction
63. Computer 07 – Inside 2
64. Chemical Reactions
65. Facts 02 (More of critical thinking) BIO: Nobel
66. Photosynthesis (How plants make their own food)
67. My Body 12 – Spreading Disease 2 (Staying healthy among germs)
68. Fluids
69. Computer 07b – Inside 3
70. Plant Anatomy

Year 2 

71. My Body 13 – Respiratory Tract
72. Electricity BIO: Faraday
73. Johnny One Time (The Importance of Reproducibility in scientific research and development)
74. Medicine Cabinet 01 (An introduction to medicines, and household preventatives and remedies)
75. Medicine Cabinet 01b
76. The Anatomy of a Planet (The Structure of the Earth)
77. Exploratory Data Analysis 01 (How to look at a collection of numbers)
78. Exploratory Data Analysis 02
79. Comparing Anatomies (Learning about ourselves from animals)
80. My Body 14 – Mouth & Tongue
81. Earth Zones (Deep subsurface geology)
82. Heat
83. Computer 08 – Software BIO: F, C & K
84. Medicine Cabinet 02
85. Rock Groups (Classification of mineral matter)
86. Exploratory Data Analysis 03
87. Insects
88. My Body 12 – Sleep Habits
89. Crustal Geology
90. Exploratory Data Analysis 04
91. Light
92. Computer 09 – User Friendly Software BIO: Carson
93. Medicine Cabinet 02b
94. Commercial Minerals
95. Arachnids (Spiders, Ticks, Mites, Scorpions)
96. My Body 15 – Teeth
97. Everyday Technology 1 - Transmitter & Receiver (Everyday household technology and how it works)
98. Understanding Light (Wave-particle duality as a matter of fact)
99. O. Pinion (The place of opinion in science) BIO: Planck
100. Medicine Cabinet 03
101. Everyday Technology 2 - Telephone
102. Nobody Is Average – Exp. 05
103. Bones
104. Body 15b - Teeth
105. Everyday Technology 3 – Radio
106. Radar BIO: Astronomers
107. Computer 10 – Modem
108. Medicine Cabinet 04
109. Everyday Technology 4 – Cell Phone
110. Deduction 01 (What can be deduced from these facts?)
111. Muscles
112. My Body 16 – Mouth Parts BIO: Leonardo
113. Everyday Technology 5 – Camera
114. Conservation of Energy
115. Computer – Internet
116. Medicine Cabinet 05
117. Everyday Technology 6 – Television
118. Deduction 02 BIO: Edison
119. Immunity
120. My Body 17 – Heart
121. Everyday Technology 7 – Storing Info
122. Energetics
123. Susan Summary (The hazards of jumping to conclusions) BIO: Krebs
124. Medicine Cabinet 05b
125. Everyday Technology 8 – CD, DVD, Flash Memory
126. Deduction 03
127. Development (From single cell to human in stages)
128. My Body 18 – Reflexes
129. Everyday Technology 9 – Engine
130. Everyday Technology 10 – Engine
131. Light Can Be Bent (Spectrum and prisms)
132. Medicine Cabinet 06 BIO: Einstein
133. Prob01 – A Roll of the Dice (An introduction to simple probability)
134. Adaptations (How living things can change within limits from one generation to another)
135. Everyday Technology 11 – Car
136. Lenses
137. Medical Practitioners BIO: Flemming
138. Prob02
139. Everyday Technology 12 – A/C
140. Waves
141. Prob03
142. Everyday Technology 13– Airplanes