How should I use these lessons and resources? Is this a “curriculum”?

I hesitate to use the term “curriculum,” in part because my favorite unschoolers hate that word. Also, I would never prescribe scope and sequence to a learning community. I will provide some suggestions for a few sample learning communities (no numerical age generalities will ever be used):

Heavy on multisensory learners

My cousin has a learning community that is rich in multisensory angels that don’t learn much from words or numbers or analytics. She, herself, however: super analytical (someone needs to be in order to open up and utilize the resources). She is also being constantly buffeted by appointments and engagements, urgent demands, family commitments, and her own self care needs. As a result, this is how she uses the resources:

1. She follows @practicingscience on Instagram and TikTok so that she gets some bite-sized ideas in the middle of her chaotic sensory overload days.
2. She watches the introductory videos, contemplates the new vocabulary, and looks over the demo and “multisensory response” ideas when she has days with more bandwidth.
3. As she and her multisensory angels navigate their days, she brings up the topics, ideas, and observations from the lessons and makes suggestions for her fellow learners to try.
4. She plans to some day set up the demos and take photos.
5. She lets me know what natural phenomena most interest her learning community so that I can provide resources and ideas.

Mixed communities with verbal and/or analytical leadership of some kind

This is most learning communities in traditional schools, particularly elementary and middle school. Please note that I’m very intentional about avoiding age designations in these suggestions. Even the very oldest learners in the communities (i.e., traditionally those called “teachers”) can shift in and out of all these roles. Somebody in this mixed community group is choosing the topic/lesson/unit. Hopefully it’s based on someone’s deep interest, but in schools it’s based on the number of years the learner has attended school because there is a scope and sequence prescribed by some sort of external arbiter. In that case, I am working on providing Next Generation Science Standards to keep everybody on the same page in terms of common language.

1. Once the topic/lesson/unit is selected, introductory materials may be viewed by some or all of the learners. Any new vocabulary may be identified and posted somewhere for reference. (I deeply love using word walls for word roots and etymology.)
2. One or more of the learners set up and execute the demonstrations indicated in “experiencing the science.”
3. Each learner determines for themself how they would like to respond. Learners might help each other decide how to respond by reading out the multisensory, creative, verbal, and analytical suggestions.
4. At any time, any learner may review introductory materials, go to their favorite resources to look for more or to dig deeper, skip lessons or go back to lessons.
5. All suggestions are made with common household materials so that all the different response types may be executed simultaneously in the same classroom, kitchen, bathroom, or backyard.

Verbal/analytical heavy learning communities

In this case, learners may navigate topics/lessons/units independently. If they went through a topic as a more multisensory or creative learner, but they’re more verbal/analytical now, maybe the learner repeats lessons with a different lens or perspective. Again, traditional school does this sort of thing when “Life Science” is taught in 3rd, 7th, and 9th grades. You can observe the Next Generation Science Standards to prove this to yourself. For example, the Weather unit includes standards the authors intend for Kindergarten, 3rd grade, Middle School, and High School.

1. Each learner navigates toward a topic/lesson/unit of interest.
2. Upon discovering the “Introduction to the topic” portion, the learner might navigate down a path that was not prescribed. It happens to me all the time. It’s part of the fun. Enjoy it. Go to the library, dig into the literature, follow the bunny trail. Isn’t learning amazing!?!
3. Any and every learner is welcome to execute the demos for themself. Hooray. Maybe it goes as planned, maybe it doesn’t. Maybe the execution of the demo leads the learner into a question they want to pursue. Do it.
4. The learners may respond according to my suggestions and they may not.
5. IF THE LEARNER IS KEEPING TRACK FOR EXTERNAL VALIDATION PURPOSES, the Next Generation Science Standards may be printed out and used as checklists. Once a topic is filled with checks, you’ve got BINGO. Call it a class completed.
6. IF SOME LEARNER NEEDS ASSESSMENT FOR SOME REASON, try self-assessment or peer-assessment. Consider the various “performance expectations” provided by NGSS or the International Baccalaureate or your local municipality. Personally, I am not a fan of grades or assessment. Here’s a good explanation of why.

Okay, well, please let me know if you think these ideas are workable and/or if they make sense to you. Also, if this whole thing I’m building takes off and you use it differently than the ways I suggest, LMK.

P.S. Every learner is invited to just follow me on social media and have a science practice in their everyday life. That’s also part of the idea. We learn and we practice science always and everywhere.