Teaching science at home can be challenging. Putting together a curriculum that is both interesting and does not require extensive preparation or cost is often difficult. The Evan-Moor series is a breath of fresh air to home teachers wanting interesting lesson plans as well as hands-on activities and projects that are already designed. Using a photocopier and simple items around the home, anyone can present this human body curriculum to students in grades 1-3.

The following concepts are taught in this resource book:

• Bodies change as they grow older.
• The body has external and internal parts.
• The brain controls the body and is the center of thinking.
• We use five senses to find out about our world.
• The body has lungs for breathing.
• The body digests food for energy.
• The heart pumps blood throughout the body.
• Muscles help support the body.
  

An example of a lesson plan from the concept "The body has external and internal parts" will reveal how this product might be used in your homeschool. Students begin by brainstorming body parts and determining whether or not they are internal or external. Afterwards, they make collages of people by cutting out eyes, hair, legs, etc. from magazines. Then students play a game called "where is it?" by locating various parts on their own bodies from a list of previously discussed words. Nicely labeled drawings of the internal organs make great coloring pages. Students are encouraged to consider the body's largest organ: skin. With the use of a magnifying glass, they can see their small hairs, pores, and fingerprints. With the completion of each concept, children are encouraged to fill out a page for their logs titled "This is what I learned about my body today."

I plan to use this resource to teach a group of eight homeschooled kindergarteners in my church over a few weeks. This resource wonderfully offers a blend of the academic, fun, and hands-on activity that I enjoy teaching. We will round out our lessons with the song "Heads, Shoulders, Knees, and Toes" and possibly a game of "Pin the Organ on the Person." How fun is that?