How Waldorf Approaches Science and Chemistry Specifically; Materials and Resources We Are Using for our Homeschool Chemistry Block
Earth, Air, Fire, and Water – The four Ancient Greek elements. This is the lens that we are looking through as we work through our Chemistry Block this year. We’re working through our eighth year of homeschooling for my daughter, and are doing a G7 Chemistry Block on inorganic chemistry. Below is an overview of how we are approaching and exciting the block as we go.
In this post you’ll find
How Waldorf Approaches Science
Waldorf approaches science through a discovery mode. All kinds of demonstrations are done; observation made; and then deep explanations are given. It also looking at it from the whole to the parts. We start with larger concepts of the whole and work into the smaller details. Most Waldorf chemistry blocks that I know start with fire. We deviated from that and began our block with water. My reasoning for this is that I felt the understanding of combustion required a little more back story and chemical detail that I hoped water would give. It turned out to the perfect beginning for us. The video below goes over more of how we are approaching this block as I draw our main lesson chalk board for chemistry
Video: Chalkboard Drawing
Time Stamp
00:00 introduction
00:31 Pre-sketch
01:09 How Waldorf Approaches Learning
01:43 Projects for the Chemistry Block
02:07 How Waldorf Approaches Science and Chemistry
03:11 Ancient Greek Elements in the Chalk Drawing
03:50 Drawing the Fire
05:48 Integration of other Blocks
07:28 Native Stories and Water Cycle
08:22 Using Highlights and Shadows
09:22 Grounding and Bringing the Drawing Together
09:58 Fireflies for Chemoilumination
10:33 Properties of Chemical Reactions
11:40 Closing
Opening Activities for each Element and Resources
With each of the elements we are opening with a wet-on-wet watercolor of the theme of that element. Before we begin painting we have a short discussion about what we think of when we think of that element. We talk about the colors we associate with that element. We also talk about the feelings it brings up. Then we choose our colors and begin to paint. I’m taken by how different, but beautiful, each of the paintings are. We are using the book, Color Dynamics, by Angela Lloyd for inspiration.
We are also opening up with a Native American story that is relevant to the theme from the Keepers of the Earth Series. This is an elementary school curriculum that we have used before in our Native American block. Each section of the curriculum has a native story and discussion prompts that follow it. I’m using a story for each element to open the subunit.
You can watch more of the resources I am using the plan this block below.
Video: Chemistry Block Resources
Time Stamp
00:00 Intro
00:38 The Approach to Chemistry
01:31 For Subunit Openings
03:57 Source Books and. Reading Material
05:11 Chemistry the Waldorf Way
09:15 Usborne’s Illustrated Chemistry Dictionary
10:09 Changes to the Periodic Table
13:29 Super Simple Chemistry
15:19 ACS’s MiddleSchoolChemistry.com
15:15 Adult Education Material
17:38 Kingfisher Science Encyclopedia
18:17 Supplementary Books
19:00 Element Cards
22:22 The Bascher Books
23:11 Mad Science
23:45 Read Aloud or Companion Reading
25:10 The Story of Science Series
26:52 Closing
Exploration of the Periodic Table
As we work through this block, we’ll also be exploring the periodic table. This will be through reading about the different groups/group blocks, looking up the different elements within a group/group block, and observing different trends. We’ll also be reproducing the table through watercolor and making element cards that can be sorted and compared. The video below talks about the plans for that process. The periodic table we are using as a reference is NIH Pub Chem’s Periodic Table. This table is color coded based upon your preference of parameters such as state of matter, chemical block group, or density.
Video: Exploring the Periodic Table
Time Stamp
00:00 Introduction
02:00 Constructing the Grid
04:48 NIH Pub Chem Periodic Table
05:40 Color Choices
06:29 Tips for Water Coloring the Table
07:30 Using the Water-colored Periodic Table
08:00 Element Cards Corresponding to the Table
Scientific Writing
We will also be doing an introduction into scientific writing through lab reports. Scientific writing is different than other academic writing in a few ways. First it uses a third person objective point of view. Scientific writing also writes in past passive tense. If you are interested in reading how I’m introducing lab reports, including a download PDF of an exert from the Chemistry guide, see the blog post below.
Scientific Writing in Middle School
The Introduction of the Lab Report in our Homeschooling With our G7 Chemistry Block, we are introducing scientific writing through lab reports. Scientific writing…
Chemical Equipment and Supplies
We are using supplies that I have mainly purchased from Home Science Tools (affiliate link). My most used equipment has from their Basic Chemistry Equipment Set (affiliate link). Another supplier of science supplies and equipment is Carolina Biological. Below are two videos where I go through the equipment and supplies that I plan on using.
